Trump knocks Rubio out of Republican race, party in chaos

By Steve Holland PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. Republican front-runner Donald Trump swept three states and drove rival Marco Rubio out of the White House race, but the New York billionaire's loss in the crucial state of Ohio wrought more chaos for a party deeply fractured by his candidacy. While the Republican race remained in turmoil on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton's victories in Florida, Illinois, Ohio and North Carolina cast doubt on U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders's ability to overtake her for the Democratic Party's nomination. Trump's wins in Florida, Illinois and North Carolina brought him closer to the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination and left those in the party trying to stop him with a dilemma.

How Rubio’s campaign failed: problems from the start

By Steve Holland and James Oliphant MIAMI (Reuters) - Marco Rubio had all that you need in a Republican presidential candidate: fluency on the issues, a conservative outlook, crossover appeal as a Cuban-American, and youthful good looks.     But in an election year when anyone associated with the Republican establishment is seen as tainted, Rubio ended his campaign after New York real estate mogul Donald Trump won the coveted primary, or nominating contest, in Rubio's home state of Florida on Tuesday. "This may not have been the year for a hopeful and optimistic message about our future," Rubio told supporters as he announced his decision. Rubio attempted to position himself as a new-age Republican, the son of Cuban immigrants who was able to connect with everyday voters with tales of his hard-luck upbringing.

Srinivasan or Garland likely Obama choice for U.S. Supreme Court: source

By Julia Edwards and Joan Biskupic WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is likely to announce either Judge Sri Srinivasan or Judge Merrick Garland as his pick for U.S. Supreme Court nominee and the announcement could come as early as Wednesday, a source familiar with the selection process said. Obama is searching for a replacement for long-serving conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died on Feb. 13. With Scalia's death, the court is divided 4-4 between conservatives and liberals.

After crucial win, Kasich sees path to Republican nomination

By Tim Reid BEREA, Ohio (Reuters) - After a critical win on his home turf, Ohio Governor John Kasich begins a new phase of his long-shot presidential campaign that his aides hope will ultimately propel him past Republican front-runner Donald Trump by triggering a rare contested convention. Kasich's victory in Ohio's primary on Tuesday, along with the departure from the race of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, makes him the party establishment's last hope of stopping the New York billionaire businessman from winning the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election. Trump and his closest rival, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, are deeply unpopular among Republican insiders.

‘A militia of toddlers?’ Iowa bill to let children use handguns divides even 2nd Amendment supporters

The Youth Safety & Parental Rights Act, which would allow children in Iowa to use a handgun in the presence of an adult, has divided the state’s pro-gun community.

Patricia Arquette calls on Congress to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment

One year after her famous Oscars speech about gender-based discrimination, actress Patricia Arquette launched a petition calling for the United States to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

President Obama Calls 'Vicious' 2016 Campaign a 'Race to the Bottom'

President Obama used an annual St. Patrick's Day lunch on Capitol Hill to take aim at what he called the "corrosive, vulgar" state of the 2016 campaign. “I know I'm not the only one in this room who may be more than a little dismayed about what's happening on the campaign trail lately,” Obama said. Obama did not directly mention GOP front-runner Donald Trump, and thanked House Speaker Paul Ryan who was in the room for speaking out earlier in the day against violence on the campaign trail.

AP News Guide: Trump drives Rubio from race; 4 Clinton wins

WASHINGTON (AP) — It's looking ever more like Trump vs. Clinton in the fall.

Exit poll: Clinton wins 4 with strong black support

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump claimed Florida, the biggest delegate haul of Tuesday night's five Republican primary elections, by sweeping nearly all categories of voters— men and women, rich and poor, the highly educated and those without college degrees.

Belgian anti-terror operation ongoing: Prime Minister

Brussels (AFP) - A Belgian anti-terror operation linked to the November Paris attacks is continuing, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said Wednesday a day after a shootout in which one assailant was killed and four officers wounded.

China renews vow to avoid 'hard landing' as congress ends

China's economy will not suffer a "hard landing", Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday, stepping up Beijing's charm offensive to reassure investors that the government can manage slowing growth. "We have long-term confidence in the Chinese economy and this confidence isn't without a foundation," Li told his once-a-year press conference at the end of the National People's Congress (NPC), the Communist-controlled legislature. Beijing has been looking to send positive messages in recent weeks after expansion in the world's second-largest economy fell to a 25-year low of 6.9 percent in 2015, raising concerns on global markets and sending commodity prices plunging.

