The EU has named 18 Ukrainians who will have their assets frozen including ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, his son and former PM Mykola Azarov.
The EU has named 18 Ukrainians who will have their assets frozen including ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and his son
Early on Thursday, the European Union revealed the names of those targeted by its sanctions. The list appears to include Viktor Yanukovych’s closest aides, including a former interior minister, justice minister, the prosecutor general, the head of the security services and the ousted president’s son.
The EU sanctions also target the former PM Mykola Azarov and his son.
Venezuela has broken diplomatic relations and frozen economic ties with Panama, President Nicolas Maduro announced during Hugo Chavez’s first commemoration.
Nicolas Maduro’ decision comes after Panama requested a meeting at the Organization of American States (OAS) to discuss Venezuela’s crisis.
The president was speaking to other Latin American heads of state at events to mark the first anniversary of the death of the Venezualan leader Hugo Chavez.
At least 18 people have died in anti-government protests in the last month.
“I’ve decided to break political and diplomatic ties with the current government of Panama and freeze all trade and economic relations from this moment on,” Nicolas Maduro told the presidents of Cuba, Raul Castro, Uruguay, Jose Mujica, and Bolivia, Evo Morales, among other leaders gathered around the tomb of Hugo Chavez.
Panama’s President Ricardo Martinelli expressed surprise at Venezuela’s decision.
“Panama only hopes that this brother nation finds peace and strengthens its democracy,” Ricardo Martinelli wrote on Twitter.
Nicolas Maduro announced that Venezuela has broken diplomatic relations and frozen economic ties with Panama
Panama’s official statement said the country was “astonished” and called Nicolas Maduro’s words “unacceptable”.
“The measure announced by President Maduro should not become a smoke screen intended to hide reality,” it read.
Earlier, thousands of government supporters and troops took part in a huge parade through central Caracas, commemorating the first anniversary of former President Hugo Chavez’s death.
In other parts of Caracas, anti-government protesters kept up their barricades, despite an appeal made by opposition leaders to “respect” the anniversary.
Last week, the government of Panama requested an urgent meeting of OAS member-states to discuss the unrest in Venezuela.
On Wednesday, the OAS said a meeting would take place the next day behind closed doors to decide whether or not to convene the region’s foreign ministers over the issue.
Nicolas Maduro accused the Panamanian government of conspiring to bring down his government.
“There are moves by the United States government in accord with a lackey government of a right-wing president which has been creating the conditions for the OAS and other bodies to step towards an intervention in our country,” Nicolas Maduro said.
Nicolas Maduro also criticized OAS President Jose Miguel Insulza, who had suggested earlier that a group of observers could be sent to Venezuela – if its government and the opposition found it useful.
Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s son, Saadi, has been extradited from Niger and is now in custody in Tripoli, the Libyan government says.
Pictures posted on the internet showed Saadi Gaddafi, one of Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s seven sons, having his head and beard shaved.
Saadi Gaddafi, the former head of Libya’s football federation, fled to Niger after his father was killed in the 2011 revolution.
He is accused of shooting protesters and other crimes during Muammar Gaddafi’s rule.
Saadi Gaddafi, the former head of Libya’s football federation, fled to Niger after his father was killed in the 2011 revolution
The Libyan government made an announcement about Saadi Gaddafi’s extradition in a short statement early on Thursday.
“The Libyan government received today Saadi Gaddafi and he arrived in Tripoli,” it said.
The plane with Saadi Gaddafi landed at 02:50 local time.
Niger had previously refused Libyan requests to extradite him, with the justice minister saying he was “certain to face the death penalty”.
In 2012, Interpol issued a “red notice”, obliging member countries to arrest him.
Saadi Gaddafi had reportedly resided in a state guesthouse in Niger’s capital, Niamey, after fleeing across the Sahara Desert. He is best known for a brief career in top-flight Italian football which was cut short by a failed drugs test, as well as his playboy lifestyle.
Russia Today US anchor Liz Wahl quitted on the air Wednesday afternoon, saying the Kremlin-funded network “whitewashes” the actions of President Vladimir Putin.
