March 20, 2023 4:24 am
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping is due to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow in a political boost for the isolated Russian president after the International Criminal Court charged him with war crimes in Ukraine. Xi’s government gave no details of what the Chinese leader hoped to accomplish in his visit that starts Monday. Xi and Putin declared they had a “no-limits friendship” before the February 2022 attack on Ukraine, but China has tried to portray itself as neutral in the conflict. China looks to Russia as a source of oil and gas for its energy-hungry economy and as a partner in opposing what both see as American domination of global affairs.
March 20, 2023 4:20 am
No injuries are reported following a house fire in Smith Township Sunday night that kept fire fighters busy for some five hours. Washington County 9-1-1 says a neighbor reported flames coming from the home in the 11-hundred block of Ridge Road just after 6:30 p.m. The individual who lived there was not home at the time. Dispatchers say crews didn’t bring the blaze under control until after 11:30 p.m. and had to return overnight for a rekindle. There is no word on the cause of the fire.
March 20, 2023 2:58 am
FINLEYVILLE, Pa. (WPXI) — The Finleyville Food Pantry is looking for a new home after they received an eviction notice. The pantry currently operates in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church on Washington Avenue. The owner said she can not afford a lawyer to fight the eviction. Rent for the food pantry has tripled in price. “It’s such a valued resource in the community and it’s a shame to see that they’re not going to be here,” said community member Angela Peddicord. “They have been here for over 38 years. There are generations of families who have relied on this service and now it’s not going to be here. It’s horrible.” The pantry serves about 350 families per week. The owner is now looking for a new location for the pantry.
March 20, 2023 2:03 am
SOUTH STRABANE TWP, Pa. (WPXI)— More than 350 people took part in a fundraiser to benefit the families of two Washington County teens who died in a car crash last week. Justin Crawford and Navaeh Sheets were killed when the car they were riding in crashed into a tree along East Maiden Street in South Strabane Twp. The event was organized by the South Strabane Twp. Fire Department. “When we got back from the accident scene, it was pretty apparent that multiple members of our department had some type of connection to one of the families. That made it a little more personal,” Fire Chief Jordan Cramer said. Chief Cramer says businesses from all over the area pitched in to help. There was Bingo, food and a silent auction to help raise money for funeral expenses. If you would like to donate, click here.
March 19, 2023 8:10 am
March 19, 2023 8:09 am
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis police supervisor on scene when Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by officers retired with his benefits the day before a hearing to fire him. Documents filed to revoke Lt. DeWayne Smith’s law enforcement certification show he ignored Nichols saying he couldn’t breathe after the beating, failing to take off his handcuffs or get medical help. The documents say Smith didn’t wear his body camera and told Nichols’ family he was intoxicated with no evidence. Nichols’ family attorney Ben Crump says letting Smith retire was a cowardly move to avoid consequences. Smith is not one of the five officers charged with second degree murder in Nichols’ death.
March 19, 2023 8:07 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and United Nations officials say an unprecedented wartime deal that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia has been extended. Neither the U.N. nor Erdogan said how long the agreement would last. Ukraine announced a 120-day extension on Saturday, the day the deal was set to expire. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson says Moscow agreed to a 60-day renewal. Ukraine and Russia signed separate agreements with the U.N. and Turkey last year to allow food to leave the Black Sea region after Russia invaded its neighbor more than a year ago. Moscow has complained about the implementation.
March 19, 2023 8:07 am
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — An earthquake that shook southern Ecuador and northern Peru has killed at least 15 people and left others trapped under rubble. The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of about 6.8 on Saturday about 50 miles south of Guayaquil. That’s Ecuador’s second-largest city. Ecuador’s emergency response agency reports two people died in the highlands state of Azuay and 12 others in the coastal state of El Oro. Peruvian authorities say a 4-year-old girl died from head trauma she suffered when her home collapsed. In Ecuador, authorities also reported cracks on buildings and homes and some collapsed walls.
March 19, 2023 8:06 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump says in a social media post that he expects to be arrested Tuesday and he’s calling on supporters to protest. A New York grand jury is investigating hush money payments to women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president. But there’s no evidence that prosecutors have made any formal outreach to him. And a spokesperson and a lawyer for Trump says his Truth Social post was based on media reports rather than any actual update from, or communication with, prosecutors. The district attorney’s office declined to comment. Trump’s post seems designed to preempt a formal announcement from prosecutors and to galvanize outrage from his base of supporters in advance of charges widely seen as coming soon.
March 19, 2023 8:05 am
PARIS (AP) — A parody photo appearing on protest signs and online in France shows President Emmanuel Macron sitting on piles of garbage. The image references the trash going uncollected with sanitation workers on strike, but also what many French people think about their 45-year-old leader. Macron hoped his push to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 would cement his legacy as the president who transformed France’s economy for the 21st century. Instead, he finds his leadership contested, both in parliament and on the streets of major cities. His decision to force a pension reform bill through without a vote could hamper his government’s ability to pass legislation for the remaining four years of his term.
