New Indian Prime Minister Modi Hails Victory

Opposition candidate Narendra Modi says he wants to "fulfil the dreams of 1.2 billion people" after sweeping to power in historic elections in India.

The final results have yet to be declared but the Hindu Bharitya Janata Party (BJP) already has enough seats to become the first majority government India has elected in 30 years.

As the polling data came in Mr Modi tweeted: "India has won. Good days are coming."

He then told crowds: "The heat of the election is over and the people have given their verdict which says that we need to take India forward to fulfil the dreams of India's 1.2 billion people.

"There are no enemies in democracy, there is only opposition. I will take your love and convert it into progress before I return."

The BJP has already surpassed the 272 seats needed to avoid a coalition, ending 10 years of Congress Party rule.

Narendra Modi declares victory on Twitter

The result is the worst ever for the Gandhi dynasty and follows what the BJP describe as a "people's revolution".

"This is the beginning of change, a people's revolution and the start of a new era," senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar told AFP.

David Cameron has already spoken to Mr Modi and an invitation to Britain has been accepted.

The Prime Minister tweeted: "Congratulations @narendramodi on victory in India's elections. Keen to work together to get the most from UK-India relationship."

Barack Obama also invited Mr Modi to the United States, despite a previous decision to deny him a travel visa.

Narendra Modi is blessed by mother, Hira Ba, on the day of his victory

Sky's Neville Lazarus is outside the BJP headquarters in New Delhi and described the celebrations as "euphoric".

"They were expecting the number of seats to be high, but not this high," he said. "It's a vindication of Narendra Modi and his campaign.

"There is a mood of change in this country because the Congress Party has been reeling from the economic slowdown and corruption charges."

Mr Modi oversaw a modern campaign which utilised everything from holograms to WhatsApp.

Celebrations outside a counting centre in Siliguri

The stock market responded to his win by leaping 6%, sending the rupee to an 11-month high.

Mr Modi has been the top official in Gujarat state for a decade.

The 63-year-old is the son of a tea seller and has played on his humble roots during the election campaign, with references to his mother riding a rickshaw to cast her ballot.

His victory comes despite controversy over links to the paramilitary Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - which some describe as neo-fascist.

As chief minister of Gujarat, Mr Modi was criticised for failing to apologise for religious riots in 2002 in which at least 1,000 people died - mostly Muslims.

He has denied any role in the violence and the Supreme Court declared he had no case to answer.

However, suspicions prompted the US to deny him a visa in 2005, while Britain maintained a diplomatic boycott on Mr Modi until 2012.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Party Time In India But Modi Must Reach Out

By Neville Lazarus, India Producer, in Delhi

It's a resounding victory and they are celebrating.

Supporters of the Bharitiya Janata Party have been partying since morning when counting began.

Young and old, first-time voters and veterans, they all converged on the BJP headquarters in Delhi.

Rishi, 24, who is studying to be a chartered accountant, believes Narendra Modi is the only one who can get India back on track.

No one but him can bring about that change, he says.

The right-wing BJP won more than 50% of the vote - a feat not seen for 30 years.

It will now form a new government with Mr Modi as prime minister.

BJP supporters celebrate outside the party's building in Ahmedabad

With victory in sight earlier in the day, Mr Modi met his mother and accepted her blessings.

A self-proclaimed recluse and introvert, he is rarely seen with family.

Right from the start, Mr Modi set the campaign agenda.

He covered a distance of nearly 200,000 miles across the country, addressing 477 rallies and attending over 5,000 events.

He has been the first politician to use a 3D hologram of himself, reaching 14 million people at 1,350 locations.

His Twitter account boasts 3.9 million followers, while his YouTube videos have been played 13 million times.

Ashok Kumar, who came to celebrate the victory, told Sky News: "Modi has delivered the second independence - the first being when India gained freedom from the British in 1947.

Indian women celebrate Mr Modi's election victory

"He has brought the second one after a terrible 10-year rule of the Congress party."

