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Obama Hails West's 'Unified' Stance On Crimea

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 08 Maret 2014 | 16.15

Putin Loses An Ally But Gains A Territory

Updated: 2:19pm UK, Friday 07 March 2014

By Ian Woods, Senior News Correspondent

Vladimir Putin can sit back and enjoy the show in Sochi after a very satisfactory week.

In between the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, he has lost an ally but gained a territory, and he has no plans to give it back no matter how loudly other world leaders protest.

The Russian President is in a strong position and he knows it. 

On March 16, there will be a referendum in Crimea which will almost certainly produce an overwhelming vote in favour of a union in Russia. 

It will give a semblance of legitimacy to a land grab orchestrated by the Kremlin, but carried out by a military force that the Russians claim they don't control. 

The territory, which was gifted to Ukraine in 1954 by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, will be returned to Moscow rule. 

Crimea continued to be governed by Moscow until 1991 when the Soviet Union broke apart, and has always retained a strong ethnic Russian identity.

The interim Ukrainian government protests that the referendum is unconstitutional and that any secession has to be approved by the country as a whole. 

But Mr Putin points out that the crisis began with an "unconstitutional coup d'etat" which removed the elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, so those in Kiev are hardly playing by the rulebook. 

Mr Putin is still giving his former neighbour Mr Yanukovych refuge, but knows that he is a spent political force.

Another lengthy telephone conversation between Mr Putin and President Obama merely demonstrated the gulf between them.

The US may have gone further than the EU in coming up with a package of economic sanctions, but it does not appear to have had any impact on Mr Putin. 

On the contrary, he is already trying to move on. 

The Kremlin's version of the conversation quoted President Putin stressing the "paramount importance of Russian-US relations for ensuring stability and security in the world".

"These relations should not be sacrificed due to disagreements on individual international issues even if they are very significant," he is also quoted as saying.

In other words, let's agree to differ on Ukraine, with no hard feelings.

The West fears that if it accepts what appears to be a fait accompli in Crimea, it could encourage the Kremlin to encourage a similar breakaway in other Russian-dominated areas of Eastern Ukraine such as Donetsk. 

Crimea could prove to be a slippery slope. 

As he watches the Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi, Mr Putin can award himself a gold medal for boldness - and for keeping a straight face as he told the world that the military forces in Crimea had nothing to do with him.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


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Pistorius: Public Opinion And Evidence Collide

Pistorius 'Fired Gun In Car And Cheated On Ex'

Updated: 7:55pm UK, Friday 07 March 2014

An ex-girlfriend of Oscar Pistorius wept as she told the court how the athlete cheated on her with Reeva Steenkamp.

It was also confirmed on Friday that the Paralympian would take the stand during the trial.

Samantha Taylor told how Pistorius once shot a bullet through a car sunroof, and on another occasion waved his weapon at a vehicle which he thought was following him.

:: Sky News' live coverage of the trial is under way, and a special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday at 9.30pm.

Proceedings were halted twice as Ms Taylor had to compose herself during a drama-packed morning at the Pretoria court.

The evidence was heard shortly before a Pistorius family spokesperson confirmed for the first time that the athlete will, at some point, give evidence at the trial.

In another development, a security guard at the star's estate said Pistorius told him that "everything is fine" shortly after shots were reported.

"Mr Pistorius said to me 'security, everything is fine'," Pieter Baba told the court on Friday afternoon.

"That's when I realised that Mr Pistorius was crying," he added.

Earlier, Ms Taylor told how Pistorius nearly always carried a gun and recalled one night when she was awoken by the athlete who feared an intruder in the house.

The court was told how Pistorius grabbed his gun, got out of bed and went to investigate.

Ms Taylor also described occasions when Pistorius screamed at her "out of anger" and said he was often on his mobile phone when they were in bed together.

She described another time when the athlete became angry when police stopped a car he was travelling in.

The court heard that about 15 minutes after being stopped he fired his gun out of the sunroof - to "irritate the police", laughing after doing so.

He had earlier joked with the driver of the car about shooting "a robot" - South African slang for a traffic light. 

On another occasion Pistorius was followed by a white Mercedes car, the court heard.

Ms Taylor said that Pistorius leapt out of his car as he approached the security gates of his home and waved his gun at the car, which drove off. 

The court was told how Ms Taylor normally spent four nights a week at Pistorius' home. 

She wept, and the court was adjourned twice, as she said how "upset" she was about the couple's break-up and the fact that she had been cheated on.

Earlier, radiologist Johan Stipp finished giving his evidence and was questioned by defence lawyer Barry Roux.

He had described on Thursday how Pistorius knelt at Ms Steenkamp's side and struggled in vain to help her breathe by holding two fingers in her clenched mouth.

Mr Stipp said he went to Pistorius' home after hearing shots fired on the night Ms Steenkamp was killed and found "a lady lying on her back".

"I also noticed a man kneeling on her side, on the left side. I remember the first thing he said when I got there was 'I shot her, I thought she was an intruder. I shot her,'" Mr Stipp told the court.

He said he did not recognise Pistorius, and described how he tried in vain to resuscitate Ms Steenkamp.

