Updated once and maybe more to come....
CBC-Lawmakers in the embattled Crimean region of Ukraine have decided to hold a referendum March 16 on whether Crimea should become part of Russia."This is our response to the disorder and lawlessness in Kyiv," Sergei Shuvainikov, a member of the local Crimean legislature, said Thursday. "We will decide our future ourselves." The parliament in Crimea, which enjoys a degree (almost complete) of autonomy under current Ukrainian law, voted 78 with eight abstentions in favour of holding the referendum. Local voters will also be given the choice of deciding to remain part of Ukraine, but with enhanced local powers.
Earlier, Crimea's new leader said pro-Russian forces numbering more than 11,000 now control all access to the peninsula in the Black Sea and have blockaded all military bases that have not yet surrendered.
The West has joined the new Ukrainian leadership in Kyiv in demanding that Russia pull its forces from Crimea, but little progress was reported after a flurry of diplomatic activity in Paris on Wednesday involving U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The European Union leaders will meet for an emergency session in Brussels on Thursday to decide what sorts of sanctions they can impose on Russia over its actions in Ukraine. Moscow has threatened to retaliate if any punitive measures are put in place.A United Nations special envoy sent to Crimea came under threat from armed men who forced him to leave the region.Concern that the turmoil could engulf eastern Ukraine grew after hundreds of demonstrators — many chanting "Russia! Russia! — stormed a government building on Wednesday in Donetsk, a major industrial centre near the Russian border.
Concerning Donetsk- Kiev's new western backed fascist regime of thugs, neo-nazis and sniper payee's decided to appoint one of the Oligarchs as governor of Donetsk. Governors are supposed to be elected.
RT Sergey Taruta, who is estimated to worth around $2 billion, putting him among the top-10 wealthiest people in Ukraine. He heads ISD, one of the biggest mining and smelting companies in the world, and also own Donetsk-based Metallurg Football Club.
Not a stranger to politics, he used to sponsor Viktor Yushchenko, who came to power in Ukraine after the Orange Revolution of 2004.
Weren't we supposed to believe the Maidan 'protests' were against corruption, cronyism and the rule of the elite classes? That appointment was made this past Monday- Needless to say the people of Donetsk took their government back- And Ukrainian police of some kind took it back. This morning it is being reported the building has again been taken back by the pro-Russian of DonetskDonetsk government building retaken
Hundreds of pro-Russian activists have recaptured a government administration building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk
Many of the activists broke through police ranks and smashed their way into the building. Some flew the Russian flag from its roof on Wednesday, just hours after Kyiv’s authorities managed to fly their own flag there for the first time since Saturday.
Balkanizing nations NATO way.1st update: Yats rejects Crimean referendum- Interesting regime change appointee denounces citizen elections?
Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Thursday that a decree making Crimea part of Russia was an illegitimate move and Crimea was and will remain an integral part of the country."This is an illegitimate decision and this so-called referendum has no legal grounds at all.
Update 2: The ever useless FEMEN shows up to flash their breasts An insult to the intelligence of all women- Reducing women to their mammary glands is not an act of freedom. It's mere titillation and distraction. And reeks of western NGO infiltration
Femen protesters were arrested in Crimea's capital Simferopol on Thursday after staging a topless demonstration against Russia's intervention in Ukraine in front of the regional parliament.One protestor was stopped by police within seconds while another ran around, repeatedly shouting "Stop Putin's War", which she had also written across her chest.She was eventually detained and taken away in a van by security forces, while some people who had been watching the protest shouted: "Prostitutes!"
The nationalities of the two young women were not immediately known.
Any guesses? I am going to throw out Israeli nationals as the first guess.