New York Gas Explosion Kills Three People

By Sky News US Team, in New York

An apparent gas explosion has levelled two buildings and sparked a fire in New York City, killing at least three people and injuring more than 50 others.

Two five-storey buildings were reduced to rubble in the blast near Park Avenue and 116th Street in East Harlem.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said more than a dozen people were missing, and that a search effort would begin after firefighters put out the blaze.

The mayor emphasised that some of those considered missing could be in another location and authorities are attempting to make contact with all concerned.

"This will take quite a bit of time to address," he said.

Crews battling to put out the fire. Pic: Karolina Knepaite

New York's Hunter College identified one of the victims as Griselde Camacho, a security officer who had worked for the college since 2008.

Carmen Tanco, 67, a dental hygienist, was also killed in the blast.

The identity of the third victim, thought to be a woman in her 40s, has not been confirmed.

A view of debris scattered in the area. Pic: Karolina Knepaite

The fire department said two others suffered life-threatening injuries, while five more suffered serious injuries.

The remaining injuries have been classified as minor.

Witnesses reported hearing a large explosion around 9.30am, after a local resident reported smelling natural gas.

Debris rained down on the street and cars below. Pic: @miss_softy/Twitter

A spokesman for Con Edison said the utility company dispatched two crews, but the blast occurred before they arrived.

The utility said the person who reported the gas smell said he thought the odour could be coming from outside.

Mr de Blasio said crews from Con Edison and other utilities were working to shut down services to the area.

Broke glass covers the pavement. Pic: Marty Bacardi/@cashrfcnyc

Aerial footage showed a large plume of smoke billowing over the Upper Manhattan skyline and debris scattered across the pavement and vehicles parked on adjacent streets.

Waldemar Infante, who was working in the basement of the neighbouring building when the explosion took place, said it felt like an earthquake.

"There were glass shards everywhere on the ground and all the stores had their windows blown out," he said.

Sky News' New York Correspondent Hannah Thomas-Peter described an "acrid smell" at the scene and said people were wearing masks due to lingering smoke.

Commuter train service has been suspended in the area

Witnesses said the blast was so powerful it knocked groceries off the shelves of nearby stores.

Eoin Hayes, 26, said the explosion shook his entire apartment building.

He said he ran to the window and saw flames consuming one building and smoke rising into the air.

"I was in my bedroom and the explosion went off, it kind of shook the whole building," Mr Hayes said. "You could feel the vibrations going through the building."

The FDNY says it has over 200 personnel at the scene.

Metro-North Railroad has suspended all commuter train service in the area. The train line runs along the scene of the collapse, and television footage showed some debris on the tracks.

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No Missing Plane Wreckage At 'Debris Site'

Missing Plane: 13 Things You Need To Know

Updated: 5:31pm UK, Wednesday 12 March 2014

As the search for Flight MH370 continues, we answer 13 questions about the disappearance and what could have happened.

When did the plane disappear?

Flight MH370 vanished from radars early on Saturday, an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. When it last made contact, the jet was cruising at 35,000 feet over the South China Sea. There are reports that the plane tried to turn around but this would give rise to the question: why didn't the pilot communicate this decision to air traffic control? Meanwhile, at an undisclosed time a relative reportedly managed to call one of the passengers. Investigators have repeatedly tried to call the same number without success.

:: Sky News will be showing a 12-minute special report on the story so far of the missing flight MH370 at 6.30pm.

Who was on board?

The plane's manifest contained 12 crew from Malaysia and 227 passengers from 14 different countries: 153 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians, six Australians, five Indians, four French, three Americans, two each from Iran (both travelling on fake passports), New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada, and 1 each from Russia, Taiwan and Netherlands. Among the passengers was a 19-strong group of prominent artists returning from an exhibition in Malaysia. It is also known that five children - aged two to four - were on board. The oldest person on the plane was 79.

What are the main theories?

