Ukraine 'Will Not Give Up Crimea To Russia'

Ukraine's acting foreign minister has said the country "will not give up Crimea to anyone", amid continued tensions in region.

Andrii Deshchytsia insisted Crimea, which was given to Ukraine by the Soviet Union in 1954, "is and will be Ukrainian territory".

It came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his country was open to an "honest, equal" dialogue over the crisis.

Uniformed Russian forces have surrounded Ukrainian bases since taking control of the peninsula last week, although Mr Lavrov denied Moscow has any direct role.

Foreign observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe have been turned away from the region after warning shots were fired as they approached.

A source in the monitoring mission said "probably three shots" were fired as a convoy approached a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian forces, but added the shots did not seem to have been directed at them.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama praised the European Union and the United States for the "unified position" over the military incursion.

Speaking in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the US President said European leaders "agreed on the need for Russia to pull back its forces".

Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the Paralympic Games in Sochi

A White House spokesman said the two leaders had "grave concerns" over Russia's intervention and discussed the need for dialogue between Moscow and Kiev.

However, Mr Lavrov used a news conference to repeat Russian attacks on the current interim government.

"(It) isn't independent," he said. "It depends, to our great regret, on radical nationalists who have seized power with arms."

Nationalist groups are using "intimidation and terror" to control Ukraine, he added.

Mr Lavrov earlier labelled planned US sanctions on those Washington holds responsible for the intervention as "hasty and reckless steps" which could harm relations between the two countries.

"Sanctions ... would inevitably hit the United States like a boomerang," a statement issued by Russia's foreign ministry said.

The measures include bans on travel to America and the freezing of US assets, although a US official has said Russian President Vladimir Putin was not on the list of those to be sanctioned.

Russian forces now have complete control of Crimea, although Moscow claims the only troops it has there are the 11,000 based in Sevastopol - a claim ridiculed by the West.

More than 30,000 Russian troops are estimated to be in the disputed region, which will hold a referendum on becoming part of Russia on March 16.

Late on Friday, around 20 pro-Russian militants stormed a Ukrainian missile defence airbase in Sevastopol in two transporter trucks and entered into negotiations with the commander of the airbase.

Around 100 Ukrainian troops are understood to be stationed at the base, where the tense stand-off was eventually resolved.

The crisis in Ukraine was sparked when the deposed former President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a European Union trade deal for closer ties with Russia.

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Malaysia Airlines Plane Has 'Superb' Record

The safety record of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200, which is feared to have crashed near Vietnam with 239 people on board, is "superb", an aviation expert has told Sky News.

However, David Learmount said the aircraft's sudden disappearance without sending out a distress signal had echoes of the Air France Airbus A330 that crashed into the South Atlantic in 2009, killing all 228 passengers.

The loss of the plane would be the worst involving the Boeing 777-200 since it entered service 19 years ago, although it would be the second fatal accident involving the aircraft in less than a year.

An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777-200ER crash-landed in San Francisco in July 2013, killing three passengers and injuring more than 180.

Despite this, Mr Learmount said the plane's safety record was "absolutely superb".

"Aviation safety now is quite extraordinarily good," he said. "It's far better than it was 20-30 years ago - I mean massively better.

The same type of aircraft crashed less than a year ago in San Francisco

"That's why things like this are so surprising. They just should not happen any longer.

"The likelihood of this having been something catastrophic having happened to the aeroplane, just forget it. It wasn't that. Catastrophic things do not happen to modern aeroplanes. They just don't."

Mr Learmount added: "The extraordinary thing is that this aircraft has gone missing without the pilot saying a single word.

"The aircraft would have been at cruising height which is nice and high, which if anything goes wrong gives the pilots plenty of time to talk to people. So why didn't they?"

There was no suggestion that a bomb had exploded on board, Mr Learmount said.

Pointing to the loss mid-Atlantic of the Air France flight, he added: "It happened just like this one.

Wreckage from the Air France flight in 2009 is recovered from the Atlantic

"The pilots didn't say anything but they could have done, as they had been in touch with air traffic control not long before the aircraft went missing. The aircraft just went down into the sea.

"We knew that there was a minor glitch on board the aeroplane, but it was very minor and only lasted for less than a minute, but it confused the pilot to such an extent that they never regained their composure.

"The reason why this is a possibility is that this Malaysian disappearance happened at the same time of day, about 1 or 2am local time, when people are at their lowest level of mental and physical capability."

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TV Licence Dodgers May Not Be Prosecuted

Pressure Grows Over TV Licence Prosecutions

Updated: 1:18pm UK, Saturday 08 March 2014

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

What crime led to 180,000 people being hauled in front of magistrates in 2012, resulted in 70 prison sentences and accounted for one in nine of all cases heard by the courts?

OK, OK, I know you've read the news story and realise the answer is failure to pay a television licence fee.

Magistrates have long objected to being asked to deliver criminal records to these offenders, who tend to be poor, are often older and about two-thirds of whom are women.

They think it is an over-reaction and a waste of court time.

Instead, they want to divert cases to the civil system, along with parking offences or failure to pay your gas bill.

So could their argument be gathering steam in Parliament?

An amendment calling for the change by Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen is gathering support from across the political divide with a variety of motivations.

Some object to the "poll tax" nature of the fee - a £145.50 levy on the rich and poor is clearly regressive.

Others feel that criminal sanctions including prison are simply not the right response, particularly given the vulnerability of those it affects.

Then there is the idea of easing pressure on courts and prisons appeals across the political system.

And finally, there are those who simply detest the BBC.

The corporation itself would be uneasy about the change because of fears it would reduce the incentive to pay.

Even a 1% rise in evasion would cost £35m, which the Beeb tells us is equivalent to 10 local radio stations (or, to put a different spin on it, 11 Jeremy Clarksons).

What is notable about this story is that Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, has called Mr Bridgen's intervention "really interesting".

He says Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary, agrees and both departments will be doing some "serious work on the proposal".

In reality, any such change would be discussed as part of BBC Charter renewal.

The next round is due to be completed by the end of 2016, with talks starting around 18 months beforehand.

That means the middle of next year - probably not until after the General Election.

The magistrates, it seems, will have to wait.

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Malaysia Airlines Plane 'Crashes In Vietnam'

Nearly 240 people are feared dead after two large oil slicks were spotted where a passenger plane reportedly crashed into the sea off Vietnam.

The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished around two hours into the flight.

The two parallel slicks - both between 10 miles (16km) and 12 miles (19km) long and 500 metres apart - were seen by two Vietnamese air force jets off the south coast of Vietnam.

A photo of the missing plane - seen taking off in Paris in 2011

A Vietnamese government statement said they were consistent with the kind of spills caused by fuel from a crashed airliner.

Rescue boats are being sent to the area from the nearby island of Phu Quoc to look for survivors.

Earlier, the country's state media quoted a navy official as saying Flight MH370 crashed near Tho Chu Islands at around 2.40am local time.

