AP-EU-RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR
Some evacuees from Mariupol; US Congresswoman Pelosi visits Kyiv
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — The United Nations is working feverishly to get civilians out of the bombed-out ruins of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Meanwhile, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed on Sunday that she visited Ukraine’s president to show American support for the country’s defense against Russian aggression. Russia is mounting a high-stakes offensive on Ukraine’s southern coast and the country’s eastern industrial heartland. It is believed that up to 100,000 people are trapped in the Maripol blockade. They include up to 1,000 civilians who have been entrenched with around 2,000 Ukrainian fighters under a sprawling steelworks which is the only part of the city not occupied by the Russians. Limited evacuations took place on Saturday.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-THE LAST
Live updates l NATO exercises begin along its eastern flank
The Polish Armed Forces said military exercises involving thousands of NATO troops had begun. These are regular exercises aimed at improving the security of the alliance’s eastern flank, but come this year with Russia’s war against Ukraine raging nearby. Due to these circumstances, the Polish army on Sunday appealed to the public not to publish any information or photos of the columns of military vehicles that are expected to cross the country in the coming weeks. He warned that “reckless activity” could harm the security of the alliance. The Polish military said 18,000 troops from more than 20 countries are taking part in the Defender Europe 2022 and Swift Response 2022 exercises taking place in Poland and eight other countries.
BC-EU-RUSSIA-UKRAINE-PELOSI-VISIT
Pelosi leads a delegation to Kyiv and Poland; pledges to support the United States
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A U.S. congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pledges continued U.S. support to help Ukraine defeat Russia. They met in Poland on Sunday after traveling to kyiv to assess Ukraine’s needs for the next phase of the war. Members praised the courage of the Ukrainian people and said the United States would stand with them until they achieved victory. Pelosi is the second in the presidency after the vice-president. She was the most experienced US lawmaker to visit Ukraine since the war with Russia began more than two months ago. His unannounced visit came just days after Moscow bombed the Ukrainian capital while the UN secretary general was there.
AP-US-BIDEN-MONDALE-MEMORIAL
Biden to speak at a memorial service for former Vice President Mondale
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to gather with other dignitaries in Minneapolis to remember former Vice President Walter Mondale. The Minnesota leader died in April 2021 at age 93, but service was delayed by the pandemic. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden had “an important personal relationship” with Mondale. Admission is by invitation only, but the service will be streamed live. Mondale followed a trail set by his political mentor, Hubert H. Humphrey, as Minnesota attorney general before replacing Humphrey in the US Senate. He was vice president under Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981. And he lost a lopsided presidential election to Ronald Reagan in 1984.
BIDEN CORRESPONDENTS DINNER
Biden roasts Trump, GOP, himself at correspondents’ dinner
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used the annual White House Press Corps Gala to shed light on the criticism he has faced during his 15 months in office. He also addressed a few spades to his predecessor and to the Republican Party. The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night ended a two-year pandemic-related hiatus even as the threat of COVID-19 loomed. Biden cracked, “Just imagine if my predecessor came to that dinner this year. Now, that really would have been a real coup. Biden also said he was happy to be with the only group of Americans with an approval rating lower than his own.
CAPITOL RIOT-INQUIRY
Evidence of GOP involvement in Trump’s campaign plans mounts
WASHINGTON (AP) — Text messages and testimony released by the House panel on Jan. 6 show the deep involvement of some House Republicans in President Donald Trump’s desperate bid to stay in power. The evidence provides new details about how — long before the attack on the Capitol in January 2021 unfolded — several GOP lawmakers were directly involved in Trump’s campaign to overturn the election results. The exchange of ideas occurred in private calls and texts and in several meetings at the White House in the weeks leading up to the insurgency. The majority of lawmakers have since denied involvement in those efforts.
AP-EU-EUROPE-MAY-DAY
May Day rallies across Europe pay tribute to protesting workers and governments
PARIS (AP) — Citizens and trade unions across Europe are taking to the streets for the May Day marches. They will send messages of protest to their governments. The holiday in France honors working people and is used as a rallying cry against newly re-elected President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday. An open-air mega-concert has been organized for Rome with rallies in cities across Italy. Peace is an underlying theme with calls for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Demonstrations were planned across Europe, including in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, where students were expected to rally in support of Ukraine while communists and anarchists rallied separately.
CANADA-PROTEST
Motorcycles cross the Canadian capital under the eye of the police
OTTAWA (AP) — Motorcycles rumbled through the streets of Canada’s capital and a memorial service was held at the National War Memorial as a heavy police presence watched over the “Rolling Thunder” protest. Many of those involved in this weekend’s event also took part in the “freedom convoy” that shut down downtown Ottawa for weeks in February. Ottawa police say two people were arrested Saturday and 33 vehicles have been towed out of the exclusion zone since Friday morning. Hundreds of protesters gathered at the National War Memorial, which was a focal point during the early days of the February protests.
AP-US-SPRING-WILDFIRES
New Mexico firefighters battle a blaze against the wind
Calmer weather conditions in northern New Mexico helped more than 1,000 firefighters battle the nation’s largest active wildfire. But firefighters are warning of windy conditions expected in the coming days, and officials have urged residents to remain alert for possible evacuation orders. A firefighting operations official said the blaze’s rapid growth forced crews to change positions multiple times on Friday due to unsafe conditions. No injuries were reported. The official said improved weather conditions on Saturday aided firefighting efforts. The fire burned at least 166 homes. Wildfires are also burning elsewhere in New Mexico and Arizona.
AP-US-SEVERE-WEATHER-KANSAS
A tornado tears through Kansas; 3 students killed in an accident
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – Officials say a tornado that moved through parts of Kansas destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and buildings, injured several people and left more than 15,000 people without power. In addition to the wreckage of the tornado itself, three University of Oklahoma meteorology students returning from storm hunting in Kansas were also killed in a crash Friday night. Authorities say more than 1,000 buildings were affected when a strong tornado swept through Andover on Friday evening. On Saturday, emergency teams found a more extensive path of destruction than previously estimated. There were no fatalities or critical injuries from the twister itself, despite the widespread destruction.
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