Putin recognizes Crimea as sovereign and independent state
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to recognize Crimea as a sovereign and independent state.
The move follows an official declaration of Crimean independence from Ukraine following a Sunday referendum which has seen nearly 97-percent vote in-favor of seceeding.
The Crimean parliament has since sent a formal request to Moscow to join the Russian Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to address the Russian Federal Assembly later on this Tuesday in connection with the request by Crimea to join the Federation.
Ukrainian authorities in Kiev have dismissed the Crimean referendum as "illegal," saying it violates Ukraine's constitution.
Kiev has since recalled its ambassador to Moscow.
In the fallout from this, US President Barack Obama has announced sanctions against 7-Russian and 4-Ukrainian officials, including ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
The European Union has brought down sanctions against 21-individuals.
For its part, the Chinese government says its maintaining an objective and fair position when it comes to the situation, calling for a political solution through dialogue as soon as possible.
Chinese premier asks Malaysia to provide more detailed, accurate info on MH370
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has been discussing the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak.
Li Keqiang has asked the Malaysian side to provide more detailed information about the missing plane in a "timely, accurate and comprehensive" manner.
China so far has dispatched over 10 vessels, several aircraft and mobilized 21 satellites to take part in the search.
For his part, Najib Razak says the Malaysian side is doing its best to deal with the situation.
He has also promised to provide better services to the families of Chinese passengers aboard the missing plane both in Beijing and in Kuala Lumpur.
Flight MH370 vanished from radar in the wee hours of March 8th on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Officials now believe the airplane's transponders were intentionally turned off, suggesting the plane was either hijacked or stolen.
Chinese, U.S. presidents to meet in Netherlands
The Chinese government has confirmed President Xi Jinping is set to attend a Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands later on this month.
Nuclear Security Summit is set to be held on the 24th and 25th.
Xi Jinping is also expected to meet with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the meetings.
The bilateral meeting will be the first between the two Presidents this year.
Xi Jinping is also due to travel to France, Germany, and Belgium during his trip, which will see him make stops at the headquarters of both the European Union and UNESCO.
Tough political decisions needed in "challenging" Mideast talks: Obama
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has sat down for talks with US President Barack Obama at the White House.
Obama has told Abbas it will require "tough" political decisions and risks to achieve peace in, what he has described as, "challenging" Israeli-Palestinian talks.
For his part, Abbas has told Obama the Palestinian side is working for a solution "based on international legitimacy."
But while not specifically mentioning the Israeli demand for the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, Abbas notes his side has recognized "the state of Israel" for over 20-years.
Syria expects reconciliation as army defeats rebels in battles
The Syrian government has begun renewing its calls for reconciliation with the rebel forces in the country.
This follows the seisure of a key rebel stronghold over the weekend.
Syria's reconciliation minister says the seisure of the city of Yabroud has left the rebels in a "dead end" position.
In the wake of this, he says the Syrian government is ready to begin real reconciliation, saying its become frustrated with a lack of political movement in the 4-year-long conflict.
Ali Haidar does admit there are still big challenges to overcome before any reconciliation process can begin.
He says the biggest threat to any reconciliation process is from foreign jihad fighters.
Venezuelan authorities seize opposition stronghold
Venezuelan authorities say they've retaken control of a public square in eastern Caracas which has been a stronghold for anti-government protesters.
Some 600 security forces swept into Altamira Square on Monday, saying several arrests have been made.
The Venezuelan government claims many of the protesters were given 5-thousand bolivars, or just under 800-US dollars, per week to generate violence and vandalism in the area.
While the Venezuelan side hasn't explicitly said where it believes the money is coming from, the government of Nicholas Maduro has pointed the finger at US officials for inciting the unrest.
China, S.Korea start encoffining remains of Chinese soldiers killed in Korean War
Chinese and South Korean authorities have begun the process of repatriating the remains of Chinese soldiers killed in the Korean War along South Korea's border city of Paju.
A total of 437 remains of Chinese soldiers have been placed in coffins supplied by the Chinese government.
The coffins are scheduled to be carried back to China later this month ahead of the traditional Chinese Tomb-Sweeping Day.
China and South Korea reached an agreement last year, with Seoul promising to return the remains of Chinese soldiers buried in a cemetery in Paju.
The remains of 43 Chinese soldiers have been repatriated from South Korea since an agreement was inked in 1981. |