| Nationals avoid sweep with 2-1 win over Braves Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:30 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Ian Desmond led off the seventh inning with a home run — the only run of the game scored on a hit — and the Washington Nationals and their makeshift lineup avoided a sweep Sunday with a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves.
|
| Angry families want GM prosecuted for defects Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:28 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The families of those who died in General Motors cars with defective ignition switches want prosecutors to go after GM insiders responsible for letting the problems fester for more than a decade — and perhaps for covering them up. |
| Hungary re-elects maverick PM, early results show Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT  By Krisztina Than and Marton Dunai BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarians have handed Prime Minister Viktor Orban another four years in power, early results showed from a parliamentary election on Sunday that also entrenched the far-right Jobbik party as a major political force. Orban, 50, has had repeated disputes with the European Union and foreign investors, especially over measures that have cut into revenues at the country's mostly foreign-owned banks, telecoms and energy firms. A partial tally released by election officials, based on a count of about a quarter of the ballots cast, gave Orban's Fidesz party 48.2 percent of the vote. The Socialist-led leftist opposition alliance was on 22 percent and Jobbik had 21.64 percent, according to the tally.
|
| First female champs don't herald Women's Masters Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:19 PM PDT  Augusta (United States) (AFP) - Augusta National, an all-male golf club until 20 months ago, crowned its first female champions Sunday, but don't look for women wearing the green jackets of Masters winners anytime soon. Augusta National chairman Billy Payne said Sunday that a women's version of the Masters was not something the club was contemplating even after its historic gender milestone at the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt Championship for children. "Currently, no, I don't know that we have the energy, resources or time on our schedule," Payne said when asked about the possibility of hosting the world's best women's players at an Augusta National tournament. It was only 20 months ago when Augusta National ended 80 years of men-only membership by admitting former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina businesswoman Darla Moore.
|
| Jones' playoff chip-in wins Houston Open Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:16 PM PDT HUMBLE, Texas (AP) — Matt Jones earned his first trip to the Masters with a remarkable 42-yard chip-in on the first playoff hole, outdueling Matt Kuchar on his way to winning the Houston Open. |
| Kentucky's Cauley-Stein out for title game Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:13 PM PDT ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein has been ruled out for Monday night's national championship game against Connecticut with the same ankle injury that has caused him to miss the last two games. |
| Orioles beat Tigers 3-1, handing them 1st loss Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:08 PM PDT  DETROIT (AP) — Chris Tillman outpitched Justin Verlander, allowing one run while working into the ninth and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 3-1 Sunday to avoid getting swept.
|
| Gazprom Neft CEO says Russian oil company could look eastward if sanctions hit Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:05 PM PDT By Katya Golubkova ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - Gazprom Neft has not been affected by Western sanctions over Russia's annexation of Crimea but is ready to move away from dollars in its contracts and to redirect oil flows to Asia if needed, the CEO of Gazprom's oil arm said. Alexander Dyukov told reporters that Western banks are unlikely to stop cooperating with Gazprom Neft and that Western oil majors do not want geopolitical tension to affect their partnerships, but said the company is prepared to step up contacts with Asian lenders and also raise money in Russia. The United States and European Union have imposed visa bans and asset freezes on allies of President Vladimir Putin, and are threatening broader measures that could affect entire economic sectors if Moscow escalates tension over Ukraine. "As for sanctions, they have not affected the company's business in any way," Dyukov said in St. Petersburg, where Gazprom Neft is now based. |
| Ukraine says Putin behind protesters' seizure of state buildings Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:05 PM PDT  By Lina Kushch and Natalia Zinets DONETSK/KIEV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukraine accused Russia's President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating the seizure of state buildings in two eastern Ukrainian cities by pro-Russia protesters on Sunday, in a further escalation of tension between Kiev and Moscow. The protesters seized the regional government building in the industrial hub of Donetsk and security service offices in nearby Luhansk, waving Russian flags and demanding a Crimea-style referendum on joining Russia.
|
| South African economists shrug at Nigeria growth jump Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:02 PM PDT  South Africa remains the most important economy in the continent despite being overtaken by Nigeria as Africa's biggest, South African economists said. The result of a long awaited rebasing of Africa's most populous nation showed that Nigeria's GDP of $453 billion in 2012 was higher than South Africa's $384 billion. "South Africa will remain one of the important economies of the continent, though this rebasing will be a significant step in establishing Nigeria as a true African powerhouse," said Investec portfolio manager, Roelof Horne. Nigeria, with 170 million people, is about three times the size of South Africa by population, but it's economy is still battling challenges such as poor infrastructure that hampers business activity.