Sonia Gandhi, the head of the Congress party, and her 43-year-old son - vice president Rahul Gandhi, who led the election campaign - have taken moral responsibility for the defeat, telling reporters the mandate was clearly not theirs.

Chants of "Modi! Modi!" resound everywhere in Delhi.

Even senior leaders L.K. Advani and Rajnath Singh spoke of the Modi 'effect'.

His party seems to have been relegated to the background.

However, Mr Modi is seen by many as a polarising figure in the Indian political landscape.

He was at the helm of affairs during the Gujarat riots in 2002.

Mr Modi has pledged to work for the good of all Indians

Over 1,000 people died, many of them Muslims, and 100,000 were left homeless.

No courts have indicted him and investigations have left him in the clear but his role in the riots is still furiously debated.

Britain refused to deal with Mr Modi for a decade and only in October 2012 was the diplomatic boycott finally lifted.

Throughout his campaign, Mr Modi stayed away from religious rhetoric, concentrating instead on development and good governance, of which he has a proven record in Gujarat.

But India is a secular country with many minority and linguistic communities.

Mr Modi will have to reach out to all to be accepted as a national leader.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Grief And Anger As Turkey Buries Dead Miners

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

We watched a logjam of grief, as they filled a field with the bodies of those killed in the Turkish mine disaster.

Rows of graves were dug in what has now been called the Martyr's Cemetery, each hole separated by just a foot of earth.

The families say the men died shoulder-to-shoulder in the complex and should be laid to rest in the same way.

Ninety miners are due to be buried here, but many suspect that is a conservative estimate.

The suspicion of those we talked to is that the government and the mine company are lying about the death toll, because they are to blame for the tragedy.

A coffin draped in the Turkish flag is carried toward a grave in Soma

Abdullah Erdal, 21, has lost four friends in the mine.

He told us: "We are angry, with both the private mining companies and the government, because they did not have proper control.

"We are young, but we have been told that when mines belonged to the state they were better managed. 

"Workers had more rights. But with the private sector, salaries are low and security is lax."

Hulya Bilgen taught many of the victims, and her anger is barely concealed.

Mourners weep beside one of 90 graves dug at the "Martyr's Cemetery"

"I am sad, so sad. Young bodies are now in the ground for a few pieces of coal. Our future has been destroyed. It is a massacre. It is mass murder," she said.

But for the most part the scene at the cemetery was just of raw grief.

Hoarse from her lament, the mother of Ugur Colak, 26, slumped at his grave.

She cried: "I am burning! I am burning! Why has this happened to us?"

Her two-year-old grandson cannot possibly understand the manner of his father's death, but watching his family convulsed by grief, he too breaks down.

That proves too much for the many others gathered around the grave, including this reporter, who follow suit.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fury Over Mine Safety As Turkey Buries Dead

Thousands of protesters have clashed with riot police in several Turkish cities as relatives began to bury those killed in the country's deadliest industrial disaster.

Demonstrators are angry at the government's failure to address safety concerns within Turkey's mining industry, which employs more than 113,000 people.

Police fired water cannon at protesters in the capital Ankara and in Istanbul, a day after grieving residents heckled Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he toured Soma.

The first funerals have been held for those killed in the underground blast

Many people are furious at what they see as the government's close ties to mining tycoons, and its failure to ensure safety standards within the industry.

Emergency workers have been battling toxic fumes in their frantic search at the scene of the disaster in Soma, some 300 miles (480km) southwest of Istanbul.

Some 283 miners have so far been confirmed dead, however the death toll is expected to rise as families lose hope of finding any of the estimated 150 miners still feared trapped.

A protester is kicked by an adviser to Turkey's PM during trouble in Soma

The last survivor was brought out more than 24 hours ago.

Rows of graves have been dug to bury those killed in what has become Turkey's worst mining disaster.

Security was tightened at the site for a visit of the country's President Abdullah Gul, with officials anxious to avoid a repeat of the anger which greeted Mr Erdogan on Wednesday, when his car was mobbed by protesters.

There have been fresh clashes in Turkey following the disaster

Pictures have emerged of that visit which show Yusuf Yerkel, an adviser to the prime minister, kicking a demonstrator as he is held on the ground by police officers.

