Yahoo! News: World News

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• Exclusive: Emerging Pakistan Taliban chief to focus on Afghan war
• Russia, U.S. talk as Syria events "accelerate on the ground"
• Monti government at risk after Berlusconi withdraws support
• Ghana election to test credentials of "model democracy"
• Emboldened Hamas leader to visit Gaza for first time in 45 years
• Deportation looms for tech guru McAfee after heart drama
• Top publicist arrested in UK sex abuse inquiry
• U.S. warships moving to monitor North Korea's planned rocket launch
• Fatal North Sea collision said to be human error
• Egypt's president offers nothing to defuse crisis
• Syrian capital a maze of checkpoints, blast walls
• Egypt crisis tests opposition ahead of key votes
• With war shifting, US, Russia talk Syria's future
• AP Exclusive: Detained China Nobel wife speaks out
• Pregnant Kate discharged from London hospital
• Hamas chief's Gaza visit sign of regional embrace
• Safety, need compete in typhoon-hit Philippines
• McAfee hospitalized after being denied asylum
• UK publicist Max Clifford arrested in sex case
• How deadly would chemical weapons in Syria be?
• Egypt's anti-Morsi protests spread beyond Cairo
• Merkel meets Netanyahu as Israel and Germany hit rocky patch
• In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood's 'trial of power'
• McAfee's rise and downfall via technology
• Human rights report names names in Kashmir, invokes international law
• Japanese chef dishes on North Korean leader and missile launch
• Moving Mali forward
• Tanks deploy to Egypt's presidential palace amid lull in deadly protests
• Syrian refugees decamp for tough life in Jordan's cities
• A wary Iraq weighs its options as Syrian civil war deepens

Exclusive: Emerging Pakistan Taliban chief to focus on Afghan war Posted: 06 Dec 2012 08:49 AM PST WANA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan's Taliban, one of the world's most feared militant groups, are preparing for a leadership change that could mean less violence against the state but more attacks against U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, Pakistani military sources said. Hakimullah Mehsud, a ruthless commander who has led the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for the last three years, has lost operational control of the movement and the trust of his fighters, said a senior Pakistan army official based in the South Waziristan tribal region, the group's stronghold. ...

Russia, U.S. talk as Syria events "accelerate on the ground" Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:05 PM PST BEIRUT/DUBLIN (Reuters) - The two superpowers divided by Syria's civil war met head to head on Thursday, with signs emerging that Russia might curb its support for President Bashar al-Assad and Washington saying events were gathering speed on the ground. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Dublin on the sidelines of a security conference, at a time when rebel advances have brought the 20-month war to the doorstep of the capital Damascus. ...

Monti government at risk after Berlusconi withdraws support Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:08 PM PST ROME (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi's party withdrew its support for Prime Minister Mario Monti on Thursday, raising the risk of a snap election in Italy, but President Giorgio Napolitano said he would work to avoid a crisis and there was no need for alarm. The centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party walked out of a Senate confidence vote on a package of economic measures and abstained in a separate confidence vote in the lower house following criticism of Berlusconi by a senior minister. ...

Ghana election to test credentials of "model democracy" Posted: 06 Dec 2012 03:16 PM PST ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghanaians choose on Friday who will run one of Africa's most stable democracies as a surge in oil revenues promises to boost development and economic growth. Ghana has earned a reputation as an oasis of stability and progress in West Africa, a part of the world better known for civil wars, coups, entrenched poverty and corruption. "These elections are important not just to Ghana, but for the growing number of states and actors seeking to benefit from increasing confidence in Africa," said Alex Vines, Africa Research Director at Chatham House. ...

Emboldened Hamas leader to visit Gaza for first time in 45 years Posted: 06 Dec 2012 04:06 PM PST GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas's exiled leader will step onto Palestinian land for the first time in 45 years on Friday for a "victory rally" in the Gaza Strip, displaying his newfound confidence after last month's conflict with Israel. The Islamist group's leader, Khaled Meshaal, who has not visited the Palestinian Territories since leaving the West Bank at age 11, emerged emboldened from the eight day conflict which ended in a truce he negotiated under Egypt's auspices. He has since spoken of reaching out to other Palestinian factions. ...

