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President Barack Obama has announced six million people have signed up for medical insurance under his healthcare law – dubbed Obamacare – meeting the administration’s goal.
The White House’s initial goal was seven million, but this was revised amid last autumn’s disastrous launch.
Public support for the Obamacare is at its lowest – 26% of Americans back it – found a new Associated Press-GfK poll.
The first “open enrolment” period during which Americans can sign up for a health insurance plan ends on March 31, though the Obama administration has extended the deadline for some people who continue to have trouble applying.
On Thursday, Barack Obama spoke on the phone from Italy with several thousand volunteers and workers who are guiding Americans through the often confusing process of signing up for insurance online.
Six million people have signed up for Obamacare, meeting Obama administration’s goal
“The president thanked the group for all their hard work to date and discussed the importance of building on this progress over the last four days of open enrolment,” the White House said in a statement.
“The president encouraged the navigators and volunteers to redouble their efforts over the next four days and leave no stone unturned in trying to bring affordable health coverage to as many Americans as possible by the March 31 deadline.”
Obamacare was crippled at its October rollout by technical glitches, but it seems to have largely overcome those problems.
The 2010 law, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is intended to extend health insurance to the roughly 48 million Americans who do not receive it through their employers, the government, or a privately purchased plan.
It also aims to slow the growth in the cost of healthcare.
Among its central provisions are online marketplaces called exchanges run by the states and by the federal government on which individuals can purchase health insurance plans, sometimes with generous subsidies.
Under the new law, Americans who go without health insurance in 2014 and beyond pay a penalty.
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President Barack Obama has met Pope Francis for the first time during a European tour dominated by the crisis in Ukraine.
Barack Obama flew into Rome after three days of talks with world leaders in the Netherlands and Brussels.
In a recent interview published before their meeting, Barack Obama described Pope Francis as a man who “lived the Christian Gospel”.
Barack Obama has met Pope Francis for the first time during his European tour
Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said Barack Obama has been inspired by Pope Francis’ messages of inclusion and equality.
Ben Rhodes said Barack Obama planned to express his appreciation for the pontiff’s leadership.
Barack Obama and Pope Francis have very different views on subjects such as abortion, contraception and gay marriage, but at this meeting they are likely to emphasize what they share.
After meeting the Pope, Barack Obama is due to meet both Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and PM Matteo Renzi.
Barack Obama is accompanied in Italy by Secretary of State John Kerry.
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New reports revealed that three Secret Service agents tasked with protecting President Barack Obama in the Netherlands have been sent home for “disciplinary reasons”.
According to the Washington Post, one of the agents was found drunk and passed out in the hallway of an Amsterdam hotel.
A Secret Service spokesman declined to give details but said the three had been put on administrative leave pending an investigation.
The service has been trying to rebuild its reputation after previous scandals.
In 2013 two agents were removed from Barack Obama’s security detail amid allegations of harassment and misconduct.
Three Secret Service agents tasked with protecting President Barack Obama in the Netherlands have been sent home for disciplinary reasons (photo Reuters)
And in 2012 several agents were dismissed following allegations that they hired prostitutes while in Cartagena, Colombia.
Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said the latest incident happened before President Barack Obama’s arrival in the Netherlands on Monday for a nuclear security summit.
Ed Donovan said the three had been sent home for “disciplinary reasons” but declined to elaborate.
He added that the president’s security had not been compromised in any way.
The Washington Post reported that all three were on the Counter Assault Team – which protects the president – and that one agent was a team leader.
Citing unnamed sources familiar with the incident, the newspaper said that one agent was found drunk and unconscious by hotel staff, who reported it to the US embassy.
It is believed that the other two agents were deemed complicit because they did not intervene.
Barack Obama visited the Netherlands on the first leg of a weeklong, four-country trip. He departed for Brussels on Tuesday night.
President Barack Obama has called on Americans to pray for the victims of the landslide in Washington which has claimed at least 14 lives.
Officials say as many as 176 people remain unaccounted for after the 177ft wall of mud hit near the town of Oso, north of Seattle, on Saturday.
Emergency officials said they expected the death toll to rise throughout Tuesday as they comb the debris field.
Search crews have worked day and night, using helicopters and laser imaging.
“The total fatality rate remains at 14 and we’re expecting that number to go up throughout the day,” local fire chief Travis Hots told reporters on Tuesday.
President Barack Obama has called on Americans to pray for the victims of the landslide in Washington which has claimed at least 14 lives (photo AP)
At a news conference in the Netherlands earlier, Barack Obama asked all Americans to send their thoughts and prayers to the victims.
“We know that part of this tightly knit community has been lost,” he said.
“We hope for the best, but recognize this is a tough situation.”
Barack Obama has declared an emergency in Washington State and ordered federal authorities to co-ordinate the disaster relief effort.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee – after surveying the area from the air – said it was “devastation beyond imagination”.