|
| Gas prices rise by 5 cents in past 2 weeks Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:56 PM PDT CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has risen 5 cents in the past two weeks. |
| Struggling Norwich sack manager Hughton Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:51 PM PDT  Norwich City sacked manager Chris Hughton in a bid to retain their Premier League status, the club announced on Sunday. A club statement said: "Norwich City can confirm Chris Hughton, Colin Calderwood and Paul Trollope have parted company with the club with immediate effect -- and former Canary winger and FA Youth Cup-winning coach Neil Adams has been appointed as first-team manager." Saturday's 1-0 loss at home to West Bromwich Albion left the Canaries just one place above the relegation zone but still five points clear of a bottom three spot that will ensure demotion from the lucrative Premier League to the second-tier Championship at the end of the season.
|
| Costa Rica leftist seen winning one-horse presidential run-off Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:50 PM PDT  By Alexandra Alper SAN JOSE (Reuters) - A center-left academic with a popular anti-corruption message but who has never been elected to office is expected to win Costa Rica's presidential election run-off on Sunday after his opponent slid in polls and stopped campaigning. Luis Guillermo Solis, a former diplomat, rode a wave of anti-government sentiment over rising inequality and graft scandals to finish ahead in February's first-round vote, surprising pollsters who had placed him fourth. Facing a depleted war chest, rival Johnny Araya of the ruling National Liberation Party (PLN) quit campaigning after an opinion poll showed him trailing badly. Solis has promised to fight Costa Rica's stubborn poverty while stamping out corruption, an issue that has dogged incumbent President Laura Chinchilla's administration.
|
| LeBron scores 38, Heat top Knicks 102-91 Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:49 PM PDT  MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James scored 38 points, Mario Chalmers added 15 and the Miami Heat survived a 3-point barrage from New York's J.R. Smith on the way to dealing the Knicks' playoff hopes a big blow with a 102-91 victory on Sunday.
|
| Small blast heard in Bahrain capital, F1 race undisrupted Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:42 PM PDT By Farishta Saeed MANAMA (Reuters) - A small explosion was heard in the center of the Bahraini capital Manama on Sunday, three witnesses said, as the kingdom was hosting a Formula One motor racing Grand Prix, but the cause was not immediately clear. Police blocked off the road where the incident took place near a government security building in the bustling Adliya district, where many foreigners live. Small bomb blasts occur sporadically in the U.S.-allied kingdom, which has witnessed low-level political unrest since 2011, when protests mainly by the Shi'ite Muslim community erupted to demand democratic reforms in the Sunni-led government. The government sees the Bahrain Grand Prix as a way to raise Bahrain's international profile and attract tourists and foreign investment. |
| 'Captain America' sets April record with $96.2M Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:40 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Disney and Marvel could be one of the finest teams around.
|
| Hezbollah: Danger to Syria's president eliminated Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:38 PM PDT  BEIRUT (AP) — The government of Syrian President Bashar Assad is no longer in danger of falling, the leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group said in an interview with a Lebanese newspaper.
|
| Masters memories inspire Scott at Augusta National Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:37 PM PDT  Augusta (United States) (AFP) - Reigning Masters champion Adam Scott spent the weekend going down Memory Lane and all it took was a trip down Magnolia Lane, the driveway at famed Augusta National Golf Club. The first Australian to capture the coveted green jacket symbolic of Masters supremacy made the scene Sunday outside the clubhouse at Augusta National, where he defeated Angel Cabrera in a playoff last year with a 12-foot birdie putt at the 10th hole.
|
| India to kick off world's biggest election in remote northeast Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:35 PM PDT  By Shyamantha Asokan LAHOAL, India (Reuters) - Indians start voting in the world's biggest ever election on Monday, with a Hindu nationalist opposition party that has promised economic rejuvenation and jobs tipped to emerge as the clear leader but likely to fall short of an absolute majority. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, and its allies are forecast to win the biggest chunk of seats but fall shy of a majority, according to a poll released this week by respected Indian pollsters CSDS. In such a situation, a coalition government led by the BJP is seen as the most likely outcome. India's 815 million voters are set to inflict a resounding defeat on the ruling Congress party, led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, surveys show, after the longest economic slowdown since the 1980s put the brakes on development and job creation in a country where half of the population is under 25 years old.
