Yahoo! News: World News

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• Moscow wins overwhelming Crimea vote, West readies sanctions
• Malaysian airplane investigators look at suicide as possible motive
• Venezuela unrest toll rises as soldier is shot in head
• Iran, six powers seek nuclear progress in shadow of Ukraine crisis
• Car bombs kill at least eight at Libya army academy in Benghazi
• Azerbaijan sentences opposition leaders as crackdown on critics eyed
• Venezuelan troops take control of protest plaza
• Bilbao scores late to draw at Villarreal
• Venezuela forces take opposition protest plaza
• New uncertainty about missing Malaysian plane
• Syria army in hot pursuit of rebels on Lebanon border
• Station: 2 arrests in death of Pa. man in Bahamas
• Car bomb targets African Union troops in Somalia
• California man arrested in plot to fight in Syria
• Yahoo stock surges in anticipation of Alibaba IPO
• Jagger's girlfriend L'Wren Scott found dead in New York
• Obama tells Abbas that peace will require risk
• Air Canada suspends Venezuela flights over unrest
• Last words from missing Malaysian jet spoken by co-pilot
• Totti and Higuain shine for Roma and Napoli
• Analysis points to China's work on new anti-satellite weapon
• Detroit-area man accused of supporting Hezbollah
• Top Asian News at 10:00 p.m. GMT
• Two road crashes leave 55 dead in Nigeria
• Panel dismisses accusation over 1990 Trinidad coup
• Hoy cops for Foy Chelsea abuse
• St. Pat's parades proceed amid tension over gays
• Malawi's president calls for probe into political violence
• Brazilian football club says it has signed Cabanas
• Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT
• US and EU impose sanctions as Crimea turns to Moscow
• Former All Blacks captain Frank Oliver dies at 65
• Heart attacks misdiagnosed as anxiety in women
• Putin recognizes Crimean independence
• Analysis: Ukraine casts pall over Iran nuke talks

Moscow wins overwhelming Crimea vote, West readies sanctions Posted: 17 Mar 2014 11:54 AM PDT By Mike Collett-White and Alastair Macdonald SIMFEROPOL/KIEV (Reuters) - Crimea's Moscow-backed leaders declared a 96-percent vote in favor of quitting Ukraine and annexation by Russia in a referendum Western powers said was illegal and will bring immediate sanctions. As state media in Russia carried a startling reminder of its power to turn the United States to "radioactive ash", President Barack Obama spoke to Vladimir Putin, telling the Russian president that he and his European allies were ready to impose "additional costs" on Moscow for violating Ukraine's territory. The Kremlin and the White House issued statements saying Obama and Putin saw diplomatic options to resolve what is the gravest crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War. But Obama said Russian forces must first end "incursions" into its ex-Soviet neighbor while Putin renewed his accusation that the new leadership in Kiev, brought to power by an uprising last month against his elected Ukrainian ally, were failing to protect Russian-speakers from violent Ukrainian nationalists.

Malaysian airplane investigators look at suicide as possible motive Posted: 17 Mar 2014 01:34 PM PDT No trace of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has been found since it vanished on March 8 with 239 people aboard. A search unprecedented in its scale is now under way for the plane, covering an area stretching from the shores of the Caspian Sea in the north to deep in the southern Indian Ocean. Airline chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya also told a news conference that it was unclear exactly when one of the plane's automatic tracking systems had been disabled, appearing to contradict the weekend comments of government ministers. Suspicions of hijacking or sabotage had hardened further when officials said on Sunday that the last radio message from the plane - an informal "all right, good night" - was spoken after the tracking system, known as "ACARS", was shut down.

Venezuela unrest toll rises as soldier is shot in head Posted: 17 Mar 2014 01:23 PM PDT By Daniel Wallis and Diego Ore CARACAS (Reuters) - A Venezuela National Guard captain died on Monday after being shot in the head during a demonstration, the military said, the 29th fatality in six weeks of clashes between protesters and security forces. General Padrino Lopez, head of the armed forces' strategic operational command, said the captain was shot late on Sunday at a street barricade set up by demonstrators in the central city of Maracay, in Aragua state. "Our armed forces don't repress peaceful protests, they protect them ... Much more Venezuelan blood would have been shed if it were not for the responsible actions of our National Guard." Since early February, students and hardline opposition leaders have been calling supporters onto the streets to protest against President Nicolas Maduro and his socialist government. The demonstrators are demanding political change and an end to high inflation, shortages of basic foods and one of the worst rates of violent crime in the world.