Jay Inslee said the slide “basically cut a mountain in two” and deposited it on the town below. Nothing in the path of the slide was still standing.
Family members and volunteers were using chainsaws and their bare hands to shift the wreckage and try to find those missing.
Snohomish County emergency management director John Pennington has said the official list of the missing stood at 176.
About 30 homes were destroyed and more than half the town of Oso is missing – a recent census put its population at 180.
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President Barack Obama is planning to ask Congress to end bulk collection of US phone records by the National Security Agency (NSA).
NSA senior officials told the New York Times the agency would “end its systematic collection of data about Americans’ calling habits”.
Phone records would instead remain with telecoms companies, only to be accessed by government when needed.
It follows widespread anger at home and abroad after leaks revealed the full extent of US surveillance operations.
The documents – leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden – revealed that the US collects massive amounts of electronic data from communications of private individuals around the world, and has spied on foreign leaders.
In a speech in January, Barack Obama said it was necessary for the US to continue collecting large amounts of data, but that civil liberties must be respected.
Barack Obama is planning to ask Congress to end bulk collection of US phone records by the NSA
He said the current system, in which the NSA collects the details of the times, numbers and durations of phone calls, known as metadata, would come to an end.
According to the New York Times report, Barack Obama told the US justice department and intelligence officials to come up with a plan by March 28.
Under the new proposal, officials say surveillance “would require phone companies to swiftly provide records in a technologically compatible data format, including making available, on a continuing basis, data about any new calls placed or received after the order is received”.
The phone companies would not be required to hold on to the data for longer than they normally would, the New York Times says.
The NSA currently holds information for five years, whereas telecoms companies are required by federal regulation to retain customer records for 18 months.
The new proposal “would retain a judicial role in determining whether the standard of suspicion was met for a particular phone number before the NSA could obtain associated records”, the newspaper adds.
The Obama administration plans to renew the current NSA program for at least another 90 days until Congress passes the new legislation.
New legislation has also been developed separately by leaders of the House intelligence committee that would allow the NSA to issue subpoenas for specific phone records without prior judicial approval, the New York Times reports.
The New York Times report does not provide information on possible changes to the NSA’s surveillance of phone records from other countries.
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President Barack Obama has announced more sanctions on Russian officials and Bank Rossiya over the annexation of Crimea.
Barack Obama also said he had signed an order enabling the US to impose sanctions on sectors of the Russian economy.
Meanwhile EU leaders have arrived in Brussels amid warnings that they may impose tougher economic sanctions.
Barack Obama has announced more sanctions on Russian officials and Bank Rossiya over the annexation of Crimea (photo ABC)
Tensions are high as Moscow approves a treaty enabling Crimea – an autonomous republic in Ukraine – to join Russia.
Barack Obama said: “Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community.”
The president said the US was watching with concern the situation in southern and eastern Ukraine.
A White House official said the latest wave of US sanctions targeted 20 Russian individuals with interests in the Crimea.
Bank Rossiya is being targeted for supporting Russian government officials, the US Treasury said.
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President Barack Obama ruled out a “military excursion” by the US in Ukraine, saying that engaging Russia militarily “would not be appropriate.”
“We are not going to be getting into a military excursion in Ukraine,” Barack Obama said in an interview with KNSD in San Diego.
“What we are going to do is mobilize all of our diplomatic resources to make sure that we’ve got a strong international coalition that sends a clear message, which is that Ukraine should decide their destiny.”
“There is a better path, but I think even the Ukrainians would acknowledge that for us to engage Russia militarily would not be appropriate and would not be good for Ukraine either,” he added.
In a separate interview with KSDK in St. Louis, Barack Obama reiterated that a military option is not on the table but that the US and its allies are prepared to take “even more disruptive economic actions.”
Barack Obama ruled out a “military excursion” by the US in Ukraine
“Obviously, we do not need to trigger an actual war with Russia,” he said.
“The Ukrainians don’t want that. Nobody would want that.”
Barack Obama granted interviews to six local television stations on Wednesday.
In the interview with KNSD, President Barack Obama insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin “acted out of weakness, not out of strength,” saying that Putin is “not comfortable” with countries loosening their ties to the Kremlin in favor of more freedom to deal with the West.
“His strategic decisions are no way based on whether he thought that we might go to war over this,” Barack Obama added.
“I think there’s a clear understanding that when it comes to our core interests or our NATO allies we can protect ourselves.”
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has urged the US to discuss “peace and sovereignty” in a high level commission mediated by the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).
Nicolas Maduro also asked President Barack Obama not to heed US factions that he says want to kill him.
Venezuela blames the US for the anti-government protests that have left 28 people dead in the past month.
The US says Venezuela is using it as a scapegoat for its internal problems.
Earlier, thousands of government supporters marched through the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, to thank the country’s security forces for their policing of the recent unrest.
