Yahoo! News: World News

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• Putin: military force would be 'last resort' in Ukraine
• Egypt's Sisi signals he will run for president
• China maintains growth target at 7.5 percent; focus shifts to reforms
• Amid protests, Venezuela to remember late Hugo Chavez
• Netanyahu warns on Iran, no concessions for Palestinians
• U.N. warns of possible humanitarian disaster in South Sudan
• Instant View: China aims for 7.5 percent economic growth in 2014
• In Kiev, Kerry visits protest sites, promises aid
• Japan's embrace of Russia under threat with Ukraine crisis
• Major report reveals 'extensive' abuse of women in EU
• Israeli prime minister making California swing
• China sets 7.5 percent growth target
• China vows to cut industrial capacity faster, fight pollution
• Thousands protest ahead of Chavez anniversary
• Obama seeks millions to expand Mexico crossings
• U.S. calls for 'urgent' restraint to ease Japan, South Korea tensions
• Latino group leader: Obama is 'deporter in chief'
• US prepares $1B aid package for troubled Ukraine
• Obama seeks millions to expand ports of entry
• Putin talks tough but cools tensions over Ukraine
• Obama consults Germany's Merkel on Ukraine
• Survey suggests 9 million women in EU rape victims
• Don't forget Mali's refugees, aid groups urge
• The Standoff at Belbek: Inside the First Clash of the Second Crimean War
• German home-school family won't be deported
• UK's House of Commons to open doors to Meryl Streep
• Obama says Putin 'not fooling anybody' over Ukraine
• China's Xi says Russia can push for political solution in Ukraine
• Ukraine could borrow more if IMF reforms passed: U.S.
• NY judge rules for Chevron in Ecuador case
• At Ukrainian cliff-top base, shots fired as Russia cements control
• Luongo exits Canucks for Florida as Ducks deal big
• Funding for US-German airborne observatory cut
• Salmond: Independent Scotland would not be foreign
• Carmakers bank on small SUVs as next big thing

Putin: military force would be 'last resort' in Ukraine Posted: 04 Mar 2014 11:55 AM PST By Vladimir Soldatkin and Alexei Anishchuk MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin delivered a robust defense of Russia's actions in Crimea on Tuesday and said he would use force in Ukraine only as a last resort, easing market fears that East-West tension over the former Soviet republic could lead to war. Russian forces fired warning shots in a confrontation with Ukrainian servicemen at an air base, and Russian navy ships were reported to have blockaded the strait separating the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula from Russia. At his first news conference since the crisis began, Putin said Russia reserved the right to use all options to protect compatriots who were living in "terror" in Ukraine, but force was not needed for now. His comments, coupled with the end of Russian war games near Ukraine's borders, lifted Russian bonds and stock markets around the world after a panic sell-off on Monday.

Egypt's Sisi signals he will run for president Posted: 04 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PST By Michael Georgy CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's armed forces chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi signaled on Tuesday that he will run for president, saying he cannot ignore the "majority" of Egyptians who want him to do so, state news agency MENA reported. Sisi, who ousted Egypt's first freely elected president, Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, in July, said "official procedures" concerning his candidacy were expected in coming days. Sisi has been coy about his intentions for months, but his speech was the clearest pointer yet that he will stand for the top post in an election he is expected to win by a landslide. Most Egyptians regard him as a decisive figure who can end the political turmoil that has gripped Egypt since a popular uprising toppled autocratic president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

China maintains growth target at 7.5 percent; focus shifts to reforms Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:48 PM PST By Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) - China announced on Wednesday it would maintain its economic growth target for 2014 at about 7.5 percent, as expected, signaling that its policy focus would be slanted in favor of reforms and rebalancing the economy. Premier Li Keqiang, in a report to the National People's Congress at the start of its annual session, also said the government would maintain an inflation target of around 3.5 percent for 2014. "That should mean policymakers have enough room to ensure growth remains within a comfortable range while delivering the reforms," HSBC said in a note in the build up to the parliament session. Li announced that authorities would set up a deposit insurance scheme, which analysts have described as a step toward China's declared goal of freeing up bank deposit rates.

Amid protests, Venezuela to remember late Hugo Chavez Posted: 04 Mar 2014 02:01 PM PST By Andrew Cawthorne and Girish Gupta CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela geared up on Tuesday for commemorations of socialist leader Hugo Chavez's death despite continued protests against his successor that have shaken the OPEC member and threatened the legacy of "El Comandante." Even as students maintained barricades in some cities and activists held new rallies, President Nicolas Maduro's government was making lavish plans to honor Chavez on Wednesday's anniversary of his death from cancer. ...

