St. Pat's festivities kick off, but tensions in US

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• St. Pat's festivities kick off, but tensions in US
• Defense: General's deal drops sex assault charge
• Jubilation in Crimea after secession vote
• Crimea referendum: live report
• US rejects Crimea vote, says Russian actions 'dangerous'
• U.S. Army general in sex crimes case to plead to lesser charges
• Crews focus on gas lines in New York building explosion
• Syria army recaptures rebel bastion Yabrud
• Church services remember those lost in NYC blast
• Russia closes 'best ever' Games under Crimea shadow
• Markets on edge as Crimea votes to quit Ukraine
• Broncos agree to deal with top receiver Sanders
• No. 6 UVa tops No. 7 Duke 72-63 for ACC title
• Washington, Texas schools to play in China
• France demands Russia stops 'dangerous' escalation in Ukraine
• All-Star pitcher Corbin to miss Aussie trip
• Syrian army ousts rebels from border stronghold
• Injury ends former Lakers star Odom's European stint
• Polluted Paris prepares for partial car ban
• Flyers beat Penguins for 2nd straight day
• 16 killed in stampedes for jobs in Nigeria
• Seven up for Barca as Messi breaks another record
• US rejects Crimea vote, cites Russian intimidation
• China may make the weather despite Fed and Ukraine
• Russia media say Crimea votes 93 percent to quit Ukraine
• After missing jet saga, changes not assured
• High turnout seen at secession vote in Crimea
• U.S. urges Russia to pull troops in Crimea back to barracks
• Canizares wins by 5 strokes in Morocco
• Johaug takes World Cup title with 10K win
• Malaysia doubles scale of plane search, pilots probed
• High turnout for secession vote in Crimea
• Crimea votes to join Russia amid Western outrage
• Final words from jet came after systems shutdown
• U.S. warns Russia it faces isolation, sanctions in coming days
• Putin's Games end under a Crimean cloud
• Pro-Russian demonstrators burn books, storm buildings in eastern Ukraine
• Serbia votes in early parliamentary election
• US rejects Crimea vote held under 'threats of violence and intimidation' by Russian military
• Corporate capital, a new SXSW paradigm

St. Pat's festivities kick off, but tensions in US Posted: 16 Mar 2014 01:16 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — St. Patrick's Day festivities were in full swing Sunday with the usual merriment of bagpipes and beer, but political tensions lingered in the northeastern U.S., where city leaders will be conspicuously absent from parades over gay rights issues.

Defense: General's deal drops sex assault charge Posted: 16 Mar 2014 01:15 PM PDT RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Defense attorneys said Sunday that an Army general has agreed to a plea deal that includes the dropping of sexual assault charges against him.

Jubilation in Crimea after secession vote Posted: 16 Mar 2014 01:15 PM PDT SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) — As Russian flags fluttered in the breeze and retirees grew weepy at the thought of reuniting with Russia, residents in Crimea voted Sunday on whether to secede from Ukraine — a ballot condemned by the United States and Europe as illegal.

Crimea referendum: live report Posted: 16 Mar 2014 01:20 PM PDT Simferopol (Ukraine) (AFP) - TURNOUT WAS 81.36%, REFERENDUM COMMISSION CHAIRMAN SAYS

US rejects Crimea vote, says Russian actions 'dangerous' Posted: 16 Mar 2014 01:10 PM PDT The United States strongly rejected Crimea's vote Sunday on breaking away from Ukraine, and called Russian actions in the crisis "dangerous and destabilizing." Crimea's pro-Moscow authorities announced that exit polls showed a 93 percent vote in favor of becoming part of Russia. "This referendum is contrary to Ukraine's constitution, and the international community will not recognize the results of a poll administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

U.S. Army general in sex crimes case to plead to lesser charges Posted: 16 Mar 2014 01:09 PM PDT (Reuters) - The United States has agreed to drop charges of sexual assault brought against an Army general in exchange for him pleading guilty to lesser charges including "mistreatment" of his accuser, a junior officer, the general's lawyer said on Sunday. Under the terms of an agreement with military prosecutors, the government will drop sex assault charges against Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair as well as two other charges that would have forced him to register as a sex offender, attorney Richard Scheff said in an email.

Crews focus on gas lines in New York building explosion Posted: 16 Mar 2014 01:07 PM PDT By Victoria Cavaliere NEW YORK (Reuters) - Emergency crews clearing debris from the site of two New York City apartment buildings leveled in a gas explosion four days ago said they expected to reach an underground area on Sunday where natural gas lines could reveal what caused the deadly blast. Firefighters and other emergency workers have been working around the clock to clear debris from the site, the New York City Fire Department said on Sunday. Investigators want to reach the front of the basements where gas pipes and meters are located to determine whether a natural gas leak led to the explosion and, if so, what caused the breach. "We'll have it all cleared so we can get to the basement to start our investigation," Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said on Saturday.

