Yahoo! News: World News

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• Syria protests over Israel attack, warns of "surprise"
• Explosion at Mexican oil giant Pemex offices kills 14
• Egypt opposition to protest after deadly week
• Brazil police blame toxic foam for 235 deaths in nightclub
• Armenia presidential candidate shot, election in doubt
• At desolate Algeria gas plant, hope for new start
• Colombia rebels free oil workers, 11 killed in combat
• Defiant Iran plans to speed up nuclear fuel work
• Gunman kills Pakistani Sunni leaders in apparent tit-for-tat hit
• Malian president offers Tuareg rebels talks
• Israel may feel need to strike Syria again
• Iran says it will speed up nuclear program
• Brazil nightclub fire prompts regional reaction
• Freedom returns to the storied city of Timbuktu
• 14 dead, 80 injured in Mexico oil company blast
• Armenia presidential hopeful shot and wounded
• Sacrificial skull mound in Mexico puzzles experts
• Egypt's police regain Mubarak-era notoriety
• 57 rhinos killed in South Africa so far this year
• Syria threatens retaliation for Israeli airstrike
• What's behind Mexico's silence on immigration debate?
• When dictators fall, so do their banknotes
• The French are winning handily in Mali
• Why Argentina is reaching out to Iran
• Pakistan's Balochistan: Minerals, militants, and meddling
• A flood of memories: 60 years on, Britain recalls a deadly storm
• Syria's allies warn of retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, but threats are likely hollow
• Mali war pulls France's Hollande out of polling slump
• German visit offers Egypt's Morsi no relief from mounting pressures
• Jerusalem soccer fans reject new Muslim players

Syria protests over Israel attack, warns of "surprise" Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:13 AM PST BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria protested to the United Nations on Thursday over an Israeli air strike on its territory and warned of a possible "surprise" response. The foreign ministry summoned the head of the U.N. force in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to deliver the protest a day after Israel hit what Syria said was a military research centre and diplomats said was a weapons convoy heading for Lebanon. ...

Explosion at Mexican oil giant Pemex offices kills 14 Posted: 31 Jan 2013 04:49 PM PST MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - An explosion rocked the Mexico City headquarters of state oil giant Pemex on Thursday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 80 others, the government said. The blast, which media reports said was caused by machinery, hit the lower floors of the downtown building, throwing debris into the streets and sending workers running outside. Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told Mexican television the blast had killed 14 people and injured 80. It was not yet clear what caused the explosion, and the death toll could still rise, he added. ...

Egypt opposition to protest after deadly week Posted: 31 Jan 2013 03:26 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi have called mass demonstrations on Friday, raising the prospect of more bloodshed despite a pledge by politicians to back off after the deadliest week of his seven months in office. Protests marking the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak have killed nearly 60 people since January 25. It prompted the head of the army - the institution that effectively ran Egypt for six decades until Mursi's election - to warn that the state was on the verge of collapse. ...

Brazil police blame toxic foam for 235 deaths in nightclub Posted: 31 Jan 2013 03:00 PM PST SANTA MARIA (Reuters) - A highly flammable foam was responsible for the death of 235 people in a nightclub in southern Brazil last weekend, filling the venue with a thick poisonous smoke within three minutes, police investigators said on Thursday. The toxic soundproofing foam, responsible for the illnesses of many survivors, may have been the Kiss club's greatest hazard, according to police in Santa Maria, who also faulted broken fire extinguishers and a single, obstructed exit for the tragedy. ...

Armenia presidential candidate shot, election in doubt Posted: 31 Jan 2013 03:48 PM PST YEREVAN (Reuters) - An Armenian presidential candidate was wounded by unknown gunmen in the capital Yerevan on Thursday night, police said, in an attack that could delay February's election. Paruyr Hayrikyan, whose life was not in danger after the shooting, is one of eight candidates running in the February 18 vote but is not seen as a strong challenger to Serzh Sarksyan, who is expected to be re-elected for a second five-year term. However, according to Armenia's constitution, the election could be postponed by two weeks if a candidate is unable to campaign or run. ...

