Yahoo! News: World News

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• Obama: U.S. preserves diplomatic, military options on Syria
• Bombers target markets, mosque in Iraq, 25 dead
• U.N. says there is hope for Yemen if funds are forthcoming
• Israel to authorize four West Bank settler outposts
• Ultra-Orthodox Jews protest in Jerusalem, vow to defy draft
• U.S. slams Japanese mayor's sex-slave comments as 'offensive'
• Between the shopping malls, is there space in Dubai for dissent?
• US loses track of terrorists in witness protection: Poor data sharing blamed
• How Europe can find its feet again
• Stash your cash in Switzerland? US and Europe push to make it harder.
• Afghans tell of US soldier's killing rampage
• Afghanistan: Bomb kills 15, including 6 Americans
• Syrian troops flush out rebels from prison
• Venezuelans scrambling to find scarce toilet paper
• Warplanes, troops in NE Nigeria; mobile phones cut
• Puerto Rico faces lowest coffee production ever
• Turkey's Erdogan says sees opportunity for Cyprus deal
• US, Turkey project united front on Syria
• U.S. adds sanctions on Syria, labels rebel chief a terrorist
• China president takes charge of sweeping economic reform plans: sources
• Sudanese foreign minister to visit Juba on Friday
• Canada PM on pipeline plan: Oil to come anyway
• UN: 14 Iranian exiles moved from Iraq to Albania
• Ohio man convicted of murder in case hinging on paralyzed victim blinking eyes to ID shooter
• Video shows Islamist rebels executing 11 Syrian soldiers
• U.S. sought to recruit spies despite warning, Russia says
• 7 Egyptian security personnel abducted in Sinai
• U.S. widens sanctions to four Syrian officials, TV station, airline
• Topless protest disrupts opening of Barbie house in Berlin
• Watchdog: Israel trying to legalize settlements
• Hot off the press: Seen and heard in Cannes
• Russia says Iran must take part in proposed Syria talks

Obama: U.S. preserves diplomatic, military options on Syria Posted: 16 May 2013 02:12 PM PDT By Nick Tattersall and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday he reserved the right to resort to both diplomatic and military options to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but insisted that U.S. action alone would not be enough to resolve the Syrian crisis. Taking a cautious line at a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, Obama voiced hope that the United States and Russia would succeed in arranging an international peace conference on Syria, despite signs of growing obstacles. ...

Bombers target markets, mosque in Iraq, 25 dead Posted: 16 May 2013 11:56 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Bombs tore through markets in Baghdad and a suicide attacker blew himself up in a mosque in northern Iraq in violence across the country on Thursday that killed at least 25 people and extended a surge in sectarian-tinged bloodshed. Attacks on Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim mosques, security forces and tribal leaders have spread since security forces raided a Sunni protest camp near Kirkuk a month ago, igniting clashes and fuelling fear of a slide back into all-out inter-communal war. ...

U.N. says there is hope for Yemen if funds are forthcoming Posted: 16 May 2013 11:27 AM PDT By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - Yemen, home to what Washington considers al Qaeda's most dangerous wing, has the chance of a bright future, the top U.N. official in the country said on Thursday, but needs help to deal with a major humanitarian crisis that threatens its stability. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, also told reporters at a briefing in Geneva that poverty, unemployment and scarce water supplies meant its recovery was still precarious. "This is a situation that is full of hope," Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. "It is often quoted as an example. ...

Israel to authorize four West Bank settler outposts Posted: 16 May 2013 01:17 PM PDT By Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel plans to declare legal four unauthorized West Bank settler outposts, a court document showed on Thursday, days before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry returns to the region to try to restart peace talks. Israel has been sending mixed signals on its internationally condemned settlement policy as Kerry pursues efforts to revive negotiations Palestinians quit in 2010 in anger over Israeli settlement building on occupied land they seek for a state. ...

Ultra-Orthodox Jews protest in Jerusalem, vow to defy draft Posted: 16 May 2013 02:21 PM PDT By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews protested in Jerusalem on Thursday against plans to enlist men from their community into the military, a proposal supported by the secular majority pushing for a more equal share of the burden on Israeli society. A sea of black coats - the traditional attire of ultra-Orthodox men - engulfed Jerusalem streets near the city's military draft bureau where the crowd heard rabbis warn that army service would irreparably harm their way of life. ...

U.S. slams Japanese mayor's sex-slave comments as 'offensive' Posted: 16 May 2013 01:23 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States condemned as "outrageous and offensive" comments by the mayor of the Japanese city of Osaka who said this week that Japan's military brothels during World War Two were "necessary" to provide respite for soldiers. The remarks by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto drew strong criticism from China and South Korea, two nations sensitive to what they see as any attempt to excuse Japanese abuses before and during the war. ...

