Yahoo! News: World News

---

• Advancing Ukraine troops take fight to heart of pro-Moscow rebellion
• Islamic State video purports to show beheading of U.S. journalist
• Gaza truce collapses, fighting erupts, Israel orders negotiators home
• Pakistani protesters reach parliament as police look on
• Japan's polarizing PM Abe learns the long game
• Libyan militia fire rockets into affluent Tripoli residential district
• Liberia president declares Ebola curfew
• Gaza cease-fire efforts collapse in heavy fighting
• Arrested S.Sudan journalist 'freed'
• Arsenal's Europe hopes intact after Istanbul cauldron
• UN peacekeeping chief for C. Africa urges political talks
• Real Madrid draws 1-1 with Atletico in Super Cup
• English oppose shared currency with independent Scotland
• Dozing man falls into London river
• Gunmen kill 9 in attack inside morgue in Honduras
• Islamic State says beheads U.S. journalist, holds another
• US trying to verify video of American's killing
• Scientists warn Florida governor of threat from climate change
• Britain could end Assange row 'tomorrow': Ecuador president
• Pakistan crisis puts army back in the driving seat
• US court grants new appeal hearing for Buju Banton
• Islamic State vows to 'break the American cross'
• Islamic State says another U.S. journalist's fate depends on Obama
• Battle of the boycott plays out in Israel, W.Bank shops
• Man sought in police killing returned to Mexico
• Foreign minister Davutoglu will be new Turkish PM, says Gul
• South Korea parties back, families oppose, ferry disaster probe
• Hamas charges Israel targeted militant leader in attack
• UN Ebola czar heads to West Africa
• Appalled if video of journalist murder by Islamic State genuine: U.S.
• FDA approves new drug for rare genetic disease
• Silicon to spinach: Japan tech helps farmers cope with climate shifts
• Hamas threatens to aim further attacks at Israel's airport
• On wings of endangered butterflies, critics attack Florida planned Walmart
• Israel says Gaza rockets made further Cairo talks 'impossible'

Advancing Ukraine troops take fight to heart of pro-Moscow rebellion Posted: 19 Aug 2014 09:15 AM PDT By Maria Tsvetkova and Noah Barkin DONETSK Ukraine/BERLIN (Reuters) - A gun battle broke out in the center of the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk and residents ran for cover from artillery fire on Tuesday, taking a government military offensive into the heart of the retreating pro-Moscow separatist rebellion. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart will meet next week for the first time in months to try to end their confrontation over the separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine, their offices said. In a prelude to the talks between Putin and Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to visit the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Saturday, her office said, to show support for the Ukrainian government. Donetsk has for months been the headquarters of Ukraine's separatist rebellion, with rebel flags flying over administrative buildings and where residents strolled along the main avenue lined with flower bed and fountains.

Islamic State video purports to show beheading of U.S. journalist Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:08 PM PDT By Ahmed Rasheed and Michael Georgy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamist militants fighting in Iraq released a video on Tuesday which purported to show the beheading of American journalist James Foley and U.S. The video, titled "A Message to America," was released a day after Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot that has overrun large parts of Iraq, threatened to attack Americans "in any place." "We have seen a video that purports to be the murder of U.S.

Gaza truce collapses, fighting erupts, Israel orders negotiators home Posted: 19 Aug 2014 02:55 PM PDT By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Jeffrey Heller GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip collapsed on Tuesday, with Palestinian militants firing dozens of rockets at Israel and Israel launching air strikes that health officials said killed three people including a woman and a young girl in Gaza. Accusing Gaza Islamists of breaking the truce, Israel promptly recalled its negotiators from talks in Cairo, leaving the fate of Egyptian-brokered efforts to secure a lasting peace hanging in the balance. Rockets were fired from Gaza nearly eight hours before a ceasefire - extended by a day on Monday - was due to expire. Later dozens of rockets took aim at a number of cities and one missile hit open land in the greater Tel Aviv area, causing some damage but no casualties.

