Yahoo! News: World News

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• Crimeans vote over 90 percent to quit Ukraine for Russia
• Police hunt for motive as search for Malaysian jet spans hemispheres
• Syrian forces fully control rebel stronghold near Lebanon
• North Korea fires 10 short-range missiles: Yonhap
• Strong quake hits off Chile's North coast, no damage
• Kerry urges Abbas to make 'tough decisions' on peace
• Liverpool, Arsenal tighten Premier League race
• Another group of 60 migrants tries to enter US
• Obama warns Putin that U.S. ready to impose sanctions on Russia
• Top Asian News at 12:00 a.m. GMT
• Magnitude-6.7 quake hits Chile's northern coast
• Crimea votes to join Russia, West mulls new sanctions
• US rejects Crimea vote, warns Russia of 'additional costs'
• Church services remember those lost in NYC blast
• Anti-government marchers in Caracas slam Cuban 'invader'
• 'Star Trek' actor Chris Pine pleads guilty to DUI
• Crimeans vote to leave Ukraine, join Russia
• St. Pat's festivities kick off amid tensions in US
• Final words from jet came after systems shutdown
• US rejects Crimea vote, cites Russian intimidation
• Ukraine says forces control and secure gas network
• EU to adopt Russia sanctions as Crimea crisis deepens
• Serbia's centre-right wins snap poll by landslide: estimate
• Crimeans vote overwhelmingly to leave Russia
• Zangerl, Smith win ski cross events in Sweden
• More clashes in Caracas after anti-Cuba protest
• EU mulling next steps against Russia over Ukraine
• Obama to Putin: U.S. ready to 'impose additional costs' for Ukraine
• PSG beats Saint-Etienne 2-0 in France
• Magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocks Chile: USGS
• Pirlo's late goal helps Juventus beat Genoa 1-0
• Egypt leader says public opposes the Brotherhood
• Russia can turn U.S. to radioactive ash: Kremlin-backed journalist
• Sabathia pitches 5 hitless innings, Yankees win

Crimeans vote over 90 percent to quit Ukraine for Russia Posted: 16 Mar 2014 02:25 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". With over half the votes counted, 95.5 percent had chosen the option of annexation by Moscow, the head of the referendum commission, Mikhail Malyshev, said two hours after polls closed. Western powers and leaders in Kiev denounced it as a sham. Underlining how Moscow's military takeover of the peninsula two weeks ago has driven Russia and the West into a crisis with echoes of the Cold War, Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama spoke by telephone and, according to the Kremlin, the Russian and U.S. presidents agreed on a need to cooperate to stabilize Ukraine.

Police hunt for motive as search for Malaysian jet spans hemispheres Posted: 16 Mar 2014 10:25 AM PDT By Anshuman Daga, Niluksi Koswanage and Tim Hepher KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian investigators are trawling through the backgrounds of the pilots, crew and ground staff who worked on a missing jetliner for clues as to why someone on board flew it perhaps thousands of miles off course, the country's police chief said. Background checks of passengers on Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 have drawn a blank, but not every country whose nationals were on board has responded to requests for information, police chief Khalid Abu Bakar told a news conference on Sunday. No trace of the Boeing 777-200ER has been found since it vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board, but investigators believe it was diverted by someone who knew how to switch off its communications and tracking systems. Malaysia briefed envoys from nearly two dozen nations and appealed for international help in the search for the plane along two arcs stretching from the shores of Caspian Sea to the far south of the Indian Ocean.

Syrian forces fully control rebel stronghold near Lebanon Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:41 PM PDT By Mariam Karouny and Stephen Kalin BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian forces backed by Hezbollah militants took full control of the town of Yabroud on Sunday after driving out rebels, helping President Bashar al-Assad secure the land route connecting the capital Damascus with Aleppo and the Mediterranean coast. The fall of Yabroud, the last rebel bastion near the Lebanese border, could sever a vital insurgent supply line from Lebanon and consolidate government control over a swathe of territory from Damascus to the central city of Homs. A suicide bomber killed three people in a strike on a Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Sunday. Radical Sunni groups have pledged to attack the Shi'ite Muslim militant group in Lebanon until it withdraws from Syria.

North Korea fires 10 short-range missiles: Yonhap Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:22 PM PDT North Korea fired 10 short-range missiles into the sea off the east of the Korean peninsula on Sunday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing unidentified government officials in South Korea. Yonhap said the missiles flew for 70 km (45 miles) before splashing into the sea. North Korea is not banned from short-range missile launches under U.N. sanctions and frequently tests its arsenal. The U.S. State Department said it was closely monitoring the situation after the reports of the missile firing.

Strong quake hits off Chile's North coast, no damage Posted: 16 Mar 2014 05:01 PM PDT A strong quake struck off northern Chile on Sunday evening, triggering a preventive evacuation of part of the coastal area but not causing any injuries or damage to the country's crucial copper mines. The magnitude 6.7 quake, originally measured as a 7.0, was centered 37 miles west-northwest of Iquique and hit at a depth of 12.4 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The ONEMI emergency office said that preliminarily no damage or injuries had been reported after the shake, which struck at 6:16 p.m. local time (2116 GMT). Chile's massive mines, clustered in the mineral-rich North, appeared to be fine.

Kerry urges Abbas to make 'tough decisions' on peace Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:21 PM PDT U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday "to make the tough decisions that will be necessary" before an April 29 deadline for a peace deal with Israel, a U.S. official said. President Barack Obama meets Abbas on Monday, nearly two weeks after the U.S. leader sat down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he was prepared to make a "historic peace" with the Palestinians but offered no concessions in public. Kerry brought Israel and the Palestinians back into negotiations on July 29 after a three-year gap, and said at the time that "our objective will be to achieve a final status agreement over the course of the next nine months." As the April 29 deadline approaches, U.S. officials have scaled back their ambitions, saying they are now trying to forge a "framework for negotiations" by then. Kerry himself suggested on February 26 a full peace deal could take a further nine months.

Liverpool, Arsenal tighten Premier League race Posted: 16 Mar 2014 05:08 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — The Premier League title race is shaping up to be a tight four-way fight after Liverpool and Arsenal both earned away wins at their main traditional rival on Sunday, while Lionel Messi reminded everyone just why he is considered the world's best player by netting a hat trick in Spain.

Another group of 60 migrants tries to enter US Posted: 16 Mar 2014 05:04 PM PDT TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — Sixty Mexican migrants have been detained by U.S. authorities for crossing into the United States from the border city of Tijuana as part of a protest against U.S. immigration policies.

Obama warns Putin that U.S. ready to impose sanctions on Russia Posted: 16 Mar 2014 05:02 PM PDT By Matt Spetalnick and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday the United States rejected the results of a secession referendum in Ukraine's Crimea region and warned that Washington was ready to impose sanctions on Moscow over the crisis. With Washington and its European allies expected to slap "targeted" punitive measures on Russian officials as early as Monday, the White House said Obama made clear to Putin that the dispute could still be resolved diplomatically but that Russia first must halt military incursions into Ukrainian territory.

Top Asian News at 12:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 16 Mar 2014 05:02 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — When someone at the controls calmly said the last words heard from the missing Malaysian jetliner, one of the Boeing 777's communications systems had already been disabled, authorities said Sunday, adding to suspicions that one or both of the pilots were involved in disappearance of the flight. Investigators also examined a flight simulator confiscated from the home of one of the pilots and dug through the background of all 239 people on board, as well as the ground crew that serviced the plane.

Magnitude-6.7 quake hits Chile's northern coast Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:58 PM PDT SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook Chile's northern Pacific shore Sunday, and authorities said more than 100,000 people evacuated some coastal areas as a precaution. Only minor damage was reported.

Crimea votes to join Russia, West mulls new sanctions Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:57 PM PDT Simferopol (Ukraine) (AFP) - Crimeans voted overwhelmingly Sunday to join former political master Russia as tensions soared in the east of the splintered ex-Soviet nation, the epicentre of the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War. Partial results with more than half the ballots counted showed 95.5 percent of voters were in favour of leaving Ukraine, in the most radical redrawing of Europe's map since Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia. Thousands in the regional capital Simferopol cheered the results, with the Russian national anthem ringing out on Lenin Square, later followed by celebratory fireworks. Crimea is going to Russia," revelled Crimean leader Sergiy Aksyonov.

