Yahoo! News: World News

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• Syria gas 'kills hundreds,' Security Council meets
• France, Britain say U.N. must access alleged Syria attack site
• Divided Egypt prepares to release Mubarak from jail
• Divisive, dramatic case of China's Bo Xilai comes to trial
• Italy's Letta meets centre right, fails to resolve problems
• China to join global crackdown on tax evasion
• Brother speaks warmly in court of American soldier in Afghan rampage
• Key events in rule, trial of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak
• U.N. Security Council says 'clarity' needed after alleged Syria attack
• Deadly attack in Syria renews chemical arms claim
• Rare polio virus spreads to Israel's north
• Rights group wants answers over UK leaks reaction
• Ousted Egyptian leader Mubarak to be put under house arrest
• Cameroon rally targets suspected gay bars
• Egypt to put ex-leader Mubarak under house arrest
• Moderately strong quake shakes Mexico
• New tremors in Egypt crisis: Mubarak ordered freed
• Fear returns to Egypt as state crackdown widens
• Peru coffee growers clash with police in protests
• Clashes in Central African Republic kill at least 10
• Mali's Keita promises new government chosen on merit, not favors
• Turkish foreign min says clear that chemical weapons used in Syria
• Tourism firms to invest $8.6 billion in Mexico over three years: President
• Dozens arrested in Puerto Rico for alleged Social Security fraud
• Argentina says envoy to UK meant no offence to "dumb" Cameron
• France, Britain say U.N. must have access to alleged Syria attack site
• Somali gunmen kill Swedish politician, wound woman
• Puerto Ricans charged with Social Security fraud
• Clash between Nigerian police and Boko Haram kills 9
• Jordan revamps cabinet in push to speed up economic reform
• Israel monastery defaced in apparent political act
• Swedish politician wounded in Somali kidnap attempt
• Mali president-elect vows national reconciliation
• U.S. will work with U.N. Security Council on Syria: White House
• Correction: Pakistan-Musharraf story
• Egypt’s Revolution Comes Full Circle: Court Orders Mubarak’s Release
• Europe shies away from cutting aid for Egypt

Syria gas 'kills hundreds,' Security Council meets Posted: 21 Aug 2013 04:50 PM PDT By Dominic Evans and Khaled Yacoub Oweis BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria's opposition accused government forces of gassing hundreds of people on Wednesday by firing rockets that released deadly fumes over rebel-held Damascus suburbs, killing men, women and children as they slept. With the death toll estimated between 500 and 1,300, what would be the world's most lethal chemical weapons attack since the 1980s prompted an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council in New York. The council did not explicitly demand a U.N. ...

France, Britain say U.N. must access alleged Syria attack site Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:21 PM PDT PARIS (Reuters) - France and Britain said on Wednesday that United Nations inspectors currently in Syria should be allowed immediate access to the site of an alleged deadly chemical weapons attack. Syria's opposition accused government forces of gassing many hundreds of people - by one report as many as 1,300 - in a pre-dawn attack on Wednesday. The government of President Bashar al-Assad denied using chemical weapons. "I hope this will wake up some who have supported the Assad regime to realize its murderous and barbaric nature," British Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters in ...

Divided Egypt prepares to release Mubarak from jail Posted: 21 Aug 2013 04:02 PM PDT By Michael Georgy and Shadia Nasralla CAIRO (Reuters) - Deposed Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak could leave prison on Thursday after a court ruling that further divided a country in turmoil since the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi seven weeks ago. Convening at the Cairo jail where Mubarak is held, the court ordered the release of the military man who ruled Egypt for 30 years with an iron fist until he was overthrown during the uprisings that swept the Arab world in early 2011. ...

Divisive, dramatic case of China's Bo Xilai comes to trial Posted: 21 Aug 2013 04:49 PM PDT By John Ruwitch JINAN, China (Reuters) - Police blocked entry to a courthouse in the eastern Chinese city of Jinan on Thursday where the trial of ousted politician Bo Xilai is to open, the final, dramatic chapter of the country's most politically charged case in more than three decades. A convoy of police cars and a minivan entered the courthouse around 7.10 a.m. (6.10 p.m. EDT), possibly carrying Bo. Police lined roads leading to the courthouse and blocked its two gates. Dozens of journalists stood in a box that was cordoned off for the media across the street. ...

