Yahoo! News: World News

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• Kerry, Karzai make show of unity after weeks of tensions
• Central African Republic rebel chief to name power-sharing government
• U.S., Russia aim to reconvene stalled missile defense talks
• Russian tycoon Berezovsky died by hanging: police
• Australia to withdraw most troops from Afghanistan by year-end
• Rights groups slam new U.N. arms trade treaty draft
• Congolese warlord to make first appearance before Hague court
• U.S. wants EU to put North Korean bank on sanctions list
• Rebel mortar fire hits Damascus, army gunners retaliate
• Quake hits Guatemala, no initial reports of damage
• Syrian rebels advance, oblivious to infighting
• C. African Republic president flees to Cameroon
• Post-mortem shows Russian tycoon died from hanging
• Berezovsky's billions: How the tycoon lost so much
• Cyprus' banks to remain closed until Thursday
• Kerry, Karzai bury hatchet in Kabul meeting
• Haiti splashes slum with psychedelic colors
• US military says Guantanamo hunger strike edges up
• Egypt top prosecutor orders arrest of 5 activists
• Belgium's chocolate stamps offer lick with a kick
• With plan to save Cyprus, EU bureaucrats prescribe long-term pain
• US-ally Bahrain blocks medical ethics conference
• Bailout deal leaves many Cypriots apprehensive about future
• In Russia, no love lost over late 'evil genius' Boris Berezovsky
• Hong Kong court rejects Filipino maids' plea for residency
• Rebels capture Central African Republic: Now can they govern it?
• As interest in kosher food surges, chefs take it gourmet
• North Korea's public relations man is a Spaniard with a tough job
• Rewriting the story of polarized debate: He got Tea Party and Occupy to talk

Kerry, Karzai make show of unity after weeks of tensions Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:46 PM PDT By Arshad Mohammed KABUL (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a show of unity on Monday after weeks of heightened tensions over prisoner transfers and Afghan suggestions of U.S.-Taliban collusion. Kerry made a brief, unannounced visit to Afghanistan to discuss a host of issues including attempts to stabilize the country before most foreign troops leave by the end of 2014, the transfer of security responsibility to Afghan forces and Afghanistan's 2014 elections, a U.S. official told reporters. ...

Central African Republic rebel chief to name power-sharing government Posted: 25 Mar 2013 03:07 PM PDT By Ange Aboa and Paul-Marin Ngoupana BANGUI (Reuters) - The leader of rebels in Central African Republic pledged to name a power-sharing government in a bid to defuse international criticism of a coup that killed 13 South African soldiers and has plunged the mineral-rich nation into chaos. Regional peacekeepers said that leader of the Seleka rebel coalition, self-proclaimed president Michel Djotodia, appealed for their help in restoring order after his own men joined in a second day of looting on Monday in the riverside capital Bangui. ...

U.S., Russia aim to reconvene stalled missile defense talks Posted: 25 Mar 2013 04:33 PM PDT MOSCOW/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian and U.S. defense chiefs signaled on Monday their intention to reconvene long-stalled missile defense talks, the Pentagon said, following a change in U.S. missile defense plans for Europe that has been met cautiously by Moscow. There have been no meetings at the deputy minister-level since 2011, when six were held, a U.S. defense official told Reuters. Talks set for 2012 were canceled because of scheduling conflicts, he said. ...

Russian tycoon Berezovsky died by hanging: police Posted: 25 Mar 2013 04:28 PM PDT By Maria Golovnina LONDON (Reuters) - Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, whose body was found in the locked bathroom of his luxury mansion near London over the weekend, died by hanging, British police said on Monday. Police, who had earlier removed his body from his home to conduct an autopsy, said there were no signs of a violent struggle, adding that further tests would be carried out, including toxicology and histology examinations. ...

