Ukraine revolution: live

Ukraine’s interim president Oleksander Turchinov has delayed plans to form a new government by Tuesday evening, saying that the deadline has been extended to Thursday to allow for further consultations. All the day’s developments as they happen

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10659755/Ukraine-revolution-live.html?fb 

By Harriet Alexander

2:04PM GMT 25 Feb 2014

Latest

14.04 It’s certainly been a busy 48 hours for Russian diplomats, too (see 11.20).

Now Grigory Karasin, a deputy foreign minister, has met in Moscow with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Russia, Volodymyr Yelchenko.

The meeting was called to raise concerns over the safety of Russians in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“From the Russian side questions were raised about … the safety for Russian citizens and diplomatic representatives on the territory of Ukraine,” the ministry statement said.

13.36 Former Georgian president claims that Yanukovych openly boasted of corruption in Ukraine

13.18 With the hunt for Yanukovych in full cry, the Paddy Power publicity machine senses the biggest flood of bets since Col Muammar Gaddafi went missing in Libya. Here are the odds for those inclined to indulge in a wager:

Where is Yanukovych?

Ukraine 5/4

Russia 6/4

UAE 3/1

Georgia 6/1

Turkey 8/1

13.10 Additional information has come in about the alleged shooting of the former head of the presidential bureaucracy:

Andriy Klyuev, a former presidential aide who is said by the new Ukrainian authorities to be on the run with ousted leader Viktor Yanukovich, has been shot in the leg, his spokesman said.

Spokesman Artem Petrenko said a “trusted source” had told him that Klyuev, the head of the presidential administration until Yanukovich was toppled on Saturday, had come under fire twice and was wounded, but his life was not in danger.

Petrenko said by telephone that he had not spoken to Klyuev himself and he did not know where Klyuev was. He also said he did not know whether Klyuev was with Yanukovich, who fled Kiev on Friday and is wanted by the Ukrainian authorities to face accusations of murder.

12.55 More details emerging of Vitali Klitschko’s decision to run for the presidency.

Mr Klitschko, 42, a former WBC heavyweight champion, has been one of the main opposition leaders championing the cause of thousands of protesters who took to the streets last November.

“I will run for the post of president of Ukraine because I firmly believe that the rules of the game have to be changed in Ukraine,” he was quoted as telling journalists.

12.40 Speaking of sidekicks, one has been shot according to this newsflash:

UKRAINIAN EX-PRESIDENTIAL AIDE ANDRIY KLYUEV HAS BEEN WOUNDED BY GUNFIRE, NOT CLEAR IF HE IS WITH YANUKOVICH (Reuters)

12.35 A reminder of times past emerges from pictures from the house of a presidential sidekick:

12.30 For a background read on the alleged role of two oligarchs in Viktor Yanukovych’s downfall, see Der Spiegel’s english language version of events in Kiev here

It claims that Rinat Akhmetov (see below) and Dmitry Firtash pulled the rug from under the now missing president.

12.20 Another oligarch – this time Victor Pinchuk – has his say in the FT(£)

12.15 The baroness meets the gas baron – a picture of two of the women who play a big role in determining Ukraine’s fate in the months to come. Lady Ashton, the EUs foreign affairs supremo meets newly-freed Yulia Tymoshenko.

12.10 A lot of people are coming out of the woodwork after the horse has bolted, including Ukraine’s richest men who are lining up to say what should happen

12.00 Vitali Klitschko has confirmed that he will be a candidate for the presidency. News that was expected but it demonstrates there is no appetite for a cosy deal between the opposition candidates.

11.50 National Geographic has a slideshow depicting the faces of the Ukrainian revolution here:

11.46 Ukraine raises prospect of an international criminal court trial of Viktor Yanukovych:

Ukraine’s parliament has voted to send fugitive President Viktor Yanukovich to be tried for ‘serious crimes’ by the International Criminal Court once he has been captured.

A resolution, overwhelmingly supported by the assembly, linked Yanukovich, who was ousted on Saturday and is now on the run, to police violence against protesters which it said had led to the deaths of more than 100 citizens from Ukraine and other states.

The resolution said former interior minister Vitaly Zakharchenko and former prosecutor-general Viktor Pshonka, who are also being sought by the authorities, should also be sent for trial at the ICC, which is based in The Hague.

11.33 Ukraine’s parliament has just passed a resolution saying that ousted former president Viktor Yanukovych and others caused the deaths of more than 1000 citizens. Here is another picture from the top of the building.

11.20 And in Moscow, the diplomacy continues.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has spoken to Barack Obama, Angela Merkel and David Cameron about the crisis. Today he summoned his top security officials to discuss the situation – but no details of their meeting were released.