Nicolas Maduro and several military leaders held speeches praising the “civic-military” partnership.
The president also proposed the creation of a “high-level commission” to discuss “peace and respect to the sovereignty” in Venezuela.
Nicolas Maduro has urged the US to discuss peace and sovereignty in a high level commission mediated by the UNASUR
Nicolas Maduro said he wanted the head of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, to negotiate with a “high-level officer” of the US administration under the auspices of UNASUR.
“President Obama: give peace, and respect, a chance and let’s set the foundation for a new type of relations between the US, Venezuela and if possible, Latin America and the Caribbean,” Nicolas Maduro told the crowd in a speech broadcast on radio and TV.
He also warned Barack Obama against agreeing to alleged plans to kill him, put forward by “extremists” in the US administration.
“It would be the worst mistake in your life to authorize the assassination of President Nicolas Maduro and fill [Venezuela] with violence,” he told the crowd, adding he was a “humble president and bus driver” who like Barack Obama also had “African grandparents”.
Venezuela’s opposition has called for further protests on Sunday against “Cuban repression” in the country and criticized the government’s march.
“We know soldiers and officials are against this act ordered by Cuba,” Maria Corina Machado, an opposition leader, wrote on Twitter.
The opposition says it will continue to protest against Venezuela’s high inflation, food shortages and violence levels until there is a change of government.
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Donald Trump appeared on The Today Show to promote his 2014 Miss USA pageant airing on NBC in June, when the conversation turned to President Barack Obama and his weakness in handling Russia’s actions in Crimea.
“You’ve been critical of the president and his handling of the situation with Ukraine and Crimea,” the show co-host Matt Lauer said.
“I think you said, I’m paraphrasing here, but basically [Russian President Vladimir] Putin was playing with or toying with Obama. That is kind of a common refrain of yours, I should mention.”
Donald Trump replied that others have said the same thing.
“But you always think that Obama is being weak,” Matt Lauer said.
Donald Trump appeared on The Today Show to promote his 2014 Miss USA pageant, when the conversation turned to Barack Obama (photo NBC)
“What would you have done differently than he did in the days before Russian troops went into Crimea?”
The incursion should have never happened, Donald Trump said.
“If you’re the president, that doesn’t happen and it’s not a big surprise,” he said.
“I mean, it should have worked so that a thing like that doesn’t happen.”
The US should be strong in its reaction to Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump said.
“We should definitely do sanctions. And we have to show some strength. I mean, Putin has eaten Obama’s lunch, therefore our lunch, for a long period of time,” he said.
“And I just hope that Obama, who’s not looking too good, doesn’t do something very foolish and very stupid to show his manhood. I just hope that doesn’t happen.”
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Mark Zuckerberg has revealed he has called President Barack Obama to “express frustration” over US digital surveillance.
The 29-year-old Facebook founder said in a blog post the US government “should be the champion for the internet, not a threat”.
Mark Zuckerberg’s comments come a day after a report the NSA imitated a Facebook server to infect surveillance targets’ computers.
The NSA said the report was “inaccurate”.
Mark Zuckerberg said in September that the US “blew it” on internet spying.
He wrote on Thursday “it seems like it will take a very long time for true full reform”.
“When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we’re protecting you against criminals, not our own government,” Mark Zuckerberg said in his blog post.
“The US government should be the champion for the internet, not a threat.
Mark Zuckerberg has revealed he has called President Barack Obama to “express frustration” over US digital surveillance
“They need to be much more transparent about what they’re doing, or otherwise people will believe the worst.”
The NSA’s activities were leaked by a former contractor for the agency, Edward Snowden, last year.
Edward Snowden’s leaks have pointed to the NSA collecting phone records, tapping fiber-optic cables that carry global communications and hacking networks.
According to the documents, the agencies had “backdoor” access to the servers of nine major technology companies including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube and Apple.
All the companies named have denied their involvement.
The NSA called the latest claims, that it expanded surveillance by using malware, “inaccurate”.
The agency said in a statement: “The NSA uses its technical capabilities only to support lawful and appropriate foreign intelligence operations, all of which must be carried out in strict accordance with its authorities.”
White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden confirmed that the president spoke with Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday evening regarding “recent reports in the press about alleged activities by the US intelligence community”. She gave no further comment.
In his latest blog post, Mark Zuckerberg said that to keep the internet strong, “we need to keep it secure”.
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Ukraine’s interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk met President Barack Obama at the White House.
During their meeting, Barack Obama pledged to “stand with Ukraine” in its dispute with Russia.
The US president warned Russian President Vladimir Putin the international community “will be forced to apply costs” if Russia does not remove its troops from Crimea.
Earlier, leaders of the G7 group of nations issued a similar threat.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, speaking after meeting Barack Obama, said Ukraine “will never surrender” to Russia.
“It is absolutely unacceptable to have Russian boots on the Ukrainian ground in the 21st century, violating all international deals and treaties,” he said.
