Yahoo! News: World News

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• Exclusive: Opposition plan for post-war Syria ignores Assad
• Bombs kill at least 17 across Iraq: police and medics
• At least two killed by gunfire at Venezuela protests
• Japan on backfoot in global PR war with China after Abe shrine visit
• Mass grave found in Central African Republic; U.N. warns of 'cleansing'
• Two American soldiers killed in Afghan 'insider' attack: officials
• 2 killed as Venezuelan protests turn violent
• China smog makes capital "barely suitable" for life: report
• Montana livestock official favors bison hunting in Yellowstone
• Watchdog: Past 2 years 'atrocious' for journalists
• Flood-hit Britain now battered by storms, high winds
• Ponting says Arthur was wrong for Australia
• Ex-soldier convicted in Iraqi death granted parole
• Few believe account of Mexican reporter's slaying
• NZ names 2 newcomers for 2nd test against India
• Napoli beats Roma to reach Italian Cup final
• Barcelona to face Madrid in cup final
• US-based Apache sells Argentina operations to YPF
• Plushenko back, faces Chan, Hanyu in short program
• Obama to visit Japan, three other Asian countries in April
• Ligety likes his progress entering super-combined
• Marshalls withdraw Lebanese general's UNESCO nomination
• Group urges probe in murder of Haiti activist
• 5 things to know about women's skeleton
• Adebayor scores twice as Spurs thrash Newcastle
• USVI defends handling of New Jersey man's killing
• Bjoergen, Kowalczyk favorites in 10K classical
• Germany looking to go 4-for-4 in luge
• Arsenal, Manchester United draw 0-0 in EPL
• Kerry seeks to ease tensions in Asia with visit
• Sweden, Russia women play for top seed in Group B
• Two dead, 23 hurt in Venezuela protests
• Kerry seeks to ease tensions in Asia
• South Korea, China contend for short track gold

Exclusive: Opposition plan for post-war Syria ignores Assad Posted: 12 Feb 2014 09:51 AM PST By Khaled Yacoub Oweis GENEVA (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition called on Wednesday for a transitional governing body to oversee a U.N.-monitored ceasefire across Syria and expel foreign fighters, in a paper that avoided any mention of President Bashar al-Assad. The confidential paper, seen by Reuters, lays out a vision of post-conflict Syria with all ethnic groups participating in a transition process aimed at restoring peace and stability. Opposition and diplomatic sources said it deliberately does not refer to Assad, in line with a text agreed by world powers in June 2012 which calls for a transitional body with full executive authority, including over the security apparatus and the army, but which leaves the Syrian ruler's fate open. "I think that the opposition has come to the obvious conclusion that the best way to deal with Assad is to avoid mentioning him," one Middle Eastern diplomat said.

Bombs kill at least 17 across Iraq: police and medics Posted: 12 Feb 2014 11:52 AM PST At least 17 civilians and soldiers were killed in car and roadside bomb attacks across Iraq on Wednesday, police and medics said. No group claimed responsibility for any of the attacks, but Sunni Islamists and other insurgents have been regaining ground in a violent campaign to destabilize Iraq's Shi'ite-led government. In the deadliest incident, six soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their patrol in the town of Mussayab, 60 km (40 miles) south of Baghdad, police and medical sources said. A mortar attack in the same town killed one civilian, police said.

At least two killed by gunfire at Venezuela protests Posted: 12 Feb 2014 05:04 PM PST By Daniel Wallis and Diego Ore CARACAS (Reuters) - At least two people were shot dead on Wednesday during anti-government protests in Caracas, escalating the worst bout of unrest in Venezuela since turmoil after President Nicolas Maduro's election last year. The deaths illustrated the South American OPEC nation's deep political divide and volatility almost a year after the death of former socialist leader Hugo Chavez. Government officials said a Maduro supporter and one other person were killed amid chaotic scenes as a march against Maduro's government and a rally to support the president ended just a few blocks apart in the city center. With both sides blaming each other for the violence, the opposition said two student protesters had died, but there was no official confirmation.

Japan on backfoot in global PR war with China after Abe shrine visit Posted: 12 Feb 2014 01:04 PM PST By Linda Sieg and Ben Blanchard TOKYO/BEIJING (Reuters) - Japan risks losing a global PR battle with China after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to a controversial shrine for war dead and comments by other prominent figures on the wartime past helped Beijing try to paint Tokyo as the villain of Asia. Sino-Japanese ties have long been plagued by territorial rows, regional rivalry and disputes stemming from China's bitter memories of Japan's occupation of parts of the country before and during World War Two. Relations chilled markedly after a feud over disputed East China Sea isles flared in 2012. Beijing, however, has stepped up its campaign to sway international public opinion since Abe's December 26 visit to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine.