US rejects Crimea vote, warns Russia of 'additional costs' Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:54 PM PDT The United States strongly rejected Crimea's vote Sunday on breaking away from Ukraine, hinting at possible additional sanctions on Russia. In a telephone call, President Barack Obama told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the vote that found 95.5 percent of ballots in favor of the Crimean Peninsula leaving Ukraine to rejoin Russia violated the Ukrainian constitution. "President Obama emphasized that the Crimean 'referendum,' which violates the Ukrainian constitution and occurred under duress of Russian military intervention, would never be recognized by the United States and the international community," the White House said in a statement.

Church services remember those lost in NYC blast Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:48 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — As workers cleared some of the last of the rubble Sunday from the site of a massive explosion this week in New York City, a pair of congregations gathered to mourn — one for its lost church and one for two members who were killed in the blast.

Anti-government marchers in Caracas slam Cuban 'invader' Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:44 PM PDT Hundreds of anti-government protesters marched Sunday against Cuban meddling in Venezuela's domestic affairs. Under the late elected socialist revolutionary leader Hugo Chavez, Venezuela forged tight ties with Cuba, becoming its closest regional ally and economic mainstay of the Americas' only communist regime. The close bilateral alliance, which includes military and security cooperation, is still pursued under President Nicolas Maduro's year-old government. At least 28 people have been killed and 400 injured in the student-led protests that began February 4 in western Venezuela and spread to Caracas and other cities.

'Star Trek' actor Chris Pine pleads guilty to DUI Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:35 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Hollywood actor Chris Pine, known for playing Captain Kirk in the "Star Trek" movies, has pleaded guilty in a New Zealand court to drunken-driving charges.

Crimeans vote to leave Ukraine, join Russia Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:35 PM PDT SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) — Just two weeks after Russian troops seized their peninsula, Crimeans voted Sunday to leave Ukraine and join Russia, overwhelmingly approving a referendum that sought to unite the strategically important Black Sea region with the country it was part of for some 250 years.

St. Pat's festivities kick off amid tensions in US Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:33 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.

Final words from jet came after systems shutdown Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:16 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — When someone at the controls calmly said the last words heard from the missing Malaysian jetliner, one of the Boeing 777's communications systems had already been disabled, authorities said Sunday, adding to suspicions that one or both of the pilots were involved in disappearance of the flight.

US rejects Crimea vote, cites Russian intimidation Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:05 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that Crimea's vote to secede from Ukraine and join Russia would never be recognized by the United States.

Ukraine says forces control and secure gas network Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:02 PM PDT The Ukrainian interior ministry said on Sunday its forces had taken full control of the country's gas transport and distribution system and put it under special guard. Ukraine is in turmoil following last month's overthrow of the Moscow-backed president and the Russian takeover of the Crimea peninsula. With the Kremlin warning that it might send forces to protect Russian speakers from Ukrainian nationalists, Ukrainian media have quoted one prominent far-right group saying it could punish a Russian invasion by attacking pipelines that carry Russia's gas exports through Ukraine to Western Europe.

EU to adopt Russia sanctions as Crimea crisis deepens Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:02 PM PDT By Adrian Croft and Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will raise the stakes in a confrontation with Russia over Ukraine on Monday by slapping sanctions on Russian officials, a day after voters in Ukraine's Crimea region opted to join Russia in a referendum the EU condemned as illegal. EU diplomats worked late into the night on Sunday, haggling over a list of people in Crimea and Russia who will be hit with travel bans and asset freezes for actions which "threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine." The initial list of 120 to 130 names, including senior figures in Russia's military and political establishment, will be whittled down to perhaps "tens or scores" of people before EU foreign ministers take the final decision in Brussels on Monday, diplomats say.

Serbia's centre-right wins snap poll by landslide: estimate Posted: 16 Mar 2014 04:01 PM PDT Serbia's ruling centre-right SNS party was set for a landslide victory in snap polls Sunday, according to estimates, cementing its grip on power after pledging tough economic reforms and a route into the EU. The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won around 50 percent of the vote, giving it a majority in the 250-seat parliament, independent electoral monitors CESID said. If confirmed in final results, it would be the highest score in Serbia's parliamentary elections after the fall of communism in 1990, when late strongman Slobodan Milosevic came to power. The SNS and its leader Aleksandar Vucic -- now set to become the next premier -- had called early polls afer Belgrade won support from Brussels to begin EU membership talks only after a historic accord with the breakaway region of Kosovo last year.

