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| Crimea leader calls on Putin for help as Ukraine crisis deepens - CNN Posted: 01 Mar 2014 02:44 AM PST  Armed men patrol outside the Simferopol International Airport in Ukraine's Crimea region on Friday, February 28. The gunmen, whom Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov called part of an "armed invasion" by Russian forces, appeared around the airport without identifying themselves. Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine with an ethnic Russian majority. It's the last large bastion of opposition to Ukraine's new political leadership after President Viktor Yanukovych's ouster. HIDE CAPTION Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition Ukraine in transition STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Simferopol, Ukraine (CNN) -- The new pro-Russian leader of Ukraine's southern Crimea region has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for help in maintaining peace, as international concerns mount that Moscow may intervene militarily in the crisis. A Kremlin spokesman said Russia "will not disregard" Crimean Premier Sergey Aksyonov's request for help "in maintaining peace and accord in Crimea." Aksyonov, who was installed as the region's premier Thursday after armed men took over the Crimean parliament building, said security forces currently "are unable to efficiently control the situation in the republic," in comments broadcast on Russian state channel Russia 24. Consequently, he said, he was taking charge. "All commanders shall follow only my orders and instructions, and I ask those who disagree to retire from service," he said. "I am appealing to Russian President Vladimir Putin to provide assistance in ensuring peace and accord on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea." The latest development comes as the newly appointed interim government in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, seeks to prevent tensions in Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula with a majority-Russian population, escalating into a full-blown bid for separation. Ukraine suspects Russia of fomenting separatist tensions in the autonomous region. The crisis in Crimea has echoed round the world, with the U.N. Security Council president holding a private meeting about the crisis enveloping Ukraine on Friday and world leaders calling on armed groups not to attempt to challenge Ukrainian sovereignty. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, speaking at a Cabinet meeting Saturday, said the government believes the "disproportionate Russian presence in Crimea is nothing but a provocation." But, he said, Russia's attempts to provoke the Ukrainian government to respond with force have failed. "Ukraine will not be provoked, we will not use force, we demand that the government of the Russian Federation immediately withdraw it's troops and return to their home bases," he said. Ukraine's acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, insisted Friday that Ukraine would defend its sovereignty and that "any attempts of intrusion or annexation will have very serious consequences." Airspace closed Ukraine on Friday accused Russian Black Sea forces of trying to seize two airports in Crimea but said Ukrainian security forces prevented them from taking control. Mysterious groups of armed men, dressed in uniforms without identifying insignia, patrolled the airports in the regional capital, Simferopol, and the nearby port city of Sevastopol, where Russia has a major military base for its Black Sea fleet. Initially operations were not affected but later in the day the airspace above the Crimea was closed. The armed men remained at the airports Saturday. Yevgey Plaksin, director of the airport in the regional capital, Simferopol, said Crimean airspace would remain closed until Saturday evening local time. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaliy Churkin, compared the reports of Russian troops taking charge of positions on the ground to rumors that "are always not true." "We are acting within the framework of our agreement," he said. Meanwhile, Ukraine's largest telecom firm was unable to provide data and voice connectivity between Crimea and the rest of Ukraine because unknown people had seized telecommunications nodes and destroyed cables, it said Friday. There is almost no phone connectivity or Internet service across Crimea, said Ukrtelecom, which is the only landline provider. Obama: Warning to Russia The United States urged Russia on Friday to pull back from the region or face possible consequences. "We are now deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside Ukraine," U.S. President Barack Obama said in televised comments from the White House. "...It would be a clear violation of Russia's commitment to respect the independence and sovereignty and borders of Ukraine and of international laws." Obama said any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be "deeply destabilizing, and he warned "the United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine." The country, which is sandwiched between Europe and Russia's western border, has been plunged into chaos since the ouster a week ago of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, following bloody street protests. He resurfaced Friday in the southwestern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, where he said he had not been overthrown and vowed to fight on for Ukraine's future. CNN's Victoria Eastwood and Diana Magnay reported from Simferopol, Ukraine, Ingrid Formanek from Kiev, while Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. CNN's Alla Eshchenko, Arkady Irshenko and journalist Azad Safarov contributed to this report. |
| After forest fires and drought, now rains torment Southern California - CNN Posted: 01 Mar 2014 01:15 AM PST STORY HIGHLIGHTS
(CNN) -- Mario Vazquez grabbed his dog and got out of the way, as a stream of water and mud came gushing on to his streets Friday. Since California has been in the middle of its worst drought in 100 years, it would seem that the sight of rain would be good news. But in Glendora and other towns in Los Angeles County, it wasn't. The rain has been much needed, but this deluge -- coming down at more than an inch an hour at times -- has landed on bone-dry hills scorched by recent wildfires in and around Los Angeles. With little vegetation left to stop them, walls of water have gushed into valleys below. They have spewed mud and debris into quiet residential streets, turning them into thick, brown creeks. More could hit before Saturday is up, the National Weather Service says. It has placed Los Angeles and Ventura counties under a flash flood watch. By the time it's over up to six inches will have landed on the foothills of Los Angeles County and as much as 10 inches on the ridge line. Weather weirdness The storms brought the first rains since a powerful, persistent weather system collapsed that was keeping California parched. The same system was also at the root of a lot of strange weather around the globe -- all the way to Russia. A massive, sturdy ridge of high-pressure air had hovered over California, blustering rain clouds away. At the same time, it pushed the jet-stream way up into Canada and distorted it, said weather environmentalist Bill Lapenta. The stream then whipped south, pulling icy cold down into the Deep South, where it triggered snow storms. Then it dragged them up to Northeast, before crossing the Atlantic and bringing floods to Britain. It is also brought the unseasonably warm weather at the Olympic Games in Sochi, Lapenta said. The heavy California rains will not do much to alleviate the drought, according to the CNN Weather Center. A lot of the water is flowing right back out to sea, and the drought's effects have been enormous. Water reservoirs are running at minimum levels. For the first time in its history, the California Water Project - a system of canals and reservoirs that provide water to two thirds of the people in the state's Central Valley -- set its allocation for all of them to zero. Fire then water Floating in Glendora's silt were chunks of burned wood. Just weeks ago, flames were consuming the hills looming above them. Now, a thousand homes in the valley have been ordered to evacuate, for fear of flash floods. Besides his dog, Vazquez left almost everything he owns behind to face the sludge. "I got my laptop," he said. "It's going to be fine. It's all replaceable." It was probably quick thinking on his part. The rising waters caught many off guard. "It wasn't like this 20 minutes ago," said resident Ryan Friend. He seemed aghast, as he watched a stream of thick brown pour down a street. Though they say the situation is dangerous, authorities have reported no deaths or injuries. But there have been close calls. Sick of weather Rescuers found two people clinging to life in trees inundated by the rapidly rising torrents of the Los Angeles River, flush with fresh rain. Then came the dogs. Firefighters carefully guided them down from the branches into a rescue boat below. Kim and Dennis Kralik decided not to heed the evacuation orders. Now they're stuck in the mud in Glendora, with streets too full of silt to drive on. They and other residents have been lucky so far. But mud from the streets is beginning to ooze over into yards, pools and houses. It has damaged two homes in Glendora so far, police chief Tim Staub said. The Kraliks are feeling fatigued. "We've had fire, drought, now torrential rain," Kim Kralik said. "Pretty much everything." They are sick of unpredictable weather. CNN's Greg Morrison contributed to this report |
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