Yahoo! News: World News

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• Assad says West will pay for backing al Qaeda in Syria
• Britain bids farewell to "Iron Lady" Thatcher at grand funeral
• Vote on Italy president risks center-left split
• U.S. sends Army planners to Amman but wary of Syria intervention
• Syrian army, rebels clash around air base near Lebanon border
• Maduro trades barbs with U.S. over Venezuela election
• Yemen militants killed in U.S. drone strike: government official
• IMF's Lagarde to be questioned in French misconduct case: website
• Babies as young as six months victims of rape in war: U.N. envoy
• Serbia, Kosovo fail to agree on plan to tackle ethnic partition
• Options narrow for Venezuelan opposition
• Assad accuses West of backing al-Qaida in Syria
• Britain's Iron Lady laid to rest with full pomp
• Chinese marathon bomb victim remembered as bright
• Doctors flee Puerto Rico for US mainland
• Yemen: US drone strikes kill 5 al-Qaida suspects
• Palestinians seeking statehood look to high-tech
• New Zealand lawmakers approve gay-marriage bill
• US missionary pilot missing off West Africa coast
• Months after Benghazi, Kerry says US chasing leads
• A roar of protest envelopes Venezuela as opposition calls for vote recount
• Iran's Khamenei condemns Boston Marathon attacks, but takes jab at US policies
• New Zealand becomes first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage
• In Kenya, home of Boston Marathon winner, 'sports more powerful' than hate
• Rockets fired from Egypt slam into Israeli resort town
• After shipwreck, Costa Concordia gets the musical treatment
• Italians move northward to trade 'la dolce vita' for 'das süsse Leben'
• Israeli archaeologist finds common ground underneath Sinai's shifting sands
• Pakistan elections: Who are the main candidates for prime minister?
• Britain bids farewell to Thatcher's funeral, debates her controversial legacy
• Bomb blast in southern India raises concern about rising terrorism in Bangalore
• Ireland takes step toward gay marriage rights

Assad says West will pay for backing al Qaeda in Syria Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:46 PM PDT By Mariam Karouny and Dominic Evans BEIRUT (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad accused the West on Wednesday of supporting al Qaeda militants in Syria's civil war and warned they would turn against their backers and strike "in the heart of Europe and the United States". Assad also launched his strongest criticism yet of neighboring Jordan for allowing thousands of fighters to cross the border to join a conflict he insisted his forces would win and save Syria from destruction. "We have no choice but victory. ...

Britain bids farewell to "Iron Lady" Thatcher at grand funeral Posted: 17 Apr 2013 10:36 AM PDT By Andrew Osborn and Sarah Young LONDON (Reuters) - Britain gave Margaret Thatcher its grandest political funeral in half a century on Wednesday as her flag-draped coffin was borne through central London on a horse-drawn gun carriage, though a few boos were a reminder of her divisive rule and legacy. In an event comparable to Winston Churchill's funeral in 1965, the Queen joined top British and foreign politicians past and present to pay her final respects to the "Iron Lady" who - for better or for ill - transformed the country. ...

Vote on Italy president risks center-left split Posted: 17 Apr 2013 04:23 PM PDT By James Mackenzie ROME (Reuters) - Italy's divided parliament begins voting for a new state president on Thursday, with former Senate Speaker Franco Marini the main candidate in a ballot that will severely strain the unity of the center-left alliance led by Pier Luigi Bersani. The vote for a successor to President Giorgio Napolitano, whose term ends on May 15, will be a crucial step towards resolving the stalemate since the inconclusive election in February left no party with enough support to form a government. ...

U.S. sends Army planners to Amman but wary of Syria intervention Posted: 17 Apr 2013 04:26 PM PDT By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is dispatching Army planners to Jordan as neighboring Syria's conflict worsens, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday, but he signaled deep misgivings about direct American military intervention in the Syrian civil war. Hagel told a Senate hearing that the United States has an obligation to think through the consequences of any U.S. military move in Syria and be honest about potential long-term commitments. ...