He said Pistorius was "crying all the time" and praying that she would not die.

On top of the premeditated murder allegation, Pistorius faces a charge of illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing.

He denies all the charges against him and maintains he shot Ms Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.

The athlete could face 25 years in jail if he is found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa. South Africa does not have trials by jury.

The trial has been adjourned until Monday.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


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Malaysia Airlines Plane 'Crashes In Vietnam'

A Malaysia Airlines plane with 239 people on board has crashed into the sea after losing contact with air traffic control 12 hours ago, say reports.

The Boeing 777-200 was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished around two hours into the flight.

Vietnamese state media quoted a navy official as saying Flight MH370 crashed near Tho Chu island, off Vietnam's south coast, at around 2.40am local time.

All ships in the local area have been sent to the scene to look for survivors.

Beijing International Airport Distraught relatives and friends wait at Beijing International Airport

China's Xinhua news agency said teams from Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore are involved in the search near Tho Chu island.

However, Malaysia's Transport Minister Seri Hishammuddin told reporters: "There is no information on any wreckage, but we are looking at all possibilities."

Journalist Leo Lewis, at Beijing airport, told Sky News families were waiting anxiously for news of their relatives.

He said there were "scenes of considerable distress" and "increasing irritation" because of a lack of information about their fate.

Map of Malaysia The plane was on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing

Malcolm Moore, the Daily Telegraph's Beijing Correspondent, said the relatives have been taken by bus to a hotel in the centre of Beijing.

He told Sky News: "There has been no official confirmation (about what has happened), but it's looking increasingly grim."

The plane left Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am local time and was due to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am local time.

Malaysia Airlines said the flight was carrying 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members.

Beijing International Airport Flight MH370 marked in red on Beijing airport's information board

They were from 14 countries - 152 plus one baby from China, 38 from Malaysia, 12 from Indonesia, seven from Australia, three plus one baby from the US, three from France, two from New Zealand, two from Ukraine, two from Canada, one from Russia, one from Italy, one from Taiwan, one from Netherlands, and one from Austria.

The aircraft was piloted by Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a 53-year-old Malaysian with a total of 18,365 flying hours. He joined the company in 1981.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members," Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement.

The airline said it would provide "regular updates" on the situation and has set up the phone line +603 7884 1234 for concerned members of the public.

China's state news agency said the plane lost communication with air traffic control in southern Vietnam.

Beijing International Airport Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has voiced his "extreme" worries

China has dispatched two maritime rescue ships to the South China Sea to help in the search and rescue work.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: "This news has made us all very worried. We hope every one of the passengers is safe."

Malaysia Airlines has 15 Boeing 777-200 jets in its fleet of about 100 planes.

If the plane is found to have crashed, the loss would mark the second fatal accident involving a Boeing 777 in less than a year, after an unblemished safety record since the jet entered service in 1995.

Last summer, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crash landed in San Francisco, killing three passengers.

Boeing said it was aware of reports that the Malaysia Airlines plane has gone missing and was monitoring the situation, but had no further comment.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

More follows...


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Two Families Share Pain Of Pistorius Trial

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 07 Maret 2014 | 16.15

Pistorius Trial: Evidence Summary

Updated: 1:50pm UK, Thursday 06 March 2014

A summary of the evidence heard in the first two days of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial.

Day Four

Prosecution witness Dr Johan Stipp told the court how he went to Oscar Pistorius' residence after hearing shots fired on the night Reeva Steenkamp was killed.

He said he saw Ms Steenkamp lying on her back and Pistorius by her side, frantically trying to resuscitate her.

It was clear Ms Steenkamp was mortally wounded, he said, and Pistorius was crying and praying that she'd survive. During his evidence, Pistorius broke down in the dock, sobbing as he held his head in his hands.

Earlier, Pistorius' defence team said it would have been "impossible" for neighbours to hear screams on the night Ms Steenkamp died.

Lawyer Barry Roux said neighbour Charl Peter Johnson's claim that he heard gunshots followed by a woman screaming was incorrect.

"You cannot hear it inside your house," he said. "At any distance, she was in a locked bathroom."

Mr Johnson also claimed to have heard five or six shots on the night of the killing. But Mr Roux pointed out that in his initial notes he wrote that he "did not count the number of shots fired".

Day Three

Mr Johnson's evidence continued, and he was repeatedly challenged by Mr Roux who at one point said: "You are saying all the evidence that your wife gave us yesterday."

Mr Johnson replied that it was not unusual for two people to use the same words when describing an incident.

He mentioned some notes that he'd taken after the shooting, which are on his laptop and iPad. He was asked to end his evidence for the day and come back the next day, so the defence team had the opportunity to view his notes.

Pistorius' friend Kevin Lerena was then called, who described an incident in January last year in which Pistorius allegedly discharged a firearm by mistake while eating with friends in a restaurant.

He said the athlete then asked his friend Darren Fresco to take the blame.

The owner of the restaurant, Jason Loupis, and his wife Maria, later confirmed the incident after taking the stand.

Mrs Loupis said there was a child nearby when Pistorius' gun went off in the restaurant.