Syria army recaptures rebel bastion Yabrud Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:56 PM PDT Yabrud (Syria) (AFP) - Syria's army and Lebanon's Hezbollah seized full control of rebel bastion Yabrud on Sunday, dealing the opposition a strategic blow in the Qalamoun region along the Lebanese border. An AFP reporter entered the town after the army declared it had captured the opposition stronghold north of Damascus, in a symbolic victory a day after the third anniversary of the outbreak of Syria's conflict. Exhausted Syrian soldiers sat in the streets after seizing the town in fierce clashes with the support of battle-hardened fighters from Lebanon's Shiite militant group Hezbollah and pro-regime militiamen. "It was a very difficult battle, possibly the most difficult we have faced," a soldier who identified himself as Abu Mohammed told AFP in Yabrud's central square between puffs from a water-pipe.

Church services remember those lost in NYC blast Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:54 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — As workers tried to clear away the last of the rubble that once was two New York City apartment buildings, a pair of congregations gathered to mourn Sunday — one for its lost church and one for two members who lost their lives in the massive explosion.

Russia closes 'best ever' Games under Crimea shadow Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:54 PM PDT Sochi (Russia) (AFP) - Russia on Sunday laid on a glittering closing ceremony in Sochi to draw the curtain on the Winter Paralympic Games hailed as the "best ever" but held under the long shadow of the standoff over Crimea. The ceremony took place on the same day as the controversial referendum in Crimea on the Ukrainian region -- just across the Black Sea from Sochi -- becoming part of Russia, underlining how the spectre of the Ukraine crisis has never been far from these Games. The closing ceremony at the Fisht stadium in Sochi, attended by President Vladimir Putin, marked the end of Russia's Olympics which began on February 7 with the opening ceremony for the Olympic Winter Games.

Markets on edge as Crimea votes to quit Ukraine Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:47 PM PDT By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock investors will start the week on edge as markets worldwide react to the referendum that appears to back Russia's claim to Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, even if the vote result is not internationally recognized. U.S. stocks closed on Friday with their largest weekly drop in the last seven weeks as the worst confrontation between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War continues to unfold. Russian state media quoted an exit poll as saying 93 percent of voters supported union with Russia. The White House rejected the referendum and called Russia's actions "dangerous and destabilizing." "There's an open question as to who suffers most," said Sam Wardwell, investment strategist at Pioneer Investments in Boston, about the planned economic sanctions.

Broncos agree to deal with top receiver Sanders Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:45 PM PDT Denver (AFP) - Denver Broncos continued to rebuild their squad after last month's Super Bowl defeat, announcing on Sunday they have agreed to terms on a three-year deal with former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

No. 6 UVa tops No. 7 Duke 72-63 for ACC title Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:40 PM PDT GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Malcolm Brogdon scored 23 points and No. 6 Virginia claimed its first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title since 1976 by beating No. 7 Duke 72-63 on Sunday.

Washington, Texas schools to play in China Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:37 PM PDT The University of Washington will face the University of Texas in a groundbreaking regular season men's basketball game in China next year, school officials announced. The collegiate offering will be the first regular-season college or pro matchup for a US league in China. And Pacific-12 Conference commissioner Larry Scott sees the China game becoming an annual event. "The Pac-12 and our universities are proud to be pioneers in China," Scott said.

France demands Russia stops 'dangerous' escalation in Ukraine Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:35 PM PDT France on Sunday demanded Russia immediately take measures to reduce "pointless and dangerous" tensions in Ukraine, calling the secession referendum held in the Crimea region illegal. "(Russia) must recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement. "France calls on the Russian Federation to immediately take measures that will avoid a pointless and dangerous escalation in Ukraine." He added that the referendum in Crimea was illegal and went against the Ukrainian constitution especially given that it took place with the threat of Russian military force.

All-Star pitcher Corbin to miss Aussie trip Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:29 PM PDT Scottsdale (United States) (AFP) - Arizona Damondbacks left-handed All-Star pitcher Patrick Corbin will miss the team's trip to Australia for the opening games of the Major League Baseball season against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Corbin had been scheduled to start for Arizona in Saturday's major league season opener in Australia. But the Diamondbacks announced Sunday that an MRI exam showed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in Corbin's left elbow.

Syrian army ousts rebels from border stronghold Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:29 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — With rebels fleeing into neighboring Lebanon, Syrian government troops and Hezbollah fighters captured a strategic town near the frontier Sunday, ousting opposition fighters from their last stronghold in the vital border area.