The diplomatic appeals to Moscow come ahead of Sunday’s referendum in Crimea, in which citizens will be asked if they want to stay with Ukraine or join Russia.
Ukraine’s interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk met President Barack Obama at the White House
The Russian military and pro-Russian armed men moved in to seize key sites in Crimea – an autonomous region of Ukraine whose population is mainly ethnic Russian – in late February after the fall of President Viktor Yanukovych.
Barack Obama said the US has “been very clear that we consider Russia’s incursion into Crimea outside of its bases to be a violation of international law”.
“We have been very firm in saying we will stand with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in ensuring that territorial integrity and sovereignty is maintained,” he added.
In reference to scheduled talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in London on Friday, Barack Obama said he hoped diplomatic efforts will result in a “rethinking of the process”.
But he stressed that if Moscow “continues on the path that it is on then, not only us, but the international community… will be forced to apply a cost to Russia’s violations of international law and its encroachments on Ukraine”.
The president did not specify what those costs would be, but Washington has already issued visa bans to some high-profile Russians and threatened asset freezes for others.
Barack Obama also said the US “will completely reject” the results of Crimea’s referendum, saying it had been put together in a “slapdash” way.
As Barack Obama and Arseniy Yatsenyuk were holding talks, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to authorize $1 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine’s new government and allow the US to impose sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian officials.
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President Barack Obama has been interviewed by comedian Zach Galifianakis for his spoof chat show Between Two Ferns.
Barack Obama joined Zach Galifianakis in a bid to encourage young people to sign up for health insurance.
The president was asked about sending “Ambassador Dennis Rodman” to North Korea and outlawing gay divorce.
Barack Obama was also billed on-screen as a “community organizer”.
Streamed on the Funny or Die, the notoriously awkward chat show takes place on a sparse set, decorated with two fern plants.
Barack Obama started on the offensive, declaring: “When I heard that people actually watch this show, I was actually pretty surprised.”
“What is it like to be the last black president?” retorted Zach Galifianakis.
Barack Obama has been interviewed by comedian Zach Galifianakis for his spoof chat show Between Two Ferns
“What’s it like for this to be the last time you ever talk to a president?” Barack Obama replied.
“It must kind of stink, though, that you can’t run three times?” the comedian continued.
Barack Obama replied: “If I ran a third time it would be like doing a third Hangover movie. It didn’t really work out very well, did it?”
He then praised Zach Galifianakis’ previous interviews, especially one featuring his Hangover co-star Bradley Cooper, which ended with the pair slapping each other.
“That was a great show. He probably carried that movie didn’t he?” said Barack Obama.
The Between Two Ferns series, which began in 2008, has become a cult hit online.
A typical recent video, which featured Zach Galifianakis whipping singer Justin Bieber with a belt for his bad behavior, was watched by 16 million people.
Zach Galifianakis and Barack Obama sparred for three-and-a-half minutes before the president revealed his real motive for appearing on the show, asking: “Have you heard of healthcare.gov?”
The comedian replied under his breath “here we go”, before adding: “OK, let’s get this out of the way, what did you come here to plug?”
Barack Obama went on to explain why he felt it was important for young people to sign up for health insurance in the US, before the deadline on March 31st.
The interview ended with Barack Obama hitting a panic button, which prompted the standard black set to drop to the ground and reveal a room that appeared to be in The White House.
“Thanks for letting me shoot my show here all these years,” said Zach Galifianakis, claiming former President George W. Bush had given him clearance to film in the Diplomatic Room.
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Jeri Wright, the daughter of Barack Obama’s former pastor Jeremiah Wright, was convicted on Friday of laundering thousands of dollars from a state grant for a Chicago-area job-training program, federal prosecutors said.
A federal jury found Jeri Wright, 48, guilty on all counts for her part in a fraud scheme led by a former suburban police chief and the chief’s husband, according to the US Attorney’s office for the Central District of Illinois in Springfield.
The $1.25 million state grant was for a not-for-profit work and education program called We Are Our Brother’s Keeper, owned by Regina Evans, former police chief of Country Club Hills, and her husband, Ronald Evans Jr.
Jeri Wright, a close friend of the couple, took as much as $11,000 from checks worth more than $30,000 that were supposed to be for work related to the grant, prosecutors said. About $20,000 was deposited back into accounts controlled by Regina and Ronald Evans.
Jeri Wright is the daughter of Barack Obama’s former pastor Jeremiah Wright
Regina and Ronald Evans has pleaded guilty to the fraud scheme.
The grant agreement was supposed to provide bricklaying and electrical pre-apprenticeship training and GED preparation at the Regal Theater, another entity owned by the couple. Little, if any, of the training provided in the grant agreement was ever completed, according to prosecutors.
