Ukraine commandos refuse to storm buildings

 

Members of the self-proclaimed government called 'Donetsk Republic' vote during their meeting at the regional administration building that they had seized earlier in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Thursday. Photo:AP

Ukraine’s leaders appear to have backed away from threats to use force to crush pro-Russian protests in the country’s eastern regions amid reports that elite anti-terror commandos refused to storm the buildings seized by the protesters.

The deadline set by Kiev for the protesters to free the occupied government offices in Donetsk and Lugansk expired on Friday morning, with security forces making no attempt to storm the buildings. Acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov had earlier pledged to clear the buildings within 48 hours.

According to Ukrainian media reports, the elite Alfa counter-terrorism group has refused to attack the protesters.

“We will act strictly according to law,” Alfa commandos were reported to have said. “Our group has been set up to free hostages and combat terrorism.”

Acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk promised to grant more powers to the regions, including the right to hold local referendums.

“In the framework of the changed constitution, we will be able to satisfy specific requests of every single region,” Mr Yatsenyuk said at a meeting with the governors and other officials of Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions in Donetsk on Friday.

Mr Yatsenyuk did not spell out details of the proposed reforms and his vague promise is unlikely to mollify the protesters. The Ukrainian government plans to unveil the new constitution on April 15, but it has flatly rejected the protesters’ demand of federalisation of Ukraine.

Mr Yatsenyuk refused to meet with the protesters during his one-day visit to Donetsk on Friday but promised to have a televised call-in conference with its residents.

The protesters in Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkiv initially demanded self-rule for Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, but after Kiev rejected their demands, they vowed to split from Ukraine and join Russia through a referendum similar to the one held in Crimea last month.

Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has offered immunity from prosecution for hundreds of protesters holed up in government offices in Donetsk and Lugansk if they clear the seized buildings but the activists refused to climb down. On Thursday they received reinforcements from local coal mines.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia has no plans to annex Ukraine’s southeastern regions.

“We do not and cannot have such ambitions. This would go against Russia’s fundamental interests,” Mr Lavrov said in a TV interview on Friday.

“We want Ukraine to be united in its current borders, but with full respect for its regions. We call it federation, but we do not insist on using this term. The main thing for Ukraine is to carry out a constitutional reform with the participation of all its regions and to hold presidential, parliamentary and local elections on this basis, so that the regions elect their own legislatures and governors,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.

He expressed the hope that Mr. Yatsenyuk will honour his promise of reforms.

“It’s a good thing Yatsenyuk has visited the southeast… He should have done it much earlier, as we’ve been telling your American and European partners,” Mr Lavrov said.

Ukraine commandos refuse to storm buildings

 

Members of the self-proclaimed government called 'Donetsk Republic' vote during their meeting at the regional administration building that they had seized earlier in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Thursday. Photo:AP

Ukraine’s leaders appear to have backed away from threats to use force to crush pro-Russian protests in the country’s eastern regions amid reports that elite anti-terror commandos refused to storm the buildings seized by the protesters.

The deadline set by Kiev for the protesters to free the occupied government offices in Donetsk and Lugansk expired on Friday morning, with security forces making no attempt to storm the buildings. Acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov had earlier pledged to clear the buildings within 48 hours.

According to Ukrainian media reports, the elite Alfa counter-terrorism group has refused to attack the protesters.

“We will act strictly according to law,” Alfa commandos were reported to have said. “Our group has been set up to free hostages and combat terrorism.”

Acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk promised to grant more powers to the regions, including the right to hold local referendums.

“In the framework of the changed constitution, we will be able to satisfy specific requests of every single region,” Mr Yatsenyuk said at a meeting with the governors and other officials of Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions in Donetsk on Friday.

Mr Yatsenyuk did not spell out details of the proposed reforms and his vague promise is unlikely to mollify the protesters. The Ukrainian government plans to unveil the new constitution on April 15, but it has flatly rejected the protesters’ demand of federalisation of Ukraine.

Mr Yatsenyuk refused to meet with the protesters during his one-day visit to Donetsk on Friday but promised to have a televised call-in conference with its residents.

