A day after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the green light for Russian troops to invade Ukrainian territory, the country is rejecting accusations that they have acted aggressively towards their neighbor. The country is urging Western critics to put aside “geopolitical calculations” in favor of the interests of the people in the former Soviet Republic. While Moscow defended Putin’s use of military force to protect its citizens in the Crimean Peninsula, G8 partners and one senior U.S. official are demanding that they withdraw. “I repeat: This is a matter of defending our citizens and our compatriots, of defending the most important human right — the right to life,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a U.N. human rights meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. Read about it here…[CNN]
So this happened. While delivering his weekly blessing from the Vatican on Sunday Pope Francis accidentally cursed. Like, the Pope totally said “f*ck.” We can’t make this stuff up. Watch it here…[Gawker]
Oscar Pistorius, the South African Olympic runner who shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home on February 14, 2013, has pleaded not guilty at the start of his murder trial. For the first time in South African history, parts of the trial will be televised live. Read more here…[BBC]
The Georgia homeowner who shot and killed an elderly man with Alzheimer’s for wandering on his property will not be charged in the killing. The victim, 72-year-old Ronald Westbrook, had been walking around the Chickamauga area, when he walked onto Joe Hendrix’s property at around 2:30 a.m. Police were notified, but before they arrived on scene, Hendrix fired three to four shots, hitting Westbrook in the chest once. Read more here…[ThinkProgress]
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
