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WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia’s economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, according to a person familiar with the matter."We're banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy. That means Russian oil will no longer be accepted at U.S. ports," the president announced on Tuesday.The move follows pleas by Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy to U.S.

Novelty Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dodgecoin tokens arranged at a cryptocurrency exchange in Hong Kong, China. (Paul Yeung/Bloomberg via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on cryptocurrency this week that will mark the first step toward regulating how digital currency is traded.The move comes as administration officials have raised concerns in recent weeks about Russia’s use of cryptocurrency to evade the impact of crushing sanctions in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

There have been claims that Vladimir Putin could be seriously ill, with some suggesting he may have cancer.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia’s economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, according to a person familiar with the matter.The move follows pleas by Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy to U.S. and Western officials to cut off the imports, which had been a glaring omission the massive sanctions put in place on Russia over the invasion.

FILE - The Shell logo is displayed outside one of its petrol stations on May 27, 2021, in Leeds, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images) LONDON - Energy giant Shell said Tuesday that it will stop buying Russian oil and natural gas and shut down its service stations, aviation fuels and other operations in the country amid international pressure for companies to sever ties over the invasion of Ukraine.The company said in a statement that it would withdraw from all Russian hydrocarbons, including crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas and liquefied natural gas, "in a phased manner."The decision comes as surging oil prices have been rattling global markets and just days after Ukraine’s foreign minister criticized Shell for continuing to buy Russian oil, lashing out at the company for continuing to do business with President Vladimir Putin’s government."We are acutely aware that our decision last week to purchase a cargo of Russian crude oil to be refined into products like petrol and diesel — despite being made with security of supplies at the forefront of our thinking — was not the right one and we are sorry," CEO Ben van Beurden said.

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has decided to convene the Economic Council on a weekly basis with the objective of accelerating the economic growth in the country through the management of the entire economy by thoroughly discussing the local economic policies including macroeconomic policies, the behavior of the national economy after Covid – 19 pandemic situation, economic restructuring as well as the major development projects that directly affect the economic policies and financial policies of the government.The Cabinet of Ministers decided to grant their concurrence to the measures to be taken by the President to let implement the decisions taken by the relevant Ministries, Departments and Statutory institutions when necessary subject to the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers followed by the instructions and guidance of that Board as well as to invite intellects with esteem/standard in the respective fields as required for the meetings of the Economy board.Accordingly, the composition of the Economic Council is comprised as follows.• His Excellency the President Gotabhaya Rajapaksha (Chairman)• Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa• Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardhana• Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando• Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksha• Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage• Minister of Plantation Ramesh Pathirana• Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Ajith Nivard Cabraal• Secretary to the President Gamini Senerath• Secretary to the Treasury S. R.

A driver returns a fuel nozzle to a gas pump at a gas station (Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images) PHOENIX - Americans are feeling the impact of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as gas prices are rising to levels not seen for over a decade, according to officials with AAA.Here's what you need to know as drivers continue to feel the pain at the pump.According to the AAA website, the national average price for a gallon of regular is $4.065, as of March 7.However, not all states are paying the same price for gas. Drivers in Texas, for example, can expect to pay around $3.73 per gallon of regular gas, while drivers in California can expect to pay around $5.34 for each gallon of regular, the most expensive in the U.S."It’s unfortunate we’re seeing prices as high as they are because it’s really impacting a lot of families," said Aldo Vasquez with AAA Arizona.During the same time in 2021, officials with AAA say the national average price for a gallon of regular is $2.76.The highest recorded average price for a gallon of regular, according to AAA officials, was $4.114 in July 2008.According to a statement issued by AAA officials on March 7, crude prices are soaring because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and that is translating to higher gas prices."It’s definitely one of the stronger stressors on the global oil market at this point, and as long as this conflict continues, it’s likely we’re going to see these prices go up," said Vasquez.Despite the announcement of a coordinated release of crude oil from strategic reserves of the U.S.