Day Two

The evidence of Ms Burger continued.

Defence lawyer Barry Roux said her evidence had been influenced by media coverage of the shooting, but she denied this.

Mr Roux said that evidence later in the trial would show that Ms Steenkamp would not have been able to scream after the final shot hit her in the head.

Ms Burger stood by her initial statement that she heard Ms Steenkamp after the final shot.

Another neighbour then took the stand for a short time, before Ms Burger's husband gave his evidence.

He told how he thought Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp were being held up in their house and said he looked at additional security measures for his own home the next day.

He backed up his wife's evidence, saying he heard screams after the final shot.

Day One

The first witness, university lecturer Michelle Burger, took the stand.

She says she woke on the night of the killing to the sound of gunshots and a woman screaming.

She described hearing "bloodcurdling screams" and four shots.

She is a key witness for the prosecution, as her evidence would appear to contradict Pistorius' claims that he thought he was shooting at an intruder.

The defence argued she is unreliable due to alleged discrepancies between her police statement and court testimony.


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Birmingham City Owner Carson Yeung Jailed

The owner of Birmingham City football club, Carson Yeung, has been sentenced to six years in jail for money laundering.

Judge Douglas Yau handed down the sentence in a Hong Kong court after convicting the 54-year-old of five charges linked to the laundering of $93m (£55.6m).

Lawyers for the former hairdresser earlier said they were expecting a "significant" jail sentence.

He had faced up to seven years' imprisonment.

Lead defence lawyer Graham Harris told the judge that Yeung, who built a business empire from hair salons, fertiliser and property, "came from rags to riches, and he's likely to return to rags".             

Oliver Lee of Birmingham is challenged by Alejandro Pozuelo of Swansea on The Chinese businessman took control of Birmingham City in 2009

Pleading for a light sentence, Mr Harris said there had been "no subterfuge" in Yeung's dealings, as the accounts in question were held in his own name and his father's.

Yeung was a generous philanthropist and head of a young family, with two children aged under three as well as a 19-year-old son, the lawyer said.

Before his emergence in English football, the businessman was little known in Britain.

He took control of Birmingham City in 2009 in an £81m takeover from David Sullivan and David Gold, now the co-owners of West Ham.

Throughout the trial, Yeung and the prosecution painted differing pictures of how the tycoon amassed his fortune.

The prosecution said the millions of pounds that passed through the five accounts came from "unknown parties without any apparent reason".

Yeung insisted he had accumulated his money through share trading, upmarket hair salons and business ventures in mainland China, as well as investing in casinos in Macau.

He also said he made up to £2.3m from gambling in Macau, adding that he gambled as if he were "running a business".

It emerged during the trial that his business dealings included transactions with businessman Cheung Chi-tai, who has links to the Macau casino industry.

Sentencing Yeung on Monday, Yau said any "right-thinking" person would conclude transactions between the pair were "proceeds of an indictable offence".

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


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Oscar Pistorius' Neighbour Resumes Evidence

A doctor who said he saw Oscar Pistorius weeping over his dead or dying girlfriend after he shot her has resumed testimony in the murder trial of the double-amputee runner.

Radiologist Johan Stipp was being questioned by defence lawyer Barry Roux on day five of the murder trial in Pretoria. 

Pistorius arrived at the court building shortly after 7am and is expected to hear more harrowing testimony from prosecution witnesses in the case. 

Yesterday Mr Stipp described how Pistorius knelt at Reeva Steenkamp's side and struggled in vain to help her breathe by holding two fingers in her clenched mouth.

Pistorius Promo

:: Sky News' live coverage of the trial is under way, and a special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday at 9.30pm.

Mr Stipp said he went to Pistorius' home after hearing shots fired on the night Ms Steenkamp was killed and found "a lady lying on her back".

"I also noticed a man kneeling on her side, on the left side. I remember the first thing he said when I got there was 'I shot her, I thought she was an intruder. I shot her,'" Mr Stipp told the court.

He said he did not recognise Pistorius, and described how he tried in vain to resuscitate Ms Steenkamp.

"She had no pulse in her neck, she had no peripheral pulse, she had no breathing movements that she made," he said.

Reeva Steenkamp on set of reality TV show Tropika Island of Treasure (Pic: Stimulii) Ms Steenkamp was shot dead on Valentine's Day

"She was clenching down on Oscar's fingers as he was trying to open her airway.

"I tried to do a jaw lift manoeuvre, to try to open the airway, but it was very difficult with the clenching down.

"All during that time, there wasn't any signs of life that I could see.

"I opened her right eyelid. The pupil was fixed dilated, and the cornea was milky - in other words, it was already drying out.

"So to me it was obvious she was mortally wounded.

Aimee Pistorius, sister of Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius speaks to family members of Reeva Steenkamp during the fourth day of his trial at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Pistorius' sister Aimee speaks to a member of Ms Steenkamp's family

"I looked at the rest of her body and I noted she had a wound in her right thigh, also a wound in the right upper arm.

"During that time … Oscar was crying all the time. He prayed to God to 'please let her live, she must not die'.