Between the shopping malls, is there space in Dubai for dissent? Posted: 16 May 2013 02:45 PM PDT Luxury housing built on palm-shaped islands, airports with Fifth Avenue glitz, an artificial ski resort in the desert: This is the easy-going image that the United Arab Emirates projects to the world. But Dubai resident Ahmed Mansoor sees things much differently.

US loses track of terrorists in witness protection: Poor data sharing blamed Posted: 16 May 2013 02:28 PM PDT The US has lost track of two known or suspected terrorists given identities under the federal witness protection program, according to a Justice Department audit that indicated the program was so poorly monitored the department didn't even know how many such individuals were in it.

How Europe can find its feet again Posted: 16 May 2013 02:18 PM PDT In recent surveys on both sides of the Atlantic, top business executives gave a similar forecast: Europe and the United States are both losing their competitive edge. Of the two economies – which are the largest in the world – Europe is struggling the most to restore its edge.

Stash your cash in Switzerland? US and Europe push to make it harder. Posted: 16 May 2013 01:56 PM PDT An intense diplomatic and public push is under way across Europe and in the United States to more aggressively hunt illegal cash stashed away in offshore paradises like Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, and Andorra.

Afghans tell of US soldier's killing rampage Posted: 16 May 2013 11:42 AM PDT KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — Sitting on a dirty straw mat on the parched ground of southern Afghanistan, Masooma sank deeper inside a giant black shawl. Hidden from view, her words burst forth as she told her side of what happened to her family sometime before dawn on March 11, 2012.

Afghanistan: Bomb kills 15, including 6 Americans Posted: 16 May 2013 01:25 PM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide car bombing tore through a U.S. convoy in Kabul on Thursday, killing at least 15 people including six Americans in a blast so powerful it rattled the other side of the Afghan capital. U.S. soldiers rushed to help, some wearing only T-shirts or shorts under their body armor.

Syrian troops flush out rebels from prison Posted: 16 May 2013 03:23 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government troops on Thursday flushed out rebels who had stormed a prison compound in the northern city of Aleppo in a bid to free hundreds of political prisoners inside.

Venezuelans scrambling to find scarce toilet paper Posted: 16 May 2013 01:29 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans scrambled to stock up on toilet paper Thursday as fears of a bathroom emergency spread despite the socialist government's promise to import 50 million rolls.

Warplanes, troops in NE Nigeria; mobile phones cut Posted: 16 May 2013 11:19 AM PDT MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Mobile phone service was cut off Thursday in areas of northeast Nigeria as jet fighters streaked through the sky and more soldiers were deployed to fight Islamic extremists waging a brutal insurgency.

Puerto Rico faces lowest coffee production ever Posted: 16 May 2013 01:04 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Coffee production in Puerto Rico has hit the lowest level ever in the island's history, leaving farmers and government officials worried about how to revive a once burgeoning industry amid a deep economic crisis.

Turkey's Erdogan says sees opportunity for Cyprus deal Posted: 16 May 2013 03:54 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday he saw a good opportunity for progress towards ending the division of Cyprus, a move that could further the exploitation of natural gas and oil in the eastern Mediterranean. The island has been divided since a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by a Turkish invasion of the north in 1974. Turkey keeps some 30,000 troops in the north and is the only nation to recognize the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. ...

US, Turkey project united front on Syria Posted: 16 May 2013 02:43 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan projected a united front Thursday on Syria, keeping stark differences about how much the U.S. should intervene behind closed doors as they looked to Russia and the global community to close ranks behind efforts to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad.

U.S. adds sanctions on Syria, labels rebel chief a terrorist Posted: 16 May 2013 02:12 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Thursday blacklisted four Syrian government ministers, an airline and a television station it said helped the Assad government in its two-year crackdown on opposition forces. The same day, the State Department labeled as a terrorist Mohammad al-Golani, for being the leader of the al-Nusra Front. The group is one of the most effective forces fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but also pledged allegiance to al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri last month. ...

China president takes charge of sweeping economic reform plans: sources Posted: 16 May 2013 02:07 PM PDT By Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken charge of drawing up ambitious reform plans to revitalize the economy, sources close to the government said, shunning policy stimulus for fear it could worsen local government debt and inflate property prices. A consensus had been reached among top leaders that reforms would be the only way to put the world's second-largest economy on a more sustainable footing, said the sources, who are familiar with the plans and Xi's involvement. ...

