News Headlines (504) 14 May - 16 May 2014

ONLINE TODAY

► 14 May 2014 : You're moving more slowly today, which could make life pretty tough for those you work with closely. That's not the end of the world, though -- you may spot something important. Someone close to you may try to manipulate you, but that doesn't mean they'll get away with it -- or that you'll even let them get close. Once they start their pitch, in fact, your best bet may be to excuse yourself -- just after you announce that you're wise to their game. That is, of course, provided you don't lose it when you hear the whine in their voice. Try to remain calm. Saying no before they finish is enough to let you know you've won, isn't it?

► 15 May 2014 : Your active energy makes your day exciting and vibrant -- so get out there and do something wild! Even if you feel subdued or under the weather, you can still have a good time.

► 16 May 2014 : Explore some new territory today -- you can hardly help yourself. Your amazing energy is driving you in exciting new directions, and you may as well learn the lay of the land while you're at it. Right now, you are craving substance over style -- gossiping about the latest celebrity news and shopping for new shoes at the mall are simply not interesting activities for a brain like yours. Instead, it's a good day to check out places that are likely to make you think about confusing or challenging ideas. Forget about any expectations regarding what kind of experience is in store for you. Open your mind.

► DAILY MAIL 12 May 2014 : Uh-oh, she's behind the mic again! Victoria Beckham gives a sultry vocal performance while reclining on a piano  || ► DAILY MAIL 12 May 2014  : No wonder they call her posh! Victoria Beckham cuts an elegant figure as she debuts latest creations in Singapore || ► YAHOO SINGAPORE - ENTERTAINMENT 12 May 2014 

"I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think what I do: That is character!"— Theodore Roosevelt

VLADIMIR PUTIN



"Getting along with others is the essence of getting ahead, success being linked with cooperation." — William Feather

■ NY TIMES 12 May 2014 : What Mr. Putin Can't Control 
■ MOSCOW TIMES 12 May 2014 : Putin's Reaction to East Ukraine Vote Speaks of Shrewd Strategy, Analysts Say
■ DAILY BEAST 13 May 2014 : Why Aren’t Sanctions Stopping Putin?
■ BBC NEWS 12 May 2014 : Ukraine crisis: What is Putin's next move?
■ TELEGRAPH 11 May 2014 : Obama aims oil weapon at Putin but will he pull the trigger? 
■ WAPO 13 May 2014 : Mary Landrieu's dad suggests Putin barred her from Russia because of energy issues
■ TIME 12 May 2014 : 23 Pictures That Prove Vladimir Putin Thinks He's an Action Figure
■ MOSCOW TIMES 12 May 2014 : Fighting Putin With Judo, Not Chess 
■ STRAIT TIMES 13 May 2014 : Putin to visit China on May 20: Kremlin
■ BBC 15 May 2014 : Ukraine must pay cash for gas, says Russia's Putin
■ FOXNEWS 15 May 2014 : America could hold answer to Putin's pipeline pinch on Ukraine
■ FORBES 15 May 2014 : Why Putin worries about Poland, but not Obama
■ FOREIGN POLICY 15 May 2014 :  Putin and His Judo Cronies - Why the Russian president is turning to his fellow martial artists to staff an efficient and loyal security force.
■ NEW REPUBLIC 15 May 2014 : I Helped Build Russia's Internet. Now Putin Wants to Destroy It.
■ NY TIMES 15 May 2014 : Interest Rates Are Falling. Thank Vladimir Putin.
■ BLOOMBERG 16 May 2014 : Putin Spin Doctors Pitch Russian Pancakes, Ignore Ukraine
■ NATIONAL REVIEW 15 May 2014 :  Sanction Putin's Arms Dealer. Let's stop the flow of American tax dollars to Russia’s state-owned weapons exporter.
■ CHANNEL NEWS ASIA 16 May 2014 : Putin says Russia "still open" to Ukraine gas talks
■ STRAIT TIMES 15 May 2014 : Support for Putin soars in Ukraine crisis: Poll
■ TELEGRAPH 14 May 2014 : Ukraine crisis: 'C' for Crimea, 'P' for Putin – new way to learn Russian alphabet. Pro-Kremlin youth movement offers children new way of learning alphabet in midst of Ukraine crisis – including "C" stands for Crimea, "D" for Donetsk and "P" for Putin
■ WASHINGTON TIMES 15 May 2014 : Rep. Fred Upton: Vladimir Putin playing at 'extortion'
■ RUSSIA TODAY 15 May 2014 : Vladimir Putin's declaration to foreign leaders on Ukrainian gas crisis
■ DAILY MAIL 15 May 2014 : We'll cut off Ukraine's gas supply from next month, says Putin: Russian President's threat unless country receives millions in upfront payments

► RFI Fr 13 Mai 2014 : Lycéennes enlevées: Carla Bruni et Valérie Trierweiler mobilisées || ► METRO UK 13 May 2014 : Military force 'an option' to rescue girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria

► THE VERGE 13 May 2014 : Russia will cut off US access to the International Space Station over Ukraine sanctions 

► BLOOMBERG 14 May 2014  : Russia Bans Rocket Engine Sales to U.S. Military

► DAILY BEAST : Why Russia Hates The Bearded Lady: The Hairy Politics of Eurovision

Ehehhe ...... let alone to analogize politically, ehhhee ... now you must be honest with a sense of beauty in you. Ask yourself, "Am I shocked every time I have to see a mix of the two sexes in one appearance as shown by this strange creature? This lady?"

Lady. Bearded. Hate. Russia Hates The Bearded Lady? Hates? Oh, you're wrong. Russia does not hate the bearded lady. Ehhehe, I know it's just your term to discredit Russia, and you will always do it because you hate Russia, right? Just admit it!

Well, maybe Russia (and me, too) just find it very funny, "Beard in woman face?" Ehehhee I dunno why I feel it is very disturbing for aesthetic balance in every person who understands not only the elements of art, but also the harmony aspect of overall appearance.

Ow I'm telling you one thing femininity, "We, the women like to show off our smooth cheeks in public, especially to the men, you know?
We like to show off the beauty of our breasts, our calves, our butts, and the beauty of our necks with no Adam's apples there, and we do not feel proud of the beard on our face, but we can be aroused with beard in our men's faces.

But I do not think this strangeness at all. I'm trying to lure you with my appearance, but it turns out you actually assume I am your rival.
And you apply all the beauty in my body and trying to tease men with all of it. Ouch, what should I do? Can you imagine if only you become me?

► ABC NEWS 12 May 2014 : Ukrainian Separatists Ask to Join Russia 

► THE WIRE 13 May 2014 : Half of Ukrainians Believe They Are at War With Russia

► LIVESCIENCE 9 May 2014 : What's Causing Your Foggy Brain? Check These 5 Possibilities

► BLOOMBERGVIEW - TECHNOLOGY 14 May 2014 : Russia Is Turning Elon Musk into Tony Stark

► BLOOMBERG 14 May 2014 : Russia Bans Rocket Engine Sales to U.S. Military

► NY DAILY NEWS 14 May 2014 : Biden son's appointment to Ukraine gas company raises no conflict of interest, White House says || ► WASHINGTON TIMES 13 May 2014 : Joe Biden's son Hunter to head legal unit at Ukraine’s largest private gas company || ► MOSCOW TIMES 13 May 2014 : Son of U.S. Vice President Biden Joins Ukraine Gas Company

► WALL STREET JOURNAL 13 May 2014 : Biden's Son, Kerry Family Friend Join Ukrainian Gas Producer's Board. Ukraine's Burisma Holdings Is Controlled by Former Energy Official Under Yanukovych

By - Paul Sonne And James V. Grimaldi
Updated May 13, 2014 11:25 p.m. ET

Vice President Joe Biden's son and a close friend of Secretary of State John Kerry's stepson have joined the board of a Ukrainian gas producer controlled by a former top security and energy official for deposed President Viktor Yanukovych.

