Morning Digest: Crimea asks to join Russia after Soviet-style vote

	Click to View in Browser 03/17/2014 Crimea asks to join Russia after Soviet-style vote SIMFEROPOL/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Crimea formally applied to join Russia on Monday after its leaders declared a Soviet-style 97-percent vote in favor of quitting Ukraine in a referendum condemned as illegal by Kiev and the West that will trigger immediate sanctions.. Malaysia plane search straddles continent as police focus on crew KUALA LUMPUR/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia took charge on Monday of scouring the southern Indian Ocean for a missing passenger jet and Malaysia requested radar data from countries stretching as far as central Asia, amid mounting evidence the plane's disappearance was meticulously planned.. Stocks near one-month low as western sanctions on Russia loom LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks traded near a one-month low on Monday and the dollar and German bonds held firm as investors worried about the economic impact of possible western sanctions on Moscow after Crimea voted to separate from Ukraine.. New Zealand court fines US actor Chris Pine for drink driving WELLINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. film actor and "Star Trek" star Chris Pine pleaded guilty in a New Zealand court to drink-driving and was fined and disqualified from driving for six months, media reported on Monday.. Djokovic beats Federer in Indian Wells final (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic beat his old rival Roger Federer 3-6 6-3 7-6(3) on Sunday to win a nailbiting BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells and capture his first title of 2014.. NATO websites hit in cyber attack linked to Crimea tension BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) - Hackers brought down several public NATO websites, the alliance said on Sunday, in what appeared to be the latest escalation in cyberspace over growing tensions over Crimea.. New maps show smallest planet Mercury is even smaller CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Detailed maps of Mercury's cliffs and ditches show the solar system's innermost and smallest planet Mercury has lost much more real estate due to cooling over four billion years than scientists thought, according to a report published on Sunday.. U.S. Mint to sell curved coins honoring Baseball Hall of Fame SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The United States Mint will begin selling special curved coins this month to honor the National Baseball Hall of Fame, with a design representing the inverse images of a ball and mitt, U.S. Mint officials said on Thursday.. Related Video Crimeans vote to quit Ukraine for Russia Miracle on the Hudson pilot weighs in on Malaysian plane mystery Great Debate Japan as the crisis next time Confederation: An off-ramp for the Ukrainian crisis A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend