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This picture from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) taken on August 29, 2017 and released on August 30, 2017 shows North Korea's intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 lifting off from the launching pad at an SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, in a resumption of weapons tests following a monthlong hiatus and as the United States and its allies are focused on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.The North Korean launch was the eighth of its kind this year and the first since Jan. 30.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Vladimir Putin put his nuclear forces on increased alert on Sunday in an unprecedented escalation of tension with the West over Russia’s massive conventional assault of Ukraine, which entered its fourth day with fighting in the streets of the country’s second-largest city.Here are the things to know about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the security crisis in Eastern Europe:MOSCOW, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 24, 2022: Russia's President Vladimir Putin is seen during a meeting with members of Russian business community in the Moscow Kremlin.

Kyiv curfew extended as Russian troops pound on Ukrainian capital “We have not supported what Russia has done. We have abstained.

The Ukrainian government says at least 200 people have been killed on its soil during the invasion by Russia. The country’s president wants peace and to get it through negotiation, not death, and would be willing to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not willing to bow to any Kremlin ultimatums.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address on Saturday that he welcomes moves by various countries to disconnect Russia from “global financial civilization” by cutting the country off from the SWIFT international payment system. Russia still has access to SWIFT, but more countries are pushing for it to happen, including Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday that Canada will be placing sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In early November 2021, Crew-2 ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet photographed the space station from above during the return trip home aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour (NASA/ESA/SpaceX) In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden announced new sanctions Thursday targeting the Russian economy and attempting to cut off access to emerging technology, which could impact the Russian space program, Roscosmos. "Between our actions and those of our allies and partners, we estimate that will cut off more than half of Russia's high-tech imports and will strike a blow to their ability to continue to modernize their military," Biden said Thursday. "It'll degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program, and hurt their ability to build ships, reducing their ability to compete economically."While Russian and U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Although the country is being ruled by the Government in a manner which ensures the freedom of the people, that freedom is being misused by many, says President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Speaking at the event of distribution of 100,000 Mahaweli Ranbima deeds at the Mahaweli Stadium in Embilipitiya today (26), the President stated that especially today, himself and the present Government is ruling the country in a way which democracy is ensured.President Rajapaksa also said that the cause of the foreign exchange crisis is not his own fault or the fault of the government.The 100,000 Mahaweli Ranbima deed program is being implemented in line with the Government’s policy statement, “Vision of Prosperity”. Under this program, the Government plans to complete the distribution of 100,000 land deeds to farmers in the Mahaweli areas before the end of next year.35,000 deeds settled under the first phase will be handed over to farmers in 10 Mahaweli zones, and deeds were symbolically awarded to 30 persons today.The President further went onto state that although there are many complaints about the lack of power and electricity in the country, the previous Government did not take any action to implement a single power plant in the country after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa established the Norochcholai power plant.President reiterated that he has been able to reaffirm the security of the country.Citing the promises made to implement a green agriculture in the policy statement, the President said that unfortunately the intent was not able to be communicated to the farmers in the correct manner, and many remained misinformed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country’s fate is being decided right now, as Russian forces close in on Kyiv. Journalist Joe Federman of the Associated Press reports from Ukraine’s capital on the escalating anxiety and chaos, and the resistance among Ukrainians.

KYIV, Ukraine - Russian troops stormed toward Ukraine’s capital early Saturday as explosions reverberated through the city and the president urged the country to "stand firm" against the siege that could determine its future. He refused American help to evacuate, saying: "The fight is here."Hundreds of casualties were reported in the fighting, which included shelling that sliced through a Kyiv apartment building and pummeled bridges and schools.

LOS ANGELES - Cities in the United States and across the globe are displaying blue and yellow lights, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, in a show of solidarity with the European nation as it grapples with a full-on invasion from neighboring Russia.The Empire State Building was illuminated with blue and yellow lights in a display of support for Ukraine currently under siege by Russian forces."Tonight, the Empire State Building will shine its tower lights in the colors of the Ukrainian flag," wrote the official Twitter account for the Empire State Building. In Dallas, the Ukrainian flag’s colors could be seen shining throughout the Texas city’s skyline. In Cincinnati, Ohio, a sister city to Kharkiv, Ukraine, the Duke Energy Convention Center was also lit up as a hat tip to Ukraine.Roughly 200 miles to the north, in Sandusky, Ohio, a tribute to Ukraine could also be found.Tributes to Ukraine could also be seen in Paris, London, Melbourne, Berlin and Rome, Reuters reported. Berlin, which stood as the front line during the Cold War until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, sent a clear signal to the Kremlin when it lit up the iconic Brandenburg Gate, the city’s most famous landmark, in blue and yellow."We are showing our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, the many Berliners with Ukrainian roots but also with the many Russians who want peace in Russia and Ukraine," Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey said in a statement."They all want nothing more than an end to the escalation and a peaceful settlement to this threatening conflict," she added.A day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military action in the breakaway regions of Ukraine, Russian forces appear to be closing in on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.Explosions

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 24, 2022: Russia's President Vladimir Putin is seen during a meeting with members of Russian business community in the Moscow Kremlin. Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS (Photo by Alexei N BRUSSELS - With a military intervention in Ukraine off the table, and countries around the world looking to heap more financial punishment on Moscow, the United States, Britain and European Union said Friday they will move to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.The Russian military is in the middle of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.The EU’s unanimous decision, part of a broader sanctions package, indicated that Western powers are moving toward unprecedented measures to try to force Putin to stop the brutal invasion of Russia’s neighbor and from unleashing a major war in Europe.

A Delta Air Lines plane taxis toward a gate between other Delta planes at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, U.S., on Monday, July 20, 2009.

Ukrainian troops patrol in the town of Novoluhanske, eastern Ukraine, on February 19, 2022. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images) KYIV, Ukraine - Social media is buzzing about unconfirmed claims that a single fighter pilot — dubbed the "Ghost of Kyiv" — took down six Russian jets.Twitter users shared videos Friday of a MiG-29 fighter jet flying through the skies over Ukraine, which led to widespread reaction on social media. @KhaledEibid wrote "This Ukrainian Pilot is becoming a legend in Kyiv, He has successfully challenged 6 Russian pilots alone..

BRUSSELS - U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts agreed Friday to reassure member countries on the alliance’s eastern flank by sending parts of the organization’s response force to help protect them following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealing for help, NATO members ranging from Russia’s neighbor Estonia in the north down to Bulgaria on the Black Sea coast triggered urgent consultations about their security.

KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraine is seeking financial support for its military defense and has launched a website to request logistical and medical support for their armed forces amid an ongoing Russian invasion. "Please donate the funds for logistical and medical support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in UAH to the bank account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine," according to the website. The website adds: "Due to numerous requests from individuals and legal entities who are not residents of Ukraine and wish to make donations (in foreign currency) for the logistics and medical support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has set up a designated bank account." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Sweden is providing military, technical and humanitarian assistance to the country. On Thursday he said any citizen who wanted a weapon to defend their country would receive one. "We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country.

Photo of Ketanji Brown Jackson (Credit: Getty Images) WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Friday will nominate federal appeals court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, according to the Associated Press, citing a person familiar with the matter. The nomination makes her the first Black woman selected to serve on a court that once declared her race unworthy of citizenship and endorsed segregation.In Jackson, Biden delivers on a campaign promise to make the historic appointment and to further diversify a court that was made up entirely of white men for almost two centuries. He has chosen an attorney who would be the high court's first former public defender, though she also possesses the elite legal background of other justices.Jackson would be the current court’s second Black justice — Justice Clarence Thomas, a conservative, is the other — and just the third in history.

KYIV, Ukraine - Russia pressed its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital Friday after unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides in an attack that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order.Explosions sounded before dawn in Kyiv and gunfire was reported in several areas, as Western leaders scheduled an emergency meeting and Ukraine's president pleaded for international help to fend off an attack that could topple his democratically elected government, cause massive casualties and ripple out damage to the global economy.Among the signs that the Ukrainian capital was increasingly threatened, the military said Friday that a group of Russian spies and saboteurs was seen in a district on the outskirts of Kyiv, and police told people not to exit a subway station in the city center because there was gunfire in the area. Elsewhere in the capital, soldiers established defensive positions at bridges, and armored vehicles rolled down the streets, while many residents stood uneasily in doorways of their apartment buildings.U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday (25) visited Mico for Inspection.State Minister D. B.

assault on Ukraine that opened with air and missile strikes on Ukrainian military facilities and included ground troops invading from Crimea.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 137 "heroes" including 10 military officers had been killed and another 316 wounded. Ukraine’s leadership called it a "full-scale war" targeting the country from the east, north and south. Ukraine said Russia’s intent was to destroy the state of Ukraine, a Western-looking democracy intent on escaping Moscow’s orbit.As Ukrainian forces fought back and civilians piled into trains and cars to flee, the U.S.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashes its attack on Ukraine, people across the country are scrambling to leave or face getting caught in the crossfire.