The move has attracted attention given Messrs. Biden's and Kerry's public roles in diplomacy toward Ukraine, where the U.S. expressed support for pro-Western demonstrators who toppled Mr. Yanukovych's Kremlin-backed government in February. The uprising provoked a pro-Russia backlash that has plunged the post-Soviet republic into conflict and brought it to the brink of civil war.

Hunter Biden, a lawyer by training and the younger of the vice president's two sons, joined the board of directors of Ukrainian gas firm Burisma Holdings Ltd. this month and took on responsibility for the company's legal unit, according to a statement issued by the closely held gas producer.
More on Ukraine
 
His appointment came a few weeks after Devon Archer —college roommate of the secretary of state's stepson, H.J. Heinz Co. ketchup heir Christopher Heinz—joined the board to help the gas firm attract U.S. investors, improve its corporate governance and expand its operations. A State Department spokesman declined to comment.

"The fact that I joined the board of directors is largely based on the company's will to grow," Mr. Archer said in an interview with Ukrainian media published on Burisma's website. "Last year alone witnessed a lot of transformations." He vowed to make the company more transparent.

Mr. Biden, 44 years old, and Mr. Archer, 39, work for Rosemont Seneca Partners, a U.S. investment company. It is affiliated with Rosemont Capital, a private-equity firm Mr. Archer co-founded with Mr. Heinz.

Two people familiar with Mr. Heinz's involvement in the firms said he isn't involved with the day-to-day operation of Rosemont Seneca, which is 50%-owned by Rosemont Capital. The people also said there was no financial investment by the firms in Burisma, just board memberships for Messrs. Biden and Archer.

Messages were left for Hunter Biden at his offices in Washington and New York and at offices of a law firm where he is of counsel. A person answering the phone at his office in Washington said Messrs. Biden and Archer were unavailable and promised to pass along a message.

The White House press secretary and the vice president's office described Hunter Biden's activities as those of a private citizen, bearing no endorsement of the U.S. government.

"Hunter Biden is a private citizen and a lawyer," said Kendra Barkoff, a spokeswoman for Joe Biden's office. "The vice president does not endorse any particular company and has no involvement with this company."

The board appointments come amid a broader push at Burisma to step up standards and investment. Alan Apter, an American investment banker who has worked in the former Soviet Union, joined Burisma as chairman of the board last year and received a mandate to improve the company's corporate governance and attract foreign capital. He said he met Mr. Archer, a longtime financier and entrepreneur, through mutual friends and invited him and later Mr. Biden to join the board.

"This is totally based on merit," Mr. Apter said. He said none of the independent directors holds a stake in the company. He said they would receive a salary for independent directorship commensurate with world-class experience but declined to name the sum.

Burisma is one of a handful of privately owned gas companies that together account for a little more than 10% of Ukraine's domestic production. The rest of the production comes from gas companies fully or partially owned by the Ukrainian state. Burisma's biggest subsidiary, Esko Pivnich, pumps gas from the Poltava region east of Kiev.

The gas producer is controlled by Nikolai Zlochevsky, a former member of Parliament for Mr. Yanukovych's Party of Regions, according to a person familiar with the matter. He served as Mr. Yanukovych's minister of environmental protection from July 2010 and then become minister of ecology and natural resources in December 2010, key positions with influence over the oil and gas industry.

Mr. Zlochevsky was removed from the post in April 2012 and appointed deputy secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, a role he held until Mr. Yanukovych's government collapsed in late February. During his tenure as a government minister, Burisma and entities associated with the firm received a large number of permits for oil and gas exploration in Ukraine and stepped up their output considerably, according to Ukrainian press reports.

Mr. Zlochevsky couldn't be reached for comment.

Mr. Yanukovych, who was sanctioned by the U.S. in March, has taken refuge in Russia.

Burisma produced about 450 million cubic meters of gas in 2013 and became the largest independent gas producer in Ukraine by volume in the first quarter of this year, according to a company spokesman. The production figures couldn't be independently verified.

The Ukrainian company sells its gas domestically. It is poised to benefit from the rising gas prices the country is likely to see in the future, now that Russia has removed a discount on gas deliveries for Ukraine in response to what it sees as the rise of anti-Kremlin authorities in Kiev.

Ukrainian regulatory authorities cap gas prices for domestic industrial customers. The cap averaged about $425 per thousand cubic meters of gas last year. Though Burisma doesn't reveal financial figures, calculations suggest the company's production last year would have commanded more than $191 million in revenue on the domestic market at those rates.

Mr. Apter said Burisma's expansion could help reduce Ukraine's energy dependence and thereby help ease its political problems.

"The country is quite gas dependent and one would expect, like most countries, there is a desire to be independent of foreign sources, be they in Russia or elsewhere," Mr. Apter said. "It helps the country."

Burisma has now added deep U.S. political connections to its arsenal.

In addition to being Mr. Heinz's college roommate at Yale, Mr. Archer was an adviser to Mr. Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004 and co-chaired his National Finance Committee. According to his biography, he serves as a trustee of the Heinz Family Office, which manages the family business.

Hunter Biden's business activities have attracted attention before.

His work as a lobbyist when his father was in the U.S. Senate came under scrutiny. Shortly after his father became Barack Obama's running mate in 2008, he gave up his lobbying career and resigned his partnership at a Washington lobbying firm.

When he had been senator, Mr. Obama sought more than $3.4 million in earmarks for clients of Hunter Biden, and succeeded in getting $192,000 for St. Xavier University near Chicago, according to public disclosure records.

At the time, a spokesman for Mr. Obama said Hunter Biden hadn't met with the senator himself but rather with office staff. The spokesman also said it wasn't surprising to see Mr. Obama was fighting for interests and institutions in his home state of Illinois.

In early 2009, The Wall Street Journal reported that Hunter Biden and his uncle had run a fund of funds that was being marketed exclusively by Texas financier R. Allen Stanford's companies. Mr. Stanford later was sentenced to 110 years in prison for masterminding a $7 billion Ponzi scheme.

At the time of the Journal article, a lawyer for the Bidens said the fund terminated the relationship and offered to return $2.7 million in investment that companies controlled by Mr. Stanford had given the fund. He said the Bidens had never met Mr. Stanford.
***

Colleen McCain Nelson contributed to this article.
Write to Paul Sonne at paul.sonne@wsj.com

► SLATE 14 May 2014 : The Right Goal in Ukraine : Don't be distracted by Putin and his antics. The real test is stabilizing Ukraine - By Fred Kaplan

► NY MAG 14 May 2014 : Guardian Columnist (John Pilger) : Putin Is a Great Democrat, Like Hugo Chávez or Castro 

► DAILY BEAST 14 May 2014 : Putin Vs. Obama—In Spandex: Wrestling’s New Cold War

► CONSTITUTION CENTER 13 May 2014 : The Mexican-American war in a nutshell

► WAPO 14 May 2014 : Mikhail Prokhorov loses $68 million deposit. Here's what he could have spent that money on



► INDEPENDENT 14 May 2014 : How to live longer: Find your purpose in life || ► PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 12 May 2014 : Having a Sense of Purpose May Add Years to Your Life 

► DAILY MAIL 12 May 2014 : That'll drive fans wild! Lady Gaga auctions classic convertible Rolls Royce for bargain starting bid of £30,000

► DAILY BEAST

■ 14 May 2014 : Iran's Drone War in Syria
■ 14 May 2014 : A Former Navy Firearms Instructor and Proud Gun Owner On Why We Need Common Sense Gun Control
■ 15 May 2014 : Is Hillary Girly Enough to Win? Study: Voters Want Their Female Politicos to Look Like Ladies

► TRAVEL & EVENTS : Around the World in 360° Degrees - 3 Year Epic Selfie. 600 Days Around the World with a GoPro on a stick! In the most epic selfie ever! The ultimate selfie compilation documented like never before in a 360° Degree rotation in every major site and exotic place in over 36+ countries. Alex Chacon is on a Modern Motorcycle Diaries driving his motorcycle over 200,000+ Km crossing 75+ borders around the world to the most remote and undiscovered places on earth on this charitable expedition. Published on May 6, 2014 by Alex Chacon



► ENTERTAINMENT : Elle se balade cul nu dans la rue. Published on Apr 29, 2014 by Sarah Babz



► GAMING : Glorious Leader! Video Game. Published on May 9, 2014 by moneyhorse games 



► NEWS &  POLITICS : China Says U.S. Economy Is Fake And Nothing Backs The Dollar -- Episode 301. Published on Feb 27, 2014 by X22Report 



► NEWS & POLITICS : Idaho GOP Governors Primary Debate (May 14, 2014) . Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, Sen. Russ Fulcher, Harley Brown and Walt Bayes make their case on why they should have the support of voters on May 20, 2014.