The US Navy is helping teams from Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore search the vast waters in the Gulf of Thailand, between Malaysia and Vietnam.

An information screen at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Malaysia's Transport Minister Seri Hishammuddin said he was "looking at all possibilities" including a potential terror attack.

Malaysia Airlines said in a statement: "The families of all passengers on board MH370 are being informed. 

Distraught relatives and friends wait at Beijing International Airport

"At this stage, our search and rescue teams from Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam have failed to find evidence of any wreckage."

The airline listed one of the passengers on the plane as a 37-year-old Italian called Luigi Maraldi.

However, according to reports in Italy, Mr Maraldi has contacted his parents to say he was not on the airliner.

The plane is said to have crashed near Tho Chu island, in southern Vietnam

He had his passport stolen in Thailand several months ago, leaving questions over who used his passport to board the plane and whether that has anything to do with the airliner's disappearance.

Austrian newspaper De Standard is reporting that another passenger was using a passport belonging to Austrian citizen Christan Kozel.

He is listed as one of the passengers although he has been confirmed as safe and well by authorities.

He said his passport was stolen in Thailand when he visited two years ago.

Family members have complained of a lack of information

The plane disappeared from radar at 1.30am (5.30pm UK time) about 85 miles (135km) north of the Malaysian city of Kuala Terengganu.

Journalist Leo Lewis, at Beijing airport, told Sky News families were waiting anxiously for news of their relatives.

He said there were "scenes of considerable distress" and "increasing irritation" because of a lack of information about their fate.

Flight MH370 marked in red on Beijing airport's information board

Malcolm Moore, the Daily Telegraph's Beijing Correspondent, said the relatives have been taken by bus to a hotel in the centre of Beijing.

He told Sky News: "There has been no official confirmation (about what has happened), but it's looking increasingly grim."

The plane left Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am local time and was due to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am local time.

Malaysia Airlines said the flight was carrying 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members.

Relatives of those on board await news at Beijing airport

They were from 14 countries - 152 plus one baby from China, 38 from Malaysia, 12 from Indonesia, seven from Australia, three plus one baby from the US, three from France, two from New Zealand, two from Ukraine, two from Canada, one from Russia, one from Italy, one from Taiwan, one from Netherlands, and one from Austria.

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang has urged Malaysia to "quickly and vigorously push search and rescue work" for the missing plane, state news agency Xinhua said.

Beijing has sent two maritime rescue ships to the South China Sea to help in the search and rescue work.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: "This news has made us all very worried. We hope every one of the passengers is safe."

A Boeing 777 crash landed in San Francisco

The aircraft was piloted by Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a 53-year-old Malaysian with a total of 18,365 flying hours. He joined the company in 1981.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members," Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement.

The airline said it would provide "regular updates" on the situation and has set up the phone line +603 7884 1234 for concerned members of the public.

Aviation expert David Learmount told Sky News the Boeing 777-200's safety record is "absolutely superb".

He said the plane would have been travelling at cruising height (around 35,000ft) and even if both engines had failed, it would have given the pilots plenty of time to make a distress call.

The "simple solution" would be to presume there was a bomb on board, "but there's no suggestion of that," he said.

Malaysia Airlines has 15 Boeing 777-200 jets in its fleet of about 100 planes.

There has been one fatal accident involving a Boeing 777 since the jet entered service in 1995.

Last summer, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crash landed in San Francisco, killing three passengers.

Boeing said it was aware of reports that the Malaysia Airlines plane has gone missing and was monitoring the situation, but had no further comment.

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Pistorius Sobs As Reeva's Death Is Described

Oscar Pistorius has broken down in court as a neighbour described the moments he tried to save his mortally wounded girlfriend.

Prosecution witness Johan Stipp went to Pistorius' home after hearing shots fired on the night Reeva Steenkamp was killed.

The radiologist said: "I got inside and there was a lady lying on her back.

:: Sky News' live coverage of the trial is under way, and a special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday at 9.30pm.

"I also noticed a man kneeling on her side, on the left side. I remember the first thing he said when I got there was 'I shot her, I thought she was an intruder. I shot her.'"

He said he did not recognise Pistorius, and described how he tried in vain to resuscitate Ms Steenkamp.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead on Valentine's Day

"She had no pulse in her neck, she had no peripheral pulse, she had no breathing movements that she made," he said.

"She was clenching down on Oscar's fingers as he was trying to open her airway.

"I tried to do a jaw lift manoeuvre, to try to open the airway, but it was very difficult with the clenching down.

Pistorius' sister Aimee speaks to a member of Ms Steenkamp's family

"All during that time, there wasn't any signs of life that I could see.

"I opened her right eyelid. The pupil was fixed dilated, and the cornea was milky - in other words, it was already drying out.

"So to me it was obvious she was mortally wounded.

Pistorius' defence lawyer Barry Roux has been aggressive in his questioning

"I looked at the rest of her body and I noted she had a wound in her right thigh, also a wound in the right upper arm.

"During that time … Oscar was crying all the time. He prayed to God to 'please let her live, she must not die'.

"He said at one stage while he was praying 'he will dedicate his life and her life to God if she would just only live and not die that night'."

Pistorius wrote notes during the hearing on a pad of paper

He added that Pistorius looked "sincere": "He was crying, there were tears on his face. He was actively trying to assist her."

Sky's Alex Crawford, who was in court, said Pistorius was openly sobbing as the evidence was given.

Earlier, Pistorius' defence team said it would have been "impossible" for neighbours to hear screams on the night Ms Steenkamp died.

The high-profile case is being televised around the world

Lawyer Barry Roux said neighbour Charl Peter Johnson's claim that he heard gunshots followed by a woman screaming was incorrect.

"At the time you heard the deceased, she was in a locked bathroom," said Mr Roux.

"You cannot hear it inside your house ... Even standing on the balcony, it would have been impossible to hear the screams."

Pistorius' Pretoria mansion pictured after the shooting

Mr Johnson was giving evidence for a third day.

Both Mr Johnson and his wife Michelle Burger insist they heard a woman's screams during the shooting.

The issue of the sound of a woman screaming is a key point for the prosecution. The claims by neighbours that they heard the screams suggest Pistorius would have known it was Ms Steenkamp, rather than an intruder, as he fired.

Pistorius looks down at the floor in the court dock

Mr Johnson also claims he heard five or six shots on the night of the killing.

But Mr Roux pointed out that in his initial notes he wrote that he "did not count the number of shots fired".

Mr Roux said: "Three hours later you changed this paragraph, and you corrected little things.

"That is a sign that you revisited that note and amended it."

He also suggested Mr Johnson had given evidence to fit with his wife's account of the evening.

The world's media is in Pretoria to cover the high-profile case

Mr Johnson said he and his wife had spoken after the incident about what had happened, but that he did not hear her give evidence or speak to her about what she said in court.

Mr Roux said: "Your interpretation today is a designed one, it's to incriminate."

On top of the premeditated murder allegation, Pistorius faces a charge of illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing.