Pakistani protesters reach parliament as police look on Posted: 19 Aug 2014 01:57 PM PDT By Katharine Houreld and Syed Raza Hassan ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters marched to the Pakistani parliament on Tuesday as part of a bid to force the prime minister to resign, using a crane and bolt cutters to force their way past barricades of shipping containers in the capital Islamabad. Riot police and paramilitaries had tried to seal off the diplomatic and government zone before the march began, and were told not to intervene as protesters, some of them women throwing rose petals, moved all obstacles in their way. The protests were led by former international cricketer Imran Khan, head of the country's third-largest political party, and cleric Tahir ul-Qadri, who controls a network of Islamic schools and charities. Hours before the protesters set off, the interior minister announced that soldiers would be deployed to stop them.

Japan's polarizing PM Abe learns the long game Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:36 PM PDT By Linda Sieg, Tetsushi Kajimoto and Yuko Yoshikawa TOKYO (Reuters) - Shinzo Abe is one of Japan's most polarizing prime ministers in decades. Whether that proves to be the case depends on whether Abe, who surged back to power 20 months ago for a second shot at Japan's top job, can temper his conservative ideology with pragmatism and keep his pledges to end two decades of economic stagnation. Abe's first term ended when, suffering ill health and facing political deadlock, he quit in 2007 after one troubled year. His focus then was on a controversial agenda that included turning the page on Japan's wartime past and easing the limits of the pacifist constitution.

Libyan militia fire rockets into affluent Tripoli residential district Posted: 19 Aug 2014 01:50 PM PDT By Heba al-Shibani and Ahmed Elumami TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI Libya (Reuters) - Libyan militiamen fired rockets into an affluent district of Tripoli early on Tuesday, moving a battle with a rival armed faction closer to the center of the capital after fighters on one side came under air attack. Rebel groups who united to topple Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 have since turned their guns on each other, spreading anarchy in oil-producing Libya and raising fears it may become a failed state destabilizing the wider North and West African region. An air force controlled by renegade General Khalifa Haftar were responsible for strikes on Islamist-leaning militia in Tripoli on Monday, one of his commanders said, after weeks of fighting for control of the capital and its airport.

Liberia president declares Ebola curfew Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:58 PM PDT MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — Liberia's president declared a curfew and ordered security forces to quarantine a slum home to at least 50,000 people late Tuesday as the West African country battled to stop the spread of Ebola in the capital.

Gaza cease-fire efforts collapse in heavy fighting Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:56 PM PDT GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Egyptian attempts to broker an end to a monthlong war between Israel and Hamas collapsed in heavy fighting Tuesday, with Palestinian militants firing dozens of rockets and Israel responding with airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. At least three Palestinians were killed.

Arrested S.Sudan journalist 'freed' Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:49 PM PDT Security forces in war-torn South Sudan on Tuesday released a reporter held for four days for reporting rebel views, colleagues said. Bakhita Radio news editor Ocen David Nicholas was arrested Saturday "for balancing a news story", the station said, with security forces shutting down the station. "The National Security Service on Tuesday released Bakhita Radio News Editor," read a statement on the station's website.

Arsenal's Europe hopes intact after Istanbul cauldron Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:34 PM PDT Arsenal head for the home leg of their Champions League play-off against Besiktas with their hopes intact after surviving the test of a raucous Istanbul crowd and hugely-energised opponents to leave Turkey with a goalless draw. In the first leg of the play-off, Arsenal failed to score the all-important away goal but were relieved to have escaped from Istanbul with a 0-0 scoreline and still every hope they will qualify in the home leg for the group stages. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger acknowledged that his side's goalless draw was a fair result for a "difficult" game but blasted the performance of the referee.

UN peacekeeping chief for C. Africa urges political talks Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:26 PM PDT A new UN peacekeeping mission to be deployed in the Central African Republic next month must be backed up by political talks to restore stability, the head of the force said Tuesday. Some 1,800 fresh troops will be arriving in CAR on September 15, joining 5,800 African forces already serving in the country to launch the UN mission known as MINUSCA, said Babacar Gaye. "My main asset is not only to have troops, but to have a comprehensive approach for the protection of civilians and the stabilization of the country," Gaye told reporters after briefing the UN Security Council. There are about 2,000 French troops serving alongside the African forces in CAR, which has been engulfed in sectarian violence since a March 2013 coup ousted Francois Bozize.

