Yahoo! News: World News

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• Ukrainian opposition seeks to cut president's powers
• Seven militants, policeman killed in Tunisia raid: source
• White House urges Egypt to release detained journalists, academics
• International court to decide future of Kenyan president trial
• Erdogan struggles with Merkel's skepticism on Turkish EU bid
• Russia says Syria to ship chemical arms as civilians flee bombs
• Top Asian News at 1:00 a.m. GMT
• EU gives $431 million for children in 15 countries
• No. 6 Dolgopolov ousted from first round in Chile
• Vatican surveys find Catholics reject sex rules
• UN chief: Hillary Clinton is a champion for women
• Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT
• Obama, French president to tour Monticello
• In NYC, Pussy Riot critiques conditions in Russia
• 3rd tier Sheffield United knocks Fulham out of Cup
• Microsoft names cloud computing chief as next CEO
• Delbonis reaches second round in Chile
• Brazil child-sex warnings to air on WC flights
• Man charged over murder of N.Ireland prison officer
• Mexico to spend millions in violence-plagued state
• Oregon minnow to be first U.S. fish delisted because of recovery
• Relative blames food poisoning for 2 Bali deaths
• Prince plays London living-room gig
• Judge delays hearing on Australian player's death
• Brazilians prepare to go on strike after attack
• US official: 'Number of specific threats' at Sochi
• Obama meets with top US commander in Afghanistan
• Giant-killing Blades punish Fulham in FA Cup
• Officials brief Obama on Sochi Olympics security
• UN: 2 staffers detained in Syria freed, 19 held
• Power off across parts of Brazil; govt dismisses blackout fears
• Storm slams Plains, Northeast braces for more snow
• Sea survivor's Salvadoran family thought he died
• Gicquel beats Llodra at Open Sud de France
• Ibrahimovic sends PSG into League Cup final
• Pacific castaway says dreams of family, food sustained him

Ukrainian opposition seeks to cut president's powers Posted: 04 Feb 2014 08:41 AM PST By Richard Balmforth KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich, battling mass unrest against his rule, faced demands from the opposition on Tuesday for a constitutional change that would seriously curtail his powers. Yanukovich was still weighing who to name as his new prime minister to calm the crisis on the streets. Rumors swirled that he could be considering his powerful hardline chief of staff Andriy Klyuev. Vitaly Klitschko, the boxer-turned-politician who is one of the main opposition leaders, came out of a meeting with the president accusing him of courting more unrest by stalling.

Seven militants, policeman killed in Tunisia raid: source Posted: 04 Feb 2014 05:43 AM PST By Tarek Amara TUNIS (Reuters) - Seven Islamist militants and a Tunisian policeman were killed in a gun battle after police raided a house in Tunis where weapons, explosives and suicide bomb belts were found, a security source said. "They had suicide bomb belts and explosive material and they were well-armed," Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said, without naming the group to which the men belonged. Since last year, Tunisian armed forces have cracked down on the hardline Islamist Ansar al-Sharia faction, which Washington has listed as a terrorist organization and whose leader has declared allegiance to al Qaeda. Tunisia formally celebrates a new constitution on Friday, with French President Francois Hollande and other dignitaries invited to the ceremony to mark the North African country's progress to democracy.

White House urges Egypt to release detained journalists, academics Posted: 04 Feb 2014 12:06 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday that it is deeply concerned about a recent crackdown by the Egyptian government on journalists and academics. "These figures, regardless of affiliation, should be protected and permitted to do their jobs freely in Egypt," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters at a briefing. "We have strongly urged the government to drop these charges and release those journalists and academics who have been detained," he said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Susan Heavey)

International court to decide future of Kenyan president trial Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:01 PM PST By Thomas Escritt AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The fate of the politically fraught trial of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta could be decided on Wednesday, when prosecutors at the International Criminal Court plead for more time. Kenyatta's lawyers hope the case will be thrown out, putting an end to a trial that has driven a wedge between African countries - which criticize the ICC for targeting their continent - and the court's Western backers. The Kenyatta trial is crucial to the ICC, which has secured only one conviction and suffered a string of collapsed cases since it was set up 11 years ago. Kenya says the court risks destabilizing east Africa if it presses on with the charges.

