March 6, 2022 8:12 am
VIENNA (AP) — Iran has agreed to supply answers long sought by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, Tehran and the U.N. agency said Saturday, as talks in Vienna over its tattered atomic deal with world powers appear to be coming to an end. A joint statement by Mohammad Eslami, the head of the civilian Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy, came hours after the two met in Tehran. It envisions the IAEA reaching conclusions on the discovery of uranium particles at former undeclared sites in Iran by June. The move is separate from the talks over the nuclear deal but could help push them to a conclusion. But meanwhile, Russia’s foreign minister for the first time linked American sanctions on Moscow over its war on Ukraine to the ongoing Iran nuclear deal talks — adding a new wrinkle to the delicate diplomacy.
March 6, 2022 8:10 am
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The Russian tanks and missiles besieging Ukraine also are threatening the food supply and livelihoods of people in Europe, Africa and Asia who rely on the vast, fertile farmlands of the Black Sea region — known as the “breadbasket of the world.” Ukrainian farmers have been forced to neglect their fields as millions flee, fight or try to stay alive. Ports are shut down that send wheat and other food staples worldwide to be made into bread, noodles and animal feed. And there are worries Russia, another agricultural powerhouse, could have its grain exports upended by Western sanctions. While there have not yet been global disruptions to wheat supplies, prices have surged 55% since a week before the invasion amid concerns about what could happen next. If the war is prolonged, countries that rely on affordable wheat exports from Ukraine could face shortages starting in July, International Grains Council director Arnaud Petit told The Associated Press.
March 6, 2022 8:08 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Six people were killed Saturday when a tornado swept through central Iowa, damaging buildings and knocking down trees and power lines, authorities said. Emergency management officials in Madison County said four were injured in addition to those killed when the tornado touched down in the area southwest of Des Moines at about 4:30 p.m. Among those killed were children and adults. Madison County Emergency Management Director Diogenes Ayala said 25 to 30 homes were badly damaged by the tornado. “This is the worst anyone has seen in a very long time,” he said. Officials didn’t identify those killed but said they were not all in the same location.
March 6, 2022 8:07 am
LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian official says a second attempt to evacuate civilians from a southern city under siege for a week has failed due to continued Russian shelling. Evacuations from the port city of Mariupol were scheduled to begin at noon local time (10 a.m. GMT) during a 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. local ceasefire, Ukrainian military authorities said earlier Sunday. Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko said the planned evacuations along designated humanitarian corridors were halted because of an ongoing assault. “There can be no ‘green corridors’ because only the sick brain of the Russians decides when to start shooting and at whom,“ he said on Telegram. A similar cease-fire planned for Mariupol and the nearby city of Volnovakha collapsed Saturday, trapping residents under more shelling and aerial bombardment by Russian forces.
March 6, 2022 8:05 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — The West End Bridge was closed in both directions Saturday night after a fatal motorcycle crash. According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, first responders arrived on scene at around 7:30 p.m. Responders located the motorcyclist down on the street. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Two other vehicles are said to be involved in the collision. No other injuries have been reported. There is no word on the identity of the motorcyclist. The Collision Investigation Unit is investigating to determine the cause.
March 6, 2022 7:57 am
SOMERSET TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Washington County fire crews were called for two brush fire incidents Saturday as temperatures shot above 70 degrees for the first time this year. Just before 8:00 p.m., a large fire sparked in the area of the old Somerset Elementary School according to 911 reports. Ellsworth VFD along with by Fallowfield, Valley Inn and Bentleyville were called to the scene. Reports say it took over an hour to put out the fire. In a separate incident earlier in the day, crews from Mt. Pleasant and McDonald Volunteer Fire Departments were dispatched to Washington Avenue for a brush fire reportedly 100 yards from a structure. No injuries or major damage were reported from the fire calls. (Photo: Bentleyville Fire-Rescue Facebook Page)
March 6, 2022 3:52 am
Roughly 100 people lined up on the overpass of Interstate 70 to watch as a convoy of truckers passed on their way to Washington, D.C. The People’s Convoy is a group of truckers that plan to protest Covid-19 mandates by parking their vehicles and demonstrating near the White House. The convoy of truckers began in California and is expected to arrive at its destination on Saturday. Supporters lined up on the Jessop Avenue overpass and on the Beau Street overpass waving flags as the truckers drove by. (Photo Credit George Lasko)
March 5, 2022 10:41 am
LVIV, Ukraine (AP) – What looked like a breakthrough cease-fire to evacuate residents from two cities in Ukraine quickly is not holding, according to Ukrainian officials. The Russian defense ministry earlier said it had agreed on temporary evacuation routes with Ukrainian forces for Mariupol, a strategic port in the southeast, and the eastern city of Volnovakha. But Ukrainian officials say the work to remove civilians has halted amid shelling on Saturday hours after Russia announced the deal. An official in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office says that talks with Russia continue on setting up a cease-fire and ensuring a safe humanitarian corridor.
March 5, 2022 4:33 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Former Vice President Mike Pence is urging Republicans to move on from the 2020 election. And he is declaring that “there is no room in this party for apologists for Putin” as he further cements his break with former President Donald Trump. Pence spoke Friday evening to the party’s top donors at a gathering in New Orleans. Pence did not directly reference the former president, but Trump has repeatedly used language that has been criticized as deferential to Putin. Pence has been working to differentiate himself from Trump as he lays the groundwork for a possible 2024 presidential run.
March 5, 2022 4:29 am
SINGAPORE (AP) – As the West condemns Russia, President Vladimir Putin has vocal supporters in China, where the ruling Communist Party tells its people they are fellow targets of U.S.-led harassment. Public sentiment largely reflects the stance of a ruling party that is the closest thing Putin has to a major ally: The war should stop but the United States is to blame. President Xi Jinping’s government has tried to distance itself from the attack but avoided criticizing Moscow. Ruling party control of all Chinese media and intensive internet censorship make it hard to gauge public opinion, but what the party allows online and requires media to publish make clear what it wants the public to think.
