North Korea To Try US Pair Over 'Hostile Acts'

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent in Beijing

North Korea is to put two detained American men on trial for "committing hostile acts" against the country.

According to the country's state news agency, KCNA, investigations into Jeffrey Edward Fowle, 56, and Matthew Todd Miller, 24, have confirmed suspicions that they planned hostile acts during their visits.

The KCNA report said their "crimes" were confirmed through an examination of evidence and through testimonies given by the two men.

However, details of their alleged crimes have not been revealed. The North Korean regime has not disclosed any evidence or hinted at when their trials might begin.

Tourists are lured to North Korea by its secrecy and mystery

Mr Miller is understood to have arrived in North Korea on a tourist visa on April 10.

According to various reports, including KCNA, Miller publicly tore up his passport at Pyongyang Airport and declared he wanted to seek asylum in North Korea.

"A relevant organ of the DPRK put in custody American Miller Matthew Todd, 24, on April 10 for his rash behaviour in the course of going through formalities for entry into the DPRK to tour it," a KCNA report stated at the time.

Mr Fowle, a 56-year-old from the US state of Ohio, arrived in the country on April 29. He was also travelling on a tourist visa.

According to diplomatic sources, he was detained after leaving a bible in his hotel room. Christian missionaries are known to be active inside the country and play a role in helping people to escape the regime.

However, Mr Fowle's family have told reporters in Ohio that he was not on a mission for his church.

Kenneth Bae has been held in North Korea since November 2012

An increasing number of tourists are choosing to travel to North Korea, lured by the country's secrecy and mystery.

All tourists must travel with specific tour groups and are tied to rigid itineraries accompanied by government minders.

In May, the US State Department changed its travel advice to US citizens, warning against all travel to North Korea.

"US citizen tourists have been subject to arbitrary arrest and long-term detention," the State Department warning says.

"North Korean authorities have arrested US citizens who entered the DPRK legally on valid DPRK visas as well as US citizens who accidentally crossed into DPRK territory.

"Do not assume that joining a group tour or use of a tour guide will prevent your arrest or detention by North Korean authorities.

"Efforts by private tour operators to prevent or resolve past detentions of US citizens in the DPRK have not succeeded in gaining their release."

The UK Foreign Office does not advise against travel but says visitors should exercise sensible precautions.

"Very few British nationals visit North Korea and those that do are usually part of an organised tour. Most visits are trouble-free. However, the North Korean authorities have arrested other legal visitors, including 2 US citizens during recent years." it says.

The US has no diplomatic ties with North Korea, presenting it with significant difficulties in gaining access to the detained men.

The Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang takes responsibility for US consular affairs in the country.

Another American, Kenneth Bae, has been held in North Korea since November 2012.

A closed North Korean court convicted him of crimes against the state and sentenced him to 15 years hard labour. To date, attempts to secure his release have failed despite his failing health.

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Pistorius 'Not Mentally Ill' As Trial Resumes

Oscar Pistorius was not mentally ill when he shot dead his girlfriend at his home and is fit to stand trial, a psychiatric report has found.

However, the results of the month-long mental assessment may play a part in any future sentencing.

Pistorius' murder trial had been adjourned while an expert panel assessed whether an anxiety disorder could have played a part in his actions when he killed Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year.

The judge ordered the evaluation after a psychiatrist giving evidence in the athlete's defence told the court he suffered from generalised anxiety disorder, and that this may have influenced his judgement.

The tests were requested by the chief prosecutor and opposed by Pistorius' lawyer.

Reading from the psychologists report, state prosecutor Gerrie Nel said: "Mr Pistorus did not suffer from a mental illness or defect that would have rendered him criminally not responsible for the offence charged.

Media were outside the court in Pretoria to catch Pistorius arriving

"Mr Pistorius was capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his act and of acting in accordance of an appreciation of the wrongfulness of his act."

Pistorius denies murder, claiming he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder.

He faces a life sentence if found guilty.

With the resumption of the trial, the defence team called  Dr Gerald Versfeld, the orthopaedic surgeon who amputated both of Oscar Pistorius' legs when he was a baby.

The athlete was on his stumps when he killed Ms Steenkamp, and his defence team has argued he was more likely to try to confront an apparent threat, rather than runaway,  because of his limited ability to move without his artificial legs.

Dr Versfeld said Pistorius' disability made him "vulnerable in a dangerous situation".