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said earlier today that Ukraine must not be forced to choose between East and West.

And yesterday Dmitri Medvedev, the prime minister, strongly condemned the new authorities, saying Monday they came to power as a result of an “armed mutiny” and their legitimacy is causing “big doubts.”

“If you consider Kalashnikov-toting people in black masks who are roaming Kiev to be the government, then it will be hard for us to work with that government,” he said.

11.00 Meanwhile, back in Ukraine, campaigning has officially begun for the presidential election – due to be held on May 25.

Mr Yanukovych’s archrival, former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, is widely seen as a top contender for the post. She was freed from prison on Saturday after spending two-and-a-half years there. Her lawyer said, however, that she hasn’t yet declared whether to run.

10.50 But a Conservative MP respectfully disagrees with the diversion of taxpayers money to the tussle for Ukraine.

10.45 Behind the scenes efforts to ensure a new government enjoys Western financial support are breaking into view.

10.36 More from Baroness Ashton, the first senior foreign official to visit Kiev since the overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych as president.

Voicing “strong support” for Ukraine’s new leaders at a news conference, Baroness Ashton urged them to form an “inclusive” government and focus on getting the country through short-term problems.

She spelled out no details of any foreign financial assistance, saying the EU would work with the International Monetary Fund but the IMF would make its own assessment of the situation.

10.15 Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, is in Kiev today, and is speaking now.

Key points from her speech so far:

– Russia, as a neighbouring country, should help Ukraine move forward.
– The focus should be on getting Ukraine through short-term problems
– Then Ukraine needs to look at reforms to agriculture and energy

10.08 Protesters in Kiev are still hard at work – here cutting the Soviet pentagram symbol out of the parliamentary building.

“The star on top of the Verkhovna Rada is no longer there,” said Oleh Tyahnybok, head of the nationalist Svoboda party, which has been a strong force in the protest movement.

09.50 Meanwhile, the hunt for Viktor Yanukovych, the ousted president, continues.

Our correspondent Roland Oliphant has sent this dispatch from the Crimea – one of the regions where Mr Yanukovych could be hiding. An arrest warrant has been issued for him.

09.45 Oleksander Turchinov, the interim president, has put off plans to vote on the formation of a national unity government until Thursday to allow consultations to continue. We were expecting the announcement of a new prime minister and cabinet today.

“The vote on the national unity government should be on Thursday,” said Mr Turchinov, the speaker of the assembly and the acting president. The vote had been expected to take place during Tuesday’s session.

Later on Tuesday he will meet law enforcement agencies to discuss “dangerous signs of separatism” in some areas.

09.30 Welcome again to our continuing coverage of the extraordinary events in Ukraine.

Obamacare to Raise Premiums for 65 Percent of Small Businesses

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source:  http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231764#ixzz2uLL6faS1

BY Ray Hennessey

The government says that roughly two-thirds of small businesses in America — and their employees — will see an increase in health-insurance premiums under Obamacare.

A report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services looked at the new rules facing insurers under the Affordable Care Act, namely the inability to charge premiums based on factors like the health of their employees. Small businesses have always seen a high variability in premiums because of worker health. Since they don’t have many employees, just one worker who is ill can raise premiums for the whole organization.

However, most small businesses employ young, healthy workers — people who wouldn’t otherwise be charged high premiums for insurance. Under Obamacare, however, the good health of employees will not be a factor in setting rates, so the majority of small businesses will see premiums go up. The government estimates that 65 percent of small businesses will see rates rise.

Related: Obamacare Mandate for Many Businesses Pushed Back a Year

What’s more, since most small businesses make their workers contribute to their own health coverage in some way, as many as 11 million individuals could see their own premiums rise, too.

It is unclear how much the rates will go up. The report makes no mention of the magnitude of any increases, either for small businesses or for their employees. However, the White House has consistently argued that Obamacare would lower rates for small businesses by 4 percent, not raise it for the vast majority of small companies.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services report notes the numbers may not pan out, though — primarily because some companies may decide to drop health insurance altogether. That would force the employees into individual health exchanges. “There is a rather large degree of uncertainty associated with this estimate,” the report notes.

Related: How Both Parties Were Wrong About Obamacare and Jobs

Governors write to Obama about Guard cuts — LCS is a clear budget loser — Hagel leaves for Brussels today

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source:  http://www.politico.com/morningdefense/0214/morningdefense13104.html

By KATE BRANNEN | 02/25/14 8:30 AM EDT

With Jonathan Topaz

LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER: We’re a week away from Mardi Gras, but the budget season is blooming here in Washington. And, as usual, the Pentagon is the first out of the gate, briefing the press and Congress a week early on its fiscal 2015 budget proposal.

