Yahoo! News: World News

---

• U.S. sees hope in Iranian president-elect, but still cautious
• U.S. declares new push to defuse Egyptian crisis
• Berlusconi lays out price of preserving Italian government
• History shows Snowden may face tough exile in Russia
• Tunisian forces launch air strikes on Islamist militants
• Tents, garages, shops: Syria refugees hide in Lebanon shadows
• Tunisian forces dismantle explosive in third bomb scare of day
• Global travel warning: US cites al-Qaida threat
• UN probes allegations of rebel atrocities in Syria
• Numbers don't add up for papal Mass crowd count
• Mexico rules out foul play in Pemex HQ blast, cites gas buildup
• U.S. issues global travel alert, cites al Qaeda threat
• Britain's Conservatives hire Obama campaign chief in election role
• Manning's leaks endangered informants: trial witness
• Mali presidential race goes to runoff
• Egyptian forces to cordon off protest sites
• France tries 1 more cure for volatile suburbs
• Cuban death toll from methanol sold as rum climbs to 11
• Will the Snowden chill start a new Cold War?
• What happens next to Italy's celebrity convict?
• Lawyer: Snowden has a place to live in Russia
• Congressional gridlock: Could it be that the NSA is bringing it to an end?
• Latvian distiller owner tries to defuse boycott
• Italy tries to spare ancient Pompeii from ruin
• Cubans welcome new U.S. visa policy, government largely silent
• UK Conservatives hire Obama campaign strategist
• Zimbabwe's MDC considers protests against Mugabe landslide
• France's top cop assures tourists Paris is safe
• Israel to host next round of talks with Palestinians: Livni
• Berlusconi says Italy needs justice reform or elections
• Brazil enacts tough anti-bribery law required by OECD
• Zimbabwe’s Ruling Party Claims Victory in Elections Critics Label a ‘Farce’
• Iran's Rouhani: Occupation of Palestine is 'wound'
• Russia's Putin says sentences in fraud case involving top critic Navalny were 'strange'

U.S. sees hope in Iranian president-elect, but still cautious Posted: 02 Aug 2013 12:20 PM PDT By Warren Strobel and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is signaling its hopes for an easing of nuclear tensions after Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani takes office, but holding off on substantive moves until the moderate cleric shows a willingness to negotiate seriously. Rouhani, a former nuclear negotiator and veteran of Iran's 1979 revolution who will be inaugurated on Sunday, has pledged domestic reforms and more international engagement, in an apparent break from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's policies. ...

U.S. declares new push to defuse Egyptian crisis Posted: 02 Aug 2013 04:04 PM PDT By Tom Perry and Michael Georgy CAIRO (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday it would work with other nations to resolve Egypt's crisis peacefully, injecting new energy into a push to end a bloody standoff since the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. A day after saying the army had restored democracy by removing Mursi, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Egyptian authorities to give demonstrators the space to protest in peace - a warning against dispersing pro-Mursi sit-ins. ...

Berlusconi lays out price of preserving Italian government Posted: 02 Aug 2013 01:49 PM PDT By Roberto Landucci ROME (Reuters) - Italy's center right must push through justice reform or withdraw from the coalition government, Silvio Berlusconi told his People of Freedom (PDL) party on Friday after his conviction for tax fraud was upheld by the supreme court. Just three months after center-left Prime Minister Enrico Letta took office at the head of an uneasy alliance with Berlusconi's PDL, the euro zone's third largest economy faces deep uncertainty that may further hinder efforts at reform. ...

History shows Snowden may face tough exile in Russia Posted: 02 Aug 2013 01:26 PM PDT By Alissa de Carbonnel MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden seems assured of a warm welcome in Russia and may even achieve celebrity status in his new home, but history suggests he will no longer be master of his fate and a Moscow exile will bring some difficult challenges. The former U.S. spy agency contractor finally left Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Thursday after spending nearly six weeks confined to its transit zone while a diplomatic battle over his future raged between Russia and the United States. ...