The doctor told the court Pistorius might struggle on his stumps during a tense situation, and that he would have difficulty smashing the door of the toilet, where Ms Steenkamp was, with a cricket bat.

However, under cross-examination he was challenged by Mr Nel, who questioned his objectivity.

Mr Nel also raised the possibility that Pistorius could have fled from a perceived intruder on the night of the shooting.

He said Pistorius rushed back to his bedroom after the shooting and made other movements, indicating his mobility was not as restricted as Dr Versfeld suggested.

Later, Judge Thokozile Masipa expressed her unhappiness a piece of evidence from Pistorius' house - an electrical cord - could not be produced by the prosecution.

She ordered an investigation, when Mr Nel said he did not know where it could be found.

The next witness called by the defence was an acoustic expert Ivan Lin, who gave evidence about screams heard by neighbours on the night of the killing.

The trial continues.

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British Scout Dies On Alps Adventure Holiday

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

A 14-year-old British scout has died during an adventure holiday in the Italian Alps.

The boy lost consciousness as he jumped into water during a gorge scrambling activity on Sunday afternoon.

The youngster, from Eastwood District Scouts, near Glasgow, was immediately rescued from the water and given CPR but could not be resuscitated.

It is understood his family have now travelled to Italy.

He was with a group of around 40 scouts who were on the second day of their nine-day adventure activity trip when the incident happened in the Gran Paradiso National Park, close to Mount Blanc, on the Italian-French border.

The Scout Association said it is "devastated" by his death.

Acorn Adventure, which ran the trip, said: "They were jumping into the water, where instructors were waiting for them.

"All participants were wearing buoyancy aids, wet suits and helmets as is standard on this activity, carried out by hundreds of participants every year for the past 18 years."

The boy was a member of the Pegasus Explorer Scout Unit which is linked to the 35th Glasgow Scout Group.

The Scout Association said: "We are working with Acorn Adventure to support the family, leaders and other young people involved in this very sad event.

"We are devastated that a young person has died and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the young person at this time."

The Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Italy and we stand ready to provide consular assistance."

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ISIS Insurgents Declare New Islamic State

Timeline: How The Iraq Crisis Unfolded

Updated: 10:07am UK, Monday 30 June 2014

A look back at the main events in the Iraq crisis, which has seen Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group move to within 50 miles of the capital Baghdad.

December 2011: US troops complete their withdrawal after the 2003 invasion which led to the removal of Saddam Hussein.

August 2013: More than 70 people are killed in attacks at the end of Ramadan. ISIS claim responsibility.

January 2-4, 2014: ISIS declares itself in control of the western city of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi following clashes sparked by the clearing of a Sunni-Arab protest camp.

February: al Qaeda formally disowns ISIS, which was at one time an affiliate, because of its extreme methods.

April: Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki wins the most seats in a general election.

June 10: ISIS seizes all of Nineveh province in the north, including the capital Mosul - Iraq's second city. Mr Maliki asks parliament to declare a state of emergency.

June 11: The militants launch a wave of attacks further south, taking Tikrit and freeing hundreds of prisoners in Baiji. An assault on Samarra, 70 miles (110km) north of Baghdad, is repelled by security forces.

June 12: Iraq's air force strikes fighters' positions near Mosul and Tikrit.

US President Barack Obama says he is looking at "all the options" to help the government, which fails to secure authorisation for a state of emergency.

The army abandons its bases in Kirkuk, leaving Kurdish Peshmerga troops to take control.

June 13: A top Shia cleric issues a call to arms, telling the population to take up arms and defend their country.

Mr Maliki claims government forces have started to clear cities of "terrorists" and implements an emergency plan to protect Baghdad.

Mr Obama rules out sending back troops to fight ISIS.

The rebels move into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in eastern province of Diyala.

June 14: Iran offers to work with the US to tackle the crisis, as Britain pledges an initial £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

The Iraqi army's fightback continues, with forces retaking the towns of Ishaqi, al-Mutasim and Duluiyah in Salaheddin province.

Troops also regain much of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town.

US aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush is ordered to the Persian Gulf.

June 15: Photos emerge appearing to show an ISIS massacre of 1,700 captured government soldiers. Baghdad says number is exaggerated.

Reports say militants have overrun Tal Afar, the largest town in Nineveh province.

A bombing in central Baghdad leaves 15 people dead and dozens injured.