Mechanical error remains the most likely explanation. Poor conditions and strong turbulence always have to be considered, but weather conditions were good in this instance. Four areas of investigation are focused on the possibility of human involvement: hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems or personal problems with passengers or crew.

Could there have been a mechanical error?

Inquiries into Air France flight 447 that dived into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 en route from Brazil to Paris, killing 228 people, blamed both technical and human error. However, in the event of engine failure, a plane such as the Boeing 777-200 could glide for 80-90 miles (128-145km), giving the pilot time to issue a distress signal. The descent would also have been traced by radars. The lack of any Mayday makes an explosion a possibility.

Could the plane have broken up in the air?

The apparent lack of wreckage from MH370 does point to a high-altitude disaster. In such an event the debris would be spread far and wide, making it difficult to find. A smaller field would indicate the plane probably fell intact, breaking up on impact with the water. In the event of a sudden loss of pressure due to a window blowing out the crew would dive the plane in order to lose altitude - but this would not cause the plane to disintegrate.

The plane's safety record?

Sudden, accidental, structural failures are considered extremely unlikely in today's passenger aircraft. This is especially so with the Boeing 777-200, which has one of the best safety records of any jet. One of the missing plane's wingtips was clipped in an incident while taxiing in 2012 but it was repaired and certified as safe.

Could it have been a terrorist attack or hijacking?

In the event of a hijacker trying to enter the cockpit, a pilot can send a secret distress code - something that wasn't done on Flight MH370. The profiles of all 239 passengers are being checked against databases worldwide but the terrorism theory was weakened on Tuesday when Malaysian police confirmed it had identified the two passengers who were travelling on fake passports. Both were said to be seeking asylum in Europe. In the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, claims of responsibility came soon after the disaster - but no one has come forward to claim the Malaysia incident as their attack.

Human error?

The 53-year-old pilot was very experienced, having amassed more than 18,000 flying hours since being employed by the airline in 1981. However, in Indonesia in 2007, Adam Air flight 574 disappeared with 102 passengers during a domestic flight, where the authorities found the pilots lost control after becoming preoccupied with malfunctioning navigational equipment. Former Navy pilot Dr Simon Mitchell told Sky News: "We've expended billions of dollars on developing very sophisticated aids to make the life of the pilot safer and more straightforward, but there are still opportunities whereby mistakes can be made."

Why was there no distress signal?

One explanation is that the plane fell into a communications black spot. Former Boeing 777 instructor and United Airlines captain Ross Aimer explained: "These are very sophisticated (items of) equipment that should have been working under any conditions - in the water, in the jungle, after a fire, after an explosion - and none of them have talked to the outside world yet. There are spots in the world, however, that are called blind spots, where you cannot communicate for some reason. Unfortunately, that area near Vietnam, over the Gulf of Thailand, those are some of the black spots."

Where is the search taking place?

Nine aircraft and 24 ships are currently taking part in the search in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia. Search teams from Australia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, New Zealand and the US are assisting. Officials said on Tuesday that the search was being conducted on both sides of Vietnam's Ca Mau peninsula. The search area has been expanded from 50 nautical miles from where the plane disappeared - over waters between Malaysia and Vietnam - to 100 nautical miles (115 miles; 185km). This expansion was a result of a new report from the Malaysian military, who say they tracked the plane in the Strait of Malacca - a long distance from where it last made contact - in the hours following its disappearance.

Why has no wreckage been found?

Whatever caused the apparent crash, there would be some debris - but it could take a while to find. It took two years to find the main wreckage of Air France flight 447 in 2009.  In 2007, in the case of the Adam Air flight, it was a week before an Indonesian naval vessel detected metal on the ocean floor. It was a further two weeks before the US Navy picked up signals from the flight data and cockpit recorders and seven months for the recorder to be recovered. If the plane had crashed on land, chances are the wreckage would have been found by now. At sea, much of the plane would have sunk, but some debris should remain on the surface. Worryingly, the longer the search takes the harder it becomes as the wind and tide spread any debris further from the initial crash zone.