Australia to withdraw most troops from Afghanistan by year-end Posted: 25 Mar 2013 05:01 PM PDT CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia will withdraw most troops from Afghanistan's south at the end of this year and shut down a major base for NATO-led forces, handing security to Afghan soldiers and police, Defense Minister Stephen Smith said on Tuesday. Western and Afghan commanders, Smith said, had agreed that the major multinational coalition base at Tarin Kowt and its NATO airbase in Uruzgan province would close at the end of 2013. Most foreign combat troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014 under a planned security transition from foreign forces to Afghans. ...

Rights groups slam new U.N. arms trade treaty draft Posted: 25 Mar 2013 04:56 PM PDT By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Human rights groups on Monday sharply criticized the latest draft of what could become the first international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global conventional arms trade, accusing the United States and others of pushing to dilute it. Several Western delegations, however, played down the complaints of groups like Oxfam, Amnesty International, the World Council of Churches and Control Arms, saying the latest draft showed progress, though improvements were clearly needed. ...

Congolese warlord to make first appearance before Hague court Posted: 25 Mar 2013 04:08 PM PDT By Thomas Escritt AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda makes his first public appearance before the International Criminal Court in the Hague on Tuesday after evading arrest on war crimes charges for seven years - a boost to the court following a string of setbacks. Ntaganda is accused of murder, rape and other atrocities over a 15-year-period of fighting in Rwandan-backed rebellions in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He unexpectedly gave himself up to diplomats at the U.S. ...

U.S. wants EU to put North Korean bank on sanctions list Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:06 PM PDT By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United States is urging the European Union to impose sanctions on North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank, which Washington believes helps finance North Korea's ballistic missile program, a U.S. State Department official said on Monday. North Korea earlier this month threatened the United States with a pre-emptive nuclear strike as the United Nations Security Council tightened sanctions in response to Pyongyang's third nuclear test. A few days later, President Barack Obama's national security adviser, Tom Donilon, said the U.S. ...

Rebel mortar fire hits Damascus, army gunners retaliate Posted: 25 Mar 2013 03:10 PM PDT By Oliver Holmes BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels lobbed mortar rounds into central Damascus on Monday, killing at least two people and drawing a fierce army response as bombardments shook the heart of the capital. The state news agency said mortar bombs fired by "terrorists" had killed two people and wounded others near the Opera House on Ummayad Square, where Baath Party headquarters, Air Force Intelligence and state television are also located. The military retaliated with artillery fire from Mount Qasioun, overlooking the city. ...

Quake hits Guatemala, no initial reports of damage Posted: 25 Mar 2013 04:55 PM PDT GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake struck Guatemala close to the capital city on Monday, though emergency services said there were no initial reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter of the 6.2 magnitude earthquake, initially reported as a magnitude 5.8, was only 6 miles southeast of Guatemala City but it was at a depth of 124.6 miles, lessening its effect. David de Leon, a spokesman for Guatemala's emergency agency, CONRED, said he had no reports of damage or victims. A magnitude 6.2 quake is capable of causing severe damage. ...

Syrian rebels advance, oblivious to infighting Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:12 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — A dual picture of Syria's rebellion is emerging: Fighters on the ground make advances, seizing territory in the south and even firing one of the heaviest mortar volleys yet into the heart of Damascus on Monday. But at the same time, the would-be opposition leadership is falling deeper into disarray.

C. African Republic president flees to Cameroon Posted: 25 Mar 2013 04:49 PM PDT JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The president of the Central African Republic fled the country for Cameroon after rebels overran the capital of the impoverished nation long wracked by rebellions.

Post-mortem shows Russian tycoon died from hanging Posted: 25 Mar 2013 04:25 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — A post-mortem examination found that self-exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky died from hanging, and there was nothing pointing to a violent struggle, British police said Monday.

Berezovsky's billions: How the tycoon lost so much Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:27 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — How do you burn through billions?

Cyprus' banks to remain closed until Thursday Posted: 25 Mar 2013 03:46 PM PDT NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus has extended the closure of its banks for two more days — until Thursday — a sudden postponement that comes after the country's leaders spent days struggling to come up with a plan to raise the money needed to secure an international bailout.

