Thursday, April 24, 2014

The tiny Pacific nation of the Marshall Islands is taking on the United States and the world's eight other nuclear-armed nations with an unprecedented lawsuit demanding that they meet their obligations toward disarmament and accusing them of "flagrant violations" of international law.

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

As negotiations falter, President Barack Obama is rejecting suggestions that an Asia-Pacific trade deal is in danger and says the U. S. and Japan must take bold steps to overcome differences that are threatening completion of the cornerstone of his strategic rebalance to the region.

A South Sudan military spokesman says the president has replaced the military's chief of staff amid massive fighting across the country between the military and rebels.

China's navy commissioned 17 new warships last year, the most of any nation. In a little more than a decade, it's expected to have three aircraft carriers, giving it more clout than ever in a region of contested seas and festering territorial disputes.

Bankruptcy proceedings have begun for Mt. Gox, a move that was widely expected after the Tokyo District Court decided earlier this month that the bitcoin exchange would not be able to resurrect itself. An administrator will try to sell the company's assets, but many creditors, including those who had bitcoins with the exchange, might not get their money back. After Mt.

European Central Bank head Mario Draghi says the bank's rate-setting council should publish a written account of its deliberations — without names.

Talks between the United States and Japan on a Pacific Rim trade pact have halted for now without any resolution in sight, spoiling plans for a showcase deal during President Barack Obama's visit to Tokyo.

The price of oil rebounded Thursday on worries about tensions in Ukraine. U. S. crude for May delivery added 31 cents to close at $101.75 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The pine tar glistened on Michael Pineda's neck, improving his grip and inviting trouble.

Volkswagen has come closer to realizing its ambition to takeover Scania after the fourth largest shareholder in the Swedish truck maker announced it will accept the 6.7 billion-euro ($9.2 billion) bid.

Accusing Russia of failing to live up to its commitments, President Barack Obama warned Moscow on Thursday that the United States has another round of economic sanctions "teed up" — even as he acknowledged those penalties may do little to influence Vladimir Putin's handling of the crisis in Ukraine.

Greek rescue teams are searching for three people reported missing after a cargo ship sank off the southern island of Crete.

Financial markets rarely stick to the script, and this year is no different.

The day Jonathan Fleming was cleared of the murder that put him behind bars for almost 25 years, he strode out of a courthouse to congratulations from passers-by, a steak dinner with his family and the start of a new life.

Roger Ebert's final blog posting last April ended with his hopeful sign-off, "I'll see you at the movies." The award-winning film critic died two days later.

After weeks of deliberation, a committee is poised to make a final recommendation Thursday on what to do with Oregon's botched health insurance exchange portal.

Vermont lawmakers have passed the country's first state bill to require the labeling of genetically modified foods as such, setting up a war between powerful lobbyists for the behemoth U. S. food industry and an American public that overwhelmingly says it approves of the idea.