Mr Yerkel released a statement on the incident which read: "I am sad I was not able to maintain my composure despite all the provocations, the insults and attacks to which I was exposed."

Miners have been staging a strike in protest at the tragedy.

Scores of graves have been dug close to the mine to bury the dead

The accident has become a focal point of wider dissent against the ruling administration, which has been in power for 11 years, with violent clashes in Istanbul and Ankara.

The government said 787 people were inside the coal mine at the time of the explosion, and 363 have been rescued, including many who were injured.

But some families have cast doubt on the official figures.

The visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul took place amid tight security

Those still trapped are thought to be some 1.2 miles (2km) below the surface and 2.5 miles (4km) from the mine entrance.

As thousands of anxious relatives waited for news, Mr Erdogan was accused of ignoring warnings over safety at the coal pit.

A convoy containing his car was attacked by crowds and he was forced to seek refuge in a supermarket, surrounded by police.

With tensions running high, protesters shouted for him to resign and said he was a "murderer" and a "thief".

Protesters have accused Mr Erdogan of ignoring safety concerns

And Mr Erdogan's attempt to downplay the disaster at a news conference did little to quell the anger.

While he declared three days of national mourning and ordered flags to be lowered to half-mast, the Turkish leader said such accidents were not uncommon and happened in other countries, even highlighting cases in 19th century Britain.

Mr Erdogan said: "These types of things in mines happen all the time.

"It's in its nature. It's not possible for there to be no accidents in mines. Of course we were deeply pained by the extent here."

The public backlash over the disaster could threaten Mr Erdogan's presidential ambitions ahead of the August election.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ferry Disaster: Captain On Manslaughter Charge

The captain of the South Korean ferry that capsized killing more than 280 passengers has been charged with manslaughter.

Two navigators and a chief engineer have been charged with the same offence - and if convicted all four could face the death penalty.

They are accused of leaving the ship as it was sinking while telling passengers, mostly high school students, to stay where they were.

Prosecutors have also charged 11 other surviving crew members of the Sewol with negligence.

Coastguard spokesman Ko Myung-Suk said a further five bodies were retrieved on Wednesday, including one found floating on the surface.

The confirmed death toll now stands at 281, with 23 still missing.

The Sewol was carrying 476 people when it sank on April 16.

The crew has been under criminal investigations after they were reported to have escaped the sinking vessel before many of the passengers.

More follows...

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Turkish PM Attacked By Mob Over Mine Disaster

Turkey's Prime Minister has defended his country's mining safety record as at least 276 workers were confirmed dead in an underground explosion.

Tayyip Erdogan's car was attacked by protesters as he visited the scene of the disaster in Soma, some 155 miles (250km) south of Istanbul.

Emergency workers are fighting fire and toxic fumes as they search for survivors, with around 120 miners still feared trapped.

As thousands of relatives waited for news of Turkey's worst mining disaster, Mr Erdogan was accused of ignoring warnings over safety at the coal pit.

A convoy containing his car was attacked by crowds and he was forced to seek refuge in a supermarket, surrounded by police.

Protests have also taken place in Ankara

Protesters shouted for him to resign and said he was a "murderer" and a "thief".

Mr Erdogan told a news conference: "Such mine accidents do not happen only in Turkey.

"It also happens in many countries such as the United States, China, France, India and Belgium.

"I give, for example, figures for death tolls, many people died in such coal mine accidents. Our country is in a much better position."

Tayyip Erdogan defended mine safety in Turkey

He declared three days of national mourning and ordered flags to be lowered to half-mast.

Those still trapped are thought to be some 1.2 miles (2km) below the surface and 2.5 miles (4km) from the mine entrance.

Despite efforts to help any survivors who may be struggling to breathe, the country's energy minister Taner Yildiz said "hopes are diminishing" among rescuers.

The last miner to be rescued alive emerged from the mine in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Seven Ukrainian Troops Killed In Kramatorsk

Seven Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and eight hurt in an ambush by separatists near Krematorsk, Kiev's defence ministry says.