"He said at one stage while he was praying 'he will dedicate his life and her life to God if she would just only live and not die that night'."

He added that Pistorius looked "sincere": "He was crying, there were tears on his face. He was actively trying to assist her."

Sky's Alex Crawford, who was in court, said Pistorius was openly sobbing as the evidence was given.

Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius reacts while a witness testifies during the fourth day of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria Pistorius broke down on Thursday as he heard her death described in court

Earlier, Pistorius' defence team said it would have been "impossible" for neighbours to hear screams on the night Ms Steenkamp died.

Lawyer Barry Roux said neighbour Charl Peter Johnson's claim that he heard gunshots followed by a woman screaming was incorrect.

"At the time you heard the deceased, she was in a locked bathroom," said Mr Roux.

"You cannot hear it inside your house ... Even standing on the balcony, it would have been impossible to hear the screams."

Mr Johnson was giving evidence for a third day.

Oscar Pistorius trial Hundreds of journalists are in Pretoria covering the case

Both Mr Johnson and his wife Michelle Burger insist they heard a woman's screams during the shooting.

The issue of the sound of a woman screaming is a key point for the prosecution. The claims by neighbours that they heard the screams suggest Pistorius would have known it was Ms Steenkamp, rather than an intruder, as he fired.

Mr Johnson also claims he heard five or six shots on the night of the killing.

But Mr Roux pointed out that in his initial notes he wrote that he "did not count the number of shots fired".

Mr Roux said: "Three hours later you changed this paragraph, and you corrected little things.

"That is a sign that you revisited that note and amended it."

He also suggested Mr Johnson had given evidence to fit with his wife's account of the evening.

Mr Johnson said he and his wife had spoken after the incident about what had happened, but that he did not hear her give evidence or speak to her about what she said in court.

Mr Roux said: "Your interpretation today is a designed one, it's to incriminate."

On top of the premeditated murder allegation, Pistorius faces a charge of illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing.

He denies all the charges against him and maintains he shot Ms Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.

The athlete could face 25 years in jail if he is found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa. South Africa does not have trials by jury.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


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Ukraine: Barack Obama's Legacy At Stake

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 05 Maret 2014 | 16.15

Putin's TV Appearance Was Laced With Threat

Updated: 8:08pm UK, Tuesday 04 March 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

Laced with threat. Dripping with reason. Oozing confidence and with a fine comprehension of how to be frugal with the truth, Vladimir Putin sat slouched and held forth on Ukraine and his longstanding commitment to international law.

:: For the latest on the Ukraine crisis click here

On Kiev's new leadership, now recognised by the West - the products of a coup d'etat partly orchestrated with military training from Western mercenaries.

"We believe the coup d'etat was very meticulously planned and included some fighting units. We saw their work and their Western instructors did a very good job," the Russian president told a specially selected group of journalists during his first news conference in two weeks.

The Ukrainian opposition which deposed former leader Viktor Yanukovych, and is now the power in Kiev, has no legitimacy, he added.

On Russia's bloodless occupation of Crimea - he insisted that Russian troops had only reinforced their own locations after getting intelligence that nationalists were heading towards Crimea to cause trouble.

The men in Russian uniforms, driving Russian vehicles, carrying Russian weapons and speaking Russian, who have occupied government buildings, were not Russians, he said.

"A few days ago the group of armed men who occupied the parliament (in Crimea) were people who were concerned about security and they formed self-defence forces and took over government buildings," he insisted.

As he spoke, Ukrainian video footage showed Ukrainian air force officers confronting Russian commandos who have occupied the Belbek airbase just outside Sevastopol, the Ukrainian and Russian naval base. 

Putin's confident nonsense concerning the deployment of his troops inside a sovereign nation was coupled with other, more problematic and technically true assertions.

Yanukovych was unpopular. He has employed known oligarchs and criminals coming from a tradition going back decades, fomented by successive Russian regimes of intense corruption. He had lost his way politically - and Ukrainians yearned for a change in the faces of their politicians.

Putin condemned the man he is now providing with sanctuary since he ran from office last week.

He insisted that Yanukovych was finished politically, but added that he should have been deposed at the ballot box. Yanukovych was, after all, elected, unlike the new government, which has received instantaneous backing from the West.

"I understand the people of the Maidan (Kiev's revolutionary centre), who demanded not just a slight refurbishment of the state but wanted a most serious change ... But this should have been done with elections," he said.

He said he would only intervene in Ukraine with military force to protect Russian-speaking citizens who looked to Moscow for their leadership and culture.

In other words, he served the new government in Kiev with an outright warning - and attempted to appeal to ordinary Ukrainians, insisting he would act only within the strictures of international law.

He established a "right of precedent" for intervention in the name of ethnic Russians in Georgia in 2008 when the international community did nothing to stop his invasion of South Ossetia.

But, as he observed, the West manipulated a "no-fly zone into a bombing campaign" in Libya and twisted United Nations Security Council resolutions to allow the use of force in Iraq.

Facing threats of economic sanctions, he almost smiled.

"They can be mutually damaging," he warned.

There will be little the West can do, he knows, to undermine such confidence.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


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Ukraine Police Clearing Pro-Russia Protesters

Police say they are clearing pro-Russia protesters from a government building in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine's major city.

Demonstrators stormed the building on Monday and erected the Russian flag on the roof.

A Ukrainian police statement said the evacuation began following reports that the building was booby-trapped with explosives.

The Ukraine flag is now flying from the top of the building, Reuters reported.

Donetsk - which rejects Kiev's authority - was the political support base of Ukraine's ousted president, Viktor Yanukovych.

Meanwhile, Russian forces have seized two Ukrainian missile defence battalions in the Crimea region, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a military source as saying.

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry was unable to confirm the report.

More follows...

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


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Ukraine: Sanctions Threat As Lavrov Meets Kerry

The EU says it could vote on Russian sanctions on Thursday if there is no de-escalation in the Ukraine stand-off before then.

The move came as Western powers tried to rein in Russian President Vladimir Putin's military threat to Ukraine.

Mr Putin has previously said any Western sanctions against Russia would be counter-productive.

US Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Acting President of UkraineOleksandr Turchynov (L) and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk US Secretary of State John Kerry in Kiev with Ukraine's leaders

America has already threatened sanctions, with a senior US official saying Washington is ready to impose them in days rather than weeks.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are due to meet in Paris this afternoon to discuss the ongoing tensions.

But before that Mr Lavrov is holding talks in Madrid.

UKRAINE-RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-US-AID Mr Kerry placed a candle and roses atop the Shrine of the Fallen in Kiev

Earlier, US President Barack Obama spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel about a plan to end the stalemate, sparked by Russian intervention in Ukraine's Crimea region.

Under the proposal, Russia would pull back its forces in Crimea to their bases in the peninsula and limit troop numbers to a Ukraine-agreed maximum of 11,000.

A senior American official said the plan would also see international monitors allowed in to ensure the human rights of ethnic Russians are protected.

Seen as an effort to offer Russian President Vladimir Putin a way out of the crisis without losing face, the plan would pave the way for direct talks between Moscow and the new Ukraine government with the potential for some international mediation.

Troops in Belbek relax after a stand-off with the Russian military Troops in Belbek relax after a stand-off with the Russian military

The proposal would also see planned elections in Ukraine this May go ahead.

But Mr Obama sounded a cautious note when commenting on the crisis at a fundraiser on Tuesday night.

"We may be able to de-escalate over the next several days and weeks," he said. "It's a serious situation and we are spending a lot of time on it."

UKRAINE-US-RUSSIA-POLITICS-UNREST People watch the latest news on a TV screen at Independence square, Kiev

The US official added that Mr Obama had made clear to Ms Merkel that he would not attend a G8 summit scheduled for June in Sochi, Russia, if the situation in Ukraine had not changed.

Preparatory meetings about the summit have already been suspended.

A White House statement about the Obama-Merkel phone call said the two leaders expressed grave concern over Russia's "clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity."

U.S. Secretary of State Kerry departs Kiev on a foggy evening John Kerry boards his plane as he prepares to leave Kiev

They "agreed on the importance of de-escalating the situation, including through the deployment of international observers and human rights monitors, and of initiating direct talks between Russia and Ukraine," it said.

Mr Putin has denied that Russian armed forces were directly engaged in the bloodless seizure of Crimea.

But he said he had the right to send in military forces to protect Russian nationals who feel threatened by the new Ukrainian government after pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted.

Mr Obama dismissed the Russian leader's claims, saying: "President Putin seems to have a different set of lawyers making a different set of interpretations, but I don't think that's fooling anybody."

It comes after footage emerged showing a tense exchange between Russian and Ukrainian soldiers at the Belbek airbase in Sevastopol.

The video shows around a dozen Russian soldiers warning the unarmed Ukrainian servicemen to back away as they tried to take their positions back -before firing warning shots over their heads.

Russia also test-fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile on Tuesday, although the White House later said it knew weeks in advance of the "routine" test.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


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Ukraine Defection Reflects Escalating Rift

Written By Unknown on Senin, 03 Maret 2014 | 16.15

By Katie Stallard, in Sevastopol, Crimea

The head of Ukraine's navy is a traitor or a patriot, depending which side you believe.

Kiev says Rear Admiral Denis Berezovsky has been fired and is suspected of treason - "for refusing to fight Russians and surrendering the Sevastopol HQ".

Russian TV showed him swearing an oath of allegiance to the new pro-Russian leader of Crimea, and promising to protect citizens' lives.

Mr Berezovsky pledged to "strictly obey the orders of the supreme commander of the autonomous republic of Crimea" and "defend the lives and freedom" of Crimea's people.

He was only appointed 24 hours ago.

People watch a Russian Navy ship enter the Crimean port city of Sevastopol A Russian warship enters the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Sunday

New Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyanov appeared alongside him, announcing that he had given orders to Ukrainian naval forces on the peninsula to ignore orders from the "self-proclaimed" government in Kiev.

He said they would now be known as the "Navy of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea".

