Yahoo! News: World News

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• U.S., Venezuela to find ways to forge positive relations: Kerry
• With big U.S. pork buy and diet shift, China now asks: "Where's the beef?"
• Pinera's rating rises but still seen as liability to his coalition
• Syrian rebels lose strategic town in boost for Assad
• U.S. renews Iran sanctions waivers for China, India, others
• Malian army fights Tuareg rebels; unofficial truce over
• Wildfire policy: Time for US to rely less on shovels, hoses, retardant?
• Ryan Braun, A-Rod face MLB suspensions. How is this doping scandal different?
• Newtown photos barred: Did lawmakers balance privacy, public's right to know?
• In Massachusetts Senate debate, time for Gomez to come out swinging
• Syria army deals severe blow to rebels in key town
• Protests unite Turks across the social spectrum
• Kerry says US, Venezuela on track to better ties
• Obama names outspoken Rice as his security adviser
• Copters pluck families from raging European floods
• Malian army takes Anefis, 1st territorial gain
• Libya brought Rice success and disappointment
• Mexico finds breast-feeding woes as rate drops
• Cuban agent who renounced U.S. citizenship now just a "Cuban patriot'"
• U.S. lawmakers act to limit military authority in sex assault cases
• At UN, Rice used outspoken style on Syria, Iran
• White House condemns Syrian government assault on town of Qusair
• U.S. soldier pleads guilty to murdering 16 Afghan civilians
• U.N. cautious about French claims Syrian forces used nerve gas
• Houston firefighters killed in blaze are mourned by 15,000 at service
• AP Photos: As case wears on, Manning less visible
• Live from ‘Occupied’ Gezi Park: In Istanbul, a New Turkish Protest Movement Is Born
• Turkish protesters demand police sackings, unions join
• Actor Stephen Fry reveals suicide attempt in 2012
• Venezuela frees US filmmaker jailed as alleged spy
• Egypt: Prominent activists charged over protest
• Would Syria’s Assad Even Want to Use Chemical Weapons?

U.S., Venezuela to find ways to forge positive relations: Kerry Posted: 05 Jun 2013 01:47 PM PDT By Lesley Wroughton ANTIGUA, Guatemala (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday he and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua had agreed to find new ways to forge positive relations between their two countries, long at political loggerheads. Kerry welcomed as a "positive development" Venezuela's decision to release from prison an American filmmaker arrested in April on accusations of spying for Washington. Washington has angered Venezuela's government by holding back recognition of new President Nicolas Maduro, the chosen successor of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez. ...

With big U.S. pork buy and diet shift, China now asks: "Where's the beef?" Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:18 PM PDT By Dominique Patton and Niu Shuping DACHANG, China (Reuters) - With more money in their pockets, millions of Chinese are seeking a richer diet and switching to beef, driving imports to record levels and sending local meat firms abroad to scout for potential acquisition targets among beef farmers and processors. The need to feed the world's most populous nation has seen Chinese firms gobble up foreign dairy, sugar and cereal producers, and Shuanghui International's $4.7 billion bid last week for top U.S. pork producer Smithfield Foods is just the country's latest food 'land grab'. ...

Pinera's rating rises but still seen as liability to his coalition Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:14 PM PDT SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chilean President Sebastian Pinera's popularity bounced to a two-year high of 40 percent in May, but any candidate who represents his ruling coalition faces an uphill battle in November's presidential election, analysts said on Wednesday. Pinera, a former airline magnate, has had the lowest popularity ratings for any president since the end of Augusto Pinochet's brutal dictatorship in 1990, as Chileans demand better education and wealth distribution in the world's No. 1 copper producer. ...

Syrian rebels lose strategic town in boost for Assad Posted: 05 Jun 2013 01:41 PM PDT By Mariam Karouny QUSAIR, Syria (Reuters) - Syrian government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies seized control of the border town of Qusair on Wednesday, a severe setback to rebel fighters battling to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Two weeks of heavy fighting reduced much of the town to piles of concrete, whole blocks flattened by shelling, with glass and rubble littering the roads as tired, delighted Syrian soldiers gathered at the bullet-riddled clock tower. Street after deserted street lay in ruins, windows blown out, facades crumpled and trees blackened and burnt. ...

U.S. renews Iran sanctions waivers for China, India, others Posted: 05 Jun 2013 01:49 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Wednesday renewed six-month waivers on Iran sanctions for China, India and seven other economies in exchange for their agreeing to reduce purchases of oil from Iran. "The United States and the international community stand shoulder to shoulder in maintaining pressure on the Iranian regime until it fully addresses concerns about its nuclear program," Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement. ...