A view of an IRS 1040 Tax Form on a Laptop computer screen being prepared for an electronic filing. Robert Barnes, Getty Images The IRS is taking steps to relieve the backlog of tax returns.The agency plans to hire 10,000 new full-time workers to play a direct role in that mission, according to Politico.There are millions of unprocessed tax returns and other mail from individual and business taxpayers, according to the union that represents most of the IRS workforce.The hiring process is scheduled to run through Dec.

KYIV, Ukraine - Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its 12th day following what Ukrainian authorities described as increased shelling of encircled cities and another failed attempt to start evacuating hundreds of thousands of civilians from the besieged southern port of Mariupol.Russia announced yet another cease-fire and humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine starting Monday. Two previous cease-fire attempts have failed.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The state-of-the-art cement manufacturing facility of Lanwa Sanstha Cement Corporation (Pvt) Ltd., was inaugurated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday (7).A BOI venture, the Lanwa Sanstha facility spread across 63 acres is located in Hambantota’s Mirijjawila Export Processing Zone, and saw an investment of US $ 100 Mn.The total capacity of the plant would be 4mn MT per annum and is one of the largest such facilities in the whole of South Asia.The President and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa also placed the foundation stone for the proposed steel factory at the premises which will cover 250 acres, with an investment of US $ 400 Mn.

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has advised the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to name the late ceremonial tusker ‘Nadungamuwe Raja’ as a National Treasure.Further, he had noted to conserve the remains of the Tusker for future generations.The President’s Media Division said that a team from the National Museum was dispatched to Gampaha, where the remains of the ceremonial tusker are currently placed.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Deputy Police Chief Ravindra Seneviratne filed a Fundamental Rights application with the Supreme Court on Monday (7) seeking an order to prevent his arrest.Ravindra Seneviratne was also the Former Head of the Criminal Investigations Department.The Former DIG in his application sought an interim order preventing any attempt to arrest him based on the contents of the B report produced to the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court on charges that include the failure to properly investigate Zaharan Hashim, who led the suicide bomb attacks on 21st April 2019.In addition, the Former DIG also sought an interim order restraining President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from issuing a detention order as the Minister of Defense to arrest him under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.The petitioner also seeks an order quashing the B report filed against him in connection with a fraudulent investigation report allegedly made on an anonymous petition.The Former DIG has requested the court to order his immediate release if he is arrested and to pay Rs. 100 million as compensation.Assistant Superintendent of Police Meryl Ranjan Lamahewa of the CID, Women Inspector Niroshani Pathirana among 14 others were named as the respondents in the application.The Former DIG pointed out that he could be arrested at any time on the basis of that report, thereby violating his fundamental rights.

Ukraine, incited by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 24, prices aren’t expected to go down anytime soon, experts say.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a “desperate” plea to the United States to help Kyiv get more warplanes to fight Russia’s invasion and retain control of its airspace.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington has given a “green light” to the idea and is currently “very, very actively” looking at a proposal under which Ukraine’s neighbour Poland would supply Kyiv with Soviet-era fighters and in turn receive American F-16s to make up for their loss.However, the proposition is fraught with uncertainty and Poland has been less than enthusiastic about it in public, largely because Russia has warned that supporting Ukraine’s air force would be seen in Moscow as participating in the conflict and open up suppliers to possible retaliation.

As the U.S. and western allies are set to unleash another round of sanctions on Russia, President Joe Biden’s administration is working with Poland’s government to find a way to get fighter jets to Ukraine after NATO refused to do so.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a “miscalculation” if he thinks the West will move on from his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, says Canada’s ambassador to the sovereign democracy.In an interview with The West Block guest host Eric Sorenson, Larisa Galadza spoke from Poland where the ambassador and Canada’s diplomatic staff are operating amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Galadza and the Canadian embassy staff had been based in Kyiv before relocating to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv as the invasion began, and subsequently left the country for Poland.“It’s like a sea of humanity. It’s people standing in lineups, many of them on foot, but a lot of them are still in cars coming over the border,” Galadza said in describing Ukrainians fleeing their country.She said any assumptions on the part of Putin that the West will move on or get over his invasion of Ukraine is just “another miscalculation.”“It’s not the first miscalculation, I think, that Russia has made,” she added.“The response that we’re seeing from our like-minded governments, the response that we’re seeing from Ukrainians themselves, is unprecedented.”Some 1.2 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee as a result of the first land war on the European continent since the Second World War.