|
| FACTBOX: India's mammoth general election Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:35 PM PDT (Reuters) - The biggest election the world has ever seen begins in India on Monday in two remote backwater states, with the country looking increasingly likely to embrace a coalition led by a Hindu nationalist to jumpstart a flagging economy. Here key highlights: - Roughly 814.5 million people are registered to vote, an increase of more than 100 million since the last parliamentary election in 2009. In other words, India has added a population greater than that of the Philipines to its voter rolls in five years. - Election dates in parliamentary constituencies were set taking into consideration extreme summer heat, monsoon rains, harvest seasons, religious festivals and most importantly, school exams. |
| Last-ditch talks as Israel warns Palestinians of reprisals Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:34 PM PDT  Israel and the Palestinians held last-ditch talks with a US envoy Sunday on salvaging their teetering peace talks, after the Jewish state threatened to take retaliatory measures. Warning that the peace process was on the edge of collapse, an Israeli official close to the talks said that even US Secretary of State John Kerry, its tireless sponsor, was cooling off. "Israel is preparing to return to routine dealings with the Palestinians as they were before the negotiations started nine months ago," he said. "We are noticing a real coolness in the way the Americans are treating (the peace process), and it's obvious that today's Kerry is not the same Kerry from a few weeks ago," the official said.
|
| Chinese, Australian ships try to verify potential 'pings' from Malaysia jet Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:30 PM PDT  By Lincoln Feast and Swati Pandey SYDNEY/PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - Chinese and Australian ships hunting for a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner have picked up separate acoustic signals in different parts of a vast Indian Ocean search area and are trying to verify if one could be from the plane's black box recorders. Australian search authorities said on Sunday a Chinese patrol vessel, the Haixun 01, had picked up a fleeting "ping" signal twice in recent days in waters west of Perth, near where investigators believe Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went down on March 8. Meanwhile, Australia's HMAS Ocean Shield had reported a separate "acoustic event" some 300 nautical miles away. We need to ensure before we leave any of those areas that this does not have any connection with MH370," Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the operation, told a media conference in Perth.
|
| Ex-Palestinian prisoner teaches Hebrew, tolerance Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:27 PM PDT  DEIR JARIR, West Bank (AP) — Facing a classroom of Palestinian 10th graders, Hebrew teacher Esmat Mansour asks his students who is for and against learning the language. A few raise their hands in favor, others against and he asks both sides to explain.
|
| Chinese-American kids win big at Augusta National Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:25 PM PDT  Augusta (United States) (AFP) - Chinese-American children won the first four titles in the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt Championship on Sunday at Augusta National, one of them handed his trophy by reigning Masters champion Adam Scott. Kelly Xu, a nine-year-old Californian, won the 9-10 girls crown to become the first female champion at the famed home of the Masters, an all-male club until 20 months ago. Leo Cheng, an 11-year-old from California whose father is a stunt coordinator with Jackie Chan, sank a 20-foot putt on the 18th green to capture the 10-11 boys crown. "I felt like Adam Scott when I was putting that," Cheng said.
|
| Afghan election hailed as Taliban threat remains Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:23 PM PDT  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghans and the international community hailed its presidential election as a triumph of democracy over violence Sunday, despite complaints about ballot shortages and sporadic fraud after millions of people braved a Taliban threat to vote for a new president. But some cautioned against declaring a premature defeat of the Islamic militants.
|
| Navy rescues family with sick baby from sailboat Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:15 PM PDT  SAN DIEGO (AP) — U.S. sailors rescued an American family with an ill 1-year-old from a sailboat that broke down hundreds of miles off the Mexican coast — boarding them Sunday onto a San Diego-bound Navy ship so the girl could get medical treatment.
|
| Pro-Russians seize state buildings in eastern Ukraine Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:14 PM PDT  Donetsk (Ukraine) (AFP) - Activists chanting "Russia!" broke through police lines Sunday and stormed several government buildings in eastern Ukrainian regions seeking independence from Kiev following last month's fall of a Kremlin regime. Clashes in Donetsk and similar rallies in the heavily Russified cities such of Lugansk and Kharkiv provided another reminder to the untested pro-Western leaders in Kiev of the monumental task facing them after their February 22 overthrow of president Viktor Yanukovych.
|
| Pro-Russia protesters seize third state building in eastern Ukraine: Ifax Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:03 PM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - Protesters waving Russian flags seized the regional administrative building in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the third state premises in eastern Ukraine to be occupied by pro-Russian demonstrators on Sunday, Interfax reported. Earlier in the day, similar groups had seized the regional administrative building in Donetsk and the offices of the state security services in Luhansk, demanding that regional lawmakers carry out a referendum on joining Russia. Ukraine accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating the seizures. ... |
| Jeb Bush says he'll make decision on bid this year Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:01 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Jeb Bush says all the speculation about whether he'll run for president in 2016 is actually getting him more attention than if he had already entered the race.
|
| Captain America fights way to top of North American box office Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:57 AM PDT  Los Angeles (AFP) - "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" conquered the North American box office in its debut weekend, becoming the top-earning movie so far this year, industry estimates showed on Sunday.
|
| Obama to travel to army base to honor shooting rampage victims Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:50 AM PDT  President Barack Obama will travel on Wednesday to a Texas military base to honor the victims of a deadly shooting by a troubled US soldier, the White House said. Presidential adviser Dan Pfeiffer told CBS television on Sunday that president and First Lady Michelle Obama will attend a memorial service at the Fort Hood army base for three soldiers who died last week when Army specialist Ivan Lopez, 34, opened fire at the sprawling military facility.
|
| Sri Lanka beat India to win World Twenty20 Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:42 AM PDT  Kumar Sangakkara hit a memorable half-century to help Sri Lanka to a six-wicket victory over India in the World Twenty20 final in Dhaka on Sunday. The veteran left-hander knocked a 35-ball 52 not out in his last Twenty20 match to guide the Sri Lankan chase of a modest 131-run target in 17.5 overs at a packed Shere Bangla stadium. Thisara Perera hit Ravichandran Ashwin for a winning boundary to seal the win, finishing with 21 not out. The victory gave Sri Lanka their first world title in 18 years since winning the World Cup (50 overs) crown in 1996 and gave the World Twenty20 a fifth champion in as many editions.
|
| Black boxes: crucial to air crash probes Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:38 AM PDT  Perth (Australia) (AFP) - Black boxes, which record all in-flight data in aircraft, are essential tools in air accident investigations and thanks to them nine out of ten accidents can be explained. Commercial airliners must carry two black boxes. The Digital Flight Data Recorder contains information about the speed, altitude and direction, while the Cockpit Voice Recorder keeps track of cockpit conversations and other sounds and announcements in the pilots' cabin. Actually orange in colour, with reflective white stripes to make them easy to see, each black box weighs between seven and ten kilograms (15-22 lb).
|
| Pro-Russians storm Ukraine government buildings Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:22 AM PDT  KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Crowds of pro-Russian demonstrators stormed government buildings Sunday in several major cities in eastern Ukraine, where secessionist sentiment has sparked frequent protests since Ukraine's Russia-friendly president was ousted in February.
|
| Afghan candidates promise to respect results Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:21 AM PDT  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Trucks and donkeys loaded with ballot boxes made their way to counting centers on Sunday as Afghans and the international community sighed with relief that national elections were held without major violence despite a Taliban threat.
|
| Samsung 'selfie' flap now in hands of lawyers: White House Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:21 AM PDT  The controversy over a "selfie" photo of President Barack Obama and baseball star David Ortiz now is in the hands of attorneys, a White House official said on Sunday. The White House last week warned Samsung against using the president's likeness for commercial gain, after Ortiz used one of its cell phones to snap a picture of himself and the US president. To the displeasure of the White House, Samsung retweeted the shot taken of the baseball slugger and the president, which went viral on the Internet. The White House -- which made its objections public a couple of days after Samsung's marketing stunt -- on Sunday said its attorneys were pursuing the matter.
|
| California holds far fewer for illegal immigration Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:20 AM PDT SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fifteen sheriffs' departments surveyed by The Associated Press in California reported declines in the number of immigrants arrested by local law enforcement who were turned over to federal immigration authorities since a new state law took effect in January. The table shows the number of immigrants released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the first two months of 2014, compared with a year earlier. |
| Ukraine Interior Minister says Putin behind seizure of state buildings Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:17 AM PDT Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being behind the seizure of state buildings by pro-Russia protesters in eastern Ukraine on Sunday and promised that police would restore order peacefully. He also accused Ukraine's ousted president Viktor Yanukovich of conspiring with Putin to fuel tensions in the region. Earlier, pro-Russian protesters demanding a referendum on whether to join Russia seized a regional government building in the city of Donetsk and the offices of security services in nearby Luhansk. |
| AP Exclusive: California immigration holds drop Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:14 AM PDT  SAN DIEGO (AP) — Far fewer immigrants arrested by California law enforcement are being turned over to federal authorities for deportation since a new state law went into effect in January.
|
| Nigeria becomes Africa's biggest economy Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:09 AM PDT  Nigeria on Sunday became Africa's biggest economy, leap-frogging South Africa, after the government announced a long-overdue rebasing of the country's gross domestic product. The data indicated that the economy grew to $453 billion in 2012, instead of $264 billion as measured by the World Bank for that year. South Africa's economy was at $384 billion in 2012, according to the World Bank. Estimates for 2013 indicated further expansion to $510 billion, Nigeria's chief statistician, Yemi Kale, told a news conference in the capital, Abuja.
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment