| Islamic State truck bomb kills at least 60 people south of Baghdad Posted: 06 Mar 2016 09:21 AM PST  A truck bomb at an Iraqi checkpoint south of Baghdad killed at least 60 people and wounded more than 70 on Sunday, medical and security officials said, and Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blast. The suicide attack, involving an explosive-laden fuel tanker, is the second deadliest this year after one on Feb. 28 that killed 78 people in Sadr City, a Shi'ite district of Baghdad. This was also claimed by the ultra-hardline Sunni group that controls vast swathes of territory in Iraq and in Syria.
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| At least nine dead, dozens injured in attacks against Kurdish quarter in Aleppo Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:51 PM PST At least nine civilians were killed and dozens were wounded on Sunday when mortars and rockets were fired by insurgents on a mainly Kurdish residential quarter in the northern city of Aleppo, the Syrian Kurdish YPG group and a monitor said on Sunday. Spokesperson Redur Xelil, an official from the People's Protection Unit (YPG), said the attacks on the Sheikh Maqsoud quarter of the city killed nine civilians, including four children, two women and three men. Earlier state run Ikhbariya television station said in a news flash 14 were dead and at least 40 injured when mortars were fired by what it described as "terrorists" in rebel-held parts of Aleppo hit Sheikh Maqsoud. |
| EU talks tough on migrants from Turkey, uneasy over rights Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:02 PM PST  By Alastair Macdonald and Francesco Guarascio BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union hopes a summit with Turkey on Monday can start putting an end to the chaotic arrivals of migrants in Greece and halt their treks through the Balkans toward Germany, diplomats said on Sunday. The meeting in Brussels will set out a tougher position on taking in migrants who reach Greece and formalize the closing of borders against those heading north from there. The EU leaders are also likely to tell Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of their concern about human rights after the Turkish government seized control of a critical newspaper over the weekend.
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| U.S. builds two air bases in Kurdish-controlled north Syria: Kurdish report Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:04 PM PST The United States has nearly finished setting up an air base in Kurdish-controlled northern Syria and was proceeding with the construction of a second base for dual military and civilian use, a Kurdish website said on Sunday. A spokesman for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, however, the United States was not taking control of any airfields in Syria. The Erbil-based news website BasNews, quoting a military source in the Kurdish-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), said most of the work on a runway in the oil town of Rmeilan in Hasaka was complete while a new air base southeast of Kobani, straddling the Turkish border, was being constructed. |
| Iraq PM Abadi secures Shi'ite support for cabinet change plan: state TV Posted: 06 Mar 2016 11:57 AM PST  Iraq's main Shi'ite groups on Sunday voiced support for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's plan to overhaul the government and combat corruption, state TV said. The broadcaster cited a statement issued by the National Alliance, a loose gathering of Shi'ite groups that controls the majority of seats in parliament, after a meeting with Abadi in the Shiite holy city of Kerbala, south of Baghdad. Abadi, 19 months into his four-year term, said in February that he wanted to replace politically-appointed ministers with technocrats in a bid to weaken the current system which distributes positions along ethnic and sectarian lines, creating patronage networks blamed for breeding corruption.
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| Pakistani lawyers' group behind spike in blasphemy cases Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:10 PM PST  A little-known alliance of hundreds of lawyers in Pakistan is behind the rise in prosecutions for blasphemy, a crime punishable by death that goes to the heart of an ideological clash between reformers and religious conservatives. The stated mission of the Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Lawyers' Forum and its leader Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry is uncompromising: to use its expertise and influence to ensure that anyone insulting Islam or the Prophet Mohammad is charged, tried and executed. There is no alternative," Chaudhry told supporters crammed into his small office behind the towering red-brick High Court building in the eastern city of Lahore.
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| German women score 2 goals in 2nd half to beat England 2-1 Posted: 06 Mar 2016 04:46 PM PST  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Babett Peter scored on a penalty kick in the 82nd minute, helping Germany rally with two second-half goals in beating England 2-1 Sunday in the SheBelieves Cup.
