Yahoo! News: World News

---

• Bombing wave hits Egypt amid fear of more violence
• Syria foes to meet at peace talks after rocky start
• Peru clears former government leaders after probe of forced sterilizations
• Egyptian diplomat kidnapped in Libyan capital
• Exclusive: Patience runs thin as Syrian chemical handover stalls
• Secretary of State Kerry rejects notion U.S. is disengaging from world
• Tired rescue workers pause in search for bodies in Quebec blaze
• Egypt bombing damages Islamic art museum
• Bombings rock Egyptian capital, killing 6 people
• Ukraine clashes resume, fires light up night sky
• 8 confirmed dead in Quebec fire, about 30 missing
• Iraq politician warns elections may further alienate Sunnis
• Podolski double sends Arsenal into FA Cup last 16
• Nigeria to hold presidential vote on February 14, 2015
• Ex-Syria envoy Annan says Iran should play regional role
• United agree club record £37m deal for Mata 
• Khodorkovsky associate walks free after decade in jail
• Argentina relaxes controls on US dollars
• 8 confirmed dead in Quebec fire, 30 missing
• Fighting goes on after South Sudan ceasefire: UN
• Factbox: Key ministers under Chile's President-elect Bachelet
• Death toll at Quebec seniors' home fire rise to eight: media
• Britain's EU referendum suffers big setback
• Kidnappers seize Egypt diplomat in Libya
• Both sides in Syrian talks to meet in 'same room'
• Chile's president-elect chooses old faces for new cabinet
• Air Canada suspends ticket sales in Venezuela
• Deadly bombings rock Cairo on uprising anniversary eve
• Nigeria sets presidential, legislative polls for February 14, 2015
• Syrian government, opposition to discuss aid for Homs over next two days: sources
• UN urges world not to forget 'crisis' in eastern DR Congo
• Nigerian presidential elections Feb. 14, 2015
• 35 feared dead in Quebec retirement home fire
• Insight: U.S. pensions' funding gap closes, driving corporate profits
• Ukraine leader loses control in west, offers concessions
• Kenyan First Lady to run London marathon

Bombing wave hits Egypt amid fear of more violence Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:20 PM PST By Asma Alsharif and Maggie Fick CAIRO (Reuters) - A wave of bomb attacks targeting police hit Cairo on Friday, killing six people on the eve of the third anniversary of the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak and raising fears that an Islamist insurgency is gaining pace in Egypt. The violence underscored the struggle of authorities to tame militant violence which has increasingly challenged the state since the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July. In the most high-profile attack, a car bomb exploded at a security compound in central Cairo early in the morning and killed at least four people, including three policemen, security sources said. An explosion near a cinema on the road to the Pyramids of Giza on the outskirts of Cairo also led to one fatality.

Syria foes to meet at peace talks after rocky start Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:47 PM PST By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Mariam Karouny GENEVA (Reuters) - The Syrian government and its opponents will hold their first joint meeting on Saturday to launch peace talks aimed at resolving nearly three years of civil war, after negotiations almost collapsed before they began. They will spend the first two days discussing a plan to provide humanitarian access for the city of Homs, where rebels are surrounded in central districts by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, diplomatic sources said. Even with the talks back on track and expected to last a week, deep mutual mistrust and the absence from Geneva of powerful Islamist opposition groups and President Bashar al-Assad's ally Iran make substantial progress very difficult. The face-to-face meeting had been planned for Friday, but the opposition said early on it would not meet the government side unless it first agreed to sign up to a 2012 statement by world powers calling for a transitional government in Syria.

Peru clears former government leaders after probe of forced sterilizations Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:53 PM PST Peru has closed an inquiry into whether former president Alberto Fujimori and his cabinet members forcibly sterilized thousands of indigenous women as part of a birth control campaign that targeted the rural poor. Prosecutor Marco Guzman told Reuters on Friday that after interviewing hundreds of affected women, he found no crimes against humanity were committed and no evidence they were systematically coerced into being sterilized. The emblematic human rights case in Peru, archived in 2009 and reopened in 2011, could have extended the 25-year jail sentence of Fujimori, already in prison for corruption and human rights abuses linked to a crackdown on armed rebels. It also threatened to lock up half a dozen members of his cabinet, including Alejandro Aguinaga, now an influential congressman and spokesman for Fujimori's political party.

