Yahoo! News: World News

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• Syria opposition seeks to unify as momentum for talks builds
• British security services in spotlight after soldier murder
• UK fighters escort Pakistan plane to airport, two arrests
• Stretched by riots, Swedish police call reinforcements
• Church of England unveils plan for women bishops in 2015
• Toronto mayor denies, finally, use of crack cocaine
• Obama’s struggle: How free should the press be?
• Would a US 'drone court' to authorize drone strikes be a good idea?
• Can Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez help GOP repair its image among Latinos?
• In soggy North Dakota, hopes rise that floodwaters won't
• Barrick fined $16m for Pascua-Lama violations
• Toronto mayor denies he smokes crack cocaine
• Syrian regime OKs peace talks amid skepticism
• Syria targeted Israeli jeep going to rebel village
• US: Czech slaying suspect killed relatives
• Kerry's focus on peace talks, not settlements
• Ex-Guatemala president extradited to US
• IMF chief named key witness in French payoff case
• IMF's Lagarde escapes formal investigation in court
• UK court: Lawmaker's wife's tweet was libelous
• Guatemalan ex-president extradited to U.S. on money-laundering charges
• Afghan Taliban attack aid group, 2 guards killed
• Toronto mayor says he doesn't smoke crack cocaine
• Hezbollah: EU making big mistake
• UK-bound Pakistan plane diverted, 2 men arrested
• Venezuela to create new workers militia
• Soldier's slaying prompts UK security review
• Iran presidential candidate vows to resist West
• Berlusconi looms large in Rome mayor election
• Woman in Berlusconi case denies her own statements
• Taliban attack international compound in Afghan capital
• UK treating plane incident as criminal, not terror-related
• Woman in Berlusconi denies her own statements

Syria opposition seeks to unify as momentum for talks builds Posted: 24 May 2013 12:00 PM PDT By Khaled Yacoub Oweis ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Syria's fractious opposition scrambled to agree a new leadership on Friday in a bid to present a coherent front at peace talks which the United States and Russia are convening to seek an end to more than two years of civil war. A major assault by President Bashar al-Assad's forces on a rebel held town over the past week is shaping into a pivotal battle. It has drawn in fighters from Assad's Lebanese allies Hezbollah, justifying fears that a war that has killed 80,000 people would cross borders at the heart of the Middle East. ...

British security services in spotlight after soldier murder Posted: 24 May 2013 10:15 AM PDT By Peter Griffiths LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's security services faced questions on Friday over whether they could have done more to prevent the murder of a soldier hacked to death in a busy London street after it emerged that his suspected killers were known to intelligence officers. Suspects Michael Adebolajo, 28 and Michael Adebowale, 22, are under guard in hospital after being shot and arrested by police after the murder of 25-year-old Afghan war veteran Lee Rigby on Wednesday. They have not yet been charged. ...

UK fighters escort Pakistan plane to airport, two arrests Posted: 24 May 2013 07:48 AM PDT By Rhys Jones and Peter Griffiths LONDON (Reuters) - British fighter jets escorted a Pakistan International Airlines passenger plane to Stansted Airport near London on Friday, where police went on board and arrested two men on suspicion of endangering an aircraft. Passengers were leaving the plane and no one was hurt in the incident, a spokesman for the airport said. Flight PK709 from Lahore in Pakistan had been due to land at Manchester in northern England with 297 passengers on board, but was diverted shortly before arrival. ...

Stretched by riots, Swedish police call reinforcements Posted: 24 May 2013 08:04 AM PDT By Ilze Filks and Mia Shanley STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Police in Stockholm called in reinforcements on Friday after youths set cars and a school ablaze in a fifth night of rioting, the worst to hit Sweden for years. Pupils at a primary school in Kista - an IT hub that is home to the likes of telecoms equipment maker Ericsson and the Swedish office of Microsoft - arrived to find the inside of the small red wooden building had been completely burnt out. ...

Church of England unveils plan for women bishops in 2015 Posted: 24 May 2013 12:08 PM PDT By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor (Reuters) - The Church of England published a plan on Friday to approve the ordination of women bishops by 2015, a widely supported reform it just missed passing last November after two decades of divisive debate. It said the new plan, outlined in a document signed by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop of York John Sentamu, would be presented to the General Synod, the Church legislature, in July to begin the approval process. ...

Toronto mayor denies, finally, use of crack cocaine Posted: 24 May 2013 02:44 PM PDT By Julie Gordon TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, under pressure to respond to allegations he was filmed using drugs, said on Friday that he does not smoke crack cocaine and could not comment on a video he had not seen or does not exist. "There has been a serious accusation from the Toronto Star that I use crack cocaine. I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine," he told a news conference. ...