He denies all the charges against him and maintains he shot Ms Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.

The athlete could face 25 years in jail if he is found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa. South Africa does not have trials by jury.

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Judge Thokozile Masipa will decide whether Pistorius is guilty

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Max Clifford 'Used Me, Abused Me, Upset Me'

By Nick Pisa, Sky Reporter, at Southwark Crown Court

A letter sent to Max Clifford by a woman who accused him of assaulting her more than 35 years earlier was found by police in a cupboard next to his bed, a court has heard.

The woman, who met Clifford in Spain in 1977 while she was on a family holiday, wrote the anonymous letter to him recounting his alleged assaults after she went for counselling in 2010. 

Prosecutor Rosina Cottage read excerpts of the letter as the trial of the 70-year-old got under way at Southwark Crown Court.

The court was told the note sent to Clifford's Central London office said: "You used me, you abused me, you upset me. You are a vile and horrible man. It has taken me 35 years to write this letter.

"It is dangerous if it were to fall into wrong hands and too serious not to inform you. You befriended my parents, told them I could have a modelling career, they were impressed by you, even though no one had heard of you.

"The abuse started in your office, you told me to strip, you took pleasure in degrading me, abusing me. You are repulsive and vile."

It added that Clifford was a "paedophile who condemned others in a double bluff".

Clifford is accused of indecently assaulting the victim, who was 15-years-old at the time, four times over a period between July 1977 and August 1978.

She is said to have been forced to perform sex acts on Clifford in his car and in his office on the promise he could get her a break in showbusiness.

A folded copy of the letter was found by police in a cabinet by at his home when it was searched by police and a second was found during a search at another of his properties.

When questioned by police he could not say why he had the notes and initially said he could not remember the girl but now says he may know her.

The celebrity agent denies 11 counts of indecent assault against seven teenage girls.

He is accused of committing the offences between 1966 and 1985, when the girls were aged between 14 and 19.

Earlier Ms Cottage said the publicist used his ties to celebrities to "bully and manipulate" young women into performing sex acts with him.

She told the jury of six women and six men: "In his actions, we say he breached the trust of parents he had encouraged to trust him and young women working for him or seeking jobs in the world in which he worked."

Clifford listened from the glass-walled dock as the prosecution outlined its case.

Ms Cottage added: "Many of you, but not all of you, will have heard of the name Max Clifford. He is wealthy, he is well-connected.

"He is the maker of the kiss-and-tell celebrity and the breaker of reputations. He is the man called upon by television to speak about celebrity and media manipulation.

"He is a man who likes to play games with people and you will hear evidence of the games that he played with these girls and young women.

"As the years went by, he got away with his behaviour, he must have thought he was untouchable and no doubt thought no one would complain and if they did they would not be believed."

She said the case would hear not only from women to whom the charges relate, but other women who would give evidence of Clifford's "sexually predatory behaviour".

The jury was told that two of the charges relate to separate occasions when Clifford allegedly forced a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old into sex acts in a car.

One alleged victim said she was 19 when Clifford forced himself on her in a taxi, while another - who was also said to be 19 at the time - said he assaulted her in his office.

Other assaults were also alleged to have taken place in cars and the office.

Clifford, who has counted celebrities such as Simon Cowell and Jade Goody among his clients, was arrested in December 2012 and charged last April.

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Does Putin Have A Point On Ukraine?

Ukraine: EU Considers Cooling-Off Period

Updated: 2:12pm UK, Thursday 06 March 2014

By Adam Boulton, Political Editor, in Brussels

The European Union has invited Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the interim leader of the Ukrainian government, to attend this emergency summit in Brussels.

The Ukrainian country won't sit in on the final deliberations by the 28 EU member states but he is taking part in preliminary meetings.

Yatsenyuk's presence is an expression of solidarity with the popular uprising which threw out the Yanukovych government in Kiev and a direct rebuff to Russia, which is still insisting that Yanukovych is the true leader of Ukraine.

The EU Leaders meeting today will have no difficulty repeating their condemnation of what they regard as the illegal occupation of the Crimea by Russian forces. There is a unanimous view that the Russian action is illegal under international law and that Russian forces should return to barracks.

But as the US and the EU seek "to de-escalate" a crisis which is seeing pro and anti Russian civilians and militia confronting each other across Ukraine, the bigger question is whether the EU will go further today and impose sanctions directly against Russia.

Beyond denunciation of President Putin, the measures taken so far by Europe against Russia have been paltry. Preparatory talks have halted ahead of the G8 Summit he is due to host in Sochi this summer. Negotiations on further trade and visa liberalisation have been halted. And today the EU confirmed targeted sanctions freezing the assets held in the EU of deposed President Yanukovych and 17 of his close associates from Ukraine.

Officials are cautioning against suggestions that targeted sanctions on assets and freedom of travel could be extended today against named Russian citizens including Putin. We know from an accidentally revealed official paper that the UK, for example, is worried about the impact which a crackdown on oligarchs could have on London - a key base for so many of them.

It is much more likely that the EU will instead threaten sanctions unless Russia backs down - there is talk of a two week deadline being set.

Indeed a cooling-off period is likely to be at the centre of today's European Union plan of action awaiting developments on the ground in Ukraine and talks elsewhere - most notably in Rome today between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Although the Russian action in Crimea is condemned as a violation of the 1994 de-nuclearization treaty, the EU also accepts that the area is a special case. A majority of citizens in Crimea are Russian speakers and seemingly pro-Russian and under treaty Russian has rights to military and naval bases there.

As the EU leaders gathered, the Crimean Parliament voted to hold a referendum on March 16 on whether to become part of Russia. The EU does not recognise this because - shades of the debate between Westminster and Edinburgh - it says a referendum must be endorsed by the whole Ukrainian parliament. However, there is an open acceptance that the status of Crimea may well change before this crisis is resolved.

At a minimum the EU wants to threaten Russia enough to halt any expansion of aggression beyond Crimea into other areas of eastern Ukraine where there is also some sympathy for Moscow.

With varying degrees of frankness, EU members also admit that economic sanctions against Russia could hurt them more than they hurt President Putin. Italy, the Netherlands and Germany are all big trading partners of Russia and heavily dependent on energy imports which come from Russia through Ukraine.

On the other extreme, members in Eastern Europe are much more fearful of Russia's imperial ambitions. Countries such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic were only able to join the EU after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain and have bitter memories of life under the Russian yoke. If Putin is not stopped now they worry that his appetite will be whetted for further expansion by force, into the Baltic states next most obviously.

Although Putin is playing the strong man for now, privately many western observers believe he does not have as strong a hand as it seems.

He bullied Yanukovych into switching his allegiance to Russia, but then the popular uprising ousted him as Ukrainian president. The Russian armed forces are decaying and may not be capable of sustained occupation against resistance - even the navy now blockading Sevastopol is said to be "rusting". For all its corruption, the Russian economy is now much more open and exposed than in Soviet days. Putin might not be able to survive extended sanctions which hit stock markets, the rouble and above all energy revenues.