The immediate question is how this filters down through the ranks - whether other units, ships and officers will follow suit.

The national government claimed earlier that 10 Ukrainian navy ships were in Sevastopol bay, and were still loyal to Kiev and armed.

They might not be so sure of this now.

Ukraine's navy is less than a tenth of the size of Russia's. It was never going to be the decisive factor, but what happened on Sunday was symbolic - and a propaganda coup for the Kremlin.

People attend a rally at Independence Square in Kiev Thousands attend a rally on Sunday in Kiev's Independence Square

Parallel to the troop movements and the strategic positioning, there is an ongoing battle for the moral high ground.

There are two competing narratives about what is happening here - and both sides claim passionately they are right.

The national unity government and protesters in Independence Square in Kiev say there has been a revolution, that a corrupt, autocratic regime has been overthrown, in short that 'the people' have won.

Russia and its supporters in Crimea insist fascists have seized power, that the country has descended into lawlessness and chaos, and the Kremlin is only acting to protect citizens' lives.

Both sides are equally entrenched.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.


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Putin Poised For Next Move In Ukraine Crisis

With each day the possibility of miscalculation on either side grows larger.

A flare-up on a base, a rogue soldier at a checkpoint - any of these scenarios have the capacity to provide sparks to a highly combustible situation.

President Vladimir Putin has always been a cold-headed chess player when it comes to foreign policy but with the stakes so high this could easily become more of a gamble.

The Kremlin has already made a substantial point about its military might and its geopolitical spheres of influence but does President Putin have an endgame?

Where can he stop and how can he get out without losing face?

A simple withdrawal is not much of an option.

Ukraine, Russia and Crimea A stand-off is under way between Russian and Ukrainian forces in Crimea

It may be that we have already seen the template of this plan in Georgia - a country Russia invaded in 2008.

South Ossetia and Abkhazia have now been carved away and are for all intents and purposes parts of Russia in all but name.

Is that the plan for Crimea?

Certainly the peninsula is of far greater importance to Moscow than either of those other territories.

Crimea was part of Russia during Soviet times and was only given to Ukraine in 1954 by the then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

The occupation is troubling, but what will represent a massive escalation is if Russia moves in to mainland Ukraine and tries to take over - or perhaps absorb the pro-Russian regions, again on the pretext of protecting ethnic Russians.

The situation with Crimea is delicate but controllable because it is a peninsula and predominantly ethnic Russian.

On the mainland it would be easy for Ukrainians and Russians to rub up against each other and light the flames of war.

If that is Putin's next move it would be the point when the chess player became the gambler.

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Ukraine: Russia And China 'In Agreement'

Russia has said China is largely "in agreement" over the situation in Ukraine after the other G8 nations condemned its intrusion into the country.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed Ukraine by telephone with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Monday, and claimed they had "broadly coinciding points of view" on the situation there, according to a ministry statement.

As a tense stand-off continues between Russian and Ukrainian forces on the borders of Crimea, the other seven nations of the G8 urged Moscow to hold talks with Kiev.

Still image taken from video shows Ukrainian navy chief Berezovsky swearing allegiance to the pro-Russian regional leaders of Crimea in Sevastopol Denis Berezovsky announces his defection before TV cameras

"We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States and the President of the European Council and President of the European Commission, join together today to condemn the Russian Federation's clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," they said in a statement.

"We have decided for the time being to suspend our participation in activities associated with the preparation of the scheduled G8 Summit in Sochi in June."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who is in Kiev for talks on the crisis, said Russia has taken operational control of Crimea and described its intervention in Ukraine as the biggest crisis in Europe in the 21st century.

Military personnel, believed to be Russian servicemen, stand guard outside territory of Ukrainian military unit in village of Perevalnoye outside Simferopol Russian servicemen outside a Ukrainian military unit in Perevalnoye

Prime Minister David Cameron also tweeted he will chair a meeting of the National Security Council on the "British and international response to the grave situation in Ukraine".

Moscow's Stock Exchange dropped around 10% in the first hour of trading, and Russia's central bank responded by hiking its main interest rate in an emergency move to limit economic damage.

The Bank Rossii raised its rate to 7% from 5.5% as the ruble hit an historic low against the dollar and the euro.

On Monday, it was trading at 51.20 rubles to the euro, with one dollar also worth around 37 rubles - the lowest ever value for the Russian currency beating even the financial crisis of 2008/9.

Hundreds of suspected Russian troops have surrounded a Ukraine military base near Crimea's capital Simferopol, preventing soldiers from going in or out.

The convoy blockading the site includes at least 17 military vehicles, which have Russian number plates.

Troops are also reported to have taken control of a ferry terminal in the city of Kerch, around 12 miles by boat from Russia on the eastern tip of the Crimea region.

Ukraine

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk indicated his country was mobilising for war following the move, saying in English: "This is not a threat: this is actually the declaration of war to my country."

Mr Yatseniuk heads a pro-Western government that took power in the former Soviet republic when its Moscow-backed president, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted last week.

Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama spoke on Sunday evening and agreed Russia's actions were "completely unacceptable" - and that it would face "significant costs" if it did not change course on Ukraine.