Obama’s struggle: How free should the press be? Posted: 24 May 2013 03:42 PM PDT Deep into his one-hour speech Thursday on counterterrorism policy, President Obama reached a topic that is near and dear to the news media's heart: the ability of journalists to pursue their craft without fear of government intrusion.

Would a US 'drone court' to authorize drone strikes be a good idea? Posted: 24 May 2013 03:35 PM PDT Among the striking moments in President Obama's national security speech this week, in which he argued it's time to wean America off its nation-at-war mentality, was his apparent receptiveness to the idea of establishing a "drone court" as a check on the use of those weapons.

Can Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez help GOP repair its image among Latinos? Posted: 24 May 2013 03:25 PM PDT The first thing Gabriel Gomez likes to tell crowds on the campaign trail is where he's going – the United States Senate. The second is where he's coming from.

In soggy North Dakota, hopes rise that floodwaters won't Posted: 24 May 2013 01:52 PM PDT The 1,300 residents of Cavalier, N.D., may be breathing a little easier Thursday, as the threat that their town would be submerged in floodwaters began to abate.

Barrick fined $16m for Pascua-Lama violations Posted: 24 May 2013 03:35 PM PDT VALLENAR, Chile (AP) — Chile's environmental regulator blocked Barrick Gold Corp.'s $8.5 billion Pascua-Lama project on Friday and imposed its maximum fine on the world's largest gold miner, citing "very serious" violations of its environmental permit as well as a failure by the company to accurately describe what it had done wrong.

Toronto mayor denies he smokes crack cocaine Posted: 24 May 2013 04:44 PM PDT TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denied Friday that he smokes crack cocaine and said he is not an addict after a video purported to show him using the drug. The mayor of Canada's largest city did not say whether he has ever used crack.

Syrian regime OKs peace talks amid skepticism Posted: 24 May 2013 12:37 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's government has agreed to attend a U.S.-Russian-brokered peace conference, according to Moscow. While this development might seem at first glance to be a step toward ending the civil war, strong skepticism persists on both sides.

Syria targeted Israeli jeep going to rebel village Posted: 24 May 2013 10:55 AM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Syria said it targeted an Israeli vehicle that crossed a ceasefire line into its territory earlier this week because it was heading toward a village with a large rebel presence.

US: Czech slaying suspect killed relatives Posted: 24 May 2013 09:18 AM PDT ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — An American man killed his uncle, aunt and cousins in the Czech Republic and then flew to the United States, where he was arrested at an airport, authorities said Friday.

Kerry's focus on peace talks, not settlements Posted: 24 May 2013 05:08 AM PDT TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israel's government on Friday to prevent further settlement construction where possible to help revitalize Middle East peace hopes, but stressed that the Jewish state and Palestinians alike should remain focused on the larger goal of restarting direct negotiations.

Ex-Guatemala president extradited to US Posted: 24 May 2013 03:00 PM PDT GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Ex-Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo was extradited on Friday to the United States to face charges of laundering $70 million in Guatemalan funds through U.S. bank accounts.

IMF chief named key witness in French payoff case Posted: 24 May 2013 02:38 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — After two days of intense questioning from French magistrates, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said Friday a court named her as a key witness in an investigation into a controversial payoff to an outspoken businessman that was arranged while she was France's finance minister — stopping short of charging her outright.

IMF's Lagarde escapes formal investigation in court Posted: 24 May 2013 02:37 PM PDT By Noémie Olive PARIS (Reuters) - French magistrates decided on Friday not to place IMF chief Christine Lagarde under formal investigation over her role in a 285-million-euro ($368.5 million) arbitration payment made to a supporter of former president Nicolas Sarkozy. Lagarde instead was given the status of a "supervised witness" after two full days of questioning on her 2008 decision as Sarkozy's finance minister to use arbitration to settle a legal battle between the state and businessman Bernard Tapie. ...

UK court: Lawmaker's wife's tweet was libelous Posted: 24 May 2013 02:18 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — A tweet posted by the wife of Britain's parliamentary speaker about a politician wrongly linked to child sex abuse was libelous, the High Court ruled Friday.

Guatemalan ex-president extradited to U.S. on money-laundering charges Posted: 24 May 2013 01:36 PM PDT By Mike McDonald GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Former Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo was extradited on Friday to the United States to face money-laundering charges, just days after former dictator Efrain Rios Montt's genocide conviction was overturned. A U.S. grand jury decided in 2009 that Portillo, who was in office from 2000 to 2004, should face charges that he laundered $70 million through U.S. banks. ...

