Pages

Monday, March 3, 2014

Russia sets Ukraine agenda with diplomacy, threats

Russia sets Ukraine agenda with diplomacy, threats

Russia sets Ukraine agenda with diplomacy, threats

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:16 PM PST

Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at the gate of a military base in the port of Kerch, Ukraine, Monday, March 3, 2014. Pro-Russian troops controlled a ferry terminal on the easternmost tip of Ukraine's Crimea region close to Russia on Monday, intensifying fears that Moscow will send even more troops into the strategic Black Sea region in its tense dispute with its Slavic neighbor. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia called for the adoption of a national unity deal in Ukraine even as it tightened its stranglehold over Crimea, an audacious combination of diplomacy and escalating military pressure. The U.S. and European Union floundered for solutions — while global markets panicked over the prospect of violent upheaval in the heart of Europe.

AP Source: Peyton Manning passes physical

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:16 PM PST

FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2012 file photo, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning gestures before an NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears, in Chicago. A person with knowledge of the results tells The Associated Press that Manning has passed his physical on his surgically repaired neck, clearing the way for him to play in 2014. In what was considered the final formality for his return, Manning passed the exam as required by his contract that will pay him $20 million next season, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Sixty touchdown passes. Fifteen wins. A fifth MVP trophy.

Cold weather heats up sales for some companies

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:16 PM PST

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014, file photo, Coleen Riley purchases a snow shovel at Ace Hardware, in West Lafayette, Ind. Harsh winter weather has been rough for some businesses, but for a lucky few, it has meant more hard, cold cash. Ace Hardware is having its best winter in more than a decade selling snowblowers and shovels. (AP Photo/Journal & Courier, John Terhune, File)NEW YORK (AP) — The harsh winter has been rough for some businesses, but for a lucky few, the frigid weather means more cold, hard cash.

More winter misery as massive storm wallops Washington

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:15 PM PST

Snow falls over the Rose Garden and West Wing Colonnade of the White House in Washington, March 3, 2014Another huge winter storm walloped Washington and surrounding areas on Monday, shutting schools and the federal government, snarling air traffic and blanketing roads in snow. As a precaution, federal government employees were told to stay home and schools in the city and surrounding counties gave their students yet another snow day off. Many colleges also closed shop for the day due to the conditions -- including Georgetown University, where only emergency employees were required to report to work on time. The National Weather Service (NWS) said a winter storm warning would remain in effect until 6 pm (2300 GMT) and that four to eight inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of snow were expected.

Russia: Yanukovich asks Putin for Russian military in Ukraine

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:13 PM PST

Ukraine's ousted leader Viktor Yanukovich has sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin requesting that he use the Russian military to restore law and order in Ukraine, Moscow's U.N. envoy said on Monday. "Under the influence of Western countries, there are open acts of terror and violence," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin quoted the letter from Yanukovich to Putin in an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. "So in this regard I would call on the President of Russia, Mr. Putin, asking him to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation to establish legitimacy, peace, law and order, stability and defending the people of Ukraine." Churkin held up a copy of the letter for council members to see.

Obama: Russia 'on the wrong side of history'

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:13 PM PST

Demonstrators against Russian military actions in Ukraine rally in Times Square, Sunday, March 2, 2014, in New York. Western powers are prepared "to go to the hilt" to isolate Russia for its military incursion into Ukraine, "an incredible act of aggression" that may lead to visa bans, asset freezes, trade and investment penalties, and a boycott of a Russian-hosted economic summit of global powers in June, Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Monday accused Russia of being "on the wrong side of history" with its military intervention in Ukraine and said he's examining diplomatic and economic steps to isolate Moscow.

Golson ready to lead Irish after missing 2013

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:12 PM PST

Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson speaks to the media after the opening day of spring football practice on Monday, March 3, 2014, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/South Bend Tribune, James Brosher)SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — The first day of spring practice was a bit surreal for Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson.