Liz Wahl, who works out of the network’s Washington, D.C. offices, began her televised resignation by referencing co-worker Abby Martin, who made headlines by denouncing Russian intervention in Ukraine earlier this week.
“Indeed as a reporter on this network I face many moral and ethical challenges,” Liz Wahl said.
Liz Wahl said that her grandparents came to the US during the Hungarian Revolution to escape Soviet forces, and she feels lucky to have grown up in America.
“I’m the daughter of a veteran,” she continued.
Liz Wahl quitted on the air, saying the RT network whitewashes the actions of President Vladimir Putin
“My partner is a physician at a military base where he sees every day the first-hand accounts of the ultimate prices that people pay for this country.
“That is why personally I cannot be part of [a] network funded by the Russian government that whitewashes the actions of Putin.
“I’m proud to be an American and believe in disseminating the truth. And that is why after this newscast I am resigning.”
A day before she quit, Liz Wahl had tweeted sympathy for Abby Martin, who was offered a posting in Crimea after she criticized Russia on the air.
Abby Martin still has a job.
RT said in a statement to Buzzfeedthat Liz Wahl was trying to become an “overnight sensation” like Abby Martin.
“When a journalist disagrees with the editorial position of his or her organization, the usual course of action is to address those grievances with the editor, and, if they cannot be resolved, to quit like a professional,” the statement said.
“But when someone makes a big public show of a personal decision, it is nothing more than a self-promotional stunt.”
President Vladimir Putin has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize despite escalating tensions over sending Russian troops to Ukraine’s Crimea region.
Pope Francis, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban, are also on the list.
A record 278 candidates, including 47 organizations, have received nominations for this year’s prize, the Norwegian Nobel Institute’s director Geir Lundestad said.
Committee members met Tuesday to add their own suggestions. They focused on recent turmoil around the globe, including the crisis in Ukraine.
Russia seized control of Crimea after Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovich was ousted on February 22. It has led to the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West since the end of the Cold War in 1991.
Vladimir Putin has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize despite escalating tensions over sending Russian troops to Ukraine’s Crimea region
Geir Lundestad said: “Part of the purpose of the committee’s first meeting is to take into account recent events, and committee members try to anticipate what could be the potential developments in political hotspots.”
Malala Yousafzai, 16, who was shot int e head by the Taliban for campaigning for equal education rights for girls, and Russian dissidents who have spoken out over human rights are also believed to be among the candidates.
The list of nominees also includes Pope Francis and Edward Snowden.
Conflicts between protesters and the governments of Thailand and Venezuela are also expected to be debated by the committee.
“We are getting an increasing number of nominations from people in countries that have never submitted nominations before,” Geir Lundestad said.
The nominations are kept secret for half a century but thousands of people can propose candidates, including members of national assemblies, and many make their choices public.
The committee reduced its list of potential winners to between 25 and 40 on Tuesday and will create a shortlist of about 12 names by the end of April.
The Nobel Peace Prize was first awarded in 1901.
The prize includes 8 million Swedish crowns ($1.15 million) in cash.
Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced on the second Friday of October and the prize will be presented on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
A second baby carrying the HIV virus, which leads to AIDS, may have been cured through early treatment, the US researchers have revealed.
Antiretrovial drugs were reportedly administered to the baby in California just four hours after birth.
The unidentified 9-month-old child is now said to be HIV negative.
It is the second such case after an HIV-positive Mississippi infant brought into remission following early treatment was reported in 2013.
A second baby carrying the HIV virus may have been cured through early treatment in California
“This is a call to action for us to mobilize and be able to learn from these cases,” Johns Hopkins University paediatrics specialist Dr. Deborah Persaud said at a Boston medical conference.
No trace of the virus can now be found in the infant’s blood or tissues, the doctor revealed.
Dr. Deborah Persaud said the 9-month-old child is still receiving a three-drug anti-AIDS cocktail, while the three-year-old Mississippi child stopped receiving antiretroviral treatments two years ago.
“Really the only way we can prove that we have accomplished remission in these kids is by taking them off treatment and that’s not without risk,” Dr. Deborah Persaud added.
Both children are reported to have been born to mothers infected with HIV, which weakens the body’s immune system.
