BBC News:克里米亚公投以绝对多数支持加入俄罗斯
The people of Crimea have voted overwhelmingly in favor of seceding from Ukraine and joiningRussia. But the referendum has come under fierce criticism from the Untied States and theEurope. Election officials in Crimea said turnout had been higher more than 80%, and with halfthe votes counted, more than 95% of ballots were in favor of joining Russia. The head of thecommission organizing the referendum in Crimea Mikhail Malyshev made the announcement ashort time ago. But both United States and the European Union called the vote illegal, and saidthey would not recognize the result. Washington said the days when the world withstandquietly by, well one country forcibly seized the territory of another were long gone. ThenPresident Putin telephoned President Obama to restate his belief that the vote complied withinternational law.
Jubilant crowds in Lenin Square in Crimea's main city Simferopol are celebrating the result. Theregion's acting Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov told the Interfax news agency that Crimeawould become part of Russia in what he called as tight time-framed as possible.
An independent poster in Serbia says initial results suggest that the largest party in theoutgoing governing coalition has won an outright parliamentary majority in the generalelection. The poster said ballots counted so far suggested the center-right progressiveparty had won about 50% of votes, if confirmed, result means that the party's leaderAleksandar Vucic could become prime minister. Guy De Launey reports from Belgrade.
It's a remarkable story of redemption for Aleksandar Vucic, in his 20s, he served asinformation minister under the autocratic ultra-nationalist President Slobodan Milosevic. Yetnow, he's been trusted by voters to steer Serbia to membership of the European Union. Theelection result was never in doubt. In just 18 months as the senior partner in the governingcoalition, Mr. Vucic was behind the normalization of relations with Kosovo and substantialanti-corruption campaign.
The Syrian government has recaptured the town of Yabroud, a key rebel stronghold on theLebanese border. Sebastian Usher reports.
Syrian state media says that government forces have taken full control of Yabroud. Livefootage on the Hezbollah TV station Al Manar is showing empty streets with handful of Syriansoldiers. The mainly Islamist rebel fighters do appear to have abandoned the town. Yabroudhas been a key battle ground for weeks, many of its 40,000 residents fled as the town wasbattered by government shelling and aerial attacks. Hezbollah's rebel stronghold in theQalamoun mountains next to Lebanon, rebels used it as a key supply line, it's also on a vitaltransport link, connecting Damascus with Aleppo and the Mediterranean coast.
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Hundreds of passengers have been stranded at the international airport in Malawi's commercialcapital Blantyre after it was suddenly declared unsafe. Planes were diverted to Madeira andpassengers onward to make their way to the capital Lilongwe to continue their flights. R Treports from Blantyre.
Transport minister Ulemu Chilapondwa told me Chileka International Airport has been closedindefinitely because its main runway is littered with potholes. He said light planes, like the Boeing737 cannot land at the airport. This is a major blow to the newly-launched Malawian Airlineswhich has just replaced Air Malawi. Malawian Airlines was established in 2012 with its EthiopianAirways as its strategic partner.
The man who says he survived 13 months as a castaway in the Pacific Ocean has had anemotional meeting with the mother of his boat companion who died at sea. Jose SalvadorAlarenga cried as he fulfilled the promise owed for, iterating to Reselia Diaz Cueto, her son's lastmoments. Mr. Alarenga said Ezequiel Cordoba died after they spent about a month adrift in asmall boat.
“We made a promise that I was going to tell his mum what he told me. And today, I kept it,thank God I have the opportunity to meet her. I feel liberated, I feel at peace with the promiseI made with Ezequel.”
Mr. Alarenga was rescued in January in the Marshall Islands, he claims to have survived byeating rotted turtles and birds and drinking their blood and his own urine.
The Winter Paralympic Games have ended in the Black Sea Resort of Sochi with the hostcountry Russia winning a record of 18 medals. After a spectacular closing ceremony, thepresident of the International Paralympic Committee Sir. Philip Craven said Sochi had hosted thebest Paralympic Games ever.
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