Category: World

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

Wars, instability pose vaccine challenges in poor nations

FILE - In this July 13, 2019, file photo, health workers wearing protective suits tend to an Ebola victim kept in an isolation tent in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo. The task of vaccinating millions of people in poor and developing countries against COVID-19 faces monumental obstacles, and it's not just a problem of affording and obtaining doses. Rumors flew about the Ebola vaccines, including the idea they were meant to kill people, said Dr. Maurice Kakule, an Ebola survivor who worked in vaccination campaigns. Similar suspicions are spreading about the COVID-19 vaccine, he said. Photo Courtesy: AP

DAR MANGI, Pakistan (AP): Arifullah Khan had just administered another polio vaccine when the gunfire blasted from the nearby hills. “It happened so suddenly. There was so much gunfire it felt like an explosion,” he said, recalling details of the attack five years ago in Pakistan’s Bajaur tribal region near the Afghan border. A bullet… Continue reading Wars, instability pose vaccine challenges in poor nations

Japan halts all foreign arrivals over UK variant

People wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walk on Aoyama shopping street in Tokyo Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020. Japan is barring entry of all nonresident foreign nationals as a precaution against a new and potentially more contagious coronavirus variant that has spread across Britain. The Foreign Ministry says the entry ban will start Monday and last through Jan. 31. Photo Courtesy: AP

TOKYO (AP): Japan is barring entry of all nonresident foreign nationals as a precaution against a new and potentially more contagious coronavirus variant that has spread across Britain. The Foreign Ministry says the entry ban will start Monday and last through Jan. 31. Last week, Japan banned nonresident foreigners coming from Britain and South Africa… Continue reading Japan halts all foreign arrivals over UK variant

Trump made lasting impact on federal courts

WASHINGTON (AP): On this, even President Donald Trump’s most fevered critics agree: He has left a deep imprint on the federal courts that will outlast his one term in office for decades to come.He used the promise of conservative judicial appointments to win over Republican skeptics as a candidate. Then as president, he relied on… Continue reading Trump made lasting impact on federal courts