‘Only in America’: Warnock’s rise from poverty to US senator

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock waves to supporters during a drive-in rally, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Savannah, Ga. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris made a campaign stop for Georgia candidates Warnock and Jon Ossoff before the runoff election Tuesday. Photo Courtesy: AP

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP): Raphael Warnock’s roots showed little promise of a future that led to the U.S. Senate. He grew up in Savannah in the Kayton Homes public housing project, the second youngest of 12 children. His mother as a teenager had worked as a sharecropper picking cotton and tobacco. His father was a preacher… Continue reading ‘Only in America’: Warnock’s rise from poverty to US senator

Several U.S. states sue regulator over ‘true lender’ rule

NEW YORK (Reuters): Seven U.S. states and Washington, D.C. on Tuesday sued the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, seeking to void a rule they said could encourage predatory lending by depriving them of their ability to enforce state laws against exploitative interest rates. The complaint filed in Manhattan federal court seeks to… Continue reading Several U.S. states sue regulator over ‘true lender’ rule

UK judge to rule on US extradition for WikiLeaks’ Assange

FILE - In this Wednesday May 1, 2019 file photo, buildings are reflected in the window as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is taken from court, where he appeared on charges of jumping British bail seven years ago, in London. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out Monday Jan. 4, 2021, whether he can be extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. to face espionage charges over the publication of secret American military documents. Photo Courtesy: AP

LONDON (AP): WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out Monday whether he can be extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. to face espionage charges over the publication of secret American military documents. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser is due to deliver her decision at London’s Old Bailey courthouse at 10 a.m. Monday. If she grants… Continue reading UK judge to rule on US extradition for WikiLeaks’ Assange

Iran plans 20 pc uranium enrichment ‘as soon as possible’

FILE - This Nov. 4, 2020, file satellite photo by Maxar Technologies shows Iran's Fordo nuclear site. Iran has told international nuclear inspectors it plans to enrich uranium up to 20 percent at its underground Fordo nuclear facility, a technical step away from weapons-grade levels, as it increases pressure on the West over its tattered atomic deal. Photo Courtesy: AP

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP): Iran said Saturday it plans to enrich uranium up to 20 percent at its underground Fordo nuclear facility “as soon as possible,” pushing its program a technical step away from weapons-grade levels as it increases pressure on the West over the tattered atomic deal. The move comes amid heightened tensions… Continue reading Iran plans 20 pc uranium enrichment ‘as soon as possible’

2020 finally ending, but New Year’s revelries muted by virus

Fireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as New Year celebrations begin in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. One million people would usually crowd the Sydney Harbor to watch the annual fireworks that center on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. But this year authorities advised revelers to watch the fireworks on television as the two most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria battle to curb new COVID-19 outbreaks. Photo Courtesy: AP

CANBERRA, Australia (AP): This New Year’s Eve is being celebrated like no other, with pandemic restrictions limiting crowds and many people bidding farewell to a year they’d prefer to forget. Australia was among the first nations to ring in 2021 because of its proximity to the International Date Line. It was a grim end to… Continue reading 2020 finally ending, but New Year’s revelries muted by virus

Yemeni officials: Blast at Aden airport kills 22, wounds 50

People run following an explosion at the airport in Aden, Yemen, shortly after a plane carrying the newly formed Cabinet landed on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. No one on board the government plane was hurt but initial reports said several people at the airport were killed. Photo Courtesy: AP

SANAA, Yemen (AP): A large explosion struck the airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Wednesday, shortly after a plane carrying the newly formed Cabinet landed there, security officials said. At least 22 people were killed and 50 were wounded in the blast. The source of the explosion was not immediately clear and… Continue reading Yemeni officials: Blast at Aden airport kills 22, wounds 50

China clamps down in hidden hunt for coronavirus origins

Huanan market vendor Jiang Dafa tends to his pigeons at home in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Oct. 22, 2020. China's search for the COVID-19 virus started in the Huanan Seafood market in Wuhan, a sprawling, low-slung complex where many of the first human coronavirus cases were detected. Scientists initially suspected the virus came from wild animals sold in the market. Photo Courtesy: AP

MOJIANG, China (AP): Deep in the lush mountain valleys of southern China lies the entrance to a mine shaft that once harbored bats with the closest known relative of the COVID-19 virus. The area is of intense scientific interest because it may hold clues to the origins of the coronavirus that has killed more than… Continue reading China clamps down in hidden hunt for coronavirus origins

As COVID-19 ravages US, shootings, killings are also up

Rockford police and other law enforcement agencies investigate the scene of a shooting at a bowling alley Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in Rockford, Ill. (Scott P. Yates/Rockford Register Star via AP)

DETROIT (AP): When Andre Avery drives his commercial truck through Detroit, he keeps his pistol close. Avery, 57, grew up in the Motor City and is aware that homicides and shootings are surging, even though before the pandemic they were dropping in Detroit and elsewhere. His gun is legal, and he carries it with him… Continue reading As COVID-19 ravages US, shootings, killings are also up

Trump reluctantly signs COVID aid, sparks fresh fight in GOP

President Donald Trump's motorcade drives to Trump International Golf Club, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Fla. Photo Courtesy: AP

WASHINGTON (AP): Shelving his objections, President Donald Trump has signed a $2 trillion-plus COVID-19 and annual federal spending package providing relief for millions of Americans, even as Congress returns to confront the White House on remaining priorities in a rare end-of-session showdown. Trump appears to have accomplished little, if anything, from the days of drama… Continue reading Trump reluctantly signs COVID aid, sparks fresh fight in GOP

Zhang Zhan: China jails citizen journalist for Wuhan reports

Youtube screenshot of Zhang Zhan Photo Courtesy: BBC

(BBC): A Chinese citizen journalist who covered Wuhan’s coronavirus outbreak has been jailed for four years. Zhang Zhan was found guilty of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, a frequent charge against activists. The 37-year-old former lawyer was detained in May, and has been on hunger strike for several months. Her lawyers say she is in… Continue reading Zhang Zhan: China jails citizen journalist for Wuhan reports