Magnitude 7.2 quake strikes Baja California

A strong earthquake south of the U.S.-Mexico border Sunday swayed high-rises in downtown Los Angeles and San Diego and was felt across Southern California and Arizona, knocking out power and breaking pipes in some areas but causing no major damage. The 7.2-magnitude quake struck at 3:40 p.m. in Baja California, Mexico, about 19 miles southeast of Mexicali, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was initially reported as a magnitude-6.9 quake. The updated magnitude was still an estimate,...

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Officials fear ship breaking apart on Barrier Reef

A coal-carrying ship that strayed outside a shipping lane and ran aground in protected waters was leaking oil on Australia's Great Barrier Reef and was in danger of breaking apart, officials said Sunday. The Chinese Shen Neng 1 ran aground late Saturday on Douglas Shoals, a favorite pristine haunt for recreational fishing east of the Great Keppel Island tourist resort. The shoals — off the coast of Queensland state in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park — are in a protected...

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2nd Moscow suicide bomber was teacher

The second Moscow suicide bomber may have been a 28-year-old school teacher from the southern province of Dagestan, a Russian newspaper reported Sunday, quoting the woman's father as saying he recognized her in a photograph. Rasul Magomedov told Novaya Gazeta that an acquaintance sent him a photograph of the subway suicide bomber that has been widely circulated on the Internet. "My wife and I immediately recognized our daughter Maryam," the newspaper quotes...

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Boston win over Cavs

After winning 60 games again, the Cleveland Cavaliers can’t afford to be overconfident. The Boston Celtics failed to capitalize after reaching the milestone last season, and have only regressed since. The Cavaliers, the ninth franchise in league history to post consecutive 60-win seasons, can clinch home-court advantage throughout the playoffs with a win over the foundering Celtics on Sunday afternoon. Cleveland earned its 60th victory Friday night, beating Atlanta 93-88. It’s the 18th...

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Some Stars are back

Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler is on the list. So are Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets. Houston Astros first baseman Lance Berkman, Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street and Seattle Mariners pitcher Cliff Lee are right there, too. You could field a pretty good team with the injured players sitting out opening day. Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox host CC Sabathia and the World Series champion New York Yankees in the major...

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Water bills go up in down economy as usage drops

The grim economy is hitting some consumers in the wallet in yet another way: their water bills. Many water utilities are raising rates because water use is down, in part because manufacturers have closed or are cutting back, tourism has fallen and the real estate market is in the doldrums. Water sales for the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water District in southern Maine fell 11 percent last year, to 1995 levels. The No. 1 reason is the sour economy,...

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Kidnapped Army linguist returns home to San Diego

A U.S. Army linguist returned to his family in Southern California Saturday after more than two months in captivity in Baghdad, according to a National Guard spokeswoman. Issa Salomi arrived home in San Diego and was "resting and beginning his adjustment back to normal life," Maj. Kimberly Holman said in an emailed statement. "He wants to again share that he is healthy, is in good spirits and he adds that he is looking forward to a good home-cooked meal...

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Woods arrives at Augusta National

Tiger Woods is reacquainting himself with Augusta National. He arrived without notice Sunday with about a dozen players on the new practice range. He was wearing a lavender shirt and sunglasses. He chatted with Paul Casey and began hitting balls, then headed to the golf course for a practice round at the Masters. Casey declined to discuss their conversation, only that it was good to see him back. It is rare for Woods to show up on a Sunday...

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Haitians face illegal entry charges in Vermont

The U.S. Border Patrol says it's arrested more than 100 people from Haiti for allegedly illegally entering Vermont from Canada since a massive earthquake devastated the Caribbean nation. In the time since the Jan. 12 earthquake, officials say they've caught 114 Haitians in Vermont who crossed the border illegally. Lawyers assigned to represent the Haitians told the Burlington Free Press that many are coming to the U.S. because they are desperate to be with relatives and loved ones after the quake killed family...

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World's tallest tower in Dubai reopens

The observation deck of the world's tallest skyscraper reopened Sunday in Dubai, two months after an elevator malfunction left visitors trapped more than 120 stories above the ground and forced it to close. Dozens of tourists were lining up Sunday for tickets to take an elevator to the 124th floor of the half-mile-high Burj Khalifa, where the tower's observation deck is located. The deck was shut in February after an elevator packed with visitors got stuck...

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White House braces unemployed for slow job rebound

Buoyed by good news on the jobs front, the White House claimed credit Sunday for reversing the downward economic spiral while bracing out-of-work Americans for a slow recovery. The Obama administration also eased away from confrontation with China over its artificially low currency. The U.S. wants to encourage Beijing's help on nuclear proliferation and new penalties against Iran for its perceived attempts to build a bomb. Given the depth and length of the...

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Suicide bombers target embassies in Iraq, kill 42

Suicide attackers detonated three car bombs in quick succession near foreign embassies in Baghdad on Sunday, killing more than 40 people in coordinated strikes that Iraqi officials said were intended to disrupt efforts to form a new government. The bombings followed the execution-style killings of 24 villagers in a Sunni area two days earlier, a spike in violence that suggests insurgents are seizing on the political uncertainty after the recent election to try to destabilize...

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State TV says 9 rescued from flooded Chinese mine

Nine miners were pulled to safety early Monday after spending more than a week trapped in a flooded coal mine in northern China, and state television reported more survivors may be found. The nine men — among 153 trapped since March 28 — were wrapped in blankets, placed in ambulances and rushed to a hospital where teams of doctors and nurses had been standing by for several days. China Central Television said more people in the Wangjialing mine could still...

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Defense Minister prepares Germans for Afghan 'war'

Germany's defense minister on Sunday for the first time referred to military operations in Afghanistan as a war, while he promised to investigate a friendly fire clash that left six Afghan soldiers dead. Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg broke a government taboo on the politically charged word, preparing Germans to expect more fighting by telling reporters: "Even if not everyone likes it, regarding what happens in parts of Afghanistan, one can colloquially refer to it as...

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Lebron, Wade Update

Considering what LeBron James has already done to help deliver an Olympic gold medal to the United States, he doesn’t understand how skipping this summer’s World Championships could keep him from playing in the 2012 London Games. James said Wednesday that he’s “probably not” playing for Team USA this summer because of his impending free agency and a busy schedule. Dwyane Wade also is leaning toward not playing. USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo responded by telling Yahoo!...

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Huggins consoles Butler in front of millions

Duke cruised to its 10th title-game appearance Saturday night, but the final score and the performances by Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith are as much of "highlight" as the human touch we saw from oft-surly WVU head coach Bob Huggins. Huggins has said he's never coached a better combination of player and person than Da'Sean Butler, and as the senior's college career ended with a knee injury, Huggins came out, defended his player to the officials and had a touching moment with...

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