The Prime Minister called the Kremlin and urged President Putin “to de-escalate” the situation in the Ukrainian region. A spokesman for Mr Cameron said: “The PM made clear that we, along with our European and American partners, want to work with Russia to find a diplomatic solution to the situation in Ukraine, including Crimea. “President Putin agreed that it is in all our interests to have a stable Ukraine. He said that Russia did want to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.” The spokesman added that Mr Putin had said he and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would today discuss proposals to establish a contact group with European Union and US leaders.Continue reading →
10.10 In their telephone conversation, Russian foreign secretary Sergei Lavrov warned US Secretary of State John Kerry against taking “hasty and unthought-through steps capable of causing harm to Russian-US relations”.
09.55 Digging their heels in, Andriy Deshchytsia, Ukraine’s acting foreign minister has said his country would not give up Crimea and would do all in its power to resolve the crisis over the Black Sea peninsula peacefully. Earlier in the week, Crimea’s parliament voted unanimously to be part of Russia, bringing forward to March 16 a referendum on whether to leave the Ukraine.
A former police officer has appeared in court charged with rape and other child sex offences. Alan Saffery, 60, of Spinney Grove, Hereford, is accused of two offences of raping a girl under the age of 16 in the 1980s. He is also charged with nine counts of indecently assaulting a girl in the 1970s and 1980s and two counts of gross indecency towards a child. He was released on conditional bail by Worcester Magistrates’ Court. Mr Saffrey also faces two counts of making indecent images of children. He is due at Worcester Crown Court on 23 June.
Inside the occupied government building, teenagers strolled through the regional council chamber and took selfies in the speaker’s chair, now flanked by the flags of Russia and the Soviet-era independent republic of Donetsk. Riot policemen with shields and helmets lined the corridors, but they seemed in no particular hurry to remove the pro-Russian activists who had burst into the 11-storey building a day before and appointed their own “people’s governor”. “We will not leave until our demands are met,” said Olexsander, aged 42, a self-appointed commander in the “local resistance” camped out in the council chamber. “Donetsk belongs with Russia,” he said. Pro-Russian groups have called on local deputies to declare the government in Kiev illegitimate, to put all security forces under regional control and to withhold taxes from the capital. They also want a referendum on the region’s future status – although they have yet to agree on the question to be asked, and the new government in Kiev has said that any such vote would be illegal.
Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of Russian troops participating in military exercises near Ukraine’s border to return to their bases as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was on his way to Kiev. Tensions remained high in the strategic Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea with troops loyal to Moscow fired warning shots at protesting Ukrainian soldiers. It was not clear if Putin’s move was an attempt to heed the West’s call to de-escalate the crisis that has put Ukraine’s future on the line. It came as Kerry was on his way to Kiev to meet with the new Ukrainian leadership that deposed a pro-Russian president, and has accused Moscow of a military invasion.
The Guardian has highlighted a very serious social issue which deeply concerns us, but has mistakenly claimed that the plantation in question supplies Tetley internationally. The simple fact is that this plantation does not supply Tetley internationally. The report was also wrong to suggest that criminal trafficking is a consequence of the amount the tea industry pays in India and overlooks the fact that trafficking, sadly, can occur in any quarter of society. Tea pickers’ wages in Assam are set not by any individual company but by an industry-wide wage settlement arrived under a tripartite agreement between the Assam government, the workers union recognized by the government, and the India Tea Association. Therefore, such wages apply equally to all tea plantation companies in Assam, which have been supplying and continue to supply many of the world’s tea brands.
The tea plantation Company described in the Guardian article is an independently managed company called APPL (Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited) in which Tata Global Beverages holds a minority stake. As a responsible company, Tata Global Beverages, owner of the Tetley brand, decided last week to commission an independent third party audit on living and working conditions in the APPL tea plantations and will address any areas and issues identified.
“This article is the subject of a legal complaint made on behalf of Tata Global Beverages Limited.”
Slave traders took girls as young as 11 from an Indian plantation that supplies tea to Tetley and sold them on to a life of abuse as domestic servants, an investigation has revealed. The girls were taken from the Nahorani estate in Assam, owned by a consortium that includes Tetley’s parent company, Tata Global Beverages, and the World Bank’s investment arm. Workers on the estate are paid 94 rupees (91p) a day – barely half the 169 rupee legal minimum wage for Assam. Anti-slavery campaigners say the low wages help traffickers to lure girls away with the promise of a better life elsewhere. Auditing by the Ethical Tea Partnership, which certifies estates for some of the biggest names in the industry, including Twinings and Mars Drinks, failed to detect the trafficking. An Observer and Guardian investigation set out to track the traffickers from Assam to the national capital, Delhi. At least 21 people were rescued in a series of raids. The results can be seen in a Guardian Investigations documentary.