Authorities say the troops were attacked outside the town in the east of the country by at least 30 insurgents using grenade launchers and automatic weapons.

Pro-Russia insurgents have been seizing government buildings and controlling towns and cities across eastern Ukraine for the last month.

It comes after two eastern regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, declared independence on Monday.

German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, speaking earlier at Kiev's main airport, said Germany supported Ukraine's efforts to arrange a dialogue between the central government and its opponents in the breakaway regions.

Official buildings have been captured across the country's east

He said he hope for the quick release of journalists being held hostage by pro-Russia insurgents and that the occupied buildings would be handed back soon.

Mr Steinmeier also stressed the importance of holding Ukraine's presidential vote as planned on May 25.

The Ukrainian government and the West have accused Russia of instigating the mutiny in the east to derail Ukraine's presidential vote and possibly grab more land.

Mr Steinmeier's trip is part of the road map for settling the crisis, as outlined by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a trans-Atlantic security group.

Russia called for a swift implementation of the OSCE plan, saying its demand to end violence means that the central government in Kiev should stop its military operation to recapture buildings in the east.

People standing in line for Donetsk's referendum on Sunday

Moscow also says the scheme should compel Ukraine to lift its blockade of cities and towns, pull its forces from eastern regions and release all political prisoners.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement: "We are demanding (they) stop intimidating civilians by using force or threatening to use it."

It added that it expects separatists in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions to respond in kind if Kiev does all that.

"(The road map) creates conditions for launching a broad national dialogue involving all political forces and regions of Ukraine, aimed at reconciliation and a comprehensive constitutional reform intended to stop the nation from sliding further to catastrophe," the ministry said.

Russia also urged the United States and the European Union to persuade Kiev to prioritise talks over giving more powers to Ukraine's regions ahead of the presidential vote.

The separatists held a referendum on Sunday and claimed around 90% of those who voted in Donetsk and Luhansk backed sovereignty. The two regions declared independence on Monday and those in Donetsk asked to join Russia.

Ukraine's acting president called the vote a sham and Western governments, including the UK's, said it violated international law.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Turkey Mine Blast: 201 Dead And Toll May Rise

At least 201 miners have been killed after an underground explosion and fire in western Turkey.

The country's energy minister Taner Yildiz said 787 workers were in the mine at the time of the blast, which is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault.

Hundreds are still trapped in shafts and tunnels up to 2.5 miles (4km) from the nearest exit.

Many of the miners were coughing and covered in dust as they were rescued

Mr Yildiz said 80 miners were injured and at least four of them are in a serious condition.

The rescue effort is "reaching a critical stage" with the death toll likely to rise, he said.

The blast in Soma, some 155 miles (250km) south of Istanbul, is one of the worst mining disasters in Turkish history.

Dozens of miners have been rescued or made their own way out

Fresh air is being pumped into the pit to help workers who may be struggling to breathe, amid fears they could suffer carbon monoxide poisoning.

TV pictures showed rescued miners coughing and spluttering as they were pulled out alive, their faces coated with black dust.

Relatives waited anxiously at the entrance to the mine, cheering and applauding each successful rescue.

Worried relatives rush to the mine complex in the town of Soma

The accident happened when a power distribution unit exploded about 1.2 miles (2km) beneath the surface, according to Nurettin Akcul, head of the Turkish Mineworkers' Union.

It is thought it happened during a change of shifts, leading to confusion over the exact number of workers still inside.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has postponed a one-day visit to Albania and is heading to the scene.

The explosion happened in Turkey's western Manisa province

In a statement, the mine's owners, Soma Komur, described the explosion as a "tragic accident" which happened "despite maximum safety measures and inspections".

According to Turkey's ministry of labour, the pit was last inspected on March 17 and was found to be compliant with safety regulations.

