president: Latest News

WASHINGTON - Historic confirmation hearings begin on Monday for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who would be the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. Jackson, a 51-year-old who has served as a federal judge for the past nine years, will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee, beginning at 11 a.m.

As the situation in Ukraine grows grimmer every day, there’s increasing pressure for NATO and the U.S. to do more to help the Eastern European nation.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden has added a stop in Poland to his trip this week to Europe for urgent talks with NATO and European allies, as Russian forces concentrate their fire upon cities and trapped civilians in a nearly month-old invasion of Ukraine.Biden will first travel to Brussels and then to Poland on Friday to meet with leaders there, press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Sunday night.Poland is a crucial ally in the Ukraine crisis. It is hosting thousands of American troops and is taking in more people fleeing the war in Ukraine — more than 2 million — than any other nation in the midst of the largest European refugee crisis in decades.Biden will head to Warsaw for a bilateral meeting with President Andrzej Duda.

China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it built in the disputed South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby, a top U.S. military commander said Sunday.U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Adm.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke for nearly two hours with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a call on Friday in an effort to warn China not to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The All Ceylon Mask Manufacturers Association stated that the price of face masks will be increased by 30%.The president of the Association, Vidura Algama said that the price increase will be effective from Monday (21).

war’s greatest suffering. On Sunday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of war crimes over its siege, describing the attack on the city as "a terror that will be remembered for centuries to come." In his nightly address to the nation, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is interested in peace, and that ongoing talks with Russia are "necessary."Here are some key things to know about the conflict:Mariupol, a strategic port on the Azov Sea, has been encircled by Russian troops — cut off from energy, food and water supplies since the early days of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine launched on Feb.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 21: Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at the Heritage Foundation on October 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. Clarence Thomas has now served on the Supreme Court for 30 years.

announcing a $.40 "fuel surcharge" amid a spike in gasoline prices.Instacart made the announcement on Friday, stating that the company is implementing the "temporary surcharge" on all customer orders, and states that the money will be directly passed on to the shopper."We’re implementing a temporary surcharge on customer orders to help offset the increased cost of gas over the next month. This surcharge will add an additional $.40 on customer orders across our marketplace, with a clear indication of the fuel surcharge on the batch before you accept it.

Ukraine becomes increasingly brutal, with Russian attacks killing and displacing civilians, experts say the international community is shifting its focus from sanctions to helping the Ukrainian military.That’s partly because the few remaining options that could have a significant impact on Russia’s economy — namely, a European ban on Russian oil and gas — are not feasible in the short term. It’s also becoming clearer that the sanctions, while devastating, are not swaying Russian President Vladimir Putin.“It’s not hurting (Russia) enough to make them stop,” said James Brander, a professor in international business and public policy at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.“It’s hard to get to that level, whereas what’s really hurting the Russians right now is on the ground in Ukraine, where they’re running into a lot of military trouble.

In a video posted to social media on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Moscow that continuing the invasion would bring about “huge” losses for Russia that would last “generations.” He added: “It’s time to meet, time to talk.”

The war is now in its fourth week. Overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Kremlin of deliberately creating "a humanitarian catastrophe," but also appealed for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him for direct talks.The U.N.

General view of MGM Studios on October 28, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Amazon has closed its $8.45 billion acquisition of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios as it looks to boost its streaming service offerings to compete with entertainment rivals Netflix and Disney. The move will allow Amazon to leverage MGM's catalog of more than 4,000 film titles and 17,000 TV episodes, including franchise favorites such as "James Bond," "Rocky" and "Creed," and classics such as "Thelma & Louise," "The Silence of the Lambs," "The Magnificent Seven" and "Raging Bull."  "MGM has a nearly century-long legacy of producing exceptional entertainment, and we share their commitment to delivering a broad slate of original films and television shows to a global audience," Amazon Studios and Prime Video senior vice president Mike Hopkins said in a statement. "We welcome MGM employees, creators, and talent to Prime Video and Amazon Studios, and we look forward to working together to create even more opportunities to deliver quality storytelling to our customers." The deal, which was first announced in May 2021, closed without being challenged by the Federal Trade Commission. In August, the FTC received a letter from the Strategic Organizing Center, a democratic union federation representing more than 4 million workers in the Service Employees International Union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Communications Workers of America and the United Farmworkers.