Syrian army, rebels clash around air base near Lebanon border Posted: 17 Apr 2013 04:11 PM PDT AMMAN (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad's forces killed at least 27 people on Wednesday in fighting to fend off a rebel advance on a Syrian military air base near the Lebanese border, opposition campaigners said. Rebel fighters breached defenses of the Qusair Air Defence Base, located some 14 km (nine miles) from Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, a stronghold of the pro-Assad Lebanese Shi'ite movement Hezbollah, after a one-month siege, activists in the area said. But the army countered with rockets and aerial bombings on rebel-held areas in the vicinity, the source said. ...

Maduro trades barbs with U.S. over Venezuela election Posted: 17 Apr 2013 04:21 PM PDT By Andrew Cawthorne and Daniel Wallis CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition leaders feared persecution over post-election protests while the U.S. government backed their calls for a recount and said on Wednesday it was still deciding if it would recognize President-elect Nicolas Maduro. The narrow victory by Maduro in Sunday's presidential vote has been rejected by his rival, Henrique Capriles, who is alleging thousands of irregularities at polling centers and wants a full audit of the ballots. ...

Yemen militants killed in U.S. drone strike: government official Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:03 PM PDT SANAA (Reuters) - An al Qaeda leader and four militants were killed in a U.S. drone strike on their vehicle south of Yemen's capital Sanaa late on Wednesday, a government official said. Washington has stepped up attacks on al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) - considered by Western governments to be one of the most dangerous arms of the global militant network. The group exploited widespread anti-government protests in 2011 to seize swathes of territory in the southern part of Yemen, before being driven back in a U.S.-backed offensive in June last year. ...

IMF's Lagarde to be questioned in French misconduct case: website Posted: 17 Apr 2013 04:44 PM PDT PARIS (Reuters) - IMF chief Christine Lagarde has been summoned to appear before a French magistrate on May 23 for questioning over an arbitration payment to a wealthy supporter of former President Nicholas Sarkozy, news website Mediapart reported on Wednesday. Lagarde, France's former finance minister, could be placed under formal investigation, Mediapart said citing unnamed sources. Lagarde has denied she did anything wrong when she ended a court battle between the state and billionaire businessman Bernard Tapie by accepting arbitration to settle the dispute. ...

Babies as young as six months victims of rape in war: U.N. envoy Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:33 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - In her first seven months as U.N. envoy on sexual violence in conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura has visited a Congolese district where rebels raped babies, and Somalia where a woman was paid $150 restitution for the rape of her 4-year-old daughter. She met a refugee at a camp in Kenya who had been raped at gunpoint when she was eight-months-pregnant while gathering firewood and a Somali father who was fighting for justice for his daughters, aged 4 and 6, who had both been raped. ...

Serbia, Kosovo fail to agree on plan to tackle ethnic partition Posted: 17 Apr 2013 04:17 PM PDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Serbia and Kosovo failed to agree on a plan to tackle the ethnic partition of Serbia's former province on Thursday, casting doubt on Belgrade's prospects of getting the go-ahead to start talks on joining the European Union in June. After around 14 hours of talks in Brussels between the Serbian and Kosovo prime ministers, billed as a make-or-break session, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said differences remained between the two sides. ...

Options narrow for Venezuelan opposition Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:31 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's opposition watched its options dwindle Wednesday after the head of the Supreme Court said there could be no recount of the razor-thin presidential election victory by Hugo Chavez's heir, leaving many government foes feeling the only chance at power is to wait for the ruling socialists to stumble.

Assad accuses West of backing al-Qaida in Syria Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:05 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's president accused the West on Wednesday of backing al-Qaida in his country's civil war, warning it will pay a price "in the heart" of Europe and the United States as the terror network becomes emboldened.

Britain's Iron Lady laid to rest with full pomp Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:44 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Margaret Thatcher was laid to rest Wednesday with prayers and ceremony, plus cheers and occasional jeers, as Britain paused to remember a leader who transformed the country — for the better according to many, but in some eyes for the worse.

Chinese marathon bomb victim remembered as bright Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:19 PM PDT BOSTON (AP) — Less than 24 hours before she died, Lu Lingzi sent an exuberant email to a professor after learning she had passed part of a major final exam.