Could the 'black box' provide answers?

As well as wreckage, search teams are looking for the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) - though these do not always work if a plane hits water. However, attached to the plane's black box is a device known as a pinger. This can emit radio signals deep under water for up to 30 days - or 40 days in warm water.

Has a plane ever simply vanished?

Since the start of the jet age in the 1950s, nearly every major aircraft that disappeared was found - eventually - and the rare exceptions did not involve passengers. In September 1990, a Boeing 727 plunged into the North Atlantic after running out of fuel. The accident was attributed to poor pilot planning and the wreck was never recovered. Another Boeing 727 transporting diesel to diamond mines in Africa took off without clearance and with its transponder turned off. It is believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Aircraft Passengers' Families Demand Answers

Chinese families whose relatives were on a missing jet hope to travel to Kuala Lumpur to get more information about what happened.

Some relatives have been upset at the lack of information from the airline

The group of 50 want Malaysia Airlines to pay for their flights but the company has said they will not do so until they know what happened to the aircraft.

The Boeing 777 travelling from the city to Beijing lost contact with the ground early on Saturday morning (local time) off Vietnam's south coast without the pilots sending a distress signal.

Some debris which could be from the plane has been spotted from the air as a major international search continues.

A sandsculpture in India wishing for the well being of the passengers

A representative of the families has compiled a statement signed by the families which made three demands from the authorities.

First, requesting Malaysia Airlines "to publicise the truth about the event by 1700 Beijing time (0900GMT)".

Second, urging the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pay more attention to the case and help solve it.

Third, asking the Chinese government "to assign its officials to coordinate with the family members of the passengers of the missing flight and take unified action in negotiating with the Malaysian side."

A relative's picture of her stepbrother and his wife who were on the flight

But other relatives do not want to go to Malaysia.

"Of course I am not going to get a passport; what for? To go to Malaysia to do what? To stare at the sea?" shouted Wang Aihua, the mother of Cheng Xudong, who was on the Malaysian Airplane.

A Malaysia Airlines spokesman has said the families should "expect the worst" as the search operation continued in the Gulf of Thailand, between Vietnam and Malaysia.

Tearful families in Beijing have been told to expect the worst

There were 239 people on board the flight. The passengers were mostly from China and Malaysia, with a handful from America, Australia, India, France, Indonesia, Ukraine and other countries.

"I can only pray for a miracle," said Daniel Liau, a colleague of acclaimed Chinese calligrapher Meng Gaosheng, who was on the flight with 18 other artists, six family members and four staff.

"I feel very sad. Even though I knew them for a short time, they have become my friends," Liau added.

For Australian grandparents Robert Lawton, 58, and his wife, Catherine, 54, the routine takeoff of flight MH-370 was the beginning of another adventure.

Some families have asked for more support from Beijing

"They mentioned in passing they were going on another big trip and they were really excited," one of their neighbours told ABC Australia.

Sharing their adventure was another 50-something Australian couple, Rodney and Mary Burrows. Neighbour Don Stokes said the trip was to be the beginning of the "next step in their life."

Also on board were teenage sweethearts Hadrien Wattrelos, 17, and Zhao Yan, 18, students at a French school in Beijing who were returning from a two-week holiday with Hadrien's mother and younger sister.

Under Zhao's Facebook picture of her and Hadrien he had commented: "Je t'aime," followed by a heart, and she had "liked" his comment.

While expecting the worst, colleagues of 50-year-old Indian passenger Chandrika Sharma were still optimistic.

"There must still be hope," said a colleague, before adding: "She was friendly and very loveable, very industrious and astute. We will miss her."

For 24-year-old Firman Chandra Siregar from Indonesia, the flight was a new chapter. In Beijing, he was about to begin a new contract with an oil company.

Tearful relatives and neighbours gathered at his family's home, praying or watching news of the search operation, while at the same time realising there is little hope of him being round alive.

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Malaysia Airlines Missing Plane 'Unprecedented'

What Happened To Malaysia Plane?