Tunisian forces launch air strikes on Islamist militants Posted: 02 Aug 2013 12:34 PM PDT By Tarek Amara and Erika Solomon TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian forces launched air and ground strikes on Islamist militants near the Algerian border on Friday after fierce overnight clashes in the area, which coincided with increased instability and political turmoil in the North African country. Aircraft bombed caves in the Mount Chaambi area, where the military has been trying to track down Islamist militants since December, witnesses said on Friday. ...

Tents, garages, shops: Syria refugees hide in Lebanon shadows Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:40 PM PDT By Stephen Kalin TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - Atop a mountain lined with olive and cypress trees overlooking the Lebanese city of Tripoli, a disused shopping center houses nearly 1,000 refugees who have fled Syria's civil war. In the space of a few months the once-empty four-storey complex has become one of more than 360 informal settlements of refugees surging into Lebanon, a country overwhelmed by a sudden influx from its larger neighbor's civil war. ...

Tunisian forces dismantle explosive in third bomb scare of day Posted: 02 Aug 2013 04:37 PM PDT TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian security forces dismantled a bomb found near the home of a military colonel on Friday, witnesses said, the third bomb scare to be reported in the same day. Security forces have declined to officially comment on the incident, but some said privately that Islamist militants appear to be launching an intensified campaign against Tunisian security forces. "I think the terrorists are trying to send a message to the army and security forces," a policeman near the site of the dismantled bomb said. ...

Global travel warning: US cites al-Qaida threat Posted: 02 Aug 2013 03:54 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States issued an extraordinary global travel warning to Americans Friday about the threat of an al-Qaida attack and closed down 21 embassies and consulates across the Muslim world for the weekend.

UN probes allegations of rebel atrocities in Syria Posted: 02 Aug 2013 03:40 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — United Nations experts are investigating allegations that rebels killed dozens of Syrian soldiers in a village near Aleppo after they captured it from government troops, an incident that could amount to a war crime, the world body's human rights chief said Friday.

Numbers don't add up for papal Mass crowd count Posted: 02 Aug 2013 03:30 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — If measured in spirit, there is hardly a soul who would question the success of Pope Francis' Mass on giant Copacabana beach last weekend. The count when it comes to the flesh-and-blood numbers of faithful who actually attended is an entirely different matter.

Mexico rules out foul play in Pemex HQ blast, cites gas buildup Posted: 02 Aug 2013 03:21 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A massive explosion that killed nearly 40 people in late January at state oil company Pemex's Mexico City headquarters was caused by a gas buildup, Mexico's attorney general's office said on Friday, ruling out foul play. A six-month investigation confirmed a preliminary conclusion that the January 31 explosion that collapsed several floors of the headquarters' B2 building, which contained archived documents, was caused by faulty building design that provided poor ventilation in the basement area. ...

U.S. issues global travel alert, cites al Qaeda threat Posted: 02 Aug 2013 03:18 PM PDT By Arshad Mohammed and Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States issued a worldwide travel alert on Friday warning Americans that al Qaeda may be planning attacks in August, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. The State Department travel alert was based on the same intelligence that prompted it to close 21 U.S. embassies and consulates on Sunday, August 4, chiefly those in the Muslim world, a U.S. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "The Department of State alerts U.S. ...

Britain's Conservatives hire Obama campaign chief in election role Posted: 02 Aug 2013 03:11 PM PDT By Costas Pitas LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's governing Conservative Party has hired U.S. President Barack Obama's former campaign manager as part of its election team ahead of polls due in less than two years, the party said. Jim Messina, a lifelong Democrat, is the latest appointment by Prime Minister David Cameron in a bid to win the party's first overall majority in over 20 years, against a weak economic backdrop and poor poll ratings. ...