Justin Trudeau departed for Europe on Sunday to meet with allies about the intensifying situation in Ukraine.Trudeau has meetings set for Monday in London with the prime ministers of Britain and the Netherlands. Trudeau says Canada will support Ukraine ‘as long as it takes’ In the days to come, Trudeau is to meet with other leaders in Riga, Latvia, Berlin and Warsaw, Poland.He’s also due to meet with the secretary-general of NATO and with Canadian Armed Forces members during his trip.We’re about to take off for the United Kingdom.

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the IBEW local 553 apprentice training program in Durham Technical College on March 2, 2022, in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP) Her visit comes as congressional efforts to restore the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act have faltered.

WASHINGTON - Trucker convoys from across the U.S. are expected to arrive in the D.C. region Sunday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Saturday that any implementation of a no-fly zone over Ukraine by a third-party would be seen as participation in the war. It came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded with U.S.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento Sheriff's Office issued a press release Friday with more details on the background of the shooter who killed his daughters, their chaperone and then himself at a Sacramento church earlier this week. According to the sheriff, the shooter, who was previously identified as David Fidel Mora-Rojas, 39, had lived at the church, was in the country illegally and the department said they had prior contact with him on April 17, 2021. Immigration officials told Associated Press on Friday, Mora-Rojas was in the United States illegally. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman said Mora-Rojas overstayed his visa after entering California from Mexico in December 2018.The Merced County Sheriff's Office said because of California's so-called sanctuary state law it did not inform immigration officials last week that Mora-Rojas had been arrested for punching an officer. Authorities say a man shot and killed his three children, one other person and then turned the gun on himself at a church in Sacramento on Monday, the sheriff's office confirmed.

CHARLOTTE, Mich. - A father has died days after sustaining injuries while saving his daughter following a house explosion. "It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Jeremy Droscha due to injuries sustained in a house fire," Eaton County Fairgrounds posted on its Facebook page. "Jeremy was a big asset to our board, but more importantly a great friend to all of us."Droscha recently served as the board’s vice president, according to the organization.RELATED: Silver Spring explosion: 10 transported in apartment building blast, several unaccounted forDuring an afternoon press conference, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Chief Scott Goldstein said there are several "unaccounted for" tenants firefighters are searching for.The family also confirmed Droscha’s death on Facebook Saturday. According to FOX 47 News, Droscha’s home exploded Tuesday.

Just a few short years ago, he made a career out of entertaining Ukraine. Now as the nation’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s defiance is inspiring people amid the Russian invasion.

A Russian-born businessman is willing to pay $1 million to officers who arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin amid his invasion into Ukraine.Announced in a social media post from Alex Konanykhin, a citizen of Russia and an entrepreneur, the bounty will be paid to officers who comply with their "constitutional duty" and "arrest Putin as a war criminal under Russian and international laws.""Putin is not the Russian president, as he came to power as the result of a special operation of blowing up apartment buildings in Russia, then violated the Constitution by eliminating free elections and murdering his opponents," Konanykhin wrote. "As an ethnic Russian and a Russia citizen, I see it as my moral duty to facilitate the denazification of Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has survived at least one assassination attempt since Russia invaded his country over a week ago, according to official accounts, with media reports suggesting he may have dodged two more.Ukrainian officials have confirmed one of the attempts, which they say was to be carried out by a unit of Kadyrovites, an elite special forces team based in Chechnya that serves the country’s president Ramzan Kadyrov.Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told a media briefing on Tuesday that the plot was foiled last weekend after anti-war agents of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) — the successor to the KGB — tipped the Ukrainians off.“We are well aware of the special operation that was to take place directly by the Kadyrovites to eliminate our president,” Danilov said.“I can say that we have received information from the FSB, who today do not want to take part in this bloody war. And thanks to this, I can say that Kadyrov’s elite group was directly destroyed, which came here to eliminate our president.” Zelenskyy criticizes NATO for refusing to impose no-fly zone over Ukraine The Times of London reported Thursday that two more attempts to kill Zelenskyy have been carried out in recent days by members of the Wagner Group, a private mercenary group whose leader is tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin.Those attempts were also stopped by Ukrainian forces protecting the president, the paper reported, with the mercenary groups suffering losses.

WASHINGTON - Trucker convoys from across the U.S. are expected to arrive in the D.C. region over the weekend.Thousands of truckers began traveling this week toward the nation's capital as part of the American Trucker's Freedom Convoy.

Refugee seen crying in Przemysl and Medyka on March 4, 2022. (Photo by Maciej Luczniewski/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The office of President Emmanuel Macron said France will propose concrete measures to ensure the safety and security of Ukraine’s five main nuclear sites.

While Russian troops gain ground in Ukraine, ordinary Ukrainians are standing their ground.

Justin Trudeau is defending NATO’s decision to reject establishing a no-fly-zone over Ukraine, warning the move would lead to an “unfortunate” escalation in the conflict.He made the comment during a press conference on Friday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enters the ninth day of his call for NATO to impose and enforce a ban on Russian jets flying in Ukrainian skies.“The thing that we have so far avoided — and will continue to need to avoid — is (creating) a situation in which NATO forces are in direct conflict with Russian soldiers,” Trudeau said.“That would be a level of escalation that is unfortunate that we need to avoid.” What is a no-fly zone? Here’s why the West isn’t imposing one in Ukraine Canada “will continue to impose punishing consequences on Putin,” until both he and the Russian people “understand just how terrible a mistake Vladimir Putin has just made,” Trudeau said.Implementing a no-fly zone over the country isn’t as simple as telling Russia it’s no longer allowed in the airspace — it also requires enforcement.That means if NATO were to put a ban on Russian planes in Ukrainian skies, they’d be forced to send in NATO jets to shoot down any Russian aircraft in that airspace.“We understand the desperation but we also believe that if we did that, we would end up with something that could lead to a full-fledged war in Europe involving much more countries and much more suffering,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in a Friday news conference.While NATO has enforced no-fly zones in previous conflicts, including in Iraq, Libya and Bosnia, there’s a major difference when it comes to what’s happening in Ukraine: Russia has nuclear weapons.That hasn’t deterred Zelenskyy, who made yet

WASHINGTON - Trucker convoys from across the U.S. are expected to arrive in the D.C.

KYIV, Ukraine - Russia’s war on Ukraine is now in its ninth day. Russian forces have shelled Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, sparking a fire there that was extinguished overnight. The U.N.