Moderator: Melissa Davlin
Panelists: Betsy Russell, Dan Popkey, Aaron Kunz
Producers: Seth Ogilvie, Melissa Davlin, Aaron Kunz
Executive Producer: Bruce Reichert
Production Manager: Aaron Kunz

Produced by Idaho Public Television, the League of Women Voters and the Idaho Press Club. Published on May 14, 2014 by Aaron Kunz



► PETS &ANIMALS : My Cat Saved My Son. Published on May 14, 2014 by Roger Triantafilo

► A Time Lapse Collection



► CRUISING (2014)



► A Drop In The Ocean - Shortfilm

► In Modi's India, a case of rule and divide - By John Chalmers and Frank Jack Daniel
AHMEDABAD, India - Separation of communities is common across India. But nowhere is it as systematized as it has become in Gujarat. And it matters because the state's chief minister, Narendra Modi, could soon run the country.

* Video: Can India power shift usher in a new growth era?
* U.S. would welcome Modi as India leader despite past visa ban

► Nigeria ready to negotiate with abductors - By Felix Onuah
ABUJA - Nigeria's government signaled willingness to negotiate with Islamist militants holding more than 200 schoolgirls, a month after the kidnap that has provoked global outrage.

* Video: Nigerians consider risks of trading prisoners for schoolgirls

► New Mexico county defies U.S. government - By Joseph Kolb
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - A rural New Mexico county has voted to defy the federal government and give a rancher's cattle access to a watering hole fenced off by the Forest Service in the latest dispute over federal control of public land in the U.S. West.

* Kitty litter eyed as possible culprit in New Mexico radiation leak 

► Frustrated Syria mediator Brahimi to step down - By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS - Syria mediator Lakhdar Brahimi will step down on May 31, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, blaming an international deadlock over how to end the three-year Syrian civil war. | Video

* France says it's examining chemical weapons use in Syria

► Nigeria rejects Boko Haram exchange offer - By Isaac Abrak
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria - Nigeria's president has rejected an offer from Boko Haram to exchange abducted schoolgirls for imprisoned militants, but the government is open to broader talks, a visiting British minister said. | Slideshow

* Column: Tracking the Nigerian kidnappers 

► Editor says he hacked royal phones 200 times - By Michael Holden
LONDON - The former royal editor of Rupert Murdoch's News of the World tabloid admitted to a London court that he had repeatedly hacked the voicemails of Princes William and Harry, and William's wife Kate Middleton.

* France's Le Monde newspaper editor quits after power struggle

► VIDEO : Antarctic ice loss "passed the point of no return": scientists 



► U.S. warns China its actions in sea disputes are straining relations

► Exclusive: Iran pursues ballistic missile work, complicating nuclear talks

► OPINION

■ I'm making $21 an hour at McDonald's. Why aren't you?
■ Fighting for the future of conservativism
■ The (misguided) passion of Glenn Greenwald
■ Gitmo: Too dangerous to release? Not so fast.

► French celebrities rally for kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls 



► Ukraine vote will play 'crucial role' in crisis: Steinmeier 
► Ex-Israeli PM Olmert receives 6 years of jail for bribery 

► Rare yellow diamond fetches record $16m at auction. A 100-carat yellow diamond sold for 14.5 million Swiss francs ($16.3 million, 11.9 million euros) at auction in Geneva on Tuesday.



► Cannes Film Festival jury members grace the red carpet ||  ► Cannes Red Carpet: opening night
► Sept. 11 Memorial Museum prepares for opening

► Raw: Months of Fighting Devastates South Sudan. New graphic video shows severely malnourished children, ruined villages and communities displaced after months of violence in South Sudan.



► Officials Report Progress on San Diego Wildfire

► Raw: Orangutan Predicts German Soccer Winner. The outcome of a German soccer match was predicted by an orangutan at a zoo in Dortmund, Germany on Thursday. "Walter" picked his hometown team of Dortmund by ripping the team's scarf out of a ball, and putting it over his head.

► NEWS

■ First lady praises her mom at Mother's Day event



■ US relationship with India election leader uneasy
■ Karl Rove: Hillary Clinton's health 'will be an issue in the 2016 
■ Poor Kentucky has no stomach for Obama
■ Why did an energy firm with big assets in Ukraine hire Joe Biden's son?
■ Spying on millions of Americans in the 'United States of Secrets'
■ US names two Syria rebels 'global terrorists'

► Ukraine crisis : Talks held in bid to curb violence
Ukraine is due to host round-table talks in Kiev amid renewed efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the crisis in the east of the country.

* Ukrainian speakers leave Donetsk
* Ukraine: Russia 'crossed red lines' - VIDEO 
* Russia deadline on Ukraine gas debt
* Rosenberg: What will Putin do next? 

► Indian media: 'Defending' Rahul Gandhi 

► FUTURE

■ Does wearing glasses weaken your eyesight?
■ How extreme isolation warps the mind
■ HR Giger: The man who changed our view of aliens
■ The quest to save the Hollywood bison

► Nigeria 'ready' for Boko Haram talks
The Nigerian government is ready to negotiate with Boko Haram for the release of more than 200 abducted schoolgirls, a minister tells the BBC.

* Will media publicity backfire?
* Simpson: Town ruined by Boko Haram
* Social media campaign 
* John Simpson in militant territory - VIDEO
* 'Searching for my cousins on video'
* What happened and when
* Special report: Missing schoolgirls
* Can foreign teams help?

► Vice President Joe Biden's son joins Ukraine gas company 

► BUSINESS : Vienna's chocolate cake war

► Gay penguins in Kent zoo are 'the best parents' 



► SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT : 3D printing reveals the power of shark skin

► HEALTH : Two meals a day 'effective' to treat type 2 diabetes

► FEATURES : Self-destruct? What a rise in Eurosceptics might mean for EU parliament

► MAGAZINE : De Beers myth: Do people spend a month's salary on a diamond engagement ring? 

► Today's African Proverb

■ "Patience puts a crown on the head" - A Buganda proverb sent by Kasozi George in Kampala, Uganda

Ahhaha ...... It's been two times I held back a laugh when reading your proverbs. The first was when you said, "A home without a mother is like a desert." At that time I had just commented to myself, "Is a mother the air conditioner?"

Now you say, "Patience puts a crown on the head." My question, "Is a crown the gray hair?

■ "The house rat tells the wild rat that there is fish in the cupboard"- Sent by Chinedu Eze in Abia, DR Congo and John Ene in Lagos, Nigeria

Ahhaaha ...... Whose fish is it? Whose house is it?