After Oscar Pistorius shot dead his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14, 2013, reports surfaced that she could have been pregnant with their first child when she was killed.
However, the post-mortem was later released, and revealed the truth behind Reeva Steenkamp’s pregnancy.
“The post mortem would have revealed if Reeva was pregnant and it did not reveal anything like this. Maybe it comes from the other side, to garner and build up some sort of support for Oscar,” Mike Steenkamp, a spokesperson for Reeva’s family, said at the time.
Oscar Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14, 2013
The original report came from the National Enquirer, which alleged that Reeva Steenkamp had been pregnant and that is what sent Oscar Pistorius on a murderous rampage.
“Police believe the pregnancy secret she revealed is what sent Pistorius over the edge and left her dead, with bullet wounds to the head, chest, pelvis and hand,” a source told The National Enquirer.
“Later that night, neighbors complained of shouting and fighting coming from the house,” the report continued.
“Police were called to investigate, but it appeared to be just another lover’s spat, so nothing was done except to ask them to quiet down.”
Oscar Pistorius insists he killed Reeva Steenkamp by accident. His trial has been resumed in Pretoria at the beginning of this week.
Italian PM Matteo Renzi has called on business people to fund repairs to the ancient city of Pompeii.
Matteo Renzi made the plea after heavy rainfall caused flooding the UNESCO World Heritage site, damaging walls and buildings.
Pompeii, where volcanic ash smothered a Roman city in AD79, has suffered slow degradation for many years.
On Tuesday, Italy’s culture minister said he would unblock 2 million euros ($2.7 million) “to get the machine working”.
Priority will also be given to work to reduce the risk of flooding in unexcavated areas.
Italian PM Matteo Renzi has called on business people to fund repairs to the ancient city of Pompeii
Matteo Renzi made the request for funding at a news conference on Wednesday.
The Italian government has already called upon the private sector to help restore other ancient monuments, including the Colosseum in Rome and the Trevi fountain.
Italy’s culture budget has suffered from cutbacks in recent years, leading the UN and EU to issue warnings about the state of the country’s historical sites.
The ancient city of Pompeii is one of the world’s greatest archaeological treasures. Every year, some 2.5 million tourists visit the site, near the southern city of Naples.
A 105 million-euro ($145 million) “Great Pompeii” rehabilitation project was launched in 2013, with the EU contributing 41.8 million euros. However, one Italian newspaper said on Tuesday that only 588,000 euros had been spent.
The trial of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law Sulaiman Abu Ghaith has begun in New York.
The prosecutor has said Sulaiman Abu Ghaith used the “murderous power of his words” to rally others against America after the 9/11 attacks.
The statement came during opening arguments in the terrorism trial of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who once served as al-Qaeda’s spokesman.
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, 48, has pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired to kill Americans.
The Kuwaiti national was brought to New York from Turkey last year.
Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law Sulaiman Abu Ghaith once served as al-Qaeda’s spokesman
Prosecutors say Sulaiman Abu Ghaith appeared in videos with Osama bin Laden the day after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington DC that killed almost 3,000, calling for jihad against “the Jews, the Christians and the Americans”.
Assistant US Attorney Nicholas Lewin described Sulaiman Abu Ghaith as a fiery orator who had spoken to those training in al-Qaeda camps in the months before the attacks in order to inspire them.
Nicholas Lewin said Sulaiman Abu Ghaith had agreed to appear in the group’s videos to call for further violence “while our buildings still burned”.
The Kuwaiti imam is married to the late al-Qaeda leader’s eldest daughter, Fatima. He is the highest-ranking al-Qaeda official to stand trial in the US since the 9/11 attacks.
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith was turned over to US officials in Jordan in 2013 after being deported from Turkey.
On Wednesday, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith’s lawyer mocked the prosecution’s opening statement.
“You’ve just been to the movies ladies and gentlemen,” Stanley Cohen said.
“At the end of the day, there’s really no evidence. There is the substitution for evidence with fright and alarm.”
He told them some of what Sulaiman Abu Ghaith had said was “dumb. It’s stupid”.
The Obama administration’s decision to try Sulaiman Abu Ghaith in civilian court had been criticized by Republicans.
