The Latest: Austrian minister says Balkan route is closed 10 Mar 2016, 1:40 am

BERLIN (AP) — The Latest on the continuing issues of mass migration to Europe (all times local):

Revolutionary Guards commander says Iran's missile work will not stop: state TV 10 Mar 2016, 1:28 am

By Parisa Hafezi ANKARA (Reuters) - A senior Revolutionary Guards commander has said that Iran's ballistic missile program will not stop under any circumstances and that Tehran has missiles ready to be fired, according to Iranian state television. Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh made his comments after a series of ballistic missile tests conducted by guard units that drew international concern, including a call by U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for new sanctions against Iran. The tests, which state television said ended on Wednesday night, were seen as a challenge to a United Nations resolution and last year's nuclear accord with world powers under which Tehran agreed to curb its atomic program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.

Trump's positions on trade, alliances could roil Asia ties 10 Mar 2016, 1:25 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — China is ripping off America in trade and should be slapped with a fat import tax. U.S. military allies Japan and South Korea are freeloading and need to pull their weight. The pan-Pacific trade pact negotiated by the Obama administration is a "total disaster."

AP FACT CHECK: Eye-popping claims about Sanders 10 Mar 2016, 1:23 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — How can it be that Bernie Sanders could stand on the side of vigilantes on the border, against the auto industry bailout, against an immigration overhaul that would have eased the plight of people in the country illegally? Can this be the liberal senator his supporters know and love?

Clinton, Sanders engage in fiery debate clashes 10 Mar 2016, 1:20 am

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders clashed forcefully on the debate stage Wednesday, with the Democratic presidential rivals opening lines of attack on immigration in the aftermath of Sanders' stunning upset win in Michigan. Both said they support comprehensive immigration reform and pathways to citizenship for many of the 11 million people living in the shadows. In stark contrast, Republican candidates all say they want no such track to citizenship.

North Korea fires missiles, liquidates Seoul's assets in its territory 10 Mar 2016, 1:19 am

By Jack Kim and Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday in defiance of a U.N. Security Council resolution, as South Korean and U.S. forces conducted massive war games.  The North also announced on Thursday it has scrapped all agreements with the South on commercial exchange projects and would "liquidate" South Korean assets left behind in its territory. North Korea has a large stockpile of short-range missiles and is developing long-range and intercontinental missiles as well. The missiles fired on Thursday flew about 500 km (300 miles) off its east coast city of Wonsan and were likely from the Soviet-developed Scud series, South Korea's defense ministry said.

Iran insists its missile tests do not violate nuclear deal 10 Mar 2016, 1:16 am

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's foreign ministry insisted on Thursday that the missile tests carried out by the country's Revolutionary Guard this week do not violate Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers or a U.N. Security Council resolution.

California auctioneer pleads guilty to $1 mln ivory, rhino horn smuggling 10 Mar 2016, 1:03 am

An executive with a Beverly Hills gallery and auction house has pleaded guilty of conspiring to smuggling at least $1 million in animal products that included rhino horn and elephant ivory, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday. Joseph Chait, 38, a senior auction administrator with I.M. Chait Gallery/Auctioneers, could be sentenced to up to five years in prison on the wildlife smuggling charge, the U.S. Justice Department said. Chait falsified customs forms by stating ivory and rhino horn were made of bone, wood or plastic.

Wrestler sex video trial enters fourth day of testimony 10 Mar 2016, 1:01 am

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jurors in the Hulk Hogan sex video trial will likely see a cross-examination of Mike Foley, a University of Florida journalism professor, when proceedings resume.

No talks on Iranian missile tests between Zarif, Kerry: ISNA 10 Mar 2016, 12:57 am

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his U.S. counterpart John Kerry have not discussed Iran's missile tests, a source told Iran's Students News Agency ISNA on Thursday. "John Kerry has sent emails to Zarif asking for a telephone call to discuss issues, including Iran's missile tests, but it did not happen because Zarif is on an official visit," the source told ISNA.