Erdogan struggles with Merkel's skepticism on Turkish EU bid Posted: 04 Feb 2014 11:44 AM PST By Stephen Brown and Andreas Rinke BERLIN (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan urged Angela Merkel to throw Germany's full weight behind his country's bid to join the European Union but there was no sign the chancellor had been swayed from her skeptical stance on Turkish membership. In a visit to Berlin overshadowed by EU concerns about his crackdown on the judiciary and police whom he accuses of forming part of a "parallel state", Erdogan complained that German support was "not currently adequate". In combination with his crackdown on last year's protests in Istanbul's Taksim Square, Erdogan's response has reinforced the view in Berlin and Brussels that Turkey's fragile democracy may not yet be ready for EU membership. "It is no secret and nothing has changed in my view that I am skeptical about full membership for Turkey," Merkel said, adding that this should not prevent the talks from going ahead.

Russia says Syria to ship chemical arms as civilians flee bombs Posted: 04 Feb 2014 01:43 PM PST By Gabriela Baczynska and Erika Solomon MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia said its ally Syria would soon ship more chemical weapons abroad for destruction after being accused of dragging its feet, while activists said civilians in Aleppo were fleeing deadly barrel bomb raids by President Bashar al-Assad's air force. Moscow also said on Tuesday that the Syrian government would show up at a new round of peace talks next week, hoping to allay Western concerns over Assad's commitment to negotiations which ended inconclusively in Geneva last week. Underlining the cost of the three-year conflict, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said armed opposition groups were recruiting Syrian refugee children in neighboring countries while Damascus government forces were detaining and torturing children with rebel links.

Top Asian News at 1:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 04 Feb 2014 05:02 PM PST BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's main opposition party petitioned a court Tuesday to annul last weekend's disrupted national election, launching a legal challenge that could prolong the deeply divided country's political paralysis. The Democrat Party's petition to the Constitutional Court also urges the dissolution of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's ruling party, which called Sunday's elections in a bid to defuse anti-government protests that started three months ago.

EU gives $431 million for children in 15 countries Posted: 04 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The European Union has allocated 320 million euros ($431 million) to the U.N. children's agency to help 15 vulnerable countries tackle infectious diseases and the lack of food, which are key causes of child deaths.

No. 6 Dolgopolov ousted from first round in Chile Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:52 PM PST VINA DEL MAR, Chile (AP) — Sixth-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine was knocked out of the first round of the Royal Guard Open on Tuesday, losing to Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain 7-6 (4), 3-6, 7-5.

Vatican surveys find Catholics reject sex rules Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:52 PM PST VATICAN CITY (AP) — New surveys commissioned by the Vatican show that the vast majority of Catholics in Germany and Switzerland reject church teaching on contraception, sexual morality, gay unions and divorce, findings remarkable both in their similarity and in the fact that they were even publicized.

UN chief: Hillary Clinton is a champion for women Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:36 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton a "champion of women's rights and girl's rights" and says she will play an important role in next year's 20th anniversary celebration of the U.N. women's conference in Beijing.

Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:32 PM PST BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's main opposition party petitioned a court Tuesday to annul last weekend's disrupted national election, launching a legal challenge that could prolong the deeply divided country's political paralysis. The Democrat Party's petition to the Constitutional Court also urges the dissolution of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's ruling party, which called Sunday's elections in a bid to defuse anti-government protests that started three months ago.

Obama, French president to tour Monticello Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:32 PM PST CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (AP) — President Barack Obama plans to visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello estate next week with French President Francois Hollande.

In NYC, Pussy Riot critiques conditions in Russia Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:23 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Americans who will be at the Winter Olympics should look beyond the facilities created for the games and take a hard look at the host country, two members of the Russian protest punk band Pussy Riot said Tuesday.

