Yahoo! News: World News

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• U.N. condemns North Korea launch, warns on nuclear test
• Shelling, shaky truce challenge U.N. few in Syria
• UK to raise Heywood murder with senior Chinese official
• Palestinians to deliver Netanyahu ultimatum on talks
• Smirking Norway killer Breivik pleads not guilty
• Karzai says NATO failed as 18-hour Kabul attack ends
• Iran says ready to resolve nuclear issues
• Chavez battles re-election hurdle: Venezuela inflation
• Three militants killed in possible U.S. drone strike in Yemen
• Sudan parliament calls South an "enemy"
• UN's Ban: Syria must allow observers full access
• Norway's mass killer's tears not 'out of pity'
• US prepares for last major Afghan offensive
• Israeli beating of activist causes uproar
• 15 hurt in Virgin Atlantic emergency landing in UK
• Spaniards livid over king's elephant hunt
• UN strongly condemns NKorea rocket launch
• Guinea-Bissau candidate denounces coup before vote
• Think tank: Russia, China boost arms spending
• East Timor holds run-off vote for new president

U.N. condemns North Korea launch, warns on nuclear test Posted: UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Monday strongly condemned North Korea's rocket launch, urged tightening of existing U.N. sanctions and warned Pyongyang of further consequences if it carries out another missile launch or nuclear test. China, a permanent veto-wielding council member and North Korea's protector on the 15-nation panel, backed the council's "presidential statement," which was adopted unanimously. U.N. ...

Shelling, shaky truce challenge U.N. few in Syria Posted: BEIRUT (Reuters) - A handful of soldiers in blue caps put a tentative United Nations presence at the heart of the Syrian crisis on Monday, predicting success for their mission to stabilize a shaky four-day-old ceasefire even as shells were still falling. Charged with overseeing an end to 13 months of violence, the unarmed multinational squad of six professed their optimism. ...

UK to raise Heywood murder with senior Chinese official Posted: LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to discuss the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood in China with a visiting senior Chinese official, an aide said on Monday, as the British government faced questions over its handling of the affair. "It's likely to come up," a spokeswoman for Cameron said when asked about the prime minister's talks on Tuesday with Li Changchun, China's propaganda chief and a member of China's most powerful leadership body, the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee. ...

Palestinians to deliver Netanyahu ultimatum on talks Posted: RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The Palestinian prime minister plans to use a rare meeting set for Tuesday with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a letter detailing Palestinian grievances on stalled peace talks. Although there was no official announcement of the encounter between Netanyahu and Salam Fayyad, Palestinian officials confirmed that the two would see each other during the day. An Israeli official said Netanyahu will reiterate his call for talks to resume without any preconditions and for a meeting with the top Palestinian leader, President Mahmoud Abbas. ...

Smirking Norway killer Breivik pleads not guilty Posted: OSLO (Reuters) - The Norwegian far-right gunman who massacred 77 people last summer gave a clenched-fist salute, smirked at the court and pleaded not guilty on the first day of a trial that threatens to turn into a "circus" showcasing his anti-Islamic views. Anders Behring Breivik, 33, has said he acted in defense of his country by setting off a car bomb that killed eight people at government headquarters in Oslo last July, then killing another 69 people in a shooting spree at a youth summer camp organized by the ruling Labour Party. ...

Karzai says NATO failed as 18-hour Kabul attack ends Posted: KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday that a coordinated Taliban attack showed a "failure" by Afghan intelligence and especially by NATO, as heavy street fighting between insurgents and security forces came to an end after 18 hours. Battles which broke out at midday on Sunday gripped the city's central districts through the night, with large explosions and gunfire lighting up alleys and streets. ...

Iran says ready to resolve nuclear issues Posted: DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran is ready to resolve all nuclear issues in the next round of talks with world powers if the West starts lifting sanctions, its foreign minister said on Monday. In an interview with the Iranian student news agency ISNA, Ali Akbar Salehi also hinted that Iran could make concessions on its higher-grade uranium enrichment, a key concern of Western powers which suspect Iran is covertly developing a nuclear weapons capability. Tehran denies the accusations. ...