The country's worst mining disaster was in 1992, when a gas explosion killed 270 workers near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine: EU Hits Russia With New Sanctions

The European Union has imposed a new round of sanctions on Russians and Ukrainians as part of attempts to pressure Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

Among the 13 people facing asset freezes and visa bans are President Vladimir Putin's first deputy chief of staff Vyacheslav Volodin and the commander of Russian paratroopers Vladimir Shamanov.

Two pro-Russian separatists who helped organise independence votes in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk were also on the list, as well as Crimean companies PJSC Chernomorneftegaz and Feodosia.

The sanctions, criticised by Russia, are in response to Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its support for Russian-speaking separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The EU had already imposed asset freezes and visa bans on 48 Russians and Ukrainians, and the US has introduced similar sanctions.

Meanwhile, pro-Russian insurgents in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have declared independence following a vote on Sunday and those in Donetsk are asking to join Russia.

It comes after Russia said the outcome of the referendum should be implemented "in a civilised manner without violence".

Armed pro-Russia militants take part in a rally in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine

Voters in Donetsk and Luhansk cast ballots at the weekend on whether to declare their areas independent, but with links to Moscow. The contentious poll was ahead of national presidential elections scheduled for May 25.

Pro-Russian rebels claimed victory in the vote, which has been condemned by a host of countries, including Britain, and dismissed as a "criminal farce" by the government in Kiev.

Organisers said 89% of those who cast ballots in the Donetsk region and about 96% of those who turned out in Luhansk voted for sovereignty.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, speaking after attending an EU meeting in Brussels, said: "We're very clear about the so-called referendums that finished yesterday in some of the eastern regions of Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin visited Crimea last week

"These do not have credibility or international acceptance or recognition. I think the votes in the Eurovision Song Contest really were more credible and carried greater weight."

But the Kremlin said it "respects the will of people" and condemned the use of force against civilians.

Moscow is pushing to include eastern regions in negotiations on Ukraine's future.

This suggests Russia prefers a political rather than a military solution to its worst stand-off with the West since the Cold War.

Russia accuses the EU of helping the interim Ukrainian government come to power in what Moscow says was a coup in February.

The then-president Viktor Yanukovych fled the country after three months of protests over his decision to reject an EU trade pact and turn to Moscow.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine: Russia Bites The Hand That Feeds

When the Russian bear roars, us jobbing journalists reach for the grab bag of cliches and hackneyed metaphor.

Vladimir Putin is playing chess while the West is playing checkers.

He's behaving like an 18th-century Tsar in a 21st-century world.

He's a small man with a massive trove of resentment filled by two decades of contempt shown by the West to Mother Russia.

Cliches come into common use because they are very often true.

But now that the general picture has been established the latest developments in the Ukraine deserve closer examination -  what are the options for Russia's president?

The question itself is revealing.

In this race for influence Mr Putin has made all the running. The US and, more importantly, the European Union, can only remain reactive.

The Kremlin is dictating the order of battle.

Clearly Russia is intent on destabilising Ukraine's east.

Clearly the Kremlin will disrupt the May 25 presidential elections and thereby establish an argument that whoever wins cannot be seen as a legitimate post-revolutionary leader because Ukraine's east will have been left out of the new dispensation (thanks to Russian support for separatists).

Vladimir Putin visited Crimea on Victory Day

Over the next three weeks there will be more violence - that much is obvious.

But there are already hints that Mr Putin knows that he needs to reduce the tensions before his economy is wrecked by sanctions.

Harrumphing over whether or not the latest "referendum" in eastern Ukraine is legitimate or not is a natural part of what European politicians will have to do.

Some 14 more individuals, and a couple of companies, associated with Mr Putin's inner circle are to be added to a slowly growing list of economics targets that was first drawn up when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula.

The incremental imposition of limited sanctions has already had a profound effect on Russia's economy.

Capital flight is now at $70bn this year, more than the total of last year's export of wealth from Russia.

Inward investment is inevitably depressed. This is very damaging for Russia in the long term.

It's lost about 60% of its Soviet-era manufacturing base, leaving it vulnerable as a primary producer of fossil fuels - rather than as an economy capable of adding value, and therefore wealth, by processing its own raw materials.