■ "Lions that do not work together can be defeated by a limping buffalo" - A Sepedi proverb sent by Victor Rasha, Pretoria, South Africa

► 201 dead in Turkey mine explosion, hundreds trapped
► Kiev military unit shoots at Russian journalists after fight near Kramatorsk
► New tax law pushes record number of Americans to renounce US citizenship
► Donetsk People's Republic asks Moscow to consider its accession into Russia 
► Ukraine communist leader: Kiev labeled 7 mn people 'terrorists,' slaughtered civilians 
► UN-marked strike helicopter 'used by Kiev against militia' sparks scandal 
► Duma calls on world parliaments to prevent humanitarian disaster in Ukraine
► Moscow to suspend American GPS sites on Russian territory from June 
► NATO sailors 'behave like occupiers', Latvian mayor complains
► Iran replicates CIA's RQ-170 Sentinel drone 
► US military should rescue schoolgirls, even without Nigeria's permission – McCain 
► NASA aims to land on, capture asteroids within next 15 years
► Tech billionaire silent on decision to use armed guards to close California public beach 
► Donetsk People's Republic asks Moscow to consider its accession into Russia
► 245 dead in Turkey mine explosion, 120 trapped
► Donetsk self-defense forces give Kiev troops 24 hours to withdraw 
► Odessa massacre victims died in seconds, not from smoke – emergency service chief
► Russian rights activists urge moratorium on Ukrainian information wars
► Clashes, violent protests in Turkey after mine blast kills over 270 (PHOTOS)
► 'My husband kills kids with drones': Michelle Obama's viral pic fuels anti-drone campaign
► Argentina environmentalists, farm workers protest Monsanto pesticides
► 'Lift the skirt' campaign urges French schoolboys to skip trousers for a day
► Son of US VP Joe Biden appointed to board of major Ukrainian gas company
► White House: No ethical issues with Veep's son joining Ukraine gas giant
► Climate change may cause conflict in Arctic, threats to security worldwide – former US generals
► Terminator judgment day? UN mulls preemptive 'killer robot' ban
► Depression main cause of teen illness, suicide No. 3 cause of death – WHO
► Glorious Leader! Kim Jong-un takes on US army in new video game
► 'Up to 6,000 complaints a month': Beijing smog police battle unequal struggle with pollution 
► Beer for brooms: Germany to pay alcoholics with drink to clean streets
► 'Bribing' communities to frack is costing UK govt thousands of votes 
► Russian defense industry should obey 'made in Russia' principle – Putin

Mmmm, ... well, if we use the weapons made ​​by our enemies, then they know our weaknesses, and thus they can easily measure our strength. And when our enemies can easily estimate our strength, then it is the first of our weakness before the fight begins.

► Proton-M rocket carrying Russia's most advanced satellite crashes
► Ukrainian APCs open fire at RT's video agency crew near Kramatorsk
► Kiev protégé allegedly behind Mariupol and Odessa massacres – leaked tapes
► Amid riots, China blames Vietnam over disputed territory rift
► Not lovin' it: Fast food workers bite back with worldwide May 15 strike

► BUSINESS

■ Gazprom introduces pre-payment system for Ukraine, sends $1.66bn bill
■ Ukraine gets €1.6bn in loans from European Commission 
■ Russia's third largest bank moves money from Europe to Moscow for safe keeping
■ Russia: Moving away from international rating agencies only 'question of time'
■ New oil era in US? Washington mulls lifting 41-yr export ban 
■ World's biggest yellow diamond sold for $16.3mn in Geneva
■ Visa, MasterCard to pay $3bn to stay in Russia - Morgan Stanley
■ Russia to deliver gas to Ukraine only on prepayment - Putin 
■ Russia 'open' to gas price negotiations with Ukraine, if they start to repay debt
■ Total free fall: Ukraine economy to plunge 7% in 2014, no growth in 2015

► OP-ED

■ Moscow in no rush to respond to Donetsk People's Republic plea for accession 
■ 'Americans need to realize Ukraine crisis happened because of US'
■ 'Russia is not interested in territorial expansion by means of Ukraine'
■ Can the EU build an empire without a bearded lady? 

I laugh alone because seeing him/her laugh with so trying to look stunning. I do not sweat the outcome, I just focus on a miserable effort here. Ie: when he/she does not have the firmness to say that he/she is a real man or a real woman. And in the obscurity he/she laughs. That's what makes me laugh.

■ 'US needs oil wars to topple Middle East chessboard'
■ Unspoken alliance between US govt & fascists
■ China 'opposed to sanctions of any kind' over Ukraine 
■ Ron Paul: 'US involvement into affairs of other states leads only to trouble'

► VIDEOS

■ Donetsk celebrates newly-claimed independence from Kiev with fireworks
■ 'It's trauma for all of us': Kids bear cost of Afghan govt v Taliban war 
■ More blasts, more deaths: Video of immediate aftermath of Iraq car bombings
■ 'No more mollycoddling!' Moscow calls out Ukraine's gas debt denial

■ State Dept.'s Psaki can't explain her beef with Ukraine. The US State Dept's Jen Psaki was quick to undermine moves for autonomy in East Ukraine but failed to follow up on her key 'carousel voting' claim . It turns out she didn't actually know what she was talking about.

Her personality: likes to memorize rather than think and analyze. When she was almost cornered by his unpreparedness on one topic, then she started to divert it on her monotonous physical gestures : adjusting her hair arrangement with her insincere smile, with her eyes were too happy to report the horrendous issue to her boss and then struggled back to memorization.

To someone like this I usually just do a traditional gesture under the table: giving a smooth kick on my friend's feet. If he'she agrees, he/she will usually answer me with a similar gesture: kicking my feet. Ssh, if your mouth is forbidden to talk, maybe you are not forbidden to wiggle your feet.

■ Drink, drugs &  depression: UK soldiers suffer on personal battlefields
■ 'Ukraine menaces Russia with gas trial, has no chances in court' 
■ Russian TV crew caught in heavy fighting in Eastern Ukraine
■ Turkey mine explosion: Over 200 dead, hundreds trapped
■ UN marked Mil Mi-24 strike helicopter used in E. Ukraine crackdown. The UN has voiced concerns over the apparent use of UN-marked helicopters by Kiev troops in their military operation against Donetsk regional militia. A video of a white-painted Mil Mi-24 strike helicopter with UN logo has emerged.
■ The farce is strong with this one: Darth Vader runs for Kiev mayor 
■ CrossTalk: Ukrainian Red Lines
■ 'Greece-like austerity looms in Ukraine from harmful EU loan'
■ Ukraine blocks key Crimean water supply 
■ Jobs for the boys: Biden's son signs for Ukraine gas giant
■ Erdogan jeered, heckled, his car attacked as he visits scene of mine collapse
■ Make War, Not Diplomacy? US continues Syria regime change push
■ McWage Rage: Fast food workers take to the streets worldwide
■ Wildfires engulf southern California
■ German Fury: Protesters in Berlin call for arrests of Nazis in Ukraine
■ Ukrainian APCs open fire at RT's video agency crew near Kramatorsk

■ Proton rocket carrying advanced satellite crashes 9 mins after launch. A Russian Proton-M rocket with an advanced satellite on board crashed outside of Kazakhstan's territory on Friday, about nine minutes after lift-off. The Express-AM4R would have been Russia's most advanced and powerful satellite.

► TechKnow - Bulletproof classroom. Developed for the battlefield, bulletproof backpacks and whiteboards make their way into children's classrooms.  
► UK bill: Passport to statelessness? 
► Palestine's lost cities 

► Humanitarian situation critical in S Sudan



► Palestine's lost cities
► Who is protecting medical staff in Syria?
► People and Power - Ukraine: a dangerous game

► A Whole Lott More. A fascinating look at how people with developmental disabilities are competing in and are treated by the working world.



► Lifelines - Between Life and Death. Health workers in Malawi are challenging old traditions to bring down one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Lifelines is an eight-part documentary series exploring the work being done across the globe to control, eliminate and eradicate neglected diseases and conditions.



► Why is mining in Turkey so dangerous?

► OPINION : We're Not Impressed With Your Space Tantrum, Mr. Putin - by : Jeffrey Kluger
► HEALTH : The Most Erogenous Parts of the Female Body, Ranked By Science
► Photos: Inside a Hospital for California’s Stranded Seals and Sea Lions
► Inside The Obama Administration Fight Over The Drone Memo. The Obama Administration is inching closer to the release of classified legal memos justifying its use of drones in the fight against terrorism 
► Walmart Settles Relatives' Claims After 2011 Listeria Outbreak 
► Turkish PM Feels Mine Fury

► CDC Rec's Anti-HIV Pill 

► Sterling: Thanks, Obama

► Top Editor Departs New York Times. Jill Abramson, who became the first woman to take the newspaper's leading post in 2011, will be replaced by her deputy, Dean Baquet, who will become the first African-American editor to the lead the 163-year-old publication.