Chavez battles re-election hurdle: Venezuela inflation Posted: CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is so determined to contain one of the world's highest inflation rates in an election year that his price control officials are sticking signs outside stores to enforce compliance. The red-yellow-green traffic light notices tell shoppers whether a store is obeying new price caps. Businesses that don't comply face fines, temporary closure or outright expropriation by his socialist government. The initial freezing of prices of 19 key goods in December has begun to kick in: Consumer prices rose 3. ...

Three militants killed in possible U.S. drone strike in Yemen Posted: ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - At least three al Qaeda-linked militants were killed in an air strike in Yemen on Monday as the government pressed ahead with an offensive against Islamist insurgents in the south of the country. A local official in the southern Shabwa province said Yemeni warplanes had fired rockets on a vehicle, killing six militants from Ansar al-Sharia, a group affiliated with al Qaeda. But the group itself said in a statement that only three of its militants had been killed in the attack which it said was carried out by a U.S. drone, not warplanes. ...

Sudan parliament calls South an "enemy" Posted: KHARTOUM/JUBA (Reuters) - Sudan's parliament branded South Sudan an "enemy" on Monday and called for a swift recapture of a disputed oil-producing region, as rising border tensions pushed the old civil war foes closer to another full-blown conflict. South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan last July, seized the contested Heglig oilfield last Tuesday, prompting its northern neighbor to vow to recapture the area by "all means". The oilfield is vital to Sudan's economy, producing about half of the 115,000 barrel-per-day output that remained in its control after South Sudan's secession. ...

UN's Ban: Syria must allow observers full access Posted: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday the Syrian government is responsible for guaranteeing U.N. observers full freedom of movement to monitor the country's tenuous cease-fire, which appeared to be unraveling as regime forces pounded the opposition stronghold of Homs, activists said.

Norway's mass killer's tears not 'out of pity' Posted: Anders Behring Breivik shed tears as he went on trial Monday for killing 77 people — but not for his victims. The emotional display came when prosecutors showed his anti-Muslim video.

US prepares for last major Afghan offensive Posted: For Taliban militants and U.S. strategists alike, all roads in this impoverished country of mountain passes, arid deserts and nearly impassable goat tracks lead to this ancient capital of 3 million people nestled in a high and narrow valley.

Israeli beating of activist causes uproar Posted: A senior Israeli military officer's seemingly unprovoked assault against an unarmed pro-Palestinian activist drew sharp condemnations Monday, raising questions in Israel over whether the country's heavy-handed approach to nonviolent protesters was exaggerated and causing damage to Israel's image.

15 hurt in Virgin Atlantic emergency landing in UK Posted: A Virgin Atlantic Airways plane flying from Britain to Florida returned to Gatwick Airport for an emergency landing Monday, forcing more than 300 people to evacuate the plane using slides. Fifteen people were taken to the hospital with injuries, ambulance officials said.

Spaniards livid over king's elephant hunt Posted: In one fell swoop, King Juan Carlos of Spain has managed to unite right and left, young and old, those with jobs and those without in universal outrage over his tone-deaf African hunting safari.

UN strongly condemns NKorea rocket launch Posted: The U.N. Security Council strongly condemned North Korea's rocket launch Monday, announcing it will impose new sanctions and warning of further action if Pyongyang conducts another launch or a new nuclear test.

Guinea-Bissau candidate denounces coup before vote Posted: The second-place finisher in Guinea-Bissau's presidential election on Monday denounced last week's military coup, when soldiers attacked his opponent's home with grenades and arrested him weeks before the runoff vote.

Think tank: Russia, China boost arms spending Posted: The global financial crisis hit military spending in the U.S. and Europe last year, while Russia and China kept increasing their spending on weapons, a leading think tank said Tuesday.

East Timor holds run-off vote for new president Posted: Two former guerrilla leaders vied for East Timor's presidency Monday, each hoping to help steer the region's newest and poorest nation after U.N. peacekeeping troops begin their planned withdrawal later this year.

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