Ukraine crisis escalates amid blockade threats

Ukraine’s political crisis escalated ahead of a key court session today to probe the disputed presidential election’s validity, with an eastern province scheduling a referendum on autonomy and the opposition threatening to tighten a blockade against top officials in the bitterly divided nation.

The Supreme Court was to begin considering an appeal by opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko against the official results of the November 21 presidential runoff issued by the Central Election Commission, which declared Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych the winner.