Netanyahu warns on Iran, no concessions for Palestinians Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:29 PM PST By Jeffrey Heller and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the United States and other world powers on Tuesday not to allow Iran to retain the ability to enrich uranium, and urged Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state if they wanted peace. Addressing the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC just a day after White House talks, Netanyahu avoided any explicit criticism of President Barack Obama but underscored the main differences with him over U.S.-led nuclear diplomacy with Iran.

U.N. warns of possible humanitarian disaster in South Sudan Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:34 PM PST By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - If the fighting in South Sudan prevents people from planting crops over the next three months, the country will be headed for a humanitarian disaster, the humanitarian coordinator for the United Nations in South Sudan said on Tuesday. Although the warring parties agreed to a cessation of hostilities on January 23, fighting has continued in parts of South Sudan. Toby Lanzer, the deputy U.N. special representative and humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, said it was crucial that the South Sudanese be able to plant their crops in March, April and May to ensure there is a harvest this year. "Right now what the people of South Sudan, what the civilians need most, is the ability to move their cattle, tend to their fields and plant," he told Reuters in an interview.

Instant View: China aims for 7.5 percent economic growth in 2014 Posted: 04 Mar 2014 05:00 PM PST (Reuters) - China will maintain its economic growth target for 2014 at about 7.5 percent, as expected, signaling that its policy focus would be slanted in favor of reforms and rebalancing the economy. Premier Li Keqiang, in a report to the National People's Congress at the start of its annual session on Wednesday, also said military spending will increase by 12.2 percent. Key points - 2014 growth target set at about 7.5 percent - China to make domestic demand main growth engine - 2014 CPI target set at about 3.5 pct - Total trade expected to increase 7.5 pct in 2014 - 2014 Budget deficit seen at 2.1 pct of GDP - China to continue with exchange rate reform - China to extend yuan floating rate - Military spending to increase by 12.2 percent COMMENTARY: SURESH KUMAR RAMANATHAN, HEAD OF REGIONAL INTEREST RATE AND FX STRATEGY, CIMB INVESTMENT BANK, KUALA LUMPUR: On whether China indicated it would widen the yuan's trading band: "Yes it is obvious, and it's likely to occur within days or weeks.

In Kiev, Kerry visits protest sites, promises aid Posted: 04 Mar 2014 05:02 PM PST KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — In a somber show of U.S. support for Ukraine's new leadership, Secretary of State John Kerry walked the streets Tuesday where more than 80 anti-government protesters were killed last month, and promised beseeching crowds that American aid is on the way.

Japan's embrace of Russia under threat with Ukraine crisis Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:59 PM PST By Aaron Sheldrick TOKYO (Reuters) - Russia's incursion into Ukraine is setting off alarm bells in Tokyo, where officials worry that any push by Japan's Western allies to impose economic penalties will undermine its drive to improve relations with Moscow. While U.S. President Barack Obama and other G7 leaders of advanced economies talk of sanctions or other punitive responses, Japanese officials say ties with Moscow remain on track. There has been no change in the direction of economic and resource diplomacy between Japan and Russia, Trade Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday.

Major report reveals 'extensive' abuse of women in EU Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:53 PM PST One in three EU women has suffered a physical and/or sexual assault since the age of 15, a major new study revealing "extensive" and "systematically under-reported" violence showed on Wednesday. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), which interviewed 42,000 women aged 18-74 across the 28-nation bloc for the report, said it was the most comprehensive of its kind to date both in the EU and worldwide. "What emerges is a picture of extensive abuse that affects many women's lives, but is systematically under-reported to the authorities," FRA director Morten Kjaerum said. The FRA probed women's experiences of physical, sexual and psychological violence including domestic abuse, as well as stalking, sexual harassment, childhood experiences and the role played by new technologies.

Israeli prime minister making California swing Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:53 PM PST LOS ANGELES (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew Tuesday from Washington, D.C., to California — trading a focus on the geopolitics of the Middle East for a Hollywood screening and visits with Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs.

China sets 7.5 percent growth target Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:53 PM PST BEIJING (AP) — China has set an official economic growth target of 7.5 percent for this year, according to a work report to be delivered Wednesday by the country's premier.

China vows to cut industrial capacity faster, fight pollution Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:50 PM PST BEIJING (Reuters) - China will cut excess industrial capacity a year earlier than planned and fight pollution through reforms in energy pricing to boost non-fossil fuel power, the government said on Wednesday. To ensure food security, Beijing also said it will expand the scope of agricultural subsidies for grains and other commodities, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's economic planner, said in its 2014 work document. The government will continue to implement annual stockpiling programs for corn, rapeseed and sugar, the NDRC said. ...

