'Epic' bomb cyclone hits central US with heavy snow, winds; Colorado trooper killed

A powerful storm is unleashing a ferocious mix of snow, rain and wind across the central USA.

The Feast of St Patrick's Day: celebrate with these traditional Irish recipes

This weekend cities all over the country will erupt in shades of green to celebrate St Patrick's Day, and with the Six Nations game on the Saturday, what better excuse to get down to your local and say cheers to a pint of Guinness (or three)?  And although drinking the black stuff undoubtedly play its part in the day's celebrations (as many as 13 million pints of Guinness are expected to be poured on St Patrick's Day), food is also an important feature as families feast on traditional Irish fare like soda bread, Irish stews and colcannon. No corned beef and cabbage, though – this 'tradition' was invented by the Irish immigrants living in America, as is the rather unappetising sounding 'green beer' served across the pond.  So in the spirit of St Patrick, we've gathered together a few of our favourite recipes from the best chefs and cookery writers from the Emerald Isle to form a fantastic authentic feast of Irish flavours. Start with freshly poached sea mullet with Darina Allen's homemade soda bread for mopping up the juices, before tucking into beef and Guinness pies with chocolate or a perfectly roasted saddle of lamb – heaps of colcannon mash are obligatory. Round off the meal with a gloriously indulgent salted caramel whisky bread and butter pudding, and perhaps a tot of Irish whisky on the side. Sláinte mhaith! RECIPES | St Patrick's Day dishes

Boeing, airlines face tough path after 737 MAX grounding

Days after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 that killed 157 people and led to the plane being grounded worldwide, Boeing and commercial airlines are trying to get a handle on the fallout. Boeing will have to restore confidence in its product, and pay the costs of any modifications, while airlines try to find workarounds to replace the popular aircraft in their lineup of flights. The US on Wednesday grounded the 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 models while it continues the search for the cause of the crash, which happened less than five months after a Lion Air plane of the same model went down in Indonesia, killing 189.

Italy outraged as court finds victim too ugly to be raped

Italy's Justice Ministry has ordered a preliminary inquiry into an appeals court ruling that overturned a rape verdict in part by arguing that the woman who was attacked was too ugly to be a credible rape victim. The appeals sentence was handed down by an all-female panel.

Venezuela's pro-regime 'colectivos' vow to back Maduro whatever it costs

The scene occurred during a weeklong blackout that was the worst in Venezuela's history. Maduro had called on his supporters to show "active resistance" to the "electric sabotage" he claimed was waged by the United States.

U.S. Lawmaker Vows Probe Into Plane's Approval: 737 Max Update

A device found in the wreckage provided an early clue and work decoding the black boxes from Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 began in France. U.S. regulators aren’t expected to let flights resume until Boeing completes a software update, which could take at least six weeks to finalize.

Sprawling storm threatens several US states, thousands evacuated

A massive late-winter storm hit several central US states Thursday, forcing thousands to evacuate, snarling air traffic and leaving drivers stranded. There were widespread road closures and more than 1,000 flights canceled at the worst affected airports. The intense storm affected much of the nation's midsection with "heavy snows, blizzard conditions and widespread wind gusts over hurricane force," according to the National Weather Service.