Oil spill cleanup impedes major Texas ship channel

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• Oil spill cleanup impedes major Texas ship channel
• Teenage girl struck by train in critical condition
• Oil spill cleanup efforts resume off Texas Gulf shore
• Candidates begin presidential campaign in Algeria
• Scherzer rejects Tigers' long-term offer
• 'Homeland' actor James Rebhorn dies at 65
• Murray, Li advance to fourth round at Miami
• Turkish jet downs Syrian warplane near border
• World champion Marquez wins Qatar Grand Prix
• Hollande allies trail conservatives in French local vote: exit poll
• Washington governor: Mudslide "total devastation"
• National Front makes gains in French local elections: exit polls
• Hollande braces for pain as voters stay away from French local polls
• Busy week awaits NFL owners at spring meetings
• Whispers of dissent in Kremlin-ruled Crimea
• Trade sanctions would hurt Russia more than the West: German minister
• Rhode Island House to hold caucus on next speaker
• Syria condemns Turkey 'aggression' after jet downed
• Teen sci-fi franchise 'Divergent' debuts with $56M
• Pilots' mental health a concern amid jet mystery
• Officials: 18 missing in Washington mudslide
• Former US president Carter uses snail mail to evade NSA
• Bale, Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo start in Clasico
• Fed guessing game intensifies while West isolates Russia
• Andy Murray reaches 4th round at Sony Open
• Ukrainian marines in Crimea seek honorable retreat
• De Niro's Tribeca sells 50 percent stake to MSG
• Turkish PM Erdogan says rivals will be crushed
• Afghanistan alleges foreign hand in hotel attack
• De Niro firm sells stake to Madison Square Garden
• Phoenix service event draws 2 Clintons, Giffords
• 1 dead after shuttle bus crash on I-95; man held
• Kremlin says Putin and Merkel discuss Ukraine and OSCE mission
• De Niro company sells Madison Square Garden stake
• Thousands mourn death of Sierra Leone ex-president
• No survivors expected in Colorado plane crash
• Scotland's Vikings go own way in independence vote
• Congress focuses on dams amid California's drought
• Erdogan says Twitter shutdown order came from him
• Atletico move top ahead of El Clasico

Oil spill cleanup impedes major Texas ship channel Posted: 23 Mar 2014 01:05 PM PDT TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) — Officials say all of the remaining oil has been taken out of the damaged barge and it is being moved out of the Houston Ship Channel.

Teenage girl struck by train in critical condition Posted: 23 Mar 2014 01:04 PM PDT MARYSVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A California teenage girl was still in critical condition on Sunday after being struck by a freight train while walking to a school dance with her boyfriend, who was killed in the accident.

Oil spill cleanup efforts resume off Texas Gulf shore Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:59 PM PDT By Terry Wade TEXAS CITY, Texas (Reuters) - Four skimming boats surrounded a partially submerged barge on Sunday at the entrance to the Houston Ship Channel, working to clean up fuel spilled from one of the vessel's tanks into Galveston Bay after a Saturday collision with a cargo ship, according to a Reuters eyewitness. "This is a very significant discharge," said Coast Guard Lieutenant Junior Grade Kristopher Kidd, a spokesman for the maritime safety agency. Several other tanks were believed to be undamaged, according to a Coast Guard statement. The Houston Ship Channel remained shut on Sunday to contain the environmental damage and prevent additional collisions, according to the Coast Guard.

Candidates begin presidential campaign in Algeria Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:58 PM PDT ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — The candidates for Algeria's presidential election have begun the three-week campaign season, with the front-runners both promising to amend the constitution.

Scherzer rejects Tigers' long-term offer Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:58 PM PDT Lakeland (United States) (AFP) - Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, last year's Cy Young award winner as the American League's best pitcher, has rejected a long-term Major League Baseball contract offer from the Tigers. "The Detroit Tigers have made a substantial, long-term contract extension offer to Max Scherzer that would have placed him among the highest paid pitchers in baseball, and the offer was rejected," the Tigers said in a statement. Scherzer was 21-3 last year with a 2.90 earned-run average and 240 strikeouts over 32 starts, becoming the second Tiger named top pitcher after Justin Verlander won the 2011 Cy Young Award. Verlander agreed to a five-year extension with an option for 2020 last year but the Tigers have been unable to reach such a deal with Scherzer's agent, Scott Boras.