Injury ends former Lakers star Odom's European stint Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:27 PM PDT Two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom's foray into European basketball has been cut short due to a back injury, his Spanish club said Sunday. Laboral Kutxa Baskonia said Odom's personal doctors in New York have ruled him unfit to play for two months, meaning "his present contract with the club has finished". Odom joined the Spanish side last month on a two-month deal with an option to extend it for the remainder of the season. Odom played a total of just 23 minutes in two games for the Spanish side, scoring just two points.

Polluted Paris prepares for partial car ban Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:24 PM PDT Paris on Monday launches alternate driving days for the first time in nearly 20 years to tackle dangerous air pollution levels amid controversy on whether the ban is warranted or will yield results. About 700 police officers will be deployed to man 60 checkpoints to ensure that only cars and motorcycles with number plates ending in odd digits are on the roads. Electric and hybrid cars will be exempted from the ban as well as any vehicle carrying three people or more. The government made the announcement on Saturday after pollution particulates in the air exceeded safe levels for five straight days in Paris and its environs.

Flyers beat Penguins for 2nd straight day Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:23 PM PDT PITTSBURGH (AP) — Wayne Simmonds had two power-play goals in the first period and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second consecutive day, 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.

16 killed in stampedes for jobs in Nigeria Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:15 PM PDT ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 16 people were killed in desperate stampedes for government jobs in Nigeria when hundreds of thousands were invited to apply for fewer than 5,000 positions, officials and activists said Sunday.

Seven up for Barca as Messi breaks another record Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:11 PM PDT Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to become Barcelona's all-time record goalscorer as they cut the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to four points ahead of their meeting next weekend with a 7-0 thrashing of Osasuna. After a slow start, the hosts were sparked into life by Messi's opening goal as he flicked home at the near post from Alexis Sanchez's cross. Sanchez was next on the scoresheet as he finished off a similar move involving Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba before Iniesta's wonderful strike from 25 yards made it 3-0.

US rejects Crimea vote, cites Russian intimidation Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:11 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. rejected the Crimea secession referendum Sunday as illegal and readied retaliatory penalties against Russia, while shifting sights to deterring possible military advances elsewhere in Ukraine that could inflame the crisis.

China may make the weather despite Fed and Ukraine Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:03 PM PDT By Mike Peacock LONDON (Reuters) - A U.S. Federal Reserve meeting and Western sanctions on Russia will give financial markets plenty of pause for thought in the week to come but it could be China that sets the economic weather. Politically this story dwarfs all others in the world but economically, some perspective is required.

Russia media say Crimea votes 93 percent to quit Ukraine Posted: 16 Mar 2014 12:00 PM PDT By Mike Collett-White and Ronald Popeski SIMFEROPOL/KIEV (Reuters) - Russian state media said Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to break with Ukraine and join Russia on Sunday, as Kiev accused Moscow of pouring forces into the peninsula and warned separatist leaders "the ground will burn under their feet". Caught in an East-West crisis reminiscent of the Cold War, Kiev said Russia's build-up of forces in the Black Sea region was in "crude violation" of an international treaty, and announced plans to arm and train 20,000 members of a newly-created National Guard to defend the nation. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told Moscow that Washington would not accept the outcome of the vote, which is likely to favor union with Russia for a region which has a Russian-speaking majority. The White House also warned Moscow to expect sanctions while foreign ministers from the European Union, which has major trade ties with Russia, will decided on possible similar action in Brussels on Monday.

After missing jet saga, changes not assured Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:55 AM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has exposed wide gaps in how the world's airlines — and their regulators — operate. But experts warn this isn't likely to be one of those defining moments that lead to fundamental changes.

High turnout seen at secession vote in Crimea Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:52 AM PDT SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) — As Russian flags fluttered in the breeze and retirees grew weepy at the thought of reuniting with Russia, residents of Ukraine's Crimea region held a secession vote Sunday. The U.S. and Europe condemned the referendum as illegal, while Ukraine's new government called it a "circus" directed at gunpoint by Moscow.

U.S. urges Russia to pull troops in Crimea back to barracks Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:52 AM PDT The United States told Russia on Sunday that it would not accept the results of Crimea's referendum on seceding from Ukraine and urged Moscow to pull its forces in Crimea back to their bases, a senior U.S. State Department official said. The U.S. official was offering an account of a telephone conversation between Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who, according to a Russian statement, "agreed to continue work to find a resolution on Ukraine through a speedy launch of constitutional reform." The U.S. official made clear Washington was pleased by Moscow's emphasis on constitutional reforms, describing this as "positive." The official stressed, however, that what troubled the United States most were Russian troop movements into Crimea. "It is Russia's military movements and escalatory steps that are raising the greatest concern," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity after Kerry and Lavrov spoke on Sunday, the day of the referendum in Crimea.