Afghan Taliban attack aid group, 2 guards killed Posted: 24 May 2013 01:30 PM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — In the latest militant strike on the Afghan capital, Taliban gunmen backed by a suicide car bomber attacked an international aid group's compound on Friday, killing two guards and setting off an hours-long street battle with police in the heart of Kabul .

Toronto mayor says he doesn't smoke crack cocaine Posted: 24 May 2013 01:18 PM PDT TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denied Friday that he smokes crack cocaine and said he is not an addict after a video purported to show him using the drug. Ford did not say whether he has ever used crack.

Hezbollah: EU making big mistake Posted: 24 May 2013 12:46 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah's deputy chief says the European Union would be making a "big mistake" to label the Lebanese Shiite militant group "terrorist."

UK-bound Pakistan plane diverted, 2 men arrested Posted: 24 May 2013 12:28 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Britain scrambled fighter jets Friday to intercept a commercial airliner carrying more than 300 people from Pakistan, diverting it to an isolated runway at an airport on the outskirts of London and arresting two British passengers who allegedly threatened to destroy the plane.

Venezuela to create new workers militia Posted: 24 May 2013 12:25 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's president has ordered the creation of a new workers' militia to defend the country's "Bolivarian revolution" at a time when the government faces economic problems and political turmoil.

Soldier's slaying prompts UK security review Posted: 24 May 2013 12:22 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Both of the suspects accused of butchering a British soldier during broad daylight on a London street had long been on the radar of Britain's domestic spy agency, though investigators say it would have been nearly impossible to predict that the men were on the verge of a brutal killing.

Iran presidential candidate vows to resist West Posted: 24 May 2013 11:14 AM PDT TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's top nuclear negotiator, a candidate in next month's presidential elections, vowed Friday he will pursue a policy of resistance against the West if elected.

Berlusconi looms large in Rome mayor election Posted: 24 May 2013 11:08 AM PDT ROME (AP) — Silvio Berlusconi's figure looms large over Rome's mayoral elections this weekend, even though the former premier isn't among the 19 candidates running.

Woman in Berlusconi case denies her own statements Posted: 24 May 2013 10:50 AM PDT MILAN (AP) — The woman who prosecutors allege had sex with Silvio Berlusconi while he was Italy's premier in exchange for money spent her second day on the witness stand Friday, denying her own sworn descriptions of racy escapades at his "bunga bunga" parties and long lists of expensive jewelry and watches received from the media mogul. Karima el Mahroug, a Moroccan known as Ruby, dismissed a series of sworn statements she made to investigators in the summer of 2010 as "all stupid things" that she now regrets saying. "I apologize to the prosecutors. They were all nonsense," she said.

Taliban attack international compound in Afghan capital Posted: 24 May 2013 10:49 AM PDT By Amie Ferris-Rotman and Mirwais Harooni KABUL (Reuters) - Taliban militants launched a large-scale attack involving the United Nations in the center of the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday, sparking a five-hour battle with security forces. A plume of smoke hung over Kabul after the attack was launched, with the sound of .50 caliber heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire clearly audible throughout the city center as night fell. An Afghan police officer was killed and 10 other people were wounded during the attack, which began at 4 p.m. ...

UK treating plane incident as criminal, not terror-related Posted: 24 May 2013 10:49 AM PDT STANSTED, England (Reuters) - British police said on Friday they are treating an incident involving a plane carrying almost 300 passengers from Pakistan as criminal rather than as terror-related. "It's a criminal investigation under the direction of Essex police," Superintendent Darrin Tomkins told reporters at Stansted airport near London to where the plane was diverted. Asked if it could be terror related, he added: "This incident is being treated as a criminal offence." "The plane will remain at its current location and will subject to forensic examination by specialist officers. ...

Woman in Berlusconi denies her own statements Posted: 24 May 2013 10:44 AM PDT MILAN (AP) — The woman who prosecutors allege had sex with Silvio Berlusconi while he was Italy's premier in exchange for money spent her second day on the witness stand Friday, denying her own sworn descriptions of racy escapades at his "bunga bunga" parties and long lists of expensive jewelry and watches received from the media mogul. Karima el Mahroug, a Moroccan known as Ruby, dismissed a series of sworn statements she made to investigators in the summer of 2010 as "all stupid things" that she now regrets saying. "I apologize to the prosecutors. They were all nonsense," she said.

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