Ukraine crisis: US sanctions target Putin's inner circle

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• Next Crimea?
• Smooth invasion
• Putin's speech
• EU dilemma
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President Obama: ''Nations do not redraw borders... simply because they are more powerful"

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Ukraine crisis

• Putin's speech analysed
• Sanctions explained
• Analysis: This won't stop here
• Waking in a different Crimea

US President Barack Obama has announced further sanctions on Russian officials and a bank over the crisis in Crimea.

Mr Obama also said he had signed an order enabling the US to impose sanctions on sectors of the Russian economy.
Meanwhile EU leaders have arrived in Brussels amid warnings that they may impose tougher economic sanctions.
Tensions are high as Moscow approves a treaty enabling Crimea - an autonomous republic in Ukraine - to join Russia.
Mr Obama said: "Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community."

Allies of the Russian president targeted by US sanctions include railways boss Vladimir Yakunin (left)

He said the US was watching the situation in southern and eastern Ukraine with concern.
Russian authorities announced sanctions on US lawmakers and officials in response.
In a separate development in Crimea, Russian-allied troops appeared to have seized at least two Ukrainian navy ships at anchor in the port of Sevastopol.

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Targets of US sanctions

Sergei Ivanov - Vladimir Putin's chief of staff
Vladimir Yakunin - Chair of Russian Railways, and also a close confidant of Mr Putin
Gennady Timchenko - A founder of Gunvor, a commodity trading company linked to Mr Putin
Arkady and Boris Rotenberg - Brothers who have made billions in government contracts during Mr Putin's years in power
Bank Rossiya - the personal bank for senior Russian officials
Source: US Treasury

Inner circle

A White House official said the latest wave of US sanctions targeted 20 Russian individuals with interests in the Crimea.

The Russian bank being targeted - for supporting government officials - is Bank Rossiya, the US Treasury said.
Among the 20 individuals facing sanctions are members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle.
They include his chief of staff Sergei Ivanov and wealthy businessmen Arkady Rotenberg and Gennady Timchenko.
Those targeted will be unable to make transactions in dollars, will have any assets in the US frozen and will be barred from doing business in the US.

The Ukrainian corvette Khmelnitsky was among those seized by pro-Russian forces on Thursday

The Khmelnitsky is anchored in the Crimean port of Sevastopol

European Union leaders meeting in Brussels also said they would expand the number of Russians facing sanctions, and said a summit with Russia planned for June would not go ahead.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the German parliament that the EU would be ready to impose economic sanctions against Russia if there were a further escalation in Russia's involvement in Ukraine.

EU leaders including Angela Merkel (centre) are in Brussels for talks on the Ukraine crisis

Mrs Merkel told reporters in Brussels that she was optimistic that EU nations would be able to present a unified voice on the Crimea crisis.

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Analysis

Matthew Price BBC News, Brussels

There will certainly be more sanctions in place after this summit, but no one expects a "big bang" moment that leads to Europe cutting off Russia economically.
Some more names will be added to the list of individuals subject to an asset freeze and EU travel ban. They form what the EU calls "Phase 2" sanctions against Russia. "Phase 3" sanctions will be threatened - but not put in place yet.
"Phase 3" is a much bigger deal - economic and trade sanctions.
Finally look for signs that EU leaders are serious about shifting Europe's energy policy in the coming years to reduce their reliance on Russia gas.
They spoke of doing so after the Russia-Georgia war in 2008 but never followed through. Will they this time?

The EU and US introduced a first raft of sanctions against individual Russians and Ukrainians on Monday, a day after 97% of Crimeans voted in a referendum to join Russia.

The US ordered the freezing of assets and travel bans on 11 individuals, while the EU imposed the same sanctions on 21 people.
Congressmen targeted Russia has announced that it is imposing its own sanctions against US officials and politicians.
Among those targeted are some of the most senior Congressmen - Harry Reid, John Boehner and John McCain - as well as one of President Obama's national security advisers, Benjamin Rhodes.
Mr Boehner's spokesman said he was "proud to be included on a list of those willing to stand against Putin's aggression".
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking before Mr Obama's announcement, described possible sanctions as "illegitimate" and "not based on international law".

Ban Ki-moon is travelling to Moscow and Kiev this week

Mr Lavrov was addressing the lower house of Russia's parliament ahead of a vote to formally annex Crimea - a move he said was necessary to protect the peninsula's majority ethnic Russian population from "nationalists, anti-Semites and other extremists on whom the new [Ukrainian] authorities depend".
The referendum has been described as illegal by Kiev and the West.
Speaking after talks in Moscow with President Putin, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged all sides to refrain from hasty or provocative actions.
Mr Ban said he was "deeply concerned about the current situation".