Former PM Tony Blair tells Sky News that critics who believe the violence is the result of the 2003 invasion are "profoundly mistaken".

June 16: Video footage purporting to show an ISIS fighter questioning and killing unarmed Iraqi soldiers draws condemnation.

ISIS takes control of Tal Afar and the al Adhim area of Diyala province.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is "open to discussions with Iran".

June 17: Britain announces it is reopening its Iranian embassy, with Foreign Secretary William Hague saying the "circumstances are right" as the West looks to improve relations to help tackle the crisis in Iraq.

Iraq's Shia leaders accuse Saudi Arabia of promoting "genocide" by backing Sunni militants.

June 18: Iraq's foreign minister asks the US to carry out airstrikes to help reverse the sweeping gains of Islamist militants in the country.

David Cameron warns that if Britain does not intervene in the Middle East crisis then terrorists will "hit the UK at home".

Insurgents are seen parading through the city of Baiji with captured vehicles after reports they have taken over three-quarters of Iraq's biggest oil refinery.

ISIS charts its brutality and tactics in annual reports called al-Naba - The Report, it emerges.

June 19: Iraqi authorities say government forces have retaken the Baiji oil refinery after fierce fighting.

Mr Obama says US troops will not return to combat in Iraq, but he would be prepared to take "targeted action".

The president also announces additional equipment and up to 300 additional military advisers could be provided to help fight the ISIS insurgency.

June 20: Iraq's senior Shia religious authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani calls for a new government for the country as it struggles to stop Sunni militants.

Mr Obama piles further pressure on Iraq's PM, saying he needs to take urgent steps to heal the sectarian rift in the country, but stopping short of demanding he quit.

A video of British jihadists urging Western Muslims to join ISIS in Iraq and Syria emerges on social media.

June 21: The family of Naseer Muthana, 20, who appears in the ISIS recruitment video and younger brother Aseel, 17, who followed him to fight in the region say they are "devastated". 

The men's father Ahmed Muthana tells Sky News he believes his son Nasser was radicalised in a mosque in the United Kingdom.

In Iraq, dozens of Iraqi troops are killed as ISIS militants seize the crucial Qaim crossing into Syria.

A Shia preacher loyal to anti-US cleric Moqtada al Sadr warns that the 300 US military advisers en route to Iraq will be attacked.

June 22: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei comes out in opposition of US intervention in neighbouring Iraq.

Mr Obama warns ISIS could grow in power, destabilise the region and pose a threat to the US.

The mother of one of two Britons filmed in a militants' video calling for Western Muslims to fight in Syria and Iraq, Reyaad Khan, pleads for him to come home in an emotional Sky News interview.

A former head of counter-terrorism at MI6 tells Sky's Murnaghan programme up to 300 Islamist fighters from Iraq and Syria may have returned to the UK and it would be "impossible" to keep track of all of them.

June 23: Mr Obama warns ISIS could pose a threat to the US, hours after the Islamist militants make dramatic gains by capturing four towns in western Iraq.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Baghdad for talks with Mr Maliki.

June 24: Mr Kerry arrives in Irbil for talks with Kurdistan's regional government President Massoud Barzani.

The leaders at a mosque in Cardiff say they believe the jihadists who appeared in an ISIS recruitment video were radicalised online.

June 25: In an exclusive interview with Sky News, the former head of the Armed Forces, Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, warns the fighting in Iraq should serve as a "wake-up call" to the West.

June 26: The first team of American military advisers arrives in Iraq.

Mr Sadr expresses opposition to the US advisers and warns his supporters will "shake the ground" fighting the ISIS insurgency.

Iraqis are urged to put aside sectarian differences by Mr Hague, who calls for an inclusive government to be formed.

June 27: Satellite images appear to back up claims that ISIS militants massacred between 160 and 190 men in Tikrit earlier this month.

June 28: It is revealed that the US is flying armed drones over Iraq, but the Pentagon says this is to protect American military advisers.

June 29: The Iraqi army launches a major offensive to try to retake Tikrit, as ISIS declares an Islamic state in the areas of Iraq and Syria they control.

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India Buildings Collapse Killing 22 People

Two separate buildings have collapsed in India, killing at least 22 people and trapping around a dozen more.

The search for survivors at the collapsed 11-storey building in Chennai

An 11-storey building under construction on the outskirts of Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu state, came down, killing and trapping construction workers, during monsoon rains.