According to new World Health Organization (WHO) guidance, people should halve the amount of sugar in their diet.
The recommended sugar intake will stay at below 10% of total calorie intake a day, with 5% the target, says the WHO.
The suggested limits apply to all sugars added to food, as well as sugar naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.
The recommendation that sugar should account for no more than 10% of the calories in the diet, was passed in 2002.
It works out at about 50g a day for an adult of normal weight, said the WHO.
The WHO recommended sugar intake will stay at below 10 percent of total calorie intake a day, with 5 percent the target
However, a number of experts now think 10% is too high, amid rising obesity levels around the world.
Announcing the new draft measures, the WHO said in a statement: “WHO’s current recommendation, from 2002, is that sugars should make up less than 10% of total energy intake per day.
“The new draft guideline also proposes that sugars should be less than 10% of total energy intake per day.
“It further suggests that a reduction to below 5% of total energy intake per day would have additional benefits.”
Dr. Francesco Branca, WHO’s nutrition director, told a news conference that the 10% target was a “strong recommendation” while the 5% target was “conditional”, based on current evidence.
“We should aim for 5% if we can,” he added.
The plans will now go for public consultation, with firm recommendations expected this summer.
The first anniversary of Hugo Chavez’s death is being marked in Venezuela.
Hugo Chavez died of cancer after 14 years as president.
His successor, Nicolas Maduro, is leading a parade and a ceremony later at the military headquarters in Caracas where Hugo Chavez is buried.
The anniversary comes at a time of tension, with people staging daily anti-government demonstrations.
Venezuelans are deeply divided about Hugo Chavez’s legacy.
His supporters point to the significant reductions in inequality, poverty and malnutrition which Venezuela experienced under his leadership to explain their unwavering backing for “Chavismo”, his distinct brand of socialism.
The first anniversary of Hugo Chavez’s death is being marked in Venezuela
Hugo Chavez’s critics accused him of being “dictatorial” and of championing the poor at the expense of Venezuela’s middle class.
They say he and current President Nicolas Maduro, who has promised to continue the policies of his predecessor, have ruined the economy of the oil-rich country by alienating foreign investors.
Tens of thousands of people have taken part in marches over the past month demanding that more be done to curb insecurity and improve the economy.
Venezuela has one of the world’s highest murder rates and official figures published in December put inflation at 56.2%.
There have also been pro-government marches, during which thousands of people have expressed their support for Nicolas Maduro, whom they describe as Hugo Chavez’s “son” and “heir”.
Wednesday’s ceremonies will be attended by left-wing leaders from the region, including Cuba’s Raul Castro, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, and Bolivia’s Evo Morales.
Opposition leaders have asked their supporters to “respect” the anniversary and to avoid further clashes with security forces, although a march has been scheduled to take place in the central city of Valencia.
A recording of a phone conversation between EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet on Ukraine has been leaked online.
In the recording, Urmas Paet told Baroness Catherine Ashton that there was an “increasing understanding” in Ukraine that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych’s government was not responsible for the deaths of police and protesters during clashes last month in Kiev.
Urmas Paet said some Ukrainians believed elements from within the new regime in Kiev had employed snipers.
He said Ukrainian doctor Olga Bogomolets had told him that victims from both sides were shot by snipers using the same weapons.
However, Dr. Olga Bogomolets told the UK’s Telegraph newspaper that she had never had access to victims from the government side and was unable to comment on how they had been killed.
The phone conversation between EU’s Catherine Ashton and Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet on Ukraine has been leaked online
Urmas Paet confirmed that the conversation with Baroness Ashton had taken place on February 26.
In a news conference on Wednesday, Urmas Paet called for an inquiry into the deaths in Kiev, but warned against using his comments to discredit the new government.
“I call for journalists to treat this recording very carefully. I was talking about the theories there were about what happened in Ukraine,” he said.
Viktor Yanukovych fled Ukraine shortly after the bloodshed and is now in Russia.
Moscow has since flooded the Crimea region with military personnel, claiming that Viktor Yanukovych had asked for their help.