Ethiopia's clothes firms aim to fashion global sales

By:James Jeffrey Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Fikirte Addis (centre) is looking at increasing her overseas sales

She adds that Ethiopians take great pride in the country's ethnic diversity - about 84 languages and 200 dialects are spoken - and in displaying allegiances through clothing at special events such as weddings and festivals.
Her clothing line, Mafi, specialises in ready-to-wear garments offering a notably funky take on the country's ethnic melting pot, and one that has proved successful.
In 2012 Ms Mahlet won the Origin Africa Design Award, and showcased her work at African Fashion Week New York.
Home-spun skills
Ethiopia's successful fashion designers are predominantly women who grew up surrounded by traditionally woven cotton fabrics, and did not need to be taught the tailoring and embroidering skills required to make beautiful and delicate clothing.
At the same time, a lack of formal fashion design education is preventing many Ethiopian designers from breaking out internationally, says Ms Mahlet, who is self-taught, and credits Google Search as her primary tutor.

Ethiopian clothing-makers generally stick to traditional methods

She adds that those few Ethiopian institutions teaching fashion design run courses that are far shorter than the typical three-year fashion degrees taught in the West, and need to better impart the skills needed to compete internationally.

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Other Ethiopian fashion houses

Ayni's Design
Paradise Fashion
African Mosaique
Urban Roots Couture
Esete Fashion
Meshke
Yohannes Sisters

Another problem in the international arena is conducting sales transactions.

Banking restrictions mean there are no foreign banks in Ethiopia, and international customers are often suspicious of paying into African accounts, Ms Fikirte says.
Yefikir currently sells through Africa Design Hub, a US-based online store founded in 2013 by Western expatriates to showcase African designs while bridging markets.
Elizabeth Brown, the store's co-founder, says: "After living in East Africa for several years we saw the potential of African designs in the global market, but also a gap in market linkages, and knowledge sharing, between the industry and global consumers."
International arena
Yet global interest in Ethiopia's fashion scene is undoubtedly growing.
"Ethiopia has some wonderful and interesting craftsmanship," says Markus Lupfer, a British fashion designer who since 2010 has mentored young Ethiopian fashion designers in developing collections.

Mahlet Afework's Mafi label specialises in modern designs from traditional materials

He adds that growing international recognition for Ethiopia's designers is partly a result of increasing demand for ethically produced fashion designs.
Although for the majority of Ethiopia's fashion designers, there is not yet enough of that recognition.
And while local demand remains buoyant - this year Ms Mahlet plans to open in-store Mafi fashion concession areas in Addis-Ababa-based boutiques; common practice in the West, but a new concept in Ethiopia - designers agree that international demand is essential for significant business growth.
Ms Fikirte and Ms Mahlet plan to bolster their companies' online presences this year, with both sharing a goal of exporting their designs to overseas boutiques and online stores.

"Ethiopia's fashion industry is changing the image of Ethiopia," Ms Fikirte says. "It is showing the diversity and beauty of Ethiopian culture, and providing some of the world's best hand-woven cotton fabrics."

Yefikir Design's clothes are handmade from cotton

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Entrepreneurship

• Mr Smith: The next Rupert Murdoch?
• Athletes swap sport for business
• Refugee who built a business empire
• Evernote's self-deprecating boss

Ethiopian fashion designer Fikirte Addis kneels down and wraps a tape measure around the waist of a customer, before scribbling on a piece of paper on which the outline of a flowing gown takes shape.

The customer, Rihana Aman, owns a cafe in the capital, Addis Ababa, and went to Ms Fikirte's shop in the city, Yefikir Design, for a wedding dress fitting.
The dress, however, is actually for her sister, who lives and works in London, but will soon return to her homeland with her English fiance.
Ms Rihana explains how she shares her sister's figure, and that the cotton dress will be ready for when her sister arrives back for her "melse", the Ethiopian wedding ceremony.

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“Start Quote

Ethiopia has some wonderful and interesting craftsmanship”

Markus Lupfer British fashion designer

"I love the traditional aspect of the clothing," Ms Rihana says of why she chose Yefikir. "So many dresses now are too modern, and use fabrics that lose what it means to be Ethiopian."

Along with other designers, Ms Fikirte is drawing on Ethiopia's rich cultural heritage while adding a modern twist to find success in the fashion industry at home - and increasingly abroad.
As a result, fashion design is proving to be one of the most successful Ethiopian sectors for small business and entrepreneurs, generating profit margins ranging from 50% to more than 100%.
Rich heritage
Companies such as Yefikir have flourished in Ethiopia due to the absence of big chain department stores, and relatively low start-up costs, set against the high prices individuals are willing to pay for quality, traditionally made fashion garments.
All Yefikir designs are made by hand on weaving machines operated using techniques that go back centuries.

Yefikir's designs are not quick to make

Flashes of colour come from strips of tilet and tilf - intricately woven or hand-embroidered multi-coloured patterns - which skirt hems, go around waists or course down backs.
It took Musie Teamrat, a 27-year-old embroider, 10 days to make three tilfs for one Yefikir dress.
As a result of such painstaking work, Yefikir's custom-made dresses can sell for up to 15,300 birr ($850; £530), a sizeable sum, especially in a country where many toil for no more than 50 birr a day.
Despite such apparent inequities, many Ethiopians - especially those in its growing middle class - are happy to pay handsomely for tailored garments with traditional influences, says 25-year-old fashion designer Mahlet Afework

Ukraine crisis: Could Trans-Dniester be next?