Deportation looms for tech guru McAfee after heart drama Posted: 06 Dec 2012 04:31 PM PST GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Software guru John McAfee, fighting deportation to Belize, was rushed to a hospital in Guatemala on Thursday shortly after his asylum request was rejected, but a suspected heart attack turned out to be stress in a fresh twist to the saga. The 67-year-old U.S. computer software pioneer was taken swiftly from a hospital in a police car out of the sight of media, after earlier arriving in an ambulance lying on a stretcher. ...

Top publicist arrested in UK sex abuse inquiry Posted: 06 Dec 2012 03:22 PM PST LONDON (Reuters) - Max Clifford, Britain's highest-profile celebrity publicist, was arrested for alleged sex crimes on Thursday by a special police unit set up in the wake of an abuse scandal involving a former BBC TV star, his lawyer said. Clifford, 69, made his name and fortune helping some of Britain's most famous people defend and shape their reputations in the country's muckraking tabloid press and has been a longstanding media pundit on celebrity scandal and the press. ...

U.S. warships moving to monitor North Korea's planned rocket launch Posted: 06 Dec 2012 04:07 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is shifting warships into position to track and possibly defend against a planned North Korean rocket launch while urging Pyongyang to cancel its second such attempt this year, the head of the U.S. Pacific Command said on Thursday. Admiral Samuel Locklear, who commands U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific region, said warships were being moved to the best locations to track the rocket during its launch and flight, which North Korea has set for sometime between December 10 and 22. ...

Fatal North Sea collision said to be human error Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:07 AM PST AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Human error was probably to blame for a collision that killed five crew and sank the Baltic Ace car carrier, its Greek manager said on Thursday, and Dutch rescuers said it was unlikely six missing seamen would be found alive. The Dutch Defence Ministry said conditions were treacherous when the Corvus J container ship and the Baltic Ace collided, sending 1,400 new cars, mostly Mitsubishis from Japan and Thailand, to the seabed on Wednesday evening. But Panagiootis Kakoliris, operations manager at Stamco Ship Management Co., Ltd. ...

Egypt's president offers nothing to defuse crisis Posted: 06 Dec 2012 04:40 PM PST An angry Mohammed Morsi refused Thursday to call off a referendum on a disputed constitution that has sparked Egypt's worst political crisis in two years, drawing chants of "topple the regime!" from protesters who waved their shoes in contempt.

Syrian capital a maze of checkpoints, blast walls Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:44 AM PST a two-hour journey that is often terrifying.

Egypt crisis tests opposition ahead of key votes Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:47 PM PST Egypt's latest political crisis over a disputed constitution is posing a difficult test for the mostly secular opposition: Can it maintain its new-found unity and achieve anything beyond bringing large crowds out into the streets to protest?

With war shifting, US, Russia talk Syria's future Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:38 PM PST Diplomatic efforts to end Syria's civil war moved forward Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joining Russia's foreign minister and the U.N. peace envoy to the Arab country for extraordinary three-way talks that suggested Washington and Moscow might finally unite behind a strategy as the Assad regime weakens.

AP Exclusive: Detained China Nobel wife speaks out Posted: 06 Dec 2012 08:01 AM PST Stunned that reporters were able to visit her, Liu Xia trembled uncontrollably and cried Thursday as she described how absurd and emotionally draining her confinement under house arrest has been in the two years since her jailed activist husband, Liu Xiaobo, was named a Nobel Peace laureate.

Pregnant Kate discharged from London hospital Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:53 AM PST The Duchess of Cambridge left a London hospital Thursday after being treated for acute morning sickness related to her pregnancy.

Hamas chief's Gaza visit sign of regional embrace Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:27 PM PST The supreme Hamas leader's first-ever visit to the Gaza Strip this weekend signals growing regional acceptance of the Islamic militant movement in charge of the once isolated territory and grudging acquiescence by Israel.

