Florida wears down Tennessee 56-49 in SEC semis

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• Florida wears down Tennessee 56-49 in SEC semis
• Swede, Swiss win freestyle World Cup events
• Goodyear unveils next-generation blimp, seeks name
• Armed police burst into Crimean hotel on eve of referendum
• Workers sift through rubble for clues to NYC blast
• Malaysian leader: Plane's disappearance deliberate
• Oil mars Ala. swamp months after crude train crash
• Ukraine says Russian forces move outside Crimea
• National security team briefing Obama on Ukraine
• Irish crown O'Driscoll's farewell in style
• A look at key events in Syria's uprising
• California woman, no longer a fugitive, set free
• Paul Stanley: Kiss miffed at Rock Hall over snub
• Wales thrash 14-man Scotland 51-3 in Six Nations
• Crimeans get ready to vote under heavy military presence
• Correction: 10 Things to Know-Today story
• Malaysian PM says lost airliner was diverted deliberately
• Silicon Valley billionaire buys record life policy
• Kevin Spacey responds to Toronto mayor attack
• Thousands march in Moscow to protest Crimea vote
• Patriots announce sign of CB Brandon Browner
• Russia vetoes UN resolution on Crimea's future
• U.S. destroyer to conduct more drills in Black Sea amid Crimea crisis
• Ukraine says Kremlin stirs up east, prepares invasion
• Brazil's WCup: Anger over waste, poor planning
• Workers recover Bible from rubble of NYC buildings
• Officers' body cameras raise privacy concerns
• Obama national security aides meet to discuss Ukraine
• Honda recalls nearly 900,000 Odyssey vans in U.S. for fire risk
• Algeria activists stage rare anti-gov't protest
• Malaysia says jet's disappearance 'deliberate'
• Ukraine reports Russian 'invasion' on eve of Crimea vote
• Gunmen kill 6 Egyptian soldiers at checkpoint
• Russia vetoes U.N. resolution against Crimea referendum
• Six troops killed in Cairo attack blamed on Islamists
• India's Maruti offers vote to quell revolt
• New York takes London's crown as top financial center: survey
• Syria army advances in rebel town as war enters 4th year
• Death toll in Syria-fuelled fighting in Lebanon's Tripoli reaches 10
• De La Soul talks free downloads, new music at SXSW

Florida wears down Tennessee 56-49 in SEC semis Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:53 PM PDT ATLANTA (AP) — Patric Young scored 16 points and No. 1 Florida turned up the defensive pressure in the second half, rallying for a 56-49 victory over Tennessee in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament Saturday.

Swede, Swiss win freestyle World Cup events Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:53 PM PDT ARE, Sweden (AP) — Victor Oehling Norberg of Sweden won the freestyle ski cross World Cup and Fanny Smith of Switzerland stood highest on the women's podium on Saturday.

Goodyear unveils next-generation blimp, seeks name Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:51 PM PDT AKRON, Ohio (AP) — The next generation of the well-known Goodyear blimp is getting ready to take flight as the company moves toward replacing its old fleet of airships with a new trio.

Armed police burst into Crimean hotel on eve of referendum Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:47 PM PDT Armed police burst into a hotel in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea, on Saturday night on the eve of a referendum aimed at deciding whether the Ukrainian region leaves Ukraine and becomes part of Russia. Witnesses saw around 30 men in balaclavas carrying automatic weapons inside the Hotel Moscow, a Soviet-era hotel popular with Western reporters covering Sunday's referendum. Crimean Defence Minister Valery Kuznetsov told reporters that police were reacting to an alert which turned out to be false. The incident occurred at a time when Russian state media has ratcheted up its anti-Western rhetoric, accusing the West of supporting what it says are fascist elements within Ukraine's provisional government.

Workers sift through rubble for clues to NYC blast Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:37 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Emergency workers sifted through debris Saturday from the site of a deadly explosion at two New York City apartment buildings as they worked to reach the basement levels, clearing the way for investigators to search for clues that might reveal what caused the blast.

Malaysian leader: Plane's disappearance deliberate Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:34 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Malaysian jetliner missing for more than a week was deliberately diverted and continued flying for more than six hours after severing contact with the ground, meaning it could have gone as far northwest as Kazakhstan or into the Indian Ocean's southern reaches, Malaysia's leader said Saturday.

Oil mars Ala. swamp months after crude train crash Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:32 PM PDT ALICEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Environmental regulators promised an aggressive cleanup after a tanker train hauling 2.9 million gallons of crude oil derailed and burned in a west Alabama swamp in early November amid a string of North American oil train crashes.

Ukraine says Russian forces move outside Crimea Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:32 PM PDT SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces backed by helicopter gunships and armored vehicles Saturday took control of a village near the border with Crimea on the eve of a referendum on whether the region should seek annexation by Moscow, Ukrainian officials said.