March 3, 7:07 p.m. — Russian Black Sea Fleet Commander Aleksandr Vitko has delivered an ultimatum to the Ukrainian military in Crimea, Interfax-Ukraine reported, citing Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. “If by 0500 tomorrow (March 4) they do not surrender, a real assault on the units and detachments of the armed forces of Ukraine will start across Crimea,” the ministry said. Russian soldiers are are conveying this warning of the Russian Black Sea Fleet commander to Ukrainian soldiers in Crimea, the news agency reported. — Anastasia Forina
Two Ukrainian ship officials confirm Russian ultimatum to Channel 5
March 3, 6:28 p.m. — A Ukrainian naval officer, Alexei Kyrylov, confirmed to Channel 5 today that the Russian Black Sea Fleet command has issued an ultimatum to Ukrainian naval forces to surrender by 5 p.m. today. Kyrylov told the news channel that he expected an attack by 7 p.m. tonight. Kyrylov is stationed with two Ukrainian ships Ternopil and Slavutych in Sevastopol Bay. Security sources confirmed to the Kyiv Post that the Russian threat took place. — Anastasia Forina
Interior Ministry denies Russian claims of increase in refugees fleeing Ukraine
March 3, 6:12 p.m. — Ukrainian Interior Ministry spokesman Evgeniy Perebyynis said that Russian news media claims of an increase in refugees fleeing from Ukraine to Russia are false. Perebyynis also warned of the poissibility of Russian ground forces entering Ukrainian territory besides the Crimea. — Solomiya Zineyevych
Foreign minister says OSCE pledges help
March 3, 6:10 p.m. Ukraine’s new Foreign Minister Andriy Dyschytsya said that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is ready to support Ukraine and help to protect its territory. “We use all possible sources to avoid military conflict and solve the issue diplomatically,” he said. “I applied for am waiting for the conversation with” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. —
Russian ultimatum is being broadcast via loudspeaker offshore in Crimea
March 3, 5:58 pm. Kyiv Post editor Christopher J. Miller in Crimea said that a Russian ship was circling a Ukrainian ship off the shore and yelling what appeared to be an ultimatum, repeatedly, via loudspeaker, but the words were muffled. The Ukrainians on shop are all armed, but the Russian ship was too far from the shore to see. — Brian Bonner.
Naval spokesman confirms Russian ultimatum, differs on time
March 3, 5:54 p.m. — Oleg Chubuk, a spokesman of Ukraine’s naval forces, told the Kyiv Post: “As far as I know, an ultimatum has been voiced for 6 p.m. (today) with the demand to Ukraine’s soldiers to surrender arms,” he said, adding that the time could be changed. “Ukraine’s sailors don’t yield the provocations, guns are under control.” He said that Ukrainian forces would be required to defend themselves in event of attack. — Oksana Grytsenko
Russians issued earlier ultimatum about attack, Turchynov says
March 3, 5:38 p.m. Russian military commanders have reportedly given the Ukrainian navy until 7 p.m. today to surrender and Ukrainian troops stationed on Crimea’s mainland until 5 a.m. tomorrow — or else they face attack. But the threats could be part of the war of nerves designed to rattle Ukraine. The nation’s interim President Oleksandr Turchynov said that Russia gave Ukraine a similar ultimatum two days earlier, with the deadline of 5 a.m. on March 2. “They didn’t start storming the bases on 5 a.m., but the situation is still tense there,” he said earlier. —
Ukrainian officials: Russians planning provocations in Crimea to justify war
March 3, 5:22 p.m. — Deputy Ukrainian Interior Minister Mykola Velykovych issues a warning that Russia is preparing violent provocations to justify using military force. “There is a provocation expected in Crimea. Unknown persons pretending to be the Ukrainian side plan to kill three or four Russian soldiers to legitimize bringing Russian troops to the territory of Ukraine. We would like these people to come to their senses because this way you provoke a bloodshed, which has not happened in Crimea. This is why it’s very important for you to understand that people’s lives are the highest value, and thus we urge you to come to your senses, we urge you to stop and remember that the situation is being monitored, the situation is controlled, we follow up on it and all guilty persons involved will be punished.” –– Katya Gorchinskaya
19.33 UKRAINE’S PRIME MINISTER SAYS MILITARY INTERVENTION WOULD LEAD TO WAR AND END TO ANY RELATIONS WITH MOSCOW. UKRAINE’S PRIME MINISTER SAYS RUSSIAN FORCES MUST RETURN TO BASE
19.23 AFP – Ukraine’s army put on alert: interim president
19.21 UKRAINE’S ACTING PRESIDENT SAYS NO BASIS FOR RUSSIA’S ACT OF AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE
19.00 The reaction to Putin’s approval for military action is coming thick and fast now.
• From the EU – Catherine Ashton, foreign policy chief, says the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine must be respected.