The protesters in Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkiv initially demanded self-rule for Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, but after Kiev rejected their demands, they vowed to split from Ukraine and join Russia through a referendum similar to the one held in Crimea last month.

Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has offered immunity from prosecution for hundreds of protesters holed up in government offices in Donetsk and Lugansk if they clear the seized buildings but the activists refused to climb down. On Thursday they received reinforcements from local coal mines.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia has no plans to annex Ukraine’s southeastern regions.

“We do not and cannot have such ambitions. This would go against Russia’s fundamental interests,” Mr Lavrov said in a TV interview on Friday.

“We want Ukraine to be united in its current borders, but with full respect for its regions. We call it federation, but we do not insist on using this term. The main thing for Ukraine is to carry out a constitutional reform with the participation of all its regions and to hold presidential, parliamentary and local elections on this basis, so that the regions elect their own legislatures and governors,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.

He expressed the hope that Mr. Yatsenyuk will honour his promise of reforms.

“It’s a good thing Yatsenyuk has visited the southeast… He should have done it much earlier, as we’ve been telling your American and European partners,” Mr Lavrov said.

Ukraine commandos refuse to storm buildings

LAS VEGAS: An Arizona woman accused of throwing a shoe some 60 feet (18 meters) toward Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared aware during questioning by U.S. Secret Service agents of the allegation against her, authorities said Friday.

Alison Michelle Ernst, 36, was given a misdemeanor disorderly conduct summons and freed after she was booked at the Clark County jail, according to a Las Vegas police arrest report.

"Ms. Ernst appeared to be in an agitated state but aware of what she had just done," the report said.

Ernst could face up to a year in the county lockup if she is convicted of violating a county ordinance during the Thursday incident at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino.

She is accused of bypassing security and walking quickly toward a rope line about six rows from the front of a conference audience.

Police say she reached into a purse, removed the shoe and threw it overhand toward the stage.

Clinton ducked and wasn´t struck. She appeared startled but quickly cracked a couple of jokes before continuing her keynote speech to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.

The audience applauded. Ernst was ushered by security guards out of the ballroom with her hands in the air and sat calmly afterward on a sofa in a hallway.

She wore a blonde wig, blue dress and thong sandals. She told an Associated Press reporter she threw a shoe and dropped some papers but did not identify herself or explain the action.

Security officers ushered reporters and photographers away. A jail booking photo, taken later, shows Ernst with short brown hair.

She couldn´t immediately be reached Friday. It wasn´t clear if she had a lawyer.Brian Spellacy, Secret Service supervisory special agent in Las Vegas, said an orange and black athletic shoe was recovered from the stage.

Clinton has Secret Service protection because former presidents and their spouses are covered for their lifetime, Spellacy said.

Authorities said Ernst wasn´t a credentialed conference attendee and wasn´t supposed to have been in the ballroom, which had more than 1,000 people.

Sisi remains Egypt defence minister as new cabinet sworn in

CAIRO; Egypt's army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is expected to stand for president, was retained as defence minister in the new cabinet sworn in Saturday, state television showed.
The new line-up led by prime minister Ibrahim Mahlab was unveiled after Hazem al-Beblawi's government resigned on Monday amid mounting criticism of its failure to tackle a floundering economy and worsening industrial unrest.
The new cabinet is tasked with organising a presidential election that is expected to bring Sisi, who is also a vice prime minister, to power.
Sisi, who has emerged as Egypt's most popular political figure since he led the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last July, has not yet announced his candidacy in the election scheduled for this spring.
However, his aides say he has already decided to stand. In order to do so, Sisi must first step down as defence minister and army chief.
One of his aides told AFP this week Sisi is expected to stay on as defence minister until an electoral law has been passed.
The new government faces a host of challenges including huge security problems and economic woes, ahead of the election seen as a major step in a roadmap outlined by the interim military-installed authorities after Morsi's ouster.
Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected and civilian president, was ousted following mass protests against his one-year rule which was marred by allegations of power grabbing and worsening an already dilapidated economy.
Analysts say the formation of a new government is likely to work in Sisi's favour as he would like to stand in the election with a government that has a good record.
Since July, Egypt has been battling deadly street violence and militant attacks that have scared off foreign investors and tourists alike.
Beblawi's government had become increasingly unpopular despite announcing two economic stimulus packages aimed at kick-starting the economy with funds provided by friendly Gulf Arab states.
Many Egyptians, weary of the three years of turmoil since the 2011 toppling of former strongman Hosni Mubarak, view Sisi as a strong hand who can restore stability.