After Trump endorsement, NASCAR leader faces the fallout 10 Mar 2016, 12:56 am

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — When Brian France endorsed Donald Trump for president, the chairman and chief executive of NASCAR thought of it as nothing more than a "routine endorsement."

Rights group slams sentence cuts in Afghan woman's killing 10 Mar 2016, 12:56 am

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A leading international rights group on Thursday slammed Afghanistan's justice system over the case of a woman beaten to death by a frenzied mob last year, saying the system had bitterly failed Farkhunda Malikzada when it cut the sentences of the 13 men convicted of her murder.

More rain for an already soaked northern Louisiana 10 Mar 2016, 12:56 am

BOSSIER CITY, La. (AP) — A second round of rain early Thursday was hitting an already inundated north Louisiana, where flooding in some places was up to the rooftops and in others submerged cars, stranded families and forced evacuations.

Changes weighed to federal program for ailing, aging inmates 10 Mar 2016, 12:54 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Months after being sent to prison for a fraud conviction, Iowa businessman Clarence Rice began experiencing severe stomach pains that required extended hospital visits. Then came the diagnosis of bile duct cancer — and, with it, the painful acceptance that he'd have just months to live.

Cameron warns of sterling pressure if Britain leaves EU 10 Mar 2016, 12:49 am

A British exit from the European Union would put pressure on sterling, Prime Minister David Cameron will warn on Thursday in a speech outlining the potential costs of voting to leave the bloc in a June referendum. Cameron will make the remarks in a campaign speech as he tries to convince Britons to vote to remain inside the 28-country EU, countering claims from those wanting to leave who say Britain would recover quickly from the shock of an exit. It means hardworking people losing their livelihoods." The pound hit a seven-year low against the dollar last month over worries about a British exit.

UK energy suppliers face price freeze for some customers 10 Mar 2016, 12:49 am

By Karolin Schaps and Nina Chestney LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's biggest energy suppliers will have to freeze prices for 4 million households as part of competition watchdog proposals designed to shake-up a market controlled by just a handful of players. Britons' energy bills doubled over the last decade to around 1,200 pounds ($1,702) a year, angering consumers and prompting an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in 2014 into whether the country's largest energy suppliers have distorted competition. The CMA said that between 2012 and 2015 customers may have been paying around 1.7 billion pounds a year more than they would have done in a competitive market.

Who's best for Hispanics? Clinton, Sanders debate 10 Mar 2016, 12:47 am

MIAMI (AP) — Fighting for Florida and beyond, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders tangled in an intense debate over who's the true friend of American Hispanics, trading accusations over guest worker programs "akin to slavery" and the embracing of "vigilantes" against immigrants.

AI beats human Go grandmaster... again 10 Mar 2016, 12:47 am

A Google-developed supercomputer bested a South Korean Go grandmaster again Thursday, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in a five-game series that has become a stunning global debut for a new style of "intuitive" artificial intelligence (AI). After shocking the world by defeating Lee Se-Dol -- one of the greatest modern players of the ancient board game -- in their opening match on Wednesday, the AlphaGo computer proved it was no fluke with another victory after a gruelling four-and-a-half-hour encounter. The most famous AI victory to date came in 1997 when the IBM-developed supercomputer Deep Blue beat Garry Kasparov, the then-world class chess champion, in its second attempt.

Viewer's Guide: 'Softer' GOP debate? So says Trump, maybe 10 Mar 2016, 12:46 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the Republican Party has declared that he wants Thursday's Republican presidential debate to be "more of a G-rated" event than recent showdowns.

Spain's Abengoa says preliminary deal reached with creditors to avoid bankruptcy 10 Mar 2016, 12:45 am

Spain's renewable energy giant Abengoa said Thursday it had reached a preliminary agreement with its creditors aimed at staving off bankruptcy. Abengoa had been racing to restructure its debt ahead of a March 28 deadline or face going under, in what would be one of Spain's biggest corporate failures. The preliminary deal with its main bankers and bondholders foresees the "restructuring of its financial debt and the group's recapitalisation", as well as a 1.5-1.8-billion-euro ($1.7-2.0 billion) injection, the company said in a statement.