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| Fiji beats Australia to win Las Vegas Sevens Posted: 06 Mar 2016 04:43 PM PST LAS VEGAS (AP) — Fiji rallied from 15-0 down at halftime to beat Australia 21-15 in the final of the Las Vegas Sevens on Sunday, opening a five-point lead in the World Series. |
| AP Interview: NATO expands migrant mission in Aegean Sea Posted: 06 Mar 2016 04:43 PM PST  BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO announced Sunday that it was expanding its mission to help choke off the smuggling of migrants into Europe by deploying warships in Greek and Turkish waters, reinforcing its flotilla and deepening cooperation with the European Union's Frontex border agency.
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| Van Gaal warns United need care and attention Posted: 06 Mar 2016 04:38 PM PST  Louis van Gaal insisted that Spanish international Juan Mata should have shown more care after his red card played a big part in Manchester United suffering a blow to their hopes of Champions League qualification. Mata paid a heavy price for two moments of madness in the space of three minutes and that proved costly as United missed out on the chance to stay in close touch with fourth-placed Manchester City at the Hawthorns. Venezuelan international Salomon Rondon fired home the 66th minute winner which inflicted United's first-ever Premier League defeat at the Hawthorns and left them down in sixth place in the race for a top four spot.
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| China's CO2 emissions may have peaked in 2014: study Posted: 06 Mar 2016 04:28 PM PST  By David Stanway BEIJING (Reuters) - China's carbon emissions, by far the world's highest, may have peaked in 2014, according to a study published on Monday, potentially putting Beijing under pressure to toughen its climate pledges. China has promised to bring greenhouse gas emissions to a peak by "around 2030" as part of its commitments to a global pact to combat global warming, signed in Paris last year. The study, by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the London School of Economics, said that the 2030 peak was a very conservative estimate.
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| Britain to send boats for NATO migrant mission Posted: 06 Mar 2016 04:14 PM PST  Britain is to send several vessels to take part in a NATO mission to tackle people smugglers in the Aegean Sea, Prime Minister David Cameron announced Monday as European leaders met to discuss a migration crisis. Cameron announced that the Royal Navy would send the amphibious landing ship RFA Mounts Bay, which would join two Border Force cutters and a chartered civilian vessel already in the sea between Greece and Turkey, a key crossing point for refugees and migrants heading to the European Union. The British ships will join vessels from Canada, Germany, Greece and Turkey on the unprecedented mission, launched earlier this month to help the European Union cope with its worst migration crisis since World War II.
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| Pakistani lawyers' group behind spike in blasphemy cases Posted: 06 Mar 2016 04:10 PM PST  A little-known alliance of hundreds of lawyers in Pakistan is behind the rise in prosecutions for blasphemy, a crime punishable by death that goes to the heart of an ideological clash between reformers and religious conservatives. The stated mission of the Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Lawyers' Forum and its leader Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry is uncompromising: to use its expertise and influence to ensure that anyone insulting Islam or the Prophet Mohammad is charged, tried and executed. There is no alternative," Chaudhry told supporters crammed into his small office behind the towering red-brick High Court building in the eastern city of Lahore.
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| Authorities: US man held in girlfriend's death in Mexico Posted: 06 Mar 2016 04:10 PM PST PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — A U.S. man is being held in the death of his American girlfriend in the Caribbean resort city of Playa del Carmen, Mexican authorities said Sunday. |
| Battle between rival chairmen of Libya's $67 billion fund reaches UK court Posted: 06 Mar 2016 04:04 PM PST  By Claire Milhench LONDON (Reuters) - A long-running dispute over the leadership of Libya's $67 billion sovereign wealth fund reaches London's High Court on Monday, potentially paving the way for litigation against two global investment banks to move forward. The Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) wants to pursue Goldman Sachs and Societe Generale in the English courts for more than $3 billion it claims was mismanaged. The fund, however, is mired in a power struggle between two rival chairmen, Hassan Bouhadi and AbdulMagid Breish.