Jeremiah Wright was the Chicago pastor whose inflammatory church sermons, which often condemned US attitudes on race, poverty and other issues, became a focus during the 2008 presidential campaign.
Jeri Wright also was convicted of making false statements to law enforcement officers and giving false testimony to a grand jury.
The maximum penalty for money laundering is up to 20 years in prison, and five years in prison on the other counts.
Jeri Wright told reporters outside the Springfield federal court house that she will appeal. Sentencing is scheduled for July 7.
President Barack Obama has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine, in a lengthy telephone call.
In their hour-long conversation, Vladimir Putin said Moscow-Washington relations should not suffer.
Russian troops have taken de facto control of Crimea following the fall of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych.
The crisis has led to a boycott by many foreign dignitaries of the Sochi Winter Paralympics, which open on Friday.
Barack Obama stressed to Vladimir Putin that Russia’s actions in Crimea were a violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, the White House said in a statement.
Barack Obama has urged Vladimir Putin to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine
The US president said there was a solution available that suited all parties, involving talks between Kiev and Moscow, international monitors in Ukraine and Russian forces returning to their bases.
For his part, Vladimir Putin said US-Russian “relations should not be sacrificed due to disagreements over individual, albeit extremely significant, international problems”, the Kremlin said.
It was Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin’s second telephone call concerning Ukraine in less than a week.
It comes after the EU and US joined Ukraine’s government in condemning as “illegal” a move by the Crimea region to set up a referendum to endorse joining Russia.
The Crimean parliament on Thursday said it had decided “to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation” and asked President Putin “to start the procedure”.
Crimea – whose population is mostly ethnic Russian – earlier set a date of March 16 for a referendum on the issue.
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President Barack Obama has urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to pull his troops back from Ukraine.
In a 90-minute phone conversation, Barack Obama urged Vladimir Putin to pull forces back to bases in Crimea.
Vladimir Putin responded by saying that Moscow reserves the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
Meanwhile, Canada has recalled its ambassador to Moscow for consultations.
Canadian PM Stephen Harper said he was also suspending Canada’s preparations for a G8 summit in the Russian resort of Sochi in June.
Ukraine says it has put its army on full combat alert after Russia’s parliament approved the deployment of Russian troops.
In a 90-minute phone conversation, Barack Obama urged Vladimir Putin to pull forces back to bases in Crimea
Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said he had also stepped up security at key sites, including nuclear plants.
According to the White House, Barack Obama told Vladimir Putin that the appropriate way to address any concerns “is peacefully through direct engagement” with the Ukrainian government and international mediating bodies.
“President Obama expressed his deep concern over Russia’s clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the White House said.
Barack Obama told Vladimir Putin his actions were a “breach of international law, including Russia’s obligations under the UN Charter, and of its 1997 military basing agreement with Ukraine”, a statement added.
The Kremlin said that in his phone call with Barack Obama, President Vladimir Putin “underlined that there are real threats to the life and health of Russian citizens and compatriots on Ukrainian territory”.
As diplomatic efforts increased, US Secretary of State John Kerry said he had spoken with foreign ministers from Europe and Canada as well as EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and the Japanese envoy to the US “to co-ordinate on next steps”.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for “an immediate restoration of calm and direct dialogue”, whilst NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen tweeted: “Urgent need for de-escalation in Crimea.”
The UN Security Council held an emergency session on the crisis on Saturday, and NATO has called emergency talks to be held on Sunday at 1200 GMT.
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Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye the Science Guy and President Barack Obama walk into the White House’s Blue Room and teamed up for a selfie.
The three got together for Friday’s White House Student Film Festival, which featured student videos highlighting how technology can transform education.
Attendees also got a sneak peek at the new Cosmos TV series, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson and due to premiere on March 9.
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye the Science Guy and President Barack Obama walk into the White House’s Blue Room and teamed up for a selfie
“The Academy Awards are not until Sunday, but as you can see, we brought the Oscars to the White House a little bit early,” President Barack Obama told the student filmmakers.
“We’ve got the red carpet, we’ve got the big screens, the opening monologue. The only difference is, nobody asks what you’re wearing,” he added.
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President Barack Obama has warned Russia against any military intervention in Ukraine.
The US president said he was deeply concerned by reports of Russian military movements inside Ukraine.
Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandry Turchynov has accused Russia of deploying troops to the Ukrainian region of Crimea and trying to provoke Kiev into “armed conflict”.
Crimea’s pro-Moscow PM Sergey Aksyonov has asked Russian authorities for help in maintaining peace in the region.
“I appeal to the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to provide assistance in ensuring peace and tranquility on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea,” Sergey Aksyonov said in a statement.
Sergey Aksyonov, who was appointed by the Crimean parliament on Thursday, also said he was taking control of Crimea’s interior ministry, armed forces, fleet and border guards “on a temporary basis”.
The new cabinet in Ukraine is due to meet for the first time on Saturday to discuss the deepening crisis over Russia’s reported military deployments.