The US announced Secretary of State John Kerry would visit Kiev on Tuesday to show "strong support for Ukrainian sovereignty".

Meanwhile, Ukraine launched a treason case against its new navy chief after he switched allegiance to the pro-Russian Crimea region.

Rear Admiral Denis Berezovsky was appointed head of Ukraine's navy on Saturday and the Kiev government was still claiming its Black Sea fleet remained loyal on Sunday afternoon.

Appearing before cameras in Sevastopol alongside Sergiy Aksyonov, the pro-Russian prime minister of Crimea's regional parliament, he said he had ordered Ukrainian naval forces there to disregard orders from "self-proclaimed" authorities in Kiev.

An anti-war rally in the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odessa An anti-war rally in the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odessa

Despite the strong language employed by the US, a series of public statements and private conversations with reporters made it abundantly clear that Washington wanted to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull back without any armed confrontation.

"Right now, I think we are focused on political, diplomatic and economic options," a senior US official told reporters.

"Frankly our goal is to uphold the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, not to have a military escalation."

Mr Kerry had previously accused Russia of an "incredible act of aggression", saying: "You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on a completely trumped-up pretext."

He spoke of "very serious repercussions" for Moscow and said G8 nations and some other countries are "prepared to go to the hilt to isolate Russia" with an array of options available.

He listed visa bans, asset freezes, trade isolation, and investment changes as possible steps, although analysts said US economic sanctions would have little impact unless EU countries - with which Russia has deeper trade ties - followed suit.

It came after Mr Putin secured permission from his parliament on Saturday to use military force to protect Russian citizens in Ukraine and told Mr Obama he had the right to defend Russian interests and nationals, spurning Western pleas not to intervene.

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Russia Stands With Putin Over Ukraine Gamble

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 02 Maret 2014 | 16.15

President Vladimir Putin asked his parliament for permission to use Russian troops in Ukraine, but the result was never in doubt.

His senate voted unanimously in favour with almost palpable glee, applauding themselves as they did.

Where much of the international community sees a leader dangerously poised on the verge of annexing Crimea, his supporters see much to like.

The case that Mr Putin is making is one that resonates well in Russia: that he is being forced to act to protect the lives of Russian citizens, compatriots, and Russian armed forces in Ukraine.

In other words, that he is defending Russian national interests and lives.

That much of the rest of the world considers those interests to be part of the sovereign territory of Ukraine is not necessarily a problem for Russia.

In Moscow, the state propaganda machine is already in overdrive, dismissing Oleksandr Turchynov as the "self-imposed president" and dismissing the mass protest movement as extremists and armed gangs.

Mr Putin has made his case and he will likely stick to it: that a legitimately-elected president has been overthrown and Russian citizens are under threat.

Russia's President Putin attends a meeting with Andreev, President of Alrosa diamond mining company, at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow Mr Putin is ignoring international opinion to defend Russia's interests

And there are ever-increasing numbers of them to protect. An estimated 143,000 Ukrainians have been issued with Russian passports in the last two weeks, including members of the Berkut riot police.

The old Kremlin tactic of passport politics seems to be alive and flourishing in Ukraine.

The next 24 hours will see the inevitable volley of stern diplomatic warnings and rhetoric from all sides, but Moscow will be scrutinising all those words for any real threat of action, and so far there is not much to fear.

One commentator characterised US President Barack Obama's latest statement on Ukraine as: "Stop, or I'll say stop again."

The US has now paused preparations for this summer's Russian-hosted G8 summit.

Mr Putin does not respond to threats of condemnation. He has never sought approval, just respect.

He wants Russia to be seen as a great superpower once again, and himself as its strongman president.

If that means playing the bad cop in the West and weathering a diplomatic storm, he probably will not lose much sleep.

For Russia, this is about more than just the loss of Ukraine joining the EU. It's about Europe, Nato - the old Cold War bogeyman of the West - advancing right up to the Russian border, and Moscow does not like that at all.

Mr Putin wants to defend his sphere of influence and the national interest. They count for much more in the Kremlin than whether Mr Obama does or does not come to Sochi for G8.

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China Train Station Mass Stabbing: 33 Dead

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

At least 33 people have been killed and more than 130 wounded in a mass stabbing at a Chinese railway station.

According to Chinese state media, the "organised and premeditated" attack at Kunming train station in the country's southwestern Yunnan province was carried out by separatists from the volatile Xinjiang province in the far west.

Reports from the city suggest a group of people armed with knives entered the train station at about 9pm local time on Saturday and attacked travellers with knives indiscriminately.

Photos on Chinese social media show horrific scenes with blooded bodies and luggage strewn across the station concourse.

One local resident, Yang Haifei, told China's Xinhua news agency he was attacked and sustained injuries on his chest and back.

Mr Yang said he was buying a ticket when he saw a group of people, most dressed in black, rush into the station and start their attack.

"I saw a person come straight at me with a long knife and I ran away with everyone," he said.

Police investigate after a group of armed men attacked people at Kunming railway station, Yunnan province Police have sealed off the area around the station

Unconfirmed reports suggest police shot and killed some of the attackers and detained others.

