Author: chicagoinquirer

by Edith M. Lederer UNITED NATIONS  — The African Union appealed for nearly $90 million Wednesday for its peacekeeping force in Somalia, which is providing support to its military forces battling al-Shabab extremists. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the AU commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, told two reporters that the more than 19,600-strong AU force won’t be able to function properly and help the Somalis unless that funding gap is filled. A year ago, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a new African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, known as ATMIS, to support the Somalis until their forces take full…

by Abby Sewell IRBIL, Iraq — Complexes of McMansions, fast food restaurants, real estate offices and half-constructed high-rises line wide highways in Irbil, the seat of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Many members of the political and business elite live in a suburban gated community dubbed the American Village, where homes sell for as much as $5 million, with lush gardens consuming more than a million liters of water a day in the summer. The visible opulence is a far cry from 20 years ago. Back then, Irbil was a backwater provincial capital without even an airport. That…

GREEN BAY, Wis.  — A 23-year-old Rockford man charged with abuse of a corpse for stealing a funeral home van containing a body that was later dumped in Chicago has been arrested in Wisconsin. The man, who also faces a charge of unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, was arrested Sunday in Green Bay. The van belonging to Collins & Stone Funeral Home was stolen from outside the Rockford business on Jan. 21. Chicago police found the van the following day without the body inside. The body of 47-year-old Curtis Brown that had been in the van was recovered Jan.…

by Fatima Hussein WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellenprojected calm on Tuesday after recent regional bank collapses but told a gathering of bankers that additional rescue arrangements “could be warranted” if any new failures at smaller institutions jeopardize financial stability. Yellen, who made her remarks at the American Bankers Association, said that overall “the situation is stabilizing.” “And the U.S. banking system remains sound,” Yellen said, drawing clear differences between recent events and the 2008 financial meltdown, which triggered trillions of dollars of financial losses globally. “This is different from 2008,” she said. “2008 was a solvency crisis, rather what…

by Ken Miller OKLAHOMA CITY  — A divided Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a portion of the state’s near total ban on abortion, ruling women have a right to abortion when pregnancy risks their health, not just in a medical emergency. It was a narrow win for abortion rights advocates since the U.S. Supreme Court s truck down Roe v. Wade. The court ruled that a woman has the right under the state Constitution to receive an abortion to preserve her life if her doctor determines that continuing the pregnancy would endanger it due to a condition she has…

A New York grand jury investigating hush payments made on Donald Trump’s behalf during the 2016 presidential campaign has refocused attention on the Manhattan district attorney steering the case. Alvin Bragg’s decision to convene the grand jury early this year could lead to the first criminal charge against a former U.S. president. Here’s what you need to know about Bragg: WHO IS THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY? Alvin Bragg became Manhattan’s first Black district attorney in 2022, following his election in November 2021. AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY, WHAT IS BRAGG’S JOB? The office prosecutes nearly all criminal cases in Manhattan, staffed by…

by Emeka Obasi LAGOS, NIG -Those who organised a reception for Super Falcons, 1999 set in what was tagged the NFF/ AITEO Awards in 2021 took Ismaila Mabo closer to his grave. The gaffer who led the female senior national team to an African record was left out. I was shocked to the marrow. A call to Mabo hurt me the more. The man sat down in his Jos home while some Falcon Veterans were flown in from the United States. ” Emeka, they have forgotten me. Thank you for this call. I am still alive but they have…

by Lolita C. Baldor WASHINGTON  — The Pentagon is speeding up its delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, opting to send a refurbished older model that can be ready faster, with the aim of getting the 70-ton battle powerhouses to the war zone by the fall, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The original plan was to send Ukraine 31 of the newer M1A2 Abrams, which could have taken a year or two to build and ship. But officials said the decision was made to send the older M1A1 version, which can be taken from Army stocks. Officials said the M1A1 also…

by Karl Ritter KYIV, Ukraine  — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit Tuesday to Kyiv, stealing some of the global attention from Asian rival President Xi Jinping of China, who is in Moscow to show support for Russia against the West over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. The two visits, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) apart, highlighted the nearly 13-month-old war’s repercussions for international diplomacy as countries line up behind behind Moscow or Kyiv. They follow a week in which China and Japan both enjoyed diplomatic successes that have emboldened their foreign policy. Kishida, who is to…

by Prince Charles Dickson Ph.D. Let us forget our differences—Dr. Azikwe Let us understand our difference—Ahmadu Bello Let us understand the misunderstandings of our differences—AbdulBalogun Chukwudi “Misunderstanding the understanding” can refer to a situation where someone fails to comprehend or interpret a concept, idea, or situation correctly, despite believing that they have understood it. This can occur due to various reasons such as cognitive biases, lack of knowledge or experience, miscommunication, cultural differences, or preconceived notions. For example, imagine a person from one culture trying to understand a complex concept or idea from another culture. Even if they have the best…