US and Western diplomats yesterday failed to bring Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers together for face-to-face talks on the confrontation in Crimea.

The Ukraine Ministry has claimed that the UN envoy in Crimea has been detained by gunmen.

Ukraine’s United Nations ambassador has asked an emergency session of the world body’s Security Council “to do everything possible now” to stop Russian “aggression” as troops took over the strategic Crimea region.

Israel pounded Gaza for the second day in a row today, trading airstrikes and rocket fire with Palestinian militants and killing 15 of them as the deadliest Gaza violence in over a year showed no signs of abating.

Israel will significantly ease its blockade of the Gaza Strip today, officials said, in an effort to blunt widespread international criticism after a deadly Israeli commando raid on a blockade-busting flotilla.

The United Nations will take to Gaza tons of aid supplies languishing in an Israeli port for two weeks since they were seized in a bloody sea confrontation, the Israeli military said.

THE United Nations urged Israel to reopen Gaza crossings as senior officials assessed war damage and the Jewish state warned it would strike again if Hamas rearms through smuggling tunnels.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the divided Security Council to work toward a speedy end to the escalating crisis in Gaza and planned to meet today with Arab ministers flying to New York to press for an immediate halt to the violence.