| 7.5 quake on California fault could be disastrous Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:57 PM PDT LA HABRA, Calif. (AP) — Experts say a bigger earthquake along the lesser-known fault that gave Southern California a moderate shake could do more damage to the region than the long-dreaded "Big One" from the more famous San Andreas Fault. |
| Animal mummies displayed at California museum Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:57 PM PDT  SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Dogs and cats are often beloved family members in current culture, but animals held such a prominent place in ancient Egyptian society that tens of millions were mummified, some going into the pharaohs' tombs to rest eternally in the company of their kings.
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| Key GM crisis questions: Who approved switch revision and why recall took so long Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:56 PM PDT  By Marilyn Thompson and Paul Lienert WASHINGTON/DETROIT (Reuters) - Among the most critical unanswered questions in General Motors' mounting crisis over a defective ignition switch that led to crashes and at least 13 deaths is who, eight years ago, approved a change in the part for new vehicles and why that didn't lead to a recall of older cars to fix the problem. Among the evidence that investigators inside and outside of the company will need to reconcile is the company's timeline of the switch's engineering, which describes an unnamed GM engineer approving the design change, and the deposition of a senior switch engineer, Ray DeGiorgio, who said he was not aware of it. GM declined to discuss the matter beyond its timeline or to make DeGiorgio available for an interview. DeGiorgio referred Reuters to GM, which has presented no evidence to suggest that he was the executive approving the design change.
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| Erdogan party takes strong lead in Turkey polls Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:56 PM PDT  The party of Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan took a strong lead in local elections Sunday, despite turbulent months marked by mass protests, corruption scandals and Internet blocks. If the national trend holds up, it would considerably brighten the outlook for Erdogan, who had gone on a weeks-long campaign marathon ahead of the vote widely seen as a referendum on his 11-year-rule.
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| Bruins beat Flyers 4-3 for 9th straight road win Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:51 PM PDT  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Patrice Bergeron scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and also tallied in the shootout to help the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.
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| Kerry, Russian counterpart meet on Ukraine crisis Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:48 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — Russia on Sunday set out demands for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, saying the former Soviet republic should be unified in a federation allowing wide autonomy to its various regions as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Paris in another bid to calm tensions.
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| Search dogs take break from mudslide recovery Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:47 PM PDT  DARRINGTON, Wash. (AP) — Families coping with the loss of friends, neighbors and normalcy sought comfort in church services Sunday, as crews worked to recover more victims from the soggy pile of mud that buried the small mountainside community of Oso, Wash., more than a week ago.
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| Maryland upsets Tennessee Lady Vols 73-62 Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:37 PM PDT  LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Maryland coach Brenda Frese wanted her Terrapins to send a reminder that they're still playing too. They did just that by sending home an eight-time national champion and putting themselves a win away from a Final Four.
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| Victims of Washington mudslide remembered at tearful church services Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:36 PM PDT  By Jonathan Kaminsky and Bryan Cohen DARRINGTON, Washington (Reuters) - Local churches offered prayers on Sunday for the victims of last week's devastating mudslide in Washington state and words of solace for grieving families and friends, many of whom are still waiting for news of missing loved ones. The number of missing fell to 30 from 90 as officials were able to account for dozens of people as "safe and well." Heavy rains and flooding made efforts difficult for searchers combing through debris, officials said, after a rain-soaked hillside above the north fork of the Stillaguamish River gave way without warning and sent a wall of mud cascading over dozens of homes near the rural Washington town of Oso.
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| Hingis wins first title since 2007 Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:29 PM PDT  Martina Hingis shrugged off her 33 years to partner Sabine Lisicki to the Miami WTA doubles title on Sunday in only the pair's second tournament together. The Swiss veteran and her German partner downed second seeded Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, 4-6, 6-4, 10-5. "It's very exciting," Hingis said after winning her first title since 2007. Hingis said this victory has motivated her to play more doubles.