Updated: 4:34am UK, Sunday 09 March 2014

A "very sudden and very violent" event is likely to be responsible for the loss of the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, according to aviation experts.

The aircraft was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when air traffic control lost contact some two hours into the flight.

No distress calls were sent from the aircraft, leading experts to assume that whatever happened to the plane occurred quickly and left the pilots little time to respond.

"Either you had a catastrophic event that tore the airplane apart, or you had a criminal act," said Scott Hamilton, the managing director of aviation consultancy Leeham Co.

"It was so quick and they didn't radio."

The plane is suspected to have suffered a sudden break-up, or a failure which caused a steep dive. Some experts say an act of terrorism may also be responsible.

William Waldock, who teaches accident investigation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona, said the absence of a distress call "suggests something very sudden and very violent happened".

One of the first indicators of what exactly occurred on Flight MH370 will be the size of the debris field.

If it is large and spread out over tens of miles, then the plane likely broke apart at a high elevation. That could signal a bomb or a massive airframe failure.

If it is a smaller field, the plane probably fell from 35,000 feet intact, breaking up upon contact with the water.

Captain John M Cox, the CEO of Safety Operating Systems, said whatever took place occurred very quickly.

"We know the airplane is down. Beyond that, we don't know a whole lot," he said.

Airplane crashes typically occur during take-off and the climb away from an airport, or while coming in for a landing.

Only 9% of fatal accidents happen when a plane is at cruising altitude, according to a statistical summary of commercial jet airplane accidents done by Boeing.

Aviation expert David Learmount told Sky News the Boeing 777-222 had an "absolutely superb" safety record.

"Aviation safety now is quite extraordinarily good. It's far better than it was 20-30 years ago - I mean massively better," he said.

"That's why things like this are so surprising. They just should not happen any longer."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Malaysia Plane's 'Four Suspect' Passengers

Officials are investigating the identity of four passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight - but have not determined if the plane was downed in an attack, Malaysia's defence and transport minister has said.

Speaking during a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, Hishamuddin Hussein said: "All the four names are with me."

He confirmed that Malaysian investigators had met counterparts from the FBI, and said the investigation was focusing on "the entire passenger manifest".

Meanwhile, US federal safety officials have said a team of experts are heading to Asia to assist in the investigation.

The team includes accident investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as technical experts from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.

A relative of a passenger on the flight waits for news in Beijing

Earlier today, Malaysia's Civil Aviation chief Azaharudin Abdul Rahman said the international search for the Boeing 777-200 with 239 people on board has resumed.

But he said that so far, search teams have been unable to locate the aircraft which disappeared more than 24 hours ago.

"The rescue operations have started this morning using three aircraft and they are there now at the site," he said.

The two oil slicks seen off Vietnam

"So far there is no report of any sightings ... we have extended our area of operations which includes the west side of Malaysia."

Mr Rahman confirmed that "all angles" were being investigated, including the possibility of terrorism, and that no other aircraft in the Malaysia Airlines fleet would be grounded.

Flight MH370 was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it lost communication around two hours into the flight.

The plane disappeared from radar at 1.30am (5.30pm UK time) about 85 miles (135km) north of the Malaysian city of Kuala Terengganu.

A photo of the missing plane - seen taking off in Paris in 2011

Two-thirds of the jet's passengers were from China. The rest were from elsewhere in Asia, North America and Europe.

The plane's disappearance is especially mysterious because it apparently happened when the plane was at cruising altitude, not during the more dangerous phases of take-off or landing.

Two large oil slicks spotted on Saturday by the Vietnamese air force offered the first sign that the jet had crashed into the sea off the south coast of Vietnam, but Mr Rahman stressed these have not yet been verified.

A Vietnamese government statement said the two parallel slicks - both between 10 miles (16km) and 12 miles (19km) long and 500 metres apart - were consistent with the kind of spills caused by fuel from a crashed airliner.

Rescue boats have been sent to the area from the nearby island of Phu Quoc to look for survivors.

