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Putin signs treaty to annex Crimea
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Crimea’s Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov (left), parliamentary speaker Vladimir Konstantinov (2nd from left) and Sevastopol Mayor Alexei Chaliy shake hands in Moscow on Tuesday after signing the treaty. Reuters
Italy seeks UN help to free marines
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Security to be strengthened in Hindu areas in Pak
Suicide bomb kills 16 in Afghanistan
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra arrives on a wheelchair at the Royal Police Cadet Academy in Nakorn Pathom province. Reuters
Iran, world leaders discuss nuclear cuts
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Putin signs treaty to annex Crimea
Moscow, March 18 In a fast-moving sequence of events following Crimea's controversial secession referendum on Sunday, the Kremlin said Crimea was now considered part of Russia and no longer Ukrainian territory, shrugging off strong international objections. "In the hearts and minds of people, Crimea has always been and remains an inseparable part of Russia," Putin said in an emotional address broadcast on television. The move, which came sooner than expected, risks plunging the West and Russia into a crisis not seen since the Cold War and sent shock waves through the new authorities in Ukraine who took over after the ousting of pro-Kremlin president Viktor Yanukovych last month. Putin signed the treaty with Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov and other Crimean leaders at a ceremony at the Kremlin attended by both houses of parliament. Lawmakers, who still have to formally ratify the treaty, broke into applause and cheers after the signing. "The Republic of Crimea is considered to be part of Russia from the date of the signing of the treaty," the Kremlin said. Crimea and the city of Sevastopol -- the home of the Russian Black Sea fleet which has special status -- are being incorporated as new constituent parts of the Russian Federation. The signing -- which had not been flagged in advance -- came after Putin gave a fiery address at the Kremlin seeking to justify the incorporation of Crimea into Russia. His defiant speech brushed off US and EU sanctions touted as the most severe against Moscow since the end of the Cold War. Putin said Crimea belonged with Russia and he slammed the Soviet-era decision by Nikita Khrushchev to gift the peninsula to the Ukrainian Soviet republic as riddled with "violations". "When Crimea suddenly ended up being in another state, Russia felt it was not simply robbed --- it was plundered." He added that Russia was tired of being pushed into a corner by the West and said it had been repeatedly deceived on issues like NATO, missile defence and visa-free travel. "On Ukraine the West crossed a line," he said, warning it against provoking Russia. "They are trying to drive us into a corner." But he sought to play down fears that Russia was seeking to also incorporate parts of eastern and southern Ukraine. — Agencies
Russia suspended from G8
Paris: France's foreign minister says that leaders of the Group of Eight world powers have suspended Russia's
participation in the club amid tensions over its incursion into Crimea. The other seven members of the group had already suspended preparations for a G8 summit that Russia is scheduled to host in June in Sochi. France’s Laurent Fabius on Tuesday, said on Europe-1 radio that “concerning the G8 ... we decided to suspend Russia's participation, and it is envisaged that all the other countries, the seven leading countries, will unite without Russia.” Putin calls Manmohan to discuss Ukraine situation New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin rang up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday night and discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine and the recent referendum in Crimea. Addressing a joint meeting of the Russian Parliament earlier in the day, Putin singled out China and India as the countries that showed understanding for Russia's role in Ukraine.
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Italy seeks UN help to free marines
United Nations, March 18 Alfano's remarks came ahead of his meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon here. Italy has been trying to rally international support among the EU, the US and NATO countries to bring home marines. Marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone shot dead two fishermen off the Kerala coast in February 2012, sparking diplomatic tensions between India and Italy. The marines, deployed on the Italian-flagged oil tanker MT Enrica Lexie, said they mistook the fishermen for pirates. They are now staying in the Italian Embassy in New Delhi awaiting trial. India has removed the possibility of a death penalty but insisted that the marines would still be prosecuted under the anti-piracy law. Now, they face up to 10 years in jail. Rome wants the marines to be tried in Italy, claiming the incident took place in international waters. However, New Delhi says it has the right to try the Italians as the victims were Indians on board an Indian fishing boat. Italy argues that the case sets dangerous and wide- ranging precedents for any country involved in anti-piracy missions overseas. Lats month, UN chief Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters that the Secretary-General is "concerned that this long-standing matter between Italy and India remains unresolved and is prompting tensions between two friendly and important Member States of the Organisation." — PTI
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Security to be strengthened in Hindu areas in Pak
Karachi, March 18 The orders came after a Hindu temple and a dharmashala were set on fire on Saturday night by a frenzied mob in Larkana city, the hometown of the Bhutto family and the stronghold of the Pakistan People's Party. The incident took place over alleged desecration of a holy book, marring Holi celebrations and prompting authorities to impose a curfew in the area. The mob surrounded the house of a Hindu man accused of burning the pages of the holy book, prompting police to fire warning shots and teargas shells. In his directives, Sindh Inspector General Iqbal Mahmood ordered special measures to be adopted for security of all temples as well as community halls and other facilities frequented by members of the Hindu community across the province. —PTI Situation tense in Sindh province
* A Hindu temple and a dharmashala were set on fire on Saturday night by a frenzied mob in Larkana city of
Sindh, the hometown of the Bhutto family and the stronghold of the Pakistan People's Party. * The incident took place over alleged desecration of a holy book, marring Holi celebrations and prompting authorities to impose a curfew in the area. |
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Suicide bomb kills 16 in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, March 18
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack in Maimanah city, the capital of Faryab, a remote province that borders Turkmenistan and has a mixed population of Uzbek, Turkmen and Pashtun ethnic groups. A week ago Taliban insurgent leaders vowed to target the presidential election, urging their fighters to attack polling staff, voters and security forces before the April 5 vote to choose a successor to Hamid Karzai. "It was a suicide bombing in the middle of Maimanah city during the Tuesday bazaar," provincial governor Mohammadullah Batash told AFP. "The blast happened on the main roundabout, which was very crowded. The bomber used a three-wheeler packed with explosives." Abdul Ali Haleem, the provincial health director, said that 16 people had died and 40 were treated for injuries, among them a pregnant woman and two children aged six and seven. Northern Afghanistan is generally more peaceful than the south and east of the country, but Islamist insurgents, rival militias and criminal gangs are active in some districts. Six Afghan employees of the aid group ACTED working on rural development projects were shot dead in Faryab in December by suspected Taliban gunmen. — AFP
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Bangkok, March 18 The emergency was due to expire on March 22. The emergency had expanded the power of security forces to issue orders and search, arrest and detain people. Violence had erupted in Bangkok and other parts of the country ahead and during the February 2 snap polls, boycotted by main opposition Democrat Party demanding the ouster of Prime Minister. Twenty-three people have been killed and over 700 injured in the political conflict since November. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, chief advisor to the government's Centre handling anti-government protests, had yesterday said the body would ask for the state of emergency to be lifted. —PTI
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Iran, world leaders discuss nuclear cuts
Vienna, March 18 Iran's foreign minister was cautious as the talks opened, saying they were meant merely to exchange ideas. The two sides hope to reach an agreement by July that eases international concerns about Iran's nuclear-weapons making capacity by trimming and strictly monitoring its atomic programmes. Tehran denies any interest in nuclear weapons but is looking for a deal that will give it relief from sanctions. —AP |
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President Vladimir Putin today signed a treaty making Crimea part of Russia, in a historic redrawing of Russia's borders after he declared that the Black Sea region has always been "in the hearts" of his countrymen.