Previous

• 
  
• 
  
• Smooth invasion
• Putin's speech
• EU dilemma
• Historic maps
• Sanctions explained

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Ukraine crisis

• Putin's speech analysed
• Sanctions explained
• Analysis: This won't stop here
• Waking in a different Crimea

Russia's annexation of Crimea has led some to wonder whether any other former Soviet countries could follow. The separatist region of Trans-Dniester has already offered itself to Moscow - a request which Russia has promised to consider.

"It's been getting much worse in the past few months," said a mother of two who didn't want to give her real name and called herself Anna.
"They have closed, let me see...." she counts on her fingers. "Eight blogging sites. The secret police are so active now."
We were having coffee in the centre of Tiraspol, capital of the tiny, unrecognised state of Trans-Dniester that lives in a time-warped other age.
Teams of workers tend street flowerbeds. A statue of Lenin stands in the main square and a red and green national flag with a small yellow hammer a sickle in the corner flies from the roof of an ugly parliament building - known as the Supreme Soviet.

"It's confusing," says Anna. "If I had a choice, I would choose Europe. But a lot of things are better here. There are more opportunities in Russia. Salaries are about the same, but our pensions are much higher - about $180 (£109) a month compared to $75 in Moldova." She smiles. "And our gas is much, much cheaper."
This week the Supreme Soviet sent an official request to Moscow asking if - given Crimea - Trans-Dniester could be allowed to join the Russian Federation. But there's been no celebration and barely an announcement.
Outside, one couple had not heard and when told, the man shrugged and walked on - wary, it seemed, of talking to a foreigner.
Across the wide October 25th Boulevard, a strong wind from the River Dniester scattered flowers laid at a memorial to those killed in recent wars.

Each name is listed on a black stone wall, including more than 800 killed in 1992 when Trans-Dniester, backed by Russia, fought to stop the tiny country of Moldova from becoming independent from a disintegrating Soviet Union.
It mostly failed. A ceasefire created this strip of land wedged between Ukraine and Moldova, that has become what's described as a "frozen conflict".
Trans-Dniester is home to about 300,000 people who live amid a drab and arid agricultural landscape, peppered with checkpoints run by Russian peacekeeping troops. The same soldiers also keep watch over immigration posts on the Moldovan border. More than a thousand are based here.

Fighting between pro-Russians (above) and Moldovan forces in 1992 left hundreds of civilians dead

One of the few tourist attractions is a museum in the old headquarters of a swashbuckling Red Army General Grigory Kotovsky, who held sway over Tiraspol in the 1920s.
"He is magnificent like the Soviet Union," says the curator Nadejda Kostiurina, holding up a Soviet flag underneath his portrait. "That was much, much better than we have now."
She has been watching Russian television on the Crimea crisis and when asked about it says bluntly: "I hope the European Union has enough brains not to start a war. I don't understand why it wants to more bloodshed."
Compared with the ordered tranquillity of Tiraspol, where street lamps are polished and curb sides painted, the Moldovan capital of Chisinau carries the muddle of a new market democracy - pot holed roads, chaotic traffic, and luxury car showrooms blending together in Europe's poorest country.
Its beacon is membership of the European Union, but now, for many here, there's a new fear that Russia will try to stop that by moving on Trans-Dniester - and, therefore, Moldova.
"If Putin will continue in Ukraine, particularly along the Black Sea until Odessa with its connection to Trans-Dniester we could see a very sad scenario," says Oazu Nantoi a political veteran of the Soviet collapse. "If he can be stopped in Crimea, then we have a chance to survive."

A sign in Trans-Dniester reminds people: "We are not Moldova!"

In recent weeks, more Moldovans have been switching to Russian television channels because, according to analysts, it's what they trust in times of crisis. This is creating a new challenge by pitting the bullish Vladimir Putin against Moldova's urbane and cautious prime minister, Iurie Leanca.
"Putin is the most popular political leader in Moldova," remarks a newspaper vendor in central Chisinau, reflecting the view of the still powerful Moldovan communist party.

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Trans-Dniester

• A narrow strip of land between the Dniester river and the Ukrainian border
• Proclaimed independence from Moldova in 1990
• The international community does not recognise its self-declared statehood

• Trans-Dniester profile

Mr Leanca accuses his opponents of using propaganda to poison the minds of voters, but he admits that such sentiment has added resolve and speed to his policies.

He wants to sign an EU Association Agreement - similar to the one that sparked the protests in Ukraine - as soon as practicable. He has set himself an optimistic target of 2019 to join the European Union. He also wants to consolidate Moldova's position as a Nato ally, despite its official policy of being militarily neutral.
Yet, as a graduate of one of Moscow's elite universities for diplomats, Mr Leanca believes he has a feel for how far he could go with a head-to-head confrontation against the power of Russia.
"My own experience is that you have to have a very good and intense dialogue with Russia and the more you discuss the more you will see progress," he says.

"If the Ukrainians think this is a good lesson we would be willing to share it because in our situations there is no alternative to dialogue." 

