| And they're off! Horse race begins Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:22 AM PDT  Just about everyone planning a U.S. presidential run has started campaigning.
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| Dutch Jesuit priest who stayed behind in Syria to help found shot dead Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:05 AM PDT  Dutch priest Frans van der Lugt, who gained renown for his insistence on staying in Syria's besieged city of Homs, was shot dead there on Monday by a masked gunman. His death was reported by the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syria's state news agency SANA, and was confirmed by the Dutch Jesuit Order. The motive for his murder was unclear, although Syria's main opposition bloc accused the regime of President Bashar al-Assad of being behind it. Van der Lugt, 75, had become a well-known figure in the Old City of Homs, respected by many for his solidarity with residents of the rebel-held area under a government siege for nearly two years.
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| Chili's cancels autism event over vaccine backlash Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:29 AM PDT  Chili's cancels fundraising for autism group after backlash over its vaccination stance
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| Girl missing, 100 rescued after storms spark flash flooding Posted: 07 Apr 2014 09:12 AM PDT  A 9-year-old girl appeared to have been swept away by flash floods triggered by severe storms in Mississippi and more than 100 people were rescued from deluged apartment buildings in Alabama, authorities said on Monday. Firefighters in a Birmingham, Alabama, suburb worked for six hours to evacuate residents by boat and rope pulls after swift waters from a nearby creek flooded their apartments, said Homewood Fire Department Lieutenant Gus Murphree. Authorities in Mississippi were still searching for the young girl, believed to have been carried away by flash-flood waters triggered by storms that were expected to head north into the eastern United States. The missing child was from Yazoo County, where flooding had affected homes and businesses, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said.
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| Navy may have figured out to turn seawater into fuel Posted: 07 Apr 2014 08:05 AM PDT  The US Navy believes it has finally worked out the solution to a problem that has intrigued scientists for decades: how to take seawater and use it as fuel. The development of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel is being hailed as "a game-changer" because it would signficantly shorten the supply chain, a weak link that makes any force easier to attack. The US has a fleet of 15 military oil tankers, and only aircraft carriers and some submarines are equipped with nuclear propulsion. Vice Admiral Philip Cullom declared: "It's a huge milestone for us."
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| As Pistorius takes the stand, South Africans ask: Is he one of us? Posted: 07 Apr 2014 09:37 AM PDT  Take away the Dutch-inflected surnames of most of the protagonists and witnesses, and the trial of Pistorius, on charges that he murdered his girlfriend, sometimes feels almost placeless — a splashy celebrity whodunit that could have happened anywhere in the West. Here in South Africa, however, it has become far more personal, and the question of his guilt or innocence has cut unexpected lines across this socially and economically divided country. Pistorius told a three-judge panel he was "simply trying to protect Reeva" when, on Valentine's Day last year, he shot through a bathroom door four times, killing her instead of what he thought was an intruder. The prosecution argues the sprinter shot Reeva Steenkamp after a bout of angry shouting. While Pistorius could have been cross-examined today, the chief judge, Thokozile Masipa, ended the trial early, accepting the defense argument that the defendant had not slept the night before and was exhausted.
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| Lyndon Johnson's daughters reflect on Civil Rights anniversary Posted:  Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Bird Johnson Robb say he would have supported gay marriage.
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| 'Never again': Weeping Rwandans recall horrific genocide 20 years later Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:36 AM PDT  By Jenny Clover KIGALI (Reuters) - The United Nations chief told a packed stadium of sombre and weeping Rwandans on Monday the world would "never again" let genocide tear their nation apart, at a ceremony marking 20 years since 800,000 people were butchered. A host of leaders and donors attended the commemoration, but France - an ally of the Rwandan government that ruled before the genocide - did not take part after rebel-turned-president, Paul Kagame, renewed charges of Paris' "direct role" in the killings. France has acknowledged mistakes in its dealings with Rwanda. Some in the crowd in Kigali were overcome with emotion on hearing a survivor's account and stewards had to lead them out of the stadium.
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| 'I'm scared to sleep,' testifies a tearful Pistorius in trial Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:01 AM PDT  By David Dolan PRETORIA (Reuters) - His voice trembling with emotion, Oscar Pistorius took the witness stand in his own defense on Monday, saying the Valentine's Day shooting of his girlfriend last year had left him sleepless, terrified and plagued by nightmares. The disabled South African track star, on trial for murder, apologized to the mother of model Reeva Steenkamp, saying he had fired four times through a toilet door at his luxury Pretoria home in the belief he was defending her from an intruder. Steenkamp, a law graduate and model, was hit by at least three rounds, one of which - to the head - killed her almost instantly, the court has heard. "I was simply trying to protect Reeva," Pistorius told the Pretoria High Court at the start of his testimony.
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| Iconic Hollywood actor Mickey Rooney dies at 93 Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:57 AM PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mickey Rooney's approach to life was simple: "Let's put on a show!" He spent nine decades doing it, on the big screen, on television, on stage and in his extravagant personal life. |
| Possible signals from jet's black boxes heard Posted: 07 Apr 2014 04:23 AM PDT  Officials warn it may take days to confirm if pings came from MH370's flight recorders.
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| Emotional Pistorius testifies in his murder trial Posted: 07 Apr 2014 03:49 AM PDT PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — An emotional Oscar Pistorius began testifying in his murder trial with an apology to the family of Reeva Steenkamp, the girlfriend he killed last year in his home. |
| Legendary star Mickey Rooney dies at 93 Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:35 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mickey Rooney's approach to life was simple: "Let's put on a show!" He spent nine decades doing it, on the big-screen, on television, on stage and in his extravagant personal life.
