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Russian president ultimately wants from his power play: broad autonomy for Ukraine's Russian-speaking regions and guarantees that Ukraine will never realize the Kremlin's worst nightmare -- joining NATO.
• The big question is whether Putin is willing to invade more areas of eastern Ukraine to achieve these goals.
• For the West, it all boils down to a tough dilemma over compromising with Moscow to avert military conflict or taking a hard-line stance and risking a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Putin has sent clear signals he could take extreme measures if he doesn't get his way on keeping Ukraine out of NATO and ensuring that Ukraine remains in Russia's political and economic orbit.
• Sunday's referendum in Crimea, which overwhelmingly supported joining Russia, has also raised fears that Ukraine's eastern provinces could try to hold their own independence votes.
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• KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Checks into the background of the Chinese citizens on board the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner have uncovered no links to terrorism, the Chinese ambassador in Kuala Lumpur said Tuesday.
• The remarks will dampen rule out speculation that Uighur Muslim separatists in far western Xinjiang province might have been involved with the disappearance of the Boeing 777 and its 239 passengers and crew early on March 8.
• The plane was carrying 154 Chinese passengers, when Malaysian officials say someone on board deliberately diverted it from its route to Beijing less than one hour into the flight. A massive search operation in the Indian Ocean and beyond has yet to find any trace of the plane.
• Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang said background checks on Chinese nationals didn't uncover any evidence suggesting they were involved in hijacking or an act of terrorism against the plane, according to the state Xinhua News Agency.
• Uighur groups have been involved in attacks inside China, and some have a presence in the Afghan-Pakistan border area, where al-Qaida and other transnational jihadi groups are based.
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