The jet is reported to have crashed in the ocean off southern Vietnam

The US Navy is already helping teams from Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore search the vast waters in the Gulf of Thailand, between Malaysia and Vietnam.

US officials told NBC News they have not ruled out terrorism after it was discovered two passengers were travelling on stolen passports

The airline listed one of the passengers on the plane as a 37-year-old Italian called Luigi Maraldi.

However, Mr Maraldi has contacted his parents to say he was not on the airliner.

He had his passport stolen in Thailand several months ago, leaving questions over who used his passport to board the plane and whether that has anything to do with the airliner's disappearance.

Family members have complained of a lack of information

Mr Miraldi's father said his son's passport had been stolen a year and a half ago while he was travelling in Thailand.

"He deposited it with a car rental agency and when he returned the car it was gone," Walter Maraldi said.

Another passenger was using a passport belonging to Austrian citizen Christan Kozel. He is listed as one of the passengers although he has been confirmed as safe and well by authorities.

He said his passport was also stolen in Thailand when he visited two years ago.

Journalist Leo Lewis, at Beijing airport, told Sky News families were waiting anxiously for news of their relatives.

Distraught relatives and friends wait at Beijing International Airport

He said there were "scenes of considerable distress" and "increasing irritation" because of a lack of information about their fate.

A woman whose mother was on the plane waited for hours without any news and expressed her anger at the way the airline is handling the incident.

Describing the scene inside the room where some 500 relatives are waiting for news, she said: "They used a bus to bring us here, in this hotel. They only give us bread, biscuits and water, that's all.

"There is nobody from the airline, not even one person. Every time I ask 'where is the airline staff; what's the latest?' They say, 'we are only volunteers, we're hotel staff, we're not from the airline'."

The plane left Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am local time on Saturday and was due to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am local time.

Malaysia's Civil Aviation chief says no wreckage has yet been found

Malaysia Airlines said the flight was carrying 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members.

They were from 14 countries - 152 plus one baby from China, 38 from Malaysia, 12 from Indonesia, seven from Australia, three from the US, three from France, two from New Zealand, two from Ukraine, two from Canada, one from Russia, one from Taiwan, and one from the Netherlands.

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Malaysia Airlines Plane: What Happened?

A "very sudden and very violent" event is likely to be responsible for the loss of the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, according to aviation experts.

The aircraft was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when air traffic control lost contact some two hours into the flight.

No distress calls were sent from the aircraft, leading experts to assume that whatever happened to the plane occurred quickly and left the pilots little time to respond.

"Either you had a catastrophic event that tore the airplane apart, or you had a criminal act," said Scott Hamilton, the managing director of aviation consultancy Leeham Co.

"It was so quick and they didn't radio."

The plane is suspected to have suffered a sudden break-up, or a failure which caused a steep dive. Some experts say an act of terrorism may also be responsible.

William Waldock, who teaches accident investigation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona, said the absence of a distress call "suggests something very sudden and very violent happened".

One of the first indicators of what exactly occurred on Flight MH370 will be the size of the debris field.

An information message at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang

If it is large and spread out over tens of miles, then the plane likely broke apart at a high elevation. That could signal a bomb or a massive airframe failure.

If it is a smaller field, the plane probably fell from 35,000 feet intact, breaking up upon contact with the water.

Captain John M Cox, the CEO of Safety Operating Systems, said whatever took place occurred very quickly.

"We know the airplane is down. Beyond that, we don't know a whole lot," he said.

Airplane crashes typically occur during take-off and the climb away from an airport, or while coming in for a landing.

Only 9% of fatal accidents happen when a plane is at cruising altitude, according to a statistical summary of commercial jet airplane accidents done by Boeing.

Aviation expert David Learmount told Sky News the Boeing 777-222 had an "absolutely superb" safety record.

"Aviation safety now is quite extraordinarily good. It's far better than it was 20-30 years ago - I mean massively better," he said.