► SCIENCE : Sea Lions Are Starving to Death—and We Don't Know Why

► The Eerie Calm of Damascus - Syria's capital feels strangely normal in some neighborhoods after more than three years of civil war, as TIME's Middle East bureau chief Aryn Baker finds out, ahead of next month's presidential election that is expected to keep President Bashar Assad in power

* Signs of Chlorine-Gas Use in Syria
* Abducted Relief Workers Released in Syria

► Heart Disease Patients Shouldn't Exercise Too Much. Excessive Exercise Could Put Heart Disease Patients at Risk

► This is the Best Gay Marriage Debate You'll See All Year

► Prettier Women Get Elected, Ugly Study Finds

► This Chart Shows What Happened to Malaysia Airlines After Missing Flight

► LOCAL

■ L.A. defends Magic Johnson, condemns Donald Sterling
■ Gang member gets 50 years to life in 2011 Wilmington shooting death 
■ Federal trial begins for deputy accused in L.A. County jail abuse case
■ O.C. clears way for court-ordered treatment of mentally ill
■ Yaroslavsky proposes electronic filing of political donations
■ In Watts, a Girl Scout uniform levels playing field for young girls
■ Brown says rising sea levels could force costly move of LAX
■ L.A. Council seeks to curb new adult businesses in parts of Valley  
■ L.A. lawmakers tweak Garcetti's proposed budget, parking ticket plans
■ Garcetti says Sterling's remarks on Magic Johnson 'offensive' to city 
■ Donald Sterling says he and wife Shelly are divorcing
■ 10,000 acres, and counting, burn in San Diego County

* Fire pushes toward Escondido; hundreds told to evacuate
* People fleeing flames have just enough time to grab and go
* Dry winter, hot May make Southland a tinderbox
* Map: Fires raging around the Southland 
* Photos: San Diego County brush fires

► SCIENCE

■ Irreversible collapse of Antarctic glaciers has begun, studies say
■ New California botanic garden celebrates native conifers and plants 

► BUSINESS : Sterling's reputation rehab attempt a PR 'train wreck' 

► OPINION

■ Alec Baldwin, you're so right: New York City is a nasty place to live
■ Memo to Stanford: Don't attack coal, attack carbon — with a tax

► FOOD : Easy dinner recipes: When vegetables make you feel like you're eating pasta

► ENTERTAINMENT

* For a monster, 'Godzilla' plays it a little too cool 
* 'Young & Beautiful' yet lacking in grace
* 'Million Dollar Arm' tosses out a nice softball
* 'Retrieval' a trek through dilemmas of slavery, manhood 
* 'Queen Margot' cuts bloody swath through France's religious wars
* 'Breastmilk' an intimate chronicle of women's, experts' views

► FRAMEWORK

■ Pictures in the News | May 14, 2014 - Posted By: Marc Martin
■ Pictures in the News | May 15, 2014 - Posted By: Marc Martin

People walk past a work by Japanese artist Keiichi Tanaami titled "The Uncrossable Upswept Bridge" at Art Basel 2014 in Hong Kong. PHOTOGRAPH BY: ALEX HOFFORD / EPA



Indian farmers lie on the ground with sticks as they pray for rain during the Manda Festival at a temple on the outskirts of Ranchi, India. PHOTOGRAPH BY: AFP/Getty Images

News Headlines (473) 21 March - 22 March 2014

ONLINE TODAY

► "There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies and that is fighting without them." — Winston Churchill

► 21 March 2014 : A minor setback feels like a big deal to you -- but it's mostly in your head. Try not to read too much into it this time and see what happens. You may still be grouchy, but at least you're not panicking! Today is not the time for an in-depth evaluation of a recent mistake you made. There will be plenty of time to go over what you did right and what you did wrong later on in the week. Today, you need to just take a break from all the self-examination and relax. Your emotions are just too close to the surface. They feel too fragile to be dissected. So just live in the moment today and allow yourself to have a good time. Deal with the fallout after you feel recharged and ready to go.


► 22 March 2014 : You're feeling quite good -- but maybe just a bit out of touch with your peers. That makes today perfect for focusing on personal projects, as you risk offending folks you work closely with. You need the distraction, and your friend needs the pleasure of your company. It's an even trade. You're going out, there's no doubt about it. It might be in a limo, en route to a delightfully formal evening, complete with a five-star restaurant and tickets to the opera. Or you might be heading over to a friend's place for pizza, beer and a movie. Who knows? More importantly, who cares?

► THE STAR 18 March 2014 : Pikachu becomes official World Cup mascot for Japan  || ► GAMESPOT 17 March 2014 : Pikachu is Japan's awesome mascot for FIFA World Cup 2014

► USA TODAY 20 March 2014 : Putin to Russian billionaires: Pay up

► FORBES 20 March 2014 : Ukraine Fallout: Putin Hands The Pentagon A Rationale For New Nuclear Weapons

► BLOOMBERG 20 March 2014 : Putin's Tools of Sabotage Beat Urgency of Ukraine Invasion ||  ► NEWMAX 19 March 2014 : Putin's Tools of Sabotage Trump Urgency of Ukraine Intervention

► CNBC 19 March 2014 : Find out where Russia wealth is outside its borders

► CS MONITOR

■ 21 March 2014 : With Russians on the doorstep, Ukrainians hear duty's call
■ Russia sanctions 101: five questions you were too embarrassed to ask
■ 21 March 2014 : Ukraine finally signs the EU deal that started it all
■ 21 March 2014 : Why US sanctions could play into Putin's hand

► CNN 17 March 2014 : Germany says it could live without Russian gas

► WOMANITELY 10 February 2014 : 10 Reasons Your Children Should Own a Pet

► NEWS & POLITICS : [345] Jesse Ventura is Off the Grid and Mad as Hell, McDonalds' Wage War, World Zeitgeist Day. Published on Mar 18, 2014 by breakingtheset



► PEOPLE &BLOG : Jim O'Neill on Russia and BRIC's and the economic future of Europe and America.

Former Chief Economist at Goldman Sachs and creator of BRICs, Jim O'Neill on Reuters defends Russia's place in emerging BRIC economies and discusses the economic futures of Europe and America (June 2012).

Jim O'Neill is an internationally respected economist and commentator with a unique perspective on global markets, currencies and trends.

Jim began his career in finance at a division of Bank of America. From 1988 to 1991, he was in charge of the fixed income research group at Swiss Bank Corporation (SBC) and served as SBC's chief of global research. Jim joined Goldman Sachs in 1995 and was appointed head of Global Economics, Commodities and Strategy Research in 2001. In 2010 he became chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM).

Jim is the creator of the acronym BRICs. He has also published research into other growth markets, including the Next 11 (Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Turkey, South Korea, and Vietnam). Jim published an analysis of the global economy, 'The Growth Map' in 2011; the paperback comes out in May 2013. He is now working on a new book, and in Q4 2013 will be visiting four growth markets to record a programme for BBC Radio 4.

Jim earned a degree in economics from Sheffield University in 1978 and a PhD from the University of Surrey in 1982. He received an honorary doctorate from the Institute of Education, University of London, in 2009 for his educational philanthropy. Published on Apr 24, 2013 by ATG|Chartwell

► Paint Showers 



► CRUSH 

► U.S. eyes military supplies for Ukraine, seeks to avoid escalation
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon said on Thursday it was focusing for now on Ukrainian requests for non-lethal support, as opposed to any weaponry, as a senior U.S. official said Washington wanted to avoid further militarizing the standoff with Russia.

Mmm, passable, ... there is a bit of income for you, America! Ehhehhee.

► Russian forces storm Ukraine naval HQ in Crimea

► Obama expands Russia sanctions - By Steve Holland and Maria Tsvetkova
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW - President Barack Obama imposed sanctions against prominent Russians including close allies of President Vladimir Putin, as Moscow raced to complete its annexation of Crimea.