Egyptian diplomat kidnapped in Libyan capital Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:33 PM PST Unidentified gunmen kidnapped an Egyptian diplomat in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Friday, officials said, hours after a powerful Libyan militia reported the arrest of its leader in Egypt. The diplomat works as administrative attaché at the Egyptian mission, the Libyan and Egyptian foreign ministries said. "Talks are being held to free him," said a spokesman for the Egyptian foreign ministry. The kidnapping comes shortly after the Operations Room of Libya's Revolutionaries, a powerful militia, said its leader Shaban Hadia had been arrested in Egypt.

Exclusive: Patience runs thin as Syrian chemical handover stalls Posted: 24 Jan 2014 10:55 AM PST By Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Western governments are growing impatient with Syria's failure to follow up promptly on a first small shipment of chemical weapons and fear Damascus will miss a deadline to hand over all toxins by mid-2014. Sources at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is jointly overseeing the destruction process with the United Nations, said the concerns have been raised during internal discussions, but have not yet been reported to the U.N. Security Council. Syria agreed to dismantle its entire chemical weapons program by June 30, under a deal proposed by Russia and agreed with the United States. Syria says the program faces security concerns.

Secretary of State Kerry rejects notion U.S. is disengaging from world Posted: 24 Jan 2014 04:18 PM PST By Lesley Wroughton DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry dismissed on Friday as "a myth" suggestions that the United States was withdrawing from world affairs. "I'm perplexed by claims I occasionally hear that somehow America is disengaging from the world - this myth that America is pulling back, or giving up, or standing down. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth," Kerry told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. ...

Tired rescue workers pause in search for bodies in Quebec blaze Posted: 24 Jan 2014 04:36 PM PST By Randall Palmer and David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Exhausted Canadian police and firefighters prepared to break off work for the night on Friday after using steam machines to melt thick ice encasing the bodies of elderly people who died in a retirement residence fire. Police said eight people died and about 30 were unaccounted for after the blaze ripped through the Residence du Havre in the small community of L'Isle-Verte, about 230 km (140 miles) northeast of Quebec City, early on Thursday morning. Teams of police, firefighters and coroner's office officials - dealing with conditions so cold they could only work 45-minute shifts - used steam machines to melt thick ice that had formed after the blaze was doused. Police spokesman Guy Lapointe said the teams planned to take a break at 7 p.m. eastern and would resume early on Saturday morning.

Egypt bombing damages Islamic art museum Posted: 24 Jan 2014 03:13 PM PST CAIRO (AP) — Centuries-old glass and porcelain pieces were smashed to powder, a priceless wooden prayer niche was destroyed and manuscripts were soaked by water spewing from broken pipes when a car bombing wreaked havoc on Cairo's renowned Islamic Art Museum.

Bombings rock Egyptian capital, killing 6 people Posted: 24 Jan 2014 03:11 PM PST CAIRO (AP) — A truck bomb struck the main security headquarters in Cairo on Friday, one of a string of bombings targeting police within a 10-hour period, killing six people. The most significant attack yet in the Egyptian capital fueled a furious backlash against the Muslim Brotherhood amid rising fears of a militant insurgency.

Ukraine clashes resume, fires light up night sky Posted: 24 Jan 2014 03:01 PM PST KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — As riots spread from Ukraine's embattled capital to nearly half of the country, President Viktor Yanukovych promised Friday to reshuffle his government and make other concessions — but a top opposition leader said nothing short of his resignation would do.

8 confirmed dead in Quebec fire, about 30 missing Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:52 PM PST L'ISLE-VERTE, Quebec (AP) — Using steam to melt the ice, investigators searched the frozen-over ruins of a retirement home Friday for victims of a fire that left at least eight people dead and about 30 missing.

Iraq politician warns elections may further alienate Sunnis Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:48 PM PST By Missy Ryan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The speaker of Iraq's parliament warned on Friday that upcoming elections might be used to further marginalize already-frustrated Sunni Muslims, who have chafed against what they call unfair treatment from the country's Shi'ite prime minister. Usama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni, said in an interview during a visit to Washington that he feared attempts to discourage voting or "provoke the situation" in Sunni areas, or to sideline certain would-be candidates, were designed "to weaken Sunni representation in parliament." He also warned that poor security could pose problems for the parliamentary polls, scheduled for April 30. Nujaifi held talks this week with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other senior U.S. officials, as violence appears to be spilling into Iraq from the war in neighboring Syria, and as tensions grow between Iraq's Sunnis and Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. While U.S. officials say they are encouraged by Maliki's cooperation with some Sunni tribesmen there, the conflict in Anbar - once a symbol of the U.S. military success in Iraq - has heightened fears about Iraq's trajectory two years after the United States completed its military drawdown.