3rd tier Sheffield United knocks Fulham out of Cup Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:21 PM PST LONDON (AP) — Fulham's miserable season reached a new low on Tuesday as the Premier League club was sensationally beaten 1-0 at home by League One struggler Sheffield United after extra time in an FA Cup fourth-round replay.

Microsoft names cloud computing chief as next CEO Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:20 PM PST LOS ANGELES (AP) — As longtime Microsoft insider Satya Nadella becomes the company's CEO, he is declaring a new focus on a "mobile-first, cloud-first world." So far, he only has the latter half of the formula figured out.

Delbonis reaches second round in Chile Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST VINA DEL MAR, Chile (AP) — Eighth-seeded Federico Delbonis of Argentina defeated Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday to reach the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile.

Brazil child-sex warnings to air on WC flights Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:16 PM PST LONDON (AP) — Videos warning football fans against paying for sex with children at the World Cup will be played on Brazil-bound flights from England.

Man charged over murder of N.Ireland prison officer Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:12 PM PST Police in Northern Ireland on Tuesday charged a 33-year-old man over the murder of a prison officer who was shot dead near Belfast as he drove along a motorway to work in 2012. The man was also charged with possessing a firearm with the intent to endanger life, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). David Black, 52, was on his way to work at Maghaberry jail when a car with Dublin registration plates pulled up alongside his vehicle on Northern Ireland's main M1 motorway and opened fire. Police said it had the hallmarks of an attack by dissident republicans opposed to the Northern Ireland peace process.

Mexico to spend millions in violence-plagued state Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:10 PM PST Morelia (Mexico) (AFP) - Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto announced plans Tuesday to spend $3.4 billion to build roads, schools and other infrastructure to shore up a troubled state where vigilantes have battled a drug cartel. Pena Nieto said the massive project, which includes hospitals, reservoirs and an energy innovation center, aims to "reverse the conditions of institutional weakness" in the western state of Michoacan. The president made his announcement from the state capital, Morelia, amid efforts to restore security in Michoacan following the deployment of troops and federal police to an agricultural region known as Tierra Caliente, or Hot Land. Civilians began to form "self-defense" militias last year to oust the Knights Templar drug cartel, which terrorized the population with murders, kidnappings and extortion rackets.

Oregon minnow to be first U.S. fish delisted because of recovery Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:09 PM PST A two-inch minnow found only in an Oregon valley will be the first fish removed from the federal threatened and endangered species list because it no longer faces extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Tuesday. The Oregon chub once swam by the millions in the ponds, sloughs and marshes near the Williamette River in western Oregon. Its numbers declined sharply over the last century as wetlands were drained for development and due to predation by nonnative fish like largemouth bass. Fewer than 1,000 remained in just eight wetlands in 1993 when the Oregon chub gained protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Relative blames food poisoning for 2 Bali deaths Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:01 PM PST CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Australian woman and her teenage daughter who became ill and died within hours of each other while on vacation on the tourist island of Bali were probably killed by a form of food poisoning, a relative said Wednesday.

Prince plays London living-room gig Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:57 PM PST LONDON (AP) — When Prince came to London a few years ago, he played more than 20 nights at the vast O2 arena. This time, he played a suburban living room to a dozen people.

Judge delays hearing on Australian player's death Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:51 PM PST DUNCAN, Oklahoma (AP) — A U.S. judge won't decide until March whether three teenagers should stand trial for the shooting death of an Australian baseball player last year.

Brazilians prepare to go on strike after attack Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:50 PM PST SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian players are preparing to go on strike and halt the country's leading championship this weekend to demand more security after an attack by fans of a top club.

US official: 'Number of specific threats' at Sochi Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:36 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A top U.S. counterterrorist official says there are "a number of specific threats" aimed at the Winter Olympics that start this week in Sochi, Russia — with the greatest danger coming from the Caucasus Emirate, which has threatened to attack the games.