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| Brazil police push into Rio de Janeiro slums Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:27 PM PDT  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — More than 1,400 police officers and Brazilian Marines rolled into a massive complex of slums near Rio de Janeiro's international airport before dawn Sunday in the latest security push ahead of this year's World Cup.
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| Egypt to hold May 26-27 presidential election Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:08 PM PDT  Egypt announced a presidential election for May 26-27, a poll likely to be swept by the retired army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who deposed the Islamist president in July. Sisi is expected to win the vote riding on a wave of popularity for having removed the divisive president Mohamed Morsi after mass protests demanding his resignation. The only other main candidate is leftwing politician Hamdeen Sabbahi, who came third in the 2012 election that Morsi won. Egypt has been rocked by often violent protests and a spate of militant attacks which have killed almost 500 people, mostly policemen and soldiers, the government says.
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| Egyptians to elect new president in late May Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:03 PM PDT  CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's presidential election will be held in late May, the electoral commission announced on Sunday, finally setting dates for the crucial vote widely expected to be won by the country's former military chief who ousted an elected president last year.
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| 'Noah' rises to top of box office with $44M debut Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:01 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (AP) — After weathering a sea of controversy, "Noah" arrived in first place at the weekend box office.
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| Seabed of jet hunt zone mostly flat with 1 trench Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:57 AM PDT  WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Two miles beneath the sea surface where satellites and planes are looking for debris from the missing Malaysian jet, the ocean floor is cold, dark, covered in a squishy muck of dead plankton and — in a potential break for the search — mostly flat. The troubling exception is a steep, rocky drop ending in a deep trench.
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| No objects from search linked yet to Flight 370 Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:56 AM PDT  PERTH, Australia (AP) — Despite what Australia called an "intensifying search effort," an international hunt Sunday by aircraft and ships in the southern Indian Ocean found no debris linked to the Malaysian jet that vanished more than three weeks ago.
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| Alternative treatment for cholesterol shows promise Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:50 AM PDT  An experimental treatment has shown promise in lowering bad cholesterol, offering hope for people at risk of heart disease but who cannot tolerate drugs known as statins, researchers said Sunday. The therapy developed by Amgen pharmaceuticals is known as evolocumab. Evolocumab is part of a new class of drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors, which suppress a gene involved with cholesterol regulation in the liver. Research from two separate phase III trials released at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting showed it was effective in lowering LDL, or bad cholesterol, with few side effects.
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| Test accurately rules out heart attacks in the ER Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:40 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — A simple test appears very good at ruling out heart attacks in people who go to emergency rooms with chest pain, a big public health issue and a huge worry for patients.
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| Spanish journalists home after Syria kidnap ordeal Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:37 AM PDT  Two Spanish journalists taken hostage in Syria by an Al-Qaeda-linked group returned smiling to Spain on Sunday to greet their loved ones after six months in captivity. El Mundo correspondent Javier Espinosa, 49, and freelance photographer Ricardo Garcia Vilanova, 42, landed at a military airbase near Madrid from Turkey. Looking tired and drawn but happy, they appeared briefly before the cameras at the offices of El Mundo newspaper, Espinosa's employer, and hugged relatives and colleagues. As you can see, we are perfectly well," Espinosa said.
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| Erdogan says Turkish vote will bolster him in power struggle Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:34 AM PDT  By Ayla Jean Yackley and Humeyra Pamuk ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday's bitterly contested local elections would affirm his legitimacy in battling graft allegations and security leaks he blames on "traitors" within the Turkish state. The municipal elections have become a crisis referendum on Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party after weeks of scandal he has cast as a "dirty campaign" of espionage to implicate him in corruption and topple him after more than a decade in power. AKP needs to exceed its 2009 result of 38.8 percent to assert Erdogan's authority for a power struggle certain to continue after the polls. Istanbul and Ankara, the two biggest cities, are expected to be particularly close.
