Portal:Current events/2014 February 27

February 27, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflict and attacks

2014 Ukrainian revolution, 2014 Crimean crisis:
- The Parliament of Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea announces a referendum to determine the region’s future and ousts the regional government. (Kyiv Post)
- Ousted President Viktor Yanukovich, whose whereabouts remained unknown before he turned up in Russia, issues a statement saying that he is still the legitimate president and "ready to fight to the end" to fulfill his deal with the opposition. (USA Today)
- Around 50 armed men bearing Russian national symbols seize the building of the Supreme Council of Crimea following clashes between the ethnic Tatar and Russian protesters. The interim authorities of Ukraine put security forces on alert. (The Guardian) (AFP)
- The Verkhovna Rada or parliament of Ukraine appoints Arseniy Yatsenyuk as the Prime Minister of Ukraine. (Voice of America)
Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal)
- A wave of bombings in the Iraqi capital Baghdad kills 53 people. (Daily Times)
An Indian Army soldier kills five colleagues and himself in Jammu and Kashmir. (CNN)

Arts and culture

Censors in Australia effectively ban the award-winning Swedish film Children's Island due to scenes of child nudity, with anyone caught selling or showing the film in public risking up to 10 years in prison. (Sydney Morning Herald)
An online petition organized by Muslims against the "Dark Horse" video by Katy Perry over its use of imagery containing the word "Allah" has led to the editing of the video on YouTube. (The Rolling Stone)
Israel donates 300 books relating to Anne Frank to Japan after a vandalising incident earlier this month. (BBC News)

Business and economy

Chaos erupts in Stockholm after the Swedish Public Employment Service by mistake invites 61,000 persons to the same job interview. (Dagens Nyheter)
Yahoo webcams may have been hijacked by the GCHQ according to leaks in The Guardian. (Financial Times)

International relations

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, speaks to both houses of the Parliament of Great Britain and urges Britain's continued participation within the EU, but she ruled out German support for any far-reaching reform of the treaties that define it, such as many Britons think their government should demand. (Reuters)
Amnesty International accuses Israel of willfully committing war crimes against the Palestinians. (Los Angeles Times)

Law and crime

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoes a bill that would have allowed businesses to discriminate, based on their religion, against LGBT people. (Al Jazeera)
United States Federal Reserve hacker Lauri Love is sentenced. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

2013–14 Thai political crisis
- The National Anti-Corruption Commission summon the Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra to face charges of allegedly mishandling a rice subsidy program as her supporters block access to the building. (AP via Houston Chronicle)
Crimean referendum, 2014
- The Autonomous Republic of Crimea has announced that it plans to hold a referendum for independence the same day as the elections in Ukraine. (The Wall Street Journal)

Science and technology