Obama: Ukraine, Syria not pieces on 'Cold-War chessboard'
The president denies that U.S.-Russian tensions are being played out in the conflicts.
New highly radioactive leak at Japan's Fukushima plant
By Mari Saito TOKYO (Reuters) - The operator of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant said on Thursday that 100 metric tons of highly contaminated water had leaked out of a tank, the worst incident since last August, when a series of radioactive water leaks sparked international alarm. Tokyo Electric Power Co told reporters the latest leak was unlikely to have reached the ocean. "We are taking various measures, but we apologize for worrying the public with such a leak," said Masayuki Ono, a spokesman for the utility, also known as Tepco. "Water is unlikely to have reached the ocean as there is no drainage in that tank area." Tepco said water overflowed from a large storage tank at the site late on Wednesday after a valve had remained open by mistake and sent too much contaminated water into a separate holding area.
ReutersTicket sold in Calif. wins $425M Powerball jackpot
MILPITAS, Calif. (AP) — The lone winning ticket for the $425 million Powerball jackpot was sold at a convenience store in central California, but there was no immediate word on who may have won one of the largest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.
Associated PressReport: US drone may have killed dozen civilians
WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military drone strike in Yemen last December may have killed up to a dozen civilians on their way to a wedding and injured others, including the bride, a human rights group says. U.S. officials say only members of al-Qaida were killed, but they have refused to make public the details of two U.S. investigations into the incident.
Associated PressIOC: Attack on Pussy Riot was 'unsettling'
SOCHI, Russia (AP) — The International Olympic Committee says images of the attack on the Pussy Riot punk group in Sochi are "very unsettling."
Associated Press20 mins agoLos Angeles cardinal unlikely to face charges
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese has agreed to pay $720 million to clergy abuse victims over the past decade and released internal files that showed Cardinal Roger Mahony shielded priests and ordered a surrogate to withhold evidence from police, yet Mahony and other archdiocese leaders are unlikely to face criminal charges.
Associated PressWhatsApp: A $19 billion bet for Facebook
NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is placing a $19 billion bet on reaching its next billion mobile users with the acquisition of WhatsApp, a popular messaging service that lets people send texts, photos and videos on their smartphones.
Associated PressTaliban say they discussed prison swap with US
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Washington has held indirect talks with the Taliban over the possible transfer of five senior Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for a U.S. soldier captured nearly five years ago, a senior Taliban official told The Associated Press.
Associated PressPlan to move base highlights US problem on Okinawa
CAMP SCHWAB, Japan (AP) — For 10 years, Hiroshi Ashitomi has been coming to the beach near his Okinawa home every day to sit. He loves nothing more than the sea around the island, the rare sightings of dugongs and sea turtles, the tan sand and the crags out by the breakwater. He believes the sea is the greatest gift of his ancestors and he wants to pass it on to future generations.
Associated Press32 mins agoHomeland Security warns airlines of new threat
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Homeland Security Department has warned airlines that terrorists could try to hide explosives in shoes. It's the second time in less than three weeks that the government has issued a warning about possible attempts to smuggle explosives on a commercial jetliner.
Associated PressElton John, Kanye among Bonnaroo headliners
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The eclectic trio of Elton John, Kanye West and Jack White will headline this summer's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival.
Associated PressMotorists criticize federal study of drunk driving
READING, Pa. (AP) — Orange cones and flashing police lights confronted Ricardo Nieves as he rounded a bend on the way to his mother's house. Before he knew what was going on, Nieves said a man working for a government contractor stepped in front of his car and forced him to turn into a parking lot. There, a woman repeatedly tried to question him about his driving habits and asked for a mouth swab that would detect the presence of illegal or prescription drugs in his system.
Associated Press43 mins agoUkraine leader names new army chief after clashes
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's protest leaders and the president they aim to oust called a truce Wednesday, just hours after the military raised fears of a widespread crackdown with a vow to defeat "terrorists" responsible for seizing weapons and burning down buildings.
Associated PressBoston College stuns No. 1 Syracuse 62-59 in OT
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — To a man, the Boston College Eagles were convinced of one thing: DK was looking down on them.
Associated Press10 Things to Know for Thursday
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday:
Associated PressFacebook buying messaging app WhatsApp for $19B
NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is buying mobile messaging service WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock, by far the company's largest acquisition and bigger than any that Google, Microsoft or Apple have ever done.
Associated PressU.S. warns of airline shoe-bomb threat
US security officials warned Wednesday about a potential shoe-bomb threat on international flights to the United States, local media reported. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a warning to airlines based on "very recent intelligence" considered credible that assailants would try to attack passenger jets using explosives hidden in shoes, NBC television reported. Officials told NBC that passengers may be subjected to enhanced security screenings and airlines will pay more attention to passengers' shoes. Some airports already require passengers to take off their shoes for security after Richard Reid tried to detonate explosives stashed in his shoes during a Paris-Miami flight just three months after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
AFPSchool employee held in case of missing Mo. girl
Police found "evidence of foul play" in their search for Hailey Owens, authorities say.
Associated PressLawmakers in Washington, Wisconsin look for limits on drones
Both states passed legislation this week restricting the use of unmanned drones.
White House: Violence in Kiev 'completely outrageous'
The White House on Wednesday called the deadly violence on the streets of Kiev "completely outrageous" and renewed its appeal for calm, warning that sanctions against Ukraine could follow. The comments from US Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes came as President Barack Obama headed to Mexico for a summit of North American leaders. Obama was expected to make public comments on Ukraine later in the day, Rhodes told reporters aboard Air Force One. Clashes in the Ukrainian capital between police and anti-government protesters that have claimed 26 lives are "completely outrageous" and "have no place in the 21st century," Rhodes said.
AFP
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