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| Chechens offer weary welcome to new Crimean compatriots Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:26 AM PDT By Thomas Grove GROZNY, Russia (Reuters) - Days before Crimea voted in a referendum to join Russia from Ukraine, Adam, a Chechen soldier, was ordered to go to the Black Sea peninsula to defend Russia's interests. He and about 200 other soldiers from his special battalion, grouping ethnic Chechens, were mobilized on March 12 and spent two weeks in the Crimean city of Yevpatoria. The mission, which mainly involved guarding buildings, was an illustration of how far the Chechnya region in Russia's North Caucasus is ready to go to show allegiance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, 14 years after he crushed its separatist drive. But many Chechens feel no love for Russia and have a sardonic message for their new Crimean compatriots: welcome to Russia, we hope you like it. |
| China's Xi receives royal welcome in Belgium before EU talks Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:26 AM PDT  Xi Jinping received a royal welcome and an honorary knighthood in Brussels on Sunday at the start of a three-day visit despite China's "panda diplomacy" causing a row among his Belgian hosts. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde joined Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan for the official opening of a special habitat for two giant pandas, on loan from China for the next 15 years, at the southern Pairi Daiza zoo and botanical garden, which has been actively involved in the preservation of endangered species. The female, Hao Hao, visibly enjoyed the interest of the royal and foreign visitors munching on a branch. Hao Hao and her partner Xing Hui have been in Belgium since February.
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| Cubs, Pirates ready to start anew Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:26 AM PDT  PITTSBURGH (AP) — The family reunion will be short. Whether it will be sweet hardly matters. At last, the wounds of 21 years of futility have finally started to heal.
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| US mediators try to rescue Mideast peace talks Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:22 AM PDT  JERUSALEM (AP) — American mediators held urgent contacts with Israeli and Palestinian officials Sunday in hopes of salvaging troubled Mideast peace talks — searching for a formula to bring the sides back together and extend the negotiations beyond a current late-April deadline.
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| 2 Spanish journalists kidnapped in Syria go free Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:19 AM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Two Spanish journalists freed after being held hostage for more than six months in Syria by a rogue al-Qaida group returned home Sunday to an emotional welcome from friends and colleagues.
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| Angels determined to avoid poor start in opener Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:13 AM PDT  ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout thinks the Los Angeles Angels are about to begin the most important month of their season.
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| No national system to track landslide hazards Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:06 AM PDT  SEATTLE (AP) — People living in the path of a deadly Washington state landslide had virtually no warning before a wall of mud, trees and other debris thundered down the mountain. Some of the homeowners didn't even know the hillside could give way at any time.
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| Liverpool go top, Everton close on Arsenal Posted: 30 Mar 2014 11:00 AM PDT  Liverpool overwhelmed Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 at a fervent Anfield on Sunday to take over at the top of the Premier League table with six games of the season remaining. Spurs never recovered from an early Younes Kaboul own goal, with further strikes from Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson securing an eighth successive victory for Brendan Rodgers's in-form side. The win took Liverpool two points above previous leaders Chelsea, beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace on Saturday, and left the 18-time champions on course for a first English league title since 1990.
