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Ukraine pushed on with an operation to flush separatists from their eastern holdouts as the top U.S. and U.K. diplomats raised the prospect of punishing Russia with industrywide sanctions if this months election is undermined.

If Russia or its proxies disrupt the elections, the U.S. and its allies will impose sectoral economic sanctions as a result, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in London today after meeting his counterparts from the U.K., Italy, France and Germany. Separatists are literally sowing mayhem, seeking to speak for everyone through the barrel of a gun.

Discord over the election risks another round of escalation as the Kiev government and its U.S. and European Union allies blame Russia for the unrest in Ukraines easternmost regions. In rejection of Russian calls to include separatist leaders in national unity talks, they werent allowed to join meetings that began yesterday in the capital to ease tensions as the May 25 presidential vote looms. With U.S. and EU leaders threatening more sanctions over the ballot, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said its ridiculous to hold Russia responsible.

More on the Crisis in Ukraine:

Government troops eliminated two rebel bases near the towns of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said today in parliament in Kiev. Militants vowed to expel the military from the region.

The anti-terrorist operation can stop after weapons are surrendered and hostages released, Turchynov said. Were conducting dialogue with those whore prepared for conversation and cooperation. Were working on changes to the constitution to expand powers to local self-government. At the same time, those who conduct war will receive an adequate answer.

While Lavrov said yesterday that Ukraines slide into a civil war is making legitimate voting impossible, Kerry appealed to separatists to take part in the presidential ballot and engage in national dialogue as the best way to de-escalate the situation.

Russias Micex Index ended a six-day rally as Ukraine stepped up efforts to dislodge separatists. The benchmark gauge fell 0.5 percent to 1,381.99, taking its drop since the start of President Vladimir Putins intervention in Crimea on March 1 to 4.3 percent. The ruble lost 0.1 percent to 34.76 versus the dollar, trimming its advance since Feb. 28 to 3.2 percent.

A Snapshot of Ukraine's Past and Future

Ukraines hryvnia, which has lost 30 percent against the U.S. currency in 2014, strengthened for the first time in six days, gaining 0.9 percent, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

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Ukraine Pushes On With Offensive as Russia Warns on Vote

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) The scars are fading now. The exit wound, a narrow, pink line that curves down the left side of her neck, is often hidden by her tangle of dark hair. The entry wound is smaller than a bottle cap.

And the young woman who became a symbol of Ukraine's protests who tweeted "I am dying" after a sniper's bullet tore into her on a cold February morning, and was suddenly the focus of international attention sometimes wonders just what it all achieved.

"So little has been accomplished," said Olesya Zhukovska, a 21-year-old hospital orderly from small-town Ukraine. She moved to Kiev when the protests broke out in late 2013, and spent months working as a volunteer medic in the sprawling protest camp that sprang up in the heart of the capital. "The blood that was spilled here, I really don't want it to be wasted. Because people are starting to forget."

"I'm a realist," Zhukovska said, struggling for a way to describe how she sees her country today.

It can be hard to be an optimist these days in Ukraine.

The economy is a wreck. The military and the police often seem completely powerless. Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that juts into the Black Sea, has been annexed by Russia. Thousands of people across the Russian-speaking east voted in a chaotic weekend referendum to break away from Kiev. Pro-Russian gunmen have seized control of government buildings in some eastern cities and clashed sporadically with Ukrainian forces.

Zhukovska is particularly furious at Ukrainians who have demonstrated against Kiev's rule.

"They should probably have their citizenship revoked," she said. "If they want to live in Russia, they are free to pack their bags and move to Russia."

Just a few months ago, things had seemed so clear, so hopeful.

In late February, as Zhukovska was recovering in a Kiev hospital and reading thousands of messages of support, President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia as his internal support crumbled. Interim leaders pledged to root out Ukraine's crippling corruption. Yanukovych's mansions clichd strongman monuments filled with polished marble, gilt fixtures and car-sized chandeliers were opened to public view.

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Ukraine Protester Hopes Blood Not Spilled In Vain

Sucker Punch- Possible Spike in #39;Knockout Game #39; Attacks
Police are investigating young people caught on surveillance footage punching innocent people.

By: AHMAD HUSEIN

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Sucker Punch- Possible Spike in 'Knockout Game' Attacks - Video

EDMONTON - A Grande Prairie grandmother says she is outraged that her 12-year-old grandson has been victimized twice in the past week, first by a group of boys who allegedly attacked him as part of violent new game, and then by a health system that left him waiting in pain for surgery.

Cathy Rode said her Grade 6 grandson, Thomas Steidel, was assaulted Saturday in a schoolyard as part of recent craze among teenagers known as the knock-down or knockout game.

The game, which has received considerable attention in the United States in recent years, typically involves a group of assailants punching unsuspecting strangers in the head. The goal is to knock them to the ground or render them unconscious. Sometimes the attacks are filmed, with the video shared among friends or posted online.

Its going around the schools here like crazy, Rode said. Its even affecting the girls. Its essentially for bragging rights.

In Thomass case, Rode said he was playing with a friend in the park attached to Hillside Elementary School when they were approached by a group of five boys aged 13 to 16.

She said the two victims tried to run away but Thomass friend was tracked down by the other boys and beaten. When Thomas went back to help, he was attacked as well. One of the attackers filmed the incident, though the video hasnt yet been located online, Rode said.

He got about 10 blows to the face, and at least a couple were in the same spot on his jaw and so his jaw is fractured, she said. The whole shape of his face has changed, because it was dislodged. Its disgusting.

Thomas was taken to hospital, where doctors told his family that the boys injuries were severe enough that surgery would be required to attach two titanium plates to his jaw. The surgeon indicated the procedure had to be done quickly, before the displaced bones began knitting back together, Rode said.

She said Thomas was immediately placed on an urgent surgery list, yet waited at the hospital all day Monday and Tuesday without getting into an operating room. Hospital staff also expressed doubt the surgery would happen Wednesday, which was when Rode decided to contact the media.

She said the publicity seemed to get things moving, as Thomas received his operation late Wednesday afternoon while his mother received an apology from the zone medical director.

Excerpt from:
Grande Prairie boy endures surgery wait after alleged knockout game attack

EDMONTON - A Grande Prairie grandmother says she is outraged that her 12-year-old grandson has been victimized twice in the past week, first by a group of boys who allegedly attacked him as part of violent new game, and then by a health system that left him waiting in pain for surgery.

Cathy Rode said her Grade 6 grandson, Thomas Steidel, was assaulted Saturday in a schoolyard as part of a recent craze among teenagers known as the knock-down or knockout game.

The game, which has received considerable attention in the United States in recent years, typically involves a group of assailants punching unsuspecting strangers in the head. The goal is to knock them to the ground or render them unconscious. Sometimes the attacks are filmed, with the video shared among friends or posted online.

Its going around the schools here like crazy, Rode said. Its even affecting the girls. Its essentially for bragging rights.

In Thomass case, Rode said he was playing with a friend in the park attached to Hillside Elementary School when they were approached by a group of five boys aged 13 to 16.

She said the two victims tried to run away but Thomass friend was tracked down by the other boys and beaten. When Thomas went back to help, he was attacked as well. One of the attackers filmed the incident, though the video hasnt yet been located online, Rode said.

He got about 10 blows to the face, and at least a couple were in the same spot on his jaw and so his jaw is fractured, she said. The whole shape of his face has changed, because it was dislodged. Its disgusting.

Thomas was taken to hospital, where doctors told his family that the boys injuries were severe enough that surgery would be required to attach two titanium plates to his jaw. The surgeon indicated the procedure had to be done quickly, before the displaced bones began knitting back together, Rode said.

She said Thomas was immediately placed on an urgent surgery list, yet waited at the hospital all day Monday and Tuesday without getting into an operating room. Hospital staff also expressed doubt the surgery would happen Wednesday, which was when Rode decided to contact the media.

She said the publicity seemed to get things moving, as Thomas received his operation late Wednesday afternoon while his mother received an apology from the zone medical director.

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Alberta boy endures surgery wait after alleged knockout game attack