10 Historical Buildings Of Pakistan

1.  

Ali Masjid

Ali Masjid is a mosque situated along the Khyber Pass that snakes through the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to the legend, the mosque derives its name from the Islamic caliph, Hazrat Ali; local traditions put that he traveled the area. True or false, the mosque gives a spectacular image and serves as a stopping point along the way, which has served as a gateway to the empires.

2.  

Bab-e-Pakistan

Although not completed, the Bab-e-Pakistan monument seeks to honor the thousands of Muslim families who chose to migrate to the newly-created state of Pakistan in 1947. The monument is located in Lahore and the plan was originally conceived under the military regime of Zia-ul-Haq. Subsequent political tussles couldn't materialize its construction in time and the project is still in process at the moment.

3.  

Minar-e-Pakistan

Literally meaning the “Tower of Pakistan,” the Minar was completed during a span of eight years from 1960 to 1968. The monument is located on the same grounds where the famous Lahore Resolution was passed in 1940. The Resolution demanded separate states for the Muslims of the then-India, thus fusing the creation of Pakistan with the minaret. Such has been its importance that when Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee came to Pakistan, he visited the tower which washed away any misconception of India's reluctance in accepting Pakistan as a state.

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4.  

Pakistan Monument

Completed in three years from 2004 to 2007, the Pakistan Monument is a symbolic representation of the four provinces of the country. Situated in Islamabad at a public park, the Monument attracts visitors who are amazed at its architectural brilliance. The interior of its huge petals is decorated with beautiful Islamic murals.

5.  

Lahore Fort

As the name suggests, this fort is situated in the city of Lahore – in fact, it is one of the prized buildings of the walled-city of Lahore or Old Lahore. Although the origins of the fort are older, the present structure is said to have been built by the Mughal emperor Akbar. The Fort itself acted as a geo-strategic site that met Kashmir, the Afghan areas, and Multan. Decorated with Mughal architecture, the Fort complex includes such architectural marvels as Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) and Badshahi Mosque.

6.  

Shalimar Bagh

Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the Shalamar Bagh is one of the most beautiful sites in Pakistan. Its gardens and refreshing fountains attract a large number of visitors. The site consists of three levels of garden terraces which were watered by a canal; which also waters the exquisite marble terrace. It has a total of 410 fountains at all levels and a large variety of fruit trees.

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7.  

Quaid\'s Residency

Situated in Ziarat, a hill station in Balochistan province, the Residency was where Pakistan's founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah spent the last days of his life. The ailing Jinnah was recommended a rest and Ziarat was the best choice for its fragrance and fresh mountain air. There, the Residency, a wooden structure, provided the founder with the perfect retreat.

8.  

Iqbal\'s Tomb

The tomb of Allama Muhammad Iqbal at Lahore is an important national monument. The tomb is located in the Hazuri Bagh between the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque. Set in beautiful red sandstone, Iqbal’s importance to Pakistan renders this building historical significance.

9.  

Islamia College

Situated in Peshawar, Islamia College was established in 1913 by Nawab Sir Sahabzada Abdul Qayyum and Sir George Roos Kepel. The idea of Abdul Qayyum, an educationist-cum-politician, was to build an educational institute that imparts modern education to the Muslims. Later on, the students of Islamia College played an important role in the movement of independence for Pakistan; even Jinnah visited the College thrice.

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10.  

Mazar-e-Quaid

Situated in Karachi, Mazar-e-Quaid is the tomb of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Established in 1970, the tomb is an iconic representation of the city of Karachi. Every year, on national holidays, the site is visited by prominent leaders to pray tribute to Jinnah. Not only the founder, but other prominent leaders, namely Liaqat Ali Khan, Abdur Rab Nishtar, Fatima Jinnah, and Nur-ul-Amin are also buried in the same mausoleum.