Real Madrid draws 1-1 with Atletico in Super Cup Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:26 PM PDT MADRID (AP) — James Rodriguez scored in his Spanish debut as Real Madrid earned a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Super Cup on Tuesday.

English oppose shared currency with independent Scotland Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:24 PM PDT A majority of English people oppose Scotland continuing to use the pound if it votes to become independent in a September referendum, a survey showed on Wednesday. The question of whether Scotland could keep the pound if it leaves the United Kingdom has emerged as a defining issue in the debate ahead of the referendum in under a month's time. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and his Scottish National Party insist Scotland should have a formal, euro-style monetary union with what would remain of the United Kingdom: England, Wales and Northern Ireland. According to the Future of England Survey of more than 3,600 voters in England, 53 percent of respondents disagreed with the idea of Scotland keeping the pound if it became independent.

Dozing man falls into London river Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:23 PM PDT A dozy man who fell asleep on the Thames embankment in London had to be rescued after nodding off and falling in the river, rescue services said Tuesday. Having fancied a rest in the early hours of Saturday, the man was already half-way to a splash landing when he woke up with a fright, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said. The Thames is tidal in London and the man managed to swim to a very thin strip of exposed foreshore, with a seven-metre rising tide already part-way in. RNLI rescue footage shows him standing with his back to the embankment wall near the north end of Blackfriars Bridge.

Gunmen kill 9 in attack inside morgue in Honduras Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:23 PM PDT TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — A Honduran official says gunmen attacked a family retrieving a body from a state morgue in the city of San Pedro Sula, killing seven of the dead man's relatives and two bystanders.

Islamic State says beheads U.S. journalist, holds another Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:20 PM PDT BAGHDAD/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State insurgents released a video on Tuesday purportedly showing the beheading of U.S. The video, titled "A Message To America," was posted on social media sites.

US trying to verify video of American's killing Posted: 19 Aug 2014 05:03 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — A video by Islamic State group militants Tuesday purported to show the killing of American journalist James Foley as retribution for U.S. airstrikes in Iraq. The White House, his family and employer said they could not determine the video's authenticity and were trying to confirm if he had been killed.

Scientists warn Florida governor of threat from climate change Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:18 PM PDT By Bill Cotterell TALLAHASSEE Fla. (Reuters) - Five climate scientists warned Florida Governor Rick Scott in a meeting on Tuesday that a steadily rising ocean was a major threat to the state's future, urging it to become a leader in developing solar energy and other clean power sources. The Republican governor, who disputed the human impact on climate change in his 2010 campaign, agreed recently to meet with the scientists after his main Democratic challenger for re-election this year, former Governor Charlie Crist, proclaimed himself a firm believer in global warming. "I'm inherently an optimist," said David Hastings, a professor of marine science and chemistry at Eckerd College on Florida's west coast. I'm concerned he might not do anything." The scientists said they hoped Scott would respond to the Obama administration's proposal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 38 percent in Florida by 2030.

Britain could end Assange row 'tomorrow': Ecuador president Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:12 PM PDT Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said Tuesday that Britain had the power to resolve the Julian Assange standoff "tomorrow," after the WikiLeaks founder voiced hope he would soon leave Ecuador's embassy in London. Assange sought asylum at the embassy in June 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces allegations of rape and sexual molestation which he strongly denies. "His statement can be taken under Swedish law, by Swedish prosecutors, in the Ecuadorian embassy, including by video. If they do that, this is cleared up tomorrow," the leftist president told journalists in Guatemala City, where he is on a two-day visit.

Pakistan crisis puts army back in the driving seat Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:12 PM PDT By Mehreen Zahra-Malik ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Besieged Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been assured by the country's military there will be no coup, but in return he must "share space with the army", according to a government source who was privy to recent talks between the two sides. He wanted to know if the military was quietly engineering the twin protest movements by cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan and activist cleric Tahir ul-Qadri, or if, perhaps, it was preparing to stage a coup. According to a government insider with a first-hand account of the meeting, Sharif's envoys returned with good news and bad: there will be no coup but if he wants his government to survive, from now on it will have to share space with the army. The army's media wing declined to comment on the meeting.