Thousands protest ahead of Chavez anniversary Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:44 PM PST Thousands of flag-waving protesters flooded the streets of Venezuela's capital Tuesday to keep pressure on the government on the eve of commemorations marking the anniversary of Hugo Chavez's death. Led by students, marchers dressed in white proceeded peacefully as they streamed through middle-class neighborhoods of Caracas toward Petare, a sprawling slum on the city's eastern edge. But as night fell, some 300 radical protesters threw rocks and firebombs at national guard troops who responded with tear gas and water cannons in a middle-class neighborhood that has become the scene of near daily clashes. Three people were detained and a photographer was beaten by protesters.

Obama seeks millions to expand Mexico crossings Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:37 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is recommending that the federal government spend more than $300 million to expand two major ports of entry at the California border with Mexico in an effort to ease traffic and enhance trade and security.

U.S. calls for 'urgent' restraint to ease Japan, South Korea tensions Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:36 PM PST By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States appealed to Japan and South Korea on Tuesday to work urgently to reduce the tensions between them, saying its two main allies in Asia could not afford to let their troubled history interfere with ensuring regional security. It is important to handle them in a way that promotes healing," Washington's top diplomat for the East Asian region, Daniel Russel, said in prepared testimony for a U.S. Senate hearing. Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said strategic cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea was essential for future security in Northeast Asia, given the threat posed by North Korea and other "regional uncertainties," a reference to concerns about an increasingly assertive China.

Latino group leader: Obama is 'deporter in chief' Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:32 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of a prominent Latino advocacy group called President Barack Obama the "deporter in chief," denouncing the administration's deportation of nearly 2 million immigrants.

US prepares $1B aid package for troubled Ukraine Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:32 PM PST KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — In a somber show of U.S. support for Ukraine's new leadership, Secretary of State John Kerry walked the streets Tuesday where more than 80 anti-government protesters were killed last month, and promised beseeching crowds that American aid is on the way.

Obama seeks millions to expand ports of entry Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:31 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is recommending spending more than $300 million to expand two major border crossings between California and Mexico.

Putin talks tough but cools tensions over Ukraine Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:20 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — Stepping back from the brink of war, Vladimir Putin talked tough but cooled tensions in the Ukraine crisis Tuesday, saying Russia has no intention "to fight the Ukrainian people" but reserves the right to use force.

Obama consults Germany's Merkel on Ukraine Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:17 PM PST President Barack Obama spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday about the situation in Ukraine and discussed a potential resolution to the crisis, a senior Obama administration official said. The officials also said Obama would not attend a G8 summit scheduled for Sochi, Russia, in June unless there is a Russian reversal in the Ukraine crisis. Obama has discussed with Putin what officials call an off-ramp for the Russians to the Ukraine crisis in which Russia would pull its forces in Crimea back to their bases and allow international monitors to ensure the rights of ethnic Russians are protected, the official said. Obama also discussed with Merkel the potential solution, which would also involve the Russians engaging directly with the new government in Ukraine, the official said.

Survey suggests 9 million women in EU rape victims Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:17 PM PST VIENNA (AP) — A survey of 42,000 women across the European Union suggests that about one in 10 have been the victims of sexual violence, and half of them reported being raped.

Don't forget Mali's refugees, aid groups urge Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:17 PM PST Mali's conflict and the ensuing flood of refugees must not be forgotten amid the multiplication of global crises, the UN's refugee agency and the World Food Programme insisted Tuesday. A 2012 coup in Mali toppled what had been heralded as one of west Africa's most stable democracies, and precipitated a crisis in which Al-Qaeda-linked groups seized control of the country's north, enforcing a brutal form of Islamic law until a French-led military intervention forced them out. "We are urgently calling on donors to help us continue to feed and provide shelter to these refugees, in addition to allowing their children to keep going to school in our camps and providing them with access to basic health services," explained UNHCR regional coordinator for the Mali crisis Valentin Tapsoba. However, without regular assistance, malnutrition can quickly wreak havoc on these extremely vulnerable families and can seriously compromise a child's physical and mental development," said Denise Brown, WFP Regional Director for West Africa.

The Standoff at Belbek: Inside the First Clash of the Second Crimean War Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:13 PM PST The Ukrainian troops kept the bonfires burning all night on Monday, kicking stones into the embers and waiting for the sun to rise over the Belbek air force base in southern Ukraine. The previous day, the Russian forces surrounding their base had issued another ultimatum – surrender your weapons that night and sign an oath of allegiance to Russia or face an assault by 5:00 a.m. The commanders had refused. The next bluff came soon after, and it marked a turning point in the week-old conflict that has brought Russia and Ukraine to the edge of a fratricidal war. Just before morning reveille, Colonel Yuli Mamchur, the base commander, got word from one of his lieutenants that the Russian officer in charge of the siege, a lieutenant colonel of the special forces who only identified himself as Dima, had called again.