Friday’s edition of “The View” was a bit out of the ordinary.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday called for comprehensive peace talks with Moscow, saying Russia would otherwise need generations to recover from losses suffered during the war.Zelenskyy said Ukraine had always offered solutions for peace and wanted meaningful and honest negotiations on peace and security, without delay.“I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. The time has come for a meeting, it is time to talk,” he said in a video address released in the early hours of Saturday.“The time has come to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine.

AUDUBON, N.J. - A local food pantry is feeling the impact of higher food prices as donations for those in need have dipped as people struggle to put food on their own tables. "Two weeks ago we hit critical where I mean these shelves were almost completely bare," President of the Audubon Peer to Peer Aid Steve Radie said. Peer to Peer relies on donations from the Camden County community and does not have corporate sponsorships. Still, many large organizations like the Red Cross send families to Peer to Peer in search of weeks worth of food.Radie said baby formula and diapers have been hard to come by recently and their pet food section is nearly empty.

UKRAINE - A group of European leaders is fighting to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the people of Ukraine to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, despite the Nobel Committee’s expired deadline.In a letter, dated March 11, the politicians called on the committee to re-open and reconsider the 2022 nomination rules for the honor."Brave Ukrainian men and women are fighting to preserve democracy and self-government," the letter read. "From the defiance democratically elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the man with tears in his eyes saying goodbye to his family to fight for his country, people all over Ukraine are rising up to resist the forces of authoritarianism.

PHILADELPHIA - A decision is expected very soon on who will be the next Superintendent of Philadelphia Public Schools, but one decision is already clear: it will be a man.The School District of Philadelphia named John L. Davis Jr., Krish Mohip, and Tony B. Watlington Sr.

Russian state television suddenly cut away from President Vladimir Putin speaking at a packed Moscow stadium to mark the eighth anniversary of Crimea’s annexation on Friday, showing patriotic songs being performed at the event instead.

Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the invasion of Ukraine before a packed soccer stadium on Friday, but coverage of his speech on state television was unexpectedly interrupted by what the Kremlin said was a technical problem with a server.Speaking on a stage at the centre of Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, Putin promised to tens of thousands of people waving Russian flags and chanting “Russia, Russia, Russia” that all of the Kremlin’s aims would be achieved.“We know what we need to do, how to do it and at what cost. And we will absolutely accomplish all of our plans,” Putin, 69, told the rally from a stage decked out with slogans such as “For a world without Nazism” and “For our president.”Many of the Russian slogans used at the rally incorporated the “Z” symbol that Russian forces have used as a motif in Ukraine.

The U.S. Capitol is shown June 5, 2003 in Washington, DC. Both houses of the U.S.

Jesse Espersen fills his SUV with 16.536 gallons of Super+ gas at 7.559 per gallon for a total of 125 dollars at a Mobil station in Los Angeles, CA. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) The national average cost for a gallon of gasoline is likely to continue to fall in the coming weeks, though prices in California will remain elevated due to supply issues, according to an industry expert.As of Thursday, the national average is $4.289 a gallon, down from Wednesday's average of $4.305, according to AAA data.  Gas prices in Westchester are above six dollars as prices at the pump continue to raise across the Southland on Sunday, March 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping are set to speak on Friday as the White House warns Beijing that providing military or economic assistance for Russia's invasion of Ukraine will trigger severe consequences from Washington and beyond.Planning for the call has been in the works since Biden and Xi held a virtual summit in November, but differences between Washington and Beijing over Russian President Vladimir Putin's prosecution of his three-week-old war against Ukraine are expected to be at the center of the call.White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden would question Xi about Beijing's "rhetorical support" of Putin and an "absence of denunciation" of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine."This is an opportunity to assess where President Xi stands," Psaki said.China on Friday again sought to highlight its calls for negotiations and donations of humanitarian aid, while accusing the U.S. of provoking Russia and fueling the conflict by shipping arms to Ukraine."China has called for every effort to avoid civilian casualties all the time," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing.

COLOMBO (News 1st); No conditions have been underlined for the USD 1 billion loan given by India, however, the amount will have to be paid back in installments after three years, said Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.The President is acting on a very prudent and a long-term plan, says Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa on repaying the country’s loans after his entourage returned from India this afternoon. The Finance Minister returned to the country after signing agreements for a US $ 1 billion financial assistance from India. In addition to this $ 1 billion, India has already provided a $ 400 million loan, a $ 500 million loan to purchase petroleum and another $ 500 million via the Asian Clearing Union.Accordingly, the value of loans and relief facilities provided by India to overcome the current economic crisis is about US $ 2.4 billion in total. The Minister of Finance, speaking to media stated that Sri Lanka’s neighbor India has proven that it stands by Sri Lanka with this action, especially with Prime Minister Modi mentioning that all the support that Sri Lanka needs is being provided directly, both economically and socially.The Finance Minister said that Prime Minister Modi has learned of the organic farming and the interest shown by the President with regard to it, and although a shortage of nano fertilizer exists in India, they agreed to provide Sri Lanka with the required quantity.Rajapaksa also stated that India gave Sri Lanka a loan of US $ 1 billion to purchase food and other necessities for the people, especially for the upcoming Sinhala Tanil New Year, and the relevant loan has been in operation since yesterday (17).I urge all business communities to make it very transparent, giving priority to things which