However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier insisted Moscow had no power to remove what it calls “self-defense forces” currently guarding key sites in Crimea, explaining that they were not Russian troops.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) says it has sent 35 unarmed military monitors to Ukraine in response to a request from Kiev.
The foreign ministers from Russia, the US and key EU states are holding talks in Paris to try to resolve Ukraine crisis.
The US wants independent observers in the flashpoint region of Crimea and direct talks between Kiev and Moscow.
Russia was expected to call for greater representation for Ukraine’s Russian-speaking areas in the Kiev government.
The EU earlier offered 11 billionn euros ($15 billion) of aid to Ukraine and froze the assets of 18 Ukrainians.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the package of loans and grants over the next couple of years was “designed to assist a committed, inclusive and reforms-oriented government” in Kiev.
Russian soldiers at Sevastopol naval base in Ukraine (photo Itar-Tass)
Ukraine’s finance ministry has predicted it needs $35 billion to rescue the economy.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met US Secretary of State John Kerry and counterparts from France, Germany and the UK on the sidelines of a long-planned conference on Lebanon in Paris.
NATO and Russia have been holding parallel talks in Brussels.
The Paris gathering is being seen above all as a chance to test the waters for a dialogue about Ukraine.
In the US, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel announced plans to expand US military co-operation with Poland and Baltic states.
Chuck Hagel said the US would step up joint aviation training with Poland, and increase its participation in NATO’s mission to police the air space of Baltic countries.
The announcement was a direct response to concerns raised last week by Poland, he said.
John Travolta has issued a statement about mispronouncing Idina Menzel’s name at the Oscars ceremony on Sunday.
John Travolta said: “I’ve been beating myself up all day. Then I thought… what would Idina Menzel say?
“She’d say, <<Let it go, let it go!>> Idina is incredibly talented and I am so happy Frozen took home two Oscars Sunday night!”
John Travolta was referring to the award-winning song Let it Go, which Idina Menzel performed after his mangled introduction.
John Travolta mispronounced Idina Menzel’s name at the Oscars ceremony on Sunday
On Sunday night’s Academy Awards show, John Travolta appeared to welcome Idina Menzel on stage, but seemed to say the name “Adele Dazeem”.
Frozen, which was made by Disney, picked up the awards for best animated film and best original song.
Shortly after John Travolta’s mistake, a Twitter account with the handle @adeladazeem was created and has more than 20,000 followers.
Other sites launched a name generator, in the style of the actor’s error.
Idina Menzel, an accomplished theatre actor, is due to star in a new Broadway musical, If/Then, about a women who moves to New York in search of a new life.
Last week’s episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo left fans in big suspense as Mama June is late and thinks that she would be pregnant.
Huffington Post also talked about the fact that Honey Boo Boo’s mom could be having a baby.
June Shannon does a lot of posting on their official Facebook page but she isn’t saying anything.
Last week’s episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo left fans in big suspense as Mama June is late and thinks that she would be pregnant (photo TLC)
The Here Comes Honey Boo Boo matriarch shared a video of herself recently but it is just of her face.
Pictures have shown Mama June and she has actually lost weight. The entire family was in a car wreck and there was no mention of a baby or of a pregnancy. It would be pretty shocking if she is pregnant and they were able to keep it a secret from the fans for this long. There is no news out there for sure if she is pregnant or not so hopefully they will reveal it next week.
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Season 3 big finale airs on Thursday, March 6, at 8 p.m. on TLC.
The third day of Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial in South Africa has begun with another key witness saying the athlete was responsible for a weapon being fired at a restaurant last year.
Boxer Kevin Lerena told the court that Oscar Pistorius had asked the owner of the gun to take the blame.
The incident happened the month before Oscar Pistorius shot dead his 29-year-old girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Double amputee Oscar Pistorius, 27, denies intentionally killing Reeva Steenkamp, saying he mistook her for an intruder.
The Paralympic champion also denies charges of illegally possessing ammunition.
Reeva Steenkamp, a model and reality TV star, was shot dead in the early hours of February 14, 2013, at Oscar Pistorius’s home in Pretoria.
Oscar Pistorius denies intentionally killing Reeva Steenkamp, saying he mistook her for an intruder (photo AP)
Kevin Lerena, a professional boxer, is the fourth witness to take the stand at the trial, which began at the High Court in Pretoria on Monday.