Police said 28 workers had been pulled out so far and the search was continuing for more than a dozen others.

Four of the workers were killed instantly and another seven died of their injuries later in a hospital, said police officer George Fernandes.

Another 13 injured workers are in hospital, while six others were allowed to go home after medical attention.

Rescuers faced a tangle on scaffolding at the Chennai collapse

Police said two directors of the construction company, Prime Sristi, have been detained for questioning as authorities began investigating the cause of the collapse.

Balaguru, one of the builders, said the structure collapsed possibly due to lightning.

"Usually, once the construction gets over we install the equipment to prevent the building from a thunder strike. It was nearing completion," the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Balaguru, who uses one name, as saying.

Nearly 300 policemen and fire service workers worked overnight, looking for survivors in the debris.

More people are feared trapped in the rubble of the New Delhi block

Earlier in the day, 11 people, including five children, were killed when a four-storey building fell in New Delhi.

It is believed the collapse of the 50-year-old block may have been triggered by nearby construction work.

A local resident said he helped pull people from the debris before the emergency services arrived.

Ifikhar Ahmed said: "We ourselves pulled out seven people. Others have told us that they also rescued two to four people. To begin with, local residents rescued the victims and later the officials came."

Debris is cleared by hand from the collapsed New Delhi building

Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma told reporters an investigation into the cause of the New Delhi collapse had been launched.

Building collapses are common in India, where high demand for housing and lax regulations have encouraged some builders to cut corners, use substandard materials or add unauthorised extra floors.

In April last year, 74 people were killed when an eight-story building being constructed illegally in the Mumbai suburb of Thane caved in. It was the worst building collapse in the country in decades.

Debris is loaded onto a truck at the site of the collapse in New Delhi

A politician from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tweeted that action was needed to stop more people dying.

Vijay Goel said: "Building collapse in Delhi brings forth need to adhere to safety requirements."

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Russia Accuses US Over Ukraine Confrontation

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the US of encouraging Ukraine into a confrontation with Moscow.

And he claimed the chances of resolving the Cold War-style crisis would be better if only Russia and Europe were involved.

Mr Lavrov suggested the US was an obstacle to settling the Ukraine conflict

Speaking on television, Mr Lavrov said: "Our American colleagues still prefer to push the Ukrainian leadership toward a confrontational path."

It came after EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Friday decided against immediately imposing new sanctions on Russia for destabilising eastern Ukraine, but gave Moscow and pro-Russian separatists until Monday to take steps to improve the situation.

Ukraine has also extended a ceasefire by its forces for 72 hours.

EU leaders also signed agreements with Ukraine and two other former Soviet states, Moldova and Georgia, to establish closer political and economic links with Europe.

Kiev celebrated the historic agreement between Ukraine and the EU

It was the decision of the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych to ditch a deal with Europe in favour of a pact with Russia which triggered protests culminating in his overthrow earlier this year.

Moscow responded by annexing the mainly Russian-speaking Crimea in March, that led to pro-Moscow separatists rise up in eastern Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "The UK is firmly committed to the prosperity of these sovereign and independent countries, which are signalling their determination to forge closer political and economic links with Europe.

"I look forward to ever closer relationships that will better the lives of their people and contribute to prosperity across the region."

The Foreign Office predicted that the completion of the agreements could result in GDP growth in Georgia of €292m (£234m) a year and €1.2bn (£960m) in Ukraine, while boosting Moldova's national income by 5.4% annually.

Ukraine is seeking to increase its gas production after Russia cut exports

Meanwhile, Ukraine is seeking to increase its own gas production after Russia's state-controlled gas company, Gazprom, cut exports to the country, after talks to settle a debt and agree a lower price broke down.

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Iraqi Troops Strike Back In Tikrit Offensive

Thousands of Iraqi troops backed by tanks, warplanes and helicopter gunships have launched their biggest counteroffensive yet against ISIS militants in Tikrit.

There have been conflicting reports as to just how much headway the Iraqi military has made in its advance on Tikrit - the home town of Saddam Hussein which fell to the insurgents on June 11.

Following two weeks of demoralising defeats, the military has claimed to have regained control of the northern city - but the rebels have insisted they are still in charge.

A provincial official contacted by AP told the news agency that the insurgents retained control of most of the city, and fighting is concentrated in the northern neighbourhood of Qadissiyah.

