The courtroom drama surrounding Anna Nicole Smith and news that Britney Spears shaved her head may have captured headlines this week, but there was plenty of other interesting news. Here are a few examples, complete with conversation zingers to get you through any social event this weekend.
NEWS ABOUT WOMEN
In the same week that Wimbledon announced it will pay women and men equal amounts in prize money for the first time this summer, a women’s research group found it could take women close to 50 years to equal the number of men holding corporate officer titles at Fortune 500 companies.
Conversation zinger: Currently, women represent just 15.6% of the executive positions at Fortune 500 companies (CEO, COO, CFO, etc.), according to the report.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Meanwhile, Iran disregarded an important United Nations deadline to stop its nuclear proliferation efforts, opening the door for more sanctions. In December the U.N. barred countries from buying or selling materials with Iran that could support its nuclear agenda, and gave it 60 days to comply with demands to halt the program. The deadline passed this week and a new report from a U.N. group says Iran is expanding its program and being uncooperative in providing details about it.
Iran contends its plans are to generate nuclear energy only, not weapons, and calls the U.N.’s demands “unacceptable.” The U.N. Security Council is expected to meet next week to discuss next steps.
Conversation zinger: The U.N. may impose more sanctions on Iran, but will it matter? Given that that Iran is home to about 10% of the world’s oil reserves, oil prices near $60 a barrel aren’t hurting its economy.
GAY MARRIAGE NEWS
The Rhode Island attorney general proposed that the state recognize gay marriages performed in neighboring state Massachusetts. The attorney general was responding to a handful of workers at Rhode Island public colleges who asked their employer to recognize their marriage status in their personnel files. The employees were all married in Massachusetts, the only state where same-sex marriage is legal.
Conversation zinger: Gay marriage is legal in six countries: Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands, Israel, South Africa and Spain.
NEWS ABOUT WOMEN
In the same week that Wimbledon announced it will pay women and men equal amounts in prize money for the first time this summer, a women’s research group found it could take women close to 50 years to equal the number of men holding corporate officer titles at Fortune 500 companies.
Conversation zinger: Currently, women represent just 15.6% of the executive positions at Fortune 500 companies (CEO, COO, CFO, etc.), according to the report.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Meanwhile, Iran disregarded an important United Nations deadline to stop its nuclear proliferation efforts, opening the door for more sanctions. In December the U.N. barred countries from buying or selling materials with Iran that could support its nuclear agenda, and gave it 60 days to comply with demands to halt the program. The deadline passed this week and a new report from a U.N. group says Iran is expanding its program and being uncooperative in providing details about it.
Iran contends its plans are to generate nuclear energy only, not weapons, and calls the U.N.’s demands “unacceptable.” The U.N. Security Council is expected to meet next week to discuss next steps.
Conversation zinger: The U.N. may impose more sanctions on Iran, but will it matter? Given that that Iran is home to about 10% of the world’s oil reserves, oil prices near $60 a barrel aren’t hurting its economy.
GAY MARRIAGE NEWS
The Rhode Island attorney general proposed that the state recognize gay marriages performed in neighboring state Massachusetts. The attorney general was responding to a handful of workers at Rhode Island public colleges who asked their employer to recognize their marriage status in their personnel files. The employees were all married in Massachusetts, the only state where same-sex marriage is legal.
Conversation zinger: Gay marriage is legal in six countries: Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands, Israel, South Africa and Spain.