Michigan's Peters attacks Land on auto bailout

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:10 PM PST

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2012 file photo, Rep. Gary Peters, D-Mich., addresses supporters in Detroit. Peters planned to put Republican Terri Land on the defensive Monday, March 3, 2014 in their U.S. Senate race by highlighting her 2012 opposition to the federal bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, which is widely credited with saving the U.S. auto industry. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Gary Peters sought to put his Republican opponent, Terri Land, on the defensive Monday by highlighting her 2012 opposition to the federal auto bailout, which is credited with saving the industry and is popular with Michigan voters.

Bahrain blast kills three policemen: Interior Ministry

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:09 PM PST

An anti-government protester waves flag as he confronts riot police amidst teargas, during clashes after revisit to grave of detainee Jaffar Mohammed Jaffar, in DaihBy Farishta Saeed MANAMA (Reuters) - Three policemen were killed by a remotely detonated bomb in Bahrain on Monday during a protest in a village west of the capital Manama, the Interior Ministry said, in one of the worst incidents of violence in recent months. The United Arab Emirates said one of its police officers, serving in a Gulf Cooperation Council force operating in the island kingdom, was among the three dead officers, according to the UAE state news agency WAM. Bahrain's main opposition groups condemned the bombing as a criminal act and urged followers to ensure that protesters use only peaceful means to push their demands for reforms. Bahrain's Shi'ite majority has long complained of discrimination, a charge denied by the Sunni-led government.

Markets slide as tensions build in Ukraine

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:08 PM PST

Specialist Gregg Maloney works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, March 3, 2014. Global stock markets are down sharply on tensions over Russia's military advance into Ukraine and the threat of sanctions by Western governments. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are falling and bond prices are rising as tensions build over Russia's military presence in the Ukraine.

Obama: Tough choices nearing in Mideast talks

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:08 PM PST

Netanyahu and Obama sit down to a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in WashingtonWASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to salvage an elusive Middle East peace plan, President Barack Obama pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday to make the "tough decisions" needed to move forward on talks with the Palestinians.

Israel must make tough choices, Obama warns PM

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:08 PM PST

US President Barack Obama (R) listens to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, March 3, 2014Israel needs to take tough decisions if peace talks with the Palestinians are to have a future, US President Barack Obama told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Obama pushed for a decision on peace, while Netanyahu insisted Israel had done its part and that Iran is now the most urgent threat. Israel and the Palestinians have been engaged in seven months of direct peace talks which are due to expire at the end of April, and decision time is at hand, Obama said.

Dozens killed as Nigeria Islamists ramp up attacks

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:07 PM PST

Nigerian soldiers patrol in the north of Borno state close to a Islamist extremist group Boko Haram former camp near Maiduguri on June 5, 2013Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Suspected Islamist insurgents killed 29 people in Nigeria's embattled northeast, an official said Monday, the latest carnage in a surge of violence that has left more than 100 dead this month alone. The latest attack on Sunday hit the town of Mafa in Boko Haram's historic stronghold of Borno state, which is witnessing one of the deadliest episodes of the group's nearly five-year-old rebellion. A security source in neighbouring Cameroon meanwhile said Boko Haram gunmen crossed the border on Sunday and clashed with Cameroonian soldiers, leaving seven dead. Following the threat, some people fled, schools were closed and military reinforcements were deployed to the town roughly 45 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of Borno's capital Maiduguri.

Death-row inmate challenges Florida's use of IQ scores

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:06 PM PST

The US Supreme Court is shown from the dome of the US Capitol during a media tour December 19, 2013 in WashingtonA Florida inmate challenged the US Supreme Court on Monday arguing that he is intellectually disabled and therefore should not be executed, highlighting the issue of the mentally ill on death row. Freddie Lee Hall, 68, has spent 35 years on death row for the rape and murder of a pregnant woman and is likely to be executed if his appeal fails. In Florida, a person with an IQ of 70 or more is deemed criminally competent to be executed. Hall has an IQ of 71, but was declared "mentally retarded" since childhood.