Russia’s UN ambassador earlier insisted any troop movements in Crimea were within an existing arrangement with Ukraine.
Barack Obama has warned Russia against any military intervention in Ukraine
Overnight reports said armed men in unidentified military uniforms had seized another airfield.
On Friday they took over airports in the Crimean capital, Simferopol, and Sevastopol, where Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is based.
Ukrainian media citing local officials said 13 Russian aircraft carrying nearly 2,000 suspected troops had landed at a military air base near Simferopol. The report remains unconfirmed.
Russian armored vehicles and helicopters were also seen in and around Simferopol and Sevastopol.
Flights from and to Simferopol were cancelled with airlines saying airspace over the peninsula had been closed.
The armed men also moved in on Crimea’s parliament, state television building and telecommunication centers.
Speaking from the White House, Barack Obama commended Ukraine’s interim government for its “restraint”.
“Any violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilizing, which is not in the interests of Ukraine, Russia or Europe,” he said.
“It would represent a profound interference in matters that must be determined by the Ukrainian people. It would be a clear violation of Russia’s commitment to respect the independence and sovereignty and borders of Ukraine – and of international laws.”
Barack Obama added: “Just days after the world came to Russia for the Olympic games, it would invite the condemnation of nations around the world. And, indeed, the United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.”
The president did not spell out what any US response might be.
In a TV address on Friday, Ukraine’s interim President Oleksandr Turchynov said Moscow wanted the new government to react to provocations so it could annex Crimea.
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President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden are taking part in First Lady Michelle Obama’s health campaign Let’s Move by making a film while jogging around the White House.
Michelle Obama’s initiative intends to fight childhood obesity by encouraging healthy eating and an active lifestyle.
President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden are taking part in First Lady Michelle Obama’s health campaign Let’s Move by making a film while jogging around the White House
The first lady has unveiled new changes to US nutrition labels, the most sweeping overhaul in more than two decades.
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President Barack Obama has met exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at the White House, US officials say.
Barack Obma vowed “strong support” for the protection of Tibetans’ human rights in China during the encounter with the Dalai Lama.
China had urged the US to cancel the meeting, saying it would “seriously impair China-US relations”.
Beijing described the Dalai Lama as a separatist, while the spiritual leader said he only advocates greater autonomy for Tibet, not independence.
During their meeting in the White House Map Room, Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama reportedly said they hoped talks would resume between Beijing and the Tibetan spiritual leader’s representatives.
The two men last met in 2011, in talks that angered China. Tibet is governed as an autonomous region in China.
China has been widely accused of repressing political and religious freedoms in Tibet. Beijing rejects this and says economic development has improved Tibetans’ lives.
Barack Obma vowed “strong support” for the protection of Tibetans’ human rights in China during the encounter with the Dalai Lama
China’s response to the meeting was swift, with the country’s Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui summoning US charge d’affaires Daniel Kritenbrink to protest against the encounter.
“China expresses strong indignation and firm opposition,” Zhang Yesui said, according to the Xinhua news agency.
“The Tibetan issue is the domestic affair of China, and the United States bears no right to interfere,” he added.
“Such a move will gravely sabotage China-US co-operation and relations, and will definitely undermine its own interests.”
Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, earlier said President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama “in his capacity as an internationally respected religious and cultural leader”.
“We do not support Tibetan independence,” she said, adding that the US “strongly supports human rights and religious freedom in China.
“We are concerned about continuing tensions and the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibetan areas of China.”
In recent years more than 110 ethnic Tibetans – mostly young monks and nuns living in areas outside Tibet – have set themselves on fire in apparent protest against Beijing’s rule.
China’s government accuses the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the protests, a charge he strongly rejects.
The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, after Chinese troops crushed an attempted uprising in Tibet.
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Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has invited President Barack Obama to join him in talks aimed at resolving the problems between his country and the US.
Nicolas Maduro said the meeting would help “put the truth out on the table”.
He has accused US conservatives and media organizations of plotting to overthrow his government.
Earlier on Friday Venezuela revoked the accreditations of CNN reporters covering the country’s crisis. Eight people have died in recent protests.
In a news conference on Friday, Nicolas Maduro said: “I call for a dialogue between Venezuela and the United States and its government.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has invited President Barack Obama to join him in talks aimed at resolving the problems between his country and the US
“Let’s initiate a high-level dialogue and let’s put the truth out on the table.”
The dialogue will be “difficult and complex”, Nicolas Maduro said, until the American government accepted “the full autonomy and independence of Latin America”.
Last week, Venezuela expelled three US diplomats accused of meeting violent groups linked to the opposition.
Earlier this week, Venezuela had revoked the accreditation of CNN’s Caracas-based reporter, Osmary Hernandez, and those of two other CNN journalists sent to Venezuela to cover a wave of opposition marches.