"That's why things like this are so surprising. They just should not happen any longer."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Putin 'Repeating Georgia Tactics' In Crimea

Russia is using the same tactics to take control of Crimea as it used in efforts to annexe other territories in the, Georgia's former leader has said.

Mikheil Saakashvili told Sky News that Russia President Vladimir Putin wanted to achieve a number of unspoken aims through its involvement in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

And the 46-year-old, who served two terms as Georgia's president between 2004 and 2012, said Moscow was doing "exactly the same thing" in Crimea as it did in its 2008 conflict with Georgia.

He claimed that in both instances, Mr Putin has sent in soldiers not identified as Russian troops to provoke matters in the neighbouring countries - but claimed they were merely Russian citizens seeking to defend themselves.

Mr Putin and Mr Saakashvili before war broke out in 2008

"Of course this is not true, of course this is nonsense spread by Russian propaganda," he said.

"If the Ukrainian government responds now, Russia will say: 'Well those were not our troops and now we are moving in with real troops.'

"That's exactly what happened in Georgia and it's high time people who still propagate this rubbish version (of events) that we attacked first, to consider that (they have been) a victim of Russian lies.

"Putin has this plan to have occupation and annexation of territories ranging from South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Crimea then all the other parts of Ukraine and then Transnistria in Moldova."

Mr Saakashvili said Mr Putin had various other motives in the Ukraine crisis.

"I think President Putin has very clear goals here," he said.

Russian soldiers in Georgia during the 2008 conflict

"If Ukraine makes it, becomes a European and democratic state, then Russian citizens will be asking quite rightly why Russians cannot have the same, why they should live in a mafia-ridden, oligarchic, corrupt country.

"The other thing is Crimea has lots of shale gas. Actually, within the next three years, thanks to American companies, Ukraine was going to become a net exporter of gas and stop buying Russian gas.

"That would basically mean that Gazprom would lose its biggest buyer of gas in Europe."

Ukraine says Russia currently has around 16,000 troops in its Crimean territories. Kiev says the soldiers are behind the seizure of key bases in the region.

Mr Putin has claimed the gunmen responsible are merely local militias.

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Ukraine: Russia Warned US, EU 'United' In Action

US Issues Rebuttal Of 'Putin's Ukraine Fiction'

Updated: 3:45pm UK, Thursday 06 March 2014

Amid diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis in Ukraine, the US has issued a blunt rebuttal of Vladimir Putin's assertions.

In a point-by-point fact sheet, the State Department spoke of "President Putin's Fiction".

It even quoted Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky, saying: "The world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since Dostoyevsky wrote,''The formula 'two plus two equals five' is not without its attractions."

The "10 False Claims" statement follows a defiant press conference by the Russian president two days ago.

Russia, for its part, said the fact sheet represented a "primitive distortion of reality".

"It's clear that in Washington, as before, they are unable to accept a situation developing not according to their templates," said a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Here is the full text of the US rebuttal:

As Russia spins a false narrative to justify its illegal actions in Ukraine, the world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since Dostoyevsky wrote, "The formula 'two plus two equals five' is not without its attractions."

Below are 10 of President Vladimir Putin's recent claims justifying Russian aggression in the Ukraine, followed by the facts that his assertions ignore or distort.

1. Mr Putin says: Russian forces in Crimea are only acting to protect Russian military assets. It is "citizens' defense groups," not Russian forces, who have seized infrastructure and military facilities in Crimea.

The Facts: Strong evidence suggests that members of Russian security services are at the heart of the highly organized anti-Ukraine forces in Crimea. While these units wear uniforms without insignia, they drive vehicles with Russian military license plates and freely identify themselves as Russian security forces when asked by the international media and the Ukrainian military. Moreover, these individuals are armed with weapons not generally available to civilians.

