Crimea Vote

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  With Pomp and No Regrets, Crimea Celebrates Choice to Join Russia

  Crimea kicked off celebrations that will see fireworks and concerts today to mark a year since a controversial vote to join Russia that the West blasted as an illegal takeover.

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  Russia to Fete a Year With Crimea Back in The Fold

  Russia is gearing up to celebrate the one-year anniversary on Monday of Crimea voting to leave Ukraine and join the Russian state in a takeover blasted as illegal in the West but seen at home as a triumph for Vladimir Putin.

• Russian Vote Monitor Denounces London Pressure in Scottish 'No' Vote

  The director of a pro-Kremlin vote monitoring agency which sent observers to Scotland's referendum denounced the result on Friday, saying Scots were pressured into rejecting independence to avoid comparisons with Crimea's vote to secede from Ukraine.

• Russian lawmakers stripped of voting rights at Council of Europe

  Russian lawmakers at the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly were stripped of their voting rights until the end of 2014 today over Moscow's annexation of Crimea.

• US Congress passes Ukraine aid, sanctions

  The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday for a package of aid and sanctions in response to Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region, and sent the measure to the White House for President Barack Obama to sign into law.

• Russia threatened countries ahead of UN vote on Ukraine: envoys

  Russia threatened several Eastern European and Central Asian states with retaliation if they voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution this week declaring invalid Crimea's referendum on seceding from Ukraine, U.N. diplomats said.

• UN General Assembly declares Crimea secession vote invalid

  The UN General Assembly on Thursday passed a non-binding resolution declaring invalid Crimea's Moscow-backed referendum earlier this month on seceding from Ukraine, in a vote that Western nations said highlighted Russia's isolation.

• Vladimir Putin signs decree recognising Crimea as independent state

  President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a decree formally recognising Crimea as an independent state following its vote to secede from Ukraine and join Russia, news agencies quoted a Kremlin statement as saying.

• Ukraine recalls its ambassador to Russia

  Ukraine announced on Monday it had recalled its ambassador to Moscow, a day after the flashpoint Crimea peninsula voted to break away and become part of Russia.

• US announces sanctions against Russian officials after Crimea vote

  US President Barack Obama is imposing sanctions against Russian officials after Crimea's vote to secede from Ukraine.

• European Union sanctions 21 Russians, Ukrainians after Crimea vote

  European Union foreign ministers adopted sanctions Monday against 21 Russians and Ukrainians deemed responsible for a contested independence referendum in Crimea.

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  Gold touches six-month highs on subdued risk appetite

  Gold hit its highest in six months on Monday as cautious investors remained risk averse after Western countries issued warnings of more sanctions on Moscow following Crimea's vote to break from Ukraine.

• Global stocks near 1-month low as western sanctions on Russia loom

  World stocks traded near a one-month low on Monday while the dollar and German bonds held firm as investors worried about the economic impact of possible western sanctions on Moscow after Crimea voted to separate from Ukraine.

• Moscow wins overwhelming Crimea vote, West readies sanctions

  Crimea's Moscow-backed leaders declared a 96-percent vote in favour of quitting Ukraine and annexation by Russia in a referendum Western powers said was illegal and will bring immediate sanctions.

• China urges restraint in Ukraine, avoids comment on Crimea vote

  A top Chinese diplomat repeated Beijing's call for calm and restraint in Ukraine on Monday, but ducked comment on a referendum in Crimea after the region's Moscow-backed leaders declared a 96-percent vote in favour of joining Russia.