Doctors flee Puerto Rico for US mainland Posted: 17 Apr 2013 09:57 AM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Going to the doctor in Puerto Rico has for years often meant getting in line. Now, it might mean getting on a plane.

Yemen: US drone strikes kill 5 al-Qaida suspects Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:00 PM PDT SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Two U.S. drone strikes Wednesday killed at least five suspected al-Qaida militants and destroyed the house of one of them in a mountainous area south of the capital, Sanaa, a Yemeni security official and witnesses said.

Palestinians seeking statehood look to high-tech Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:50 PM PDT RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinians are turning to their fledgling high-tech sector as they lay the groundwork for a future state, saying the unique hardships of life in the West Bank have fostered a creative spirit conducive to the world of startups.

New Zealand lawmakers approve gay-marriage bill Posted: 17 Apr 2013 06:37 AM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Hundreds of jubilant gay-rights advocates celebrated at New Zealand's Parliament on Wednesday as the country became the 13th in the world and the first in the Asia-Pacific region to legalize same-sex marriage.

US missionary pilot missing off West Africa coast Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:11 PM PDT JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The small plane carrying only its American pilot disappeared 10 days ago just miles from a refueling stop at a West African island in the middle of a tropical storm of thunder and lightning.

Months after Benghazi, Kerry says US chasing leads Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:21 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Seven months after the attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya, the Obama administration on Wednesday insisted that it was making progress in holding accountable those responsible for killing Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

A roar of protest envelopes Venezuela as opposition calls for vote recount Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:01 PM PDT The sound of bursting fireworks competed with the cacophony of clanging pots and pans here last night, marking the second day of protests over last weekend's presidential election results.

Iran's Khamenei condemns Boston Marathon attacks, but takes jab at US policies Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:36 PM PDT Iran's supreme leader today added his voice to condemnations of the Boston bomb blasts, while also digging at what he deemed double standards over drone strikes and other attacks that left civilian casualties.

New Zealand becomes first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:14 PM PDT A global roundup

In Kenya, home of Boston Marathon winner, 'sports more powerful' than hate Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:02 PM PDT When it comes to the modern Boston Marathon, no country has closer ties to "Beantown" than Kenya. Since 1988, Kenyans have won the men's race 20 times and the women's race 10, gracefully loping across the Boylston Street finish line in what now seems a nearly automatic "first" for the East African country.

Rockets fired from Egypt slam into Israeli resort town Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:32 PM PDT • A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

After shipwreck, Costa Concordia gets the musical treatment Posted: 17 Apr 2013 11:15 AM PDT It was one of the most dramatic maritime disasters in modern times, but the Costa Concordia tragedy has now inspired a Bollywood-style musical.

Italians move northward to trade 'la dolce vita' for 'das süsse Leben' Posted: 17 Apr 2013 11:18 AM PDT The dolce vita is not so sweet for a growing number of Italians, as new figures show that a rising number are heading across the Alps to the more robust economies of Germany and Switzerland.

Israeli archaeologist finds common ground underneath Sinai's shifting sands Posted: 17 Apr 2013 09:48 AM PDT When Avner Goren walks in your door, thousands of years of history come sweeping in like the desert sands.

Pakistan elections: Who are the main candidates for prime minister? Posted: 17 Apr 2013 09:35 AM PDT As Pakistanis head to the polls for general elections on May 11, something to watch among top candidates for prime minister is how they position themselves in relation to Pakistan's powerful military establishment. The military has essentially ruled the country for more than half of the country's 66 years. This election marks the first transfer of power from one government to another without any military interference.

Britain bids farewell to Thatcher's funeral, debates her controversial legacy Posted: 17 Apr 2013 08:54 AM PDT With the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher today, Britain concludes more than a week of commemoration for the controversial leader, who died April 8.

Bomb blast in southern India raises concern about rising terrorism in Bangalore Posted: 17 Apr 2013 05:52 AM PDT • A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

Ireland takes step toward gay marriage rights Posted: 16 Apr 2013 04:12 PM PDT Ireland, a famously conservative country with a government dominated by the center-right, has taken a step toward legalizing same-sex marriage, following several other Catholic nations into what some say is belated equality – and others claim is murky legal and moral territory.

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