At desolate Algeria gas plant, hope for new start Posted: 31 Jan 2013 03:32 PM PST TIGUENTOURINE, Algeria (Reuters) - Algerian engineers at the In Amenas natural gas plant are working to get at least some of the desert facility back to work in the coming days, two weeks after three dozen foreign workers were killed in an Islamist hostage siege. Lying deep in the Sahara, the site was surrounded by troops with armored vehicles when Algerian officials gave journalists a first view of the area since gunmen attacked on January 15 and seized hundreds of hostages before the army stormed in four days later. ...

Colombia rebels free oil workers, 11 killed in combat Posted: 31 Jan 2013 04:35 PM PST BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebels on Thursday freed three kidnapped oil contractors, but six guerrillas and five government soldiers were killed across the country as peace talks continued abroad. The kidnappings and other violence came days after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, made clear during peace negotiations in Cuba that it would continue to capture armed forces, possibly hampering the talks. ...

Defiant Iran plans to speed up nuclear fuel work Posted: 31 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has announced plans to install and operate advanced uranium enrichment machines, in what would be a technological leap allowing it to significantly speed up activity the West fears could be put to developing a nuclear weapon. In a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran said it would introduce new centrifuges to its main enrichment plant near the central town of Natanz, according to an IAEA communication to member states seen by Reuters. ...

Gunman kills Pakistani Sunni leaders in apparent tit-for-tat hit Posted: 31 Jan 2013 10:49 AM PST KARACHI (Reuters) - A gunman on a motorcycle shot dead three Pakistani Sunni Muslim leaders on Thursday, police said, in the latest apparent tit-for-tat killing in the southern financial hub of Karachi. Conflict between Sunni and Shi'ite militants has been blamed for many recent killings in Pakistan's largest city. At least 217 people have been killed this month, police sources say, but they do not know how many qualify as "target killings", the official term for assassinations. "Three persons riding a bike intercepted (the victims')vehicle ... ...

Malian president offers Tuareg rebels talks Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:24 AM PST TIMBUKTU, Mali/PARIS (Reuters) - Mali's president offered talks to Tuareg rebels on Thursday in a bid for national reconciliation after a French-led offensive drove their Islamist former allies into desert and mountain hideaways in the country's vast north. France's three-week ground and air campaign has dislodged al Qaeda-linked fighters from northern Mali's major towns, ending the first phase of an operation designed to prevent Islamists using the region as a launchpad for attacks on neighboring West African countries and Europe. ...

Israel may feel need to strike Syria again Posted: 31 Jan 2013 02:55 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli air attack staged in Syria this week may be a sign of things to come.

Iran says it will speed up nuclear program Posted: 31 Jan 2013 01:42 PM PST VIENNA (AP) — In a defiant move ahead of nuclear talks, Iran has announced plans to vastly increase its pace of uranium enrichment, which can make both reactor fuel and the fissile core of warheads. Eager to avoid scuttling those negotiations, world powers are keeping their response low-key.

Brazil nightclub fire prompts regional reaction Posted: 31 Jan 2013 01:41 PM PST SANTA MARIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian authorities inspected and shuttered night spots around the country on Thursday as part of a crackdown on unsafe public spaces after a deadly nightclub fire left 235 people dead and shocked the nation. Officials in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Mexico followed Brazil's example and tightened scrutiny on their own nightclubs.

Freedom returns to the storied city of Timbuktu Posted: 31 Jan 2013 04:29 PM PST TIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) — On the morning French commandos parachuted onto the sand just north of this storied city and ended 10 months of Islamic rule, Hawi Traore folded up her veil. On the next day, she wore heels. On the day after, she put on her sparkly earrings, got her hair braided and tried her mother's perfume.

14 dead, 80 injured in Mexico oil company blast Posted: 31 Jan 2013 05:03 PM PST MEXICO CITY (AP) — An explosion at the main headquarters of Mexico's state-owned oil company in the capital killed 14 people and injured 80 on Thursday as it heavily damaged three floors of the building, sending hundreds into the streets and a large plume of smoke over the skyline.

Armenia presidential hopeful shot and wounded Posted: 31 Jan 2013 03:12 PM PST YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A longshot candidate for the Armenian presidency was shot in the chest by an unidentified gunman late Thursday, officials said. He was hospitalized in stable condition as police searched for the shooter, while the speaker of parliament suggested the election could be delayed.