2. Mr Putin says: Russia's actions fall within the scope of the 1997 Friendship Treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

The Facts: The 1997 agreement requires Russia to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russia's military actions in Ukraine, which have given them operational control of Crimea, are in clear violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

3. Mr Putin says: The opposition failed to implement the February 21 agreement with former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

The Facts: The February 21 agreement laid out a plan in which the Rada, or Parliament, would pass a bill to return Ukraine to its 2004 Constitution, thus returning the country to a constitutional system centered around its parliament. Under the terms of the agreement, Yanukovych was to sign the enacting legislation within 24 hours and bring the crisis to a peaceful conclusion. Yanukovych refused to keep his end of the bargain. Instead, he packed up his home and fled, leaving behind evidence of wide-scale corruption.

4. Mr Putin says: Ukraine's government is illegitimate. Yanukovych is still the legitimate leader of Ukraine.

The Facts: On March 4, President Putin himself acknowledged the reality that Yanukovych "has no political future." After Yanukovych fled Ukraine, even his own Party of Regions turned against him, voting to confirm his withdrawal from office and to support the new government. Ukraine's new government was approved by the democratically elected Ukrainian Parliament, with 371 votes - more than an 82% majority. The interim government of Ukraine is a government of the people, which will shepherd the country toward democratic elections on May 25th - elections that will allow all Ukrainians to have a voice in the future of their country.

5. Mr Putin says: There is a humanitarian crisis and hundreds of thousands are fleeing Ukraine to Russia and seeking asylum.

The Facts: To date, there is absolutely no evidence of a humanitarian crisis. Nor is there evidence of a flood of asylum-seekers fleeing Ukraine for Russia. International organizations on the ground have investigated by talking with Ukrainian border guards, who also refuted these claims. Independent journalists observing the border have also reported no such flood of refugees.

6. Mr Putin says: Ethnic Russians are under threat.

The Facts: Outside of Russian press and Russian state television, there are no credible reports of any ethnic Russians being under threat. The new Ukrainian government placed a priority on peace and reconciliation from the outset. President Oleksandr Turchynov refused to sign legislation limiting the use of the Russian language at regional level. Ethnic Russians and Russian speakers have filed petitions attesting that their communities have not experienced threats. Furthermore, since the new government was established, calm has returned to Kyiv. There has been no surge in crime, no looting, and no retribution against political opponents.

7. Mr Putin says: Russian bases are under threat.

The Facts: Russian military facilities were and remain secure, and the new Ukrainian government has pledged to abide by all existing international agreements, including those covering Russian bases. It is Ukrainian bases in Crimea that are under threat from Russian military action.

8. Mr Putin says: There have been mass attacks on churches and synagogues in southern and eastern Ukraine.

The Facts: Religious leaders in the country and international religious freedom advocates active in Ukraine have said there have been no incidents of attacks on churches. All of Ukraine's church leaders, including representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, have expressed support for the new political leadership, calling for national unity and a period of healing. Jewish groups in southern and eastern Ukraine report that they have not seen an increase in anti-Semitic incidents.

9. Mr Putin says: Kyiv is trying to destabilize Crimea.

The Facts: Ukraine's interim government has acted with restraint and sought dialogue. Russian troops, on the other hand, have moved beyond their bases to seize political objectives and infrastructure in Crimea. The government in Kyiv immediately sent the former Chief of Defense to defuse the situation. Petro Poroshenko, the latest government emissary to pursue dialogue in Crimea, was prevented from entering the Crimean Rada.

10. Mr Putin says: The Rada is under the influence of extremists or terrorists.

The Facts: The Rada is the most representative institution in Ukraine. Recent legislation has passed with large majorities, including from representatives of eastern Ukraine. Far-right wing ultranationalist groups, some of which were involved in open clashes with security forces during the EuroMaidan protests, are not represented in the Rada. There is no indication that the Ukrainian government would pursue discriminatory policies; on the contrary, they have publicly stated exactly the opposite.

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Ukraine: Russia Faces Pressure Amid Clashes

Crimea Voices: 'Kiev Government Is Joke'

Updated: 2:41pm UK, Wednesday 05 March 2014

People in Simferopol, Crimea, give Sky News their opinion on the crisis that has seen Russian forces deployed in the region.