India Mumbai gang rape: Four convicted

Five men, including a juvenile, were accused over the gang rape of the photojournalist

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Rape scandal

• Victim's life changed
• Closure ahead?
• Suspects' profiles
• Forgotten rapes

A court in the Indian city of Mumbai has convicted four men of the gang rape of a photojournalist last year.

The men have been found guilty of five offences, including gang rape, unnatural sex and destruction of evidence. Sentencing is set for Friday.

The 22-year-old woman was attacked by five men while on assignment in a deserted mill in August.

The fifth accused, believed to be under 18 at the time of the incident, is being tried in a juvenile court.

In India, where a rape is recorded every 22 minutes, scrutiny of sexual violence has grown since the gang rape and murder of a student on a bus in Delhi in December 2012.

The attack on the Mumbai photojournalist had renewed public outrage over sexual violence in the country.

'Strong message'

Maharashtra state Home Minister RR Patil, who was in court for Thursday's verdict, said justice had been done.

"The verdict has come in a very short time and justice has been delivered quickly," Mr Patil said.

"The verdict will send a strong message to other criminals. It will deter such crimes in future," he added.

The four convicts - Mohammed Salim Ansari, Siraj Rehmat Khan, Vijay Mohan Jadhav and Mohammed Kasim Hafeez Shaikh, also known as Kasim Bangali - aged between 18 and 27 at the time of their arrests, were present in the Mumbai court for the verdict.

An intern with a Mumbai-based English magazine, the victim had gone to the Shakti Mills - a former textile mill that now lies abandoned and in ruins - with a male colleague on a photo assignment when she was attacked.

Her colleague was beaten during the assault.

There were nationwide protests in December 2012 after the gang-rape of a 23-year-old student on a bus in the capital, Delhi. She later died from her injuries.

Four men have been sentenced to death over the incident. A fifth accused, a juvenile, was sent to a correction facility for three years.

Australia plane searchers investigate debris

Amsa's John Young said the objects spotted were a "reasonable size"

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MH370 mystery

• Live updates Live
• Searching for debris
• What we know
• Military at fault?

Australia is investigating two objects seen on satellite images that could potentially be linked to the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, officials say.

A Norwegian ship joined planes from Australia, New Zealand and the US in searching the area 2,500km (1,550 miles) from Perth.
As night fell, the air search ended for the day, with teams saying bad weather conditions had hampered their efforts.
Flight MH370 was carrying 239 people when it disappeared on 8 March.
It was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it lost contact with air traffic controllers and disappeared from radar.
At a news conference on Thursday, Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein described the possible sighting of debris on satellite images as a "credible lead".

Footage shows an Australian Air Force P-3 Orion over the new search area

The largest object appeared to be 24m in size, authorities said, but warned they could be unrelated to the plane.
A number of sightings of possible debris have been investigated since the plane went missing but so far none have proved to be linked.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the latest discovery based on satellite images taken on 16 March.
"The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) has received information based on satellite information of objects possibly related to the search," Mr Abbott told parliament.
"Following specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified."

Australian authorities said one of the objects was 24m in size

The objects were seen on satellite images and assessed by experts

The St Petersburg, a Norwegian merchant ship, was the first vessel to reach the area

Two Australian Orion aircraft searching the area on Thursday were joined later by aircraft from the US and New Zealand.
Amsa said the aircraft had covered an area of 23,000km² (14,000 square miles) but confirmed that they had found no debris. It said the search would resume on Friday.
The captain of the first Australian air force AP-3C Orion plane to return from the search area described the weather conditions as "extremely bad" with rough seas and high winds.
David Wright, an ABC News reporter who was on the P-8 Poseidon, said all the sophisticated plane had spotted was "a freighter and two pods of dolphins".
A Norwegian merchant ship, the St Petersburg, has also arrived in the area after responding to a shipping broadcast issued by Australia's rescue co-ordination centre.
It will be joined by an Australian naval vessel, HMAS Success, which is on its way to help with the search and Britain has also deployed HMS Echo, a coastal survey ship, to aid the operation.

Australia was asked by Malaysia earlier this week to lead the southern part of the search

Amsa said ships and planes were heading south-west of Perth to try to find the objects

The objects identified in the images were of a "reasonable size", Amsa's general manager John Young said. The largest object appeared to be about 24m (78ft) in size, he said.

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At the scene

Celia Hatton BBC News, Beijing

The relatives of Chinese passengers on board MH370 watched the announcements from Australia on monitors set up at the Beijing hotel where they have been waiting for the past 13 days.
When the press briefings were over, the families left the room. Most refused to speak to journalists, though one man told the BBC: "I don't believe any of this. I think my son is still alive."
Another relative, the son of a famed calligrapher on the plane, explained to us the families' reluctance to accept the possibility the plane had crashed.
"If the Australian findings really turn out to be the remains of the plane, that would mean there is no hope left for us."

"This is a lead, it is probably the best lead we have right now. But we need to get there, find them, see them, assess them, to know whether it's really meaningful or not."

