Yahoo! News: World News

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• Obama to shore up ally Jordan on last stop in Mideast
• Damascus mosque blast kills 42 including senior Syrian imam
• France's Sarkozy investigated in party-funding affair
• Russia tones down criticism of new U.S. missile plans
• Iran will destroy Israeli cities if attacked: Khamenei
• Russian President Putin wants BRICS to tackle geopolitics
• Cyprus court finds Hezbollah member guilty in Israeli plot
• U.N. launches probe of possible Syrian chemical arms attack
• Venezuelan police fire tear gas during clash ahead of vote
• Italy's Bersani maneuvers for new government
• Syria: Bombing kills top pro-Assad Sunni preacher
• 'Peace is possible,' Obama insists in Middle East
• Scientists find universe is 80 million years older
• Obama visit poses tough choices for Palestinians
• Kurdish rebel leader calls for historic truce
• Passing reference in 'Argo' rankles New Zealand
• Mob kills alleged thief in Egypt vigilante attack
• AP PHOTOS: Obama stance setback for Palestinians
• Italy to return marine murder suspects to India
• WHITE HOUSE NOTEBOOK: Up close, Obama the tourist
• Obama to Israel: 'You are not alone'
• What the US is doing to help some Syrian rebels, undermine jihadis
• Remarkable tales of survival from around the world
• Good Reads: US-China relations, 'Lean In,' ballet's whodunit, Ireland's Downton
• From Turkish jail, Kurdish guerrilla leader offers to lay down arms
• Delhi braces for return of some serious monkey business
• Like Pope Francis, new archbishop of Canterbury seen as advocate for the poor
• In Kenya, social media hate speech rises as nation awaits election ruling
• The real warning in Syrian chemical weapons claims
• Cyprus' Plan B: What will happen if Moscow won't foot the bill?
• Study: Mexico pays price for being soda king
• With Cyprus desperate for bailout help, Russia plays hardball
• Europe, Cyprus look for way out of crisis. Could Moscow save the day?
• Water crisis runs much deeper than digging a well
• As Obama does about-face on settlements, Palestinians question US as 'honest broker'
• Why cyberattacks are the logical North Korean weapon
• Penn & Teller in Cairo, 2003
• 'The world upside down': The rise of Spanish immigration to Morocco
• West Bank hosts Obama, Gaza sends rockets
• Who is Pope Francis?

Obama to shore up ally Jordan on last stop in Mideast Posted: 21 Mar 2013 03:51 PM PDT By Matt Spetalnick JERUSALEM (Reuters) - President Barack Obama flies to Jordan on Friday for talks with King Abdullah, a key U.S. Middle East ally, that are expected to focus on the civil war in neighboring Syria and the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace diplomacy. Obama will head to Amman after the final day of his first official visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, which will be heavy on symbolism as he tours sites of historic and religious importance to both peoples. ...

Damascus mosque blast kills 42 including senior Syrian imam Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:17 PM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - An explosion at a mosque in the Syrian capital on Thursday killed at least 42 people, including a senior pro-government Muslim cleric, and wounded 84, the Syrian health ministry said. State television and anti-government activists earlier had reported 15 dead. The television said a "terrorist suicide blast" hit the Iman Mosque in central Damascus, and Mohammed al-Buti, imam of the ancient Ummayyad Mosque, was among the dead. "The death toll from the suicide bombing of the Iman Mosque in Damascus is 42 martyrs and 84 wounded," the health ministry said later in a statement. ...

France's Sarkozy investigated in party-funding affair Posted: 21 Mar 2013 04:39 PM PDT By Claude Canellas BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - Ex-French president Nicolas Sarkozy was placed under formal investigation on Thursday for "abuse of weakness" in a 2007 party funding case involving elderly L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, the public prosecutor said. The risk for Sarkozy, unseated May last year but considered a potential conservative candidate in the 2017 presidential race, is that he may end up plagued by suspicion for months or years, even if his lawyer says there is no case against him. ...

Russia tones down criticism of new U.S. missile plans Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:22 PM PDT By Steve Gutterman MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia signaled on Thursday that a change in U.S. plans for a European anti-missile shield could help the two sides make progress towards resolving a dispute that has frayed their relations. On Friday, the United States announced it would station 14 new anti-missile interceptors in Alaska after North Korea threatened a pre-emptive nuclear strike, and forgo a new interceptor that would have been deployed in central Europe. Cold War-era foes Moscow and Washington have long been at loggerheads over the shield in Europe. ...

Iran will destroy Israeli cities if attacked: Khamenei Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:07 AM PDT By Marcus George and Zahra Hosseinian DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Thursday that the Islamic Republic would destroy the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa if its nuclear infrastructure came under attack from the Jewish state. Israel puts little stock in big power negotiations aimed at curbing Iran's uranium enrichment - which Western nations suspect is a conduit to nuclear weapons capability - and has repeatedly hinted at pre-emptive war against its arch-enemy. During a visit to Israel on Thursday, U.S. ...