'Homeland' actor James Rebhorn dies at 65 Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:56 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — James Rebhorn, the prolific character actor in "Homeland," ''Scent of a Woman" and "My Cousin Vinny," has died. He was 65.

Murray, Li advance to fourth round at Miami Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:55 PM PDT British sixth seed Andy Murray downed former practice partner Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-1 Sunday to reach the fourth round at the ATP and WTA Miami Masters. Also advancing at the hardcourt event was Chinese world number two Li Na, the reigning Australian Open champion who dispatched American Madison Keys 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. Defending champion Murray polished his record to 9-0 over Spaniard Lopez. The Scotsman, who does much of his off-season training in Miami, improved to 21-6 in his part-time hometown.

Turkish jet downs Syrian warplane near border Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:54 PM PDT ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish fighter jets shot down a Syrian warplane Sunday after it violated the country's airspace, Turkey's prime minister said, in a move likely to ramp up tensions between two countries already deeply at odds over Syria's civil war.

World champion Marquez wins Qatar Grand Prix Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:52 PM PDT Doha (AFP) - World champion Marc Marquez won the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday just a month after breaking his leg.

Hollande allies trail conservatives in French local vote: exit poll Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:51 PM PDT PARIS (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande's ruling Socialists and their left-wing allies trailed opposition conservatives in the first round of town hall elections on Sunday, exit polls showed off his first major poll test since coming to power in May 2012. Left-wing parties scored together 43 percent of the vote while opposition conservatives secured 48 percent, pollster BVA said. It estimated the far-right National Front party scored seven percent - a high national tally given that it only fielded candidates in some 600 of France's total 36,000 municipalities. ...

Washington governor: Mudslide "total devastation" Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:47 PM PDT ARLINGTON, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee described the scene of a deadly mudslide that killed three people as a square mile of "total devastation" after flying over the disaster area Sunday.

National Front makes gains in French local elections: exit polls Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:43 PM PDT France's far-right National Front (FN) made gains in a number of towns in the first round of local elections on Sunday, early exit polls showed of what the anti-immigrant party of Marine Le Pen hailed as a breakthrough. Exit polls on national television showed the FN nearly won an outright majority in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont, and was first-placed in the eastern town of Forbach and the southern towns of Avignon and Beziers. "The National Front has arrived as a major independent force - a political force both at the national and local level," Le Pen told TF1 television.

Hollande braces for pain as voters stay away from French local polls Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:43 PM PDT By Dominique Vidalon PARIS (Reuters) - Voter abstention looked set to hit a new record in French local elections on Sunday, a scenario that could inflict heavy mid-term losses on the ruling Socialist party and boost the far-right National Front. The elections are the first nationwide test for Francois Hollande, who won the presidency in May 2012 but has seen his popularity fall to record lows for failing to rein in unemployment by the end of last year, as he had promised. The Interior Ministry said turnout for mayoral votes in towns and villages was 54.72 percent by 11:00 am ET, below the 56.25 percent reached at the same time in the first round of town hall elections in 2008. "We could be heading for a new abstention record," Bernard Sananes, head of the CSA polling institute told BFM TV, predicting a final turnout of 65 percent.

Busy week awaits NFL owners at spring meetings Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:41 PM PDT ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — As further proof the NFL never is far from the headlines, owners could make plenty of news this week at their spring meetings.

Whispers of dissent in Kremlin-ruled Crimea Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:40 PM PDT Simferopol (Undefined) (AFP) - In the dark of night in Crimea, Anastasiya steps into a pool of yellowish light from a street lamp. Not with Putin in charge," said Anastasiya, who lives in a housing block on the scrappy western outskirts of Simferopol -- the main city on the Kremlin-ruled peninsula. Ukraine's government estimates there are 25,000 people in Crimea like Anastasiya who want to flee the region after its Russian takeover. Before a March 16 disputed referendum on breaking off from Ukraine and joining Russia, there were a few isolated pro-unity rallies in Crimea.

Trade sanctions would hurt Russia more than the West: German minister Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:39 PM PDT German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Sunday that the European Union was united in its readiness to impose economic sanctions on Russia if the stand-off over Ukraine escalates, and that Moscow had much more to lose than the West, "I don't think we are divided. None of us wants to escalate, but if Russia changes things unilaterally, then it must know that we won't accept it and that relations will be bad," Schaeuble told German television in an interview. "Russia has a lot more to lose in the medium term than the West, than Europe or the United States," he said, adding that the aim was to uphold international law and it was "of secondary importance whether there is an economic or financial cost". German companies are worried that sanctions could push up their energy prices if Russia decided to restrict oil and gas supplies, and deprive them of an important export market.