He warned the objects spotted in the sea could turn out to be unrelated to MH370, such as containers that had fallen from ships.
"On this particular occasion the size and the fact that there are multiple [objects] located in the same area really makes it worth looking at," Mr Young added.
Michael Daniel, a former US Federal Aviation Administration official, told Singapore's Straits Times: "If they have a strong feeling or indication that the debris belongs to the aircraft, one of the first things authorities will do is drop sonar buoys in the water.
"If the black box is there, the buoys should be able to pick up the signals. This could take up to 48 hours but it all depends on how near or far the ships and other assets are."
Australia informed Malaysian authorities of the development on Thursday morning.

Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on the new "credible" lead

Malaysia's transport minister told reporters that while the debris sighting was a "credible lead" it needed to be verified and corroborated.
Satellite signal
Investigators had identified two corridors of territory - one to the north and one to the south - spanning the possible positions of the plane about seven hours after take-off.
This was based on its last faint signal to a satellite - an hourly "handshake" broadcast even when the main communication systems are switched off.
Malaysia says search efforts are continuing in both corridors, involving a total of 18 ships, 29 aircraft and 6 ship-borne helicopters.
Meanwhile, relatives of those on board are still waiting for concrete news.
Bimal Sharma, a merchant navy captain whose sister Chandrika was on the plane, told the BBC he had experienced "hope and then despair and then hope and then despair".
"I have been very hopeful because it was intentionally diverted, so I don't believed it was crashed," he said. "It's been a very, very difficult time, and very emotionally stressing."
"The area where Australia is looking - I was a captain at sea - I have been through that area several times. This area has got a concentration of garbage - plastics and wood. I don't know, I don't want to believe it as yet."

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Crimea crisis: Merkel warns Russia faces escalating sanctions

Crimean pro-Russian forces seized two naval bases on Wednesday

Continue reading the main story

Ukraine crisis

• Putin's speech analysed
• Sanctions explained
• Analysis: This won't stop here
• Waking in a different Crimea

European Union leaders are gathering in Brussels to discuss their response to the crisis over Crimea.

The British Prime Minister David Cameron said more names would be added to the list of those facing travel bans and asset freezes.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU would be ready to impose economic sanctions against Russia if there were an escalation.
Crimea remains tense after its leaders signed a treaty to join it to Russia.
French President Francois Hollande said a summit planned for June between the EU and Russia would be cancelled. He described the events of the past weeks as "unacceptable".
Mr Cameron said the countries of the European Union needed to speak with a clear and united voice.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis Gavin Hewitt Europe editor

Over dinner Europe's leaders will discuss their next moves. A few more Russian names may be added to the sanctions hat. That is the easy part. The names are already drawn up.
The question is whether, this time, they will go after people closer to President Putin. That is less certain.

• Read more from Gavin
• Can EU reach consensus on Russia?

The treaty signed by Crimean leaders with Moscow on Tuesday absorbs the peninsula - an autonomous republic in southern Ukraine - into Russia, following a referendum which the West and Kiev say was illegal.

The treaty has now been approved by Russia's lower house of parliament - the Duma - and is expected to be ratified by the upper house on Friday.
Speaking ahead of the vote in the Duma, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described possible sanctions as "illegitimate" and "not based on international law".
Mr Lavrov said the treaty with Crimea would "be a turning point in the fate of the multi-ethnic peoples of Crimea and Russia, who are linked by the close ties of historical solidarity".
He reiterated Moscow's position that the annexation is necessary to protect ethnic Russians from "nationalists, anti-Semites and other extremists on whom the new [Ukrainian] authorities depend".
In a resolution on Thursday, Ukraine's parliament said the country would "never and under no circumstances end the fight to free Crimea of occupants, no matter how difficult and long it is".
'Political consequences'
The United Nations chief, Ban Ki-moon, told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he was "deeply concerned" over the crisis.
Mr Ban was holding talks with the Russian leader before travelling to Kiev.
Western leaders have denounced Russia's actions in Crimea as a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and a breach of international law.

Angela Merkel said the political context was no longer right for Russia to be part of the G8

Pro-Russian troops have surrounded military bases, including here at Perevalnoye outside Simferopol

Ukraine's battleship Slavutich remains blocked in by Russian ships in the harbour at Sevastopol

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Crisis timeline

• 21 Nov 2013: President Viktor Yanukovych abandons an EU deal
• Dec: Pro-EU protesters occupy Kiev city hall and Independence Square
• 20-21 Feb 2014: At least 88 people killed in Kiev clashes
• 22 Feb: Mr Yanukovych flees; parliament removes him and calls election
• 27-28 Feb: Pro-Russian gunmen seize key buildings in Crimea. Parliament, under siege, appoints pro-Moscow Sergei Aksyonov a PM
• 6 Mar: Crimea's parliament votes to join Russia
• 16 Mar: Crimea voters choose to secede in disputed referendum
• 17 Mar: Crimean parliament declares independence and formally applies to join Russia
• 18 Mar: Russian and Crimean leaders sign deal in Moscow to join the region to Russia

• Ukraine crisis timeline
• Waking up in a different Crimea

The EU has already imposed sanctions on 21 people connected to Moscow's intervention in Crimea, and is expected to discuss expanding the sanctions to include political and military figures close to President Putin.

