Latest news and views in Brief
From the SA Press Association: No court action has been taken against non-paying e-toll motorists so far, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) said on Monday. “They have not summonsed anyone [to court] yet, otherwise we would know about it,” spokesman John Clarke said. “They ought to be doing that as they have had … Read more
MOSCOW, March 17 (Reuters) – Russian markets will extend their slide on Monday, hurt by uncertainty over the scale of measures the West will impose over the seizure of Ukraine’s Crimea region and support of its referendum to join Russia. Partial results showed that 96 percent of voters in Crimea favoured accession to Russia at a referendum on Sunday … Read more
By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) – The White House warned President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that Moscow would face sanctions in coming days and international isolation that will hurtRussia’s economy, as Washington fumed over a referendum in Ukraine’s Crimea region that it was powerless to stop. “We are putting as much pressure on the Russians as we can to do the right … Read more
By MIKE ECKEL and JIM HEINTZ of Associated Press Russian forces backed by helicopter gunships and armored vehicles Saturday took control of a village near the border with Crimea on the eve of a referendum on whether the region should seek annexation by Moscow, Ukrainian officials said. The action in Strilkove appeared to be the … Read more
By IAN MADER and EILEEN NG of Associated Press: Attention focused Sunday on the pilots of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight after the country’s leader announced findings so far that suggest someone with intimate knowledge of the Boeing 777’s cockpit seized control of the plane and sent it off-course. Prime Minister Najib Razak gave the … Read more
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Three people were killed when the small plane they were travelling in crashed near a landing strip in the South African province of KwaZulu Natal on Saturday, police and emergency services said. “The plane is apparently burnt beyond recognition,” Santi Steinmann, media liaison officer for private ambulance service Netcare 911, told Reuters. She said the plane … Read more
From the Associated Press: Dozens of billboards throughout the capital of the restive Ukrainian republic of Crimea proclaim “Together With Russia,” but a few have been hit by spray-painters who scrawled out “Russia” and replaced it with “Ukraine.” Crimea, a strategically important Black Sea peninsula that is home to a key Russian naval base, holds … Read more
MOSCOW, March 15 (Reuters) – Planned western sanctions against Russia after a secession referendum in the Ukrainian province of Crimea on Sunday are unlikely to have a major economic impact, Russian Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said. Investors in Russia are concerned about the effect of the measures that may be levied against Moscow in retaliation for Russian forces taking control of Crimea, which is holding … Read more
From the SA Press Association: Independent Newspapers on Saturday declined to comment on a report that an ANC businessman plans to sue the Sunday Independent for defamation of R1 billion. See prior story by EE Publishers @clarevanzwieten http://t.co/SQIR1vGZx9 “@alechogg: Gumede to sue Indy News for R1b http://t.co/KdzEeRUqSm” — Chris Yelland (@chrisyelland) March 15, 2014 “We … Read more
By EILEEN NG and JOAN LOWY of Associated Press Piracy and pilot suicide are among the scenarios under study as investigators grow increasingly certain the missing Malaysia Airlines plane changed course and headed west after its last radio contact with air traffic controllers. The latest evidence suggests the missing plane didn’t experience a catastrophic incident … Read more