Mass grave found in Central African Republic; U.N. warns of 'cleansing' Posted: 12 Feb 2014 11:34 AM PST By Serge Leger Kokpakpa BANGUI (Reuters) - A top U.N. official warned on Wednesday of "ethnic-religious cleansing" in the Central African Republic, as peacekeepers uncovered a mass grave at a military camp occupied by Seleka rebels in the capital Bangui. A Reuters witness saw at least a dozen decomposed bodies at the military camp in the 200 Villas neighborhood of Bangui, where Seleka fighters have been stationed for several months. Pastor Antoine Mboa Bogo, head of the local Red Cross, confirmed the existence of the grave and said his staff would return to the camp on Thursday to determine the number of dead. On a visit to Bangui, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres called for a massive deployment of international peacekeepers to halt what he described as a "humanitarian catastrophe".

Two American soldiers killed in Afghan 'insider' attack: officials Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:45 PM PST Men in Afghan army uniforms turned their weapons on American forces in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing two U.S. soldiers and wounding four others, officials said. An Afghan Interior Ministry official said the shooting took place in Kapisa province, just north of the capital, Kabul. Four American soldiers were also wounded, one of the U.S. officials said.

2 killed as Venezuelan protests turn violent Posted: 12 Feb 2014 05:04 PM PST CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Armed vigilantes on motorcycles attacked anti-government demonstrators Wednesday, setting off a stampede by firing into crowds after the biggest protest to date against President Nicolas Maduro's year-old administration. Two people were killed.

China smog makes capital "barely suitable" for life: report Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:56 PM PST Severe pollution in Beijing has made the Chinese capital "barely suitable" for living, according to an official Chinese report, as the world's largest economy tries to reduce often hazardous levels of smog caused by decades of rapid growth. Pollution is a rising concern for China's stability-obsessed leaders, keen to douse potential unrest as affluent city dwellers turn against a growth-at-all-costs economic model that has tainted much of the country's air, water and soil. The report, by the Beijing-based Social Science Academic Press and the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, ranked the Chinese capital second worst out of 40 global cities for its environmental conditions, official media reported on Thursday. China's smog has brought some Chinese cities to a near standstill, caused flight delays and forced schools to shut.

Montana livestock official favors bison hunting in Yellowstone Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:45 PM PST A top Montana Department of Livestock official is pushing a proposal to allow hunting of bison inside Yellowstone National Park for the first time in its 142-year-old history to keep their numbers in check. Marty Zaluski, Montana state veterinarian and member of a federal, state and tribal team that oversees bison in and around Yellowstone, said hunts in the park of the nation's last purebred herd of bison would lessen conflicts tied to their management. Yellowstone is located primarily in Wyoming but also extends into Idaho and Montana. Yellowstone bison, also known as buffalo, are a key attraction for the millions who visit the park each year.

Watchdog: Past 2 years 'atrocious' for journalists Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:38 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The past two years have seen an "absolutely atrocious" number of journalists killed and imprisoned because of their work, with Syria the deadliest country and Turkey the number one jailer, a press freedom advocacy group said Wednesday.

Flood-hit Britain now battered by storms, high winds Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:37 PM PST Flood-hit Britain suffered a fresh battering Wednesday from storms and high winds that caused power outages to nearly 150,000 homes, the cancellation of football matches and the death of one man. Gusts approaching 100 miles (160 kilometres) per hour tore at parts of England and Wales, and the River Thames was predicted to rise to its highest level in more than 60 years in places, threatening towns and villages to the west of London. One man died after being electrocuted while attempting to move a fallen tree that had brought down power lines in Wiltshire, southwest England, and 147,000 homes, mostly in Wales, were left without power after high winds brought down power cables, the authorities said. The Met Office national weather service issued a red warning -- the highest threat level -- for "exceptionally strong winds" in western parts of Wales and northwest England.

Ponting says Arthur was wrong for Australia Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:37 PM PST SYDNEY (AP) — Former test captain Ricky Ponting says Cricket Australia made an error in appointing South Africa's Mickey Arthur as national coach in 2011.

Ex-soldier convicted in Iraqi death granted parole Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:34 PM PST OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A former U.S. Army lieutenant convicted of killing an Iraqi prisoner has been granted parole, the Army said Wednesday.

Few believe account of Mexican reporter's slaying Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:28 PM PST COATZACOALCOS, Mexico (AP) — Mexican journalists said Wednesday that Veracruz state officials prematurely declared that a reporter found slain this week was killed in a personal vendetta. They pointed to the fact that his body was discovered alongside the corpse of a union leader whose kidnapping he had reported on.

NZ names 2 newcomers for 2nd test against India Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:21 PM PST WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Batsman Tom Latham and allrounder Jimmy Neesham will make their test debuts for New Zealand in the second test against India which starts at the Basin Reserve on Friday.

Napoli beats Roma to reach Italian Cup final Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:16 PM PST NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Napoli humiliated Roma 3-0 on Wednesday to progress 5-3 on aggregate to the Italian Cup final against Fiorentina.