Speaking in Berlin before travelling to Brussels for Thursday's summit, Mrs Merkel said the EU would "make clear that we are ready at any time" to increase sanctions against Russia "if there is a worsening of the situation".
The EU would also, she said, "draw consequences for political relations between the EU and Russia, as well as for relations between the G7 and Russia".
Mrs Merkel told German MPs that the current political situation also meant the G8 effectively no longer existed.
The G8 - comprising seven of the world's leading industrialised nations, and Russia - is scheduled to hold a summit in the southern Russian city of Sochi in June.
But Mrs Merkel said it was "obvious, as long as the political context for such an important format like the G8 does not apply, as is the case at the moment, the G8 doesn't exist anymore, neither does the summit nor the format as such".

What does the future look like for Crimea's economy? Tanya Beckett reports

The US has also ordered a freeze of assets and travel bans on 11 individuals, and has said it is considering expanding these.

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Crimean dispute

Russia's argument:

• Crimea has always been part of Russia and was unfairly given to Ukraine in 1954
• Russia has a duty to protect ethnic Russians wherever they are
• Crimeans voted overwhelmingly in a legally sound referendum to join Russia

West's argument:

• Ukraine's pro-Moscow government was legitimately ousted by the uprising
• The referendum was carried out by a Moscow-installed leadership and under military occupation
• Russia is breaking international law and threatening regional stability

• The Crimea of Russia's imagination
• Is Crimea's referendum legal?
• Analysis: This won't stop with Crimea

In other developments:

• Russia has reportedly taken control of a confectionery factory in Lipetsk, Russia, owed by Ukrainian tycoon Petro Poroshenko. He was a key supporter of the protests against President Viktor Yanukovych
• President Barack Obama ruled out military involvement in Ukraine, saying the US "does not need to trigger an actual war"
• Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Yurii Klymenko, told diplomats in Geneva there are "indications that Russia is on its way to unleash a full blown military intervention in Ukraine's east and south". Russia dismissed the warning
• Crimea's PM says a 17-year-old Ukrainian has been arrested over an incident in Simferopol on Tuesday in which a Ukrainian soldier and a member of the pro-Russia self-defence force were killed

Redeployment
The crisis comes nearly a month after Ukraine's pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was replaced by Western-leaning interim authorities.
Pro-Russian troops took control of Crimea in late February.
At least two bases - in Sevastopol and Novo-Ozyorne - were taken over by pro-Russian forces on Wednesday.
Ukraine has said it is drawing up plans to withdraw its thousands of soldiers and their families from Crimea for their own safety, and redeploy them on the mainland.
A number have already accepted Russia's offer to change sides, but many are still in their bases refusing to surrender.

Are you in Crimea or the wider region? What are your thoughts on recent events? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding 'Crimea' in the subject heading and including your contact details. 

HOYCE TEMU AMONG TOP MISA’S WOMEN TO WATCH 2014

  on March 11, 2014 in JAMII 

Hoyce Temu a communication specialist at the United Nations in Tanzania has been selected as one of the inspirational southern African women and a rising star in the region.

Temu has been involved in the social works by helping the communities in various ways and sharing what she has to make the world a better living for everyone.

On the International Women’s Day, the MISA announced the first annual MISA’s Women to Watch.

MISA is honoring 12 dynamic­­ and inspirational southern African women who embody both the official United Nations theme for International Women’s Day 2014 – Equality for women is progress for all – as well as the theme designated by non-governmental organisations around the world –Inspiring Change.

MISA Regional Director, Ms Zoe Titus said, “We chose women who we see as rising stars in the region, women whose achievements to date are a promise of more great work to come, making them women to watch.”

You can download MISA’s Women to Watch in 2014 as an electronic magazine in two parts:

MISA’s Women to Watch in 2014 part one

MISA’s Women to Watch in 2014 part two

You can also read extended profiles of the women on our website, by following the links below.

MISA’s Women to Watch in 2014

Alisa Amupolo, a technology entrepreneur from Namibia;

Ana Margoso, a newspaper journalist from Angola;

Chikondi Mphande, a radio journalist from Malawi;

Emma Theofelus, a high school student from Namibia who is the Junior Mayor of the City of Windhoek;

Hoyce Temu, a communications specialist and former Miss Tanzania;

Jean Chalungama, a radio journalist from Malawi and one of the only female sports journalists in the country;

Mboni Masimba, a talk show host from Tanzania;

Mwiza Zulu, a teenage radio and television presenter in Zambia;

Nellie Kanyemba, a journalist from Malawi;

Nontobeko Tshabala, a newspaper journalist from Swaziland;

Nyasha Chingore-Munazvo, a human rights lawyer from South Africa; and

Solange Dos Santos, a photographer from Mozambique.