There was lots of news out of the Pentagon yesterday — much of it expected, thanks to a steady stream of leaks and trial balloons. But, still, there were some surprises.

James Hasik, a defense industry consultant and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said he was surprised that Army end-strength fared as well as it did. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the active-duty Army would drop between 440,000 and 450,000 soldiers, though it had been widely speculated, even in the last few days, the Army would be forced to go to 420,000. But Hagel said yesterday this would only be necessary if sequestration remains in effect in 2016 and beyond.

GOVERNORS ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE GUARD PROPOSALS: Word has it that all 50 governors signed a letter to President Barack Obama yesterday, voicing their opposition to cutting the Army Guard and transferring their Apache helicopters to active-duty units in exchange for a smaller number of Black Hawk helicopters.

At the Pentagon, though, DoD officials defended the moves, saying they’re only fair when the active-duty Army is taking an even bigger cut.

GETTING IT RIGHT ABOUT WWII AND ARMY END-STRENGTH: “”Where many reporters, editors and bloggers are making their mistake is in their assumption that a drawdown to the lowest numbers since the pre-WW2 numbers equates to a drawdown to the pre-WW2 level, and that’s simply not true,” writes Alexander Nicholson, editor of the Defense Policy Journal. “In 1940, the Army’s troops levels stood at 267,000 … But even in the Pentagon’s proposed new troop strength level for the Army, the numbers are still nearly double the pre-WW2 level.” http://goo.gl/RJzmqL

WIN, LOSE OR DRAW: POLITICO’s Austin Wright and Leigh Munsil highlight yesterday’s losers and winners, plus a handful of draws, a category in which they placed the Army and the National Guard. http://politico.pro/1chZm4Q

On their winners list: Special Ops, Global Hawk, Readiness and Cyber.

ON THE LOSERS LIST — THE LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP, via POLITICO’s Philip Ewing: “The Pentagon’s fiscal 2015 budget submission calls for ending the Littoral Combat Ship program after 32 vessels, short of the previous plan for 52, the defense secretary said. The ships can’t protect themselves in some of the environments commanders need them to operate, he said. Instead, the Navy needs something bigger and tougher.” http://politico.pro/MWg6bQ

“The Navy will submit alternative proposals to procure a capable and lethal small-surface combatant consistent with the capabilities of a frigate,” Hagel said, delivering happy news to shipbuilding advocates, writes Ewing.

THE ORWELLIAN “OPPORTUNITY, GROWTH AND SECURITY FUND”: There weren’t too many new details about what the extra $26 billion would buy. And we didn’t learn much about how it would be paid for. Because it’s a government-wide initiative, Pentagon officials seemed wary of weighing into the offsets discussion, preferring to leave it to the White House to explain.

What we do know is the Pentagon will use the $26 billion to buy back near-term readiness, which senior defense officials said yesterday remains one of the most critical risk factors.

But some people are disappointed by the $26-billion request, saying it throws budget discipline out the window. “It’s time to stay within the budget that has been set,” said the Atlantic Council’s Barry Pavel (@BarryPavel) in a call with reporters.

WHAT WOULD YOU ASK IF YOU COULD ASK HAGEL AND DEMPSEY ANYTHING: In a week, we’ll learn the nitty-gritty details about the budget when the White House officially submits it to Congress. Then, Hagel and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dempsey will begin making the rounds, taking questions on the budget from members of all four congressional defense committees.

What would you ask them? Email or tweet your questions. #AskHagel

— THE No. 1 QUESTION YESTERDAY: WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU’LL GET ANY OF THIS THROUGH CONGRESS? Huge battles await Pentagon officials when they head to Capitol Hill to testify. Whether it’s the force structure cuts, the Army-Guard helicopter “swap,” another round of BRAC, or cuts to military pay and benefits — lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle will use these issues as an excuse to huff and puff and blow DoD’s house down. And some may genuinely care about what’s at stake too. But with it being an election year, the theatrics will be Oscar-worthy.

Senior defense officials said yesterday that there was some indication that lawmakers were beginning to understand the tradeoffs in the budget.

