Yahoo! News: World News

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• Obama meets Mandela family, police disperse protesters
• U.S. asked Ecuador not to give Snowden asylum: Correa
• Egypt protests set for showdown, violence feared
• Looking to Africa's future, Obama to cite Mandela, civil rights
• Mired in recession, ex-Yugoslav Croatia joins troubled EU
• Thousands march in Istanbul in solidarity with Kurds
• Fearing bloodshed, rival Cairo protests steel selves for Sunday
• Obama tells Egyptians to talk, not fight
• Stones play long-awaited Glastonbury gig
• Israel and Palestinians cautious as Kerry extends peace bid
• Timeline: Croatia's road to EU membership
• U.S. bugged EU offices, computer networks: German magazine
• Kerry pushing Israel, Palestinians to resume talks
• Facts about upcoming EU member Croatia
• Sudan protesters, opposition call for Bashir ousting
• Tension rises ahead of Egypt protest
• Bombs target soccer players, spectators in Iraq
• Egypt prepares for worst ahead of Sunday protest
• Millions worldwide share difficult Mandela vigil
• Rousseff's popularity plummets in wake of Brazil protests
• Biden asks Ecuador president to nix Snowden asylum
• Bombings, shooting kill 11 in Iraq
• Official: Kerry could meet with Abbas a third time
• Britain's Cameron in thwarted Afghan peace talks push
• Popularity rating of Brazil president plummets
• WHITE HOUSE NOTEBOOK: Obama to US media: 'Behave'
• In South Africa, Obama pays tribute to ill Mandela
• Italian astrophysicist Margherita Hack dies at 91
• Dozens feared dead in fighting for control of Somali port city
• Egyptian rail workers jailed over train crash that killed 50
• Syrian troops launch wide offensive on Homs
• Biden, Ecuador's president discuss leaker Snowden
• Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy in Canada
• South Sudan's vice president to visit Khartoum on Sunday
• No threat in China rivalry for Africa business: Obama

Obama meets Mandela family, police disperse protesters Posted: 29 Jun 2013 04:52 PM PDT By Jeff Mason and Mark Felsenthal JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama met the family of South Africa's ailing anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela on Saturday, offering words of comfort and praising the critically ill retired statesman as one of history's greatest figures. The faltering health of Mandela, 94, a figure admired globally as a symbol of struggle against injustice and racism, is dominating Obama's two-day visit to South Africa. But Obama also faced protests by South Africans against U.S. foreign policy, especially American drone strikes. ...

U.S. asked Ecuador not to give Snowden asylum: Correa Posted: 29 Jun 2013 04:07 PM PDT By Brian Ellsworth QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said on Saturday the United States had asked him not to grant asylum for former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden in a "cordial" telephone conversation he held with Vice President Joe Biden. Correa said he vowed to respect Washington's opinion in evaluating the request. The Andean nation says it cannot begin processing Snowden's request unless he reaches Ecuador or one of its embassies. Snowden, who is wanted by the United States for leaking details about U.S. ...

Egypt protests set for showdown, violence feared Posted: 29 Jun 2013 03:16 PM PDT By Alastair Macdonald and Tom Perry CAIRO (Reuters) - Mass demonstrations across Egypt on Sunday may determine its future, two and half years after people power toppled a dictator they called Pharaoh and ushered in a democracy crippled by bitter divisions. The protesters' goal again is to unseat a president, this time their first freely elected leader, the Islamist Mohamed Mursi. Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - have signed a petition calling for change. But with the long dominant, U. ...

Looking to Africa's future, Obama to cite Mandela, civil rights Posted: 29 Jun 2013 01:13 PM PDT By Mark Felsenthal JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will challenge Africans to renew efforts to expand economic growth and democratic government in a speech Sunday, invoking the legacies of Nelson Mandela and the U.S. civil rights movement in overcoming obstacles to achieve change. "There's been progress that nobody could have imagined in terms of a freer, more equal democratic society here in South Africa, and in many parts of the continent," deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters traveling with the president. ...