On a busy pedestrian street in the town of Daugavpils, in Latvia’s Latgale region, Alesja Klescenoka is visibly distressed as she tries to articulate her feelings about the war in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden has been pushing for more U.S. factory jobs — and he'll be joined Friday by the CEO of technology company Siemens USA to announce a $54 million investment in producing equipment for the electrical infrastructure.The investment will lead to 300 additional jobs at locations that include California and Texas, according to senior Biden administration officials who insisted on anonymity to preview the event on the White House campus.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Sri Lankan Minister Wimal Weerawansa on Friday (4) revealed that Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa wanted to become President even before Gotabaya Rajapaksa was nominated as the candidate for the President of the country.“Basil Rajapaksa wanted to use the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna as his personal property to realize his intentions of becoming president,” Weerawansa told reporters in Colombo, in his first-ever briefing after he and Udaya Gammanpila were stripped of their ministerial portfolios on Thursday (3) evening.He said that as the group that created the call for Mahinda Rajapaksa’s return, it was opined that Gotabaya Rajapaksa was most suitable to be the candidate if Mahinda Rajapaksa did not wish to contest.“We worked on that premise and that itself posed challenges to Basil Rajapaksa’s dreams of becoming President,” revealed Weerawansa, adding that Basil Rajapaksa eventually had to accept in a disgruntled manner that Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the Presidential Candidate.Wimal Weerawansa also said that after Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated on the 8th of January 2015, Basil Rajapaksa had met with then-President Rajapaksa and requested for the post of Opposition Leader.“However, Mahinda Rajapaksa did not want to do that.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Ukrainian firefighters on Friday extinguished a blaze at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant that was ignited by a Russian attack and no radiation was released, U.N. and Ukrainian officials said, as Russian forces pressed their campaign to cripple the country despite global condemnation.The head of the United Nations’ atomic agency said that a Russian "projectile" hit a training center at the Zaporizhzhia plant.

COLOMBO (News 1st): The FR application by former JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti noting that the fundamental rights of the people were violated as they did not receive benefits after the state decided to slash the taxes imposed on imported sugar, will be taken up on the 27th of June 2022 at the Supreme Court.The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka also granted the petitioner permission to amend the petition to include Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa as a respondent in the application.The FR application was called up in the presence of Justices Priyantha Jayawardena, Murdhu Fernando, and Yasantha Kodagoda on Friday (4).Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Finance Secretary, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Standards Institute, Secretary to the President, the Sugar Importers, the Attorney General among others were named as respondents.Sunil Handunneththi filed a Fundamental Rights petition with the Supreme Court claiming that the state incurred an Rs.15.9 Bn loss due to the reduction of taxes on imported sugar.Further, the petitioner requests the Supreme Court to order Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the respondents to take necessary measures to recover the losses and to recover Rs. 500 million as compensation.The petitioner stated that the government has incurred a loss of Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Udaya Gammanpila and Wimal Weerwansa have been removed from their minesterial portfolios with effect from Thursday (3) evening, said the President’s Media Division.The PMD statement notes that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa removed Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa and Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila from their portfolios, as per the powers vested in him by the constitution,

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa revealed that he will not accept any ministerial position under the government of the incumbent President.Weerawansa was speaking reporters in Colombo, in his first-ever briefing after he and Udaya Gammanpila were stripped of their ministerial portfolios on Thursday (3) evening.Udaya Gammanpila and Wimal Weerwansa were removed from their ministerial portfolios with effect from Thursday (3) evening, said the President’s Media Division.The PMD statement notes that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa removed Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa and Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila from their portfolios, as per the powers vested in him by the constitution,Watch the Media Briefing Here: 

Chrystia Freeland was photographed holding a scarf bearing colours associated with a far-right Ukrainian paramilitary group from the Second World War this past weekend.Both her office and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress suggest the questions and criticism she has received about it online is linked to a pattern of Russian-backed disinformation targeting members of the Ukrainian community.The Twitter account for Freeland shared photos of the federal finance minister at a Ukrainian solidarity march in Toronto on Sunday holding a black-and-red scarf with the Ukrainian phrase “Slava Ukraini,” which translates to “Glory to Ukraine,” written in Cyrillic. Canada targets Russia and Belarus with tariffs, sends more lethal aid to Ukraine Toronto Mayor John Tory was in the group and his account also shared photos of the moment, including one that showed the other side of the scarf, which had the phrase “Heroyam Slava,” or “Glory to heroes.” Neither Tory nor Freeland are touching the scarf in that photo.Both accounts deleted the photos the next day. Freeland then issued an identical tweet about her presence at the march organized to show solidarity with Ukraine after Russia launched a multi-pronged attack on the sovereign country.