Crimeans vote overwhelmingly to leave Russia Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:59 PM PDT SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) — Just two weeks after Russian troops seized their peninsula, Crimeans voted Sunday to leave Ukraine and join Russia, overwhelmingly approving a referendum that sought to unite the strategically important Black Sea region with the country it was part of for more than two centuries.

Zangerl, Smith win ski cross events in Sweden Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:58 PM PDT ARE, Sweden (AP) — Thomas Zangerl beat Austrian teammate Andreas Matt in a ski cross event Sunday for his first career freestyle World Cup victory, while Switzerland's Fanny Smith earned her second win in two days in the women's race.

More clashes in Caracas after anti-Cuba protest Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:57 PM PDT By Deisy Buitrago and Esteban Israel CARACAS (Reuters) - Opponents of Venezuela's socialist government marched on Sunday to protest against alleged Cuban interference in the armed forces, with clashes breaking out afterwards in a Caracas square. Several thousand people marched towards the Carlota military air base in the latest of daily demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro's government that began in early February. Security forces stopped them from reaching the base, however, and some student protesters went instead to Plaza Altamira, an opposition stronghold, where they threw stones at troops firing rounds of tear gas. Militant opposition leaders and students have been urging Venezuelans onto the streets to protest over issues ranging from crime and shortages of goods to the presence of Cuban advisers in Venezuela's army and other state institutions.

EU mulling next steps against Russia over Ukraine Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:57 PM PDT BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Sunday condemned the referendum in Ukraine's Crimea as illegal and is taking steps to increase sanctions against Russia over what many believe is a planned annexation of the bordering peninsula.

Obama to Putin: U.S. ready to 'impose additional costs' for Ukraine Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:54 PM PDT President Barack Obama told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Sunday that the United States rejected the results of a referendum in Ukraine's Crimea region and warned that Washington was ready to impose sanctions on Moscow over the crisis. "He (Obama) emphasized that Russia's actions were in violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and that, in coordination with our European partners, we are prepared to impose additional costs on Russia for its actions," the White House said in a statement. Obama told Putin the crisis could still be resolved diplomatically, but said the Russian military would need to first stop its "incursions" into Ukraine, the White House said.

PSG beats Saint-Etienne 2-0 in France Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:43 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain beat Saint-Etienne 2-0 Sunday to retain its eight-point lead over Monaco at the top of the French league.

Magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocks Chile: USGS Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:41 PM PDT A powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake jolted Chile's northwestern coast Sunday, US geologists said, though there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries. The quake struck at 5:16 pm (2116 GMT), according to the US Geological Survey, which had originally said that two quakes rattled the area within a minute of each other. Chile's national Emergency Office (Onemi) said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to infrastructure. Meanwhile, the US National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin that "earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicenter,"

Pirlo's late goal helps Juventus beat Genoa 1-0 Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:38 PM PDT MILAN (AP) — Andrea Pirlo's late goal saw Juventus maintain its charge to a third successive Serie A title as it beat Genoa 1-0 on Sunday to extend its lead to 17 points.

Egypt leader says public opposes the Brotherhood Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:37 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's interim leader on Sunday said that the general public opposes the inclusion of the Muslim Brotherhood in the political process because he said it uses violence.

Russia can turn U.S. to radioactive ash: Kremlin-backed journalist Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:36 PM PDT By Lidia Kelly MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Kremlin-backed journalist issued a stark warning to the United States about Moscow's nuclear capabilities on Sunday as the White House threatened sanctions over Crimea's referendum on union with Russia. "Russia is the only country in the world that is realistically capable of turning the United States into radioactive ash," television presenter Dmitry Kiselyov said on his weekly current affairs show. Kiselyov was named by President Vladimir Putin in December as the head of a new state news agency whose task will be to portray Russia in the best possible light. His remarks took a propaganda war over events in Ukraine to a new level as tensions rise in the East-West standoff over Crimea, a southern Ukrainian region which is now in Russian forces' hands and voted on Sunday on union with Russia.

Sabathia pitches 5 hitless innings, Yankees win Posted: 16 Mar 2014 03:35 PM PDT PANAMA CITY (AP) — CC Sabathia pitched five hitless innings Sunday and the New York Yankees bounced back after getting no-hit a day earlier to beat the Miami Marlins 7-0 in Mariano Rivera's home country.

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