Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/270994
By Dalton Bennett The Associated Press KIEV, UKraInE » Russia called for a national unity deal in Ukraine even as it tightened its stranglehold over Crimea, a bold combination of diplomacy and escalating mil - itary pressure. The U.S. and Eu- ropean Union floundered for solu- tions — while global markets pan- icked over the prospect of violent upheaval in the heart of Europe. Fears grew that the Kremlin might carry out more land grabs in pro-Russian eastern Ukraine, adding urgency to Western efforts to defuse the crisis. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was heading to Kiev in an expression of support for Ukraine's sovereignty, and the EU threatened a raft of punitive mea - sures as it called an emergency summit on Ukraine for Thursday. But it was Russia that appeared to be driving the agenda. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a U.N. Human Rights Coun- cil session in Geneva that Ukraine should return to an agreement signed last month by pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych — but not Moscow — to hold early elections and surrender some pow - ers. Yanukovych fled the country after sealing the pact with the op- position and foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland. "Instead of a promised national unity government," Lavrov said, "a government of the victors has been created." Meanwhile, Ukrainian author - ities said that Russian troops had issued an ultimatum for two Ukrainian warships to surren- der or be seized — prompting the country's acting president to ac- cuse Russia of "piracy." Ukraine's cor vette Terno - pil and the command ship Slavu- tych were being blocked by four Russian navy ships in Sevasto- pol's harbor, a Ukrainian military spokesman said. Acting president Oleksandr Turchynov said com- manders and crew were "ready to defend their ships. ... They are de- fending Ukraine." Vladimir Anikin, a Russian de- fense ministry spokesman, dis- missed the report of a Russian ul- timatum as nonsense but refused to elaborate. Warning of a "dangerous esca- lation," the Obama administration said Washington would hold Mos- cow directly accountable for any threat to Ukraine's navy. Russia is "on the wrong side of history" in Ukraine, President Barack Obama said, adding that continued military action would be "a costly proposition for Russia." Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Obama said the U.S. was considering economic and diplo - matic options that will isolate Rus- sia, and called on Congress to work on an aid package for Ukraine. Still, it was not clear what the West could do to make Russia back down. The clearest weapon at the disposal of the EU and U.S. ap - peared to be economic sanctions that would freeze Russian assets and pull the plug on multi-billion dollar deals with Russia. Late Monday, the EU threatened to freeze visa liberalization and eco - nomic cooperation talks and boy- cott the G8 summit in Russia if Moscow does not back down. Already the economic fallout for Russia was being intensely felt: Russia's stock market dropped about 10 percent on Monday and its currency fell to its lowest point ever against the dollar. But the economic consequences of antag - onizing Russia were also acute for Western Europe: The EU re- lies heavily on Russian natural gas flowing through a network of Ukrainian and other pipelines. By Monday, Russian soldiers controlled all Crimean border posts, as well as all military facil - ities in the territory. Troops also controlled a ferry terminal in the Crimean city of Kerch, just 12 miles across the water from Russia. That intensified fears in Kiev that Mos - cow would send even more troops into the peninsula via that route. Border guard spokesman Ser- gei Astakhov said the Russians were demanding that Ukrainian soldiers and guards transfer their allegiance to Crimea's new pro- Russian local government. "The Russians are behaving very aggressively," he said. "They came in by breaking down doors, knocking out windows, cutting off every communication." UKraInE Russia setting agenda with diplomacy, threats Western powers still seeking united front in response to invasion Andrew Lubimov — The AssociATed Press People stand on board the ukrainian navy corvette Ternopil at the harbor of sevastopol, ukraine, on monday. The ukrainian defense ministry said that russian forces that have overtaken ukraine's strategic region of crimea are demanding that the ship's crew surrender. news feed WaSHInGTOn » The Supreme Court accepted Monday the hand-written plea of an Ar- kansas inmate who said the prison's prohibition on beards violates his religious rights as a Muslim. Gregory Holt said the policy of Arkansas Depart - ment of Corrections prohib- iting facial hair other than neatly trimmed mustaches keeps him from maintain- ing the one-half-inch beard that he said is a religious obligation. Holt based his claim on protections in the Religious Land Use and Institutional - ized Persons Act of 2000, and said Arkansas' policy is more