Finally, in spite of recent repressive measures, there is still a significant level of civil dissent in Russia against the Putin regime

As so often, the most influential leader at the EU will be Germany's Chancellor Merkel. She knows all about Soviet bullying having grown up in East Germany in a period when Putin was, for a time, the KGB spy chief there. Germany also has the most intimate historical, geographic and economic ties to Russia of any of the old 'Western' European Union member states.

Merkel and Putin can communicate directly in Russian and German. After recent conversations the Chancellor was not optimistic, suggesting that the Russian President was "in another world". That suggests that Merkel will be true to character and advocate caution, not least because she believes that time and circumstances are on the EU's side.

Above all Germany wants Russia to back down and begin negotiations with Ukraine. This centres on efforts to establish a 'contact group' to go between the two sides. The contact group is likely to be made up of the US, the members of the EU who are also in the G7/G8 (the UK, France, Italy, Germany) and Poland, the biggest East European nation.  They will have their work cut out - since currently neither Ukraine not Russia recognise the rights of the other.

Unity, moderation and firmness will be the watchwords for the EU today, all characteristics often attached to Chancellor Merkel. Given the concessions he is hoping to win ahead of his EU referendum, Britain's David Cameron will have no difficulty falling in line.

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US To Impose Sanctions On Russian Officials

US Issues Rebuttal Of 'Putin's Ukraine Fiction'

Updated: 3:45pm UK, Thursday 06 March 2014

Amid diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis in Ukraine, the US has issued a blunt rebuttal of Vladimir Putin's assertions.

In a point-by-point fact sheet, the State Department spoke of "President Putin's Fiction".

It even quoted Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky, saying: "The world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since Dostoyevsky wrote,''The formula 'two plus two equals five' is not without its attractions."

The "10 False Claims" statement follows a defiant press conference by the Russian president two days ago.

Russia, for its part, said the fact sheet represented a "primitive distortion of reality".

"It's clear that in Washington, as before, they are unable to accept a situation developing not according to their templates," said a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Here is the full text of the US rebuttal:

As Russia spins a false narrative to justify its illegal actions in Ukraine, the world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since Dostoyevsky wrote, "The formula 'two plus two equals five' is not without its attractions."

Below are 10 of President Vladimir Putin's recent claims justifying Russian aggression in the Ukraine, followed by the facts that his assertions ignore or distort.

1. Mr Putin says: Russian forces in Crimea are only acting to protect Russian military assets. It is "citizens' defense groups," not Russian forces, who have seized infrastructure and military facilities in Crimea.

The Facts: Strong evidence suggests that members of Russian security services are at the heart of the highly organized anti-Ukraine forces in Crimea. While these units wear uniforms without insignia, they drive vehicles with Russian military license plates and freely identify themselves as Russian security forces when asked by the international media and the Ukrainian military. Moreover, these individuals are armed with weapons not generally available to civilians.

2. Mr Putin says: Russia's actions fall within the scope of the 1997 Friendship Treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

The Facts: The 1997 agreement requires Russia to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russia's military actions in Ukraine, which have given them operational control of Crimea, are in clear violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

3. Mr Putin says: The opposition failed to implement the February 21 agreement with former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

The Facts: The February 21 agreement laid out a plan in which the Rada, or Parliament, would pass a bill to return Ukraine to its 2004 Constitution, thus returning the country to a constitutional system centered around its parliament. Under the terms of the agreement, Yanukovych was to sign the enacting legislation within 24 hours and bring the crisis to a peaceful conclusion. Yanukovych refused to keep his end of the bargain. Instead, he packed up his home and fled, leaving behind evidence of wide-scale corruption.

4. Mr Putin says: Ukraine's government is illegitimate. Yanukovych is still the legitimate leader of Ukraine.

The Facts: On March 4, President Putin himself acknowledged the reality that Yanukovych "has no political future." After Yanukovych fled Ukraine, even his own Party of Regions turned against him, voting to confirm his withdrawal from office and to support the new government. Ukraine's new government was approved by the democratically elected Ukrainian Parliament, with 371 votes - more than an 82% majority. The interim government of Ukraine is a government of the people, which will shepherd the country toward democratic elections on May 25th - elections that will allow all Ukrainians to have a voice in the future of their country.

5. Mr Putin says: There is a humanitarian crisis and hundreds of thousands are fleeing Ukraine to Russia and seeking asylum.

The Facts: To date, there is absolutely no evidence of a humanitarian crisis. Nor is there evidence of a flood of asylum-seekers fleeing Ukraine for Russia. International organizations on the ground have investigated by talking with Ukrainian border guards, who also refuted these claims. Independent journalists observing the border have also reported no such flood of refugees.

6. Mr Putin says: Ethnic Russians are under threat.

The Facts: Outside of Russian press and Russian state television, there are no credible reports of any ethnic Russians being under threat. The new Ukrainian government placed a priority on peace and reconciliation from the outset. President Oleksandr Turchynov refused to sign legislation limiting the use of the Russian language at regional level. Ethnic Russians and Russian speakers have filed petitions attesting that their communities have not experienced threats. Furthermore, since the new government was established, calm has returned to Kyiv. There has been no surge in crime, no looting, and no retribution against political opponents.

7. Mr Putin says: Russian bases are under threat.

The Facts: Russian military facilities were and remain secure, and the new Ukrainian government has pledged to abide by all existing international agreements, including those covering Russian bases. It is Ukrainian bases in Crimea that are under threat from Russian military action.

8. Mr Putin says: There have been mass attacks on churches and synagogues in southern and eastern Ukraine.

The Facts: Religious leaders in the country and international religious freedom advocates active in Ukraine have said there have been no incidents of attacks on churches. All of Ukraine's church leaders, including representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, have expressed support for the new political leadership, calling for national unity and a period of healing. Jewish groups in southern and eastern Ukraine report that they have not seen an increase in anti-Semitic incidents.

9. Mr Putin says: Kyiv is trying to destabilize Crimea.

The Facts: Ukraine's interim government has acted with restraint and sought dialogue. Russian troops, on the other hand, have moved beyond their bases to seize political objectives and infrastructure in Crimea. The government in Kyiv immediately sent the former Chief of Defense to defuse the situation. Petro Poroshenko, the latest government emissary to pursue dialogue in Crimea, was prevented from entering the Crimean Rada.

10. Mr Putin says: The Rada is under the influence of extremists or terrorists.

The Facts: The Rada is the most representative institution in Ukraine. Recent legislation has passed with large majorities, including from representatives of eastern Ukraine. Far-right wing ultranationalist groups, some of which were involved in open clashes with security forces during the EuroMaidan protests, are not represented in the Rada. There is no indication that the Ukrainian government would pursue discriminatory policies; on the contrary, they have publicly stated exactly the opposite.

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Ukraine: Ministers Hold Talks With Russians

Ukrainian and Russian ministers have started holding talks in an effort to end the political crisis through peaceful means.