US court grants new appeal hearing for Buju Banton Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:09 PM PDT KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — A lawyer for convicted Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton said Tuesday that a U.S. federal appellate court agreed to a new hearing on his latest appeal.

Islamic State vows to 'break the American cross' Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:08 PM PDT Islamic State, the Sunni militant group which seeks to establish a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, released a video on Tuesday that gave the strongest indication yet it might attempt to strike American targets. The video with the theme "breaking of the American cross" boasts Islamic State will emerge victorious over "crusader" America. It follows a video posted on Monday warning of attacks on American targets if Washington struck against its fighters in Iraq and Syria. The latest footage speaks of a holy war between the al-Qaeda offshoot and the United States, which occupied Iraq for nearly a dacade and faced stiff resistance from al Qaeda.

Islamic State says another U.S. journalist's fate depends on Obama Posted: 19 Aug 2014 04:02 PM PDT Islamic State militants claimed in a video on Tuesday to be holding U.S. "The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision," said a masked man in the video posted on social media sites, speaking English with a British accent as he held a prisoner the video named as Steven Sotloff. The video could not immediately be verified.

Battle of the boycott plays out in Israel, W.Bank shops Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:55 PM PDT In Gaza, Israelis and Palestinians are battling it out with rockets and air strikes. Local products are flying off the shelves in the occupied West Bank while Israeli goods are being left untouched. Because of the Israeli war against Gaza, we stopped buying any Israeli products," said Salah Mussa, a Ramallah resident. Overseas, a Palestinian-led boycott campaign has seen growing success in recent years.

Man sought in police killing returned to Mexico Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:51 PM PDT SAN DIEGO (AP) — A man wanted for allegedly killing a police officer in Mexico a decade ago has been returned to that country from the U.S.

Foreign minister Davutoglu will be new Turkish PM, says Gul Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:48 PM PDT Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Tuesday that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is set to take over from Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the country's next prime minister. Erdogan won the vote to be Turkey's first elected head of state on August 10, replacing Gul with whom he founded Turkey's ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP). "As far I understand, Ahmet Davutoglu will be the next head of government," the outgoing president told the media at his last reception at the presidential palace in Ankara. I am going to support him," said Gul of the understated former academic, who has been foreign minister since 2009.

South Korea parties back, families oppose, ferry disaster probe Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:46 PM PDT By Ju-min Park and Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean ruling and opposition party leaders agreed on Tuesday on legislation to investigate April's Sewol ferry disaster more deeply, but a spokesman for families of the victims said they would oppose the bill. The Sewol, overloaded and travelling too fast on a turn, capsized and sank on a routine journey on April 16, killing more than 300 people, most of them school children, prompting a backlash against the government of President Park Geun-hye over its handling of the disaster. Family members of the victims and survivors have been calling for a more transparent investigation into the sinking of the ferry and subsequent rescue operation, which was widely criticised. Tuesday's agreement had appeared to end a deadlock that had threatened to derail other legislation, but the opposition of family members could jeopardise the deal that still needs approval from legislative committees and the full parliament.

Hamas charges Israel targeted militant leader in attack Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:43 PM PDT Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk charged on Wednesday after Gaza truce talks collapsed in a spasm of violence that Israel had targeted the group's armed wing leader Mohammed Deif in one of its air strikes on Tuesday in the coastal territory. The Israeli military would not specify any of the targets of some 30 attacks across Gaza in response to rocket fire aimed at Israel. Marzouk said Israel had ruptured the truce alleging it was in order "to assassinate Mohammed Deif," but that civilians were killed at the site of the attack. Palestinian health officials said three people were killed in a strike on a house in Gaza City, including a child and a woman.