* Video: Obama to take aim at sectors of Russian economy

► Video : Washington and Moscow sanction each other. Washington imposes new sanctions on Moscow and Russia hits back with its own sanctions. Ukrainian boots on the ground in Crimea face tough choice. Gavino Garay reports. The lower house of Russia's parliament overwhelmingly approves a treaty to annex Crimea. Washington is retaliating with more sanctions, in addition to those previously announced. U.S. President Barrack Obama has announced sanctions on 20 more Russians, some close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in response to the annexation. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING: "I signed a new executive order today that gives us the authority to impose sanctions, not just on individuals but on key sectors of the Russian economy. This is not our preferred outcome. These sanctions would not only have a significant impact on the Russian economy, but could also be disruptive to the global economy. However, Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community." Moscow is also slapping sanctions on Washington, over what it calls a "hostile thrust." They include sanctions on nine U.S. officials, including senators John McCain and Harry Reid, barring them from Russia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops on Crimean soil are trying to figure out what to do. They face a tough choice: leave for Ukraine, or take a Russian oath. This so-called head of a local self-defense unit explains. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) ANDREY KARAULOV, HEAD OF A SO-CALLED LOCAL SELF DEFENCE UNIT, SAYING: "I know that by now the negotiations have completed, all servicemen have made their decision, each one of them made his own. Some are leaving for Ukraine, others will retire, and some will stay here and will terminate their contract with military Ukrainian forces and take an oath for Russia, and will continue their service within the Russian armed forces. Among those servicemen, 75 percent are Crimeans who have already made a conscious choice, and they will remain here and will continue their service in Crimea." In this small Ukrainian town, rubles are already being accepted. And in the Crimean capital, people are lining up to apply for Russian passports. While some 50 kilometers from the Russian border in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian troops stand at the ready. 


► Russian shares tumble after sanctions - By Jason Bush and Barbara Lewis
MOSCOW/BRUSSELS - Russian shares fell sharply as investors took fright at U.S. sanctions against President Vladimir Putin's inner circle over Moscow's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine. | Video 

* Factbox: Russians targeted on U.S. sanctions list

► Putin looks to Asia as West hits back - By Timothy Heritage and Vladimir Soldatkin
MOSCOW - When President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty this week annexing Crimea to great fanfare in the Kremlin and anger in the West, a trusted lieutenant was making his way to Asia to shore up ties with Russia's eastern allies.

* What does U.S. know about Putin's oil wealth?

► Search for jet resumes - By Matt Siegel and A. Ananthalakshmi
PERTH, Western Australia/KUALA LUMPUR - An international search force resumed the hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the remote southern Indian Ocean.

* Analysis of possible plane debris slowed by size of satellite data
* Factbox: Dimensions of missing Malaysian jet

► Search for Malaysian jet finds only frustration - By Michael Martina and A. Ananthalakshmi
KUALA LUMPUR - Two weeks after a Malaysia Airlines plane went missing with 239 people on board, officials are bracing for the "long haul" as searches by more than two dozen countries turn up little but frustration and fresh questions.

* Malaysia jet saga highlights doubts over air traffic radar
* Video: Missing plane search resumes
* U.S. mulling undersea surveillance gear for Malaysia plane hunt 
* Jack Shafer: The jumbo coverage of Malaysia flight MH370 

► SCIENCE : Drones of a feather flock together
Hungarian researchers have developed drones that can fly as an autonomous flock, opening new possibilities for the artificial pollination of crops or search and rescue missions.

* Sweet smell of success: human nose discerns giant array of odors 
* Video: Old batteries power new lights in Gaza

► Australia resumes remote ocean search for plane debris

► EU, Ukraine sign provisions of historic accord

► Ethiopia progress on Grand Renaissance dam project



► Iran's Khamenei criticises US policy in New Year's speech

► Gunmen 'storm Ukrainian warship' in Crimea || ► Crimea military town splits as Russia moves in



► World faces 'water-energy' crisis: UN



► Small Uruguayan island hosts fur seal, sea lion colonies

► No Jail for Crime Stoppers Head Who Ate Evidence
► US First Lady Meets Chinese President and Wife

A visit with no political motive? Oh yeah? So, what is this? Panda diplomacy? Recreation by using the state budget Uh uh, actually I do not know what the meaning of Panda Diplomacy, but well, at least she does not have to try hard to smile sincerely to Xi if what is in her mind is only Panda! Ehehehe ... why not? Panda is always funny to be remembered.

And it becomes very easy to sniff, "Why doesn't she go to visit Russia and meet with Putin, for example, with the same purpose of visit? Culture and education. So sweet. Culture and education. Promoting educational and cultural ties. Yeah? Can the culture of likes spying in the U.S. be well accepted in China, hm? Ehehehe... Dear madam, I tell you, the competition between the U.S. and China have led to the shape of the clash of civilizations, not just economic. And the competition is not about applause for Cute pandas. Hooray.

Just because Putin had divorced and Russia does not have a First Lady, it does not mean between Russia and China do not have equality. Even a similarity between them is very fundamental, related to the equation of ideology. And Putin does not have to pretend to smile at China just to show that they nod in an unspoken language, because the U.S. and China do not have a common ideology. More than
a diplomatic smile on the lips but frowning in mind.


She did this visit precedes Putin's visit to China -- to assert to the West that Russia has turned to the east and Russia does not need the West -- in May, and we are asked not to think other than the soft pandas visit? Moreover, is there a cultural equation between two countries where one says, "Hate someone? Shoot! Done."

Ehehhe, it is barbaric! And barbaric culture is the culture of the U.S., not China, nor the Chinese in the United States.

So?

► Raw: Crowds Celebrate Crimea Annexation || ► Raw: McCain Sounds Warning About Putin

Watch! How often U.S. appearance is represented by people who continue to talk without ever wants to think. They like the familial bond between them, and they are cheering to express their excitement, meaning that it takes place in consciousness without coercion. Meanwhile, you are always busy cursing Putin everywhere. Ouch, ouch, America, you are very embarrassing! Why do you like to embarrass yourself in the eyes of others? Well, it can not be denied, it is nevertheless part of your culture: Shameless!

■ Putin's Tools of Sabotage for Ukraine Include Cyberwar, Gas Prices, Insurrection
■ US Lawmakers Laugh Off Putin's Sanctions

■ Another Crimea? Ukraine's neighbor asks to join Russia



■ Pro-Russian crowds seize 2 Ukrainian warships 

■ Russian economy, tycoons take hit in Crimea crisis



■ Germany's Russian rethink: How Merkel lost faith in Putin 
■ Pentagon Not Ready for Cold War 2

■ Putin Slams West, Calls For End To 'Cold War Rhetoric'. Russian President Vladimir Putin tore into U.S. and its allies over the Ukraine crisis on Tuesday, criticizing "Western exceptionalism" that sees itself as "always right". Putin told a joint session of parliament in Moscow, "We have to stop this Cold War rhetoric and realize that Russia is an independent nation … it's necessary to stop the hysteria - you have to respect those interests of Russia. In the case of Ukraine our Western partners overstepped the line," adding that they acted unprofessionally.



■ Did Russia Dump Its U.S. Bonds?
■ U.S. warship extends drills across Black Sea from Crimea
■ Obama hits closest Putin allies with sanctions over Crimea 
■ Kremlin raps new U.S. sanctions list, will retaliate

■ UKRAINE OUT OF CRIMEA 



■ American Jewish Congress lauds Hillary Clinton
■ In subtle moves, Hillary Clinton creates distance from Obama
■ Russia demands Ukraine pay back $11 billion
■ Putin has 'lost Ukraine for good' says Tymoshenko

Tymoshenko, I don't like you. Sorry. You often make statements that are inconsistent with the facts. And what's worse is, you can not measure yourself. You say Russia has lost Ukraine to the fact that actually Ukraine has lost Russia. But you, a small country, do not want to admit it. I say this fact once again, "Ukraine, you have lost Russia". Do you know you have lost Russia for what purpose, hm? Why you can not measure the abilities and potential of your country? What does Ukraine have? And what does Russia have?

When you think Ukraine is under attack, you just kept quiet. You know why Ukraine is just silence? Because the U.S. is also just silent. Indeed, Obama is not silent, he's very diligent to talk and making rhetorical statements on Russia, but it's not important to be heard, because what needs to be underlined from his statement is no military invasion in Ukraine. Do you know why Obama says so? Because the U.S. so seeing Russia there. So, I tell you that a country -- which should be in America continent --- so excited to travel across the continent only to see Russia in Ukraine --- is just the U.S., Mrs. Gorgeous Braids!