He testified that he had been to Tasha’s Restaurant in Johannesburg with Oscar Pistorius and two other people, including Darren Fresco, in January 2013.
Darren Fresco had passed his firearm to Oscar Pistorius and said “I’m one up”, meaning there was a bullet in the chamber of the gun, Kevin Lerena said.
When the firearm was handed over a there was a shot followed by “complete silence”, he added.
Oscar Pistorius had apologized and asked Darren Fresco to take the blame, which he had agreed to do, Kevin Lerena said.
“Please, I don’t want any attention around me. Just say it was you,” Oscar Pistorius pleaded, according to Kevin Lerena.
Prosecutors say Oscar Pistorius planned the killing and shot Reeva Steenkamp after a row.
Earlier witnesses at the trial were neighbors of Oscar Pistorius who testified about the sounds they heard around the time of Reeva Steenkamp’s death.
If found guilty of premeditated murder, Oscar Pistorius could face life imprisonment.
Three Gulf countries have withdrawn their ambassadors from Qatar amid accusations that it has meddled in internal affairs.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, which are all part of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) along with Qatar, made the joint statement on Wednesday.
The statement claims that Qatar failed to commit to an agreement it signed three months ago in Riyadh.
Tensions between Qatar and the rest of the GCC have increased in recent years.
The joint statement said that during a meeting on Monday in Riyadh, the three countries had made “major efforts to convince Qatar” to implement a 2013 GCC agreement on joint security.
The recall of the ambassadors was therefore necessary to ensure “security and stability”.
Three Gulf countries have withdrawn their ambassadors from Qatar amid accusations that it has meddled in internal affairs
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have been calling for increased military and diplomatic union within the six-member GCC, which also includes Qatar, Omar and Kuwait.
However, Qatar and Oman have so far resisted increased integration in these fields.
The incident is one of the most serious disagreements within the GCC in recent times.
Oil and gas-rich Qatar has been an increasingly vocal diplomatic player. It strongly supported Egypt’s now-ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi and is a key backer of rebels in Syria.
Qatar is home to the influential al-Jazeera news network, which broadcasts across the world and has been critical of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
The state is seen as a major financial and diplomatic supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
On Monday, a Qatari citizen received a seven-year jail sentence in the UAE for supporting a group affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s new government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, has charged nine al-Jazeera journalists of aiding a terrorist organization, as it now brands the Muslim Brotherhood, and has put them on trial.
According to new reports, Russian volunteers are being recruited via social media to cross the border into Ukraine to offer “moral support”.
“We need men aged 18-45 who are already in Ukraine, or are ready to go,” says the “Civil Defense of Ukraine” page on VKontakte, the main Russian-language social network.
The page was set up just over a week ago and has more than 7,000 followers. It includes an online form calling for recruits and is asking male volunteers to cross the border, to offer what it calls “moral support” to people they believe have been put at risk by the recent “coup”.
Vladimir Prokopenko, whose name is at the top of a list of members on the site, has been widely quoted in the Russian press as saying he wants Russians to travel to Ukraine to engage in peaceful protest rallies.
“If the situation becomes violent, then we will not send anyone,” Vladimir Prokopenko told the Novaya Gazeta newspaper.
“We send people to Donetsk and Kharkiv,” the VKontakte page says – both cities in eastern Ukraine.
Russian volunteers are being recruited via social media to cross the border into Ukraine to offer moral support
The page also mentions Odessa, in south-west Ukraine, as an important destination. Offering advice to Russians attempting to cross the border, the site encourages people to avoid attracting attention.
“Remember, you’re just a tourist,” it says.
Separate and unconfirmed reports claim some Russian citizens have been paid to travel to Kharkiv in Ukraine, where they have been involved in violent clashes.
VKontakte is a widely used social network in Russia, which reportedly has 100 million active users.
The campaign echoes the sentiment behind a hashtag which has trended on Twitter in recent days. #РоссияСвоихНеБросает, which translates roughly as “Russia doesn’t leave its own behind” and has been used almost 85,000 times, appears to express a common bond felt by Russians towards Russian-speaking Ukrainian citizens.
