Fascists fight after WWII vote

Ukraine: Clashes broke out between fascist gangs and police in front of the parliament in Kiev as deputies voted down proposals to recognise the World War II-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA) as national heroes.

Thousands of Svoboda (Freedom) fascist party supporters rallied earlier in the capital in celebration of the UIA, which was the armed wing of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (Bandera).

The UIA, led by Stepan Bandera, collaborated with German occupation forces during the war, attacking Soviet units and slaughtering Jewish and Polish civilians.

Russians dismiss ‘immature’ PM

Australia: Russian diplomat Alexander Odoevski accused Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott of immaturity yesterday, following Mr Abbott’s threat to get physical with President Vladimir Putin over the Malaysian plane downed in Ukraine.

Mr Abbott had evoked an Australian Rules Football term for a head-on shoulder charge to an opponent’s chest, saying that he was “going to shirtfront Mr Putin.”

Mr Odoevski pointed out that Mr Putin is a judo black belt, adding: “We consider it immature.”

Officials discuss Kashmir clashes

Pakistan: Military officials disclosed yesterday that representatives of Delhi and Islamabad had spoken to discuss recent border clashes in Kashmir that have killed 20 people.

Pakistan’s military operations director said that he had spoken with his Indian counterpart to convey concern over India’s “consistent unprovoked firing on the civil population.”

Another official reported a pause in the clashes, declaring: “There was no violation of the 2003 ceasefire accord from India today.”

Destruction of Gaza ‘beyond description’

Palestine: UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon visited Gaza yesterday to push international reconstruction efforts, saying that the destruction caused by Israel’s aggression was “beyond description.”

“I’m here with a very heavy heart,” he said after touring the rubble, which he called “much more serious” than what he witnessed in 2009 after Tel Aviv’s previous assault.

Mr Ban told Israeli and Palestinian officials that “there is no hope for the long-term stability of Gaza without addressing the underlying causes of the conflict.”

Police take down protest barriers

Hong Kong: Police cleared more barricades from “pro-democracy” protest zones yesterday morning after complaints that traffic in key business districts has been choked for more than two weeks.

Officers used electric saws and bolt cutters to take down bamboo scaffolding and used sledgehammers to smash concrete used to try to secure the barriers to the road.

Basescu: Ponta was a spook

Romania: President Traian Basescu identified his expected successor, current Prime Minister Victor Ponta, as a spy in a late-night TV interview on Monday.

He alleged that Prime Minister Victor Ponta had been an undercover officer for the Foreign Intelligence Service from 1997 to 2001 when he was a prosecutor.

The president, who appoints the heads of the two main intelligence services, produced no evidence and Mr Ponta denied the accusation.

Roadside blast kills 2

Afghanistan: Two civilians were killed and three wounded yesterday in a roadside bomb blast in the capital Kabul. No-one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Afghan officials said recently that more than 80 per cent of security forces casualties are caused by roadside bombs.

Turkish jets bomb Kurdish position

Turkey: Government F16 warplanes struck suspected Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebel positions yesterday in Hakkari province, near the border with Iraq.

A military statement claimed that the PKK had attacked an outpost in Hakkari with long-range weapons on Monday.