“If Crimea Sanctions Bite Russia, Central Asia Will Feel the Pain”,m “Putin Turns Attention to Eurasian Union”, “Ukrainian crisis has consequences for Kazakhstan”, “Two people shot dead by sniper fire in Crimean Simferopol”

eurasianet.org. “If Crimea Sanctions Bite Russia, Central Asia Will Feel the Pain” - As Western governments mull additional sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion and subsequent annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region, Washington and Brussels won’t be the only world capitals watching to see the impact: Should the new restrictions bite into Russia’s economy, they will have a painful trickle-down effect on the former Soviet republics of Central Asia.

“Putin Turns Attention to Eurasian Union” - After offering a coldly efficient example in Ukraine of the use of hard power, Russia’s paramount leader Vladimir Putin is turning his attention to shoring up Moscow’s soft power capabilities, namely keeping his vision for Eurasian unification on track. There are signs, however, that his Eurasian aspirations will be more difficult to fulfill than his Crimean land-grab.

trend.az. “Ukrainian crisis has consequences for Kazakhstan” -Ukrainian crisis has its consequences for Kazakhstan, according to the Kazakh oppositional politician, Amirzhan Kosanov. "On one hand, Kazakhstan has already supported the preservation of Ukraine's territorial integrity. And this is a fundamental thing. On the other hand, President Nazarbayev said 'he understands the position of Russia, which defends the rights of national minorities in Ukraine, as well as its security interests'," Kosanov told Trend in an interview.

akipress.com. “Two people shot dead by sniper fire in Crimean Simferopol” - Two were shot dead and two were injured by sniper fire in Simferopol on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry of Crimea reported.

“65 passengers fight in-flight from Moscow to Goa, India” - An aircraft with tourists flying from Moscow to Goa (India) made an extra landing at the airport in Astrakhan (Russia) due to a mass fight on board, Center for Transport Strategies reported referring to Interfax.

“Apple to reportedly start production of iPhone 6 in Q2” - Apple could be weeks away from starting production on iPhone 6, CNet reported today.

bloomberg.com. "Gold Near Three-Week Low as Fed Officials See Rates Rise in 2015" - Gold traded near the lowest in three weeks as Federal Reserve policy makers signaled a rise in interest rates by next year while further reducing monetary stimulus, boosting the dollar and curbing demand for the metal.