Yahoo! News: World News

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• U.N. to send monitors to Syria as fighting rages
• In North Korea, third Kim's bloodline all that matters
• Egypt disqualifies top Islamists, Mubarak VP from vote
• Iran, big powers agree - to keep talking
• At least 11 militants killed in south Yemen clashes: government
• USGS reports 5.9 magnitude quake off western Java
• Sudan bombs disputed oil town, South Sudan says
• Israel moves to thwart pro-Palestinian fly-in
• Peru says hostages freed, clashes with Shining Path
• Egypt bars 3 front-runners from presidential race
• Guinea-Bissau unrest draws condemnation
• Iran, Western powers hail latest nuclear talks
• Events around the world mark Titanic centenary
• UN votes to send Syria monitors amid shaky truce
• Secret Service scandal widens to U.S. military
• Pilgrims gather in Jerusalem for fire ritual
• Robin Gibb in coma with pneumonia in hospital
• Airlines cancel activists' flights to Israel
• Magnitude-6.5 quake shakes Vanuatu

U.N. to send monitors to Syria as fighting rages Posted: BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United Nations will send an advance team of observers to Syria on Sunday to start monitoring a shaky ceasefire, even as a surge in violence on the ground threatened to derail international efforts to end more than a year of bloodshed. Russia and China joined the rest of the Security Council to authorize the deployment of up to 30 unarmed observers in the first resolution on Syria the 15-nation council managed to approve unanimously since the uprising erupted in March 2011. ...

In North Korea, third Kim's bloodline all that matters Posted: SEOUL (Reuters) - Smarting from a failed rocket launch, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has little choice but to stick to his father's playbook of milking an impoverished country to develop weapons and blackmail the international community for aid and recognition. Far from fearing a coup or instability after Friday's public fiasco, the third of his line to rule North Korea will lead celebrations on Sunday to mark the centenary of the birth of his grandfather, the founder of the world's only Stalinist monarchy, "Eternal President" Kim Il-sung. ...

Egypt disqualifies top Islamists, Mubarak VP from vote Posted: The body overseeing Egypt's presidential election disqualified 10 candidates from the race on Saturday, including the Muslim Brotherhood's Khairat al-Shater, former spy chief Omar Suleiman and ultra orthodox Salafi sheikh Hazem Salah Abu Ismail. Farouk Sultan, head of the presidential election commission, told Reuters the disqualified candidates had 48 hours to appeal against its decision. He declined to give details on the reasons for their disqualification. ...

Iran, big powers agree - to keep talking Posted: Iran and six world powers began rare talks on Saturday to try to halt a downward diplomatic spiral over Tehran's nuclear program and ease fears of a new Middle East war. The talks, in Istanbul, the first between Iran and the six powers in 15 months, are unlikely to yield any major breakthrough but Western diplomats hope to see readiness from Tehran to start to discuss issues of substance. ...

At least 11 militants killed in south Yemen clashes: government Posted: ADEN (Reuters) - At least 11 al Qaeda-linked militants were killed in clashes and an air strike in southern Yemen on Saturday, the Defence Ministry said on the sixth day of a government offensive which has killed about 200 people. Yemeni air force planes destroyed a vehicle in the southern province of Bayda, killing three "leading al Qaeda terrorists", the ministry said on its website. Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), a group affiliated with al Qaeda, said in a statement that three of its militants had been "martyred" in the attack which it said was carried out by a U.S. drone. ...