Europe gets about 30% of its gas from Russia. About 80% of Russia's oil and 76% of Russia gas is imported by Europeans.

But the EU and others in the West don't need to depend on an unreliable Russia.

Plans are already under way to reduce this relationship in the long term with imports from elsewhere, notably from American gas fracking operations.

Russia, however, needs European machinery in order to grow. Some 85% of her imports from the EU were manufactured goods in 2012.

Vote counting is under way in the referendum in parts of eastern Ukraine

Russia needs Europe more than Europe needs Russia.

Small wonder that the Russian petrochemical giant Gazprom is hoping to sign a deal with China.

Anatoly Yanovsky, the Russian deputy energy minister, recently said that the deal to supply a vast amount of gas to China was "98%" done.

An alternative buyer for Russia petrochemicals is now a strategic necessity for Russia. The West will never again trust it as a supplier of choice.

The Chinese know that and are driving down the price they will pay for Russian gas that the Kremlin desperately needs to sell.

In hack-speak that means that the Russian bear has not only bitten the European hand that feeds it but is also finding that the Asian tiger has claws.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Crisis: Guardsmen Open Fire On Crowd

Ukraine Referendum Will Add Fuel To The Fire

Updated: 4:39pm UK, Sunday 11 May 2014

By Katie Stallard, Sky News Moscow Correspondent

The polling stations are ready and we're told three million ballot papers have been printed, enough for every eligible voter in the region of Donetsk.

But what is still far from clear is what they are being asked to vote for.

The question seems to be deliberately vague: do you support the act of state sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic?  Yes or No?

That could be taken to mean greater autonomy, or some form of autonomous region, but still within Ukraine - or they could find they have voted for the creation of an independent state that could then seek to join the Russian Federation, a la Crimea.

Then there is the question of legality.

The referendum has no basis in law as there is no provision for local referenda on the statute in Ukraine.

There also seems to be no independent oversight and the poll will be policed by the separatists themselves - hardly the ideal conditions for a free and fair vote.

The organisers do not have access to up-to-date voting lists - those are held by the Ukrainian state security service - so they are relying on data from the 2012 parliamentary elections.

The ballot papers, at least those that we have seen so far, appear to have been printed on an ordinary printer, with no watermarks or other features to guard against, say, photocopying.

But that  is unlikely to be at the top of the list of complaints, when the votes are also going to be collected and counted by "People's Republic" volunteers.

None of which is to deny that there may well be a genuine number of voters going to the ballot box on Sunday to vote "yes", at the very least to express their dissatisfaction with the government in Kiev.

The latest poll shows that while a strong majority (70%) in the east still want to live in a united Ukraine, around two-thirds (67%) disapprove of the current national government.

But I strongly suspect we will be in roughly the same position after this referendum as we are now - the Ukrainian authorities and politicians in the West will say that this was an illegal poll, carried out under the threat of intimidation, and with no means of independent verification.

The People's Republic will say, assuming the vote goes their way, that the people have spoken, that they have a democratic mandate, that this is a genuine popular uprising of ordinary citizens demanding their rights.

What is clear is that this referendum is unlikely to resolve what seems to be a deteriorating security situation in the east of this country - it is difficult to see it will do anything other than add more fuel to the fire.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Referendum Will Add Fuel To The Fire

The polling stations are ready and we're told three million ballot papers have been printed, enough for every eligible voter in the region of Donetsk.

But what is still far from clear is what they are being asked to vote for.

The question seems to be deliberately vague: do you support the act of state sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic?  Yes or No?

That could be taken to mean greater autonomy, or some form of autonomous region, but still within Ukraine - or they could find they have voted for the creation of an independent state that could then seek to join the Russian Federation, a la Crimea.

Then there is the question of legality.

The referendum has no basis in law as there is no provision for local referenda on the statute in Ukraine.

There also seems to be no independent oversight and the poll will be policed by the separatists themselves - hardly the ideal conditions for a free and fair vote.

The organisers do not have access to up-to-date voting lists - those are held by the Ukrainian state security service - so they are relying on data from the 2012 parliamentary elections.