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| Head of business group resigns in Brexit row Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:52 PM PST  The head of a major British business group resigned from his post on Sunday after publicly backing leaving the European Union, sparking a row over whether he had stepped down due to political pressure. John Longworth stepped down as head of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) after he expressed support for Britain leaving the EU at the group's annual conference, despite the BCC's official stance of neutrality. In a statement, BCC president Nora Senior said that "no politician or interest" had influenced Longworth's decision, saying that his expression of pro-Brexit views was "likely to create confusion" on the group's neutral stance.
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| Marco Rubio easily wins Republican primary in Puerto Rico Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:46 PM PST  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida easily won Puerto Rico's Republican presidential primary election Sunday, with supporters saying he would help lift the island out of its long economic slump.
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| Alex Morgan scores in stoppage time as US beats France 1-0 Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:36 PM PST  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Alex Morgan scored a minute into second-half stoppage time, Hope Solo posted her 97th career shutout, and the United States beat France 1-0 on Sunday in the SheBelieves Cup.
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| Porto loses ground to leader Benfica after 3-1 loss to Braga Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:35 PM PST LISBON, Portugal (AP) — FC Porto lost 3-1 to Braga to drop six points behind leader Benfica in the Portuguese league on Sunday. |
| N. Korea threatens pre-emptive nuclear strike on South, US Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:31 PM PST  North Korea threatened "indiscriminate" nuclear strikes against South Korea and the US mainland, as the two allies prepared to kick off large-scale joint military drills on Monday. The threat to carry out what it described as a "pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice" was made in a statement by the North's powerful National Defence Commission, citing the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army (KPA). It came just days after leader Kim Jong-Un ordered the country's nuclear arsenal to be placed on standby for use "at any moment," in response to tough new UN sanctions imposed over the North's fourth nuclear test in January and last month's long-range rocket launch.
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| Suicide attack kills at least 47 south of Iraqi capital Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:31 PM PST  HILLAH, Iraq (AP) — A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden fuel truck into a security checkpoint south of Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 47 people and wounding dozens, officials said.
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| Australia to face Fiji in Vegas 7s final Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:28 PM PST  Australia battled through to the final of the Las Vegas Sevens on Sunday after two penalty tries handed them a narrow 14-12 semi-final victory over Southern Hemisphere rivals South Africa. South Africa looked to have done enough as they led 12-7 with just seconds remaining and Australia down to six men after Quade Cooper's sin-binning at the Sam Boyd Stadium.
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| Top Asian News 11:24 p.m. GMT Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:24 PM PST SYDNEY (AP) — The shifts on board the ship are punishing: 12 hours on, 12 hours off, seven days a week, for a month straight — though pingpong and poker during the downtime help break up the monotony. But for the American man who designed a sonar device being used in the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, spending nearly six months at sea searching for the plane was something of an honor. With that honor has come the weight of responsibility — for the families of the 239 people on board the vanished plane still desperate for answers. Now, with the search of a remote patch of ocean off Australia's west coast drawing to a close and the plane's wreckage proving stubbornly elusive, Jay Larsen is among those feeling the pressure. |
| Monotony and 'moments of terror' mark search for Flight 370 Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:23 PM PST  SYDNEY (AP) — The shifts on board the ship are punishing: 12 hours on, 12 hours off, seven days a week, for a month straight — though pingpong and poker during the downtime help break up the monotony. But for the American man who designed a sonar device being used in the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, spending nearly six months at sea searching for the plane was something of an honor.
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| Byung Ho Park hits slam for 1st spring HR, Twins beat Rays Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:23 PM PST  PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — Korean slugger Byung Ho Park hit a grand slam for his first spring training homer, helping the Minnesota Twins beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Sunday.
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| Messi scores 2 as Barcelona strike force reaches 100 goals Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:15 PM PST  MADRID (AP) — Lionel Messi continued his impressive form by scoring two goals in Barcelona's 4-0 win over Eibar in the Spanish league on Sunday, as the strike force of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar reached a total of 100 goals this season in all competitions.
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| Panathinaikos beats Atromitos 2-0; Olympiakos game postponed Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:13 PM PST ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Third-place Panathinaikos beat Atromitos 2-0 Sunday with debut goals by new additions Lucas Evangelista and Lucas Villafanez. |
| Slater, Burrell get England Six Nations call Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:12 PM PST  London (AFP) - Leicester forward Ed Slater and Northampton centre Luther Burrell were Sunday called into England's training squad for next weekend's Six Nations clash with Wales.