Source misa.org

Wakazi wa Morogoro mjini wapatiwa elimu ya lishe

Mkuu wa Wilaya  ya Morogoro Mjini,Bw Anthony Mataka(Kushoto)akiwa na wataalamu wa lishe toka USAID Tuboreshe chakula akishiriki kwa vitendo katika kuandaa uji wa mtoto,miezi 6 – miaka 5 kuchanganya virutubishi ,tayari kwa kumnywesha mtoto,katika kampeni  za uhamasishaji na uelimishaji wa virutubishi,katika viwanja vya Shule ya msingi Mafisa A mkoani Morogoro.Kampeni hizi zimedhaminiwa na shirika la misaada la marekani USAID Tuboreshe chakula

Mkuu wa wilaya Morogoro Bw Anthony Mataka(kushoto) akiteta na Dr .W.Lorri,(Kulia)Mshauri wa Rais mambo ya lishe.Katika siku ya sherehe za uhamasishaji wa virutubishi kwa watoto umri wa miezi 6-miaka 5 Mkoani Morogoro. Kampeni hii iko chini ya mradi wa Tuboreshe Chakula unaofadhiliwa na Shirika la Misaada la Watu wa Marekani USA

Semina ya wajumbe wa Bunge maalum imeahirishwa mpaka saa tisa mchana leo

Kikao cha semina ya wajumbe wa Bunge maalum la Katiba kilichokuwa kiendelee leo saa nne asubuhi baada ya Mwenyekiti wake wa Muda Mhe. Pandu Amir Kificho Kuaarisha jana mchana sasa kitaendelea leo tarehe 8 machi 2014 saa tisa alasiri. Hii ni kutokana a kamati ya maridhiano inayopitia vifungu ilivyokuwa inafanyia kazi kuomba mda zaidi.Hivyo wajumbe wote wa Bunge maalum wanaombwa kufika Bungeni kuendelea na semina hiyo saa tisa alasiri badala ya saa nnne asubuhi.

Imetolewa na Katibu wa Baraza la wawakiliashi na Katibu wa Bunge la Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania

KIZAZI KIPYA KUWASHA MOTO KWENYE TAMASHA LA MIAKA 50 YA MUUNGANO JIJINI DAR ES SALAAM TAREHE 8.3.2014

Waziri wa Habari, Utamaduni, Utalii na Michezo wa Serikali ya Mapinduzi Zanzibar Mh. Said Ali Mbarouk anatarajiwa kuwa mgeni rasmi katika tamasha la muziki wa kizazi kipya na tenzi, linalotajiwa kufanyika katika viwanja vya Tanganyika Packers jijini Dar es salaam kesho.

Tamasha hilo ni maalum kwa ajili ya  maadhimisho ya miaka 50 ya Muungano wa Tanganyika na Zanzibar . Kauli mbiu za maadhimisho ya mwaka huu ni Utanzania wetu ni Muungano wetu tuulinde , tuuimarishe na kuudumisha.

Tamasha hilo ni sehemu ya shughuli mbalimbali zinazotarajiwa kufanyika kuelekea kilele cha Miaka 50 ya Muungano tarehe 26.4.2014.

Maadhimisho ya miaka 50 ya Muungano yataambatana na shughuli mbalimbali zitakazowashirikisha wananchi kupitia makangomano, michezo na burudani na kilele chake itakua tarehe 26 Aprili,2014.

 Shughuli zitakazofanyika ni pamoja na kongamano na utengamano wa kikanda wa Afrika Mashariki, kongamano la Bara la Afrika ,tamasha la muziki wa dansi na taarabu , maonyesho ya Idara na Wizara za Muungano na  mkesha utakaofanyika kuamkia siku ya Muungano.

Aidha maadhimisho haya ya miaka 50 ya Muungano yalizinduliwa Machi 1, 2014 na Rais wa Zanzibar na Mwenyekiti wa Baraza la Mapinduzi Dk. Ali Mohamed Shein  kwenye ukumbi wa Salama katika hoteli ya Bwawani Mjini Unguja msisitizo ukiwekwa  kwa wananchi kuendelea kudumisha udugu, amani, umoja na mshikamano.

WAZIRI MKUU NA MATUKIO YA BUNGE LA KATIBA

Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya  Kumshauri  Mwenyekiti kuhusu Kanuni za Bunge Maalum la Katiba, Profesa Costa Mahalu (kulia) akiteta na wajumbe wa kamati hiyo Bungeni Mjini Dodoma baada ya Semina  ya Wabunge wa Bunge Maalum la  Katiba kuahirishwa Machi 7, 2014. (Picha na Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu) Waziri Mkuu, Mizengo Pinda akiteta na Mjumbe  wa Bunge Maalum la Katiba, James Mbatia kwenye ukumbi wa bunge Mjini Dodoma Machi 7,2014. (Picha na Ofisi ya  Waziri Mkuu)

Doreen Noni kushiriki shindano la Africa Magic Choice Awards Lagos

  on March 4, 2014 in MITINDO 

Mjasiriamali na Mbunifu wa mavazi nchini Tanzania, Doreen Noni akizungumza kwenye Exclusive Interview na mtandao wa habari wa MOblog.