Mired in recession, ex-Yugoslav Croatia joins troubled EU Posted: 29 Jun 2013 03:44 PM PDT By Zoran Radosavljevic ZAGREB (Reuters) - Croatia becomes the 28th member of the European Union at midnight on Sunday, a milestone that caps the Adriatic republic's recovery from war but is tinged with anxiety over the state of the economy and the bloc it joins. EU flags fluttered from a stage in Zagreb's central square ahead of the evening's festivities, though there have been few signs of the gushing welcome that marked past expansions to ex-communist Eastern Europe. ...

Thousands march in Istanbul in solidarity with Kurds Posted: 29 Jun 2013 11:55 AM PDT By Ece Toksabay ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters marched to Istanbul's Taksim Square on Saturday chanting slogans against the government and police after security forces killed a Kurdish demonstrator in southeastern Turkey. The protest had been planned as part of larger unrelated anti-government demonstrations that have swept through the country since the end of May, but became a voice of solidarity with the Kurds after Friday's killing. "Murderer police, get out of Kurdistan!" some protesters chanted. "This is only the beginning, the struggle continues. ...

Fearing bloodshed, rival Cairo protests steel selves for Sunday Posted: 29 Jun 2013 04:39 PM PDT By Alexander Dziadosz CAIRO (Reuters) - Rival protesters in Egypt's capital insist they want to avoid bloodshed during mass rallies against President Mohamed Mursi on Sunday, but both are clearly ready for a confrontation. As the opposing sides vie for the revolution's mantle, Mursi's Islamist supporters have set up checkpoints around a Cairo rally, recalling the human chains that protected protesters during the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. Thickset men stand in rows by guard rails, hefting wooden or plastic rods and wearing hard hats and body armor. ...

Obama tells Egyptians to talk, not fight Posted: 29 Jun 2013 04:33 PM PDT By Maggie Fick and Alexander Dziadosz CAIRO (Reuters) - President Barack Obama called on Egypt's government and opposition on Saturday to engage each other in constructive dialogue and prevent violence spilling out across the region. Bloodshed on Friday killed at least three people, including an American student, and mass rallies are planned for Sunday aimed at unseating Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. Tens of thousands from both sides rallied again on Saturday across Egypt, although there were fewer reports of violence. Obama said he was "looking at the situation with concern". ...

Stones play long-awaited Glastonbury gig Posted: 29 Jun 2013 04:18 PM PDT PILTON, England (AP) — There's a first time for everything, even if you're the Rolling Stones.

Israel and Palestinians cautious as Kerry extends peace bid Posted: 29 Jun 2013 04:09 PM PDT By Lesley Wroughton JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry extended his Middle East peace mission on Saturday, shuttling between Jerusalem and Amman for more talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on reviving their stalled negotiations. But officials on both the feuding sides played down prospects of the bustle bringing about any imminent diplomatic breakthrough that would restart the talks. Cancelling a trip to Abu Dhabi, Kerry flew from Jerusalem to the Jordanian capital for a second meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. ...

Timeline: Croatia's road to EU membership Posted: 29 Jun 2013 03:46 PM PDT ZAGREB (Reuters) - Croatia becomes the 28th member of the European Union on July 1, just over two decades after declaring independence from socialist Yugoslavia and being engulfed in war. Following are the main events on its path to EU membership: 1991 - Croatia declares independence from socialist Yugoslavia but minority Serb rebels, backed by the Serb-dominated Yugoslav army, seize control of one third of the country and a four-year war ensues. 1995 - Croatian troops sweep through the rebel territory, putting to flight thousands of minority Serbs. ...

U.S. bugged EU offices, computer networks: German magazine Posted: 29 Jun 2013 03:43 PM PDT BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States has bugged European Union offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks, according to secret documents cited in a German magazine on Saturday, the latest in a series of exposures of alleged U.S. spy programs. Der Spiegel quoted from a September 2010 "top secret" U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) document that it said fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden had taken with him, and the weekly's journalists had seen in part. ...