KYIV, Ukraine - Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early Friday as Russian forces pressed on with a full-scale invasion that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 Ukrainians in the first full day of fighting and could eventually rewrite the global post-Cold War security order.After using airstrikes on cities and military bases, Russian military units moved swiftly to take on Ukraine's seat of government and its largest city in what U.S. officials suspect is a brazen attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to dismantle the government and replace it with his own regime.Ukrainian leaders pleaded for help as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee, and hotels in Kyiv were being evacuated amid early indications of an assault.Ukrainian forces braced for more attacks after enduring for hours a Russian barrage of land- and sea-based missiles, an assault that one senior U.S.

KYIV, Ukraine - Several explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early Friday as Russian forces pressed on with their assault.Associated Press reporters heard several blasts in different parts of the city.Earlier on Thursday, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides in an attack that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order. Ukraine’s government pleaded for help as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee.Scores of Ukrainians, civilians and service members alike, were killed in the first full day of fighting, and the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv appeared to be increasingly threatened.

PHILADELPHIA - While the sovereign and free democratic country of Ukraine now faces an invasion from a world superpower, a Ukrainian father is praying for the safety of his daughter and mother."My daughter, my little daughter in Kyiv is with her mom, they spent all the day in the subway in the underground because there was alarm sounds all day," Yevhen Semekhin said.Semekhin’s family is trying to escape the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and meet in Western Ukraine, but so are many other frightened Ukrainians."They are in their car but there are a lot of cars in Kyiv. There is no gasoline at gas stations people with money go to the gas stations.

KYIV, Ukraine - A presidential adviser says Ukraine lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear site, where Ukrainian forces had waged a fierce battle with Russian troops.Adviser Myhailo Podolyak told The Associated Press that Ukrainian authorities did not know the current condition of the facilities at Chernobyl, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster."After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe," he said.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had announced several hours earlier Thursday that Russian forces were trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant.SEE ALSO: Russia invades Ukraine as Putin threatens 'consequences you’ve never seen' if West intervenesA nuclear reactor at the plant 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, exploded in April 1986, sending a radioactive cloud across Europe.The exploded reactor was covered by a protective shelter several years ago to prevent radiation leaks.A Ukrainian official said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was reported.

WASHINGTON - Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, President Joe Biden announced a new round of sanctions targeting Moscow.Biden decried the Kremlin’s military aggression during an address from the White House, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin "chose this war" and that his country will bear the consequences of his actions. Ukraine’s government has reported mounting casualties as Russian forces attack from the east, north and south. The sanctions are aimed at Russian banks, oligarchs and high-tech sectors in hopes of crippling Russia’s financial system and Putin’s inner circle. U.S. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks about Russia's "unprovoked and unjustified" military invasion of neighboring Ukraine in the East Room of the White House on February 24, 2022 in Washington, DC.

KYIV, Ukraine - A presidential adviser says Ukraine lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear site, where Ukrainian forces had waged a fierce battle with Russian troops.Adviser Myhailo Podolyak told The Associated Press that Ukrainian authorities did not know the current condition of the facilities at Chernobyl, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster."After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe," he said.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had announced several hours earlier Thursday that Russian forces were trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant.SEE ALSO: Russia invades Ukraine as Putin threatens 'consequences you’ve never seen' if West intervenesA nuclear reactor at the plant 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, exploded in April 1986, sending a radioactive cloud across Europe.The exploded reactor was covered by a protective shelter several years ago to prevent radiation leaks.A Ukrainian official said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was reported.

inflation is already at the highest level in four decades. Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine could push it even higher.That's because the conflict has already sent oil prices above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014, with some prices jumping as high as $105 on Thursday after Russia launched a broad offensive against Ukraine late Wednesday night, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes and shelling. Brent crude, the global benchmark, surged more than 8%, hitting $105.50 early Thursday.

Demonstrators march in Sanford, Florida in 2012 demanding justice in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. (Gary W.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday that the European Union would introduce “massive and targeted” sanctions against Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered a wide-ranging military attack on Ukraine.

NATO secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to order a “special military action” in Ukraine, saying “we are at a grave moment for the security of Europe.” He called the decision “barbaric” and accused Russia of “trying to turn back the clock by force.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin seems adamant on invading Ukraine, so what’s possibly fuelling his mindset? Eric Sorensen explains how the two nations’ historic ties factor in, and how Putin’s perspective clashes with the rest of the world.