Na Damas Makangale, MOblog Tanzania

MJASIRIAMALI na Mbunifu wa mavazi nchini Tanzania, Doreen Noni anatarajiwa kushiriki kwenye shindano la kumtafuta mbunifu bora katika sanaa ya filamu, (Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards) nchini Nigeria wiki hii.

Akizungumza na MOblog Tanzania, hivi karibuni jijini Dar es Salaam, Noni amesema kwamba amechaguliwa kushiriki katika shindano hilo la Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards baada ya kushiriki filamu ya siri ya mtungi.

“Africa magic viewer’s choice awards ni kama Oscar ya Afrika ambapo sinema zote wanazotizama watu kwenye Mnet, series na nia hasa ni kutizama kazi za wasanii mbali katika fani ya uingizaji wa filamu Afrika,” amesema

Amesema alifanikiwa kufanya kazi na kampuni ya (Media for Development International) ambao wanafanya kazi ya kuhamasisha kazi za uzalishaji katika filamu za Afrika ili kutambua mchango wa wasanii mbalimbali katika bara hili.

Noni amesema kuwa kupitia kampuni au shirika hilo lisilo kuwa la kiserikali aliweza kushiriki kwenye filamu ya “Siri ya Mtungi” ambapo alitengeneza nguo na mavazi yote yaliyotumika katika filamu hiyo.

Amesema kwamba katika filamu hiyo alitengeneza nguo kwa kila mshiriki wa filamu baada ya kuzunguka katika masoko mengi ya jijini Dar es Salaam katika kutafuta nguo zinazoendana.

“nimechaguliwa baaada ya kupeleka baadhi ya kazi zangu za kisanii hasa kwa design na kubuni mavazi mbalimbali baada ya kuonyesha kipaji chake katika tamthilia hiyo ya Siri ya Mtungi,” alilisitiza

Noni amesema kwamba yeye ana malengo yake kama kijana na mjasirimali ni kufika mbali katika fani yake hiyo ya ubunifu wa mavazi na ujasiriamali.

MJASIRIAMALI na mbunifu wa mavazi anayekuja juu nchini Tanzania, Doreen Noni anatarajiwa kushiriki kwenye shindano la kumtafuta mbunifu bora katika sanaa ya filamu, Africa Magic Choice Awards nchini Nigeria.

CHINA SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2014

on March 4, 2014 in JAMII 

THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERALS

1.  INTRODUCTION  

Applications are invited from qualified Tanzanians to apply for postgraduate studies in the following universities in China: 

(a) China University of Geosciences – Beijing;

(b) China University of Petroleum – Beijing;

(c) China University of Geosciences – Wuhan;

(d) Liaoning Shihua University;

(e) Ocean University of China;

(f) China University of Petroleum – Huadong; and

(g) Xian Shiyou University. 

Sponsorship will be in the fields of oil and gas. The scholarships will be processed in collaboration with the Embassy of China in Tanzania and will be awarded to the best ten (10) candidates. 

2.  ELIGIBILITY

(a) Applicants must be holders of Bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences or Engineering from recognized universities;

(b) Master’s Degree and Ph.D. applicants should not be older than 35 and 40 years respectively; and

(c) Applicants will be required to pay for a ticket to China; other costs will be paid by the Government of China.

3.  MODE OF APPLICATION

3.1      Interested applicants should write a letter of application to The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals in which they should state their academic and practical background in the fields of gas and oil; level of studies they wish to pursue (Masters or Ph.D.); why they should be offered the scholarship; and how they will use their knowledge for the benefit of the nation.

3.2      Application for admission from China Universities can be conducted online through http://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua or http://www.campuschina.org .

3.3      All applications should be addressed to: 

Permanent Secretary,

Ministry of Energy and Minerals,

P.O. Box 2000,

Dar es Salaam.

3.4      Applications must be attached with:

a)   Two copies of application forms printed from online applications;

b)  Two original sets of Letter of Recommendation;

c)   Two photocopies of academic transcripts of the most advanced studies (notarized photocopy);

d)  Two photocopies of Diploma of the Most Advanced Studies (notarized photocopy);

e)   Two photocopies of Foreigner Physical Examination Form;

f)    Two photocopies of Blood Test Report;

g)   Two copies of Study Plan in China;

h)  Two copies of Birth Certificate;

i)    Reliable contacts: postal address and telephone numbers;

j)    A detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV);

k)  Copies of Form IV and VI National Examination Certificates; and

l)    One recent passport size photograph. 

Note:

3.5      All the above mentioned full package of application

documents should be arranged in two complete sets and use paper DIN A4.

3.6      Testimonials/ provisional results/ statements of results will not be accepted.

3.7      Applicants who are employed in the Public Service should route their applications through their respective employers; and

3.8      Any application without relevant documents shall not be considered. 

3.5. Closing Date: 20^th March, 2014.

3.6. Notification: Shortlisted applicants will be notified by 10^th April, 2014.

Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Energy and Minerals

754/33, Samora Avenue

P. O. Box 2000, Dar es Salaam

E-Mail: info@mem.go.tz

Website: www.mem.go.tz