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| Peyton Manning's 18-year NFL career filled with highlights Posted: 06 Mar 2016 03:04 PM PST  ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Peyton Manning's resume is stocked with dozens of records, one-of-a-kind performances and enough highlights to make a Netflix series worthy of binge-watching.
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| IAAF to investigate new Russia doping claims Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:47 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — The IAAF said Sunday it will investigate claims that Russia is flouting demands for anti-doping reforms as it seeks readmission to world track and field in time for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. |
| Column: Night of losers is another winner for UFC Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:43 PM PST  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Her face marked and still red, Holly Holm stared blankly ahead as Conor McGregor walked in, looking a lot worse for the wear himself.
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| Twin upsets create big opportunities for UFC's Tate, Diaz Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:41 PM PST  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Moments after Nate Diaz choked out Conor McGregor and punched a big hole in the UFC's plans, Diaz took the microphone and triumphantly, profanely declared his victory was "no surprise!"
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| Flint becomes U.S. Democratic flash point, but residents want action Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:40 PM PST  By John Whitesides FLINT, Mich. (Reuters) - The Flint water crisis has united Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in outrage, but some residents suffering through the city's major public health scandal want more than talking points from the presidential contenders. As Flint becomes the focal point of the Michigan primary battle when it hosts a nationally televised debate on Sunday, residents want to see Clinton and Sanders push harder for funding to replace the city's crumbling water pipes, pay for long-term medical needs and lower their water bills.
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| Russian whistleblower aims to compete at Rio Olympics Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:36 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian whistleblower whose testimony sparked an international doping scandal is planning to return to track and field and compete at the Rio Olympics in August. |
| Lyon routs Guingamp 5-1 in French league Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:30 PM PST PARIS (AP) — Seven-time champion Lyon thrashed Guingamp 5-1 to move back to third place while Marseille's poor home form continued as struggling Toulouse secured a 1-1 draw at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday in the French league. |
| 'Zootopia' sets record opening for Disney Animation Studios Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:17 PM PST  Disney's "Zootopia" bounced its way to $73.7 million in its US opening weekend, a record-setting box office debut for Disney Animation Studios, industry estimates showed Sunday. Analysts said "Zootopia" was helped by very positive reviews as well as the relative lack of other family films currently in theaters. Action thriller "London Has Fallen" was a distant second, earning $21.7 million in its opening weekend, according to the estimates from industry tracker Exhibitor Relations said.
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| Little to separate Chelsea, PSG in Champions League _ again Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:12 PM PST  If the past two seasons are anything to go by, prepare for some drama and late goals at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain meet in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.
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| Juventus restores 3-point lead with 2-0 win at Atalanta Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:08 PM PST  MILAN (AP) — Juventus restored its three-point advantage at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 win at Atalanta on Sunday, while Inter Milan boosted its chances of returning to the Champions League with a 3-1 win over relegation-threatened Palermo.
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| Bomb-making cache found in Northern Ireland Posted: 06 Mar 2016 02:06 PM PST  Police in Northern Ireland on Sunday announced the discovery of a large cache of bomb-making parts and explosives, raising fears of an attack in the province. The bomb-making materials, explosives and partially-constructed devices were found buried in plastic barrels in a forest park in a predominantly unionist area near Larne, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Belfast. "It is too early to link these items to any particular grouping, but we are following a number of lines of inquiry," said Police Service of Northern Ireland detective chief inspector Gillian Kearney.
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| Honduras governing party proposes president for re-election Posted: 06 Mar 2016 01:54 PM PST  Honduras' governing party on Sunday proposed the sitting president as their candidate for 2017 elections, a decision likely to stir fresh debate over re-election, a contentious issue at the heart of a coup just six years ago. Last April, the country's Supreme Court struck down a law that banned presidents from seeking a second term. The fight over presidential re-election led to a bitter political stand-off which ended in a coup against former President Manuel Zelaya in 2009.
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