NC county workers go to hospital after jail spill

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:06 PM PST

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Nearly 20 employees of a North Carolina county have gone to the hospital for evaluation after a toxic dry cleaning chemical spill at the county jail.

Boldin will be back with 49ers next season

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:05 PM PST

FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2014 file photo, San Francisco 49ers' Anquan Boldin celebrates his touchdown catch during the second half of the NFL football NFC Championship game against the Seattle Seahawks, in Seattle. Boldin says he will be back with the San Francisco 49ers next season. Boldin wrote on his Twitter page Monday, March 3, 2014, that he's "returning to San Francisco. A spokesman for the 49ers said the team had no immediate comment. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Wide receiver Anquan Boldin will be back with the San Francisco 49ers next season.

Woman sentenced in prison's director slaying case

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:04 PM PST

DENVER (AP) — A woman who pleaded guilty to buying the handgun used to kill the director of Colorado's prison was sentenced to more than two years in prison and three years supervision Monday.

A look at Russian, Ukrainian militaries

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:03 PM PST

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and the commander of the Western Military District Anatoly Sidorov, right, walk upon arrival to watch military exercise near St.Petersburg, Russia, Monday, March 3, 2014. Putin has sought and quickly got the Russian parliament's permission to use the Russian military in Ukraine.(AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service)MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has effectively seized control of Ukraine's strategic Crimean peninsula without firing a shot, but many in Ukraine and elsewhere fear the Kremlin might follow up by sending troops into Russian-speaking regions of eastern Ukraine. Such a move could trigger open hostilities between the Russian and Ukrainian militaries. Here's a look at the two forces:

Truckloads of Russian troops arrive in Crimea by ferry: Ukraine

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:03 PM PST

Russian forces began moving troops into Ukraine's Crimea region by ferry on Monday after seizing control of the border post on the Ukrainian side of the waterway, Ukraine's border guards said. Russians who seized the isolated Black Sea peninsula have been surrounding the ferry terminal for days but until now had not taken control of Ukraine's border guard station. A border guard spokesman said Russian troops seized the checkpoint after the border guards tried to stop two buses carrying seven armed men, and the next ferry brought three truckloads of soldiers across.

Obama warns US planning steps to isolate Russia

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:02 PM PST

US President Barack Obama speaks about the situation in Ukraine during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, March 3, 2014President Barack Obama warned Monday that the United States was planning a string of economic and diplomatic sanctions to "isolate" Russia if it does not reverse its incursion into Ukraine. "Russia is on the wrong side of history," Obama said, declaring that the world was all but united in viewing Moscow's dispatch of troops to Crimea as a violation of international law. A day before Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Kiev to show US backing for Ukraine's right to chart its own future, Washington expanded on the "costs" Russia may have to pay for its action.

Ex-Skype CEO, marketing officer out at Microsoft

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:59 PM PST

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Microsoft says former Skype CEO Tony Bates and Chief Marketing Officer Tami Reller are leaving the company.

Post-Oscar sales jump for '12 Years a Slave' book

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:58 PM PST

NEW YORK (AP) — "12 Years a Slave" is getting a post-Oscar bump — for the book it was based on.