National security team briefing Obama on Ukraine Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:24 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama is getting regular updates on the situation in Ukraine.

Irish crown O'Driscoll's farewell in style Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:17 PM PDT Ireland won the Six Nations title on Saturday with a thrilling 22-20 victory over France to give iconic centre Brian O'Driscoll the perfect end to his stellar international career. Ireland scored three tries -- Jonathan Sexton getting two -- to France's two in a pulsating encounter to see them to only their second win in Paris in 42 years. Fittingly the last time in 2000 O'Driscoll was also in the side and scored a hat-trick of tries. "The emotions are starting to kick in now," O'Driscoll told BBC.

A look at key events in Syria's uprising Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:10 PM PDT Here's a look at some of the key events in the Syrian uprising as the conflict marks its third anniversary:

California woman, no longer a fugitive, set free Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:04 PM PDT SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fugitive charges were dropped against a 60-year-old woman who escaped from a Michigan prison in 1977 after authorities discovered she had surrendered decades ago and already been sentenced to time served.

Paul Stanley: Kiss miffed at Rock Hall over snub Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:03 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Stanley of Kiss wants to shout it out loud: The band is miffed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for not inducting members Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer along with the original lineup.

Wales thrash 14-man Scotland 51-3 in Six Nations Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:02 PM PDT Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Wales inflicted Scotland's heaviest Six Nations defeat with a crushing 51-3 victory at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on Saturday. The Scots never recovered from having to play nearly an hour a man down after full-back Stuart Hogg was sent off for a late tackle on Wales fly-half Dan Biggar. The visitors, seeking a first win in Cardiff in 12 years, took an early lead but from then on it was one-way traffic as Wales, unable to win a third successive title following last week's 29-18 defeat by England, took complete control of their final match of the 2014 Championship. This was Scotland's third heaviest Test defeat of all time, with their previous worst in the Six Nations a 43-3 thrashing by England in 2001.

Crimeans get ready to vote under heavy military presence Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:55 AM PDT By Aleksandar Vasovic and Mike Collett-White SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (Reuters) - Pro-Russian leaders in Crimea made final preparations on Saturday for a referendum widely expected to transfer control of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine to Moscow, despite the threat of sanctions and condemnation from Western governments. Sunday's vote, dismissed by Kiev as illegal, has triggered the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War, and ratcheted up tensions not only in Crimea but also eastern Ukraine, where two people were killed in clashes late on Friday. The streets of the Crimean capital of Simferopol were calm on Saturday, despite a heavy military presence incongruous with the normally sleepy town. In Sevastopol, where Moscow leases the port for its Black Sea Fleet, pro-Russian activists held a patriotic concert in the town's main square.

Correction: 10 Things to Know-Today story Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:49 AM PDT In an item on 10 Things to Know on March 13, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the man charged in the South by Southwest incident that killed two people was a drunken driver. The man has been charged with capital murder. He has not been charged with drunken-driving offenses, although his arrest warrant says a breath test indicated his blood-alcohol content was .114, exceeding the legal limit of .08.

Malaysian PM says lost airliner was diverted deliberately Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:45 AM PDT By Anshuman Daga and Siva Govindasamy KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A missing Malaysian airliner appears to have been deliberately steered off course after someone on board shut down its communications, Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Saturday. But the new satellite data gave no precise location, and the plane's altered course could have taken it anywhere from central Asia to the southern Indian Ocean, he said. The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in the early hours of March 8 with 239 passengers and crew aboard. "Despite media reports the plane was hijacked, I wish to be very clear, we are still investigating all possibilities as to what caused MH370 to deviate." Search operations by navies and aircraft from more than a dozen nations were immediately called off in the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea to the east of Malaysia, where the plane dropped off civilian air traffic control screens at 1:22 a.m. last Saturday (1722 GMT on Friday).

Silicon Valley billionaire buys record life policy Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:44 AM PDT SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — An unnamed Silicon Valley billionaire has purchased the world's most valuable life insurance policy.

Kevin Spacey responds to Toronto mayor attack Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:42 AM PDT TORONTO (AP) — Kevin Spacey on Saturday tweeted a Photoshopped image of himself between Toronto mayor Rob Ford and his brother in response to the siblings' criticism that he won't take photos with them.

Thousands march in Moscow to protest Crimea vote Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:42 AM PDT MOSCOW (AP) — Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters marched in central Moscow Saturday against a Kremlin-backed referendum in Crimea on whether to break away from Ukraine and join Russia.

Patriots announce sign of CB Brandon Browner Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:42 AM PDT FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots have announced the signing of suspended former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner.

Russia vetoes UN resolution on Crimea's future Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:40 AM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution declaring Sunday's referendum on the future of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula illegal, and close ally China abstained, underlining Moscow's international isolation.