As the "large military operation" started, Staff Lieutenant General Sabah Fatlawi warned the insurgents they had two choices: "flee or be killed".

An Iraqi army soldier moves on Tikrit

Witnesses reported heavy clashes as troops moved in from the west.

Troops in helicopters landed at a strategically located university campus, with sporadic clashes reported throughout the day.

Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's security spokesman said warplanes were targeting insurgents there.

Lieutenant General Qassem Atta said security forces were also now in full control of a key road from Baghdad to Samarra, between the capital and Tikrit.

He said there was coordination with the US, which has deployed special operations forces to Iraq, over "studying important targets", without elaborating.

Iraqi forces advance on Tikrit from the direction of Samarra in the south

Also on Sunday, fighters backed by the Kurdish Peshmerga force were advancing on the village of Basheer, south of Kirkuk, which was taken over by militants during their offensive.

Sky's Senior Correspondent Michelle Clifford, who is in Baghdad, said if the recapture of Tikrit is true, "it would not only be a strategic but a symbolically significant victory".

"The government is desperate to portray this as a victory because of the humiliating capitulation by the Iraqi forces in the early days of the insurgency," she added.

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary William Hague has called on Iraq's political leaders to form a "more inclusive government", as the new parliament prepares to convene on Tuesday.

"It isn't for us and it wouldn't help anybody for us to pronounce on who should be the Prime Minister of Iraq," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.

Special operations forces hunting down ISIS militants

"But there has been a failure in recent years to bring together Iraqi leaders and people out of their sectarian divisions.

"No one has succeeded in doing that in Iraq in the last eight years or so."

World leaders have insisted on a political settlement among Iraq's Shia Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities.

Top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani has also called for unity in Iraq.

Tikrit fell to the insurgents on June 11

Mr al Maliki, who has publicly focused on a military response to the crisis, has acknowledged that political measures are also necessary.

On Saturday, Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in Damascus: "Russia will not remain passive to the attempts by some groups to spread terrorism in the region.

"The situation is very dangerous in Iraq and the foundations of the Iraqi state are under threat."

Baghdad has agreed to buy more than a dozen Sukhoi warplanes from Russia and Belarus in a deal that could be worth up to $500m (£295m).

Iraqi state TV quoted Lt Gen Atta as saying Sukhoi jets had arrived, without specifying how many.

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Newlyweds Tied Up And Killed By Bride's Family

A 17-year-old girl and her husband have been tied up and had their throats slit shortly after they married for love, according to police.

Muafia Bibi and her partner Sajjad Ahmed, 30, were killed in a village which is part of Daska town in Punjab province, police officer Asghar Ali said.

He added that the girl's grandfather, parents and two uncles are accused of killing them with a butcher's knife, and that all five have been apprehended.

The couple married earlier this month and Mr Ali said the family had lured them home by saying they accepted the marriage.

The family said they had been embarrassed by the marriage of their daughter to a man from a less important tribe, police were quoted as saying.

District police chief Gohar Nafees said they admitted killing the couple in the name of honour.

Cultural traditions in many areas of Pakistan mean that killing a woman whose behaviour is seen as immodest is widely accepted.

A woman marrying a man of her own choice is considered an unacceptable insult to many families.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, some 869 so-called "honour killings" were reported in the media last year.

The true figure is probably much higher since many cases are not reported.

Under Pakistani law, the woman's family are able to forgive the killer even if they are convicted.

Many families nominate a member to do the killing and then formally forgive the killer.

In May, Farzana Iqbal, who was three months pregnant, was stoned to death outside a court in the eastern city of Lahore by family members for marrying the man of her choice.

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PM Vows To 'Keep Fighting' After Juncker Defeat

David Cameron admitted EU reform would be a "long, tough fight" after arch-federalist Jean-Claude Juncker was chosen as president of the European Commission - but insisted he would not give up the cause.

The Prime Minister - who along with Hungary was defeated in his attempt to block Mr Juncker's candidacy - said his fellow EU leaders had made a "serious mistake".

"This is a bad day for Europe. It risks undermining the position of national governments, it risks undermining the power of national parliaments and it hands new power to the European Parliament," he said.

Mr Cameron had argued Mr Juncker would block reform of the EU, but the vote has not dented the Prime Minister's commitment to that cause.