Manning's leaks endangered informants: trial witness Posted: 02 Aug 2013 03:02 PM PDT By Tom Hals FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) - A State Department official contended in court on Friday that convicted soldier Bradley Manning's leaks of classified diplomatic cables led to foreign informants being moved over fears for their safety. The official, Michael Kozak, was called by U.S. military prosecutors to testify in the sentencing phase of Manning's court-martial over the purported damage done by anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks' publication in 2010 of hundreds of thousands of documents and video it received from the Iraq-based soldier. ...

Mali presidential race goes to runoff Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:58 PM PDT BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A career politician, known for ruling with a firm hand, took the lead in Mali's first presidential election since last year's coup, according to provisional results announced Friday, a sign that Malians are looking for decisive leadership after months of turmoil.

Egyptian forces to cordon off protest sites Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:55 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Authorities outlined plans Friday to break up two sit-ins by supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morsi, saying they would set up a cordon around the protest sites, and riot police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators threatening a TV complex.

France tries 1 more cure for volatile suburbs Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:30 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Two weeks after a spurt of rioting in a far-flung Paris suburb, President Francois Hollande is injecting a new dose of funds to help cure one of France's most persistent problem areas — the suburban housing projects with their volatile mix of joblessness, high immigration, crime and despair.

Cuban death toll from methanol sold as rum climbs to 11 Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:20 PM PDT HAVANA (Reuters) - Eleven Cubans have died this week and more than 60 are in hospital after consuming toxic industrial methanol sold as rum, state media reported on Friday. The toll was up from seven dead and more than 40 hospitalized, as first reported by the Public Health Ministry on Wednesday in Cuba's worst mass poisoning incident in at least a decade. The poisoning cases emerged starting on Monday in the La Lisa municipality of Havana after poisonous wood alcohol was stolen from a warehouse and then passed off as rum, according to authorities. ...

Will the Snowden chill start a new Cold War? Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:07 PM PDT If U.S.-Russia tensions worsen, it won't be (just) because of the NSA leaker.

What happens next to Italy's celebrity convict? Posted: 02 Aug 2013 01:42 PM PDT ROME (AP) — Now that Silvio Berlusconi's tax fraud conviction and four-year prison sentence have been upheld by Italy's highest court, key questions remain about what will happen next to the former Italian premier. At his age, how much of that sentence will he actually have to serve? Will he do that in prison or at one of his villas? Will he be barred from leaving Italy and lose his Senate seat?

Lawyer: Snowden has a place to live in Russia Posted: 02 Aug 2013 01:34 PM PDT MOSCOW (AP) — National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has a place to live in Russia after being granted temporary asylum, but he still hasn't decided what he wants to do next, his lawyer said Friday. The big question may be how much choice he actually has.

Congressional gridlock: Could it be that the NSA is bringing it to an end? Posted: 02 Aug 2013 01:21 PM PDT Those who care about a functioning government have long wailed that life on Capitol Hill cannot go on like this. Maybe, just maybe, we have just seen the first signs that these unsustainable trends in partisan warfare in Congress are coming to an end.

Latvian distiller owner tries to defuse boycott Posted: 02 Aug 2013 01:00 PM PDT RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Many gay bars in North America have stopped selling the famous Stolichnaya vodka brand to protest Russia's crackdown on the gay community. But the vodka's maker has joined forces with Latvia's leading gay rights group to say that the boycott is misplaced.

Italy tries to spare ancient Pompeii from ruin Posted: 02 Aug 2013 01:00 PM PDT ROME (AP) — Italy's government is trying to spare the ancient ruins of Pompeii from further neglect.

Cubans welcome new U.S. visa policy, government largely silent Posted: 02 Aug 2013 12:59 PM PDT By Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) - Cubans are cheering a U.S. visa policy that gives them five years to travel to the United States, while Cuba's government and state-run media have largely remained silent about the new travel measure. They still are allowed to remain in the United States for only six months, but the change in U.S. policy, which took effect on Thursday, allows them to make multiple U.S. visits over the five years instead of repeatedly applying and paying the $160 fee for the privilege. ...