U.S. destroyer to conduct more drills in Black Sea amid Crimea crisis Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:40 AM PDT The USS Truxtun, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, will carry out more exercises with allied ships in the Black Sea, its commander said on Saturday, the latest Western response to Russia's actions in Ukraine. Commander Andrew Biehn was briefing reporters aboard the 300-crew destroyer as it lay docked in the Bulgarian port of Varna. The USS Truxtun last week took part in drills with Romanian and Bulgarian ships a few hundred miles from the Russian forces that entered Ukraine's Russian-majority territory of Crimea after mass protests toppled Ukraine's pro-Moscow president.

Ukraine says Kremlin stirs up east, prepares invasion Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:33 AM PDT By Alastair Macdonald and Lina Kushch KIEV/DONETSK (Reuters) - Ukraine accused "Kremlin agents" on Saturday of fomenting deadly violence in Russian-speaking cities and urged people not to rise to provocations its new leaders fear Moscow may use to justify a further invasion after its takeover of Crimea. From his speaker's chair in parliament, acting president Oleksander Turchinov referred to three deaths in two days in Donetsk and Kharkiv and said there was "a real danger" of invasion by Russian troops across Ukraine's eastern border. Using language similar to that which preceded the seizure of Crimea two weeks ago, Russia's foreign ministry issued a new statement on Saturday saying Moscow was considering "numerous appeals with requests for defense of peaceful citizens" after "provocations" by "ultra-nationalist militants". Addressing members of the party of the Moscow-backed president ousted in last month's Kiev uprising, Turchinov said: "You know as well as we do who is organizing mass protests in eastern Ukraine - it is Kremlin agents who are organizing and funding them, who are causing people to be murdered." Two men, described by police as pro-Russian demonstrators, were shot dead in a fight in Kharkiv late on Friday.

Brazil's WCup: Anger over waste, poor planning Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:28 AM PDT CUIABA, Brazil (AP) — Pedestrians tiptoe across a road scarred with deep puddles, piles of gravel and a detour sign. Black oily slush leaves no room for missteps or steering mistakes.

Workers recover Bible from rubble of NYC buildings Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:27 AM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Workers hauling away debris from the wreckage of a New York City explosion that killed eight people have recovered a Bible, which clergy members are now carrying in a solemn procession at the site.

Officers' body cameras raise privacy concerns Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:27 AM PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) — Officers at thousands of law enforcement agencies are wearing tiny cameras to record their interactions with the public, but in many cases the devices are being rolled out faster than departments are able to create policies to govern their use.

Obama national security aides meet to discuss Ukraine Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:19 AM PDT President Barack Obama's national security team discussed the Ukraine crisis in a session at the White House on Saturday after Secretary of State John Kerry's return from talks with his Russian counterpart in London. Obama did not attend the meeting but was being briefed about it and other developments involving Ukraine, said Laura Lucas Magnuson, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council.

Honda recalls nearly 900,000 Odyssey vans in U.S. for fire risk Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:17 AM PDT Honda Motor Co is recalling nearly 900,000 Odyssey minivans that could catch fire, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a recall notice posted on Friday. In a March 13 filing with NHTSA, Honda said 2005-2010 Odysseys built in Alabama have a fuel-pump part that could crack and cause a fuel leak, increasing the risk of fire. Because the recall involves 886,815 Odyssey vans, Honda said the proper repair parts won't be available until summer. Honda said it had investigated several potential causes of cracks in the fuel-pump strainer cover, including acid from chemicals found in car washes and low-PH materials used in fertilizer and dust control agents.

Algeria activists stage rare anti-gov't protest Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:14 AM PDT ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — About 100 Algerian activists from a new anti-government movement staged a rare protest Saturday against the ailing president and his decision to run for a fourth term.

Malaysia says jet's disappearance 'deliberate' Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:04 AM PDT A missing Malaysian airliner was apparently deliberately diverted and flown for hours after vanishing from radar, Prime Minister Najib Razak said Saturday, stopping short of confirming a hijack but taking the excruciating search for the jet into uncharted new territory. Najib said investigators believed "with a high degree of certainty" that systems relaying Malaysia Airlines flight 370's location to air traffic control were manually switched off before the jet veered westward in a fashion "consistent with deliberate action".

Ukraine reports Russian 'invasion' on eve of Crimea vote Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:02 AM PDT Ukraine accused Russia on Saturday of invading a region bordering Crimea and vowed to use "all necessary measures" to ward off an attack that came on the eve of the peninsula's breakaway vote. The dramatic escalation of the most serious East-West crisis since the Cold War set a tense stage for the referendum on Crimea's secession from Ukraine in favour of Kremlin rule -- a vote denounced by both the international community and Kiev. The predominantly Russian-speaking Black Sea region of two million people was overrun by Kremlin-backed troops days after the February 22 fall in Kiev of a Moscow-backed regime and the rise of nationalist leaders who favour closer ties with the West. President Vladimir Putin defended Moscow's decision to flex its military muscle by arguing that ethnic Russians in Ukraine needed "protection" from violent ultranationalists who had been given free reign by the new Kiev administration.