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| Nigeria's president criticizes northeast governors Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:56 AM PDT BAUCHI, Nigeria (AP) — President Goodluck Jonathan blamed governors in Nigeria's northeastern states for the country's Islamic uprising, saying their failure to provide social services created the climate for the insurgency that has killed more than 1,000 people so far this year. |
| 21 killed in shooting at Nigeria State Security HQ Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:52 AM PDT ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A shootout at Nigeria's State Security Services headquarters near the presidential villa killed at least 21 people Sunday, a government spokeswoman said of what appears to be an attempted jailbreak by Islamic extremists. |
| Kerry, Lavrov seek deal on Ukraine crisis Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:41 AM PDT US Secretary of State John Kerry met his Russian counterpart Sunday hoping to ease global tensions over the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea and buildup of troops near Ukraine. The latest bid to resolve the worst East-West standoff in the post-Cold War era comes after Russian leader Vladimir Putin called US President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss a diplomatic resolution. The two men met in the lavish residence of the Russian ambassador to France seeking to hammer out a plan to end the crisis sparked when Moscow sent troops into Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula after the pro-Kremlin regime in Kiev fell in February. Despite a massive troop build-up on Ukraine's borders, Lavrov has insisted Moscow had "absolutely no intention and no interests in crossing the Ukrainian border". |
| 18 killed in shooting at Nigeria State Security HQ Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:40 AM PDT ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A shootout at Nigeria's State Security Services headquarters near the presidential villa killed at least 18 people Sunday, a government spokeswoman said of what appears to be an attempted jailbreak by Islamic extremists. |
| C. African Republic: Soldiers kill 30 civilians Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:29 AM PDT BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Chadian peacekeeping soldiers opened fire on civilians in Central African Republic's strife-torn capital city over the weekend, killing more than 30 people and sparking fears of reprisal attacks, officials and witnesses said. |
| Another Apple-Samsung skirmish heads to court Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:25 AM PDT  SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The fiercest rivalry in the world of smartphones is heading back to court this week in the heart of the Silicon Valley, with Apple and Samsung accusing each other, once again, of ripping off designs and features.
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| Police fire pepper spray at Arizona students Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:22 AM PDT TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Tucson police shot pepper spray at several hundred fans who took to the streets and threw beer bottles and firecrackers at officers Saturday night after the University of Arizona basketball team's overtime loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament. |
| U.S. sends top general back to Europe over Ukraine crisis Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:17 AM PDT  By Alexei Anishchuk and Lesley Wroughton MOSCOW/PARIS (Reuters) - America's top general in Europe has been sent back early from a trip to Washington in what the Pentagon on Sunday called a prudent step given Russia's "lack of transparency" about troop movements across the border with Ukraine. General Philip Breedlove, who is both NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the head of the U.S. military's European Command, arrived in Europe Saturday evening. The pentagon announcement came as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Paris seeking to hammer out the framework of a deal to reduce tensions over Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.
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| Taiwan stages mass anti-China trade pact rally Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:09 AM PDT  Tens of thousands of Taiwanese protesters took to the streets of Taipei on Sunday in a bid to pressure embattled President Ma Ying-jeou to retract a controversial trade pact with China. The protesters, many wearing black shirts and headbands reading "defend democracy, retract service trade pact," crowded the streets leading to the presidential office, despite fresh concessions offered by Ma to further scrutinise agreements with China. Around 200 protesters remain in the main chamber of parliament, the site of an occupation since March 18. But despite President Ma's conciliatory moves, many demonstrators remain unmoved.
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| Parliament moves ahead with debate on reform bill Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:07 AM PDT  ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Greek parliament speaker ruled Sunday that the main opposition party's motion of no-confidence in Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras is inadmissible, ensuring that debate on a bill introducing market reforms agreed with the country's lenders can continue.
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| Kerry, Russian counterpart set to talk on Ukraine Posted: 30 Mar 2014 09:50 AM PDT  PARIS (AP) — Russia on Sunday set out demands for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, saying the former Soviet republic should be unified in a federation allowing wide autonomy to its various regions as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov prepared to meet in Paris in another bid to calm tensions.
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| Iraq electoral commission retracts resignation before vote Posted: 30 Mar 2014 09:45 AM PDT  Members of Iraq's electoral commission retracted their resignations on Sunday, having threatened to quit en masse in protest against political interference just one month before a nationwide vote. The entire board of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) tendered its resignation last week, further complicating the outlook for polls that have already been clouded by violence across the country. In a statement following a visit by the United Nations' envoy to Iraq, IHEC said: "The decision has been taken to withdraw the resignations and resume our duties in full confidence". IHEC said it had found itself caught between conflicting rulings from parliament and the judiciary regarding the exclusion of certain candidates from the election, due on April 30.
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