New York

NEW YORK (AP) — “Senator,” she said, letting out an audible sigh.

In that singular moment, Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson spoke for countless Black women who have had to gather all the patience, strength and grace within to answer insinuating questions about their credentials, qualifications and character.

It was Day One of questioning at the Senate Judiciary Committee as the Harvard-educated Jackson, the first Black woman to be nominated for the nation’s highest court, was making history.

NEW YORK (AP) — As coronavirus infections rise in some parts of the world, experts are watching for a potential new COVID-19 surge in the U.S. — and wondering how long it will take to detect.

Despite disease monitoring improvements over the last two years, they say, some recent developments don’t bode well:

—As more people take rapid COVID-19 tests at home, fewer people are getting the gold-standard tests that the government relies on for case counts.

—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon use fewer labs to look for new variants.

25 March 2022; MEMO: Israel's ongoing illegal settlement expansion has been slammed by China during a UN briefing on the situation in Palestine. Beijing's representative at the world body insisted that settlements are a violation of international law and urged the international community to support the Palestinian people.

NEW YORK, March 24. /TASS/: The US company Google has confirmed that users are having difficulty accessing the Google News website and application in Russia, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

"We’ve confirmed that some people are having difficulty accessing the Google News app and website in Russia and that this is not due to any technical issues on our end," the agency quoted Google as saying.

UNITED NATIONS, March 24 (Reuters) - The 193-member U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly demanded aid access and civilian protection in Ukraine on Thursday and criticized Russia for creating a "dire" humanitarian situation after Moscow invaded its neighbor one month ago.

The resolution, drafted by Ukraine and allies, received 140 votes in favor and 5 votes against - Russia, Syria, North Korean, Eritrea and Belarus - while 38 countries abstained.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly votes Thursday on a resolution backed by over 90 countries that blames Russia for the escalating humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and demands an immediate halt to hostilities, especially attacks on civilians and their homes, schools and hospitals.

Russia has denounced the resolution as “anti-Russian” and accuses its supporters of not really being concerned about the humanitarian situation on the ground, saying they want to politicize aid.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Russian stock market resumed limited trading Thursday under heavy restrictions almost one month after prices plunged and the market was shut down following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Trading of a limited number of stocks including energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft took place under curbs that are meant to prevent a repeat of the massive selloff that took place Feb. 24 in anticipation of Western economic sanctions. Foreigners cannot sell and traders are barred from short selling, or betting prices will fall.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 23 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Wednesday “deeply” regretted Taliban’s decision to suspend high school education for girls in Afghanistan, saying it was “deeply damaging” for the war-torn country.
In a statement, he urged the de facto authorities in Kabul to open schools for all students without any further delay.

The Taliban decision came as Afghanistan’s educational institutions re-opened Wednesday with girls who were to begin education beyond the sixth grade told by the Taliban to remain home.

NEW YORK (AP) — When Alexei Navalny was arrested in January 2021, tens of thousands of Russians filled the streets in protest, demanding that the top Kremlin critic be released and chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin. Thousands were arrested.

In the months since then, Navalny was given 2½ years in prison. His organization, close associates and other opposition activists were either prosecuted, fled the country or had their hands tied by draconian new laws or decrees. Independent news outlets were blocked and social media platforms banned.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 22 (APP): While groundwater accounts for 99 per cent of all running freshwater on Earth, it is often undervalued, mismanaged, and overexploited, according to a report published on Monday by the UN scientific organization, UNESCO.

“Groundwater is a critical natural resource, invisible but indispensable for life on our planet,” UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said in the Foreword of Making the invisible visible, the latest edition of the UN World Water Development Report (WWDR).