Egypt police get 10 years for 2010 beating death

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:58 PM PST

Caged policemen Awad Suliman, right, and Mahmoud Salah, stand behind bars during the sentencing hearing of their retrial in the landmark case of the beating to death of 28-year-old Khaled Said, in the port city of Alexandria, Egypt, Monday, March 3, 2014. An Egyptian court on Monday sentenced two policemen to 10 years in prison each for the 2010 killing of a political activist whose slaying was one of the sparks that led to the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak the following year. (AP Photo/Heba Khamis)CAIRO (AP) — A court sentenced two policemen on Monday to 10 years in prison for the 2010 brutal beating death of a young Egyptian that became a rallying cry for the protesters who overthrew longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Canada PM says Russia isolation could see it exit G8 entirely

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:51 PM PST

Russia could ultimately be forced out of the Group of Eight major industrialized nations because of President Vladmir Putin's military intervention in Ukraine, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Monday. "We call once again on President Putin to immediately withdraw his military. President Putin's actions have put his country on a course of diplomatic and economic isolation that could well see Russia exit the G8 entirely," he said. On Saturday, Harper recalled Canada's ambassador to Russia for consultations and froze Ottawa's preparations to take part in the G8 summit in Sochi, Russia in June.

Israeli settlement construction doubles in 2013

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:51 PM PST

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel began building more than twice as many West Bank settlement homes in 2013 than it did the previous year, Israel's central bureau of statistics said Monday, just hours before its prime minster was to face President Barack Obama in Washington for what was expected to be a tense meeting.

Advocacy group targets House GOP on immigration

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:49 PM PST

FILE - This Feb. 24, 2014 file photo shows Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg during a conference in Barcelona, Spain. An advocacy group affiliated with Zuckerberg launched a nationwide ad on Monday that implores House Republicans to act this election year on legislation overhauling the nation's immigration system. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — An advocacy group affiliated with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg launched a nationwide ad on Monday that implores House Republicans to act this election year on legislation overhauling the nation's immigration system.

Apple's iPhone becoming more compatible with cars

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:47 PM PST

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is accelerating the race to make smartphone applications easier and safer to use in cars.

Brutal winter weather freezes US auto sales

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:46 PM PST

Cars of travelers are covered in deep snow February 13, 2014 at the long term parking lot at Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Virginia near WashingtonBrutal winter weather chilled US auto sales in February, with General Motors, Ford and Toyota reporting losses Monday even as rival Chrysler extended a winning streak. "While extreme winter weather can definitely impede car sales, customers will likely return to the showrooms once spring arrives," said Eric Ibara, an analyst with automotive valuation group Kelley Blue Book. "Weather continued to impact the industry in February, but GM sales started to thaw during the Winter Olympic Games as our brand and marketing messages took hold," GM sales chief Kurt McNeil said in a statement.

Citigroup investigated for bank secrecy compliance

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:43 PM PST

People walk at a Citibank branch at Citibank headquarters in Manhattan on December 5, 2012 in New York CityBanking giant Citigroup Monday said it had received subpoenas from a pair of US agencies over its compliance with US bank secrecy and anti-money laundering laws. Citi and its Banamex USA unit received a grand jury subpoena from the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, Citi said Monday in a securities filing. Banamex USA also received a subpoena from the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) that was related to bank secrecy and anti-money laundering compliance, the Citi filing said. Banamex USA is the US banking arm of Banco Nacional de Mexico, a leading Mexican bank Citi acquired in 2001.

Ellen's Oscar celeb selfie a landmark media moment

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:42 PM PST

This image released by Ellen DeGeneres shows actors front row from left, Jared Leto, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Ellen DeGeneres, Bradley Cooper, Peter Nyong'o Jr., and, second row, from left, Channing Tatum, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong'o and Angelina Jolie as they pose for a "selfie" portrait on a cell phone during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 2, 2014, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ellen DeGeneres)NEW YORK (AP) — Ellen DeGeneres' celeb-studded selfie from the most-watched Oscars telecast in a decade was a landmark social media moment at a time online conversation is boosting television viewership and vice versa.

Woman hurt in destructive Montana avalanche dies

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:39 PM PST

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A woman who was rescued about three hours after her house was destroyed by an avalanche in Missoula, Mont., has died at a hospital.

