North America

NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Speculative behaviors of Wall Street firms and grain giants in the global market, and the U.S. government's support for such businesses, have aggravated the worldwide food crisis amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict, a U.S. expert has said.

Frederic Mousseau, policy director at the Oakland Institute, pointed out that a major problem is the jump of prices resulting from market speculation by investment companies and big food corporations.

NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for action to make Africa a success.

The world must see Africa for what it is: a land of enormous potential and resources, he told the inaugural meeting of the Global African Business Initiative (GABI). "Guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union's Agenda 2063, we can and must shift the paradigm."

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) — An eastern Indiana police officer who was shot in the head during a traffic stop in August has died more than two weeks after she was removed from life support, authorities said.

Richmond Police Department Officer Seara Burton died Sunday night at a Reid Health facility surrounded by her family, the department said in a statement posted to Facebook.

“We would sincerely like to thank the Richmond community, and those who have supported Seara, her family, and the department from near and far,” the statement from several officials said.

NEW YORK (AP) — When President Joe Biden announced a plan to forgive student loan debt, many borrowers who kept making payments during the pandemic wondered if they’d made the right choice.

Borrowers who paid down their debt during a pandemic freeze that started in March 2020 can in fact get a refund — and then apply for forgiveness – but the process for doing that hasn’t always been clear.

If you think you’re eligible, here’s what you need to know:

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WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A REFUND?

COLUMBUS, Wis. (AP) — Sarah Motiff has voted for Sen. Ron Johnson every time his name appeared on the ballot, starting in 2010 when the Wisconsin Republican was first elected as part of the tea party wave. Fond of his tough views on spending, she began the year planning to support his reelection again.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell bluntly warned in a speech last month that the Fed’s drive to curb inflation by aggressively raising interest rates would “bring some pain.” On Wednesday, Americans may get a better sense of how much pain could be in store.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Fiona roared over the Dominican Republic on Monday, a day after knocking out power to all of Puerto Rico and causing damage the governor described as “catastrophic.” Many people were also left without water service.

The blow from Fiona was made more devastating because Puerto Rico has yet to recover from Hurricane Maria, which killed nearly 3,000 people and destroyed the power grid in 2017. Five years later, more than 3,000 homes on the island still have blue tarps for a roof.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An American contractor held hostage in Afghanistan for more than two years has been released in exchange for a convicted Taliban drug lord jailed in the United States, the White House said Monday, announcing a rare success in U.S.-Taliban talks since the militant group took power a little more than a year ago

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 18 (APP): Underscoring the importance of International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for support to the inflation-hit developing countries in order to widen access to educational opportunities.

At a stakeout on the margins of the ‘Transforming Education Summit’ underway at the UN General Assembly, the UN chief, alongside his Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, drew attention to the critical issue of innovative financing for education.

WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to not use tactical nuclear or chemical weapons in the wake of setbacks in Ukraine, in a CBS News interview to air on Sunday.

Ukraine's military drove back Russian forces in a lightning rout in the northeast of the country this week, putting Putin under pressure from nationalists at home to regain the initiative.