Rhode Island House to hold caucus on next speaker Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:39 PM PDT PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Two legislators have emerged as candidates to replace Gordon Fox in arguably the most powerful position in Rhode Island government, and their viability is expected to be tested Sunday when House members meet to discuss who has the votes to assume the speakership.

Syria condemns Turkey 'aggression' after jet downed Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:36 PM PDT Syria accused Ankara of "flagrant aggression" Sunday after Turkey shot down a warplane near the border, raising tensions as Syrian loyalists and rebels battled for control of a frontier crossing. Turkey, which backs the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, warned Damascus against testing its determination and pledged a tough response if Syrian warplanes violate its airspace again. A Syrian military source said Turkey shot down the warplane "in a flagrant act of aggression that is evidence of (Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdogan's support for terrorist groups". The aircraft "was chasing terrorist groups inside Syrian territory at Kasab", said the source, referring to the disputed border crossing.

Teen sci-fi franchise 'Divergent' debuts with $56M Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:24 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — To go with "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games," Lionsgate now has a trio of young-adult franchises with the box-office leading "Divergent."

Pilots' mental health a concern amid jet mystery Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:19 PM PDT DALLAS (AP) — Reinforced doors with keypad entries. Body scanners and pat-downs. Elaborate crew maneuvers when a pilot has to use the restroom. All those tactics are designed to keep dangerous people out of the cockpit. But what if the pilot is the problem?

Officials: 18 missing in Washington mudslide Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:15 PM PDT ARLINGTON, Wash. (AP) — Eighteen people were unaccounted for a day after a terrifying wall of mud and debris destroyed as many as 30 homes in rural northwestern Washington state and killed at least three people, authorities said Sunday.

Former US president Carter uses snail mail to evade NSA Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:12 PM PDT Former US president Jimmy Carter has admitted he uses snail mail to evade monitoring by the National Security Agency and that he feels such surveillance methods have been abused. "When I want to communicate with a foreign leader privately, I type or write a letter myself, put it in the post office, and mail it," Carter said with a laugh, as he was questioned on the matter on NBC's "Meet the Press" program. A trove of documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden have sparked outrage in the United States and abroad about the vast capabilities of America's intelligence programs. Officials have defended the methods as necessary to thwart terror attacks but President Barack Obama has ordered reforms in the wake of the disclosures.

Bale, Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo start in Clasico Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:11 PM PDT Madrid (AFP) - There were no surprises in either Real Madrid or Barcelona line-ups for Sunday's crucial La Liga clash between the two at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Fed guessing game intensifies while West isolates Russia Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:10 PM PDT By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The guessing game over U.S. interest rates is likely to intensify this week after new Fed Chair Janet Yellen raised the prospect of a hike early next year, while Russia's annexation of Crimea will keep investors focused on its next move. In a week heavy with diplomacy - U.S. President Barack Obama will meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Monday in The Hague - markets will seek clarity from the U.S. Federal Reserve on its monetary policy and from Russia over its intentions in Ukraine.

Andy Murray reaches 4th round at Sony Open Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:08 PM PDT KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Two-time Key Biscayne champion Andy Murray advanced to the fourth round at the Sony Open by beating familiar foil Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-1 Sunday.

Ukrainian marines in Crimea seek honorable retreat Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:05 PM PDT By Aleksandar Vasovic FEODOSIA, Ukraine (Reuters) - Their base has been overrun and their region annexed by Russia but the Ukrainian soldiers at Feodosia in Crimea are not giving up yet. The Ukrainian flag and its marine standard fly alongside the Russian tricolor put up by the forces which seized the base of the 1st Separate Marine Battalion, Ukraine's top military unit, earlier this month, as Russia took over the Black Sea peninsula. Russian troops wander freely through the base, but the Ukrainians appeared to have retained control of the armory, the barracks and other facilities within the compound on Sunday, two days after Moscow formally annexed Crimea.

De Niro's Tribeca sells 50 percent stake to MSG Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:57 AM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Tribeca Enterprises, the film company co-founded by Robert De Niro and the presenter of the Tribeca Film Festival, has sold a 50 percent stake to the Madison Square Garden Company.