Ukraine, the largest of its kind in Europe, was under attack by Russian troops and shelling, officials said, sparking a fire at a nearby administrative building.There has been fierce fighting between local forces and Russian troops, the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar  Dmytro Orlov said in an online post, adding that there had been casualties without giving details.Orlov and other Ukrainian officials said earlier that a fire had broken out at the nuclear plant itself, but the state emergency services agency later confirmed the fire had broken out at a training building outside the plant perimeter.The agency said the third power unit of six at the station was disconnected, adding only one power unit was currently operating. It added constant shelling was preventing firefighters from accessing the fire, which continued to burn on one floor after covering the three top floors of the building.

As Russia continues to wage war in Ukraine, Latvian President Egils Levits tells Global’s Mercedes Stephenson that he fears Russia could also invade his nation as a former member of the USSR.

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had stern words Thursday for two of the most right-wing members of her chamber after their outbursts during President Joe Biden's State of the Union."I agree with what Sen. Lindsey Graham said, ‘Shut up.’ That's what he said to them. They should just shut up," the California Democrat told reporters about the conspicuous interruptions by GOP Reps.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down for talks while urging the West to offer a stronger military assistance to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion.In a sarcastic reference to a long table Putin used for his recent meetings with foreign leaders and Russian officials, Zelenskyy said: "Sit down with me to negotiate, just not at 30 meters," adding, "I don’t bite. What are you afraid of?"During Thursday's news conference, Zelenskyy said that prospects for another round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiations don’t seem promising, but emphasized the need to negotiate, adding that "any words are more important than shots."RELATED: Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy?: How this comedian became a wartime presidentHe said the world was too slow to offer support for Ukraine and prodded Western leaders to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine to deny access to the Russian warplanes.

Operatic soprano Anna Netrebko performs in a concert at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 18, 2021.

Authorities in Germany this week seized a lavish $600 million yacht belonging to a Russian oligarch, according to reports.The Dilbar, a 512-foot vessel belonging to billionaire Alisher Usmanov, was taken over by authorities while it was being refitted in a German shipyard, Forbes reported.The business magazine learned about the move Wednesday, just two days after Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union as part of its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the report said.The EU has accused Usmanov of being a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a supporter of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, the Washington Examiner reported.Usmanov on Tuesday confirmed that financial actions had been taken against him."On 28 February 2022 I became the target of restrictive measures imposed by the European Union I believe that such decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity, and business reputation," he wrote Tuesday.The statement was posted on the website of the International Fencing Federation, where the former professional fencer served as president since 2008 until stepping down Monday, the Examiner reported.The Dilbar had been undergoing work at a shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, since October, according to Forbes. Employees of Blohm+Voss, the shipbuilding firm overseeing the project, were not at work Wednesday, the report said.German shipbuilder Lurssen, which built the Dilbar, claims it’s the world’s largest motor yacht by gross tonnage, weighing nearly 16,000 tons, according to Forbes.When operating, the ship has a crew of 96 people.

Russia has been accused of using thermobaric vacuum bombs during its invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials."They used the vacuum bomb today," Ukraine's ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova told reporters after meeting with U.S. lawmakers Monday. "...The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large."Thermobaric explosives, also called fuel-air explosives (FAE), use oxygen around them to generate a high-temperature blast.

COLOMBO (News 1st); S. B.

KYIV, Ukraine - Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are expected to hold talks in Belarus on Thursday, a second round of face-to-face discussions since the Russian invasion eight days ago.In a video address to the nation early Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Ukrainians to keep up their resistance, but didn’t comment on whether the Russians have seized any cities."They will have no peace here," Zelenskyy said, calling on the Russian soldiers to "go home" and describing them as "confused children who have been used."His comments come as Russia acknowledged for the first time since the start of the invasion that nearly 500 Russian troops have been killed in the fighting and around 1,600 wounded. Ukraine has not released a similar casualty figure for its armed forces.The U.N.