Five dead in US shooting, police seeking suspects 10 Mar 2016, 12:42 am

A shooting at a backyard barbecue in the northeastern US state of Pennsylvania has left five people dead, and at least two suspects are still on the run, police said Thursday. "My baby! My baby!" one woman at the scene could be heard screaming according to WTAE-TV Pittsburgh.

Obama narrowing list of possible Supreme Court candidates 10 Mar 2016, 12:42 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite calls to select a Supreme Court nominee from outside the judicial monastery, President Barack Obama doesn't appear to be ready to leave the faith.

Strike at Nigeria's state oil company suspended after talks: NNPC 10 Mar 2016, 12:36 am

LAGOS (Reuters) - A strike at Nigeria's state oil company has been suspended after talks between trade unions and the company's head, who is also minister of state for petroleum, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said on its Twitter account. The strike began on Wednesday over restructuring at NNPC. (Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram; editing by Susan Thomas)

White House hosts Canada's new young PM with the famous name 10 Mar 2016, 12:33 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justin Trudeau hopes to strengthen U.S.-Canada relations Thursday when the new, young liberal leader makes a much-anticipated visit to the White House.

Cliven Bundy court appearance to draw demonstrators in Vegas 10 Mar 2016, 12:33 am

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Backers of a Nevada rancher at the center of a fight over control of public lands in the West are promising a show of support outside a U.S. courthouse where he's facing charges that he led an armed standoff against federal agents two years ago.

Battle of potty mouths: Mexico's Fox vs. Trump 10 Mar 2016, 12:29 am

San Francisco del Rincón (Mexico) (AFP) - With an F-bomb against Donald Trump that made global headlines, Mexico's former president Vicente Fox expressed the anger felt by his compatriots against the equally potty-mouthed White House hopeful. While Fox has had choice words for the Republican front-runner, the two men actually share some things in common.

Conservative, liberal groups gear up for Supreme Court fight 10 Mar 2016, 12:26 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative and liberal groups are only beginning their battle over the Supreme Court vacancy, with a smattering of television ads and behind-the-scenes research serving as warning shots in what's sure to be an expensive fight that will color November's elections.

EU ministers meet after Balkan migrant route shut 10 Mar 2016, 12:24 am

EU interior ministers were set to meet in Brussels Thursday to discuss the migrant crisis after western Balkan nations slammed shut their borders, exacerbating a dire humanitarian situation on the Macedonian frontier. The scheduled two-day meeting will tackle various areas including a proposed deal with Turkey and the restoration of the visa-free Schengen zone, along with plans for a European border and coastguard system seen as a key step for securing the bloc's frontiers. German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Thursday that closing the route used by migrants through the western Balkans "does not resolve the problem" and that this move is "not sustainable".

Suu Kyi nominates close aide for Myanmar president 10 Mar 2016, 12:24 am

Aung San Suu Kyi was Thursday finally ruled out of the running to become Myanmar's next president, as her party nominated one of her most loyal aides to rule the formerly junta-run nation as her proxy. Suu Kyi has vowed to rule "above" the president, despite being barred from top office by the army-scripted constitution, as she strives to fulfil the huge mandate delivered by millions of voters in her National League for Democracy's landslide election victory in November. Many in Myanmar had clung to faint hopes that the 70-year-old democracy campaigner could still be named president, but months of talks with the powerful military failed to remove the legal obstacles in her way.

Israel looking into police shooting of Palestinian attacker 10 Mar 2016, 12:23 am

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Thursday it is looking into the shooting death of a Palestinian attacker who killed an American student in a stabbing spree earlier this week.

Trump pivots to general election, in his own unorthodox way 10 Mar 2016, 12:22 am

MIAMI (AP) — In his own unorthodox way, Donald Trump is unmistakably evolving into a general election candidate.