Canizares wins by 5 strokes in Morocco Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:45 AM PDT AGADIR, Morocco (AP) — Alejandro Canizares of Spain completed a wire-to-wire victory at the Trophee Hassan II by shooting a 2-under 70 in the final round Sunday for a five-stroke win.

Johaug takes World Cup title with 10K win Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:42 AM PDT HELSINKI (AP) — Therese Johaug took the women's World Cup cross-country title by winning Sunday's 10-kilometer pursuit in a triple victory for Norway, while fellow Norwegian Martin Johnsrud Sundby won the men's 15-kilometer pursuit in the final race of the season.

Malaysia doubles scale of plane search, pilots probed Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:38 AM PDT Malaysia said Sunday the number of countries searching for a missing airliner had nearly doubled to 25 as a full-scale criminal probe into its disappearance got under way, with particular scrutiny of the pilots. Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the number of participating countries had jumped from 14 to 25 as the search for the aircraft focused on two vast, and vastly contrasting, land and ocean transport corridors. Malaysian police said they had searched the homes of both pilots and examined the captain's home flight simulator after it became increasingly clear that the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 that vanished March 8 had been deliberately diverted by someone on board. Experts said it would have taken specialist knowledge to disable the communications system, intensifying scrutiny of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and his First Officer, Fariq Abdul Hamid.

High turnout for secession vote in Crimea Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:35 AM PDT SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) — Polls have closed in Crimea's contentious referendum on seceding from Ukraine and seeking annexation by Russia.

Crimea votes to join Russia amid Western outrage Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:34 AM PDT Simferopol (Ukraine) (AFP) - Crimeans voted overwhelmingly Sunday in favour of joining former political master Russia as tensions soared in the east of the splintered ex-Soviet nation amid the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War. Exit polls cited by local officials showed 93 percent of the voters in favour of leaving Ukraine and joining Russia in the most serious redrawing of the map of Europe since Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia. Honestly, I'm 60 and I never thought I would live to see this happy day," said Alexander Sorokin as he strolled the waterfront of Sevastopol -- home of tsarist and Kremlin navies since the 18th century and a city that like most of the peninsula is heavily Russified. Ukraine's new pro-European leaders and the West have branded the vote as "illegal" because the strategic Black Sea peninsula has been under de facto control of Russian forces since the start of the month.

Final words from jet came after systems shutdown Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:33 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The final words from the missing Malaysian jetliner's cockpit gave no indication anything was wrong, even though one of the plane's communications systems had already been disabled, officials said Sunday, adding to suspicions that one or both of the pilots were involved in the disappearance.

U.S. warns Russia it faces isolation, sanctions in coming days Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:32 AM PDT By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House warned President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that Moscow would face sanctions in coming days and international isolation that will hurt Russia's economy, as Washington fumed over a referendum in Ukraine's Crimea region that it was powerless to stop. "We are putting as much pressure on the Russians as we can to do the right thing," White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said as voters in Crimea, under the control of Russian forces, decided whether to break away from Ukraine and join Russia.

Putin's Games end under a Crimean cloud Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:26 AM PDT SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Triumphant in the midst of global condemnation, Vladimir Putin clinked his champagne flute with leading sports officials, toasting the success of his pet project in Sochi.

Pro-Russian demonstrators burn books, storm buildings in eastern Ukraine Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:22 AM PDT By Lina Kushch DONETSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - Pro-Russian demonstrators in eastern Ukraine smashed their way into public buildings and burned Ukrainian-language books on Sunday in further protests following two deadly clashes in the region last week. Protests, some several thousand strong, spread to Russian-speaking southern districts as Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, under the control of the Russian military for two weeks, voted in a referendum on joining Russia. Clashes have broken out when rival rallies take place in proximity - pro-Russian groups against others backing the call by Ukraine's leaders for closer ties with the European Union. The footage then showed young men seizing Ukrainian-language books, including a volume devoted to the 1932-1933 man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine, which killed from 7-10 million people.

Serbia votes in early parliamentary election Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:20 AM PDT BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbs voted in an election on Sunday that could give a clear parliamentary majority to a center-right party that has vowed to overhaul the nation's struggling economy and push for membership in the European Union.

US rejects Crimea vote held under 'threats of violence and intimidation' by Russian military Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:12 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — US rejects Crimea vote held under 'threats of violence and intimidation' by Russian military.

Corporate capital, a new SXSW paradigm Posted: 16 Mar 2014 11:10 AM PDT AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Rapper ScHoolboy Q had a great time at his first South By Southwest a few years ago, but found himself getting angry this year as he played a series of shows at the annual music conference and festival.

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