BUT BEFORE THE DAY WAS DONE, CONGRESS SAID: NOT SO FAST, via POLITICO’s Austin Wright: Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and “other members of Congress railed against the cutbacks in Hagel’s spending plan as they returned from a long Presidents Day recess. They decried base closures, the retirement of the Air Force’s fleet of A-10 ‘Warthogs’ and even the topline budget numbers they themselves mandated.” http://politico.pro/1o1SLRl

AND VETS GROUPS ALSO PROTESTED: “Here we go again. Washington is trying to balance the budget on the backs of those who have sacrificed the most,” said Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “We know the Defense Department must make difficult budget decisions, but these cuts would hit servicemembers, making it harder for them and their families to make ends meet.” http://goo.gl/xZ448C

— PUSHBACK AGAINST THE PUSHBACK: “”Much of the criticism from members of Congress is just the same as its always been — protect your own backyard — nothing new there,” a senior defense official emailed Morning D. “But the fact is, so long as Congress keeps voting for sequestration level spending we’re going to have to get smaller. And the sooner everyone accepts that the sooner the military can build a stronger force for the future.”

IT’S TUESDAY and it already feels a little bit like Thursday. Oh boy. Please send your ideas, defense tips (including that governors’ letter if you’ve seen it!), and any feedback, to kbrannen@politico.com and follow on Twitter at @k8brannen, @morningdefense and @PoliticoPro.

TODAY, HAGEL DELIVERS BUDGET MESSAGE TO TROOPS: Hagel is headed to Fort Eustis, Va., to speak with soldiers at Army Training and Doctrine Command, and he’ll address airmen at Air Combat Command located at Langley Air Force Base. Then he’s off to Brussels where he’ll discuss Afghanistan at the NATO Defense Ministers Conference.

Meanwhile, acting Deputy Defense Secretary Christine Fox is headlining a slew of senior DOD officials participating in the annual McAleese defense forum today at the Newseum. The appearance by senior Pentagon leadership marks the first industry engagement following Hagel’s preview of the budget yesterday.

**A message from POWERJobs: Jobs on our radar this week: Senior Director, China at U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Asset Management Consultant at Accenture and IT Strategy Senior Consultant at Deloitte.  Interested? Apply to these jobs and more at www.POWERJobs.com; finally, a career site made for YOU!**

SEXUAL ASSAULT VOTE STALLED IN THE SENATE, via POLITICO’s Darren Samuelsohn: “Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Claire McCaskill were thwarted again Monday in their bids for floor votes on legislation to shake up how the Pentagon deals with sexual assault.”

“Their latest obstacle: Iran sanctions.” http://politi.co/1pmbOZW

MCKEON: HOUSE ON TRACK TO FINISH NDAA IN JUNE House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) says the House is on a timeline to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act in early June. And it’s his hope, he said, for a smoother path this year through the Senate.

Still, McKeon worries the bill could get stuck in the muck of election year politics. “If that happens this year, think of this scenario. Everybody goes home to campaign — not me — everybody that’s running for re-election goes home Oct. 1 to campaign,” McKeon said. “They come back after the election, and here’s what happens. Let’s just assume Republicans win the Senate. What is the incentive to finish up anything?”

“My No. 1 priority is to get the bill done. And if we don’t get it done by the time they leave in October, it’s going to be very very difficult,” he added.

SPEED READ

— A provocative headline on the Pentagon budget proposal in the Military Times papers — “Budget Targets Troops.” http://goo.gl/RMLMY0

— A vote to advance Senate Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bernie Sanders’s veterans bill is expected today. USA Today: http://usat.ly/1fkfymb

— Pakistani jets continue to bomb what are believed to be militant hideouts in the northwest tribal area. The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/1hNOJyB

— South Korea says a North Korean warship strayed into South Korean waters late Monday. The Wall Street Journal: http://on.wsj.com/1c3Dr77

— Iran has signed a deal to sell Iraq weapons worth $195 million, a move that would break a U.N. embargo on weapons sales by Tehran. Reuters: http://reut.rs/1c1cnoS

— President Obama has reportedly rejected several potential cyberattack proposals against the Syrian military, which some in the administration say could offer a way to intervene without troops or severe costs. The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/NsPBdY

— The military is stepping up its effort to catch serial offenders within the ranks, as officials increasingly believe that relatively few people are responsible for the bulk of sex crimes. The Christian Science Monitor: http://goo.gl/4IppNC

— Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and the family of Sgt. Rafael Peralta are criticizing The Washington Post for what they describe as gross inaccuracies in a recent article about the Marine’s death. POLITICO: http://politi.co/1hKDEdm

—

Related:

• Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel proposes big cuts in Army in 2015 budgetNew York Daily News
• Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel recommends reducing Army to pre-WW2 levelsCBS News
• Pentagon Plans to Shrink Army to Pre-World War II LevelNew York Times
• Major Budget Cuts Coming to the Army in 2015ABC News
•  The Pentagon » United States Department of Defense »