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Russian forces struck Ukrainian cities from a distance again on Friday, hitting sites in the capital Kyiv and the country’s west as their ground offensive inched forward under fierce Ukrainian resistance.The war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin ground into its fourth week as his troops have failed to take Kyiv — a major objective in their hopes of forcing a settlement or dictating the country’s future political alignments.Missiles and shelling struck the edges of Kyiv as well as Lviv, close to Ukraine’s western border with NATO countries such as Poland.LVIV, UKRAINE - MARCH 18: Smoke is seen above buildings close to the airport on March 18, 2022, in Lviv, Ukraine. (Photo by Getty Images) Late Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nighttime video address to the nation that he is thankful to U.S.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A massive Republican primary field for governor in Pennsylvania is spurring growing discomfort among party leaders that a widely splintered primary vote could produce a winner who cannot beat Democrat Josh Shapiro in November's general election.Ten Republicans filed paperwork Tuesday to get on the May 17 primary ballot. That is more than party leaders expected or have ever seen in a such a high-profile primary contest.It prompted grumbling over the state party's decision not to endorse in a gubernatorial primary — to try to winnow the field — for the first time since 1978.It has also propelled party leaders to begin working on a strategy to persuade some candidates who are perceived as weaker to drop out.

Western rivals are keeping an eye on Vladimir Putin as the Russian president talks about his desire for a “purge” of society.

American-Austrian politician and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger posted a video on social media on Thursday where he implored the Russian people to understand the “illegal war” in Ukraine, and told Russia President Vladimir Putin to put an end to what he started.

Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, chief executive officer of OAO GMK Norilsk Nickel, reacts while speaking to the media after an annual general meeting with shareholders at the President hotel in Moscow, Russia, on Friday, June 29, 2012.

Zelenskyy invoked 9/11 during an urgent appeal to the U.S. Congress for more weapons to stem the Russian assault.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The President’s Office said on Thursday (17) that there was no truth to the reports that claim that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had asked CBSL Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal to resign.It stated that a local newspaper report claiming that the IMF delegation had laid down such a condition is a total canard.The IMF did not discuss officials and the talks covered only the monetary issues, said the President’s Media Division.It went on to note that the President and the Government have the fullest confidence in the CBSL Governor and there is no reason whatsoever to seek his resignation.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The President has appointed a 16-member advisory committee to assist the National Economic Council.The list of appointed officials is as follows;Meanwhile, the composition of the Economic Council is as follows.

PHILADELPHIA - A New Jersey native is trying to bring his daughter and granddaughter stateside from Ukraine, but he said they haven't been able to get visas cleared despite the U.S. government's promise to welcome refugees. Bruce Ahrens said he is trying to get temporary tourist visas for his daughter Yullia and his granddaughter Dasha.

John Catsimatidis, the billionaire owner and CEO of New York City supermarket chain Gristedes, urged Americans to "buy" now because food inflation will only get much worse."I've seen price increases coming through for the month of March. I've seen them coming through April and May.

Former President Donald Trump appeared to rule out former Vice President Mike Pence as his running mate should he opt to mount a third bid for the White House in 2024. "I don’t think the people would accept it," Trump told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday of the pair running together again. Trump cited friction stemming from the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, in which he lost to President Joe Biden yet repeated a false claim that the election had been stolen from him, and suggested their differences are too stark to overcome heading into 2024, according to the conservative news website. "Mike and I had a great relationship except for the very important factor that took place at the end. We had a very good relationship," Trump told the website.

Russia on Wednesday to immediately halt its military operations in Ukraine, saying it was “profoundly concerned” by Moscow’s use of force.Although the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are binding, it has no direct means of enforcing them, and in rare cases in the past countries have ignored them.“The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on Feb 24, 2022 on the territory of Ukraine,” the ICJ judges said in a 13-2 decision. Russia is accused of war crimes in Ukraine.