Turkish PM Erdogan says rivals will be crushed Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:55 AM PDT By Nick Tattersall and Humeyra Pamuk ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, rallying hundreds of thousands of cheering supporters in Istanbul, said on Sunday that political enemies accusing him of corruption would be crushed by their own immorality. Massed supporters cheered, called Erdogan's name and waved red Turkish flags and the blue and gold emblems of the AK Party he founded in 2001 and led to power a year later vowing to root out the corruption that had dogged his rivals. The prime minister accuses the U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers of manufacturing a police corruption investigation that touched on business associates, government members and Erdogan's own family. "The people can see the game that is being played." The size of the crowd, which he put at 2 million, suggested AK Party was well placed to keep control of Istanbul.

Afghanistan alleges foreign hand in hotel attack Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:50 AM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan's presidency says its spy agency believes that a foreign intelligence service, and not the country's main militant groups, was behind the attack on a Kabul hotel last week that killed nine people, including two children and four foreigners.

De Niro firm sells stake to Madison Square Garden Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:46 AM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A film company co-founded by Robert De Niro called Tribeca Enterprises is selling a 50 percent stake to the Madison Square Garden Company.

Phoenix service event draws 2 Clintons, Giffords Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:41 AM PDT PHOENIX (AP) — Bill Clinton said Sunday that "everybody can serve everywhere" at a community service project intended to convert vacant Phoenix lots into urban gardens and spaces for public use.

1 dead after shuttle bus crash on I-95; man held Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:40 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — A shuttle bus struck a guardrail and overturned before dawn Sunday along busy Interstate 95 south of the nation's capital, leaving one person dead and sending 16 others to the hospital, Virginia State Police said.

Kremlin says Putin and Merkel discuss Ukraine and OSCE mission Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:31 AM PDT Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by telephone on Sunday and voiced satisfaction that an agreement had been reached to send monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe to Ukraine, the Kremlin said. "The situation that has arisen after Crimea's reunification with the Russian Federation was discussed," Putin's press service said. "As for the crisis in Ukraine, both sides expressed satisfaction in connection with the agreement on a mandate for an OSCE monitoring mission." Russia agreed on Friday with the 56 other members of the OSCE to send a six-month monitoring mission to Ukraine, but said it had no mandate in Crimea, which Moscow annexed after voters on the Black Sea peninsula chose to join Russia in a referendum dismissed by Western states as a sham.

De Niro company sells Madison Square Garden stake Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:31 AM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A film company co-founded by Robert De Niro called Tribeca Enterprises is selling a 50 percent stake to the Madison Square Garden Company.

Thousands mourn death of Sierra Leone ex-president Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:31 AM PDT FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Thousands of mourners gathered in Sierra Leone's national stadium for the funeral of former President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, who oversaw the end of the country's civil war.

No survivors expected in Colorado plane crash Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:21 AM PDT MONTROSE, Colo. (AP) — A small plane believed to be carrying five people crashed into a reservoir in southwestern Colorado and authorities say all are feared dead.

Scotland's Vikings go own way in independence vote Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:21 AM PDT GULBERWICK, Scotland (AP) — In the late winter dusk, hundreds of Vikings are marching down to the beach, bearing flaming torches. Their studded leather breastplates glint in the firelight as they roar and sing.

Congress focuses on dams amid California's drought Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:15 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — California's drought has sparked a new push by federal lawmakers to create or expand a handful of reservoirs around the state, ramping up a political battle that former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger once referred to as a "holy war in some ways."

Erdogan says Twitter shutdown order came from him Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:08 AM PDT ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed that he gave the orders to shut down Twitter in Turkey.

Atletico move top ahead of El Clasico Posted: 23 Mar 2014 11:07 AM PDT Atletico Madrid took advantage of Real Madrid's late kick-off against Barcelona on Sunday to move to the top of La Liga with a 2-0 win over bottom-placed Real Betis. After a tight opening 55 minutes, the game swung in the visitors favour when Braian Rodriguez was sent-off for a second bookable offence. Two minutes later Gabi put Atletico in front with a fine strike from 25 yards before Diego Costa sealed the three points with his 31st goal of the season. Betis could even have gone in front just two minutes into the second-half when Juan Carlos' low effort beat Thibaut Courtois but came back off the outside of the post.

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