News Headlines - 18 March 2014

▽BBC News - Ukraine crisis: Putin signs Russia-Crimea treaty

President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Crimea have signed a bill to absorb the peninsula into Russia.
Mr Putin told parliament that Crimea, which was taken over by pro-Russian forces in February, had "always been part of Russia".

▽Crimea crisis shifts to 'military stage' after soldiers killed - Telegraph

The crisis in Crimea has shifted “to a military stage” as the Ukrainian government responded to the killing of one its soldiers by authorising its troops to open fire to defend themselves from Russian forces.

▽Barclays bonuses: the dice are loaded in favour of executives | The Guardian

Another day, another bonus bonanza at Barclays: this time, it's ￡32m in shares for top management. This collection of bonuses, we are invited to think, is merely of passing interest because it relates to awards made in past years. Yes, that's how the new system of deferral of bonuses works. But let's not pretend these are "normal" sums for a bank in Barclays' position to be handing out as executive prizes.

▽Number of new homes this year will beat pre-recession peak - Telegraph

The FTSE 250 company intends to complete 3,700 new builds over the course of the year, overshadowing the 2,600 built in the boom era, just months before the UK housing market collapsed.
In its interim results announced yesterday, the group forecasted strong growth, with ￡1.9bn owing on forward sales for the four months to 28 February, up from ￡1.75bn at 31 October 2013.

▽Stephen Hawking claims victory in Big Bang bet - Telegraph

Professor Stephen Hawking is claiming victory in a bet with another scientist in light of the recent announcement that gravitational waves rippling through the universe have been recorded.