Barcelona to face Madrid in cup final Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:06 PM PST SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (AP) — Barcelona set up another Copa del Rey final against rival Real Madrid on Wednesday after drawing 1-1 at Real Sociedad to win their two-legged semifinal.

US-based Apache sells Argentina operations to YPF Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:03 PM PST BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's state energy company YPF says it has acquired the local operations of Houston-based Apache Corp., making it the largest natural gas producer in the South American country.

Plushenko back, faces Chan, Hanyu in short program Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:03 PM PST SOCHI, Russia (AP) — For Patrick Chan, the main meal is at hand.

Obama to visit Japan, three other Asian countries in April Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:01 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced he will visit Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines in April, six months after a scrapped tour of the region raised questions about his commitment to an increasingly influential region of the world. Obama is due to meet with the leaders of all four nations, and plans to address diplomatic, economic and security issues, the White House said. In early October he shelved plans to visit Malaysia and the Philippines and attend regional summits in Indonesia and Brunei because of a U.S. government shutdown. ...

Ligety likes his progress entering super-combined Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:58 PM PST KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) — Ted Ligety, Alexis Pinturault and the other medal favorites will get one last training session in Thursday for the Olympic super-combined a day later.

Marshalls withdraw Lebanese general's UNESCO nomination Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:58 PM PST Majuro (Marshall Islands) (AFP) - The Marshall Islands confirmed Thursday it has withdrawn the nomination of a former Lebanese army general who was a suspect in a deadly political bombing as their ambassador to UNESCO. Officials in the Pacific nation said the nomination of Jamil El Sayed, Lebanon's former security services director, had been formally rescinded and they were trying to understand how it was made in the first place. "We are putting out this information to assure people that we are being open and frank about what we know," Tony de Brum, the acting president while Christopher Loeak is overseas, told AFP. De Brum said he anticipated "repercussions" over the nomination to the UN's Paris-based cultural arm, but did not specify what they might be.

Group urges probe in murder of Haiti activist Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:57 PM PST PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — An international advocacy group is calling for an investigation into the mysterious slaying of a Haitian activist and his wife.

5 things to know about women's skeleton Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:49 PM PST KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) — One of the best rivalries this season on the international sliding circuits has been the back and forth in women's skeleton between Noelle Pikus-Pace and Lizzy Yarnold.

Adebayor scores twice as Spurs thrash Newcastle Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:46 PM PST NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Emmanuel Adebayor scored twice as Tottenham thrashed Newcastle 4-0 on Wednesday at St. James' Park to keep up the pressure for a lucrative top four Champions League spot.

USVI defends handling of New Jersey man's killing Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:44 PM PST KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Police in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Wednesday defended their handling of an unsolved slaying of a New Jersey native who was fatally stabbed more than three weeks ago during an apparent burglary.

Bjoergen, Kowalczyk favorites in 10K classical Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:40 PM PST KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) — In cross-country skiing, correctly guessing the winner of a women's 10-kilometer classical style race is usually a 50-50 chance.

Germany looking to go 4-for-4 in luge Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:36 PM PST KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) — Men's gold medalist. Women's gold medalist. Doubles gold medalists. All Germans.

Arsenal, Manchester United draw 0-0 in EPL Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:34 PM PST LONDON (AP) — Chastened by a weekend humiliation, Arsene Wenger realized his Arsenal side was just anxious to avoid further anguish — even against a side floundering as much as Manchester United.

Kerry seeks to ease tensions in Asia with visit Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:30 PM PST ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was heading to Asia on Wednesday on a mission aimed largely at easing tensions between China and its smaller neighbors over territorial disputes and exploring ways to restart long-stalled talks on ridding North Korea of nuclear weapons.

Sweden, Russia women play for top seed in Group B Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:28 PM PST SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Sweden and Russia are trying to be the best of the rest.

Two dead, 23 hurt in Venezuela protests Posted: 12 Feb 2014 05:10 PM PST Two people died and 23 were injured as rival protests linked to Venezuela's deepening economic crisis exploded into violence on Wednesday, a prosecutor said. A pro-government demonstrator and a student were killed as demonstrations both for and against Venezuela's government escalated. "We have two dead, unfortunately a member of the (pro-government) group Juan Montoya, shot dead, and student Bassil DaCosta, also shot dead," as well as 23 injured, said Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz. Unidentified assailants earlier fired into a rally outside the attorney general's office in Caracas -- one of several held by both supporters and foes of the government over President Nicolas Maduro's handling of Venezuela's ailing economy.

Kerry seeks to ease tensions in Asia Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:26 PM PST ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry was heading to Asia on Wednesday on a mission aimed largely at easing tensions between China and its smaller neighbors over territorial disputes and exploring ways to restart long-stalled talks on ridding North Korea of nuclear weapons.

South Korea, China contend for short track gold Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:22 PM PST SOCHI, Russia (AP) — The women take over the spotlight as short track speedskating resumes at the Sochi Olympics.

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