The move was announced by Ukraine Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk as US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kiev for talks with its interim leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for the first time since the crisis began.

Mr Putin warned he would use "all means" to protect Russian citizens against what he called an "unconstitutional coup" in Ukraine.

Mr Kerry pledged an aid package including $1bn in loan guarantees to Ukraine.

"We will do our best," he told the crowds, as he laid a bouquet of flowers at a memorial in Independence Square to those killed in the Ukrainian capital during last month's protests. "We hope Russia will respect the elections."

"We are going to help you. We are helping you. President Obama is planning for more assistance," he added.

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Ukraine: Russian Troops Fire Warning Shots

Ukraine Protests: Timeline Of Events

Updated: 10:13am UK, Tuesday 04 March 2014

Protesters in Ukraine have staged three months of demonstrations at the decision to reject an EU deal in favour of closer ties with Russia. Here are the key events:

:: November 2013 - Ukrainian authorities suspend talks on an Associated Agreement with the EU in favour of closer economic ties with Russia. The decision prompts pro-European opposition groups to call for protests.

:: December 1, 2013 - A crowd of up to 500,000 gathers on Independence Squaure in Kiev, setting up a camp and building barricades.

:: December 11, 2013 - Security forces move against protesters in Kiev but are forced back.

:: December 17, 2013 - President Viktor Yanukovych travels to Moscow where he secures a $15bn (£9bn) bailout deal and a huge price cut for Russian gas.

:: January 19, 2014 - Dozens are injured in clashes between police and protesters in the capital after 200,000 defy new restrictions on demonstrations.

:: January 22, 2014 - Police smash barricades in central Kiev. Protesters respond by hurling rocks and firebombs.

:: January 25, 2014 - Yanukovych offers opposition leaders Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Vitali Klitschko entry to the government, but they decline.

:: January 28, 2014 - Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigns, parliament scraps the anti-protest laws.

:: January 29, 2014 - Parliament passes an amnesty bill, but the opposition rejects its conditions.

:: February 2, 2014 - Yatsenyuk and Klitschko call for international mediation and Western financial aid in Kiev.

:: February 4, 2014 - Klitschko calls for an "end to the dictatorship" during a heated parliament session.

:: February 5, 2014 - EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and top US envoy to Europe Victoria Nuland visit Kiev.

:: February 7, 2014 - Yanukovych meets his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

:: February 9, 2014 - 70,000 protesters gather on Independence Square.

:: February 10, 2014 - The EU stops short of any immediate threat of sanctions.

:: February 14, 2014 - All 234 protesters who have been arrested since December are released, but charges against them remain in place.

:: February 16, 2014 - Protesters evacuate Kiev city hall after occupying the building since December 1. A day later, protesters are granted amnesty.

:: February 17, 2014 - Moscow says it will release $2bn (£1.2bn) from a vital aid package to Ukraine "this week".

:: February 18, 2014 - At least 25 people are killed in the bloodiest day of clashes in nearly three months of protests. Riot police encircle Independence Square, where thousands of protesters remain after a deadline set by security forces.

:: February 19, 2014 - Ukraine's president announces a truce with the opposition.

:: February 20, 2014 - More than 50 people are killed in more clashes between riot police and protesters.

:: February 21, 2014 - President Yanukovych agrees to form a coalition government, hold early presidential elections and make constitutional changes to limit his powers. Mr Yanukovych leaves Kiev.

:: February 22, 2014 - Parliament votes to remove Mr Yanukovych and hold new elections. Yulia Tymoshenko is freed and addresses a huge crowd in Independence Square.

:: February 23, 2014 - Presidential powers are assigned to the Ukraine parliament's new speaker, Oleksandr Turchinov. Pro-Russian protests begin in Crimea, where Russia has a major naval base.

:: February 24, 2014 - Ukraine's interim government draws up an arrest warrant for Mr Yanukovych.

:: February 27, 2014 - Masked gunmen seize regional parliament and government buildings in Crimea. Mr Yanukovych is granted refuge in Russia.

:: February 28, 2014 - Ukraine says Russian troops have taken up positions around strategic locations on the Crimean peninsula. Mr Turchynov says he has put armed forces on full readiness.

:: March 1, 2014 - Russian troops take control of Crimea.

:: March 2, 2014 - Ukraine appeals for international help. The US says it believes Russia has more than 6,000 troops in Crimea. Preparations for June's G8 summit in Russia are suspended.

:: March 3, 2014 - Troops take control of a ferry terminal in Kerch. The Ukrainian military says it was given a deadline of 3am on March 4 to surrender or face a "full assault". Russia denies issuing the ultimatum. The US suspends all military engagements with Russia.

:: March 4, 2014 - Russian military exercises on the Ukraine border end. Russian troops fire warning shots at Ukraine servicemen outside Belbek airbase in Crimea.

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Pistorius Trial: Reeva 'Couldn't Have Screamed'

Oscar Pistorius' defence team says claims by a neighbour that she heard Reeva Steenkamp scream after she had been shot multiple times will be thrown into doubt by expert evidence.

The claim came on an emotional day in court, in which Pistorius was seen wiping his eyes with a white hankerchief, and the prosecution's key witness wept.

Sky's Alex Crawford, who is in court, said: "We saw for the first time a crack in the athlete's demeanour. He spent a lot of time taking notes, but this really broke him."

Oscar Pistorius shot dead his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

Neighbour Michelle Burger, who says she heard Ms Steenkamp being killed by Pistorius, was grilled by the athlete's defence team for a second day.

She told the packed courtroom in South Africa's administrative capital Pretoria she heard a woman screaming after shots were fired in Pistorius' residence.

But Pistorius' lawyer Barry Roux said: "We will debate the sequence of the bullets. We will have experts state that there was serious brain damage after the shot to the head, that it would not have been possible for her to scream at all.

Pistorius chats with his legal team during a break

"With the head shot, she would have dropped down immediately."

Ms Burger replied: "As I said yesterday, I heard her voice just after the last shot. It could have been that it was as the last shot was fired."

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel interjected to say it was the last of four shots that struck Ms Steenkamp's head.

Pistorius looks on from the dock as the case unfolds

Mr Roux opened Tuesday's questioning by saying he wanted to focus on two aspects of Ms Burger, her "credibility and reliability".

Mr Roux has repeatedly attempted to establish that Ms Burger had already decided she did not believe Pistorius' account of the evening - that he believed there was an intruder in his home - when she gave her evidence contradicting his story.

She is the prosecution's key witness, as her account of hearing a woman's screams suggests Pistorius would have known that it was his girlfriend rather than an intruder when he fired.

The world's media is watching the case closely

But the defence says the screams came from Pistorius, who was upset that he had killed Ms Steenkamp.

A tense exchange between Mr Roux and Ms Burger came to a climax when he said he had asked her the same question eight times.

"I'm going to be really slow this time," he said. "You heard at the bail application that it was put on behalf of Mr Pistorius that Reeva did not scream that night, is that correct?"