The PM argued Mr Juncker was not the "right person" for the post

"This is going to be a long, tough fight and frankly sometimes you have to be prepared to lose a battle in order to win a war," he added. "It has only stiffened my resolve to fight for reform in the EU, because it is crying out for it."

The Tories have promised a referendum on EU membership  should they win the next election - and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt believes "cowardice" from Europe's leaders can only make a vote to quit more likely.

"As a result of cowardice yesterday from other European leaders who weren't prepared to say in public what they said in private, they're going to have to try very hard to persuade the British people that Europe has a reform agenda," he said.

Mr Hunt claimed the British people would be "proud" of the Prime Minister - and that his position would ultimately help the UK renegotiate its relationship with Europe.

"You're getting European leaders queuing up to say how much they want Britain to stay in the EU, how they'll make compromises.

"We want to be a country in control of our own destiny, we want to stop abuses of the welfare system and NHS.

"We're not going to take part in some grubby face-saving deal where we pretend we've got a deal - a feature of the last government. We want substantive reform in Europe."

Former Luxembourg premier Mr Juncker was backed by Germany's Angela Merkel

Mr Cameron claimed Britain had "made some small steps forward" during the vote discussions.

This included an agreement that ever-closer union allows for different paths of integration and respects the wishes of countries such as Britain that do not want a closer relationship.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was an advocate of Mr Juncker, but amid the vote she urged EU colleagues to "compromise" with Britain.

"I think we can find compromises here and make a step towards Great Britain," she said.

Labour leader Ed Miliband commented: "On Europe, David Cameron has now become a toxic Prime Minister. He cannot stand up for Britain's national interest because when he supports something, he drives our allies away."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "I think what's clear is that any cards that Mr Cameron may have had to play have been spent, and have been lost over a futile battle that he was bound to lose from the beginning.

"(Any) renegotiation now doesn't look very likely. He has been humiliated today but worse than that, he actually looks very isolated."

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Ukraine's EU Deal: 'Not A Good Day For Russia'

Beyond all the bickering over the EU presidency, a bit of history was being made at the summit in Brussels on Friday.

Three former states of the USSR - Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova - signed association agreements with the European Union, formally shifting their countries away from their Soviet past, towards a new, European future.

For Ukraine, this is the culmination of what so many fought for on the Maidan - the local name for the popular uprising in Kiev, which removed president Victor Yanukovych from power.

It was his refusal to sign this very same EU trade deal in November that brought the first of the protesters onto the streets, triggering a movement against a presidency many saw as corrupt and leading their country back to its old Kremlin masters.

The EU flag became one of the symbols of the protest - they flew it from the barricades and wrapped it around themselves - demanding what they saw as European human rights: justice, democracy, and the rule of law.

Petro Poroshenko (R) and EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy shake hands

For all of the sentiment expressed by British politicians of late, it's worth remembering what the European Union means to so many of those beyond its borders in the east of the continent.

I remember one man telling me he considered himself middle class - that he had a nice apartment, a nice car, plenty to lose.

But he wanted a future for his children and grandchildren that would be fairer - that would not be subject to the whim of local bureaucrats or the ability to grease the right palms.

He was realistic about the short-term pain that would follow, but he said it would be worth it.

He wanted a 'European' future for his children.

Of course the reality will not be utopian.

The security situation in the East is deteriorating, Kiev insists, fuelled by the Kremlin.

A ceasefire is supposedly in place in Ukraine

Despite the ceasefire supposedly in place, on Thursday night four Ukrainian servicemen were killed, five wounded, in fighting near Kramatorsk.

The United Nations' refugee agency says 110,000 people have fled across the border into Russia since the start of the year.

The national finances are in a parlous state: the currency has fallen 45% since January, the price of Russian gas is rocketing, and that's before Moscow has enacted the "grave consequences" its deputy foreign minister warned would follow.

For Russia this has not been a good day.

Mr Putin wanted Ukraine to join his own Eurasian Customs Union - watching this 'brotherly nation' instead publicly wrenching itself from the Kremlin's sphere of influence is deeply troubling.

This is not just about losing Ukraine to Europe - it's the prospect of the EU, and with it the old Cold War bogeyman of Nato, expanding East, right up to Russia's border.

Ukraine's success, or otherwise, will depend on Russia's reaction, and western politicians' resolve.

But Friday was an important day - "perhaps the most important day", said President Petro Poroshenko, in the country's post-independence history, "a symbol of faith, and unbreakable will".

He will need both in the months to come.

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