Globe-trotting: Abortions up in US, women turn to pills

Washington: Abortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It’s now been two and a half years since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organisation.

Sweden searches for cemeteries in case of war

Gothenburg: Burial associations in Sweden are looking to acquire enough land for something they hope they’ll never have to do: bury thousands of people in the event of war. The search follows recommendations from the Church of Sweden’s national secretariat, which reflect crisis preparedness guidelines from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) and the Swedish Armed Forces. The preparedness guidelines have been put in a new light by Sweden’s decision to join NATO and tensions with Russia in the Baltic Sea region.

Hong Kong holds first pyrotechnics drone show

Los angeles: Hundreds gathered in Hong Kong on Saturday to watch the city's first pyrotechnics drone show, as part of a campaign to raise support and awareness of panda conservation. The 10-minute drone show featured 1,000 drones, some of which were equipped with fireworks, flying over Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour and forming images of the city's giant pandas. During certain parts of the spectacle, some drones displayed fireworks.

Romeo and Juliet star dies at 73

New York: Olivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet,” has died, her family said on social media Saturday. She was 73. Hussey died on Friday, “peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones,” a statement posted to her Instagram account said. Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy.