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The European Union has named 12 Russians who willbe targeted by new sanctions aimed at PresidentPutin's inner circle following the crisis in Ukraine. Themove comes on the day President Putin signed a lawformalizing Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. EU ministers meeting in Brusselssigned an agreement on closer political cooperation with Kiev. Gavin Hewitt reports fromBrussels.

Twelve new names were added to the list of those facing travel restrictions and an assetfreeze. Among the names is the Russian deputy prime minister, 2 presidential advisers andspeakers of both houses of parliament. At a summit in Brussels,the leaders also agreed thatthey would progress to economic sanctions if the crisis escalated although divisions remain.

Some countries like the Baltic states and Poland wanted a much firmer response to Russia.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe which includes both Russia and the EUhas agreed to send an international monitoring mission to Ukraine. To start with, 100 hundredmonitors will be deployed around the country. The mission could be expanded by an additional400 monitors. Bethany Bell reports from Vienna.

The international monitors will be deployed in 9 regions of Ukraine, including areas in the eastwhere there has been violence between pro-Ukraine and pro-Russian activists. They will beworking to reduce tensions on the ground. However, the OSCE mandate doesn't mentionCrimea. Russia's ambassador to the OSCE says the observers won't be going there becauseCrimea is no longer part of Ukraine. But the US ambassador says Crimea is Ukraine and themonitors have a mandate to go there.

Rebel fighters in Syria are trying to win control of a border-crossing from Turkey that leadsinto Latakia province, one of President Bashar al-Assad's key strongholds. There are conflictingreports over the clashes with rebels claiming they've taken the crossing while governmentforces say they have been repulsed. Our Arab affairs editor Sebastian Usher reports.

Three radical Islamist groups including the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra-Front have announced anew campaign against President Assad's Alawite heartland. The province of Latakia on Syria'scoast has long been seen as the last bastion the president and his inner circle would retreat toif necessary. It's been left relatively unscarred by the conflict so far, but latest,fighting isfocused on the Kasab border-crossing with Turkey. Rebel fighters have taken up positionsaround it but do not yet appear to have taken it.

The government of Brazil says it will send troops to Rio de Janeiro.