Iran, six powers seek nuclear progress in shadow of Ukraine crisis Posted: 17 Mar 2014 04:09 PM PDT By Fredrik Dahl and Parisa Hafezi VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran and six world powers will try to make headway toward resolving their nuclear dispute in talks starting in Vienna on Tuesday, with Western officials hoping the uphill challenge will not be made even more difficult by the Ukraine crisis. So far, diplomats say, there is little sign that the worst East-West confrontation since the Cold War will undermine the quest for a deal to end the long standoff over Iran's atomic activity and avert the threat of a Middle East war. But unity among the powers on Iran may be tested in the meeting of their chief negotiators on the issue in the Austrian capital Vienna, with the four Western states and Russia at loggerheads over the future of Ukraine. One Western envoy said there had been no apparent spillover from the Ukraine situation on expert level talks between Iran and the powers - the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia - held two weeks ago.

Car bombs kill at least eight at Libya army academy in Benghazi Posted: 17 Mar 2014 11:53 AM PDT By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - A powerful car bomb attack targeted a military academy in Libya's eastern of city of Benghazi on Monday, killing at least eight people and wounding more than a dozen, hospital and security officials said. Instability in the eastern city is part of the struggle a weak central government faces in controlling armed groups, militias and brigades of former rebels who once battled Muammar Gaddafi and now refuse to disarm. A first bomb exploded at the front gate of the academy as soldiers were leaving a graduation ceremony, security officials said. In a separate explosion hours later in Benghazi, one person was killed when another car bomb went off near the state oil firm Brega Petroleum Marketing Co, which sells fuel products inside Libya, a security source said.

Azerbaijan sentences opposition leaders as crackdown on critics eyed Posted: 17 Mar 2014 04:12 PM PDT By Nailia Bagirova Margarita Antidze BAKU (Reuters) - Azerbaijan sentenced the deputy head of the biggest opposition party and the leader of a human rights group to prison terms, a court spokesman said on Monday, in a case that critics say highlights a government-led crackdown in the oil-rich country. Azerbaijan, a largely Muslim former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus, serves as a transit route for U.S. troops in Afghanistan as well as the source of energy supplies destined to Europe. The country is governed by strongman Ilham Aliyev, whose rule is often lambasted by international rights organizations for curbing public dissent and freedom of speech. Tofig Yagublu, deputy head of the opposition Musavat Party, and Ilgar Mammadov, leader of the rights group Republican Alternative (ReAl), were sentenced to five years and seven years, respectively, according to the court spokesman.

Venezuelan troops take control of protest plaza Posted: 17 Mar 2014 04:48 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Security forces on Monday took control of a Caracas plaza that has been at the heart of anti-government protests that have shaken Venezuela for a month.

Bilbao scores late to draw at Villarreal Posted: 17 Mar 2014 04:38 PM PDT VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) — Aritz Aduritz made up for a penalty miss with a late equalizer to give Athletic Bilbao a 1-1 draw against Villarreal on Monday.

Venezuela forces take opposition protest plaza Posted: 17 Mar 2014 04:30 PM PDT Venezuela's authorities deployed hundreds of security forces, including troops in combat gear, into an opposition stronghold early Monday to stamp out protests against the leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro. The show of force came as the death toll from a month and a half of protests rose to 29 Monday, after a National Guard captain shot one day earlier during a protest in the city of Maracay died. Government forces quickly established control after moving into the area around the Plaza Altamira, a focal point of nightly clashes in eastern Caracas between masked protesters and security forces. The government described the operation as a "liberation" of the neighborhood, an area of middle and upper income residences and small businesses called Chacao.

New uncertainty about missing Malaysian plane Posted: 17 Mar 2014 04:23 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Officials revealed a new timeline Monday suggesting the final voice transmission from the cockpit of the missing Malaysian plane may have occurred before any of its communications systems were disabled, adding more uncertainty about who aboard might have been to blame.

Syria army in hot pursuit of rebels on Lebanon border Posted: 17 Mar 2014 04:13 PM PDT Syrian regime forces were Monday readying an assault on the last rebel-held areas in the Qalamoun mountains, strategically located on the Lebanese border, after overrunning a key opposition bastion. The capture of the town of Yabrud on Sunday by Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters came shortly after the conflict entered its fourth year and marked a significant setback for the rebels as it severs their supply lines from across the border. It also raised fears of further spillover from the conflict into Lebanon, where Sunni extremists carried out a suicide car bomb attack late Sunday in a Hezbollah-dominated area that killed two members of the Shiite group, including a local official. The fighting along the border has sparked a fresh flight of civilians into Lebanon, which is already hosting nearly a million refugees, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Station: 2 arrests in death of Pa. man in Bahamas Posted: 17 Mar 2014 04:10 PM PDT FLEETWOOD, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say two American men have been charged with manslaughter in connection with the stabbing death of a businessman from eastern Pennsylvania at a resort in the Bahamas.

Car bomb targets African Union troops in Somalia Posted: 17 Mar 2014 04:08 PM PDT A convoy of the African Union's AMISOM force was targeted by a car bomb just outside the Somali capital on Monday, witnesses and a Somali army source said, though it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. The attack took place near a checkpoint on the road linking Mogadishu and the town of Afgoye, "where a suicide bomber rammed his car into an AMISOM convoy," witness Abdulahi Mohamed said. A Somali military official, Omar Adan, confirmed the attack, but declined to give the number of casualties.

