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Weird flag of Nepal at Indian Prime Minister's visit to Nepal

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Russia and Ukraine ministers to meet in Berlin for ceasefire talks

Pro-Russian rebels ride on a tank in the town of Krasnodon, eastern Ukraine. Photograph: Sergei Grits/AP

Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers are meeting in Berlin for the first time in weeks for talks aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where there was heavy fighting over the weekend for control of the city of Luhansk.

The meeting between Pavlo Klimkin of Ukraine and Russia’s Sergey Lavrov is being attended by their German counterpart Frank-Walter-Steinmeier and France’s Laurent Fabius.

“It is all about finding a roadmap towards a sustainable ceasefire and a framework for effective border controls,” Steinmeier said in a statement before the talks. “Only in this way can eastern Ukraine calm down and Kiev continue a national dialogue that appropriately involves the people in the east.”

Steinmeier warned that “a simple recipe does not exist”. He added: “That is why it is so important in my view that we all sit down at a table at this time.”

On his way to the negotiations, Klimkin tweeted: “Flying to Berlin. The talks will not be easy. It is important to stop the flow of weapons and mercenaries from Russia.”

Russia has denied any role in supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine, who have been fighting in recent days to maintain control of one of their most important strongholds, Luhansk.

The government in Kiev said on Sunday the separatists had shot down a Ukrainian warplane, but it was not clear what had happened to the pilot. Kiev said the downing of its plane happened as its forces were fighting their way into Luhansk, capturing a rebel-held police station in the Velika Vergunka district.

The Luhansk authorities said the government siege of the city had left it on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, cutting off basic provisions, electric power and water. A Russian aid convoy that was supposed to be bringing relief assistance to Luhansk and other separatist enclaves advanced closer to the Ukrainian border amid continuing controversy over its supervision. Ukraine said it would only allow the trucks across the border under the oversight of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC said there were still no sufficient guarantees of safety for the relief convoy from the warring parties.

Kiev has warned that the Russian convoy was part of a ploy to smuggle Russian arms to the rebels. The Guardian reported on Thursday evening that Russian armoured vehicles crossed the border through a gap in a fence but it was unclear where they were heading. The Kiev government said its artillery had destroyed a Russian armoured column on Friday, but that could not be independently confirmed.

In Donetsk, another rebel-held town under sustained government attack, the local separatist leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, posted a video on Saturday in which he claimed that 1,200 fighters and new military equipment were on their way from Russia. He suggested the reinforcements, which he said included tanks, had already crossed the border.

The Berlin meeting was arranged in talks on Friday in Sochi between the heads of the presidential administrations of both Russia and Ukraine. Steinmeier said on Sunday morning that while the humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine was the imminent focus of the foreign ministers’ talks, “we must not neglect the search for political ways out of the crisis in Ukraine”.

The German foreign minister said: “We urgently need new political impetus. Otherwise we run the risk of treading water, or of going backward and re-entering an intensified spiral of escalation.”

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Russia and Ukraine ministers to meet in Berlin for ceasefire talks

Pro-Russian rebels ride on a tank in the town of Krasnodon, eastern Ukraine. Photograph: Sergei Grits/AP

Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers are meeting in Berlin for the initial time in weeks for talks aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where there was heavy fighting more than the weekend for handle of the city of Luhansk.

The meeting among Pavlo Klimkin of Ukraine and Russia’s Sergey Lavrov is becoming attended by their German counterpart Frank-Walter-Steinmeier and France’s Laurent Fabius.

“It is all about obtaining a roadmap towards a sustainable ceasefire and a framework for effective border controls,” Steinmeier stated in a statement just before the talks. “Only in this way can eastern Ukraine calm down and Kiev continue a national dialogue that appropriately involves the folks in the east.”

Steinmeier warned that “a straightforward recipe does not exist”. He added: “That is why it is so crucial in my view that we all sit down at a table at this time.”

On his way to the negotiations, Klimkin tweeted: “Flying to Berlin. The talks will not be straightforward. It is important to cease the flow of weapons and mercenaries from Russia.”

Russia has denied any role in supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine, who have been fighting in recent days to preserve control of one particular of their most crucial strongholds, Luhansk.

The government in Kiev mentioned on Sunday the separatists had shot down a Ukrainian warplane, but it was not clear what had happened to the pilot. Kiev mentioned the downing of its plane happened as its forces were fighting their way into Luhansk, capturing a rebel-held police station in the Velika Vergunka district.

The Luhansk authorities mentioned the government siege of the city had left it on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, cutting off basic provisions, electric energy and water. A Russian aid convoy that was supposed to be bringing relief help to Luhansk and other separatist enclaves advanced closer to the Ukrainian border amid continuing controversy more than its supervision. Ukraine mentioned it would only permit the trucks across the border under the oversight of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC stated there have been nevertheless no enough guarantees of security for the relief convoy from the warring parties.

Kiev has warned that the Russian convoy was element of a ploy to smuggle Russian arms to the rebels. The Guardian reported on Thursday evening that Russian armoured autos crossed the border through a gap in a fence but it was unclear exactly where they were heading. The Kiev government stated its artillery had destroyed a Russian armoured column on Friday, but that could not be independently confirmed.

In Donetsk, another rebel-held town below sustained government attack, the nearby separatist leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, posted a video on Saturday in which he claimed that 1,200 fighters and new military equipment have been on their way from Russia. He suggested the reinforcements, which he stated included tanks, had already crossed the border.

The Berlin meeting was arranged in talks on Friday in Sochi in between the heads of the presidential administrations of each Russia and Ukraine. Steinmeier said on Sunday morning that even though the humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine was the imminent concentrate of the foreign ministers’ talks, “we need to not neglect the search for political approaches out of the crisis in Ukraine”.

The German foreign minister said: “We urgently need to have new political impetus. Otherwise we run the danger of treading water, or of going backward and re-getting into an intensified spiral of escalation.”

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Turkish Prime Minister's Campaign Logo Looks a Lot Like Obama's

Image: Mashable composite Murat Kaynak/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008

Turkey’s ruling celebration has nominated a familiar man to run in the country’s first straight elected presidential race — and his campaign looks familiar, too.

When the Justice and Improvement Celebration announced Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as its choose for candidate in the August election, it also unveiled the official campaign logo, and we cannot support but feel like we’ve noticed it before.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures as he speaks during a ceremony in front of members of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to announce that he will stand in August’s presidential elections on July 1, 2014 in Ankara.

Image: ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Photos

The logo — a increasing sun, sweeping lines on the horizon — bears a striking similarity to President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign logo.

Produced by a Chicago design and style firm, Obama’s logo was inspired by the “O” in his name and “the idea of a rising sun and a new day,” a strategist who worked on the style explained. “The sun rising more than the horizon intended to evoked a new sense of hope.”

Erdogan’s logo, meanwhile, is meant to convey a “light at the end of the tunnel,” according to party officials. The sunrise is meant to be emblematic of the birth of a “new Turkey,” as it represents new hopes and targets for the country.

The road that zig-zags towards it is meant to symbolize life. Twists and turns, struggles, dedication and commitment are all meant to be themes conveyed by the new logo, according to Turkish internet site netgazete.

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