Portal:Current events/2014 February 28
February 28, 2014 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2014 Ukrainian revolution, 2014 Crimean crisis
- Members of the Russian Parliament propose new laws that would make it easier for Russia to incorporate parts of Ukraine. (BBC News)
- Russia finally confirms that it has moved troops in Ukraine's Crimea region to protect its own interests. (Telegraph)
- Mykhailo Kutsyn is appointed Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. (Kyiv Post)
- Acting General Prosecutor General Oleh Makhnitsky formally calls on Russia to extradite ousted President Viktor Yanukovych along with 10 other figures; the list includes former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka, former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, Yanukovich aide Andriy Klyuyev, and former Justice Minister Olena Lukash. (RIA Novosty)
- Interim President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov says the Russian military is "directly involved" in the crisis in Crimea, while Interior Minister Arsen Avakov describes the events as "a military invasion and occupation". (Bloomberg) (CBS)
- News agency Interfax-Ukraine reports that armed pro-Russian men have taken over control of two airports, among which Simferopol International Airport, and raised the Russian Navy flag. (Sky News)
- Syrian civil war
Arts and culture
- The Swedish Academy announces that Swedish writer Klas Östergren is appointed new member, succeeding late art critic Ulf Linde on seat No. 11. (TT via Dagens Nyheter)
Disasters and accidents
- 2013–14 Australian bushfire season
- Sick and elderly residents in the town of Morwell, Victoria, are evacuated as a fire in a disused coal mine near the Hazelwood Power Station continues to worsen. (The Australian)
- At least fifteen children are killed in a school bus crash in Thailand's Prachinburi Province. (CNN)
Law and crime
- British spree killer Joanne Dennehy is given a whole life sentence for three murders and two attempted murders committed in 2013. (BBC News)
- A stabbing spree in a Loblaws distribution centre in Edmonton, Alberta kills two, and injures four. The suspect, 29-year-old Jayme Pasieka, is arrested hours after the attack. (CNN)
Politics and elections
- Russian businessman and oppositionist Gleb Fetisov, a co-chair of the Alliance of Greens and Social Democrats, is detained in Moscow. (RAPSI) (RIA) (The Moscow Times)
- The leader of the People's Alliance (Russia) opposition party Alexei Navalny is placed under house arrest. (RFE/RL) (BBC News) (RIA)