The vote is not being independently monitored

The ballot papers, at least those that we have seen so far, appear to have been printed on an ordinary printer, with no watermarks or other features to guard against, say, photocopying.

But that  is unlikely to be at the top of the list of complaints, when the votes are also going to be collected and counted by "People's Republic" volunteers.

None of which is to deny that there may well be a genuine number of voters going to the ballot box on Sunday to vote "yes", at the very least to express their dissatisfaction with the government in Kiev.

The latest poll shows that while a strong majority (70%) in the east still want to live in a united Ukraine, around two-thirds (67%) disapprove of the current national government.

But I strongly suspect we will be in roughly the same position after this referendum as we are now - the Ukrainian authorities and politicians in the West will say that this was an illegal poll, carried out under the threat of intimidation, and with no means of independent verification.

The People's Republic will say, assuming the vote goes their way, that the people have spoken, that they have a democratic mandate, that this is a genuine popular uprising of ordinary citizens demanding their rights.

What is clear is that this referendum is unlikely to resolve what seems to be a deteriorating security situation in the east of this country - it is difficult to see it will do anything other than add more fuel to the fire.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukrainian Self-Rule 'Would Destroy Country'

Hague's Whirlwind Diplomatic Tour Of Europe

Updated: 10:57am UK, Saturday 10 May 2014

By Tim Marshall, Diplomatic Editor

When you travel with the Foreign Office, you travel at speed.

Foreign Secretary William Hague lives his working life in blocks of time allocated according to timetables, worked out by staff, who liaise with their counterparts around the world.

For his trip around Eastern Europe they had arranged 21 meetings in four countries over four days.

To achieve that they had chartered a 13-seat charter jet. It's expensive, but the RAF planes sometimes used by government officials were unavailable or didn't have the range required.

The view was that if they travelled on scheduled flights they couldn't make all the meetings.

On board were the Foreign Secretary, several advisors, his private secretary, security men, and a two-person Sky News team including cameraman Pete Milnes.

We were inside what is called "The Bubble".

On Monday the first call was to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, where we were met by various government officials and whisked into town in an eight-vehicle convoy, with lights flashing and sirens blaring.

The trip was about signalling to the countries he visited, but also to Russia. The message was that the UK will support Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia.

Britain sent a similar but stronger message to the Baltic States and Russia when it flew four fighter jets to Lithuania last month, but they are Nato members. On this tour he only had political and economic weapons at his disposal.

For the Moldova leg he had penned an article for a leading newspaper and acknowledged to Sky News that is was written for two audiences.

"You have to get through to the publics of the countries you visit, but you also know that the Russians are reading it ... Moscow needs to understand that there is a long-term price for violating the sovereignty of other nations," he said.

After a series of meetings, Mr Hague was back in his vehicle and preparing to return to the airport.

At this point it is essential all 13 of us, and the 30-odd pieces of kit and luggage, are all ready to move because the only people the convoy will wait for is the Foreign Secretary and his security detail.

After each meeting there is a flurry of activity with people throwing bags into cars, which occasionally might even be moving.

We get back to the plane and head for Vienna.

On board the protocol is that on the rare occasions a reporter is travelling with the Foreign Secretary he or she sits at the back, thus allowing the diplomats to spend the flight time working and talking privately.

Their area is for the duration of the flight their private office. Occasionally the Foreign Secretary will come back for a chat.

This is usually a mixture of everyday pleasantries, light humour over an incident which may have occurred at the previous location, and genuine insights into aims and strategies of HMG.

At dusk we land in Vienna and are two-thirds of the way through a 15-hour day.

In the Austrian capital the following morning Mr Hague attends the Council of Europe meeting on the Ukraine crisis.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is present, but there is no meeting of minds.

Back at the airport the Foreign Secretary meets the acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister who is hitching a lift to Ukraine.

Mr Hague jokes: "We've thrown someone off to make room." He then takes the rare opportunity to spend the 90-minute flight to Kiev for a proper and private conversation with his opposite number.

When we arrive there is moment of light comedy.