Kerry pushing Israel, Palestinians to resume talks Posted: 29 Jun 2013 03:33 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry kept up a frenetic pace of shuttle diplomacy Saturday to coax Israel and the Palestinians back into peace talks. America's top diplomat was prepared to meet a third time in as many days with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas even if it could delay Kerry's arrival at an Asian conference.

Facts about upcoming EU member Croatia Posted: 29 Jun 2013 03:07 PM PDT ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia formally becomes the 28th member of the European Union on Monday, the bloc's first addition since Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007. Croatia is becoming a member after a decade of negotiation, and marks a historic turning point for the country which went through a civil war after declaring independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.

Sudan protesters, opposition call for Bashir ousting Posted: 29 Jun 2013 02:23 PM PDT By Khalid Abdelaziz KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Thousands of Sudanese called for the overthrow of veteran President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Saturday, spurred on by an opposition trying to stoke an Arab Spring style uprising. The opposition, capitalizing on anger over soaring food prices and corruption, has threatened to stage mass protests to topple Bashir within 100 days. The uprisings that shook the Arab world have passed Sudan by as the security forces usually break up the frequent small street protests by students before they have a chance to spread. ...

Tension rises ahead of Egypt protest Posted: 29 Jun 2013 02:12 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Organizers of a mass protest against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi claimed Saturday that more than 22 million people have signed their petition demanding the Islamist leader step down, asserting that the tally was a reflection of how much the public has turned against his rule.

Bombs target soccer players, spectators in Iraq Posted: 29 Jun 2013 02:04 PM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Bombs targeting soccer players and young men who had gathered to watch a match in Iraq killed seven people on Saturday. A roadside bomb in a busy market killed another three people, bringing the death toll to 10, police and medics said. The violence is part of a trend of increasing militant attacks since the start of the year, which claimed more than 1,000 lives in May alone, making it the deadliest month since the sectarian bloodletting of 2006-7. ...

Egypt prepares for worst ahead of Sunday protest Posted: 29 Jun 2013 02:00 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — As the streets once again fill with protesters eager to oust the president and Islamists determined to keep him in power, Egyptians are preparing for the worst: days or weeks of urban chaos that could turn their neighborhoods into battlegrounds.

Millions worldwide share difficult Mandela vigil Posted: 29 Jun 2013 01:51 PM PDT As Nelson Mandela lingers in a hospital, yet another remarkable moment is helping to seal his legacy: Millions of people around the world, united by respect and gratitude, are preparing for this beloved man to die.

Rousseff's popularity plummets in wake of Brazil protests Posted: 29 Jun 2013 01:35 PM PDT By Silvio Cascione and Todd Benson SAO PAULO (Reuters) - President Dilma Rousseff's approval rating sank by 27 percentage points in the last three weeks, a poll showed on Saturday in the strongest evidence yet that the recent wave of street protests sweeping Brazil poses a serious threat to her likely re-election bid next year. The share of people who consider Rousseff's administration "great" or "good" plummeted to 30 percent from 57 percent in early June, according to a Datafolha opinion poll published in local newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. ...

Biden asks Ecuador president to nix Snowden asylum Posted: 29 Jun 2013 01:21 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden has asked Ecuador to turn down an asylum request from National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, the country's president said Saturday.

Bombings, shooting kill 11 in Iraq Posted: 29 Jun 2013 01:19 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Bombs and a shooting targeted a marketplace and off-duty policemen in Iraq on Saturday, killing at last eleven people in the latest attacks by militants seeking to destabilize the country.

Official: Kerry could meet with Abbas a third time Posted: 29 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — A U.S. State Department official says Secretary of State John Kerry is ready to meet with the Palestinian president for a third time if that would help advance the Mideast peace process.

Britain's Cameron in thwarted Afghan peace talks push Posted: 29 Jun 2013 04:53 PM PDT By Andrew Osborn KABUL (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron flew into Afghanistan on Saturday to try to inject momentum into stalled peace talks, but left empty-handed after the Afghan president said his country could break up if a deal was done with the Taliban. Cameron, who hosted President Hamid Karzai for talks in February about Afghanistan's future, has cast himself as an honest broker able to use Britain's relations with Afghanistan's influential neighbor, Pakistan, to get the Taliban to talk peace. ...