Safety, need compete in typhoon-hit Philippines Posted: 06 Dec 2012 04:52 PM PST The Philippine government's geological hazard maps show why this farming community was largely washed away by a strong typhoon: "highly susceptible to flooding and landslides." That didn't stop some villagers from rebuilding even with bodies still lying under the mud.

McAfee hospitalized after being denied asylum Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:14 PM PST Software company founder John McAfee was hospitalized Thursday after being denied political asylum in Guatemala and his lawyers said they were making a last-ditch effort to keep him from being flown back to Belize for questioning about the killing of a fellow American expatriate.

UK publicist Max Clifford arrested in sex case Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:33 PM PST For years, the affable, white-haired Max Clifford has been the "go to" guy for British celebrities seeking help with public relations fiascos. Now it is Clifford who may need help: He was arrested Thursday as part of a wide-ranging U.K. inquiry into sex abuse.

How deadly would chemical weapons in Syria be? Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:43 PM PST Serious concerns have been raised about chemical weapons in Syria as unnamed US officials on Wednesday told NBC News that Syrian forces have loaded sarin, a deadly nerve gas, into bombs that can be dropped by planes.

Egypt's anti-Morsi protests spread beyond Cairo Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:27 PM PST Violence erupting in the capital between supporters of President Mohamed Morsi and his political opposition is being mirrored outside of Cairo, revealing the extent of divisions across the country as the political crisis over a proposed new constitution continued to spiral today.

Merkel meets Netanyahu as Israel and Germany hit rocky patch Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:18 PM PST With German-Israeli relations unusually tense, Chancellor Angela Merkel is scrambling today in an apparent effort to assure Israel that the two are still friends as usual.

In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood's 'trial of power' Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:24 AM PST This morning I stumbled across a long story I wrote about the Muslim Brotherhood's struggles with the Mubarak regime in June 2005 and found plenty of resonance for events today (as well as some personal chagrin in the fact that I'd used the phrase "Arab spring" back then).

McAfee's rise and downfall via technology Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:14 AM PST Computer protection guru John McAfee's high-profile run from the law is over, and it may have been a simple slip in digital security that helped lead to his downfall.

Human rights report names names in Kashmir, invokes international law Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:04 AM PST Two prominent human rights groups in India-administered Kashmir Thursday accused New Delhi of institutionally blocking justice in thousands of cases of crimes like enforced disappearance, killings, rape, and torture allegedly committed by its forces in the disputed region during the past two decades.

Japanese chef dishes on North Korean leader and missile launch Posted: 06 Dec 2012 08:41 AM PST The Japanese chef who cooked for North Korean leaders for 13 years – before finding a pretext to return to Japan – believes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has no desire to upset other countries by sanctioning the firing of a long-range missile later this month.

Moving Mali forward Posted: 06 Dec 2012 07:57 AM PST Every year since 2001 the Festival au Desert has been held near Timbuktu, drawing musicians and listeners from around the world – until now. Next year's event, according to its Website, is planned as a "Festival in Exile" held in stages in various other countries.

Tanks deploy to Egypt's presidential palace amid lull in deadly protests Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 AM PST • A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

Syrian refugees decamp for tough life in Jordan's cities Posted: 06 Dec 2012 04:30 AM PST Sitting cross-legged on the floor of her chilly, unfurnished home, a Syrian widow explains how she sneaked out of Jordan's Za'atari refugee camp. It cost 50,000 Syrian pounds, about $700, to pay someone from outside to sneak her past the camp's security. She was allowed to pay half up-front, and had a relative in Jordan who could lend her the money.

A wary Iraq weighs its options as Syrian civil war deepens Posted: 06 Dec 2012 04:00 AM PST As Syria implodes, shock waves from the sectarian conflict are being felt in Baghdad, where a beleaguered Iraqi government is struggling to maintain a hard-won but fragile stability.

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