Why? Because what is in the U.S. mind when landing in your continent is only Russia, not Ukraine or its mass movement on behalf of democracy to the coup over the legitimate government. Not at all! Such a strategy has always been a priority in the agenda of U.S. foreign policy, and you do not need to wink with the U.S. in front of the Russia. Moreover, do not blind your eyes that the current U.S. administration is also not too concerned with how the implementation of democracy in Myanmar, for example. Why? Because there is no Russia in Myanmar. And why the U.S. and you, too, are "very keen" on Russia, hm? That's what you need to answer to us. Ehehhee. Very love but saying hate, maybe? ehehheee, ... blah!

One more important thing: You, Ukraine, you can not feel you have become a superpower just because you are friends with the U.S. and EU, understand? You're just a piece of tail on the elephant's body. How can you feel proud to be the smallest in the last row?

And though in your eyes -- perhaps -- Russia was a kind of rooster, but for me the Russia is able to crow for himself and he becomes a marker for the Coming of the Morning. Marching for the Arrival of the Sun.

■ With Russians on the doorstep, Ukrainians hear duty's call

■ Fallout after 'War of Words' between President Obama and Russian President Putin



■ Russia sanctions 101: five questions you were too embarrassed to ask.

■ Putin Mocks US Sanctions, Signs Crimea Accession Despite Pressure 

■ Crimea annexation a step closer



■ West steps up Russia sanctions



■ Ukraine finally signs the EU deal that started it all

■ Ukraine's navy at end of rope in Crimea

A view of the Ukrainian Navy ship 'Ternopil' after it was taken over by Russian forces in the Sevastopol harbour on March 21, 2014 (AFP Photo/Viktor Drachev)

Oh, that ship rope, ... why do I suddenly want to cry when I saw it over longer than just seeing? Ah, ...no. No, this is too romantic, because I see it with the eyes of romance. And I do not want romantic things these days. No "Political Romanticism" today, Cisca!

(NOTE: The term of Romanticism emerged for the first time in the 18th century as a form of reaction to the rationality and intellectual power. This is a new movement that later inspired the character of this great country politician. Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his writings on Political Romanticism said that if the group romatisme saw the orphans, homeless, poor families living under bridges, or other social inequalities, then the true romance would cry when they see the reality, but they were unmoved to make changes to these conditions. They were touched when they saw the sad event, and they would come back to laugh out loud when they left such sad circumstances.)

■ Why US sanctions could play into Putin's hand
■ Myanmar's marine 'Lost World' braces for tourism
■ US, China first ladies in Beijing's Forbidden City

► SHINE : 5 Things You Need to Know About Prince George's New Nanny

► GOOD MORNING AMERICA : Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Land Vogue Magazine Cover

► CELEBRITY : Miley Cyrus Shows Off Bad Sunburn on Chest, Bruise on Butt in Tampa: Pictures

► Search resumes for Malaysia jet
An international search of the southern Indian Ocean resumes for a second day as authorities try to locate a missing Malaysian airliner.

* Live updates 
* On the trail of MH370 - VIDEO
* Aerials from search plane - VIDEO 
* Could debris be missing plane?
* World's most difficult recovery
* Can new radar help?
* Minister 'regrets' incident - VIDEO
* Malaysia plane special report 

► Missing plane: Special report

* The search
* What we know
* New radar developed
* How do you track a plane?

► VIDEOS

■ Malaysia plane: Australian Air Force scour Indian Ocean
■ Missing Malaysia Airlines plane: Despair for relatives - Why should I believe my family is gone?' 
■ On the trail of missing Malaysia plane flight MH370
■ Specialised aircraft used to search for MH370 
■ Malaysia Airlines plane: 'Credible sightings' of debris
■ Malaysia plane: Minister on new lead and relatives incident 
■ Missing plane: On board debris search plane
■ Malaysia plane: Aviation experts discuss search
■ Barack Obama: 'Thoughts and prayers with families'
■ Malaysia missing plane: Relative dragged from briefing
■ Malaysia missing plane: Relatives kept away from journalists
■ Missing Malaysia plane: Hope wall at Kuala Lumpur airport 

► EU extends Crimea sanctions list
The EU says it is extending sanctions to another 12 individuals over Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

* EU: 'Russia to face consequences' - VIDEO
* The Russian officials targeted 
* Obama calls for 'respect' - VIDEO
* Minister: 'Crimea not lost' 

► Ukraine crisis: US sanctions target Putin's inner circle 

► ANALYSIS : BBC's Bridget Kendall analyses Putin's speech to parliament 

► China media: 'Rise of Russia'

► MAGAZINE: Go west!  - Why I (Louis Theroux) decided to move my family to Los Angeles

► Malaysia plane search in third week
Rescue teams widen their search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane in remote seas of the Indian Ocean, as the mission enters its third week.

* No debris found - VIDEO
* Abbott: 'Extremely remote' area - VIDEO
* On the trail of MH370 - VIDEO
* Could debris be missing plane?
* World's most difficult recovery
* Can new radar help?
* Minister 'regrets' incident

► VIDEOS

■ Malaysia plane: Search day ends with no debris found
■ The Australian airbase leading missing plane hunt
■ Malaysia plane: "We've got a lot of hope" says search pilot
■ How weather affects search for missing plane
■ On the trail of missing Malaysia plane flight MH370

► Security monitors to go to Ukraine
International monitors are to go to Ukraine to defuse the crisis, after Russia drops its objections to the move.

* New EU sanctions: As it happened.
* Sanctions: Potential damage
* The divisions behind the Ukraine crisis
* 'Ukraine shares EU values'

► BUSINESS : Visa and MasterCard block Russian bank customers 

► 10 Things - A cuckoo in the nest helps crows to survive, and other nuggets.10 things we didn't know last week

► FUTURE : Want to learn quicker? Use your body

► Today's African Proverb 

■ "Oh, cow! You looked at the grass but you didn't see the ditch" - An Ethiopian proverb sent by Melos Snetbeb in the Netherlands

So? Should I think that the grass and ditch are always close to each other?

■ "It's only on the day the frog dies that you can measure its length" - A Ghanaian proverb sent by Johnny Asare, Chigasaki, Japan

► Sanctions tit-for-tat: Moscow strikes back against US officials
► Western sanctions against Russia 'unjust, irrational' – Russian FM
► EU expands Russia sanctions list to 33 people, cancels EU-Russia summit
► Up in arms: Poland accelerates missile defense plan amid Ukraine crisis
► Syrian hackers claim to reveal how much FBI pays Microsoft for customer data
► Israel budgets $3 bn for strike on Iran - report
► Top 10 powerful quotes from Putin’s historic Crimea address
► US blacklists 20 Russian officials and businessmen, threatens to sanction economy
► OP-ED : 'Crimea is now part of Russia, the West has to come to terms with that' 

 

Mmm ... actually I do not really understand what's wrong between them, but it seems this is not about the right of a child to prefer to live with his strong father than to live with his mother who has been found guilty of adultery in front of the child and his father. Ahahaha ....

Then a pair of adulterers could only bite their lips, respectively, while doubting the intensity of their current adultery when compared with honest motives of their relationship. (Who really want you, huh? I just want to taste you, you know? As a woman, you do not really beautiful. I just want to try out the power of your husband, you know? The legend says that your husband is a strong man from the East. Is it true?)

Eehhehe... how fun it is news. Olala, lalala ...dahliiing .... I can arrange a lot of stories of similar news. Moreover, to add the idea that now they are entitled to have a lot more new family members. In the door frame of their home written on a piece of wood, carved: "Welcome to the big family of Russia".

And I see lonely pair of adulterers are partying, ... well, a victory party which further confirms their sense of alienation among each other. Written in their foreheads, "Welcome to an oversight". Just feel it! How to find yourself as Delilah, Ukrainelah? hehehe ...