Russian President Putin wants BRICS to tackle geopolitics Posted: 21 Mar 2013 03:43 PM PDT By Steve Gutterman MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia wants the BRICS group of major emerging economies to broaden its role and get more involved in geopolitics, President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published on Friday. Putin, who has frequently criticized European and U.S. activities and has teamed up with fellow BRICS nation China to counter Western clout, spoke before a summit next week of the group, which also includes Brazil, India and South Africa. ...

Cyprus court finds Hezbollah member guilty in Israeli plot Posted: 21 Mar 2013 03:57 PM PDT NICOSIA (Reuters) - A court in Cyprus on Thursday convicted a Hezbollah member of plotting against Israeli interests on the island in a verdict likely to increase pressure on the European Union to declare the Lebanese group a terrorist organization. Hossam Taleb Yaccoub was arrested in the Cypriot port city of Limassol last year, two weeks before a suicide bomber killed five Israeli tourists in Bulgaria in July, an attack Sofia blamed on Hezbollah. The group denies involvement. ...

U.N. launches probe of possible Syrian chemical arms attack Posted: 21 Mar 2013 03:56 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday it would investigate Syria's allegations that rebel forces used chemical weapons in an attack near Aleppo, but Western countries sought a probe of all claims concerning the use of such banned arms. "I have decided to conduct a United Nations investigation into the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The investigation will focus on "the specific incident brought to my attention by the Syrian government," he told reporters. ...

Venezuelan police fire tear gas during clash ahead of vote Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:49 PM PDT By Deisy Buitrago and Efrain Otero CARACAS (Reuters) - Police fired tear gas in downtown Caracas on Thursday as anti-government student protesters clashed with supporters of late President Hugo Chavez in an increasingly volatile atmosphere ahead of next month's election. Several hundred students were marching to the election board's headquarters to demand a clean vote when they were blocked by government supporters who hurled stones, bottles and eggs at them, a Reuters witness said. Some of the students threw stones back, other witnesses said. "We were holding a peaceful march. ... ...

Italy's Bersani maneuvers for new government Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:13 PM PDT By James Mackenzie and Gavin Jones ROME (Reuters) - Italian center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani on Thursday appealed to all parties in parliament to back a new government, a move that may brighten prospects of resolving the political deadlock following last month's inconclusive election. After meeting with President Giorgio Napolitano, Bersani said "all the forces in parliament" should support a government with a program of reforms presented by the center-left. ...

Syria: Bombing kills top pro-Assad Sunni preacher Posted: 21 Mar 2013 03:28 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — A suicide bomb ripped through a mosque in the heart of the Syrian capital Thursday, killing a top Sunni Muslim preacher and outspoken supporter of President Bashar Assad in one of the most stunning assassinations of Syria's 2-year-old civil war. At least 41 others were killed and more than 84 wounded.

'Peace is possible,' Obama insists in Middle East Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:41 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Insisting "peace is possible," President Barack Obama on Thursday prodded both Israelis and Palestinians to return to long-stalled negotiations with few, if any, pre-conditions, softening his earlier demands that Israel stop building settlements in disputed territory.

Scientists find universe is 80 million years older Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:26 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — A new examination of what is essentially the universe's birth certificate allows astronomers to tweak the age, girth and speed of the cosmos, more secure in their knowledge of how it evolved, what it's made of and its ultimate fate.

Obama visit poses tough choices for Palestinians Posted: 21 Mar 2013 01:23 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — President Barack Obama spoke grandly of big picture peacemaking Thursday, but the Palestinians are focused on a specific demand — that Israel freeze settlement building before they'll return to talks.

Kurdish rebel leader calls for historic truce Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:50 PM PDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — In a major step toward ending one of the world's longest, bloodiest insurgencies, the Kurds' jailed rebel leader called Thursday for a "new era" of peace that includes an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of thousands of his fighters from Turkey.

Passing reference in 'Argo' rankles New Zealand Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:46 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Thirteen minutes into the Oscar-winning movie "Argo," CIA agent Tony Mendez asks supervisor Jack O'Donnell what happened to a group of Americans when the U.S. Embassy was stormed in Tehran.

Mob kills alleged thief in Egypt vigilante attack Posted: 21 Mar 2013 01:06 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Villagers in Egypt's Nile Delta killed a man suspected of trying to steal a car Thursday in the country's latest incident of vigilante violence, dragging him half-naked and bloody as they kicked and hit him with sticks and fists before tying him to a tree to bleed to death, witnesses and officials said.

AP PHOTOS: Obama stance setback for Palestinians Posted: 21 Mar 2013 01:16 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — In eight years on the job, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has seen his share of ups and downs. Thursday's appearance with visiting U.S. President Barack Obama looked like it was one of his lowest points.

Italy to return marine murder suspects to India Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:50 PM PDT ROME (AP) — The Italian government said on Thursday that it will return to India two marines facing murder charges in the shooting deaths of two fishermen, reversing an earlier decision that had escalated diplomatic tensions between the nations.

WHITE HOUSE NOTEBOOK: Up close, Obama the tourist Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:56 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — President Barack Obama has permitted TV crews with live microphones to accompany him at virtually every stop in Israel, giving a rare and fascinating glimpse at the joking and small talk that takes place on the sidelines of official visits.

