Irish Abortion Law — The Irish government is expected to introduce a law that allows abortions in limited circumstances, reports the Guardian. The move comes after Ireland came under pressure from the European court of human rights, which ruled that abortions should be allowed when a women’s life was at risk. According to the Guardian, the new law will “allow terminations where there is a medical risk to a woman’s life or when she is thought to be in danger of killing herself.” Whether the reforms will allow abortions in cases of rape or sexual abuse is unclear. Thailand‘s Diminishing Monks — The New York Times reports that Buddhist monks in Thailand are struggling to stay relevant as they dwindle in numbers and as the country becomes wealthier and more secular. The number of monks in the Southeast Asian country has dropped by more than 50% over the last 30 years. “In a relatively short time,” writes the Times, “the local Buddhist monk has gone from being a moral authority, teacher and community leader fulfilling important spiritual and secular roles to someone whose job is often limited to presiding over periodic ceremonies.” Coal vs. Oil — The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that coal will catch up with oil as the world’s top energy source by 2022, notes the BBC. Global consumption of coal will hit 4.32 billion tons of oil equivalent by 2017, says the IEA report. Economic and population growth in developing nations, especially China and India, are driving the demand for coal. The report also adds that China will account for more than 50% of global coal consumption by 2014 and that the U.S. is the only region in the world where demand for coal will decrease. Polio Workers in Pakistan — Gunmen have been attacking health workers in Pakistan attempting to administer polio vaccinations, reports Reuters. The number killed now stands at 8 in the space of 48 hours, prompting the U.N. to pull all staff working on the project off the streets. No group has![]()