Newly created Twitter accounts have apparently been used to tweet the hashtag repeatedly, in order to make it trend.
Russia and the US are due to hold crucial talks to try to ease tensions over the Ukraine crisis.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are expected to meet on the sidelines of a long-planned conference on Lebanon in Paris.
The US accuses Moscow of deploying troops in Ukraine’s Crimea region, describing it as an “act of aggression” – a claim denied by the Kremlin.
Despite the sharp differences, both sides have hinted they would prefer to start a dialogue.
Moscow remains in de facto control of Ukraine’s southern autonomous region.
The tense stand-off continued overnight in Crimea, with reports that Russian forces have seized part of a Ukrainian missile defense unit.
In Donetsk, east of Ukraine, the regional government building has been evacuated and the area cordoned off amid unconfirmed reports of a bomb scare.
Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are expected to meet on the sidelines of a long-planned conference on Lebanon in Paris
Earlier this week tensions escalated over Russia’s warnings that it could move beyond Crimea into eastern Ukraine to protect Russians and Russian-speakers there.
The move has triggered wide condemnation across the globe.
Meanwhile, NATO and Russia will hold talks in Brussels.
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen earlier said Russia continued to “violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama held a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss his plan to de-escalate the crisis, White House officials said.
They said Barack Obama’s offer to Moscow envisaged the return of the Russian troops in Crimea back to the bases of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the peninsula.
The plan – which Barack Obama discussed with President Vladimir Putin on Saturday – also calls for sending a group of international monitors to Ukraine to ensure the rights of ethnic Russians are protected.
And it encourages a direct dialogue between the government in Kiev and Moscow.
The Kremlin has so far not publicly commented on the offer.
Both President Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov have said they want to see a government of national unity in Ukraine, with more representation for the Russian-speaking population in the east of the country.
India’s Election Commission has announced the country’s general election will take place in nine phases in April and May.
Polling to elect a new Lok Sabha, or lower house, will be held from April 7 to May 12. Votes will be counted on May 16.
With some 814 million eligible voters, India’s election will be the largest the world has seen.
The ruling Congress party and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party will be battling a host of smaller parties.
Leaders of 11 regional parties have formed a Third Front against the Congress and the BJP.
A new anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (Common Man’s) Party (AAP), which made a spectacular debut in recent polls in the capital Delhi, will also contest the elections.
If no single party wins a clear majority, smaller parties could play a crucial role.
India’s lower house has 543 elected seats and any party or a coalition needs a minimum of 272 MPs to form a government.
India’s Election Commission has announced the country’s general election will take place in nine phases in April and May
Some states will hold polls in several phases. The new parliament has to be constituted by May 31.
Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath said school examination schedules, weather and crop harvesting seasons had been taken into account in deciding the polling dates.
Some 814 million voters – 100 million more than the last elections in 2009 – are eligible to vote at 930,000 polling stations, up from 830,000 polling stations in 2009.
Electronic voting machines will be used and will contain a None of the Above (NOTA) button, an option for voters who do not want to cast their ballot for any of the candidates.
Elections in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will take place in six phases. Kashmir and West Bengal will vote in five phases each.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous states and one of its largest. Elections in the capital, Delhi, will be held on 10 April.
The polls are being seen as a straight contest between the governing coalition led by the Congress party and the opposition BJP which is being led by the charismatic and controversial Hindu nationalist leader, Narendra Modi.
Narendra Modi, who is ahead in all the pre-poll surveys, is the leader of Gujarat state which witnessed one of India’s worst anti-Muslim riots in 2002.
Incumbent PM Manmohan Singh is stepping down and Congress is being led by Rahul Gandhi, the latest member of India’s influential Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.
India’s polling dates:
April 7 – 2 states, 6 constituencies
April 9 – 5 states, 7 constituencies
April 10 – 14 states, 92 constituencies
April 12 – 3 states, 5 constituencies
April 17 – 13 states, 142 constituencies
April 24 – 12 states, 117 constituencies
April 30 – 9 states, 89 constituencies
May 7 – 7 states, 64 constituencies
May 12 – 3 states, 41 constituencies
May 16 – Counting of votes [youtube GTbLhfkDMMc 650]
At the opening of its annual parliament session, China has announced a growth target of 7.5% and plans to raise its defense budget by 12.2%.