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| Pistorius apologizes at his murder trial Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:05 AM PDT  PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Stifling sobs, Oscar Pistorius took the witness stand Monday in his murder trial and apologized to the family of the girlfriend he shot dead, describing himself as traumatized and now on antidepressant medication, and sometimes waking from nightmares to the "smell of blood."
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| Court rejects early appeal of surveillance ruling Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:48 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday declined an early look at a constitutional challenge to the National Security Agency's bulk collection of millions of Americans' telephone records, instead allowing the dispute to work its way through the usual lower-court process. |
| Wails, sobs: Rwanda marks 20 years since genocide Posted: 07 Apr 2014 09:46 AM PDT  KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Displaying both pride and pain, Rwandans on Monday marked the 20th anniversary of a devastating 100-day genocide that saw packed churches set on fire and machete-wielding attackers chop down whole families from a demonized minority.
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| Peaches Geldof dies at age 25 Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:55 AM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Peaches Geldof, the model and television presenter who was concert organizer Bob Geldof's daughter, has died at age 25.
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| Mystery surrounds death of Tenn. twins in home Posted: 07 Apr 2014 04:14 AM PDT  CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Strange, sad and macabre, the discovery of the skeletal remains of twin brothers Andrew and Anthony Johnson has mystified neighbors and others in Chattanooga and beyond. Each man was found seated in an easy chair inside the modest home they shared for decades, and where they apparently died together about three years ago, with no obvious signs of foul play.
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| Drew Carey makes 'The Price Is Right' his own Posted: 07 Apr 2014 05:47 AM PDT  LOS ANGELES (AP) — There's so much noise during an episode of "The Price Is Right" that producers of the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful," which is taping nearby, need to be aware of the game show's schedule so the rowdiness doesn't disrupt the filming of a love scene.
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| Oscar Pistorius takes witness stand for first time Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:47 AM PDT PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — His voice shaking, Oscar Pistorius took the witness stand Monday for the first time, testifying that he was trying to protect the girlfriend he killed and that he became so tormented by memories of the fatal shooting and panic attacks that he once hid helplessly in a closet. |
| First women joining Palestinian commando unit Posted: 07 Apr 2014 12:16 AM PDT  JERICHO, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian women in combat fatigues and headscarves rappelled down a six-story tower, fired assault rifles at imaginary terrorists and in a drill straight out of the movies bundled a would-be VIP into a car and sped off after a shooting.
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| Iran Guards say dismantle foreign-linked spy ring Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:40 AM PDT TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard says its agents have dismantled an alleged espionage network with links to foreign intelligence agencies seeking to sabotage key industrial and military sites in the country. |
| A look at key points of Pistorius' testimony Posted: 07 Apr 2014 09:44 AM PDT  PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Oscar Pistorius began testifying at his murder trial Monday by apologizing to the family of the girlfriend he shot dead last year, saying as he held back sobs that he was trying to protect Reeva Steenkamp when he fired four times through a toilet cubicle door.
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| US women's soccer coach Tom Sermanni fired Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:35 AM PDT  CHICAGO (AP) — Tom Sermanni coached the U.S. women's soccer team to a 2-0 win over China in Colorado in the afternoon. By evening, he was out of a job.
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| UConn, Notre Dame advance to historic title game Posted: 07 Apr 2014 12:46 AM PDT  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Women's basketball came away a winner Sunday night. After a season-long buildup, the NCAA tournament will be decided by the perfect championship game.
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| Protests in eastern Ukraine aimed at bringing in Russian troops, warns PM Posted: 07 Apr 2014 01:51 AM PDT By Richard Balmforth and Natalia Zinets KIEV (Reuters) - Protests in eastern Ukraine in which pro-Russian activists seized public buildings in three cities are part of a plan to destabilize Ukraine and bring in Russian troops, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Monday. Saying Russian troops were within a 30 km (19 mile) zone from the Ukrainian border, Yatseniuk told a government meeting: "An anti-Ukrainian plan is being put into operation ... under which foreign troops will cross the border and seize the territory of the country. Pro-Russian protesters in the east seized official buildings in three cities - Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk - on Sunday night, demanding that referendums be held on whether to join Russia. A similar move preceded a Russia-backed takeover of Crimea in March followed by annexation of the peninsula by Russia. |
| Ortiz-Obama selfie sparks White House controversy Posted: 06 Apr 2014 11:49 AM PDT  A controversial selfie with President Barack Obama taken by David Ortiz during a visit to the White House by the Boston Red Sox last week may be the last, senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said on Sunday.
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| Jeb Bush says he'll make decision on bid this year Posted: 06 Apr 2014 08:59 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.
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| NASA training humanoid robot to perform surgery Posted: 06 Apr 2014 09:10 AM PDT  Robonaut 2, NASA's humanoid robot currently inhabiting the International Space Station, hasn't done much exciting work up there since its arrival three years ago. But according to officials, the plan is for the robot to eventually perform surgery.
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| Pelosi: Cheney 'proud' CIA misled Posted: 06 Apr 2014 08:57 AM PDT  Ahead of the release of a Senate Intelligence Committee report that is expected to say the CIA misled the government and the American people about its interrogation techniques, Nancy Pelosi is placing the blame squarely on the former vice president.
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