German home-school family won't be deported Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:09 PM PST NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — An attorney for a German couple who lost their bid for U.S. asylum in order to home-school their seven children says deportation proceedings against the family have been deferred indefinitely.

UK's House of Commons to open doors to Meryl Streep Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:57 PM PST Britain's House of Commons will open its doors to a commercial film crew for the first time next month in a bid to raise cash, welcoming Meryl Streep for a movie about the suffragettes, officials said Tuesday. The Oscar-winning actress is appearing alongside Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter in the British film "Suffragette", the fictional tale of one woman's fight for the right to vote. Alan Haselhurst, chairman of the Commons administration committee, said a film about the fight for women's suffrage a century ago was a perfect way to start. "As a British film which clearly relates to parliament's history and heritage, this is an ideal pilot for the House of Commons to identify the opportunities for location filming and income generation," he said.

Obama says Putin 'not fooling anybody' over Ukraine Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:55 PM PST US President Barack Obama on Tuesday said Russia was not "fooling anybody" over the crisis in Ukraine after Vladimir Putin denied Russian forces were operating on the flashpoint Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. In a show of support for the new interim leaders in Kiev, visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry condemned Russia's "act of aggression" and accused Moscow of "working hard to create a pretext for being able to invade further".

China's Xi says Russia can push for political solution in Ukraine Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:50 PM PST Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he believes Russia can push for a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis in coordination with other parties, China's foreign ministry said. Xi said during a telephone call late on Tuesday "the situation in Ukraine, which seems to be accidental, has the elements of the inevitable", the foreign ministry said in a brief statement. He described the situation in Ukraine as "highly complicated and sensitive", with regional and global implications.

Ukraine could borrow more if IMF reforms passed: U.S. Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:36 PM PST By Anna Yukhananov WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ukraine would be able to borrow more money in the midst of its current crisis if U.S. lawmakers sign off on a measure to increase the International Monetary Fund's financial power, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. The IMF legislation would double the fund's resources and give countries in crisis, such as Ukraine, access to a bigger pool of potential aid. "The fund's central role in supporting economic reforms and catalyzing financial assistance for Ukraine underscores again why the IMF is critical for our national security interests," a U.S. Treasury official said. The Treasury said it was asking Congress to link IMF funding measures to legislation that would provide at least $1 billion in loan guarantees to support Ukraine's economy.

NY judge rules for Chevron in Ecuador case Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:35 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked U.S. courts from being used to collect a $9 billion Ecuadorean judgment against Chevron for rainforest damage, saying lawyers poisoned an honorable quest with their illegal and wrongful conduct.

At Ukrainian cliff-top base, shots fired as Russia cements control Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:34 PM PST By Andrew Osborn BELBEK AIR BASE, Ukraine (Reuters) - Perched on a cliff high above the Black Sea, Ukraine's Belbek military air base and its MiG-29 fighter jets fell into the hands of forces loyal to Russian President Vladimir Putin late last week. On Tuesday, the Ukrainian air force and the men who until recently used to fly its war planes, tried and failed to get it back. The standoff was one of the most dramatic since pro-Russian forces began to try to seize Ukraine's military assets on the Crimean peninsula, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based. Colonel Yuli Mamchur, commander of Ukraine's 204th tactical aviation brigade, led hundreds of his men up the long winding road from their barracks to the cliff top airstrip in a column early on Tuesday.

Luongo exits Canucks for Florida as Ducks deal big Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:33 PM PST Goaltender Roberto Luongo, a two-time Olympic champion for Canada, was traded from Vancouver to Florida as a flurry of deals began Tuesday, the eve of the National Hockey League trade deadline. Luongo backstopped Canada's four knockout-round triumphs on the way to gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics but was largely a backup behind Carey Price as Canada defended the crown last month in Sochi, Russia.

Funding for US-German airborne observatory cut Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:12 PM PST PALMDALE, California (AP) — NASA plans to mothball its infrared airborne observatory unless it can get some financial help from international partners.

Salmond: Independent Scotland would not be foreign Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:08 PM PST LONDON (AP) — Scotland's leader took his call for independence to the heart of opposition territory in London on Tuesday, arguing that a separate Scotland would not be a foreign country to England.

Carmakers bank on small SUVs as next big thing Posted: 04 Mar 2014 03:04 PM PST GENEVA (AP) — Carmakers are banking on the fast-growing demand for small SUVs to earn new customers in the U.S. and help turn around their businesses in Europe's still-fragile market.

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