Podolski double sends Arsenal into FA Cup last 16 Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:44 PM PST Lukas Podolski struck twice as Arsenal eased into the FA Cup fifth round with a comfortable 4-0 victory over League One side Coventry at the Emirates Stadium on Friday. With 54 league places separating the two clubs, an upset was unlikely and late goals from substitutes Olivier Giroud -â his 13th of the season â - and Santi Cazorla confirmed Arsenal's superiority. "In the first half we did the job and took the game to them in a serious way and played the way we know we can," Gunners manager Arsene Wenger said. Asked about a potential move for Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler, Wenger added: "Honestly no. That's an illusion.

Nigeria to hold presidential vote on February 14, 2015 Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:39 PM PST Nigeria is to hold its next presidential election on February 14, 2015, the electoral agency said Friday, with incumbent head of state Goodluck Jonathan expected to seek a second term. "The commission has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for 14th February 2015," the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said in a statement. Jonathan has held office since May 2010, after being elevated from vice-president to take over on the death of his predecessor, Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua. Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa and its largest oil producer.

Ex-Syria envoy Annan says Iran should play regional role Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:31 PM PST By Stephen Adler DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan said on Friday that Iran had an essential role to play in guaranteeing stability in the Middle East and urged U.S. lawmakers to give a diplomatic detente with Tehran a chance. Annan's successor as U.N. chief, Ban Ki-moon, this week issued and then withdrew an invitation to Iran to join international peace talks on Syria in Switzerland. Shi'ite Muslim Iran is the main ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his civil war against a host of mainly Sunni rebel groups, and is locked in a wider battle for influence with Saudi Arabia, its long-standing Sunni Muslim regional rival. "If we are going to have peace and stability in the Middle East, it is essential that Iran plays its natural role in the region," Annan, who served as U.N./Arab League envoy to Syria for five months in 2012, told Reuters in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

United agree club record £37m deal for Mata  Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:25 PM PST Manchester United on Friday confirmed they have agreed a club record deal to sign Spanish midfielder Juan Mata from Chelsea. United's reported £37 million (44.5 million euros) move for Mata will be completed subject to the 25-year-old passing a medical and negotiating personal terms with the Premier League champions. The transfer would shatter United's previous record fee of £30.75 million paid to sign Bulgarian forward Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham in 2008. "Manchester United is pleased to announce it has reached agreement with Chelsea Football Club for the transfer of Juan Mata for a club-record fee," United said in a statement.

Khodorkovsky associate walks free after decade in jail Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:24 PM PST Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky's business partner Platon Lebedev walked free from prison on Friday after Russia's Supreme Court ordered his early release. The 57-year-old had served 10-and-a-half years of his sentence for fraud, tax evasion and money laundering before the court ordered his release on Thursday. "Platon Lebedev left the prison colony... in the Arkhangelsk region around 10:00 pm Moscow time (1800 GMT)," a spokesman for the prison service told the RIA Novosti news agency. Khodorkovsky was released last month after receiving a pardon from President Vladimir Putin on humanitarian grounds and left Russia immediately afterwards.

Argentina relaxes controls on US dollars Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:18 PM PST BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina announced Friday it will relax restrictions on the purchase of U.S. dollars after the sharpest slide in the value of the local peso since the 2002 economic collapse.

8 confirmed dead in Quebec fire, 30 missing Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:18 PM PST L'ISLE-VERTE, Quebec (AP) — Exhausted investigators are suspending their search for victims of a massive retirement home fire in Quebec. Authorities say eight people are confirmed dead and about 30 others are missing.

Fighting goes on after South Sudan ceasefire: UN Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:13 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (United States) (AFP) - South Sudanese government and opposition troops still fought 'sporadic' battles after a ceasefire came into force Friday, the United Nations said. A ceasefire between followers of President Salva Kiir and his former vice president Riek Machar took effect at 1730 GMT. "The UN Mission in South Sudan says that sporadic fighting took place in parts of the country today," including after the ceasefire, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. South Sudanese rebels accused Kiir's army of attacking their positions just ahead of the ceasefire, which was brokered by East African nations and agreed on Thursday in Addis Ababa.