The government says the protests are part of a coup attempt.
US Secretary of State, John Kerry, denounced the latest action on Friday, saying: “This is not how democracies behave.
“I call on the Venezuelan government to step back from its efforts to stifle dissent through force and respect basic human rights.
“The solution to Venezuela’s problems can only be found through dialogue with all Venezuelans, engaging in a free exchange of opinions in a climate of mutual respect.”
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Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will meet President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday, US officials say.
China has urged the US to cancel the meeting, saying it will “seriously impair China-US relations”.
China describes the Dalai Lama as a separatist, while the spiritual leader says he only advocates greater autonomy for Tibet, not independence.
Officials say the US does not support Tibetan independence but is concerned about human rights in China.
The two men last met in 2011, in talks that angered China.
Tibet is governed as an autonomous region in China.
China has been widely accused of repressing political and religious freedoms in Tibet. Beijing rejects this and says economic development has improved Tibetans’ lives.
Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will meet President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday
Barack Obama will host the Dalai Lama in a private meeting in the White House Map Room on Friday morning, US officials said.
The president traditionally hosts foreign leaders in the Oval Office, so the decision to use the Map Room is viewed as an attempt to give the visit a lower-profile.
Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said Barack Obama would meet the Dalai Lama “in his capacity as an internationally respected religious and cultural leader”.
“We do not support Tibetan independence,” she said, adding that the US “strongly supports human rights and religious freedom in China.
“We are concerned about continuing tensions and the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibetan areas of China.”
Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that Beijing was “firmly opposed” to the meeting.
“The US leader’s meeting with the Dalai is a gross interference in China’s internal affairs, a severe violation of codes of international relations and will seriously impair China-US relations,” she said in a statement.
China had “already lodged solemn representations” with the US on the matter, Hua Chunying added.
In recent years more than 110 ethnic Tibetans – mostly young monks and nuns living in areas outside Tibet – have set themselves on fire in apparent protest against Beijing’s rule.
The Chinese government accuses the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the protests, a charge he strongly rejects.
The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, after Chinese troops crushed an attempted uprising in Tibet.
Senator Rand Paul sued the Obama administration Wednesday over the NSA’s mass collection of millions of Americans’ phone records.
Rand Paul , a possible Republican presidential candidate, said he and the conservative activist group FreedomWorks filed the suit for themselves and on behalf of “everyone in America that has a phone”.
The lawsuit argues that the bulk collection program that’s been in existence since 2006 violates the US Constitution’s Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches. It calls for an end to the program, which was revealed by former NSA analyst Edward Snowden.
The Obama administration maintains that the program, begun under President George W. Bush, is legal. Courts have largely sided with the government.
Rand Paul sued the Obama administration over the NSA’s mass collection of millions of Americans’ phone records
President Barack Obama has called for reforms to the program in an effort to regain public trust. Others, like Rand Paul, have called for the end of this kind of surveillance.
Rand Paul dodged a question about his presidential ambitions during a news conference Wednesday. But his lawsuit is the latest effort to propel the debate over the once-secret surveillance program into the 2016 presidential campaign.
The surveillance debate has exposed intra-party tensions for Republicans. The party split on this issue between its leadership, which backs the program on security grounds, and libertarian-minded members who are more wary of government involvement in Americans’ private lives.
The Republican National Committee last month approved a resolution to end the surveillance programs. While some Republicans played down its significance, the nonbinding vote was seen as a nod to Republicans like Rand Paul.
The White House and Justice Department did not comment on the lawsuit specifically, but said they believe the bulk collection of phone records is legal.
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France’s President Francois Hollande has been honored at a lavish White House state dinner, the first since 2011.
At the party, Francois Hollande and President Barack Obama toasted the nations’ centuries-old friendship.
They have suggested the bad feelings over US spying and French opposition to the Iraq War have been soothed.
Among the guests at Tuesday’s state dinner were diplomats and dignitaries from both governments, as well as leaders in the media and business.
Hollywood luminaries in attendance included Bradley Cooper, Mindy Kaling, Stephen Colbert, Julie Louis-Dreyfus and director JJ Abrams.
The roughly 300 guests dined on caviar, quail eggs and rib-eye steak, later listening to a performance from singer Mary J. Blige.
After being welcomed to the White House by Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Francois Hollande was seated between the couple at the dinner table in a heated tent on the South Lawn.
The move was seen as a tactful way to handle the fact that Francois Hollande arrived alone after an ugly, widely publicized split from long-time partner Valerie Trierweiler following reports he had an affair with an actress.
The highlights of the evening were toasts given by the two presidents.
Francois Hollande has been honored at a lavish White House state dinner
With a glass of white wine in his hand, Barack Obama opened by quoting French writer Alexis de Tocqueville’s impressions of 19th Century America, recalling to humorous effect his bafflement with American cuisine and his underwhelming impression of the White House.