Sudanese foreign minister to visit Juba on Friday Posted: 16 May 2013 02:02 PM PDT KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti will visit South Sudan on Friday, state media said, the first high-level meeting between the neighbors since Khartoum accused Juba of supporting rebels who launched a major attack three weeks ago. Both African countries agrees in March to restart crucial cross-border oil flows and end tensions that has existed since the south seceded in 2011. But despite this thaw, Sudan accused South Sudan on Saturday of supporting a rebel alliance which launched a surprise attack on the central Sudanese city of Um Rawaba. ...

Canada PM on pipeline plan: Oil to come anyway Posted: 16 May 2013 01:57 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A controversial oil pipeline to the U.S. Gulf Coast "absolutely needs to go ahead," Canada's prime minister said Thursday, and he warned that the oil will be transported through America one way or another.

UN: 14 Iranian exiles moved from Iraq to Albania Posted: 16 May 2013 01:49 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — The first exiles from an Iranian opposition group have moved to Albania from a camp near Baghdad as part of a relocation process, the United Nations said Thursday, a step toward defusing an explosive dispute left over from the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s and the U.S.-led ousting of the regime of Saddam Hussein.

Ohio man convicted of murder in case hinging on paralyzed victim blinking eyes to ID shooter Posted: 16 May 2013 01:46 PM PDT CINCINNATI - An Ohio man was found guilty Thursday in the shooting death of a man who authorities say identified his assailant by blinking his eyes while paralyzed and hooked up to a ventilator.

Video shows Islamist rebels executing 11 Syrian soldiers Posted: 16 May 2013 01:36 PM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - A video published on Thursday showed fighters of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front in Syria executing 11 men they accused of taking part in massacres by President Bashar al-Assad's forces. The film is believed to be from eastern Deir al-Zor province and dates from some time in 2012, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitoring group. The Observatory's head, Rami Abdelrahman, said the Nusra Front has recently been releasing several videos of their past operations. ...

U.S. sought to recruit spies despite warning, Russia says Posted: 16 May 2013 01:25 PM PDT By Steve Gutterman MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia warned the United States in 2011 to stop trying to recruit its security agents as spies and expelled a CIA operative in January this year after Washington ignored the warning, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday. Russia kept the expulsion in January quiet but went public this week when it detained Ryan Fogle, a U.S. diplomat it says was a spy, because it was fed up with the United States ignoring its concerns, FSB spokesman Nikolai Zakharov said. ...

7 Egyptian security personnel abducted in Sinai Posted: 16 May 2013 01:10 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Suspected militants in Egypt's Sinai abducted seven security personnel as they headed to Cairo for holidays early Thursday, security officials said. It was the first such kidnapping of security forces in the lawless peninsula.

U.S. widens sanctions to four Syrian officials, TV station, airline Posted: 16 May 2013 01:05 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Thursday blacklisted four Syrian government ministers, an airline and a television station it said helped the Assad government in its two-year crackdown on opposition forces. The move follows broad U.S. sanctions on any aid to Syria since the beginning of the civil war between President Bashar al-Assad's government and opposition groups that has killed an estimated 80,000 people. The U.S. ...

Topless protest disrupts opening of Barbie house in Berlin Posted: 16 May 2013 12:51 PM PDT BERLIN (Reuters) - Women's rights protesters disrupted the opening of a giant pink doll's house in Berlin on Thursday, saying the Barbie "Dreamhouse Experience" objectified women. Promoting the doll made by Mattel Inc, the house allows paying visitors to try on Barbie's clothes, play in her kitchen and have a go on her pink piano. The exhibition will be open until August 25. A handful of protesters gathered outside the shocking pink house that has been erected in one of central Berlin's greyest areas. ...

Watchdog: Israel trying to legalize settlements Posted: 16 May 2013 12:27 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli watchdog group on Thursday accused the government of taking steps to legalize four unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank, days before the U.S. secretary of state is set to arrive on a new peace mission.

Hot off the press: Seen and heard in Cannes Posted: 16 May 2013 12:17 PM PDT CANNES, France (AP) — Associated Press journalists open their notebooks at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival:

Russia says Iran must take part in proposed Syria talks Posted: 16 May 2013 12:13 PM PDT By Thomas Grove MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Iran must take part in a proposed international conference to end Syria's civil war, but that Western states wanted to limit the participants and possibly predetermine the outcome of the talks. Conflicting comments from Russia and the West over Iran's role in the possible meeting have added to disagreements which already threaten to derail the conference proposed by Moscow and Washington last week. ...

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