KYIV, Ukraine - Photos and videos showed long lines of traffic heading out of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Thursday after Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on the country, a move condemned by leaders around the world. Sirens rang out in Kyiv and people massed in train stations and took to roads, as Ukraine's government said it was seeing a long-anticipated invasion from the east, north and south and reported more than 40 soldiers had been killed and dozens wounded.Video showed residents sitting in gridlock traffic along the main Kyiv-Odessa highway as people tried to leave the capital. Other footage showed long lines of vehicles waiting to fill up at a gas station in northwest Ukraine."A full-scale war in Europe has begun," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.

BRUSSELS - World leaders expressed a raw outrage shrouded by an impotence to immediately come to the aid of Ukraine to avoid a major war in Europe, condemning Russia’s attack on its neighbor as the European Union and others promised unprecedented sanctions to hit the Kremlin.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it a "barbaric attack" on an independent nation that also targeted "the stability in Europe and the whole of the international peace order." The EU will hold an emergency summit in Brussels, where NATO is also meeting after Poland and the Baltic nations bordering Russia and Ukraine called for an urgent session.But no one promised to move in militarily and defend Ukraine as it could touch off a major European war. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned anyone listening that any interference would "lead to consequences you have never seen in history."So instead, most of the world — but not China — condemned and threatened to hit the Russian elites with, in the words of EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, "the strongest package, the harshest package of sanctions we have ever implemented.""A major nuclear power has attacked a neighbor country and is threatening reprisals of any other states that may come to the rescue," Borrell said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in the country while warning those who attempt to intervene would lead to "consequences they have never seen.""I have a few words for those who could feel tempted to interfere with ongoing developments: whoever tries to impede us, let alone create threats for our country and its people must know that the Russian response will be immediate and lead to the consequences you have never seen in history," Putin said.Images from journalists on the ground captured Russian troops and military vehicles advancing through Ukraine. Explosions were reported in several cities in addition to Kharkiv, including Kyiv and Odessa.Russian military tanks and armored vehicles advance in Donetsk, Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

KYIV, Ukraine - The Russian military announced early Thursday morning that it has knocked out Ukraine’s air defense assets and airbases, according to the Associated Press.The Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian strikes have "suppressed air defense means of the Ukrainian military," adding that the infrastructure of Ukraine’s military bases has been incapacitated." It denied the claims that a Russian warplane was shot down over Ukraine.The Ukrainian military, meanwhile, reported that it has shot down five Russian aircraft while fending off the Russian attack on the country.Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he unleashed an attack on Ukraine in a televised address early Thursday, drawing international condemnation.In response to the initial attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine will be imposing martial law in response to the Russian invasion of the country."This morning Russia launched a new military operation against our state. This is an unjustified deceitful and cynical invasion," Zelenskyy said.He continued:"There are strikes on military and other important defense facilities, border units are under attack, the situation in the Donbas has degraded.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a “special military operation” in eastern Ukraine, telling the West not to intervene in what appeared to be the beginning of war in Europe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law and confirmed military strikes have been reported across the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an early Thursday (24) morning address in Moscow, announced that Russia would launch a military action in Ukraine. NBC News reported that explosions were heard in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.The United Nations Security Council had just convened an emergency meeting Wednesday night.Earlier, European and U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has said that necessary measures have been taken to ensure there is no shortage in the supply of essential goods to the country.Speaking at the meeting with state officials at the Presidential Secretariat chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday (23), the Finance Minister said a mechanism is also in place to inquire into the shortcomings at the regional level and obtain information via the Divisional Secretariats.The meet was held to raise awareness on the government’s forward plans, and speaking at the meeting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa noted that it is his aspiration that all state institutions commit to serving the general public.“A majority of the public servants wish to work. What is required is supervision, guidance, and encouragement and that will lead to a productive service,” the President told the meeting.He stressed the need for Governors, and the Secretaries of Ministries, Provinces, and Districts, as well as all high-ranking state officials, to personally intervene to provide leadership in this effort.The President recalled the fact that he personally visits state offices and supervises them, called on the Governors and state officials to also visit all institutions under their purview and conduct inspections, whilst encouraging the staff.“We are here to ensure the people survive and the proper environment for that needs to be created.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a “special military operation” in eastern Ukraine, telling the West not to intervene in what appeared to be the beginning of war in Europe.Putin said in an early televised speech Thursday the action was in response to threats coming from Ukraine, yet insisted Russia doesn’t have a goal to occupy the country.He said the responsibility for bloodshed lies with the Ukrainian “regime,” telling fighters there to lay down their arms and surrender — though Putin admitted clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces are “inevitable” and “only a question of time.”The Russian leader warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.” Russia says rebels need help in possible war pretext as Ukraine president pleads for peace Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Putin’s move a “full-scale invasion of Ukraine” and said cities were being hit with military strikes.“This is a war of aggression,” he said on Twitter. “Ukraine will defend itself and will win.”Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