Factbox: Key ministers under Chile's President-elect Bachelet Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:04 PM PST President-elect Michelle Bachelet unveiled her Cabinet on Friday, putting forth a mix of political veterans and a few fresh faces meant to help her navigate a tricky Congress and a slowing economy. Center-left Bachelet, who governed Chile from 2006 to 2010, has promised a blitz of reforms designed to combat entrenched income inequality in the Andean country. She will need deft political operators to steer those reforms through Congress and manage relations with social movements clamoring for change in Chile, which has steep income inequality. Following are brief biographies of some of those who have picked up key ministerial jobs: FINANCE MINISTER: ALBERTO ARENAS Economist and academic Alberto Arenas will take the reins at the Finance Ministry, where he will have to balance increased social spending with a moderately easing economy.

Death toll at Quebec seniors' home fire rise to eight: media Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:48 PM PST OTTAWA (Reuters) - The death toll from Thursday's fire at a Quebec seniors' home has risen to eight from the previously reported five, with about 30 people unaccounted for, Canadian media reported on Friday. The wooden residence for the elderly went up in flames early Thursday morning. Attention has focused on the fact that it was only partially equipped with sprinklers. (Reporting by Randall Palmer; Editing by Chris Reese)

Britain's EU referendum suffers big setback Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:46 PM PST Britain's planned 2017 referendum on whether to stay in the European Union was close to collapse Friday after Prime Minister David Cameron's party suffered a major setback. Members of the Lords voted to change the wording of the question that British voters would be asked on the subject of Britain's membership of the 28-nation bloc. The bill must now go back to the House of Commons, the lower chamber, meaning it is unlikely to become law before the end of the current parliamentary session in April. It is backed by Cameron's Conservative party, but opposed both by their coalition partners the Liberal Democrats and by the opposition Labour party.

Kidnappers seize Egypt diplomat in Libya Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:29 PM PST Kidnappers seized an Egyptian diplomat in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Friday, Libya's foreign ministry said. The diplomat was snatched from his house in Tripoli by an unknown group, Libyan foreign ministry spokesman Said Lassoued told AFP. Lassoued said Libyan authorities were making "efforts to find the diplomat", adding "reinforced security measures have been put in place around the Egyptian embassy". Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty also confirmed the report, saying "an administrative adviser was kidnapped".

Both sides in Syrian talks to meet in 'same room' Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:28 PM PST GENEVA (AP) — Bending to intense international pressure, Syria's government and the Western-backed opposition agreed Friday to face each other for the first time since the start of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

Chile's president-elect chooses old faces for new cabinet Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:27 PM PST Chilean President-elect Michelle Bachelet named the cabinet of ministers who she hopes will help her pass a planned program of wide-reaching reforms, with little in the way of surprises among the key posts. Her trusted adviser Alberto Arenas, an economist and Socialist party member, will take the role of finance minister. She has promised a blitz of 50 reforms in 100 days, including a raft of changes to Chile's tax rules to pay for improvements to education and health. The ministers will also need to keep happy both social movements demanding change and investors keen for assurances that Chile's business-friendly model won't be tampered with.

Air Canada suspends ticket sales in Venezuela Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:21 PM PST Air Canada suspended ticket sales in Venezuela on Friday, adding to a rising number of airlines protesting a government devaluation of the local currency just for travellers. Flights are taking off and landing on schedule, but "ticket sales have been temporarily suspended" in Venezuela, Air Canada said in a Twitter message. It comes after a dispute arose between Caracas and foreign airlines over a policy requiring flights to be paid for in bolivars, which the state then exchanges for dollars. Ecuadoran airline Tame was first to suspend its flights to Caracas on Wednesday, after Venezuela's central bank defaulted on payments.

Deadly bombings rock Cairo on uprising anniversary eve Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:07 PM PST A car bomb struck Cairo police headquarters Friday, the first of four blasts in Egypt's capital that killed six people on the eve of the anniversary of the 2011 uprising. The bombings, all targeting the police, came as street clashes between Islamist supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi and backers of the military killed 14 people, the latest in violence that has killed hundreds. They struck a day before police were to deploy across the capital for the third anniversary of the Arab Spring uprising that unseated autocratic president Hosni Mubarak.