Anti-Trump Republicans come to terms with Cruz nomination 10 Mar 2016, 12:19 am

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Anxious Republican officials are coming to terms with the idea that their second least favorite GOP presidential candidate — polarizing Texas conservative Ted Cruz — may be the party's best last chance to stop Donald Trump.

LEADING OFF: Price debuts for Bosox, Chapman goes for Yanks 10 Mar 2016, 12:18 am

A look at what's happening all around spring training in Florida and Arizona today:

VW US chief steps down amid emission scandal 10 Mar 2016, 12:12 am

Volkswagen's straight-talking US chief Michael Horn has quit the automaker as it struggles with the fallout of a massive pollution cheating scandal, a decision that caught the industry by surprise. The departure of Horn, the 54-year-old car executive who made headlines worldwide in September 2015 with his frank admission that VW had "totally screwed up", is effective immediately, Volkswagen said in a statement Wednesday. "During his time in the US, Michael Horn built up a strong relationship with our national dealer body and showed exemplary leadership during difficult times for the brand," said Herbert Diess, chief executive of the Volkswagen passenger cars brand.

Pittsburgh tops Syracuse in possible win-and-in NCAA matchup 9 Mar 2016, 11:59 pm

The second round of the ACC Tournament produced a matchup between old Big East rivals in Pittsburgh and Syracuse on Wednesday that many believed would be an NCAA Tournament eliminator.

Palace complains over report the Queen backs EU exit 9 Mar 2016, 11:46 pm

By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Buckingham Palace said it had launched an official complaint with Britain's press watchdog on Wednesday over a newspaper report that Queen Elizabeth backs a British exit from the European Union, saying the monarch remains politically neutral. Under the front-page headline "Queen backs Brexit", The Sun newspaper quoted unidentified sources as saying that Elizabeth had made her opposition to British membership of the EU clear on at least two occasions over the past decade. "The Queen remains politically neutral, as she has for 63 years," the palace said in a statement.

African Union considers Mali counter-terrorism force 9 Mar 2016, 11:41 pm

By Emma Farge DAKAR (Reuters) - The African Union will send a mission to northern Mali in the next few weeks to look into setting up a counter-terrorism force to support vulnerable U.N. peacekeepers, sources familiar with the matter said. The Bamako government, as well as some officials of the U.N. force in Mali, MINUSMA, have called for more help in fighting al Qaeda-linked insurgents, who have become increasingly active despite the efforts of French, Malian and U.N. troops. Critics say the 10,000-strong U.N. force's ability to bring peace to Mali is hamstrung by its lack of an aggressive counter-terrorism mandate, meaning it cannot hunt down militants and is vulnerable to attack.

Uber seeks to lure cabbies in Africa expansion plan 9 Mar 2016, 11:36 pm

By Drazen Jorgic NAIROBI (Reuters) - U.S.-based Uber plans to expand in Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana this year and will focus on convincing traditional taxi drivers to work for the ride-hailing service, Alon Lits, Uber's general manager for sub-Saharan Africa, said. Traffic-clogged roads, high rates of urban crime and a lack of credit card are big challenges Uber faces in sub-Saharan Africa, where it operates in seven cities in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. In the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Uber's fastest growing market in sub-Saharan Africa, an Uber driver was attacked and his car torched last month after the government rejected calls by Kenya's taxi association to ban the company.

Police: 5 dead, 3 injured in Pennsylvania shooting 9 Mar 2016, 11:33 pm

WILKINSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Five people have been killed in an ambush-style shooting during a backyard party in suburban Pittsburgh and at least two gunmen are at large, police said.

Militants attack checkpoint near Libya's Misrata, air strikes hit Sirte 9 Mar 2016, 11:33 pm

Islamic State militants attacked a checkpoint south of the Libyan city of Misrata on Wednesday, killing three security personnel, a military source said, after an air strike in Sirte killed three children and wounded their mother. Checkpoints south of Misrata are manned by brigades from the city. The Abu Grain checkpoint, about 140 km (85 miles) west of Sirte, was attacked in the late afternoon, hours after the air strikes, raising the possibility that it was a retaliatory move.