BRUSSELS - Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a military operation in Ukraine, and he is warning other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to "consequences they have never seen."U.S. President Joe Biden says the world will "hold Russia accountable."The Ukrainian president earlier rejected Moscow’s claims that his country poses a threat to Russia and made a passionate plea for peace.Before Putin’s announcement, world leaders worked to maintain a united stance and vowed to impose tougher sanctions in the event of a full-fledged invasion.The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting Wednesday night at Ukraine’s request.Here are the things to know about the conflict over Ukraine and the security crisis in Eastern Europe:PUTIN MAKES HIS MOVEPutin said the military operation was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine — a claim the U.S.

KYIV, Ukraine - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to "consequences they have never seen."He said the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine – a claim the U.S. had predicted he would falsely make to justify an invasionIn a televised address, Putin accused the U.S.

Palo Alto, California, resident Brian Hamachek was looking over a government website listing payouts for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) last year. He immediately noted many businesses listed either didn't exist or greatly exaggerated their number of employees.He said he recognized fraud that an investigator in Washington would have no way of knowing, "such as, a restaurant that went out of business a couple of months before they got their loan, and they've never come back."Hamachek is a software engineer.

NEW YORK - Two of the prosecutors leading the Manhattan district attorney's investigation into former President Donald Trump's business practices have resigned.A spokesperson for District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed the resignations of Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz, top deputies who had been tasked with running the investigation on a day-to-day basis. Both started on the Trump probe under former District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., and Bragg asked them to stay when he took office in January.Dunne, the office's former general counsel, argued before the U.S.

KYIV, Ukraine - Russia began evacuating its embassy in Kyiv, and Ukraine urged its citizens to leave Russia on Wednesday as the region braced for further confrontation after President Vladimir Putin received authorization to use military force outside his country and the West responded with a raft of sanctions.Hopes for a diplomatic way out of a new, potentially devastating war appeared all but sunk as the U.S. and key European allies accused Moscow on Tuesday of crossing a red line in rolling over Ukraine's border into separatist regions — with some calling it an invasion.Russia began pulling personnel from its diplomatic posts in Ukraine, state news agency Tass reported, a day after the Foreign Ministry announced a plan to evacuate, citing threats.By Wednesday afternoon, the Russian flag was no longer flying over the embassy in Kyiv, according to an Associated Press photographer.

WASHINGTON - Clogged U.S. ports are being given access to nearly $450 million in federal money from President Joe Biden's infrastructure law as part of the administration's recent stepped-up efforts aiming to ease supply chain congestion and lower prices for American consumers.Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday announced the availability of the first batch of competitive grants for ports that will be double last year's amount annually for five years.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne who is currently in Pakistan on an official visit, called on the Chief of Naval Staff of Pakistan, Admiral M Amjad Khan Niazi at the Pakistan Navy Headquarters on 22nd February 2022.At the invitation of his Pakistan Navy counterpart, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne left for Pakistan on 21st February on a formal visit and he is accompanied by the President of Navy Seva Vanitha Unit, Chandima Ulugetenne in this official visit.Beginning his itinerary, the Commander of the Navy visited the Pakistan Navy Headquarters where he was warmly received by the Pakistan Navy Chief in accordance with naval traditions.The ensuing discussion between them focused on several matters of regional security and bilateral importance.The Pakistani Naval Chief highlighted Pakistan Navy initiatives for ensuring maritime security and peace in the region through Regional Maritime Security Patrols.The visiting Admiral appreciated and acknowledged the Pakistan Navy’s efforts and commitments in support of collaborative maritime security in the region.The Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy was also briefed on Pakistan Navy operational capabilities.It is expected that the ongoing visit of the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy will further enhance bilateral collaboration between the two countries.The cordial discussion came to an end with an exchange of mementos, marking the significance of this occasion.

COLOMBO (News 1st); All the volumes, including the final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the Easter Sunday attacks and related witness records, were tabled in Parliament on Wednesday (23).The complete 88-volume report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry was handed over to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena by the Director-General of Legal Affairs of the Presidential Secretariat, Harigupta Rohanadeera on Tuesday (22).The final report of the PCoI into the Easter Sunday attacks was handed over to Parliament on April 8, 2021 but the witness records were not released due to legal reasons.The relevant files were handed over to Parliament on the instructions of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the findings of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry should be communicated to the public and for further perusal by the Members of Parliament.Accordingly, the Members of Parliament will now be allowed to peruse the report.