Italy's Letta meets centre right, fails to resolve problems Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:46 PM PDT By Catherine Hornby ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta met with Silvio Berlusconi's center-right party on Wednesday to seek a solution to a stand-off that threatens his fragile coalition, but positions remained "distant", a government source said. Berlusconi's conviction for tax fraud has shaken the stability of the left-right coalition, with the former prime minister's People of Freedom (PDL) party demanding guarantees for his political future. ...

China to join global crackdown on tax evasion Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:31 PM PDT By Stella Dawson WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - China has agreed to join the international effort by the Group of 20 leading economies to combat tax evasion by signing an agreement to share tax records, the OECD said Wednesday. China's decision means that all G20 countries now have agreed to cooperate on tax avoidance, a priority set by global leaders to address the causes of the 2007-2009 financial crisis and to help combat corruption. ...

Brother speaks warmly in court of American soldier in Afghan rampage Posted: 21 Aug 2013 04:56 PM PDT By Jonathan Kaminsky TACOMA, Washington (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier who gunned down 16 Afghan civilians last year was an attentive father of two children and a duty-bound Army man before the attacks, his brother testified at a sentencing hearing on Wednesday. William Bales spoke warmly of his youngest brother, Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, saying the former high school football player left a carefree bachelor life behind to enlist in the military in the aftermath of al Qaeda attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. ...

Key events in rule, trial of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak Posted: 21 Aug 2013 04:36 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court ordered Wednesday the release of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, but it is not yet clear if the ailing ex-leader will walk free after over two years in detention, officials said.

U.N. Security Council says 'clarity' needed after alleged Syria attack Posted: 21 Aug 2013 03:59 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council said it was necessary to clarify an alleged chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus on Wednesday but stopped short of explicitly demanding a probe by U.N. investigators in Syria. "There is a strong concern among council members about the allegations and a general sense that there must be clarity on what happened and the situation must be followed closely," Argentina's U.N. ambassador, Maria Cristina Perceval, told reporters after a closed-door emergency meeting of the council. While the council did not explicitly call for a U.N. ...

Deadly attack in Syria renews chemical arms claim Posted: 21 Aug 2013 03:10 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — The images showed lifeless children — wrapped in simple white cloths, their pale faces unmarked by any wound — lined up shoulder to shoulder in a vivid demonstration of an attack Wednesday in which activists say the Syrian regime killed at least 130 people with toxic gas.

Rare polio virus spreads to Israel's north Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:55 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's president is urging the country's children to get polio boosters after a rare appearance of the virus spread to the north of the country.

Rights group wants answers over UK leaks reaction Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:42 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — In an unusual warning, Europe's top human rights organization said Wednesday that Britain's reaction to the exposure of the United States' vast surveillance program had potentially troubling consequences for free expression.

Ousted Egyptian leader Mubarak to be put under house arrest Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:26 PM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Deposed Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak will be put under house arrest, the prime minister's office said on Wednesday. Mubarak, who was toppled in a 2011 uprising, is expected to be released from a Cairo prison on Thursday. "In the context of the emergency law, the deputy military commander issued an order that Mohamed Hosni Mubarak should be put under house arrest," read a statement from the office. (Reorting by Asma Alsharif; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Cameroon rally targets suspected gay bars Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:07 PM PDT DOUALA, Cameroon (AP) — More than 100 young men and women in Cameroon's capital posted anti-gay signs on bars suspected of being gay-friendly during a rally organized amid mounting threats and acts of violence targeting the country's sexual minorities.

Egypt to put ex-leader Mubarak under house arrest Posted: 21 Aug 2013 01:57 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's prime minister ordered Wednesday that deposed autocrat Hosni Mubarak be placed under house arrest after he's released from prison following more than two years in detention.

Moderately strong quake shakes Mexico Posted: 21 Aug 2013 01:41 PM PDT ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — A moderately strong earthquake struck near Mexico's Pacific coast resort of Acapulco on Wednesday, causing cracks in some buildings and knocking bricks and plaster off other structures.

New tremors in Egypt crisis: Mubarak ordered freed Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:44 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — A court ordered the release of Hosni Mubarak and prosecutors said they're unlikely to appeal, raising the possibility Egypt's deposed autocrat could walk free after more than two years in detention.

