Yahoo! News: World News

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• Key U.S. general backs keeping Afghan forces at peak strength
• In Mali town, counter-insurgency task ties down French
• French firm suspected as culprit in horsemeat scandal
• "Blade Runner" Pistorius faces court on murder charge
• Egypt's ruling party aims for outright majority in new parliament
• Somali Islamists say kill soldier, delay executions
• Teen killed in protests on Bahrain revolt anniversary
• U.N. warns that Sudan could use foreign military support in Darfur
• Maldives ex-president to stay in Indian Embassy, party says
• Iranian Guards commander killed in Syria
• Amputee Olympic star Pistorius charged in slaying
• In Timbuktu, al-Qaida left behind a manifesto
• Pistorius' girlfriend was a model, law graduate
• Litany of secrets after papal retirement bombshell
• Argentine woman marries twin's convicted killer
• Israeli spy saga raises press freedom questions
• Papal conclave still largely a European club
• Horsemeat: French company blamed, UK arrests
• Afghan troop cuts invite comparison to Iraq
• Eurozone recession deepens as Germany falters
• Spain's King Juan Carlos fights new pressures to abdicate
• One Billion Rising: Indonesia joins world discussion on rape
• Ethiopia airs jihadi film amid sensitive Muslim protest trial
• Talking about love: Valentine's Day tales from around the world
• New nation, new love: Israel's first soldiers forged lasting bonds on the frontlines
• One step forward, one step back on Iran's nuclear program

Key U.S. general backs keeping Afghan forces at peak strength Posted: 14 Feb 2013 02:43 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. general nominated to oversee a vast region that includes Afghanistan on Thursday backed keeping Afghan forces at a peak strength of 352,000, contrary to current plans to shrink them after NATO declares the war over next year. General Lloyd Austin, nominated to lead the U.S. military's Central Command, said at his Senate confirmation hearing that a more robust Afghan force, while more costly, would "hedge against any Taliban mischief" following America's longest war. ...

In Mali town, counter-insurgency task ties down French Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:25 PM PST GAO, Mali (Reuters) - By the slow-moving Niger River at Gao, the north Malian town retaken by French troops from Islamist rebels last month, men repair fishing nets beside beached pirogues, women wash pots and children splash naked in the muddy water. The scene looks tranquil enough but the French soldiers and their allied troops from Niger on the riverbank are alert, fingering their weapons and squinting southwest across the water to the village of Kadji, shrouded by eucalyptus trees. ...

French firm suspected as culprit in horsemeat scandal Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:35 AM PST PARIS (Reuters) - An investigation has identified a French meat-processing firm as a likely culprit in the horsemeat scandal that has enraged consumers across Europe and implicated traders and abattoirs from Cyprus to Romania. Separately, British police investigating alleged mislabeling of beef products arrested three people on Thursday at facilities in Wales and Yorkshire which had handled horsemeat and were raided by police earlier, British media reported. No further details on the British arrests were immediately available. ...

"Blade Runner" Pistorius faces court on murder charge Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:04 PM PST JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee who became one of the biggest names in world athletics, is due to appear in court on Friday on charges of murdering his girlfriend. The arrest of the 26-year-old Olympic and Paralympic track star stunned a nation that holds him up as hero who triumphed over adversity to compete with able-bodied athletes at the highest levels of sport. ...

Egypt's ruling party aims for outright majority in new parliament Posted: 14 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood's political party aims to win an outright majority in Egypt's forthcoming parliamentary elections without making alliances with other more hardline Islamist groups, its leader said on Thursday. Saad el-Katatni, 61, became the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) leader in October, replacing Mohamed Mursi who had become the first elected president of Egypt since the overthrow of veteran authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. "The Freedom and Justice Party will aim to get a majority (in parliament). ...

Somali Islamists say kill soldier, delay executions Posted: 14 Feb 2013 02:52 PM PST MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali militants linked to al Qaeda said they executed a Kenyan army private at midnight on Thursday after the expiry of an ultimatum for the release of Muslims held by Kenya on terror charges. The al Shabaab militants, who want to impose a strict version of sharia, or Islamic law, also said they were extending the execution deadline by 72 hours for five other hostages. The insurgents on January 23 had given Kenya a three-week deadline to free fighters held by the east African country, but Kenya refused to negotiate and said it would not meet the demand. ...

Teen killed in protests on Bahrain revolt anniversary Posted: 14 Feb 2013 02:08 PM PST DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahraini security forces killed a teenager and injured dozens more protesters on Thursday, an opposition website said, during clashes on the second anniversary of an uprising to demand democratic reforms in the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state. Several hundred demonstrators, mostly youths from largely Shi'ite villages, blocked roads around the capital Manama and hurled stones and fire bombs at police, who responded with birdshot and tear gas, witnesses said. ...

U.N. warns that Sudan could use foreign military support in Darfur Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:38 AM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council warned on Thursday that funding, training, spare parts, weapons systems and other materiel supplied to Sudan's government could be used for air strikes in the Darfur region in violation of a U.N. arms embargo. The 15-member council expressed concern that "the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of technical assistance and support ... could be used by the Government of Sudan to support military aircraft being used in violation" of Darfur sanctions. ...