Chinese police are not routinely armed which may explain why the perpetrators were able to attack so many people before being stopped.

According to eyewitness reports seen by Sky News, there is tension across Kunming amid concern that further attacks may be planned at other locations in the city.

Train stations in Chinese cities are vast and usually extremely busy.

The Kunming city government said the attack was orchestrated by ethnic separatists from Xinjiang, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

A policeman stands guard near a man, who was shot dead by police, lying on a street after a group of armed men attacked people at Kunming railway station, Yunnan province Police shot some of the attackers, say reports

Extreme elements of the Muslim population who live there have carried out attacks in the past - most recently in Beijing's Tiananmen Square last year.

The Uighur Muslim population in Xinjiang believe their freedoms, culture and religion are being eroded and severely restricted by the Chinese authorities.

Xinjiang, 2,500 miles to the north of Saturday's attack, has experienced repeated outbreaks of violence but the Chinese authorities have largely managed to contain the violence.

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Ukraine Crisis: Russia Vows To 'Protect Interests'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the United States that he retains the right to protect Russia's interests in east Ukraine and Crimea as tensions escalate.

Mr Putin issued the stark warning in a 90-minute phone call with US President Barack Obama, in which the two leaders disagreed over the deepening crisis.

A statement from the Kremlin said unrest in Ukraine posted "a real threat to the lives and health of Russian citizens and the many compatriots who are currently on Ukrainian territory".

"Russia retains the right to protect its interests and the Russian-speaking population of those areas," the statement added.

President Barack Obama talks on the phone in the Oval Office with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation in Ukraine Mr Obama was on the phone with Mr Putin for 90 minutes

During the call, Mr Obama accused Russia of a "clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity", and expressed his "deep concern" over Russia's actions.

The White House said: "The United States calls on Russia to de-escalate tensions by withdrawing its forces back to bases in Crimea and to refrain from any interference elsewhere in Ukraine."

The Kremlin has been accused of sending 6,000 troops into Crimea, despite calls from the US and Britain for Moscow to back off.

Ukraine's Acting President Oleksander Turchynov has ordered his country's army to be placed on high combat alert.

Concerns Grow In Ukraine Over Pro Russian Demonstrations In The Crimea Region A soldier stands next to a sign that says: 'Crimea Russia'

Two Russian anti-submarine warships have also appeared off the Crimea coast, violating an agreement on Moscow's lease of a naval base, Interfax news agency reported.

The two vessels, part of Russia's Baltic Fleet, have reportedly been sighted in a bay at Sevastopol, where Moscow's Black Sea Fleet has a base.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Obama and Mr Putin appear to be in disagreement over what should be done to de-escalate the crisis.

"The phone call didn't go very well, it seems. We have each leader, it looks like, lecturing each other," he said.

Crisis escalates in Crimea Russia claims gunmen from Kiev tried to seize Crimea's interior ministry

"The problem clearly here is that Barack Obama may regard Vladimir Putin as a throwback to the Cold War who has ended up somehow running Russia in 2014.

"The two leaders have no real way, on a personal level at least, of working it out and resolving this crisis."

In response to Russia's aggression, the US has already announced it will suspend participation in preparatory meetings for the G8 summit in Sochi in June.

European foreign ministers are also due to hold emergency talks in Brussels on Monday.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "deeply concerned" by the situation and the decision of the Russian parliament to authorise military action.

"This action is a potentially grave threat to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We condemn any act of aggression against Ukraine," he said.

Crimea Map After unrest in Kiev, tensions have shifted to the Crimea region

Mr Hague is due to visit the country today and hold talks with Ukraine's new leaders.

Pro-Russia demonstrations have been held in major cities in the east and south of Ukraine, where supporters of the new Ukrainian government in Kiev have been beaten up.

The autonomous republic of Crimea has a prime minister loyal to Moscow, but the government in Kiev has vowed to maintain the country's territorial integrity.

Reports suggest that Russian troops are trying to occupy an anti-aircraft missile base and have taken control of airports on the peninsular.

Ukraine's border guard service said about 300 armed men were attempting to seize its main headquarters in the port city of Sevastopol.

Russian helicopter gunships have also been seen in Ukrainian airspace.

Armed men take up positions around the regional parliament building in the Crimean city of Simferopol Russian soldiers are guarding buildings in Crimea

But there were claims by Russia that gunmen from Kiev had been sent to seize the offices of Crimea's interior ministry.

There was grainy footage of an unidentified armed group breaking into a building, with smoke rising and reports that people had been "wounded".

In what appears to be an orchestrated move, a referendum on whether residents in Crimea want greater independence from Ukraine has been brought forward by two months to March 30.

Russia's Lower House of Parliament, the Duma, has called on Mr Putin "to take measures to stabilise the situation in Crimea".

Ukraine's population is divided in loyalties between Russia and the West.

Much of western Ukraine advocating closer ties with the European Union. However, the eastern and southern regions look to Russia for support.

Crimea has 2.3 million inhabitants, most of whom identify themselves as ethnic Russians and speak Russian.

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