USGS reports 5.9 magnitude quake off western Java Posted: (Reuters) - A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 struck offshore western Java in Indonesia's Sunda Strait at a depth of 30.5 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Saturday. The USGS initially reported the quake as measuring 5.8 and a depth of 27.3 miles. It revised the location to 97 miles south of T.Telukbetung in Sumatra, after first reporting it at 111 miles west of Sukabumi in Java. There were no immediate reports or damage or a tsunami warning from the quake, which was 109 miles west-southwest of the capital Jakarta on Java. (Writing by Eric Walsh)

Sudan bombs disputed oil town, South Sudan says Posted: KHARTOUM/JUBA (Reuters) - Sudanese warplanes bombed a disputed oil-producing border town seized by South Sudan this week, the southern state said on Saturday, in an escalation of border fighting that has edged the two countries closer to a full-blown war. South Sudanese troops wrested control of the disputed Heglig oilfield from Sudan on Tuesday, prompting widespread condemnation from global powers and vows of retaliation from Khartoum. ...

Israel moves to thwart pro-Palestinian fly-in Posted: JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel moved to block an influx of pro-Palestinian activists planning to visit the occupied West Bank, drafting a letter from the Prime Minister's Office suggesting they focus instead on "real problems" in the Middle East, officials said on Saturday. Some 1,200 Palestinian supporters throughout Europe have bought plane tickets for an April 15 visit to the West Bank as part of a campaign called "Welcome to Palestine". ...

Peru says hostages freed, clashes with Shining Path Posted: LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's Shining Path early on Saturday released 36 gas pipeline workers it took hostage six days ago in a remote jungle region in southern Peru, the government said, saying security forces had clashed with the rebels. The Defense Ministry said the rebels let the workers go before dawn after they were circled by 1,500 security agents and tried to flee, in a victory for President Ollanta Humala, who fought the group while in the army in the 1990s. Some of the captives said they walked through the jungle for hours after they were released. ...

Egypt bars 3 front-runners from presidential race Posted: Egypt's election commission disqualified 10 presidential hopefuls, including Hosni Mubarak's former spy chief and fundamentalist Islamists, from running Saturday in a surprise decision that left a field of moderates in the race for the country's first post-revolutionary leader.

Guinea-Bissau unrest draws condemnation Posted: Soldiers on Saturday arrested protesters demanding the release of Guinea-Bissau's leading candidate in elections halted by mutinous troops, who claimed he was trying to assassinate top military leaders of this coup-prone West African nation.

Iran, Western powers hail latest nuclear talks Posted: In a rare show of unity, Iran and the world's big powers on Saturday hailed their first nuclear meeting in more than a year as a key step toward further negotiations meant to ease international fears that Tehran may weaponize its nuclear program.

Events around the world mark Titanic centenary Posted: In the birthplace of the Titanic, residents will gather for a choral requiem. In the North Atlantic, above the ship's final resting place, passengers will pray as a band strikes up a hymn and three floral wreaths are cast onto the waves.

UN votes to send Syria monitors amid shaky truce Posted: The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Saturday to dispatch a first team of monitors to Syria to shore up a brittle cease-fire as escalating fighting between regime and rebel forces threatened the truce at the heart of special envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan.

Secret Service scandal widens to U.S. military Posted: An embarrassing scandal involving prostitutes and Secret Service agents widened Saturday when the U.S. military confirmed five service members staying at the same hotel in Colombia may have been involved in misconduct as well. The allegations overshadowed President Barack Obama's diplomacy in Latin America and threatened to bruise America's image.

Pilgrims gather in Jerusalem for fire ritual Posted: Thousands of Christians lit candles and torches from a flame that emerged from the tomb of Jesus in a Jerusalem church Saturday as they conducted an ancient fire ritual that celebrates the Messiah's resurrection.

Robin Gibb in coma with pneumonia in hospital Posted: Former Bee Gee Robin Gibb is in a coma after contracting pneumonia, a statement on his official website said Saturday.

Airlines cancel activists' flights to Israel Posted: A Palestinian activist said Saturday that a number of international airlines canceled flights for at least 100 people scheduled to arrive in Israel's main airport for a mass fly-in of pro-Palestinian activists, while Israel said those activists who manage to make it to the airport would be deported.

Magnitude-6.5 quake shakes Vanuatu Posted: A magnitude-6.5 earthquake rattled the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Sunday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

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