After giving an unclear answer, Judge Thokozile Masipa intervened and insisted that she had to give a clear answer. Eventually, the witness admitted she had heard about Pistorius' claims.

Pistorius' family are in the public gallery

Mr Roux said: "You've watched Sky News, you've watched other channels, and you've got retrospective knowledge and you take that knowledge and you come and give evidence today as if it's the knowledge of that fateful evening."

Ms Burger, who had been composed through two days of aggressive cross-examination, wept as she finished her testimony.

She broke down as she recalled the "raw emotion" she felt after the killing.

She said she often relives the "terrifying screams".

The Pretoria home of Pistorius pictured after the shooting

At around the same time, Pistorius was seen reaching for a hankerchief from his inside pocket and wiping his eyes.

Later, Ms Burger's husband Charl Peter Johnson took to the witness stand.

He said: "We were under the impression that they were being held up in their house.

"I lay in bed thinking of how I can improve the security around my house. I fell asleep at about 4am.

Pistorius turns to chat to his uncle

"When I woke up I started measuring around the house. I went to work early around 6am and I remembered surfing on the web for security gates for costs."

He backed up his wife's story by saying he too heard screams.

Earlier, the trial was temporarily delayed after an image of the witness was used by a South African news organisation.

The trial is being televised, but witnesses can choose not to appear on camera.

The Paralympic athlete looks down at his notes

Ms Burger did not want to be filmed or pictured, and the case was temporarily adjourned just before 8am after Judge Masipa was alerted to an image of the witness that had appeared in local media.

The judge said she viewed the error as "serious" and ordered an investigation.

Pistorius, a double-amputee, is accused of the premeditated murder of Ms Steenkamp last Valentine's Day after a jealous row.

He is also accused of the illegal possession of ammunition and two additional counts relating to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing.

The 27-year-old, who is known as the Blade Runner, denies all the charges against him. He claims he shot his girlfriend by mistake at his home after mistaking her for an intruder.

The trial, large parts of which can be broadcast live after a landmark ruling, is scheduled to last for three weeks and will hear from more than 100 witnesses.

South Africa does not have a jury system. Instead, Judge Masipa will decide his fate.

If Pistorius is found guilty he could be jailed for at least 25 years.

:: Sky News' live coverage of the trial is under way, and a special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday at 9.30pm.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Brooks 'Got Death Threats' Over Milly's Phone

Rebekah Brooks received death threats following the revelation that murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone had been hacked by the News Of The World, a court has heard.

Brooks, who was chief executive of News International at the time but had been NOTW editor, told the Old Bailey she received messages of support as she found herself the "central figure" of the story.

Former prime minister Tony Blair sent her a text which read: "Let me know if there's anything I can help you with. Thinking of you. I've been through things like this."

Brooks replied: "Thank you, I know what's it's like. GB (Gordon Brown) pals getting their own back. Rupert and James (Murdoch) have been brilliant.

"Hopefully even in this climate the truth will out."

Mr Blair sent Brooks a message of support

Jurors were also read messages of support that Brooks received from former Mirror editor Piers Morgan.

"When it rains, it f***ing pours. Grit your teeth and stay strong," Mr Morgan wrote.

On the eighth day of giving evidence, Brooks' lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw QC asked her about the events of July 2011, when the Guardian broke the "horrific" story about the hacking of Milly's phone.

Brooks said that as the story made headlines around the world: "We were completely at a loss and all over the place really, trying to find out what was true and what wasn't".

Milly Dowler's phone was hacked

Referring to the abusive messages she was sent, Brooks, 45, told jurors: "The allegations were, I think, met with universal revulsion and I was the central figure of that."

Jurors also heard correspondence between Brooks and her mother, who was very fearful for her safety during the period and urged her not to go outside alone.

"Mum, I have more security than the prime minister," Brooks replied.

Jurors heard that in a message to a friend, Brooks said she felt there was a "witch-hunt" against her.

Brooks also said it was believed that whoever had hacked Milly's phone was not a staff member at the paper.

"Obviously the accusation of Milly Dowler's phone in itself was terrible, but it was the deletion of the messages, the false hope, that was rightly sparking fury," she said.

The allegation that voicemails had been deleted, and therefore given Milly's parents the impression she could still be alive, was later found to be untrue.

Ms Carter was described as an "amazing friend"

Brooks said that she and senior colleagues had first discussed closing the News Of The World in June 2011 due to the mounting number of civil liability cases brought against it by celebrities.

The final edition of the paper was published just days after the Milly story broke on July 10. Brooks went resigned on July 15. She told jurors: "I felt it was the right thing to do."

Mr Laidlaw asked Brooks about the charge of conspiring to cover up evidence to pervert the course of justice between July 6 and 9, 2011.

"Is there any truth in that?" he asked.

Brooks replied: "No, absolutely not."

Mr Laidlaw asked Brooks to describe Cheryl Carter, 49, her co-defendant on that charge, who worked as her personal assistant for 16 years.

Brooks described her as an "amazing friend" and "brilliant PA" who could be "scatty and forgetful" but would not pervert the course of justice.

Asked if she knew seven boxes were removed from the News International archives, Brooks said: "Absolutely not." She denied any knowledge of the boxes.

Brooks denies conspiring to hack phones, conspiring to commit misconduct in public office and conspiring to cover up evidence to pervert the course of justice.

She is one of seven defendants who all deny the charges against them.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Oscar Neighbour Heard 'Bloodcurdling Screams'

A neighbour of Oscar Pistorius has told how she heard screams and four gunshots on the night the star killed Reeva Steenkamp.

Michell Burger - the first witness at the athlete's highly anticipated murder trial - told the court how she woke up at 3am to the sound of "terrible screams" and called security.

In front of a packed public gallery, which included Ms Steenkamp's mother June, she described hearing "bloodcurdling screams".

"She screamed terribly and she yelled for help," she said.

"Then I also heard a man screaming for help. Three times he yelled for help.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead at Pistorius' home in February 2013

"Just after her screams, I heard four shots. It was very traumatic for me. You could hear that it was bloodcurdling screams."

When Pistorius' lawyer Barry Roux repeatedly asked if she thought Pistorius was lying, she said she did not understand how Pistorius could not have heard the screams.

Mr Roux also suggested she had in fact heard the sound of Pistorius hitting the toilet door with a cricket bat after the shooting, rather than the actual shots.

When pressed by Mr Roux whether the shots could have been fired before she woke up, she insisted she had heard gunshots.

During a tense exchange, Mr Roux also asked for details about the screams she heard between gunshots, and why details in her court testimony did not appear in her witness statement.

Pistorious' lawyer Barry Roux

He asked: "Was there continuous screaming?"

She replied: "The screaming, it went very fast. I didn't expect that that evening."

Mr Roux said sharply: "What is it that you say to me by mentioning that?"

Ms Burger replied: "I didn't sit there with a stopwatch and take down the timing of each shot, or write when she shouted.

"What I can say is that there were four gunshots, and I heard her petrified screaming."

Pistorius' home pictured after the shooting

Mr Roux said: "You are not sure and what you are now doing is adapting, you're speculating, you're trying to close all the gaps."

Ms Burger said she later saw aerial shots on Sky News which showed how close her house was to Pistorius' home. Until then she knew the athlete lived nearby, but not exactly where.

The trial started with Pistorius, wearing a dark suit and tie, pleading not guilty to murder and a series of firearms charges.

For much of the opening statement by the defence counsel, Pistorius had his eyes closed and occasionally sighed.

The defence used the statement to allege the crime scene had been "contaminated and tampered with". State prosecutor Gerrie Nel denied there had been any tampering.

Pistorius walks past Ms Steenkamp's mother (second from right)

Pistorius' team also said claims the athlete wanted to kill Ms Steenkamp "couldn't be further from the truth", and that he thought there was an intruder in his home.

After the opening statement Pistorius then fixed his gaze on the witness box, where his neighbour gave evidence for most of the day.

Earlier, there was disruption in court as a woman known only as Anna Marie - who has attempted to intervene in previous hearings - turned up at court and was surrounded and asked to leave.

Sky's Alex Crawford, who is in court, said the woman told reporters she knew Pistorius' mother, and wanted to see the judge.

She also claimed to be the ex-wife of the surgeon who amputated Pistorius' legs as a baby.

Large parts of the trial are being televised

In a landmark ruling, large parts of the case are being broadcast live by three remote-controlled cameras in court, but testimony given by Pistorius can't be shown.

The trial, which will hear from more than 100 witnesses, is scheduled to run for three weeks but could go on for longer.

The South African legal system does not have trials by a jury, so a judge is presiding over proceedings who will ultimately pronounce Pistorius innocent or guilty.

The 27-year-old double amputee faces charges of murder, illegal possession of ammunition and two additional counts relating to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before shooting Ms Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria on Valentine's Day last year.

He stands accused of fatally shooting the 29-year-old model and reality TV star four times through a toilet door intentionally following a jealous row and then lying extensively about it.

Pistorius acknowledges he killed Ms Steenkamp but denies murder and says he shot her after mistaking her for an intruder.

Pistorius says he was terrified at the mistaken belief that there was a dangerous intruder in his home about to hurt him and the woman he loved dearly - but he had to intervene.

If found guilty of premeditated murder, the Paralympic and Olympic athlete could be jailed for at least 25 years.

June Steenkamp - who was sitting on the same bench as members of the Pistorius family - was in court for the first time. Earlier she had said she wanted to look Pistorius in the eyes during the trial.

She glared at the star as he walked into court.

The High Court in Pretoria where the trial is taking place

At the end of the first day of the trial he was bustled out of court through crowds of photographers and journalists and into a waiting car.

Crawford said: "There were quite extraordinary scenes when Oscar Pistorius left.

"His car was absolutely mobbed, he was followed by crowds and crowds of people who ran after his car shouting and screaming.

"It was absolute chaos for 15 minutes."

:: Sky News' live coverage of the trial is under way, and a special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday at 9.30pm.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

 

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Oscar Pistorius Trial Has Nail-Biting Start

He arrived only minutes before the hearing was due to begin and there was even a rumour that the central figure in this historic trial was too ill to attend.

The dozens of cameramen and journalists almost missed Oscar Pistorius as he crept up behind them in the pouring rain before slipping through the throng and into court.

Perhaps they have seldom seen him moving so slowly.

They may have been distracted by the chanting, dancing members of the ANC Women's League who were here to draw attention to the issue of domestic violence.

June Steenkamp (left) in court on day one of the trial

They have used previous hearings to highlight an issue that gets little publicity and few court convictions.

Other key figures arrived with more of a warning, the first being victim Reeva Steenkamp's mother June, who had heralded her own arrival with a published statement.

She entered court after vowing that she wanted to look Pistorius in the eye and let him see the hurt he had caused her by shooting dead her daughter.

The centre of Pretoria was jammed for the hour before court opened as all roads leading to North Gauteng High Court were sealed off, but traffic chaos is hardly an usual event in African cities.

A tent city has been erected by TV crews from around the world, all jockeying for the best positions across the road and on the first floor roof of the Post Office building opposite.

And boy, are we glad of the tents because it hasn't stopped raining since Saturday.

But there is a plentiful supply of food. In our midst the enterprising owner of a fried chicken shop has opened a little open-air cafe for the world's media.

:: Sky News' live coverage of the trial is under way, and a special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday at 9.30pm.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Missing Megan Roberts: Body Of Woman Found

Police looking for a female student who went missing in York six weeks ago have taken the body of a woman from a river.

Megan Roberts, who studied at York St John University, disappeared during a night out with friends in January.

Police believe Miss Roberts, from Wetherby, became separated from friends while drunk and fell into the Ouse near Lendal Bridge.

A pedestrian reported the sighting of a woman's body on Sunday afternoon near the Ship Inn pub in the village of Acaster Malbis, five miles south of York.

Police have not confirmed that the body is that of Miss Roberts

The 20-year-old's family has been told of the discovery.

A police spokesman said: "Formal identification has not yet been completed, therefore we cannot confirm the identity of the deceased at this stage. The family of Megan Roberts have been informed of the discovery."

Miss Roberts was last seen on CCTV on the corner of Rougier Street and Lendal Bridge at about 2.20am on January 23.

A week later her mother, Jackie Roberts, explained the disappearance of her "beautiful daughter" as "a tragic run of events with no one to blame".

Police had searched the Ouse using sonar equipment but had no success.

A Facebook page, Help Find Megan Roberts, was set up to aid the search and attracted 8,535 followers.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Ukraine: Russia Delivers 'Assault Storm' Deadline

Ukraine Protests: Timeline Of Events

Updated: 11:46am UK, Monday 03 March 2014

Protesters in Ukraine have staged three months of demonstrations at the decision to reject an EU deal in favour of closer ties with Russia. Here are the key events:

:: November 2013 - Ukrainian authorities suspend talks on an Associated Agreement with the EU in favour of closer economic ties with Russia. The decision prompts pro-European opposition groups to call for protests.

:: December 1, 2013 - A crowd of up to 500,000 gathers on Independence Squaure in Kiev, setting up a camp and building barricades.

:: December 11, 2013 - Security forces move against protesters in Kiev but are forced back.

:: December 17, 2013 - President Viktor Yanukovych travels to Moscow where he secures a $15bn (£9bn) bailout deal and a huge price cut for Russian gas.

:: January 19, 2014 - Dozens are injured in clashes between police and protesters in the capital after 200,000 defy new restrictions on demonstrations.

:: January 22, 2014 - Police smash barricades in central Kiev. Protesters respond by hurling rocks and firebombs.

:: January 25, 2014 - Yanukovych offers opposition leaders Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Vitali Klitschko entry to the government, but they decline.

:: January 28, 2014 - Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigns, parliament scraps the anti-protest laws.

