Amid Western condemnation, 97 percent of Crimea voters backed the decision to leave Ukraine and join Russia. The final results of the referendum were revealed on Monday. The head of the Crimean parliament’s commission on the referendum, Mikhail Malyshev, announced the final tally from Sunday’s vote at a televised news conference, showing a 96.8 percent in favor of splitting from Ukraine. He also said the commission had not registered a single complaint about the vote. In the wake of the vote, Western leaders are expected to announce sanctions against Russia, including visa bans and potential asset freezes. Read about it here…[CBS]
Speaking of Western dissent regarding Crimea’s move from Ukraine to Russia, President Obama warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of “additional costs” for the country following the 97 percent vote. During a phone call between the leaders on Sunday, Obama told the Russian President that the U.S. and its allies were “prepared to impose additional costs on Russia for its actions.” They could act as early as Monday to impost sanctions. Read about it here…[NBC]
In other news, the makers of one of the most popular Irish beers announced their withdrawal sponsorship of the New York’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, citing the event’s “policy of exclusion” of LGBT communities. Guinness released a statement supporting their decision: “We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year’s parade. As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation.” The parade has come under fire from LGBT communities for not allowing members to identify as gay, though they are allowed to march. Read about it here…[NBC]
A woman in Kansas City stumbled upon a shocking and disturbing scene when she discovered 11 hidden cameras in her home. The woman called the police when a visiting co-worker noticed a hidden camera in her smoke detector. After police investigated, 10 other cameras were uncovered, as well as a bundle of wires in the victim’s closet leading into a gray pipe that extended down through the tattoo parlor (where she worked) and into the basement to some shelves. When officers moved boxes on the shelves, they found a computer monitor, which revealed seven video screens showing the interior of the victim’s apartment. She suspects her landlord (and boss) is the culprit in the creepy set-up — according to Jezebel, the man had been trying to date the woman for some time and just recently “remodeled” her bathroom. No arrests have been made. Read about it here…[Jezebel]
VIDEO SOURCE: News, Inc.