Obama meets with top US commander in Afghanistan Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:32 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has met at the White House with his top commander in Afghanistan and other high-ranking U.S. defense officials.

Giant-killing Blades punish Fulham in FA Cup Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:32 PM PST Third-tier Sheffield United scored in the last minute of extra time to dump sorry Premier League strugglers Fulham out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday. The fourth-round replay at a rain-soaked Craven Cottage was almost completely devoid of goalmouth incident and looked destined for penalties until Shaun Miller snatched a dramatic winner in the 120th minute. Miller's close-range header, from Harry Maguire's knock-down, gave United a second successive victory against top-flight opposition after a previous success against Aston Villa in the third round. It was the latest indignity in a desperate recent run for Fulham, who have slipped to the foot of the Premier League table after a run of four consecutive league defeats.

Officials brief Obama on Sochi Olympics security Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:26 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Top U.S. security officials are telling President Barack Obama that all appropriate steps are being taken to keep Americans safe at next month's Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

UN: 2 staffers detained in Syria freed, 19 held Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:13 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations says two U.N. staff members detained in Syria have been released in the last few days, but 19 are still being held.

Power off across parts of Brazil; govt dismisses blackout fears Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:11 PM PST By Leonardo Goy BRASILIA (Reuters) - Some of Brazil's most populous regions suffered sporadic power outages on Tuesday, raising election-year fears of shortages in a country with a long history of blackouts. The shortages, which occurred during record heat and low reservoir levels at the country's hydroelectric plants, were caused by short circuits in transmission lines in the north-central state of Tocantins, said Brazil's national grid operator, ONS. ...

Storm slams Plains, Northeast braces for more snow Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:07 PM PST By Carey Gillam KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - An unusually heavy winter storm marched across the nation's mid-section, heading east on Tuesday, threatening roughly two-thirds of the country with what forecasters said could be up to a foot of snow. The storm system forced the closing of many state offices and schools in hard-hit Kansas, where Governor Sam Brownback declared a state of "disaster emergency." Authorities in Kansas and neighboring Missouri advised residents to stay in their homes and the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of "extremely difficult travel conditions." Interstate 70, a key road artery connecting Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, was closed in both directions for part of the day Tuesday near Columbia, Missouri, after poor visibility and slippery conditions caused several tractor-trailers to collide, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Numerous additional accidents were reported in Missouri as cars skidded off slick highways, the state patrol said.

Sea survivor's Salvadoran family thought he died Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:01 PM PST GARITA PALMERA, El Salvador (AP) — A Salvadoran fisherman's account of his survival after more than 13 months and about 6,500 miles in an open boat has proved a double miracle for his mother and father, who lost touch with him eight years ago and thought he was dead.

Gicquel beats Llodra at Open Sud de France Posted: 04 Feb 2014 02:59 PM PST MONTPELLIER, France (AP) — Marc Gicquel of France advanced to the second round of the Open Sud de France after beating countryman Michael Llodra 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Tuesday.

Ibrahimovic sends PSG into League Cup final Posted: 04 Feb 2014 02:57 PM PST PARIS (AP) — Star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain withstood a tough challenge from Nantes to win 2-1 and reach the League Cup final on Tuesday.

Pacific castaway says dreams of family, food sustained him Posted: 04 Feb 2014 02:51 PM PST Majuro (Marshall Islands) (AFP) - A castaway who claims he survived 13 months adrift in the Pacific said Tuesday he thought about suicide but was sustained by dreams of eating his favourite food -- tortillas -- and reuniting with his family. Fisherman Jose Salvador Alvarenga also described being forced to dump the body of his teenage companion overboard when he starved to death and how he clung to his faith as he drifted some 12,500 kilometres (8,000 miles) from Mexico to the Marshall Islands. The stockily built Alvarenga looked in remarkably good physical shape when he arrived in the Marshalls capital Majuro five days after landing on the Ebon Atoll. Fellow fishermen in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas said they had searched for Alvarenga for days, backed by a government helicopter, when he disappeared following a shark fishing expedition in late 2012.

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