Gunmen kill 6 Egyptian soldiers at checkpoint Posted: 15 Mar 2014 11:02 AM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Gunmen stormed an Egyptian army checkpoint outside Cairo early Saturday morning and killed six soldiers, including some still in their beds, officials said, in what amounted to an escalation by militants on military targets near the capital.

Russia vetoes U.N. resolution against Crimea referendum Posted: 15 Mar 2014 10:52 AM PDT By Mirjam Donath UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia on Saturday vetoed a U.N. Security Council draft resolution that declared a planned referendum on the status of Ukraine's Crimea region "can have no validity" and urged nations and international organizations not to recognize it. "This is a sad and remarkable moment," Samantha Power, the American ambassador to the United Nations, said after the vote by the 15-member Security Council. The Russian veto of the draft resolution, drawn up by the United States, was expected. Moscow, which has sent military forces to Crimea, is backing Sunday's referendum, which would transfer control of the region from Ukraine to Russia.

Six troops killed in Cairo attack blamed on Islamists Posted: 15 Mar 2014 10:49 AM PDT Gunmen killed six soldiers at a Cairo checkpoint Saturday in a brazen attack which the military blamed on the Muslim Brotherhood movement of Egypt's deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. The attack came two days after gunmen killed a soldier in Cairo, as militants once based in the Sinai Peninsula increasingly widen attacks that have killed more than 200 security men since the army overthrew Morsi last July. The assailants opened fire on military policemen Saturday as they were finishing their morning Muslim prayers and then planted two bombs to target first responders, the military said in a statement. Most of the attacks since Morsi's ouster have been carried out in the Sinai, but militants have expanded their reach to the Nile Delta and the capital in recent months.

India's Maruti offers vote to quell revolt Posted: 15 Mar 2014 10:48 AM PDT India's top carmaker Maruti Suzuki said Saturday it would seek minority shareholder approval for a controversial plan to source cars from a plant to be built by its Japanese parent that spurred an investor revolt. Japan's Suzuki Motor Co which owns some 56 percent of Maruti, said in January it would invest nearly $500 million in building a plant in western Gujarat state -- reneging on an earlier plan under which Maruti would build the factory itself. Now, in the face of intense opposition from institutional shareholders, Maruti after a board meeting said it had decided to give minority shareholders a chance to approve the decision.

New York takes London's crown as top financial center: survey Posted: 15 Mar 2014 10:42 AM PDT New York has knocked London from its position as the world's leading global financial center after seven years, according to the Global Financial Centres Index compiled by London-based consultancy Z/Yen. London slipped from the top of the global rankings, scoring 784 against 786 for New York, because a series of own goals had tarnished its reputation, the report said. "London sees the largest fall in the top 50 centres," said Mark Yeandle, report author and associate director of Z/Yen, in a statement on the group's website. "This seems to be based on a number of factors including ... uncertainty over Europe, the perception that London might be becoming less welcoming to foreigners and perceived levels of market manipulation." Hong Kong and Singapore took third and fourth spots respectively, the same as a year ago, the survey showed.

Syria army advances in rebel town as war enters 4th year Posted: 15 Mar 2014 10:38 AM PDT Syrian troops advanced Saturday in the key rebel bastion of Yabrud as the country's civil war entered its fourth year, with more than 146,000 dead, millions displaced and peace efforts stalled. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights NGO said army forces were advancing with support from Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah, a staunch regime ally. Yabrud is a key rebel supply route and their last stronghold in the Qalamun region along the border with Lebanon and on the highway between Damascus and third city Homs. Protests erupted in Syria's southern city of Daraa after teenagers were arrested over graffiti declaring: "The people want the fall of the regime."

Death toll in Syria-fuelled fighting in Lebanon's Tripoli reaches 10 Posted: 15 Mar 2014 10:34 AM PDT By Nazih Siddiq TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - The death toll from three days of fighting between members of two Muslim sects in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli rose to 10 on Saturday, security and medical sources said, in violence stoked by the civil war in neighboring Syria. One person was killed by a sniper and four more died on Saturday from injuries sustained earlier in the week during clashes between Sunni Muslims and members of the Shi'ite-derived Alawite sect in Lebanon's second city.

De La Soul talks free downloads, new music at SXSW Posted: 15 Mar 2014 10:22 AM PDT AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Get ready for a lot of new De La Soul music.

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