Russian Crimea Documentary Sends Message: Putin Is In Charge

MOSCOW (AP) — Even while Vladimir Putin was still mysteriously absent, Russian TV delivered a clear message for Russians and foreigners alike: Putin is firmly in charge, and ready to use his country's military power to safeguard the interests of Russia and Russians.

A lavish 2 ½-hour documentary on Russia's annexation of Crimea aired late Sunday, and the United States was designated as the villain in what has mushroomed into the gravest crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War.

In an on-camera interview, the Russian president, who reappeared in public Monday following a still unexplained 10-day disappearance, accused the Americans of being the "real puppet masters" behind nationalist forces that overthrew Ukraine's former president and ushered in that country's current pro-Western government.

For an outside observer who was in Crimea at the height of the annexation crisis one year ago, the state-owned TV production was blatantly, sometimes surreally one-sided. The tone was set with its title: "Crimea: The Road Home," with "home" in this case being the word Russians affectionately use for their country: Rodina, or Motherland.

It made some startling if unsubstantiated claims, like an alleged plot by Ukrainian nationalists to poison a reservoir where many Crimeans get their drinking water.

It skipped over the harsh treatment meted out to many who opposed the Russian takeover, including ethnic Ukrainian activists or members of the Crimean Tatar minority, some of whom have been killed, are missing or have been driven from their homes.

The only victims of alleged mistreatment or brutality granted airtime were pro-Moscow inhabitants of the peninsula or members of Ukraine's Berkut riot police who escaped to Crimea after the collapse of Viktor Yanukovych's presidency.

Crimea State Prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya, installed in office following the Russian takeover, struck a typical note. Bringing Crimea into Russia, which the U.S. and its allies have said violates treaty commitments made by the Kremlin, was the right thing to do, she said — and what's more, "God is on our side."

Other pro-Moscow heroes showcased in the documentary included Soviet military veterans and bikers from the Night Wolves motorcycle club, with whom Putin has ridden on occasion.

If the recent history of the Black Sea peninsula was the documentary's nominal topic, its real star was the Russian leader, interviewed on an undisclosed date in a wood-paneled study as he sipped tea with Andrei Kondrashov, Russian state television's leading news anchor.

Russia's advantage in the Crimea crisis, Putin bluntly told Kondrashov, was that he was in charge "personally"— guaranteeing that his subordinates gave the matter their utmost attention, he said.

Putin's order to send troops into Crimea to neutralize Ukrainian forces apparently caught even his top lieutenants off guard. He said his defense minister ordered some soldiers in the first wave already en route to return, apparently because he believed the president had changed his mind.

"I had to ask him: 'Who allowed you to do that?' said Putin. The minister, Sergei Shoigu, quickly countermanded his own order, Putin said.

Putin said it had been his personal decision to dispatch Russian forces to extract Yanukovych and bring him to safety in Russia; to deploy anti-ship missile batteries along Crimea's coast to deter any hostile action by the U.S. Navy; and even to bring Russia's nuclear arsenal to a state of alert if need be.

The Russian president did not explain why he ordered the deployment of troops without Russian insignia, or why authorities in Moscow denied at first their forces were involved. Instead, Putin said, the blame for the crisis in general lies in Washington.

It was "our American partners and friends," said Putin, "who helped prepare the nationalists, they helped prepare the military units" to take power in Ukraine. Such preparations, Putin charged, took place in western Ukraine, but also in the NATO nations of Poland and Lithuania.

"How did our partners act?" Putin asked. "They enabled the carrying-out of a coup d'etat."

Perhaps with an eye to improving Moscow's now icy relations with many Western countries and to quell concerns that Putin is itching for a fight, the documentary stressed that Russia's leader is no warmonger. When more hotheaded military experts sought a muscular confrontation with the West, Kondrashov reported, Putin refused, saying the Cold War was over and that the world didn't need a repeat of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Putin also said European countries had acted in Ukraine without realizing what they were doing — a distinction that may be intended to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States.

Recalling his conversations with President Obama and other Western leaders during the Crimea crisis, Putin said he sternly told them he will do what it takes to defend what he views as Russia's vital interests.

"I told them openly that this is our historic territory," said Putin. "Russian people live there, they are in danger, we can't abandon that."

Lack Of Resources Leaves Mentally Ill Prisoners Vulnerable In UK - Charity

Rethink Mental Illness, a leading UK mental health charity stated that thousands of people with mental health problems are ending up in police cells each year because they can't get the support they need.

EDINBURGH (Sputnik), Mark Hirst – Lack of resources and police training to help officers deal with people with mental health conditions in custody has been branded as "shameful" by Rethink Mental Illness, a leading UK mental health charity.

"It's shameful that thousands of people with mental health problems, including children, are ending up in police cells each year because they can't get the support they need," Brian Semple, a senior spokesman for the charity told Sputnik Monday.

Semple stressed that the issue arose due to historical lack of funding for mental health services in the United Kingdom and budget cut in real-terms each year for the past three years.

"Mental illness accounts for 23% of the total impact of ill health in the UK, but gets only 13% of the NHS budget. As a result, the mental health system is desperately overstretched and too often people can't get the right support," Semple added.