EU leaders push migrant plan ahead of Turkey summit

European leaders launch a charm offensive to win backing for a migrant deal with Turkey on Wednesday, seeking to heal rifts between member states on the eve of a key summit with Ankara. EU president Donald Tusk warned Tuesday that hard work lay ahead to finalise the deal, after Cyprus threatened to derail it over long-standing disagreements with Turkey. Tusk held talks in Nicosia in an attempt to win Cyprus' backing for the proposal, which has been hailed as a "game-changer" for European countries buckling under the wave of new arrivals.

Hamas calls for Egypt to loosen Gaza blockade: delegate

Hamas called for Egypt to loosen restrictions on the Gaza Strip, a delegate said, after officials from the Islamist group travelled to Cairo seeking to mend strained relations. Senior official Khalil al-Haya said Hamas had begged Egypt to allow more traffic through the Rafa border crossing with the Gaza Strip, the enclave's only transit point not controlled by Israel. Egypt has largely kept its border with Gaza closed since 2013 and has destroyed hundreds of Palestinian tunnels used to smuggle commercial goods, cash, people and, allegedly, weapons.

More Russian warplanes leave Syria as Kerry plans Moscow visit

A second group of Russian warplanes flew out of Syria Wednesday in line with Moscow's decision to withdraw most of its forces, as US Secretary of State John Kerry prepared a rare trip to Moscow to discuss the conflict. SU-25 combat aircraft and IL-76 transport planes pulled out of Russia's Hmeimim base in Syria, the defence ministry said in a statement. The departure follows that of a first group of aircraft which arrived back in Russia on Tuesday to a hero's welcome.

Bus blast kills at least 16 in NW Pakistan

At least 16 people were killed and more than two dozen wounded when a bomb blew up inside a bus in Peshawar, the main city of Pakistan's insurgency-wracked northwest, officials said, with the toll feared to rise. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the explosion, which took place as the bus carrying mainly government employees was passing through the crowded shopping district of Saddar. "At least 16 people were killed and more than 24 were wounded in a blast on a government employees' bus," senior police official Mohammad Kashif Zulfiqar told AFP.

Cats and dogs: fighters' best friends in east Ukraine

They fight rats, depression and even serve in combat roles -- dogs and yes, some cats, have turned into a prized companion for fighters on both sides of eastern Ukraine's separatist war. In Sartana, a suburb of the Sea of Azov port city of Mariupol that remains Kiev's main stronghold in the conflict zone, two purring cats live alongside hardened government soldiers who face daily threats at the battle front. "We and the cats have a win-win relationship," machine gunner Pavlo, a 28-year-old archaeologist from Kiev who was forced to stop work on his doctoral thesis after the insurgents revolted in April 2014, says while stroking his furry friend.

Brazil's Rousseff hit by explosive new accusations

Brasília (AFP) - Brazil's political drama took several new twists as a senator accused President Dilma Rousseff of offering hush money to contain a corruption scandal, and her predecessor considered a return to government to help save their careers. Prosecutors said a senator charged in a huge graft investigation centered on state oil company Petrobras had accused Rousseff of sending a powerful cabinet minister to try to buy his silence. The senator, Delcidio Amaral of the ruling Workers' Party (PT), told investigators in statements given as part of a plea bargain that Education Minister Aloizio Mercadante, Rousseff's former chief of staff, contacted him via an aide to urge him not to testify.

Four takeaways from 'Super Tuesday 2'

After six weeks of presidential primaries and caucuses in the United States, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump are pulling ahead of the pack. The following are four key takeaways after Clinton and Trump notched a series of new victories on Tuesday -- and the obstacles faced by their rivals. Clinton, who is hoping to be America's first female president, appears increasingly likely to be the Democratic party's choice to run for the White House in the November 8 election.

More cars banned in Mexico City after pollution alert

More cars were ordered off Mexico City's streets on Wednesday after a surge in pollution prompted authorities to issue the first air quality alert in 14 years. President Enrique Pena Nieto convened a meeting of an anti-pollution commission after the city's government declared an "environmental contingency" on Monday due to high levels of ozone. "The goal (of the meeting) is for them to find stricter measures to improve air quality and protect the health of more than 20 million Mexicans," Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter.