PHILADELPHIA - Lawmakers in the Senate overwhelmingly agreed that the time has come to end the practice of setting clocks back an hour each fall.Senators unanimously passed the bipartisan "Sunshine Protection Act" Tuesday. The bill still needs approval from the House, and the signature of President Joe Biden, to become law.The ritual of falling back in the U.S.

plea for help to Congress earlier in the day.Biden, who has resisted Zelenskyy's requests to send warplanes to Ukraine fearing escalating the war with Russia, is expected to announce an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, according to a White House official. He's scheduled to deliver remarks at 12:30 p.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has started discussions with international monetary agencies and other friendly nations on its debt servicing obligations, said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday (16), in a televised address to the nation.“We need to clear the deficit and increase our foreign reserves,” said the President, adding that the government is in talks with various factions to implement necessary processes that would not be detrimental to Sri Lanka.‘We held talks with the International Monetary Fund yesterday (15). We hope to secure a process that would see us service our annual debt installments and sovereign bonds,” said the President adding that it was decided to further work with the IMF after studying the pros and cons of the proposed process.President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that certain decisions made by him in the past attributed to the control of import expenses, and that is why vehicle imports were suspended two years ago, and local industries were encouraged to boost production.The President said the main issue faced when controlling import expenses is the rapidly rising petroleum prices in the world market.“Over 20% of our import expenses are spent on petroleum products.

ANDREWS, Texas - Nine people died in a fiery, head-on collision in West Texas, including six students and a coach from a New Mexico university who were returning home from a golf tournament, authorities said.A pickup truck crossed the center line of a two-lane road in Andrews County and crashed into a vehicle carrying members of the University of the Southwest men’s and women’s golf teams, said Sgt. Steven Blanco of the Texas Department of Public Safety.Six students and a faculty member were killed in the crash along with the driver and a passenger in the pickup truck, Blanco said.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - As CEO of the world's largest hedge fund, David McCormick wore suits, lived on Connecticut's ritzy Gold Coast, talked up bipartisanship and described China as America's most important "bilateral relationship."Now, as a Republican running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, McCormick wears jeans and casual dress shirts.

A new antenna is installed by a Eurocopter at the top of the Eiffel Tower on March 15, 2022. (CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images) PARIS - The Eiffel Tower grew by six meters (nearly 20 feet) on Tuesday after engineers hoisted a new communications antenna at the very top of France’s most iconic landmark.Tourists watched from the Trocadero esplanade as the new digital radio antenna was helicoptered up.

WASHINGTON - Amid a tumultuous and deadly battle against invading Russian forces, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to speak virtually before the United States Congress on Wednesday to potentially discuss stronger sanctions and more meaningful action against Russia.Zelenskyy has used his public campaign to help ensure a global spotlight that might have faded amid the coronavirus pandemic and fatigue after the end of the long U.S. war in Afghanistan. The Ukrainian president’s video appearances are beaming the boyish but unshaven president into households and smartphones around the world as he speaks from undisclosed locations in Kyiv while Russia bombards his country, a heroic figure at the center of what many view as the biggest security threat to Europe since World War II.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Canadian lawmakers in parliament Tuesday, and again called for NATO to establish a no-fly zone over his country as Russian attacks continue to target civilians. Aaron McArthur reports.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff has COVID-19.

FILE - Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff speaks to employees after touring the Denver Mint in Denver, Colorado on March 11, 2022. (JASON CONNOLLY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)WASHINGTON - Second gentleman Doug Emhoff has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House announced Tuesday.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday.Biden will meet with NATO and European leaders at a summit in Brussels on March 24. He will also attend a scheduled European Council summit, where efforts to impose sanctions and further humanitarian efforts are underway."While he’s there, his goal is to meet in person face-to-face with his European counterparts and talk about, assess where we are at this point in the conflict in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

PHILADELPHIA - First State Brewing is brewing a batch of Ukrainian beer in order to support Ukrainian defense forces! The Middletown brewery is calling the beer ‘Putin Kilo’ which translates to an expletive involving the President of Russia. Quality manager Joe Spearot got the beer recipe from Pravda Brewing in Lviv, Ukraine. Pravda is not brewing at the moment, and instead have shifted from making beer to making Molotov cocktails. FOX 29’s Hank Flynn reached  Pravda Brewing’s Taras Maselko via WhatsApp, and he confirmed that for the near future his brewery will be making bombs – not beer. "At the moment we just, we mobilize to do anything we can do here.