Fear returns to Egypt as state crackdown widens Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:38 PM PDT By Lin Noueihed CAIRO (Reuters) - A climate of fear that kept Egyptians compliant during the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak is creeping back into daily life, less than three years after the revolt that toppled him. Ordinary people like Mohamed, who runs a tiny Cairo shop selling mobile phone accessories, now lower their voices if they oppose the army's overthrow last month of their first freely-elected president, Mohamed Mursi. "It is about the principle that we stood in line and voted freely for the first time and this happens," whispered Mohamed, who declined to give his second name. ...

Peru coffee growers clash with police in protests Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:17 PM PDT LIMA (Reuters) - Coffee growers from Peru's central jungle clashed with police on Wednesday as they demanded more government help in grappling with the roya fungus that has eaten up their crops and earnings this year. At least 1,000 farmers protested in Chanchamayo for the second day in a row, said producer Cesar Rivas by telephone from the coffee-growing province. Local television showed police beating protesters who had blocked a key highway to Lima. At least 15 people were arrested and one officer was wounded by a spear on Wednesday, RPP radio reported. ...

Clashes in Central African Republic kill at least 10 Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:08 PM PDT By Paul-Marin Ngoupana BANGUI (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed in clashes across the capital of the Central African Republic between supporters of its former president and the fighters who ousted him and seized power five months ago, officials said. Newly sworn-in rebel leader Michel Djotodia is struggling to control the impoverished but mineral-rich nation, which has witnessed a string of violent power changes since independence from France in 1960. ...

Mali's Keita promises new government chosen on merit, not favors Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:07 PM PDT BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's president-elect Ibrahim Boubacar Keita pledged on Wednesday to choose a cabinet based on competence rather than party affiliation or family ties, a sign he will break a tradition of weak consensus governments. The comments were Keita's first since he won a strong mandate with 78 percent of the vote in an August 11 election that is due to draw a line under a coup last year and a French-backed war against al Qaeda-linked rebels who seized the desert north. ...

Turkish foreign min says clear that chemical weapons used in Syria Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:05 PM PDT ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's foreign minister said on Wednesday it was clear from television footage that chemical weapons had been used in an attack near the Syrian capital Damascus and telephoned U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to urge an immediate investigation. Syria's opposition accused government forces of gassing hundreds of people near Damascus by firing rockets that released deadly fumes over rebel-held suburbs, killing men, women and children as they slept. The Syrian government dismissed the allegation. ...

Tourism firms to invest $8.6 billion in Mexico over three years: President Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:04 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Private companies plan to invest $8.6 billion in tourism projects in Mexico over the next three years, President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Wednesday, as the country's tourism industry works to overcome publicity from drug-related violence. The investment will focus on building new hotels, refurbishing existing ones, and giving public spaces a facelift. Acapulco, one of Mexico's most famous beach resorts, has become one of the most violent cities in the Americas over the past three years because of in-fighting among drug gangs. ...

Dozens arrested in Puerto Rico for alleged Social Security fraud Posted: 21 Aug 2013 11:57 AM PDT SAN JUAN (Reuters) - U.S. federal authorities arrested 74 people in 25 towns across Puerto Rico early on Wednesday in an operation aimed at combating the abuse of Social Security and disability benefits. Agents from the FBI and the Social Security Administration participated in the sweep, which targeted 70 beneficiaries, a doctor, a therapist and two psychiatrists, said FBI spokesman Moises Quinoñes. Wednesday's actions are part of a wider crackdown on disability fraud on the island. Puerto Rico is home to nine of the top 10 U.S. ...

Argentina says envoy to UK meant no offence to "dumb" Cameron Posted: 21 Aug 2013 11:54 AM PDT By Andrew Osborn and William James LONDON (Reuters) - Argentina's ambassador to Britain said on Wednesday she had not meant to offend Prime Minister David Cameron when she called him "dumb" and his handling of the long-running dispute over the Falkland Islands "foolish". In an effort to draw a line under the latest spat in an ill-tempered feud between the two countries over the South Atlantic archipelago, she said her words had been taken out of context. ...