“We Americans have grown to love all things French – the films, the food, the wine,” Barack Obama continued.
“But most of all, we love our French friends because we have stood together for our freedom for more than 200 years.
“Vive la France, God bless America, and long live the alliance between our great nations.”
Speaking first in English, Francois Hollande acknowledged the sacrifice of the US soldiers who fought in France during World War Two and said that France felt America’s pain at the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Continuing in French, Francois Hollande praised French-US diplomatic and military co-operation in the Middle East and Africa, and said the two countries would work jointly for economic growth and to combat climate change.
Francois Hollande said relations between the two countries had reached “an exceptional level of closeness and confidence” because they shared the “universal values” of freedom, democracy and respect for the law.
“We love Americans, although we don’t always say so and you love the French, but you are sometimes too shy to say so,” Francois Hollande said.
At a news conference after bilateral talks earlier on Tuesday, Francois Hollande said he and Barack Obama had resolved their issues over digital eavesdropping by the National Security Agency (NSA).
“Mutual trust has been restored,” he said.
Barack Obama also announced he had accepted Francois Hollande’s invitation to go to France in June to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy during World War Two.
Today, Francois Hollande will travel to San Francisco and meet chiefs of Silicon Valley giants including Facebook, Twitter and Google.
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The House of Representatives has passed an increase in the US government’s debt limit, after the Republicans gave up on their attempt to win concessions from the Democrats in return.
The House voted 221-201 to waive the $17.2 trillion debt limit for just over a year, with only 28 Republicans joining most of the Democrats.
Officials had said the US could breach the debt limit by the end of February.
The White House and others had warned of calamity if the US defaulted.
The bill, when signed into law by President Barack Obama, will enable the US government to borrow money to fund its budget obligations and debt service.
The US government will run a budget deficit of about $514 billion in its 2014 fiscal year.
The House of Representatives has passed an increase in the US government’s debt limit
The Republicans hold a majority in the House, and many had hoped to leverage their ability to block an increase in the government’s borrowing limit to win policy concessions from Barack Obama and the Democrats who control the Senate.
In the current and past debt limit fights, the Republican Party’s wish-list has included extensive budget cuts, measures that would repeal or undermine Barack Obama’s signature healthcare reform, a proposal to force the president to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada, a repeal of recent cuts to pensions for working-age military retirees, and more.
“He will not engage in our long-term spending problem,” Republican House Speaker John Boehner told reporters earlier on Tuesday.
“So let his party gives him the debt ceiling increase that he wants.”
As in the last major Washington DC budget brawl, in September and October, Barack Obama and the Democrats said they would refuse to negotiate over the borrowing limit, arguing raising the limit amounted to the US government making good on spending it had already undertaken.
They demanded a “clean” bill that would raise the debt ceiling without enacting additional policy measures.
The Republican House leadership, often at odds with its restive caucus, floated a plan on Monday that would tie the debt limit increase to restoring a cut in pensions for working-age military retirees that was enacted as a money-saving measure in a recent budget.
But they found they lacked the Republican votes to pass that, as conservative members balked.
A separate vote is planned on that issue. The Senate has already passed a bill to restore the cuts.
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President Barack Obama has welcomed France’s President Francois Hollande to the White House for a day of meetings culminating in a state dinner.
Francois Hollande was greeted by a military honor guard and blaring brass band on the south lawn.
Barack Obama and Francois Hollande are expected to discuss issues ranging from trade to Iran’s nuclear program.
The visit sets the seal on a new era in US-French relations, which sank to a low a decade ago over the Iraq war.
“More nations must step up and meet the responsibilities of leadership, and that’s what the United States and France are doing together,” Barack Obama said with Francois Hollande by his side at the White House.
Francois Hollande highlighted the historic ties between the two nations, saying: “Each of our countries knows what it owes to each other – its freedom.”
Francois Hollande was greeted by a military honor guard and blaring brass band on the south lawn of White House
Among the French leader’s engagements on Tuesday are: a press conference at midday with Barack Obama followed by lunch with Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry.
The main event will be a black-tie dinner held in Francois Hollande’s honor on Tuesday night in a big white tent on the White House lawn.
Invitees will dine on American caviar, quail eggs and rib-eye steak, while dancing to the music of singer Mary J. Blige.
During his time in the US, Francois Hollande will also travel to San Francisco and meet chiefs of Silicon Valley giants including Facebook, Twitter and Google.
Francois Hollande’s long-time partner Valerie Trierweiler did not travel with him, after the breakdown in their relationship following reports he had an affair with an actress.
Following Francois Hollande’s arrival on Monday afternoon, he and Barack Obama flew to Monticello in the state of Virginia. They visited the home of Thomas Jefferson, one of the founders of the US, an envoy to France and the third US president.
They toured Thomas Jefferson’s home, stopping by his study, the kitchen and the quarters of slaves who helped build and run the estate.
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