Eastern Ukrainians rap Kiev in 2nd round of European-brokered talks to resolve crisis
KIEV, Ukraine — Lawmakers and officials from eastern Ukraine on Saturday poured criticism on the fledging central government, accusing it of ignoring legitimate grievances of the regions which have been overrun by pro-Russia militia fighting for independence.
One eastern leader said last weekend’s unofficial referendum in favor of independence “expressed the will of the people.”
The criticism came in the second round of European-brokered talks intended to resolve the country’s worst crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Ukraine’s caretaker government came to power in February following the ouster of Kremlin-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych after months of protests in Kiev. Moscow and many in Ukraine’s east have accused the new government of intending to trample the rights of eastern Ukraine’s Russian-speakers.
On Saturday, politicians from the east implored the government to believe that — apart from the pro-Russia gunmen — a large sector of the population had lost hope in the interim administration in Kiev.
5 dead in plane crash
in Laos, including defense chief and other senior party officials
BANGKOK — A military plane carrying senior Lao government officials crashed Saturday in a wooded area as it approached an airport in the country’s northeast, killing at least five people, including the defense minister and other high-ranking members of the authoritarian country’s ruling party.
Lao National Television showed video of the mangled wreckage of the plane, with smoke rising from its badly charred remains. The footage showed rescuers pulling away pieces of aircraft debris and trying to dig through the remaining fuselage with shovels, as medical crews stood by watching.
About 18 people were believed to be on board the plane, which left Vientiane, Laos’ capital, early Saturday morning to bring the group to an official ceremony in Xiangkhoung province, about 290 miles away, said Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee. Earlier reports had said about 20 people were on board.
The Ukrainian-made Antonov AN-74TK-300 crashed in Xiangkhoung’s Pek district, where authorities were “helping to rescue the survivors,” according to Lao state news agency KPL, which cited an announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office. The brief official statement did not say how many people had died in the crash or survived.
Among those confirmed killed were Defense Minister Douangchay Phichit and his wife, said Nipat Thonglek, the Thai Defense Ministry’s permanent secretary.
After landslide win, India’s next prime minister begins victory lap, looks
to challenges ahead
NEW DELHI — Thousands of people welcomed India’s next prime minister in the capital on Saturday after he led his party to a resounding election victory, with Narendra Modi flashing a victory sign to his cheering supporters and telling them that the win “created a new confidence among people.”
Results announced Friday from the weeks-long polls showed that Modi and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party had won the most decisive election victory India has seen in three decades, sweeping the long-dominant Congress party from power.
On Saturday, Modi was greeted by roaring crowds outside the BJP’s headquarters in the heart of New Delhi, where he met with the party’s leadership to discuss forming a new government.
The headquarters were festooned with garlands made of marigold flowers and multicolored balloons. Supporters blew conch shells, which traditionally mark the start of most Hindu rituals. As Modi walked toward the office, he was showered with rose petals.
In a country where elections usually result in cacophony rather than a single roar, Modi pulled off a mandate of staggering proportions, leaving him unfettered to pursue the agenda of economic revival and development that propelled him to victory.
By wire sources
