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Putin signs laws annexing Crimea
Suspected plane debris may have sunk: Oz
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Thailand court declares February polls unlawful
28 killed in Iraq attacks
'84 riots case: US court wants to see Sonia’s passport
UK Sikh jailed for attack on Lt Gen Brar
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Putin signs laws annexing Crimea
Moscow/Brussels, March 21 Putin promised to protect a bank partly owned by an old ally, which Washington has blacklisted, and his spokesman said Russia would respond in kind to the financial and visa curbs. Russian shares fell sharply after President Barack Obama also threatened on Thursday to target major sectors of the economy if Moscow tried to move on other areas of Ukraine beyond the Black Sea peninsula. Europe also tightened the screws by widening its sanctions list, and Germany suspended approval of all defence-related exports to Russia, ordering defence contractor Rheinmetall to halt delivery of combat simulation gear. France suspended military cooperation with Moscow. In a Kremlin ceremony shown live on state television, Putin signed a law on ratification of a treaty making Crimea part of Russia as well as legislation creating two new Russian administrative districts: Crimea and the port city of Sevastopol, where Moscow keeps part of its Black Sea fleet. Officials and lawmakers in Moscow have largely laughed off Western sanctions imposed after Russian troops seized control of Crimea. A referendum in the majority Russsian-speaking region, which overwhelmingly backed union with Russia but was denounced by Washington and the European Union as a sham, then opened the way for the annexation. EU support for Kiev
In Brussels, the 28 EU leaders underlined their support for Ukraine's new leadership following the fall of Moscow-backed President Viktor Yanukovich in street protests last month. They signed a political agreement with interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk and promised financial aid for the government, rejected as illegitimate by Moscow, as soon as Kiev reaches a deal with the International Monetary Fund. The IMF is to report next Tuesday on advanced talks with Ukraine on a loan programme that would be linked to far-reaching reforms of the shattered economy. An East-West tug-of-war has grown over Ukraine. Three months of protests were set off by Yanukovich's refusal to sign an association agreement with the EU, the political part of which was signed on Friday. The EU leaders agreed to impose asset freezes and visa bans on 12 more mid-ranking Russian and Crimean officials and to consider wider economic sanctions if Russia further destabilizes the situation in Ukraine. But they said Europe did not have a legal basis to extend the personal sanctions against Putin associates without proof of their direct involvement in the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. Russia demands Ukraine pay back $11 billion
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev today demanded Ukraine pay back USD 11 billion that he said Kiev had saved through discounted gas prices in return for hosting a Russian naval base in Crimea. Ukraine owes the money because Crimea is now part of Russia and the two countries' 2010 lease agreement was now "subject to annulment," Medvedev said at a meeting of the Security Council. "The Ukrainian state saved some $11 billion dollars and accordingly the Russian budget has a missed profit of the same USD 11 billion," he warned.
— Agencies UN chief urges respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty
Kiev: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said the Ukrainian crisis could only be resolved through a diplomatic solution that respected the territorial integrity of the splintered ex-Soviet state. Ban arrived in Ukraine a day after holding talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which he expressed his deep concern over the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War. "This current crisis can only be resolved through peaceful diplomatic solutions based on the principle of the United Nations Charter, including respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine," Ban said after talks with Ukrainian acting president Oleksandr Turchynov.
AFP
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Suspected plane debris may have sunk: Oz
Perth/Kuala Lumpur, March 21 Five surveillance aircraft and a ship deployed to trace the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 with 239 persons on board after two large objects were seen in satellite imagery nearly 2,500 km southwest of Perth, scoured the area but found nothing. "It's about the most inaccessible spot that you can imagine on the face of the earth, but if there is anything down there, we will find it," Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in Papua New Guinea, where he is on a visit. "Now it could just be a container that's fallen off a ship. We just don't know, but we owe it to the families, and the friends and the loved ones to do everything we can to try to resolve what is as yet an extraordinary riddle," he said. The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200 went missing on March 8 off the Malaysian coast with 239 people on board, including five Indians and one Indian-Canadian. Since then, investigators have been probing sabotage, hijack, terrorism and other angles that led to the disappearance of the plane but are yet to come across any tangible clues to help resolve one of the most baffling mysteries in modern aviation. "The last report I have is that nothing of particular significance has been identified in the search today but the work will continue," Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said. Truss said the search was difficult due to testing weather conditions and because the satellite imagery was five days old. "So something that was floating on the sea that long ago may no longer be floating - it may have slipped to the bottom. It's also certain that any debris or other material would have moved a significant distance over that time, potentially hundreds of kilometers," he said. Search teams involving 26 countries are trying to locate the airliner, which went missing an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur. Two large objects - measuring 24 metres and 5 metres in length - seen floating in southern Indian Ocean were considered the "best lead" so far, triggering a huge hunt yesterday.