The Minister, Andrii Deshchytsia, gets off first, followed immediately by Mr Hague, before the Ukrainian turns around, and as protocol demands, shakes hands with Mr Hague and welcomes him to his country.

The Bubble moves into Kiev where the Ukrainian Acting Prime Minister is in his own bubble which is running five minutes late.

For the first time in two days things slow down. We wait in a huge meeting room with the UK diplomats chatting to each other in a relaxed manner before the Prime Minister arrives and its back to business.

The following day the convoy passes the Ukrainian revolution The Maidan where most of the fighting during the winter took place. It's a reminder of just how serious the trip is.

Back on the plane I ask the Foreign Secretary what his favourite part of the job is and he replies: "It's knowing that we are not dealing with trivial stuff here. This matters, and it matters what we do."

On to Georgia, a country where a lot of people have long names, which for a native English speaker can present difficulties.

I ask Mr Hague if he ever forgets anyone's name.

"No, but then I've usually got people's names written down and I have a team of people to help me.

"If you are unsure, then the first thing you do when you land is ask the ambassador to take you through names and pronunciations."

Tbilisi is an attractive city with excellent wine and food, but Mr Hague can't concentrate on the architecture due to work, and says he's learned over the years not to enjoy the food too much.

Most meetings involve at least coffee and biscuits, and more usually a meal at which the host will pile up every local delicacy as a way of showing off their country's food.

Towards the end of day four we end up back in London after a five-hour flight. During the flight, the Foreign Secretary was slightly more relaxed for the first time.

He was still working but his mind was now clear of the 21 meetings. As we approached RAF Northolt the focus was returning.

On the tarmac, under grey skies, he greeted an air force officer with the words: "What have you done with the weather while we were away."

The sunshine of the previous weekend had given way to a chilly breeze, but in Ukraine the temperature was rising.

I worked out that most of us had, by Thursday afternoon, worked for about 55 hours so far this week.

I was now out of The Bubble and so drove home. The Foreign Secretary got into another car, in another convoy, and headed for the Foreign Office.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ukraine Referendum Will Add Fuel To the Fire

The polling stations are ready and we're told three million ballot papers have been printed, enough for every eligible voter in the region of Donetsk.

But what is still far from clear is what they are being asked to vote for.

The question seems to be deliberately vague: do you support the act of state sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic?  Yes or No?

That could be taken to mean greater autonomy, or some form of autonomous region, but still within Ukraine - or they could find they have voted for the creation of an independent state that could then seek to join the Russian Federation, a la Crimea.

Then there is the question of legality.

The referendum has no basis in law as there is no provision for local referenda on the statute in Ukraine.

There also seems to be no independent oversight and the poll will be policed by the separatists themselves - hardly the ideal conditions for a free and fair vote.

The organisers do not have access to up-to-date voting lists - those are held by the Ukrainian state security service - so they are relying on data from the 2012 parliamentary elections.

The vote is not being independently monitored

The ballot papers, at least those that we have seen so far, appear to have been printed on an ordinary printer, with no watermarks or other features to guard against, say, photocopying.

But that  is unlikely to be at the top of the list of complaints, when the votes are also going to be collected and counted by "People's Republic" volunteers.

None of which is to deny that there may well be a genuine number of voters going to the ballot box on Sunday to vote "yes", at the very least to express their dissatisfaction with the government in Kiev.

The latest poll shows that while a strong majority (70%) in the east still want to live in a united Ukraine, around two-thirds (67%) disapprove of the current national government.

But I strongly suspect we will be in roughly the same position after this referendum as we are now - the Ukrainian authorities and politicians in the West will say that this was an illegal poll, carried out under the threat of intimidation, and with no means of independent verification.

The People's Republic will say, assuming the vote goes their way, that the people have spoken, that they have a democratic mandate, that this is a genuine popular uprising of ordinary citizens demanding their rights.

What is clear is that this referendum is unlikely to resolve what seems to be a deteriorating security situation in the east of this country - it is difficult to see it will do anything other than add more fuel to the fire.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More