• From Nato – Anders Fogh Rasmussen says Russia must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, including with regard to troop movements.
• From UN – Ban ki-Moon says he is “gravely concerned” and will talk to Putin shortly
• From the Czech republic – Milos Zeman, the president, recalled 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia and warned against creating “a deep ditch which cannot be filled for a generation.”
• From the UK – David Cameron told Moscow there is “no excuse” for military intervention in Ukraine as he reiterated warnings that the “world is watching”.
• From France – Francois Hollande urges the avoidance of “a highly dangerous escalation.”
• From Germany – Angela Merkel said what is happening in Crimea was cause for concern.
18.59 ACTING UKRAINIAN PRESISDENT SAYS RUSSIA WANTS FULL DESTABILISATION OF SITUATION IN UKRAINE – PARLIAMENTARY WEBSITE
18.58 RUSSIAN PARLAIMENTARY SPEAKER TELLS UKRAINE’S LEADER MOSCOW COULD RESPOND MILITARILY IF UKRAINE USES FORCE AGAINST PEACEFUL CITIZENS IN EAST AND CRIMEA – URKAINE PARLIAMENT WEBSITE
US President Barack Obama has warned Russia there will be “costs” for any military intervention in Ukraine. He said he was deeply concerned by reports of Russian military movements inside the country. Ukraine’s acting president has accused Russia of deploying troops to Crimea and trying to provoke Kiev into “armed conflict”.
Russia’s UN ambassador said any troop movements in Crimea were within an existing arrangement with Ukraine. Speaking from the White House, President Obama commended Ukraine’s interim government for its “restraint”. “Any violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilising, which is not in the interests of Ukraine, Russia or Europe,” he said.
“It would represent a profound interference in matters that must be determined by the Ukrainian people. It would be a clear violation of Russia’s commitment to respect the independence and sovereignty and borders of Ukraine – and of international laws.” He added: “Just days after the world came to Russia for the Olympic games, it would invite the condemnation of nations around the world. And, indeed, the United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.” Mr Obama did not spell out what any US response might be. However, the BBC’s Beth McLeod in Washington says the US is considering exerting economic pressure by withholding the deeper trade ties that Moscow seeks. It is also considering boycotting a G8 summit hosted by Russia, she adds, although that is not until June. In a TV address on Friday, Ukraine’s interim President Oleksander Turchynov said Moscow wanted the new government to react to provocations so it could annex Crimea. He appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop provocations and start negotiations”.
He said Russia was behaving as it did before sending troops into Georgia in 2008 over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which have large ethnic Russian populations. “They are implementing the scenario like the one carried out in Abkhazia, when after provoking a conflict, they started an annexation of the territory,” Mr Turchynov said. Armed men in unidentified military uniforms have moved in on Crimea’s parliament, state television building and telecommunication centres. They have also been patrolling airports in the Crimean capital, Simferopol, and Sevastopol, where Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is based.
GCHQ operated a secret surveillance project called Optic Nerve which captured images from millions of Yahoo! webcam chats made between people suspected of no crime. Leaked documents dated from 2008 to 2010 reveal that Yahoo! was chosen because it was known to be used by “GCHQ targets”. The NSA was also involved, providing software to identify video traffic online and make screenshots searchable once intercepted. The images were collected from 1.8 million Yahoo! accounts around the world to conduct experiments in facial recognition and to detect criminals or terror suspects who were using multiple accounts to hold webcam chats. The Guardian, which has access to the leaked documents supplied by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, reports that one image was taken every five minutes, partly to satisfy human rights legislation and partly to avoid being overwhelmed with huge swathes of data. The documents say that the victims of the intrusion were “unselected”, which is a term used to describe randomly selected individuals rather than those suspected of wrongdoing.
The newspaper reports that one document says: “Face detection has the potential to aid selection of useful images for ‘mugshots’ or even for face recognition by assessing the angle of the face. The best images are ones where the person is facing the camera with their face upright.” Agents were reportedly not able to trawl the images at random but could search for images from users with similar account names to known suspects. The documents were taken from GCHQ’s internal wiki and say that the project was currently closed but “shortly to return!” Files reveal that GCHQ inadvertently intercepted pornographic images with the project: “Unfortunately … it would appear that a surprising number of people use webcam conversations to show intimate parts of their body to the other person. Also, the fact that the Yahoo software allows more than one person to view a webcam stream without necessarily sending a reciprocal stream means that it appears sometimes to be used for broadcasting pornography.”
4TheRecord 