:: Yelena Blinova, 75, Pensioner

"I was born in Russia but have lived in Crimea for 42 years.

"We don't want democracy here that came with bullets, we can determine our future by ourselves.

"I believe what has taken place in Kiev is a coup. We are asking Putin to prevent the same from happening here, otherwise they will poison our water supplies, they will gas us.

"We want to have independence and then we will decide what we'll do."

:: Oleg Krivoruchenko, 58, Blacksmith

"I am part of the people's patrol and we are here to make sure there is order on the streets.

"We assembled 11 groups of 100 men - we are patrolling streets, and will be doing this until things calm down.

"There is not tension on the streets of Simferopol.

"We don't know who the armed soldiers are and I don't mind them because they are helping to keep the situation calm.

"I, personally, don't want Crimea to join either Russia or the European Union. I was born here and I want Crimea to be able to run itself."

:: Igor Kornienko, 22 and Sasha Maruk, 22, Students

"They are saying the situation here is tense but we've been cycling around town all this time and it is absolutely fine.

"We've been watching events in Kiev and we are angry that on television they are talking only about the protesters that were killed but not the soldiers.

"This is not fair. The new government in Kiev is a joke. They just assembled some people who have no experience.

"Many people here are hoping we will be in Russia soon, but we have the referendum first.

"What we like about Russia is that life is not crazy like it is here, and Putin is a good leader, but we are not yet sure we would want to become part of it."

:: Vitaly Zagrudniy, 33

"What I care about is the economy. Crimea has everything it needs to be independent from Kiev - we have gas, oil and fertile land.

"But Kiev exports everything we have and does not give us enough back.

"My mother has worked for the state railway for for 35 years and now gets a pension of £75. Similar pensions in Kiev are higher.

"I used to work as a security guard but when I asked to be paid for the last three months they fired me. This is not fair.

"Russia is so close and Crimea's economy depends on Russian tourism and it is more stable too, that's why we would be better off to become a part of it."

Boris Tatorin, 27, Translator

"I really don't like what is happening here. How would you feel if menacing armed men appeared outside your house and told you there are here to protect you?

"I also don't like that we have foreign flags on our official buildings.

"If we signed the EU agreement we could travel to the EU without visas and many people would have liked that.

"I feel Ukrainian and I would never want to be under the Russian rule.

"Troops need to go back to their bases, they are peaceful now, but what will happen if they get different orders?

"I am hoping there will be negotiations and troops will pull out soon."

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Russia TV Presenter Quits On Air In Protest

A presenter for a Russian government-funded TV channel has resigned live on air, after accusing the station of "whitewashing the actions" of Vladimir Putin.

Liz Wahl, a US anchor for Russia Today America, told viewers during the broadcast: "I'm proud to be an American and believe in disseminating the truth and that is why after this newscast, I'm resigning."

Her grandparents fled to the US as refugees during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution to escape the Soviet Union.

Russia's President, Vladimir Putin

Moscow has been accused of invading Ukraine's Crimea region after months of pro-European protests there saw the nation's pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, ousted.

Russia denies this, claiming the troops operating there are "self-defence" forces who do not answer to Moscow.

In a statement on Ms Wahl's actions, Russia Today said: "When a journalist disagrees with the editorial position of his or her organisation, the usual course of action is to address those grievances with the editor, and, if they cannot be resolved, to quit like a professional.

"But when someone makes a big public show of a personal decision, it is nothing more than a self-promotional stunt.

Moscow says troops in Crimea are "self-defence" forces

"We wish Liz the best of luck on her chosen path."

Another host from the channel criticised the actions of pro-Russian forces earlier this week.

Abby Martin labelled the intervention "wrong" and said she was "strongly against" military involvement.

The channel responded by saying Ms Martin "does not possess a deep knowledge of reality of the situation in Crimea" and that she would be sent there to "make up her own mind from the epicentre of the story".

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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