Nigeria sets presidential, legislative polls for February 14, 2015 Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:02 PM PST ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's electoral commission declared on Friday that presidential and parliamentary elections would take place on February 14 next year. The elections are expected to be the most closely fought since the end of military rule in 1999. President Goodluck Jonathan's supporters are embroiled in a bitter dispute with other members of the ruling party over whether or not he should seek another term in office. (Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Syrian government, opposition to discuss aid for Homs over next two days: sources Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:01 PM PST The Syrian government and opposition have agreed to discuss over the next two days a possible deal to provide humanitarian access to the besieged city of Homs as part of confidence building measures, diplomatic sources said on Friday. "They agreed to work for the next 48 hours on providing humanitarian access to Homs," one of the sources said, referring to the city where rebels are surrounded in central districts by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. "The practical aspects have been worked on, things are ready and if the government doesn't put a block on it then it could happen quickly." The two parties will hold their first joint meeting on Saturday to launch peace talks aimed at resolving nearly three years of civil war after negotiations almost collapsed before they started. The face-to-face meeting was delayed from Friday after the opposition at first said it would not meet the government side unless it first agreed to sign up to a 2012 statement by world powers calling for a transitional government in Syria.

UN urges world not to forget 'crisis' in eastern DR Congo Posted: 24 Jan 2014 12:59 PM PST The United Nations on Friday called for continued support for the strife-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, amid fears that aid efforts risked being overshadowed by the crises in Syria and the Central African Republic. "We would like to advocate for the situation in the eastern DRC to remain on the international agenda and to get the attention that it needs," said Yoka Brandt, deputy executive director of the UN's children agency UNICEF. Brandt was speaking at a joint press conference in Kinshasa with the UN refugee agency and the UN's World Food Programme following a visit to the country's restive east. "We are very much aware that we are dealing with an international context were resources are constrained," Brandt said, in a reference to the urgent humanitarian needs in DR Congo's neighbouring countries South Sudan and the Central African Republic, as well as in war-torn Syria.

Nigerian presidential elections Feb. 14, 2015 Posted: 24 Jan 2014 12:49 PM PST ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's electoral commission says presidential and legislative elections in Africa's biggest oil producer will be held Feb. 14, 2015.

35 feared dead in Quebec retirement home fire Posted: 24 Jan 2014 12:46 PM PST L'ISLE-VERTE, Quebec (AP) — Using steam to melt the ice, investigators searched the frozen-over ruins of a retirement home Friday for victims of a fire that left about 35 people feared dead and cast such a pall over the village of 1,500 that psychologists were sent door to door.

Insight: U.S. pensions' funding gap closes, driving corporate profits Posted: 24 Jan 2014 12:37 PM PST Large companies' pension plans are reporting among their best returns on record in 2013, dramatically closing funding gaps that had opened up because of losses in the 2008-2009 stock market collapse, and as government bond yields sank. All told, companies in the S&P 500 saw an aggregate improvement of more than $300 billion in their pension plans, a gain that brought assets to around 93 percent of expected obligations, according to International Strategy & Investment, a New York research firm. For investors, the performance of corporate pension plans is a small but under-appreciated side effect of the bull market that has now lasted for nearly five years. David Zion, an analyst at ISI who co-authored the report, estimates that the strong performance of pension plans will save companies in the S&P 500 a total of $26 billion in the current fiscal year, resulting in a 1.6 percent boost for the 2014 earnings per share of the index.

Ukraine leader loses control in west, offers concessions Posted: 24 Jan 2014 12:32 PM PST President Viktor Yanukovych on Friday pledged to reshuffle his government and amend controversial anti-protest laws to ease Ukraine's crisis, after losing control of local administrations across the west of the country. With the ex-Soviet state in shock after five days of deadly clashes, Yanukovych vowed to press on with talks with the opposition but warned he would use "all legal methods" if no solution was found. The protesters occupying the city centre of the capital Kiev showed no sign of yielding and extended their barricades close to the presidential administration. Clashes that started Sunday on Grushevsky Street on the fringes of the main protest zone in central Kiev had left five dead, according to activists.

Kenyan First Lady to run London marathon Posted: 24 Jan 2014 12:21 PM PST Margaret Kenyatta, the wife of Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta will compete in the London marathon in April in a bid to raise money for local charity, her office said. The Kenyan First Lady will join other celebrities in the April 13 race to create awareness on health issues facing Kenyan women and children. To prepare for the event, Mrs Kenyatta has been training near her residence at State House in Nairobi, with former London marathon winner, Douglas Wakiihuri taking her through the paces.

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