Slaviansk, April 26
Leaders of the Group of Seven major economies agreed to impose more sanctions on Russia over the crisis in Ukraine, where armed pro-Moscow separatists have detained a group of international observers they accuse of being NATO spies.

The pro-Western Kiev government said a Russian special forces operative was behind what it called a kidnapping in the eastern city of Slaviansk that is under the separatists' control, and said the detainees were being used as a "human shield".

Ukraine's state security service said the observers for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) were being held "in inhuman conditions in the basement of the terrorists' headquarters," and that one needed medical help.

"Russian authorities never condemned these terrorists and this is the clear sign that the Russian regime supports these gangsters," Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said. Russia denies it is to blame for the crisis in eastern Ukraine, where armed pro-Russian separatists have taken control of about a dozen official buildings.

The Russian foreign ministry said it was working to resolve the observer crisis, which it blamed on Kiev for failing to ensure the mission's safety in "areas where the authorities do not control the situation and where a military operation against residents of their own country has been unleashed".

The observers, including nationals from Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Poland and the Czech Republic, along with several Ukrainian army officers accompanying them on the German-led monitoring mission, were held on Friday.

The European Union will name 15 more Russians subject to asset freezes and a travel ban on Monday and senior EU diplomats will meet the same day to discuss the next steps, EU sources said.

Putin acknowledged for the first time this week that sanctions were causing difficulties for Russia, though he said the impact was not "critical". Standard & Poor's cut Russia's sovereign long-term debt rating on Friday, making it more expensive for the government to borrow money. That forced the central bank to raise its key interest rate to limit a fall in the rouble. — Reuters

Seoul, April 26
North Korea represents a threat not just to Asia but to the United States, US President Barack Obama said on Friday, as he and South Korea's President Park Geun-hye warned they would respond firmly to any "provocations".

In March, the North warned it would not rule out a "new form" of atomic test to boost its nuclear deterrent after the UN Security Council condemned Pyongyang's launch of a mid-range ballistic missile into the sea east of the Korean peninsula.

Recent satellite data shows continued work at the nuclear test site in North Korea, although experts analysing the data say that preparations do not appear to have progressed far enough for an imminent test. "When North Korea is threatening further provocations and publicly discussing the possibility of a further nuclear test, President Obama's visit to South Korea will send a firm message that North Korea's provocations will not be tolerated," Park said.

The two presidents were speaking after a summit in Seoul, the second stop of a four-nation Asia tour for Obama. Obama hopes his tour will reassure allies in the region that Washington will keep its promise of rebalancing some of its resources toward the fast-growing countries of East Asia. — Reuters

Kuala Lumpur/Perth, Apr 26
US President Barack Obama today promised fresh support to Malaysia in tracking down the plane missing for past 50 days even as a robotic mini-submarine failed to locate any wreckage despite scouring about 95 per cent of the search area in Indian Ocean.

Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, leading Malaysia's efforts to determine the fate of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 that disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board, said he spoke to Obama briefly after he arrived here for an official visit.

"He said he knows it is a tough, long, road ahead. We'll work together. There is always support," Hishammuddin said, adding: "I'm very happy to hear (this) because it is a long journey." — AFP

Toll in Afghan floods tops 100
Mazar-i-Sharif: The death toll from flash floods in northern Afghanistan rose to more than 100 on Saturday with many others still missing, officials said, as helicopters carried trapped villagers to safety. The national disaster management authority told AFP that 58 persons were killed in Jowzjan province, 32 in Faryab, six in Sar-e-Pul and six others in Badghis as floods struck a large swath of rural communities. AFp

Candles and an orthodox cross are seen in front of a memorial, dedicated to victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, during a night service in Kiev on Saturday. Reuters

Protest leader arrested
Bangkok: Thai authorities have made a rare arrest of one of the leaders of the country's anti-government protest movement on charges including insurrection and inciting unrest. Former opposition lawmaker Sakoltee Phattiyakul is one of only a handful of prominent protesters to have been detained despite dozens of arrest warrants. AFP

Titanic letter sells for $200,000
london: A letter written by a passenger on the Titanic describing the "wonderful passage" hours before the ship hit an iceberg has sold at auction for £119,000 ($200,000). Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said the handwritten note was bought by an anonymous telephone bidder at an auction in Devizes on Saturday. AFP

Ferry disaster
Seoul: All 15 people involved in navigating the South Korean ferry that sank and left more than 300 people dead or missing are now in custody after authorities on Saturday detained four more crew members, a prosecutor said. AFP