:: January 29, 2014 - Parliament passes an amnesty bill, but the opposition rejects its conditions.

:: February 2, 2014 - Yatsenyuk and Klitschko call for international mediation and Western financial aid in Kiev.

:: February 4, 2014 - Klitschko calls for an "end to the dictatorship" during a heated parliament session.

:: February 5, 2014 - EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and top US envoy to Europe Victoria Nuland visit Kiev.

:: February 7, 2014 - Yanukovych meets his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

:: February 9, 2014 - 70,000 protesters gather on Independence Square.

:: February 10, 2014 - The EU stops short of any immediate threat of sanctions.

:: February 14, 2014 - All 234 protesters who have been arrested since December are released, but charges against them remain in place.

:: February 16, 2014 - Protesters evacuate Kiev city hall after occupying the building since December 1. A day later, protesters are granted amnesty.

:: February 17, 2014 - Moscow says it will release $2bn (£1.2bn) from a vital aid package to Ukraine "this week".

:: February 18, 2014 - At least 25 people are killed in the bloodiest day of clashes in nearly three months of protests. Riot police encircle Independence Square, where thousands of protesters remain after a deadline set by security forces.

:: February 19, 2014 - Ukraine's president announces a truce with the opposition.

:: February 20, 2014 - More than 50 people are killed in more clashes between riot police and protesters.

:: February 21, 2014 - President Yanukovych agrees to form a coalition government, hold early presidential elections and make constitutional changes to limit his powers. Mr Yanukovych leaves Kiev.

:: February 22, 2014 - Parliament votes to remove Mr Yanukovych and hold new elections. Yulia Tymoshenko is freed and addresses a huge crowd in Independence Square.

:: February 23, 2014 - Presidential powers are assigned to the Ukraine parliament's new speaker, Oleksandr Turchinov. Pro-Russian protests begin in Crimea, where Russia has a major naval base.

:: February 24, 2014 - Ukraine's interim government draws up an arrest warrant for Mr Yanukovych.

:: February 27, 2014 - Masked gunmen seize regional parliament and government buildings in Crimea. Mr Yanukovych is granted refuge in Russia.

:: February 28, 2014 - Ukraine says Russian troops have taken up positions around strategic locations on the Crimean peninsula. Mr Turchynov says he has put armed forces on full readiness.

:: March 1, 2014 - Russian troops take control of Crimea.

:: March 2, 2014 - Ukraine appeals for international help. The US says it believes Russia has more than 6,000 troops in Crimea. Preparations for June's G8 summit in Russia are suspended.

:: March 3, 2014 - Troops take control of a ferry terminal in Kerch.

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Pistorius Case Will Hinge On Forensic Evidence

Forensic evidence will play a major part in the murder trial of paralympian Oscar Pistorius which begins tomorrow and will be broadcast live around the world.

The double-amputee athlete has always insisted he and model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp had had a quiet night in together at his house, a closely guarded compound in Pretoria.

He claims he got up in the early hours to bring in a fan from the balcony. But when he went back into the bedroom again, in the pitch dark, he says he heard a noise.

Believed there was an intruder in the house, he says he grabbed a 9mm pistol that he kept under his bed that he kept for security purposes and ran down the passageway leading to the bathroom, without his prosthetic legs on.

The bloody bathroom where Pistorius shot Ms Steenkamp

There he fired four shots into the toilet door, which was closed. He insists it was only when he went back into the bedroom and realised his girlfriend was not in bed that it dawned on him it was her in the toilet.

Pictures inside the house show a trail of blood from the bathroom as the paralympian carried Ms Steenkamp downstairs after shouting for help, with flecks of blood on the wall, on the sofa downstairs and on the landing.

The case is likely to hinge on forensic evidence, with specialists for both the defence and prosecution trying to glean everything they can from the site of the shooting.

Ballistics expert JC de Klerk speaks to Sky's Alex Crawford

Ballistics expert JC de Klerk has told Sky News how every shot fired will have left a trail.

"The trajectory of bullets through the door will give an indication of where the firearm must have been held," he said.

Forensic experts say every drop of blood can help show what happened, and whether Ms Steenkamp was sitting, standing or moving at the time she was shot.

Pistorius insists he was "deeply in love" with Ms Steenkamp, who he had been dating for just a few months.

Pistorius says he loved Ms Steenkamp

When the world's best-known paralympian appeared at Pretoria Magistrates' Court during a bail application hearing, he said when he realised his mistake he did everything to save his lover, battering the toilet door with a cricket bat to get to her.

During the trial, science and forensics will help build a picture of what happened, and it will be down to a judge to decide whether the death of Ms Steenkamp was a tragic accident or murder.

 :: Sky News will have live coverage of the trial from Monday, with a special highlights programme at 9.30pm.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Russia Stands With Putin Over Ukraine Gamble

President Vladimir Putin asked his parliament for permission to use Russian troops in Ukraine, but the result was never in doubt.

His senate voted unanimously in favour with almost palpable glee, applauding themselves as they did.

Where much of the international community sees a leader dangerously poised on the verge of annexing Crimea, his supporters see much to like.

The case that Mr Putin is making is one that resonates well in Russia: that he is being forced to act to protect the lives of Russian citizens, compatriots, and Russian armed forces in Ukraine.

In other words, that he is defending Russian national interests and lives.

That much of the rest of the world considers those interests to be part of the sovereign territory of Ukraine is not necessarily a problem for Russia.

In Moscow, the state propaganda machine is already in overdrive, dismissing Oleksandr Turchynov as the "self-imposed president" and dismissing the mass protest movement as extremists and armed gangs.

Mr Putin has made his case and he will likely stick to it: that a legitimately-elected president has been overthrown and Russian citizens are under threat.

Mr Putin is ignoring international opinion to defend Russia's interests

And there are ever-increasing numbers of them to protect. An estimated 143,000 Ukrainians have been issued with Russian passports in the last two weeks, including members of the Berkut riot police.

The old Kremlin tactic of passport politics seems to be alive and flourishing in Ukraine.

The next 24 hours will see the inevitable volley of stern diplomatic warnings and rhetoric from all sides, but Moscow will be scrutinising all those words for any real threat of action, and so far there is not much to fear.

One commentator characterised US President Barack Obama's latest statement on Ukraine as: "Stop, or I'll say stop again."

The US has now paused preparations for this summer's Russian-hosted G8 summit.

Mr Putin does not respond to threats of condemnation. He has never sought approval, just respect.

He wants Russia to be seen as a great superpower once again, and himself as its strongman president.

If that means playing the bad cop in the West and weathering a diplomatic storm, he probably will not lose much sleep.

For Russia, this is about more than just the loss of Ukraine joining the EU. It's about Europe, Nato - the old Cold War bogeyman of the West - advancing right up to the Russian border, and Moscow does not like that at all.

Mr Putin wants to defend his sphere of influence and the national interest. They count for much more in the Kremlin than whether Mr Obama does or does not come to Sochi for G8.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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