restrictive than needed to en- sure security. Holt, 38, is serving a life sentence for burglary and domestic battery. — The Associated Press ScOTUS High court to weigh beard of Muslim inmate I S L a M a B a D » G u n m e n stormed Pakistan's main court complex in Islamabad on Monday, cutting down flee - ing lawyers before blowing themselves up in a rampage that killed 11 people. It was the worst terror attack in years in the capi - tal, which has largely been spared the insurgent-led vio- lence raging in many parts of the country. The bloodshed under- mined the government's ef- forts to negotiate a peace deal with the main militant group, the Pakistani Tali- ban, just days after the or- ganization announced a one- month cease-fire for the talks. The Pakistani Taliban de - nied responsibility for the attack. — The Associated Press paKISTan Gunmen, bombers kill 11 people in Islamabad WaSHInGTOn » The Obama administration says the gov- ernment shutdown last fall resulted in nearly 8 million fewer visitors to national parks, costing the parks and surrounding communities an estimated $414 million in lost visitor spending. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the shutdown was a striking reminder that national parks are a power - ful economic engine for local economies across the coun- try. The report released on Monday said five states, in- cluding California and Ari- zona, lost more than $20 mil- lion during the 16-day shut- down. — The Associated Press WaSHInGTOn Shutdown cost national parks at least $414M nEW YOrK » Rising tensions over Russia's military ad- vance into Ukraine pushed stock markets around the world sharply lower on Mon- day. The Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped the most in a month, following stock markets in Europe and Asia lower, as Russia's military tightened its grip on the Crimea region. Investors sold stocks and bought less risky assets such as Treasurys and gold. The price of crude oil also rose on concern that Rus - sian oil exports could be dis- rupted if Western countries impose sanctions on Mos- cow. — The Associated Press WaLL STrEET Global stocks slide amid Ukraine tensions W I n S T O n - S a L E M , n . c . » Nearly 20 employees working for a North Carolina county have gone to the hospital for evaluation after a toxic dry cleaning chemical spill at the county jail. The Winston-Salem Jour - nal reports that Deputy County Manager Damon Sanders-Pratt said not all the workers exposed to the chemical odor Monday felt ill. But he said the county sent them all to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center as a precaution. Sanders-Pratt said that one person vomited after ex - posure to the odor from the chemical, which he identified as perchloroethylene. — The Associated Press HEaLTH N.C. county workers go to hospital aer spill By Julie pace The Associated Press WaSHInGTOn » Seeking to salvage an elusive Middle East peace plan, President Barack Obama pressed Is - raeli Prime Minister Benja- min Netanyahu Monday to make the "tough decisions" needed to move forward on talks with the Palestinians. But facing a U.S.-imposed April deadline, the Israeli leader declared pessimisti - cally that, "Israel has been doing its part and, I regret to say, the Palestinians have not." Netanyahu's comments underscored the slim pros - pects of reaching an agree- ment to the long-running conflict, despite a robust ef- fort led by Secretary of State John Kerry. Obama and Netanyahu spoke before an Oval Office meeting on a snowy Monday in Washington. The meeting marked a more direct foray into the peace negotiations by Obama, who will also meet at the White House later this month with Palestinian Au - thority President Mahmoud Abbas. "It is still possible to cre- ate two states, a Jewish state of Israel and a state of Pales- tine, with people living side by side in peace and secu- rity," Obama said. "But it's difficult. It requires compro- mise on all sides." While the relationship be- tween Obama and Netanyahu has improved after early ten- sions, the two leaders still grapple with deep differences, particularly on Iran. Israel sees Iran's nuclear program as an existential threat and fears Tehran is using U.S.- led negotiations to stall while it builds a bomb. Obama, seeking to reas - sure Netanyahu, affirmed his "absolute commitment that Iran does not acquire a nu- clear weapon." Netanyahu insisted Mon- day that Iran must suspend all uranium enrichment, though any final deal between the international community and Iran would likely leave the Islamic republic with a small enrichment capacity. "No country has a greater stake in this," said Netan - yahu, who is in Washington to speak at the annual meet- ing of AIPAC, the largest pro- Israel lobby. MIDDLE EaST Obama: Tough choices nearing in peace talks MOULE'S TEHAMA COUNTY GLASS 515 Sycamore St., Red Bluff 529-0260 GOT GLASS! OPEN Saturdays 9:00-2:00 327 Walnut St., Red Bluff (530) 529-4004 Voted Best Carpet / Floor Covering Store in Tehama County. 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