
1. Ukraine crisis
Russia’s military has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea until dawn to surrender or face an assault.
The head of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet Aleksander Vitko set the deadline and threatened an attack “across Crimea”. However Russian media have denied the deadline has been issued.
Western powers have condemned Moscow’s decision to send troops as a “violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty”.
Reuters reports that the European Union has agreed to consider “targeted measures” against Russia if Moscow fails to de-escalate rising tensions in Ukraine.
Ukraine has ordered full mobilisation to counter the intervention.
Meanwhile British Foreign Secretary William Hague has warned that the turmoil is the “biggest crisis” to face Europe in the 21st Century.
Urging dialogue between the two nations to lower tensions, he hinted Russia’s G8 membership could be under threat.
2. Oscar Pistorius
The trial of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, has begun in South Africa.
The first witness to give evidence, Michelle Burger, said she and her husband were awoken at around 3am by “bloodcurdling screams’’ coming from the Pistorius home in an up-market Johannesburg gated community.