Malian army fights Tuareg rebels; unofficial truce over Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:37 PM PDT By Tiemoko Diallo BAMAKO (Reuters) - Government troops seized a village in northern Mali after heavy fighting with Tuareg separatists on Wednesday and advanced towards the town of Kidal, the rebels' last stronghold, the army said. Wednesday's fighting ended months of undeclared ceasefire between the army and the MNLA separatists, who took back part of northern Mali from Islamist insurgents driven out by a French-led military offensive launched in January. ...

Wildfire policy: Time for US to rely less on shovels, hoses, retardant? Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:45 PM PDT In California, wildfire response is a fine art. The drills would be an orchestrated thing of beauty, if not for the danger inherent in the task: Firefighters wrestle hoses up steep canyons, planes and helicopters drop water and fire retardant by the river full, backup resources are poised to invade if the wind shifts or embers fly the wrong way, and reverse 911 calls go out with evacuation orders.

Ryan Braun, A-Rod face MLB suspensions. How is this doping scandal different? Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:21 PM PDT Major League Baseball could be facing its biggest doping scandal since BALCO a decade ago, one that implicates dozens of players, including a few whose names look pretty familiar alongside steroid allegations: Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz, and others. But while the game's fans might be thinking, "didn't we just do this?", this latest dustup is different, and it probably won't be the last.

Newtown photos barred: Did lawmakers balance privacy, public's right to know? Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:30 PM PDT In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, the Connecticut legislature passed a bill restricting the release of official photos and videos of victims at the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

In Massachusetts Senate debate, time for Gomez to come out swinging Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:45 PM PDT As the candidates in the special election to fill John Kerry's Senate seat in Massachusetts go head-to-head in their first televised debate Wednesday night, both will be looking to keep the reputations they've developed in their early weeks on the campaign trail from fossilizing in voters' minds.

Syria army deals severe blow to rebels in key town Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:19 PM PDT BAALBEK, Lebanon (AP) — Syrian troops and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies captured a strategic border town Wednesday after a grueling three-week battle, dealing a severe blow to rebels and opening the door for President Bashar Assad's regime to seize back the country's central heartland.

Protests unite Turks across the social spectrum Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:49 PM PDT ISTANBUL (AP) — Office workers in business suits chant anti-government slogans alongside pious women wearing Muslim headscarves. Schoolchildren and bearded anarchists rub shoulders with football fans, well-heeled women in designer sunglasses and elderly couples donating food.

Kerry says US, Venezuela on track to better ties Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:45 PM PDT ANTIGUA, Guatemala (AP) — The United States and Venezuela have agreed to begin a high-level dialogue with the aim of restoring ambassador-level relations and ending more than a decade of steadily deteriorating ties, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday.

Obama names outspoken Rice as his security adviser Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:27 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Defying Republican critics, President Barack Obama named outspoken diplomat Susan Rice as his national security adviser Wednesday, giving her a larger voice in U.S. foreign policy despite accusations that she misled the nation in the aftermath of the deadly attack on Americans in Benghazi, Libya.

Copters pluck families from raging European floods Posted: 05 Jun 2013 01:12 PM PDT DRESDEN, Germany (AP) — Desperate families were plucked from rooftops by helicopters, cars were swept away by raging torrents and levees failed without warning Wednesday as central Europe staggered under an inland ocean of flooding.

Malian army takes Anefis, 1st territorial gain Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:29 PM PDT BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — The Malian military attacked Tuareg rebels early Wednesday and succeeded in taking the village of Anefis, marking the army's first victory and territorial gain without the help of French forces since they were routed from the country's north last year by the separatist fighters, officials on both sides said.

Libya brought Rice success and disappointment Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:51 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Libya brought Susan Rice her biggest success and, ultimately, caused her greatest professional disappointment.

Mexico finds breast-feeding woes as rate drops Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:01 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — Despite the well-known advantages to breast milk and vigorous campaigns around the world championing breast as best, Mexican mothers say the bottle is better.

Cuban agent who renounced U.S. citizenship now just a "Cuban patriot'" Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:52 PM PDT By Jeff Franks HAVANA (Reuters) - A Cuban agent who served 13 years behind bars in the United States for his role in an espionage ring showed off a certificate renouncing his U.S. citizenship on Friday and said he was now just a "Cuban patriot." For Rene Gonzalez, who was born in Chicago but grew up in Cuba and held dual U.S.-Cuban citizenship, the certificate meant he was the first of what the Cuban government calls the "Five Heroes" to complete his sentence and return to the island in a case that has plagued U.S.-Cuban relations since the 1990s. He agreed to renounce his U.S. ...