Sacrificial skull mound in Mexico puzzles experts Posted: 31 Jan 2013 02:49 PM PST MEXICO CITY (AP) — Archaeologists say they have turned up about 150 skulls of human sacrifice victims in a field in central Mexico, one of the first times that such a large accumulation of severed heads has been found outside of a major pyramid or temple complex in Mexico.

Egypt's police regain Mubarak-era notoriety Posted: 31 Jan 2013 12:57 PM PST CAIRO (AP) — With near impunity and the backing of the Islamist president, Egyptian police have been accused of firing wildly at protesters, beating them and lashing out with deadly force in clashes across much of the country the past week, regaining their Hosni Mubarak-era notoriety as a tool of repression.

57 rhinos killed in South Africa so far this year Posted: 31 Jan 2013 07:19 AM PST JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Officials in South Africa say that 57 rhinos have been killed by poachers across the country so far this year.

Syria threatens retaliation for Israeli airstrike Posted: 31 Jan 2013 03:15 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Syria threatened Thursday to retaliate for an Israeli airstrike and its ally Iran said the Jewish state will regret the attack.

What's behind Mexico's silence on immigration debate? Posted: 31 Jan 2013 09:26 AM PST The days when a Mexican president would raise the battle cry for US immigration reform are long past.

When dictators fall, so do their banknotes Posted: 31 Jan 2013 01:43 PM PST When dictatorships crumble, the currencies commemorating their leaders are often hastily replaced. The following now defunct or possibly soon-to-be defunct banknotes are imbued with the symbols and iconography of their strongman leaders, past and present.

The French are winning handily in Mali Posted: 31 Jan 2013 01:10 PM PST Some frankly silly thoughts and ideas have been punctured in the past few days about France's invasion of Mali. Most importantly, that the French military effort to roll back the advance of salafy jihadis who had captured much of the north of the country, bringing a reign of amputations and torture to locals for what they deemed violations of Islamic law, would turn into a repeat of Dien Bien Phu, where French forces were defeated by a 45,000 man Viet Minh army backed by both China and the Soviet Union.

Why Argentina is reaching out to Iran Posted: 31 Jan 2013 12:32 PM PST After years of impasse, Argentina and Iran this week announced an agreement to work together on solving one of the deadliest anti-Semitic attacks anywhere since World War II. The deal emerged in the midst of deepening trade ties and has generated skepticism from the US and Israel.

Pakistan's Balochistan: Minerals, militants, and meddling Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:55 AM PST Balochistan is a key province in Pakistan that is filled with natural resources as well as a volatile mix of Afghan Taliban leaders, anti-Shiite militants, and ethnic separatists.

A flood of memories: 60 years on, Britain recalls a deadly storm Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST Britain's Princess Royal led a remembrance service today to mark the 60th anniversary of a massive flood that killed more than 300 people in East Anglia in 1953, one of the country's worst ever natural disasters.

Syria's allies warn of retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, but threats are likely hollow Posted: 31 Jan 2013 07:49 AM PST Syria and Iran have threatened retaliation against Israel for a reported strike or pair of strikes in Syrian territory yesterday, but it is widely seen as counter to their interests to follow such bellicose rhetoric with concrete action.

Mali war pulls France's Hollande out of polling slump Posted: 31 Jan 2013 06:57 AM PST After six months of shrinking approval ratings amid stubbornly-high unemployment and slow economic growth, French President François Hollande has reversed the downward slide in the polls as the public praises him for his stewardship of a relatively popular French-led military intervention in Mali.

German visit offers Egypt's Morsi no relief from mounting pressures Posted: 31 Jan 2013 05:56 AM PST On a visit to Germany cut short by turmoil at home, Mohamed Morsi saw no respite from the economic and political pressures facing his government, as the German chancellor pushed for the Egyptian president to engage with the opposition and declined to offer relief from Egyptian debts.

Jerusalem soccer fans reject new Muslim players Posted: 30 Jan 2013 02:06 PM PST Two Muslim players from Chechnya arrived in Israel today to join the country's most nationalist soccer team, and fans are up in arms.

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