Condition Of Singapore's Founding Leader Lee Worsens: PM

SINGAPORE: -- The health of Singapore's founding leader and ex-prime minister Lee Kuan Yew has "worsened" due to an infection, the government said Tuesday.

Lee, 91, has been hospitalised at the Singapore General Hospital since February 5 for severe pneumonia.

"Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s condition has worsened due to an infection. He is on antibiotics. The doctors are closely monitoring his condition," said a statement from the office of his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The senior Lee is widely credited with transforming Singapore from an economic backwater to one of Asia’s wealthiest economies in just over three decades.

He served as prime minister from 1959, when Singapore gained self-rule from colonial ruler Britain, until he stepped down in 1990 in favour of his deputy Goh Chok Tong, who in turn handed power to Lee Hsien Loong in 2004.

The People’s Action Party, which was co-founded by the elder Lee, has been returned to power in every election since 1959 and currently holds 80 of the 87 seats in parliament.

In a book published in 2013, the Asian statesman said he feels weaker by the day and wants a quick death.

The longtime fitness buff has visibly slowed since his wife of 63 years Kwa Geok Choo died in 2010.

Danish Men Arrested For Watching Philippine Children Being Abused

Denmark: -- Last week, the national police in Denmark arrested 10 men, who are suspected of having ordered and watched live-streaming of children being sexual abused in the Philippines.

Wednesday last week, 10 people have been arrested in a big case about live-streaming of children being sexual abused in the Philippines, a press release from the national police in Denmark last week informs.

It is the national Cyber Crime Center in Denmark, NC3, who have received several informations that show that many of the suspects should have been using a computer in Denmark, while they ordered and payed for the live-streaming.

Police Commissioner of the Danish police’s Cyber Crime Center, Flemming Kjaerside, tells in the press release:

“Live-streaming of children being sexual abused is an abhorrent crime, and unfortunately we have seen more cases of this in the past few years,” he says and continues:

“The operation was very successful, but it is too early to say anything about the searches”.

The police have searched several addresses in Denmark.

Around 100 different IT equipments are now being analyzed further.

Body Of Austrian Expat Found In Rented Phuket House

PHUKET: -- The body of an 60-year-old Austrian expat was found inside his rented house in Patong yesterday (March 16).

At 6:20pm, Lt Thawatchai Srimai from Kathu police was called to investigate the body of Austrian man found in a rented home on Phrabaramee Rd in Patong.

Police arrived with Kusoldharm rescue workers and found the body of Bruno Siegl, 60, lying on the floor close to a bed.

Mr Siegl was wearing only a pair of printed short and had been dead for at least 1 hour police said.

Mr Siegl̕s Thai wife told police that he had fallen and died.

Rescue workers took Mr Siegl̕s body to Patong hospital for autopsy and police are currently gathering more information to ascertain the cause of death.

Malaysian Skimming Gang Arrested At Border

BANGKOK: -- Four Malaysians were apprehended by police while they were using cloning cards to withdraw cash from several ATMs at a commercial centre in Sadao district of Songkhla province today.

The arrest came after the police were alerted of a card skimming gang was withdrawing cash from ATMs of several commercial banks in Hat Yai and Sadao at the weekend.

Foot patrols were stepped up and five Malaysians were seen withdrawing cash from an ATM in front of Oscar Palace hotel in the Oliver Plaza shopping centre on Kanchanavanich road in Sadao district.

They were seen using several cloning cards to withdraw cash while also assigned one gang member to act as a lookout to watch for police.

They later returned to a hotel room they rented not aware of being tracked by plainclothes police.

After they entered the room, arrest was then ordered.

Four members, two are women, were arrested in the room and 20 skimming cards were seized.

They were identified as Fan Xian Lung, 32, Check Malian, 29, Ms Lim Giashing, 22, and Ms Yong Pui Yi, 21.

Another collaborator identified as Jamaldadin bin Subo, 55, was arrested later. He was said to be a person who facilitated the gang members to return safely across the border. He was paid 2,000 baht for facilitating the return.

The gang members said they used skimming cards to withdraw and transfer to their accounts in Malaysia.

Prayut Says US Disallows Him To Travel To The States

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said he is not permitted to travel to the United States.

The prime minister’s remark came as he addressed the opening of a business forum held by the US-based Wharton University of Pennsylvania yesterday.

Speaking to business participants at the forum in the topic “Asia in a Borderless World”, Gen Prayut said Thailand was being kept under watch by all countries on which way it is going to move forward after the military coup in May.

In particular the United States which had enjoyed relationships with Thailand for over 200 years, he said.

The military junta said although the US will disallow him to travel there, Thailand still leaves the door open for cooperation on both social and economic aspects.

He said he had been serving in the army for 38 years and before retiring, he never had the idea to become or had a wish to become the prime minister.

However he asked that no matter what countries or what ruling systems they have, they are all considered living in the same globe.

After the opening speech, the prime minister set off on his two-day trip to Japan Friday to attend the United Nations’ conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai today and tomorrow

Meanwhile an international relations academic Dr Panitarn Watanayakorn elaborated the word “US disallows” stated by the prime minister saying it was merely to express that the US does not extend invitation him to visit .

He said this was in accordance with the US laws that its leader won’t invite government leader who came from military coup to visit.

It was not a matter of blacklisting as this could affect the diplomatic relations, and the US had never banned entry by any Thai government leaders before.