U.S. lawmakers act to limit military authority in sex assault cases Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:43 PM PDT By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers, reacting to a spate of sexual violence seen as a "cancer" in the armed forces, backed a measure on Wednesday that would strip military commanders of their ability to overturn convictions for rape and other sexual assaults. The House of Representatives Armed Services Committee voted to include the plan in the National Defense Authorization Act, a $638 billion bill that sets defense policy and authorizes spending levels for the Pentagon. ...

At UN, Rice used outspoken style on Syria, Iran Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:35 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Susan Rice, appointed national security adviser Wednesday by President Barack Obama, has been a bold and blunt U.S. ambassador at the United Nations, successfully pushing for international intervention in Libya and tougher sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

White House condemns Syrian government assault on town of Qusair Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:32 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Wednesday condemned the assault on the Syrian border town of Qusair by Syrian government forces, who worked with Lebanese Hezbollah allies to take control from rebel fighters. "The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the Assad regime's assault on Qusair, which has killed untold numbers of civilians and is causing tremendous humanitarian suffering," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in statement. ...

U.S. soldier pleads guilty to murdering 16 Afghan civilians Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:27 PM PDT By Eric M. Johnson TACOMA, Washington (Reuters) - A U.S. Army sergeant who killed 16 Afghan civilians in cold blood last year pleaded guilty on Wednesday to premeditated murder and other charges under a deal with military prosecutors to avoid the death penalty. Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a decorated veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, admitted to roaming off his Army post in the Afghan province of Kandahar last March to gun down and set fire to unarmed villagers, mostly women and children, in attacks on their family compounds. ...

U.N. cautious about French claims Syrian forces used nerve gas Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:13 PM PDT By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. investigators reacted cautiously on Wednesday to France's announcement that laboratory tests proved that President Bashar al-Assad's forces had used nerve gas in Syria's civil war, saying it was vital to know the chain of custody of the samples. French officials said on Tuesday that their tests were the first to comply with international standards and prove that chemical weapons were used in Syria. Paris handed the results to the U.N. chemical weapons investigation team, headed by Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom. "Yesterday in Paris, Mr. ...

Houston firefighters killed in blaze are mourned by 15,000 at service Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:50 PM PDT By Amanda Orr HOUSTON (Reuters) - About 15,000 people gathered in Houston on Wednesday to remember four firefighters who died in a hotel and restaurant blaze that was described as the deadliest in the history of that city's fire department. "It's always too soon to say goodbye to another fine hero," Houston Mayor Annise Parker told family, friends, firefighters and public officials at Reliant Stadium, where the Houston Texans play football. "It breaks our hearts to say goodbye to four. ...

AP Photos: As case wears on, Manning less visible Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:49 PM PDT FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — In November 2012, after nearly a dozen times photographing the routine arrival and departure of Army Pfc. Bradley Manning for his pretrial hearings outside a courthouse on a Maryland military post, something caught me off-guard: He smiled.

Live from ‘Occupied’ Gezi Park: In Istanbul, a New Turkish Protest Movement Is Born Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:44 PM PDT Last Friday, Ali Riza Gurs, manager of a local food business, saw the number of sit-in demonstrators at an Istanbul park swell, and spotted a problem: They were hungry and thirsty and would not leave Gezi Park, which is located in the heart of Istanbul and one of the city's few remaining green spaces, because of bulldozers waiting to raze it under a government plan to turn it into a shopping mall.

Turkish protesters demand police sackings, unions join Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:23 PM PDT By Daren Butler and Jonathon Burch ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish demonstrators demanded the sacking of police chiefs on Wednesday over a fierce crackdown on days of unprecedented protest against what they see as Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's authoritarian rule. A delegation of activists met Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc at his office in Ankara and demanded the release of detained demonstrators, a halt to the police use of tear gas, and the removal of senior officers who oversaw the crackdown. ...

Actor Stephen Fry reveals suicide attempt in 2012 Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:22 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — British actor and writer Stephen Fry says he attempted suicide last year while filming abroad.

Venezuela frees US filmmaker jailed as alleged spy Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:22 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A U.S. filmmaker jailed for alleged espionage in Venezuela was expelled from the country and returned to the United States on Wednesday in a gesture that could signal a thaw in tense relations between the two countries.

Egypt: Prominent activists charged over protest Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:15 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Twelve of Egypt's best known bloggers and activists are headed for trial on charges of instigating violence during a March demonstration against the president's Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's state prosecutor announced Wednesday.

Would Syria’s Assad Even Want to Use Chemical Weapons? Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:12 PM PDT With Western leaders weighing whether to intervene in the Syrian war with a Libya-style bombing campaign or by arming the Syrian rebels with heavy weaponry, it would seem logical that President Bashar Assad would try to avoid provoking the West into agreeing on a coordinated assault against his forces. But if there's one thing more likely than any other to push the West into more direct military action it's the use of chemical weapons. ...

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