Kerry, Karzai bury hatchet in Kabul meeting Posted: 25 Mar 2013 02:26 PM PDT KABUL (AP) — Eager to overcome a bout of bickering, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a show of unusual unity between their two nations on Monday. The friendly display came as the U.S. military ceded control of its last detention facility in Afghanistan, ending a longstanding irritant in relations.

Haiti splashes slum with psychedelic colors Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:04 PM PDT PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — One of Haiti's biggest shantytowns, a vast expanse of grim cinderblock homes on a mountainside in the nation's capital, is getting a psychedelic makeover that aims to be part art and part homage.

US military says Guantanamo hunger strike edges up Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:43 PM PDT MIAMI (AP) — More prisoners have joined a hunger strike at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, officials said Monday, as defense lawyers expressed alarm about one of the most sustained protests at the base in several years.

Egypt top prosecutor orders arrest of 5 activists Posted: 25 Mar 2013 02:23 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — After Egypt's Islamist president vowed action against opponents, the nation's top prosecutor on Monday issued arrest warrants against five prominent activists over clashes between the Muslim Brotherhood and protesters.

Belgium's chocolate stamps offer lick with a kick Posted: 25 Mar 2013 02:20 PM PDT BRUSSELS (AP) — Feel like having chocolate at Easter in Belgium? Well, send a letter and really lick that chocolate-flavored postal stamp.

With plan to save Cyprus, EU bureaucrats prescribe long-term pain Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:39 PM PDT Local and European leaders are expressing cautious optimism after having reached a last-minute deal on a bailout agreement for Cyprus. But independent analysts worry about the long-term economic consequences for the island.

US-ally Bahrain blocks medical ethics conference Posted: 25 Mar 2013 11:53 AM PDT Bahrain, where the monarchy has more or less successfully crushed democracy protests that broke out in the wake of the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011, is apparently not taking any chances by loosening the reigns on open discussion and debate.

Bailout deal leaves many Cypriots apprehensive about future Posted: 25 Mar 2013 11:17 AM PDT A mixture of anger and weary resignation swept over Cyprus on Monday in the wake of a eurozone bailout deal that could shrink the island nation's economy by 10 percent and cause a sharp spike in unemployment.

In Russia, no love lost over late 'evil genius' Boris Berezovsky Posted: 25 Mar 2013 09:13 AM PDT Whatever British police may finally conclude about the manner of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky's death Saturday at his home near London, most Russians say that they won't be grieving over him.

Hong Kong court rejects Filipino maids' plea for residency Posted: 25 Mar 2013 09:07 AM PDT Hong Kong's top court announced that foreigners can enter the city as maids and domestic helpers, but cannot expect to settle there as permanent residents.

Rebels capture Central African Republic: Now can they govern it? Posted: 25 Mar 2013 08:43 AM PDT Just over two months after signing a power-sharing deal aimed at halting their lightning advance, rebels in the Central African Republic captured the capital city of Bangui Sunday, forcing President Francois Bozize to flee and opening the way for them to proclaim a new government.

As interest in kosher food surges, chefs take it gourmet Posted: 25 Mar 2013 08:13 AM PDT The press of humanity at Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda market just might cause the uninitiated visitor to do a face-plant in a heap of eggplants.

North Korea's public relations man is a Spaniard with a tough job Posted: 25 Mar 2013 07:57 AM PDT While news reports, defectors, and human rights organizations are in close agreement on the harsh evidence of poverty, famine, and torture in secretive North Korea, Alejandro Cao de Benós paints a very different picture.

Rewriting the story of polarized debate: He got Tea Party and Occupy to talk Posted: 25 Mar 2013 06:43 AM PDT When Tammy Weitzman stood onstage to tell her story, she was afraid that the audience full of strangers would shout obscenities at her. She was describing what it had been like to move to Israel when she was 8 years old, a Jewish-Canadian kid in a foreign land full of conflict and animosity. She was taught to fear people not like herself – particularly Palestinians and Arabs.

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