In Ukraine, the crisis in Crimea widens. An observer mission from the pan-European body, the Organisation for Security & Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has been repeatedly denied entry into Crimea. A mission of 43 unarmed observers were invited by Ukraine to document the situation on the ground there, but were not let past roadblocks.
Russia’s state-owned gas company, Gazprom, has threatened to cut its gas supply to Ukraine, with EU leaders scrambling to create plans to send their own gas supplies to Ukraine and Eastern Europe gas, should the need arise. US President Barack Obama has reportedly spoken again with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine.Meanwhile there are worrying developments being reported this morning in Sevastopol, and tensions are still high in the eastern city of Donetsk.
Tatars, the region’s Muslims, are fleeing Crimea for western Ukraine.
To better understand the geography of the crisis, check out this series of graphic maps, created by the New York Times.
Malaysia sentenced opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to prison over sodomy charges. Human Rights Watch has called the charges politically motivated.
The guilty verdict against a Congolese rebel leader at the International Criminal Court (ICC) provides a measure of justice to victims of atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