Maldives ex-president to stay in Indian Embassy, party says Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:30 PM PST MALE (Reuters) - Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed will stay in the Indian Embassy in Male until a caretaker government is formed, his party said on Thursday, despite a government assurance he would not be arrested if left. Nasheed, the Maldives' first democratically elected leader, who left office last year in contested circumstances, entered the Indian High Commission in the capital on Wednesday as police tried to arrest him in connection with a court case. ...

Iranian Guards commander killed in Syria Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:19 PM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - An Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander has been killed inside Syria by rebels battling Iran's close ally President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian officials and a rebel leader said on Thursday . Syrian rebels have repeatedly accused Tehran of sending fighters to help Assad crush the 22-month-old uprising, a charge Iran has denied. The Iranian embassy in Lebanon said the dead man, Hessam Khoshnevis, was in charge of Tehran's reconstruction assistance in Lebanon. ...

Amputee Olympic star Pistorius charged in slaying Posted: 14 Feb 2013 03:31 PM PST PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee sprinter dubbed the Blade Runner, was charged Thursday in the Valentine's Day slaying of his girlfriend at his upscale home in South Africa, a shocking twist to one of the feel-good stories of last summer's Olympics.

In Timbuktu, al-Qaida left behind a manifesto Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:27 PM PST TIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) — In their hurry to flee last month, al-Qaida fighters left behind a crucial document: Tucked under a pile of papers and trash is a confidential letter, spelling out the terror network's strategy for conquering northern Mali and reflecting internal discord over how to rule the region.

Pistorius' girlfriend was a model, law graduate Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:58 AM PST JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The leggy blonde model tweeted that Valentine's Day should be "a day of love for everyone."

Litany of secrets after papal retirement bombshell Posted: 14 Feb 2013 02:07 PM PST VATICAN CITY (AP) — For an institution devoted to eternal light, the Vatican has shown itself to be a master of smokescreens since Pope Benedict XVI's shock resignation announcement.

Argentine woman marries twin's convicted killer Posted: 14 Feb 2013 02:59 PM PST BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — This was a Valentine's Day wedding that the bride's family wanted no part of: An Argentine woman married the man convicted of killing her twin sister.

Israeli spy saga raises press freedom questions Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:22 PM PST JERUSALEM (AP) — Foreign reports about the mysterious death of an Australian-Israeli Mossad agent in an Israeli prison two years ago have sparked a rare backlash against the country's well-respected security agencies.

Papal conclave still largely a European club Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:25 AM PST The face of the Roman Catholic Church has changed profoundly in Pope Benedict XVI's lifetime. Congregations in the West are smaller and older, while those in Africa, Latin America and pockets of Asia are booming, bringing youth and energy to the Catholic world.

Horsemeat: French company blamed, UK arrests Posted: 14 Feb 2013 01:39 PM PST PARIS (AP) — The price, smell and color should have been clear tipoffs something was wrong with shipments of horsemeat that were fraudulently labeled as beef, French authorities said Thursday. The government pinned the bulk of the blame on a French wholesaler at the heart of a growing scandal in Europe.

Afghan troop cuts invite comparison to Iraq Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:15 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — As the U.S. looks to reduce American and Afghan forces in Afghanistan after 2014, Congress members are making comparisons to Iraq and predicting a sharp decline in troops will quickly lead to increased violence and instability.

Eurozone recession deepens as Germany falters Posted: 14 Feb 2013 01:27 PM PST BERLIN (AP) — It was only a matter of time. With many of its debt-ridden euro partners in recession, Germany could only swim against the tide for so long.

Spain's King Juan Carlos fights new pressures to abdicate Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:53 AM PST Spain's aging King Juan Carlos is intent on extending his reign and reaffirming his legacy of resurrecting the monarchy, but calls for his abdication are growing amid a simmering scandal over embezzlement of public funds incriminating his son-in-law, a duke. The scandal and climate here are proving a serious threat to the crown.

One Billion Rising: Indonesia joins world discussion on rape Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:32 AM PST When Indonesian high court judge Muhammad Daming Sunusi joked during vetting for a Supreme Court position this month that women might enjoy rape, he sparked an outcry that, activists say, helped drive nearly a thousand Indonesians onto the streets today.

Ethiopia airs jihadi film amid sensitive Muslim protest trial Posted: 14 Feb 2013 09:25 AM PST Ethiopia, a US ally in the battle against Al Qaeda-affiliated militants in Somalia, added to mounting worries about religious discord in the diverse east African state by screening a provocative documentary on Islamic extremism.

Talking about love: Valentine's Day tales from around the world Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:20 AM PST Valentine's Day is always a day for cynics to smirk at a holiday they say has been co-opted by card companies and chocolate factories. And true enough, it has become an unabashedly commercialized affair, from Texas to Thailand. But it's also a time to reflect on the way love is expressed and has endured across the globe. Here are our vignettes of love on Feb. 14 the world over.RECOMMENDED: Test your love IQ: Who said these romantic things?

New nation, new love: Israel's first soldiers forged lasting bonds on the frontlines Posted: 14 Feb 2013 08:06 AM PST When Alisa Berman and Pinhas Ofer decided at age 17 to go out on their first date, they faced unusual hurdles: A barbed-wire fence and the armed soldiers guarding their base.

One step forward, one step back on Iran's nuclear program Posted: 14 Feb 2013 05:57 AM PST • A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

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