— PTI Data from seized simulator sent to experts
Data recovered from a flight simulator seized from the home of the pilot of a missing Malaysian plane has been sent to international investigators for verification. “As far as the simulator is concerned, we have forwarded the information to international parties to verify, ” Defence and Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters.
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Thailand court declares February polls unlawful
Bangkok, March 21 In a 6-3 vote, the court ruled that the February 2 election was unlawful because it could not be completed in one day. The court said that the election violated an article of the Constitution which requires completion of the poll in a single day. As no candidates stood in 28 constituencies in eight southern provinces, the election could not be completed on February 2. The court ordered the Election Commission to consult with the government on a new election date. The snap poll was called by Yingluck amid major anti-government protests in Bangkok. Shinawatra's ruling Pheu Thai Party was expected to win, but the opposition boycotted it and protesters disrupted voting. They had also disrupted registration of candidates which led to no candidates contesting in many places. The judges heard evidence from Ombudsman Pornphet Wichitcholchai, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana, who testified on Prime Minister Yingluck's behalf, and Election Commission chairman Supachai Somcharoen. Thailand has been in a political crisis since mass rallies began in November. The protesters are demanding an un-elected People's Council to replace the Yingluck regime.
— PTI New date for elections soon
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28 killed in Iraq attacks
Baghdad, March 21 In the first of the attacks, a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden truck into a police brigade headquarters in the village of Injan, about 120 kilometres north of Baghdad, police officials said. The explosion set off a firefight between other attackers and policemen. After it was over, nine police officers, including brigade commander Brig. Ragheb al-Omari and his assistant, were dead, officials said. Hours later, a suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt among mourners attending a funeral for Nasir al-Alawani, a leader in the anti-al-Qaida Sunni militia known also as Sahwa, who was killed a day earlier. The police said nine mourners were killed and 25 were wounded in the attack in the city of Ramadi, 115 km west of the Iraqi capital. The Sahwa militia became prominent when its members joined US troops in the fight against Al-Qaida at the height of Iraq's bloodletting. Since then, it has been a target for Sunni insurgents who consider them traitors. Medical officials confirmed the casualties from today's attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
— PTI
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'84 riots case: US court wants to see Sonia’s passport
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) claims Sonia was served summons last September when she had allegedly visited the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York for a medical check-up. The group has challenged Sonia's claim that she was not present in New York last September and so was not served with a summons or complaint in the human rights violation lawsuit filed against her by the group. Judge Brian Cogan of the Manhattan federal court yesterday said Sonia has not demonstrated sufficiently that she was not in the US between September 2 and 12 last year and should provide some form of documentary evidence, preferably her passport copy, by April 7 to determine whether or not she was in the US. "The court cannot find that a sufficient showing of non-presence has been made based on the affirmation without plaintiffs' having received some discovery to confirm it. Defendant must provide some documentary evidence to corroborate her otherwise-unsupported declaration stating that defendant was not in the US at the time of service," he said. "It seems to the court that the easiest way would be for defendant to provide a copy of her passport, showing her most recent entry and exit stamps into and out of the United States, thus demonstrating that she was not in the country between 9/2/2013 and 9/12/2013," he said. Sonia has filed a motion in court seeking dismissal of the lawsuit against her citing lack of personal jurisdiction and that she was never personally served the summons. Responding to Cogan's order, Sonia's attorney Ravi Batra said the judge "focused on Gandhi's sworn declaration, has asked for documentary supporting proof to expedite issue-resolution and not waste time on SFJ-sponsored wild goose chases. Swift justice, when available, is to be cherished, and as attorneys for Gandhi, we welcome it." — PTI Where was she last Sept?
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UK Sikh jailed for attack on Lt Gen Brar
The pro-Khalistani supporters tried to slash the throat of Brar in a revenge attack on the streets of central London in 2012. Lakhbir Singh was the fifth man to be sentenced for the attack after being convicted for grievous bodily harm with intent at Southwark Crown Court in London. — PTI
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Indian boy dies during desert safari in UAE Prince George has a Spanish nanny Twitter ban sparks outrage in Turkey Kenya legalises polygamy without wife's consent 
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New York, March 21
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