What? Ahahaha... Stop your stupid fantasy, Cisca! Ahahaha...

► Ukrainian nationalists block RT YouTube video of brutal assault on TV chief
► Facts only: Kosovo vs Crimea - 'Good Independence' vs 'Bad Referendum'
► Russia's UN envoy Churkin replies to CNN anchor Amanpour
► CNN's Amanpour, State Dept. and good old double standards
► Crimea, Sevastopol officially join Russia as Putin signs final decree
► OP-ED : Sanctions effect: Russia to change its economic partners…for the better

Very True! Remember: 2011-2050 is the era of the BRICS's rise + N-11 as the candidates of the 'World Economic Superpower' in the Future.

► Mass celebrations in Crimea refute Western charges of annexation – Lavrov
► Putin's rating climbs to 5-year peak
► Oakland will pay $4.5 million to injured Occupy activist Scott Olsen
► Turkey's Twitter ban sparks angry reaction, Google refuses to block YouTube videos

► VIDEOS

■ Blame game backfire: US State Dept's Psaki in Simferopol bullet dodge

■ Neocon Con? US right stage media attack on alternative news. Nationwide fame, praise and a string of prime time appearances on America's top news networks. The on-air resignation of an RT America anchor, in protest at the channel's coverage of Crimea, quickly made her a mainstream media darling. But what looked to many like a brave and principled protest move, may have been a carefully planned ambush, as RT's Sam Sacks reports.



■ Leaning East: Russia moves towards China as West pushes sanctions. Note: We apologize for deleting the previous version of this video, it contained no CG's mistakenly amid the possibility of further sanctions from Brussels and Washington over Crimea - Vladimir Putin is set to address the annual session of Russia's Union of Industrials and Entrepreneurs. Live now to RT's Katie Pilbeam. Well the West may be threatening sanctions - but Russia's eastern relations are unaffected. Moscow's trade with China is on the rise - the turnover reaching 89 billion dollars last year. Most of that is made up of oil supplies being sent to Beijing, which is the world's fastest growing energy market. Let's get some analysis from Thorsten Pattberg, a writer and author of the book "The East-West Dichotomy".



■ 'US thinks rules are for inferior nations, it's in their DNA' - ex Australian PM. Kosovo's secession demonstrated that international law is only as applicable as the force used to back it. But with Crimea now free on the wings of that precedent, the West cries foul. Why does the Western world fail to recognize parallels between Kosovo and Crimea? Is it a case of double standards or the result of decades of adversarial EU and NATO policies towards Russia? Oksana is joined by former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser to canvass these issues.



■ Jesse Ventura: Undeclared martial law in US, should get back to freedoms we've lost since 9/11
■ Sanction tit-for-tat: Moscow & US share jabs with restrictions 

■ 'Tiny' Russia: World's largest country on just 800 square meters (Promo)



■ CrossTalk: Ukrainian Spiral

■ Crimea, Sevastopol officially join Russia as Putin signs final decree



■ Backtrack Ukraine: Self-proclaimed govt fails to deliver on promises. Following a string of promises in the aftermath of the bloody coup - Ukraine's interim Prime Minister hasn't managed to deliver on many since taking power. And as RT's Marina Kosareva has found out, he's backtracked on most.



■ 78 days of fear: 15 years since NATO invasion of Yugoslavia (Promo)



■ Tory MP calls to boost nuclear programme to face 'Russian threat'. In light of the Ukrainian crisis, some voices in the UK say the country now needs to keep its nuclear Trident system to counter the Russian threat. Conservative MP Julian Lewis said Britain will need it for when, quote 'Putin threatens one of the Baltic states, which are members of NATO'. Political commentator John Wight believes this rhetoric is way outdated.

Blah! Shut up! They are just Russophobia!

■ Moscow and Crimea light up skies with fireworks to celebrate reunion



■ Putin mocks US sanctions, vows not to strike back

■ Exporting Chaos: 'West spent $5 billion destabilizing Ukraine'. Despite previously supporting the self-determination of some nations, the US continues to dismiss Crimea's choice to reunite with Russia. Washington is standing by its newfound allies in Kiev - after helping propel them to power. And as RT's Anastasia Churkina reports, Ukraine's not the first country to go through selective US -backed regime change.

► People and Power - India: High Tech Mirage
► Indian Hospital Revisited - Episode One

► Witness : Searching for Steele. An investigation into the role played a retired US colonel in overseeing Iraq's US-funded sectarian interrogation units.



► Inside Story - Oil and Gas: At what price? 
► Dying for fashion. Deadly clashes between poor garment workers and police are threatening to cripple Cambodia's largest export industry. 

► Viewfinder Latin America - Message for my daughter

► Turkey turns off Twitter

► Head to Head - Has political Islam failed? Controversial Muslim intellectual Tariq Ramadan discusses Islamism and the rise and fall of the Muslim Brotherhood.


► Maria Corina Machado: 'This is about freedom'. Venezuelan opposition leader discusses the recent protests in her country and shares her vision for its future.

► Australia Leader Says Nothing Spotted in Air Search
Search planes flying deep into the southern Indian Ocean have found nothing so far that could be from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet

* Lost But Not Found - As officials search for two objects that satellite imagery spotted days ago in the Indian Ocean, desperate relatives of those on missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 are living in a special kind of hell

► U.S. Adds More Pain on Putin
The Treasury Department published a blacklist of 16 government officials and four members of what it called the Russian President "inner circle"

► Santorum Eyes 2016 
Ex-Pa. senator tells TIME he was sure he would have defeated President Obama had he won the 2012 GOP nomination

► Your Nose Can Smell at Least 1 Trillion Scents
A new study demonstrates that your sense of smell is far more sensitive than you think and the world of scents is infinitely more varied. Previously, scientists thought humans could smell around 10,000 different odors

I can even smell the scent of events behind a variety of scents. I keep going with uncertain feeling when I realize my body is here, but I've gone to certain times. Looking and feeling find. And I will always miss all the darkness in every corner, because of the scent. When my partner was making pancakes for our breakfast, its scent made ​​me like being in my childhood, in a warm embrace my late daddy, with a memory of my beautiful mother smile. My partner never understood what a mistake he had done when he finished cooking only to find I was in tears, alone. But then I ate very heartily, hoping he would make more pancakes for me, every day, ... mmm ... ah, nope, ...I want it at any time. (Note: in a healthy state, without influenza)

► Turkey Turns Off Twitter 
The country's powerful prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is raging against social media and dismissing critics as corruption allegations swirl. His loathing for it began last summer, when protests broke out in Istanbul over a park that swelled into a rebellion against his autocratic tendencies

► Hold the Eggs: Breakfast Foods Are Getting Pricier
The price of bacon is surging and the cost of other morning staples, like coffee and orange juice, is set to rise because of global supply problems, from drought in Brazil to disease on U.S. pig farms

► CELEBRITY : VIDEO: George Clooney's Hot New Lady Friend's Resume Is Way More Impressive Than His

► Pictures in the News | March 20, 2014 



A Palestinian man and his daughter are almost hidden in a field of wild mustard flowers that grow across the Gaza Strip on the first day of spring. PHOTOGRAPH BY: MOHAMMED ABED / AFP



Alain Robert, the French urban climber known as Spiderman, climbs the Total company's headquarters, a 186-meter-high skyscraper, in the business district of La Defense, near Paris. PHOTOGRAPH BY: FRANCOIS GUILLOT / AFP

■ The Week in Pictures | March 17 – 23, 2014 - Posted By: Marc Martin 



The Blue Angels fly their FA 18 Hornets as they prepare for the Los Angeles County Air Show at General William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster. PHOTOGRAPH BY: Anne Cusack/ Los Angeles Times



Newly arrived South Sudanese refugees wait to register at the Pagak Border Entry point in the Gambella Region, Ethiopia. Conflict in South Sudan triggered a large refugee influx into Ethiopia that began in mid-December when South Sudanese President Salva Kiir accused senior politicians loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar of staging a coup. PHOTOGRAPH BY: Solan Gemechu / AFP/Getty Images