Ukraine: Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine say voters overwhelmingly cast their ballots yesterday in favor of independence from Ukraine. They said the vote was 90 percent in Donetsk and 96 percent in Luhansk, although the election was conducted in some …

Ukraine: Pro-Russians appear ready to go ahead with an independence referendum tomorrow, despite discouragement from Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ukraine government. Ukraine’s acting President Oleksander Turchinov said the vote “would be a step into the abyss for these …

Nigeria: Boko Haram militants invaded a regional state capital Monday killing at least 310 people, Nigerian authorities say. Some of the victims were reported to have been burned alive in buildings where they hid. The village of Gamboru Ngala is …

Ukraine: Thirty-four rebels and four Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fighting to re-take the city of Sloviansk from pro-Russian gunmen. The fighting in Sloviansk has been the government’s biggest effort to reassert control in Eastern Ukraine as rebels control key …

Nation: Senate Republicans blocked a proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, saying a hike would slow the economy and force employers to shed hundreds of thousands of jobs. The federal minimum is now $7.25. But …

Ferry Disaster: A ferry carrying 462 people, mostly high school students on an overnight passage to a tourist island, sank off South Korea this morning and 280 of the passengers are now missing.  Video showed passengers clinging to the rails …

Search: Searchers in the Southern Indian Ocean are preparing to launch a robotic submersible to look for wreckage from the missing Malaysia Flight 370. They’re hunting about 1,000 miles of the coast of Perth, Australia, where search ships last heard …

Ukraine: Ukrainian officials say an “anti-terrorist” operation is underway to take back buildings occupied by pro-Russian militants in Eastern Ukraine. One Ukrainian security officer was killed today in a gun battle with militants in the eastern city of Sloviansk. One …

Ukraine Crisis: Russian troops have surrounded or taken control of all the Ukraine military bases in Crimea. They are ordering Ukrainian troops to leave. “This is a question of defending our citizens and compatriots, ensuring human rights, especially the right …

Jersey Shore: Federal examiners are looking into whether Gov. Chris Christie’s administration improperly used a portion of $25 million given the state to promote tourism following Hurricane Sandy. The winning bid of $4.7 million for an advertising campaign was $2 …