Clinton, Trump move closer to White House nominations

Hillary Clinton took a monumental step toward clinching the Democratic party's White House nomination Tuesday, while Donald Trump's seemingly unstoppable rush to victory hit a bump in Ohio. Trump won key Republican primaries in Illinois, North Carolina and Florida -- where he thumped home state Senator Marco Rubio, who immediately announced he was suspending his presidential campaign.

White House fears Trump damaging US reputation

Barack Obama has warned that the 2016 White House race is damaging America's image abroad, sounding the alarm on harsh campaigning that risks eroding gains made during his presidency. "We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities -- at Americans who don’t look like 'us,' or pray like 'us,' or vote like we do," Obama said, with Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny at his side. Obama came to office when America's image was battered by the war in Iraq and George W. Bush's global unpopularity.

Turkey stability fears as Kurdish conflict threatens to escalate

Sunday's suicide car bombing in Ankara has raised fears of an escalation in Turkey's long-running Kurdish conflict, as the country grapples with the Islamic State threat while relying on a security system weakened by a political crackdown, analysts say. No-one has claimed responsibility for the blast which killed 35 people in the heart of the Turkish capital, but the government has pointed the finger at the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), against which Ankara has waged a relentless assault since late last year. The government said one of the bombers was a woman in her mid-20s affiliated with the PKK and trained in Syria by the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia group the Turkish military shelled for several days in February.

Israel sees both risks and benefits from Syrian chaos

In a hospital in northern Israel, wounded Syrian rebel Malek is waiting until he is well enough to pick up his gun again to battle President Bashar al-Assad's regime. "I will return to Syria and fight until Assad is gone," the 22-year-old told AFP in a treatment room guarded by Israeli soldiers. Five years into Syria's civil war, Israel has seen benefits despite the chaos unfolding next door, and the treatment of wounded fighters is one sign of its quiet and limited involvement.

A Very Good Night for Trump

Tuesday night was a very good night for Donald Trump—but was it good enough? The entertainer consolidated his lead in the Republican Party and drove Marco Rubio to drop out of the race. Trump scored a huge win in Florida, taking the state’s 99 delegates and humiliating Rubio, a son of the Sunshine State who couldn’t win at home. But Trump’s failure to beat John Kasich in Ohio will prolong the race—and increases the odds that Trump will not win the 1,237 delegates he needs to secure the GOP nomination outright over Kasich and Senator Ted Cruz. Falling short would lead the party to a contested convention with unpredictable and volatile results.

Growing pains for Spain's Podemos as rifts emerge

Podemos has risen at meteoric speed to become Spain's third political force in just two years, but rifts and tensions are starting to bruise the far-left party's image of watertight unity. Led by the charismatic Pablo Iglesias, the grouping has been shaken by resignations and increasingly vocal regional discontent just as it engages in delicate political manoeuvrings following inconclusive elections in December. "The Spanish electorate has tended to punish internal divisions in political parties, which are often perceived as struggles for power rather than for ideological positions," says Lluis Orriols, politics professor at Madrid's Carlos III University.

RugbyU - Pocock to take year off but stick with Australia

- Star Australian backrower David Pocock is staying with the ACT Brumbies and the Wallabies until at least the next World Cup, his club said, but he will take 2017 off to study. The number eight, who recovered from two knee reconstructions in two years to play a leading role for Australia at the last World Cup, will return to Australia ahead of the 2018 Super rugby season. "I really appreciate the willingness the ARU and Brumbies have shown in allowing me to weigh up my desire to be available for selection leading into the next World Cup against my longevity in the game and pursuing interests outside the sport," he said, according to the Brumbies website.

The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet

And then there were three. After getting trounced in his home state of Florida on March 15, Marco Rubio dropped out of the Republican race in Miami. The Rubio saga is a gripping one: He defied Republican Party bosses to win the 2010 Senate nomination in Florida, then went to Washington in the Tea Party wave. Upon arriving, he boldly joined the push for immigration reform, only to watch that effort collapse. Rubio was considered damaged goods—and certainly out of the presidential running once his one-time mentor and fellow Floridian Jeb Bush got in.

Marco Rubio: the GOP's fallen golden boy

When he announced his presidential candidacy last year, Florida Senator Marco Rubio said some people were urging him to hold off, but he simply could not. "I believe our very identity as an exceptional nation is at stake, and I can make a difference as president," Rubio said, portraying himself as a young and fresh new face for the Republican Party. Now, it is all over for Rubio, who did poorly throughout the primary voting season and ultimately could not even win in his home state, falling Tuesday to the Trump juggernaut.