France, Britain say U.N. must have access to alleged Syria attack site Posted: 21 Aug 2013 11:47 AM PDT PARIS (Reuters) - France and Britain said on Wednesday that United Nations inspectors currently in Syria should be allowed immediate access to the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack. "We hope the U.N. team in Damascus will be given immediate and unrestricted access to this area to try and establish the truth. There is no reason not to be given access when (the site) is not so many miles from where they are doing their work now," British Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters in Paris. ...

Somali gunmen kill Swedish politician, wound woman Posted: 21 Aug 2013 11:40 AM PDT MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Unidentified gunmen shot and killed one Swedish politician and wounded another in a drive-by shooting on Wednesday outside a university in Mogadishu, said police in Somalia.

Puerto Ricans charged with Social Security fraud Posted: 21 Aug 2013 11:28 AM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Federal authorities had arrested at least 68 people and were seeking seven more Wednesday in a multimillion dollar Social Security fraud case in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which they say has one of the highest rates of fraud involving federal disability benefits.

Clash between Nigerian police and Boko Haram kills 9 Posted: 21 Aug 2013 11:24 AM PDT MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Islamist sect Boko Haram attacked a police station in northeast Nigeria on Wednesday, killing two officers but losing seven of its members, two local security sources said. The attack came two days after the military said the group's bellicose leader Abubakar Shekau might have died between July 25 and August 4 from gunshot wounds inflicted in a gun battle with security forces. ...

Jordan revamps cabinet in push to speed up economic reform Posted: 21 Aug 2013 11:21 AM PDT By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour announced a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday which bolstered the grip of technocrats charged with speeding up IMF-guided economic reforms crucial to rejuvenate sluggish growth. The move, affecting 14 portfolios, left the key interior, finance and foreign ministers in place. Political analysts say the new 23-member cabinet strengthens the role of technocrats at the expense of tribal figures who held sway in previous administrations. ...

Israel monastery defaced in apparent political act Posted: 21 Aug 2013 11:13 AM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Vandals defaced a monastery Wednesday near Jerusalem, police said, in the latest in a series of similar incidents blamed on extremists.

Swedish politician wounded in Somali kidnap attempt Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:48 AM PDT By Abdalle Ahmed MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali gunmen tried to kidnap a Swedish opposition politician on Wednesday in an ambush in which she and another woman were wounded and two men were killed, police said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. However, al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants have kept up guerrilla-style attacks and kidnappings in the city despite being largely pushed out by Somali and African forces two years ago. ...

Mali president-elect vows national reconciliation Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:47 AM PDT BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Malian president-elect Ibrahim Boubacar Keita vowed Wednesday to focus on national reconciliation once he takes office next month in this country wracked by a rebellion, a coup and an Islamic insurgency.

U.S. will work with U.N. Security Council on Syria: White House Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:38 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will consult with its partners on the United Nations Security Council about reports of chemical weapons use in Syria, a White House spokesman said on Wednesday. U.S. officials also have not yet been able to independently verify reports about the use of such weapons in Syria by government forces, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing. In an earlier statement, the White House expressed alarm about the reports and called urgently for a United Nations investigation. ...

Correction: Pakistan-Musharraf story Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:36 AM PDT RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - In an Aug. 20 story about former Pakistani president and army chief Pervez Musharraf being indicted on murder charges stemming from the 2007 assassination of ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, The Associated Press erroneously reported that it was the first time a current or former army chief has been charged with a crime in the country. One of Musharraf's lawyers, Ilyas Siddiqui, said it was the second time Musharraf has been charged with a crime. An anti-terrorism court indicted Musharraf on June 15 on the charge of illegally detaining judges following the declaration of a state of emergency in November 2007.

Egypt’s Revolution Comes Full Circle: Court Orders Mubarak’s Release Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:33 AM PDT An Egyptian court ordered deposed President Hosni Mubarak released from prison on Wednesday, further deepening the sense of crisis one week after the country's military-backed interim government carried out what human rights advocates say was the worst single episode of extrajudicial killing in the country's modern history.

Europe shies away from cutting aid for Egypt Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:22 AM PDT By Justyna Pawlak and John O'Donnell BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union stopped short of agreeing immediate cuts in financial or military assistance to Cairo on Wednesday, as the bloc's foreign ministers held emergency talks to find ways to help bring an end to violence in Egypt. The decision acknowledges Europe's limited economic muscle in forcing Egypt's army-backed rulers and the Muslim Brotherhood supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi into a peaceful compromise. ...

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