China’s PM Li Keqiang said that economic development was the central task of the government, but “painful structural adjustments” were needed.
Japan voiced concern at the defense move, citing a “lack of transparency”.
Li Keqiang also pledged to “declare war” on pollution, fight corruption “without mercy”, and “crack down” on terrorism.
The congress marks one year since Xi Jinping was confirmed as president.
China revealed plans to raise its defense budget by 12.2 percent (photo Reuters)
The 10-day meeting of around 3,000 legislators from delegations across China began on Wednesday.
As parliament opened PM Li Keqiang presented a work report highlighting targets for China’s economy this year.
He said that the government’s “work got off to a good start” but admitted that “there are still many problems that people are unhappy about”.
According to the speech, the government will aim to keep inflation at about 3.5%, while boosting domestic growth and carrying out “people-centred urbanization”.
The growth and inflation targets were widely expected. The growth rate target in 2013 was also 7.5%.
Correspondents say the fact that the growth target for 2014 has not changed will lead some to question how serious China is about embracing economic reforms, which would involve lowering the growth rate.
Implementing reforms to tackle local government debt was also expected to be a priority.
The latest military budget boost comes amid tensions between China and many of its neighbors, including Japan and the Philippines, over disputed territories.
McDonald’s may raise its wages being forced by growing concerns over income inequality.
The fast food giant said the public focus on the issue “may intensify” over the coming months.
However, McDonalds warned that higher wages might impact its profit margins if it cannot offset them by raising prices as well.
McDonald’s may raise its wages being forced by growing concerns over income inequality
Fast food companies have been under increasing pressure to raise wages and workers at various outlets, including McDonald’s, have held strikes in recent months.
In its annual filing with the US financial regulator, McDonald’s said the long-term trend was “toward higher wages and social expenses in both mature and developing markets, which may intensify with increasing public focus on matters of income inequality”.
Fast food workers across the US have been demanding that the minimum wage in the sector should be raised to $15 per hour.
In December, workers in the fast food industry held strikes in 100 cities across the US.
After 161 years, the New York Times has published a correction to an article on the case portrayed in the Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave.
The story published on January 20, 1853, chronicles the kidnapping and enslavement of a free black man named Solomon Northup.
In the piece Northup’s name was misspelled twice, as Northrop and Northrup.
The error was discovered after a digital copy circulated in recent days.
After 161 years, the New York Times has published a correction to an article on the case portrayed in the Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave
Rebecca Skloot, author of the best-selling non-fiction book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, brought the initial error to light, tweeting a link to the story on Monday.
The correction was published in Tuesday’s New York Times.
12 Years a Slave won three Oscars on Sunday: Best Picture, Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role by Lupita Nyong’o.
Italy will unblock 2 million euros ($2.7 million) in emergency funding to save the ancient city of Pompeii, after flooding caused walls to collapse.
A number of structures, including the Temple of Venus and Roma, were damaged by heavy rainfall on Sunday and Monday.
The decay prompted calls for action from the EU and the UN.
The site, where volcanic ash smothered a Roman city in AD79, has suffered slow degradation for many years.
Pompeii is one of the world’s greatest archaeological treasures.
Wall of ancient Pompeii collapses after heavy rain
Every year, some 2.5 million tourists visit Pompeii, which sits near the southern city of Naples.
Despite the money they generate, there have been allegations that the city – designated a World Heritage site by the UN cultural organization UNESCO – has been neglected and underfunded.
The new plan was adopted at an emergency meeting on Tuesday.
Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said he was “unblocking many measures which will get the machine working”.
He added the EU could be “sure that Italy is taking care of Pompeii, both in terms of emergency measures and in the long term”.
The money will be used for routine maintenance. In addition the government will take steps to protect vulnerable areas of the landmark site.
Pompeii’s degradation has been a source of constant concern and embarrassment for the Italian authorities.
The EU has made substantial funds available for the care and restoration of the site, but the money does not appear to have been put to use swiftly.