U.S. prepares sanctions against Russia, no decision yet

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:37 PM PST

The United States is preparing to impose sanctions on Russia for its military intervention in Ukraine's Crimea region although no decisions have yet been made, the U.S. State Department said on Monday. In her daily briefing, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki also said that if reports that Russia has threatened Ukraine's military in the Crimea with attack are true, this would be a "dangerous escalation" of the situation.

Justices decline to re-enter immigration debate

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:36 PM PST

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A former Pennsylvania coal town and a Dallas suburb lost a lengthy battle to enact anti-immigrant laws Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear their appeals.

Witness at Pistorius trial recalls hearing screams

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:36 PM PST

Oscar Pistorius stands in court shortly after arriving for his trial at the high court in Pretoria, South Africa, Monday, March 3, 2014. Pistorius is charged with murder with premeditation in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the pre-dawn hours of Valentine's Day 2013. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, Pool)PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — "Bang ... bang, bang, bang."

Russian markets plunge as Putin tightens Crimea grip

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:31 PM PST

Military personnel, believed to be Russian servicemen, walk in formation outside the territory of a Ukrainian military unit in the village of Perevalnoye outside SimferopolBy Lidia Kelly and Alissa de Carbonnel MOSCOW/PEREVALNOYE, Ukraine (Reuters) - Russia paid a heavy financial price on Monday for its military intervention in neighboring Ukraine, with stocks, bonds and the rouble plunging as President Vladimir Putin's forces tightened their grip on the Russian-speaking Crimea region. The Moscow stock market fell 11.3 percent, wiping nearly $60 billion off the value of Russian companies - more than the $51 billion Russia spent on the Winter Olympics in Sochi last month. U.S. President Barack Obama called Russia's actions a violation of international law and of Ukraine's sovereignty, saying his government would look at a series of economic and diplomatic sanctions that would isolate Moscow.

High court to examine facial hair, teeth-whitening

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facial hair and teeth-whitening will be getting unusually prominent attention from the Supreme Court.

New clashes in blockaded area of Damascus halt aid

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:27 PM PST

FILE -- In this Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014 file photo, which released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, residents of the besieged Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp wait to leave the camp, on the southern edge of the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria. In one besieged neighborhood after another, weary rebels have turned over their weapons to the Syrian government in exchange for an easing of suffocating blockades that have prevented food, medicine and other staples from reaching civilians trapped inside. The government touts the truces as part of its program of DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Food deliveries to thousands of people living in a blockaded area in southern Damascus ground to a halt after a truce collapsed and clashes broke out between Syrian rebels and forces loyal to the government, a U.N. official and activists said on Monday.

7 suspected Nigerian militants are arrested

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:24 PM PST

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's Department of State services says it has arrested seven suspected Islamic militants in connection with the killing of a pro-Western sheik who preached against Islamic extremism, his wife and their son.

Boldin says he'll be back with 49ers next season

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:22 PM PST

FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2014 file photo, San Francisco 49ers' Anquan Boldin celebrates his touchdown catch during the second half of the NFL football NFC Championship game against the Seattle Seahawks, in Seattle. Boldin says he will be back with the San Francisco 49ers next season. Boldin wrote on his Twitter page Monday, March 3, 2014, that he's "returning to San Francisco. A spokesman for the 49ers said the team had no immediate comment. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Wide receiver Anquan Boldin says he will be back with the San Francisco 49ers next season.

U.S. probes Citi over compliance with money laundering laws

Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PST

People walk past the Citigroup headquarters in New York(Reuters) - A federal grand jury is probing Citigroup Inc, including its Banamex USA affiliate, over compliance with the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act and regulations on money laundering, the company said. In an annual filing on Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said the probe includes subpoenas from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. Citigroup, the third-largest U.S. bank by assets, also said Banamex USA had received a subpoena from the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, a civil agency. The criminal probe follows other problems that have surfaced with Banamex, which operates Citigroup's largest single consumer bank outside of the United States and has been portrayed by the company as a model of its global strategy.
Posted by Anonymous at 1:26 PM

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)