BBC News:烏克蘭新海軍司令因宣誓效忠克里米亞被停職
The head of the Ukrainian navy Denys Berezovsky has been removed from his post after hepledged allegiance to the new pro-Russsian authorities in Crimea. Kiev has put him underinvestigation for treason. Admiral Berezovsky made his announcement in a room full of armedRussian soldiers.
“I, Berezovsky.. pledged allegiance to the residents of the autonomous Republic of Crimea andthe heroic city of Sevastopol. I vowed to strictly follow orders from the commander in chief ofthe autonomous Republic of Crimea as well as orders by military commanders appointed bythem, and to abide by the military code of practice.”
The BBC's Mark Lowen is in the Crimean port of Sevasopol, a major base of Russia's Black Seanaval fleet.
Extraordinary developments tonight with the defection of the head of the Ukrainian navyDenys Berezovsky Rear Admiral, who's now sworn allegiance to the prime minister of Crimea,newly-appointed pro-Russian prime minister of Crimea, so in effect, Kiev has lost control of itsmost senior naval official and that is a huge challenge to Kiev. And yes another sign thatactually Crimea is slipping out of the control of the Ukrainian government.
In a phone call with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Russian President Vladimir Putindescribed the measures taken by Moscow as fully appropriate. A German governmentspokesman said Mr. Putin had agreed to establish a fact-finding mission and a contact group tostart political dialogue between Russia and Ukraine whose new administration Moscow refusesto recognize. Nato's General Secretary Anders Rogh Rasmussen has called for the deploymentof international observers to Ukraine to defuse tension there. He was speaking after anemergency meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels.
“We urge both parties to immediately seek a peaceful resolution through dialogue, throughthe dispatch of international observers under the auspices of the United Nations SecurityCouncil or the OECE.”
The US Secretary of State John Kerry has described Russia's military operation in Ukraine asan incredible act of aggression. He spoke of possible visa bans, asset freezes and tradeisolation in response.
Hundreds of thousands of Ultra-orthodox Jews have protested in Israel against governmentplans to draft them into the army. They traveled from across the country to hold a prayer vigilin Jerusalem, carrying banners with slogans such as “we will not join the military”. Women andchildren also took part. Secular Jews are required to serve in Israel, but traditionally,Ultra-orthodox Jews have claimed exemption on religious grounds. These protesters explainedtheir objections to the government's plans.
“The lifestyle is waking up in the morning, going to Synagogue and learning, that's all it is,there's nothing pass there, and doing this, going to the army is not gonna be the right thing atall.”
“About..that you know, our service is to god and we split up into two sections. If you fitenough to go to the army, if you fit to serve god and to help the army, that way, that's we aredoing.”
World News from the BBC.
A shaky truce in the besieged Palestinian refugee camp in Yarmouk on the outskirts ofDamascus has broken down after the warring sides exchanged shelling and gunfire. The trucewas reached in mid-February by Islamist rebels and Palestinian militants loyal to PresidentBashar al-Assad. A UN spokesman said the fighting had disrupted its recent relief operation to40,000 Palestinians who've been under siege since last summer.
Thailand's army chief has ordered action against groups advocating a separate state in thenorth of the country. A number of organizations that support the Prime Minister YingluckShinawatra are calling for an independent state there in response to months ofanti-government protests in Bangkok. Jonathan Head reports.
Hardly a day passes now without a dramatic statement from General Prayuth Chan-ocha, thepowerful commander of the Thai army. General Prayuth has asked his regional commander totake action against the group which has begun promoting the idea of a Lan Na People'Democratic Republic. Lan Na was the name of the old kingdom in the north before is wasabsolved into Thailand just over a century ago. He did not specify what action he had in mind.But his comments suggest the military is taking the threat of separatism seriously.
The United Nations Humanitarian Co-ordinator in the Central Africa Republic has warned of animpending food crisis there after almost a year of communal and inter-religious violence. Hesaid humanitarian problems were deepening. And unless action was taken, people would soondie of hunger. He said many people were too afraid to return home.
The government of Italy has called for an emergency meeting to discuss how to save theancient city of Pompeii from further ruin, following fresh collapses this weekend. The cultureminister asked officials to explain why a wall of the tomb and part of an arch of the Temple ofVenus had fallen down after days of heavy rain. A series of problems in the Roman city fouryears ago sparked an international outcry over the neglect to one of the world's mosttreasured archeological sites. Pompeii is one of Italy's most popular attractions.
BBC News