Popularity rating of Brazil president plummets Posted: 29 Jun 2013 12:41 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — Public approval of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's government has suffered a steep drop in the weeks since massive protests broke out across this country, according to Brazil's first nationwide poll released since the unrest began.

WHITE HOUSE NOTEBOOK: Obama to US media: 'Behave' Posted: 29 Jun 2013 12:37 PM PDT PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — One element of President Barack Obama's Africa policy is to encourage a free press, although he offered repeated reminders for U.S. reporters traveling with him on the continent to be on their best behavior.

In South Africa, Obama pays tribute to ill Mandela Posted: 29 Jun 2013 11:54 AM PDT JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Paying tribute to his personal hero, President Barack Obama met privately Saturday with Nelson Mandela's family as the world anxiously awaited news on the condition of the ailing 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader.

Italian astrophysicist Margherita Hack dies at 91 Posted: 29 Jun 2013 11:41 AM PDT ROME (AP) — Margherita Hack, an astrophysicist who explained her research on the stars in plain language for the public and who championed civil rights in her native Italy, died on Saturday in the Adriatic Sea town of Trieste, where she had headed an astronomical observatory. She was 91.

Dozens feared dead in fighting for control of Somali port city Posted: 29 Jun 2013 11:33 AM PDT By Abdi Sheikh MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Dozens of people were feared killed in two days of fierce fighting for control of a strategic Somali port city, according to witness and militia accounts on Saturday, despite efforts to prevent the clashes escalating into broader clan warfare. Scores have died in sporadic fighting in Kismayu since Ahmed Madobe, leader of the Ras Kamboni militia, was chosen by a regional assembly to lead Somalia's southern Jubaland region, where the port is located. ...

Egyptian rail workers jailed over train crash that killed 50 Posted: 29 Jun 2013 11:14 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Two Egyptian railway workers were sentenced to 10 years in prison on Saturday over a train crash last year that killed 50 people, mostly children, and inflamed public anger at the country's shoddy transport network. A court in the southern city of Assiut found Hussein Abdelrahman and Sayed Abdel Radwan guilty of causing the crash last November due to negligence in performing their jobs as rail crossing guards, judicial sources said. It sentenced the men to 10 years in prison each and fined each 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($14,200). ...

Syrian troops launch wide offensive on Homs Posted: 29 Jun 2013 11:11 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Government troops launched a series of attacks in central Syria Saturday, striking with artillery, tanks and warplanes in a drive to capture rebel-held neighborhoods in the country's third largest city of Homs, with activists said.

Biden, Ecuador's president discuss leaker Snowden Posted: 29 Jun 2013 11:11 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says Vice President Joe Biden has spoken with Ecuador's president about National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden's request for asylum in Ecuador.

Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy in Canada Posted: 29 Jun 2013 10:57 AM PDT ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Christian girl who was accused of burning Islam's holy book in a case that focused international attention on Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws was forced to move to Canada over security concerns, her lawyer said Saturday.

South Sudan's vice president to visit Khartoum on Sunday Posted: 29 Jun 2013 10:47 AM PDT KHARTOUM (Reuters) - South Sudan's vice president will visit Sudan on Sunday, both sides said on Saturday, marking the highest-level talks between the long-time African foes since Khartoum threatened to stop cross-border oil flows. Relations hit a new low three weeks ago when Sudan said it would halt South Sudanese oil exports passing through the north for shipment abroad within 60 days unless Juba ended support for rebels operating across the border. Juba denies the claims. ...

No threat in China rivalry for Africa business: Obama Posted: 29 Jun 2013 10:37 AM PDT By Jeff Mason and Mark Felsenthal PRETORIA (Reuters) - The United States does not feel threatened by the growth of trade and investment in Africa by China and other emerging powers, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday. Suggestions that he has allowed China to steal a march over the United States in doing business with Africa have dogged Obama's three-nation swing through the continent, but he said the increased Chinese engagement was beneficial for all. "I don't feel threatened by it. I feel it's a good thing," Obama told a news conference during a visit to South Africa. ...

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