UN Ebola czar heads to West Africa Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:40 PM PDT The UN's new pointman on Ebola said Tuesday he will travel to West Africa this week to shore up health services in the four countries hit by the worst-ever outbreak of the virus. British physician and public health expert David Nabarro also told reporters that he will be holding talks with the UN mission in Liberia on ways peacekeepers could help deal with the impact of the disease. Nabarro was appointed last week by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to coordinate the global response to the outbreak that has left 1,229 dead in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Nabarro said he would focus on "revitalizing the health sectors" in the West African countries, many of which have only recently emerged from many years of devastating conflict.

Appalled if video of journalist murder by Islamic State genuine: U.S. Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:32 PM PDT The White House said on Tuesday that U.S. "We have seen a video that purports to be the murder of U.S. The intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine its authenticity," White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said.

FDA approves new drug for rare genetic disease Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:29 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a new capsule-based drug to treat Gaucher's disease.

Silicon to spinach: Japan tech helps farmers cope with climate shifts Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:24 PM PDT By Sophie Knight SHIZUOKA/OSAKA Japan (Reuters) - Japanese technology firms are applying their expertise in energy-saving and cloud technology to help farmers cope with shifting weather patterns, an onslaught of cheaper imports and a shrinking workforce. Panasonic Corp, Fujitsu Ltd and others, seeking niche business opportunities to offset a downturn in demand for their consumer electronics, are touting automated greenhouses and sensor-controlled fields that ensure constant conditions to produce high-quality vegetables all year-round. Fujitsu says its Akisai cloud-based farming system means users can sit at a desk in Tokyo or even New York while tending vegetables in Shizuoka, using a tablet to operate sprinklers, fans and heaters in response to changes in heat and moisture tracked by sensors in fields or greenhouses. Companies are also converting factories into farms: Toshiba Corp is to start growing vegetables at a former floppy disk plant near Tokyo, while Panasonic is growing radishes and lettuce inside a Singapore factory, and Sharp Corp is trialling an indoor strawberry farm in Dubai.

Hamas threatens to aim further attacks at Israel's airport Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:19 PM PDT The armed wing of the Hamas Islamist militant group that dominates Gaza threatened on Wednesday to aim more rocket fire at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and cautioned international airlines to avoid it. Citing Israel's air strikes in Gaza that have killed three people after rockets were fired at Israel in breach of a truce, a Hamas commander said in a statement the group "has decided to respond to the Israeli aggression," by making the airport a "target of attack" for the day. Hamas said earlier it had fired a rocket at the airport, at a time when dozens of rockets were shot at southern Israel and the Tel Aviv area.

On wings of endangered butterflies, critics attack Florida planned Walmart Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:18 PM PDT By Zachary Fagenson MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida real estate developer is putting on hold plans to build a Walmart store and hundreds of apartments after federal officials last week moved to protect two species of endangered butterflies on the proposed site, a rare tract of forest brimming with wildlife. "The last thing these butterflies need is another strip mall smack in the middle of some of their most important habitat," said Jaclyn Lopez, a Florida attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, a national conservation group. Fish and Wildlife Service last week added two butterfly species to its endangered species list, and designated 11,000 acres of pine rockland forest in seven separate parcels as critical habitat, which includes the site of the proposed Walmart development. The designation has posed a challenge for Boca Raton-based Ram Realty Services, which closed on the $22.1 million, 88-acre tract in early July with plans to build a Walmart, a gym and 408 apartments in a southwestern suburb of Miami.

Israel says Gaza rockets made further Cairo talks 'impossible' Posted: 19 Aug 2014 03:13 PM PDT A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected Palestinian charges that Israel was to blame for a breakdown in ceasefire talks in Cairo, saying rocket fire from Gaza "made continuation of talks impossible." Spokesman Mark Regev responded to Palestinian negotiator Azzam al-Ahmed's charge that Israel had thwarted the talks that broke down on Tuesday after Israel recalled its negotiators from Egypt, accusing Hamas of violating a truce. "The Cairo process was built on a total and complete cessation of all hostilities and so when rockets were fired from Gaza, not only was it a clear violation of the ceasefire but it also destroyed the premise upon which the talks were based," Regev said.

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