UK Conservatives hire Obama campaign strategist Posted: 02 Aug 2013 12:43 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Britain's governing Conservatives have hired Jim Messina, President Barack Obama's former campaign manager, to advise them ahead of the 2015 general election.

Zimbabwe's MDC considers protests against Mugabe landslide Posted: 02 Aug 2013 12:41 PM PDT By Ed Cropley HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change said on Friday it could take to the streets to challenge President Robert Mugabe's victory in elections it rejects as a farce and which face skepticism from the West. No results of the presidential vote on July 31 have been announced. But Mugabe's ZANU-PF has already claimed a resounding win and interim tallies of the parliamentary count suggest a massive victory for the 89-year-old, Africa's oldest president, who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980. ...

France's top cop assures tourists Paris is safe Posted: 02 Aug 2013 12:34 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Visitors to Paris take note: Interior Minister Manuel Valls assures you that the City of Light is dealing with the pickpockets and petty criminals that have recently targeted tourists.

Israel to host next round of talks with Palestinians: Livni Posted: 02 Aug 2013 12:30 PM PDT JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The next Israeli-Palestinian peace talks session will be held in Israel in the second week of August and a first group of Palestinian prisoners will be freed by then, Israel's chief negotiator said on Friday. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni told Israel's Channel 10 television that the parties had agreed on alternating venues for talks in initial meetings with the first to be held in Israel. "We and the Palestinians both determined that the first meetings would be held once in Israel and once in the Palestinian Authority ... we want to do it directly (and close to home). ...

Berlusconi says Italy needs justice reform or elections Posted: 02 Aug 2013 11:58 AM PDT ROME (Reuters) - Italy's center right must push for reform of the justice system or seek new elections, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told lawmakers from his People of Freedom Party, according to a source at the meeting on Friday. "If there is no reform of the justice system, we are ready for new elections," he told the meeting, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. On Thursday a court upheld a conviction for tax fraud against Berlusconi, threatening both his position as center-right leader and the stability of Italy's fragile coalition government. ...

Brazil enacts tough anti-bribery law required by OECD Posted: 02 Aug 2013 11:41 AM PDT BRASILIA (Reuters) - Bribing a public official in Brazil could become a very onerous mistake for local and foreign businesses under a law enacted on Friday that for the first time makes companies liable for bribes paid by their employees. Companies found guilty of bribery will face fines of up to 20 percent of their gross annual revenue for the previous year or a maximum of 60 million reais ($26.22 million). They could also be suspended from operating, have assets confiscated and even face possible dissolution. ...

Zimbabwe’s Ruling Party Claims Victory in Elections Critics Label a ‘Farce’ Posted: 02 Aug 2013 11:37 AM PDT The polls in Zimbabwe had barely closed when Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai characterized the July 31 presidential election as "a huge farce." "In our view, the election is null and void," Tsvangirai said. "The shoddy manner in which it has been conducted and the consequent illegitimacy of the result will plunge this country into a serious crisis."

Iran's Rouhani: Occupation of Palestine is 'wound' Posted: 02 Aug 2013 11:33 AM PDT TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's president-elect called Israel's control of Jerusalem and Palestinian lands a "wound" for the Islamic world in relatively moderate remarks Friday that contrasted with the harsh rhetoric of his predecessor and other Iranian leaders.

Russia's Putin says sentences in fraud case involving top critic Navalny were 'strange' Posted: 02 Aug 2013 11:31 AM PDT By Alexei Anishchuk LAKE SELIGER, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he was surprised by the five-year jail term a court handed down to Alexei Navalny, his top critic, when another man convicted in the same embezzlement case received only a suspended prison sentence. In his first comments on the case since the July 18 verdict, Putin did not make clear if he was suggesting the jail sentence on Navalny was too harsh or the suspended one too lenient. ...

You are subscribed to email updates from World News Headlines - Yahoo! News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610