Obama to Israel: 'You are not alone' Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:21 PM PDT President Obama's whole visit to Israel can be summed up in one Hebrew phrase he uttered to a packed auditorium of Israeli students this afternoon: You are not alone.

What the US is doing to help some Syrian rebels, undermine jihadis Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:02 PM PDT US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, who was withdrawn from Damascus over a year ago, laid out the Obama administration's assistance to some Syrian rebel groups, its efforts to undermine others, and overall plans for continued involvement in the Syrian civil war in testimony to Congress yesterday.

Remarkable tales of survival from around the world Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:39 AM PDT Stories of survival often include extraordinary challenges, hardship, and a broader tragedy. But most of all, they inspire.

Good Reads: US-China relations, 'Lean In,' ballet's whodunit, Ireland's Downton Posted: 21 Mar 2013 01:41 PM PDT The United States has two clear choices in dealing with China: Engage or isolate the world's most populous nation. "You cannot have it both ways," argues Lee Kuan Yew, prime minister of Singapore for more than three decades, who led his tiny Asian nation to Western-style prosperity despite being in the shadow of its giant communist neighbor. "You cannot say you will engage China on some issues and isolate her over others. You cannot mix your signals."

From Turkish jail, Kurdish guerrilla leader offers to lay down arms Posted: 21 Mar 2013 01:37 PM PDT Jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan today called for a cease-fire and withdrawal of his forces from Turkey, signaling a possible end to a three-decade-long conflict that has cost 40,000 lives.

Delhi braces for return of some serious monkey business Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:25 PM PDT Monkeys are poised to take back the corridors of power in the world's largest democracy. Once literally overrun with packs of small but troublesome rhesus monkeys, Delhi's government zone began to fight back the menace a decade ago with large langur monkeys who were trained to them chase away.

Like Pope Francis, new archbishop of Canterbury seen as advocate for the poor Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:49 AM PDT The new archbishop of Canterbury was formally enthroned Thursday, providing the Church of England and millions of members of the worldwide Anglican communion with a leader who – much like the new pope – has emerged as a strong advocate of social justice.

In Kenya, social media hate speech rises as nation awaits election ruling Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:04 AM PDT Patricia Amira, a popular Kenyan television talk-show host, began noticing the comments and tweets soon after the country's election results were declared nearly a fortnight ago.

The real warning in Syrian chemical weapons claims Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:56 AM PDT The Syrian government today asked the United Nations to investigate allegations, completely unproven and unsubstantiated to this point, that a chemical weapon of some sort was used near Aleppo earlier this week.

Cyprus' Plan B: What will happen if Moscow won't foot the bill? Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:38 AM PDT The clock in Nicosia is ticking a lot louder: Tiny Cyprus has four days to come up with about 6 billion euros ($7.5 billion) or lose its current lender of last resort, the European Central Bank (ECB).

Study: Mexico pays price for being soda king Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:34 AM PDT Mexicans drink more refrescos, or soda, than people in just about any other country, according to new research.

With Cyprus desperate for bailout help, Russia plays hardball Posted: 21 Mar 2013 09:30 AM PDT As Cyprus races against a deadline from Europe's central bank to put its financial house in order or face bankruptcy, the country's leaders are turning to an unlikely champion in hopes of finding some relief from their escalating troubles: Russia.

Europe, Cyprus look for way out of crisis. Could Moscow save the day? Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:47 AM PDT As Cyprus, the eurozone's third smallest economy, is staring state bankruptcy in the face, European leaders are scratching their heads: How did we end up in this mess? And, more importantly, what is the way out?

Water crisis runs much deeper than digging a well Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:26 AM PDT It's easy to tell a powerful and heart-rending story about the lack of clean water that afflicts millions of people.

As Obama does about-face on settlements, Palestinians question US as 'honest broker' Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:16 AM PDT As President Obama arrived in Ramallah for a short visit today, he faced widespread disillusionment that America has the ability or willingness to be a fair arbiter in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – even with a historic leader at its helm, who has sought to fashion himself after Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. and the freedom they espoused.

Why cyberattacks are the logical North Korean weapon Posted: 21 Mar 2013 07:40 AM PDT After an apparent cyberattack disrupted operations at a number of South Korean broadcasters and banks yesterday, officials here are trying to figure out whether North Korea is responsible. If so, it would show that despite the stark contrast in development between the two countries, the North is capable of striking its southern rival in an unconventional, but harmful, manner.

Penn & Teller in Cairo, 2003 Posted: 21 Mar 2013 07:21 AM PDT Last night stumbled across this video bringing together two of the world's greatest magicians and one of the world's greatest, if seriously troubled, cities.

'The world upside down': The rise of Spanish immigration to Morocco Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:52 AM PDT Marcos Martinez Bacelo does not know when he will be able to go home.

West Bank hosts Obama, Gaza sends rockets Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:46 AM PDT • A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

Who is Pope Francis? Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:00 AM PDT The new leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics was an unexpected choice – he wasn't on any Vatican-watcher's list of potential popes and the crowd in St. Peter's Square seemed to respond at first with a collective, "Who?" Here's some of what is known about the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and what his election might mean.

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