California man arrested in plot to fight in Syria Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:57 PM PDT SEATTLE (AP) — A California man who spoke of wanting to bomb the Los Angeles subway system was arrested near the Canadian border in Washington state and charged with attempting to travel to Syria to fight alongside Islamic extremists, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Yahoo stock surges in anticipation of Alibaba IPO Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:52 PM PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo is getting another lift from its stake China's Alibaba Group, a thriving Internet company that has helped mask Yahoo's own financial funk.

Jagger's girlfriend L'Wren Scott found dead in New York Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:51 PM PDT L'Wren Scott, American fashion designer to the stars and long-time girlfriend of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, was found dead at her New York apartment on Monday. Jagger was "completely shocked and devastated" by the death of the 49-year-old Scott, a spokesman for the rocker said. He and Scott had been dating since 2001 following his split from his second wife, Texan model Jerry Hall. Famous for her relationship with Jagger, Scott was also a hugely successful designer whose body-hugging and figure-flattering dresses were loved by Hollywood stars and First Lady Michelle Obama alike.

Obama tells Abbas that peace will require risk Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:36 PM PDT US President Barack Obama told Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Monday that both he and Israel's politicians must be prepared to make tough decisions and take "risks" for peace. Abbas arrived at the White House two weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that time was running short for a final deal, and said Israel could show it was serious by honoring a scheduled release of Palestinian prisoners this month. Obama, personally supporting Secretary of State John Kerry's exhaustive Middle East peace drive at a critical moment, is pressing both sides to accept a framework to carry negotiations past an end-of-April deadline.

Air Canada suspends Venezuela flights over unrest Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:20 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Air Canada says it has suspended its flights to and from Venezuela due to civil unrest.

Last words from missing Malaysian jet spoken by co-pilot Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:14 PM PDT The last words from a Malaysian passenger jet missing for 10 days were apparently spoken by the co-pilot, the airline said Monday, providing a glimpse into the crucial period when the plane was deliberately diverted. Clarification that the voice was most likely that of First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid came during a press conference at which Malaysian officials hit back at "irresponsible" suggestions that they had misled the public -- and passengers' relatives -- over what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and Fariq, his co-pilot, have become a primary focus of the investigation, with one of the key questions being who was in control of the aircraft when it veered off course about an hour into its flight to Beijing.

Totti and Higuain shine for Roma and Napoli Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:10 PM PDT ROME (AP) — Francesco Totti scored the opener and Roma went on to beat Udinese 3-2 Monday to maintain its three-point lead over Napoli in the race for Italy's last direct Champions League spot.

Analysis points to China's work on new anti-satellite weapon Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:07 PM PDT By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A detailed analysis of satellite imagery published Monday provides additional evidence that a Chinese rocket launch in May 2013 billed as a research mission was actually a test of a new anti-satellite weapon based on a road-mobile ballistic missile. Brian Weeden, a former U.S. Air Force space analyst, published a 47-page analysis on the website of The Space Review, which he said showed that China appears to be testing a kinetic interceptor launched by a new rocket that could reach geostationary orbit about 36,000 km (22,500 miles) above the earth. "If true, this would represent a significant development in China's anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities," wrote Weeden, now a technical adviser for Secure World Foundation, a Colorado-based nonprofit focused on secure and peaceful uses of outer space. "No other country has tested a direct ascent ASAT weapon system that has the potential to reach deep space satellites in medium earth orbit, highly elliptical orbit or geostationary orbit," he wrote, referring to orbital paths that are above 2,000 km (1,250 miles) over the earth.

Detroit-area man accused of supporting Hezbollah Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:03 PM PDT DETROIT (AP) — U.S. agents say they arrested a Detroit-area man before he could fly to the Middle East to fight Syrian rebels.

Top Asian News at 10:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:02 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Officials revealed a new timeline Monday suggesting the final voice transmission from the cockpit of the missing Malaysian plane may have occurred before any of its communications systems were disabled, adding more uncertainty about who aboard might have been to blame. The search for Flight 370, which vanished early March 8 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, has now been expanded deep into the northern and southern hemispheres. Australian vessels scoured the southern Indian Ocean and China offered 21 of its satellites to help Malaysia in the unprecedented hunt.

Two road crashes leave 55 dead in Nigeria Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:59 PM PDT Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Fifty-five people were killed and 10 were injured in two separate road crashes in northern Nigeria, the country's road safety body said Monday. "We have recorded 55 deaths in two road crashes on Sunday and Monday due to speeding and reckless overtaking," said Yusuf Sani, Nigerian Road Safety spokesman for Yobe state. "All the 19 members of Redeem Christian Church of God who were travelling in one bus were burnt beyond recognition as the bus caught fire on collision with the other two vehicles which also burst in flames shortly afterwards," he said.

Panel dismisses accusation over 1990 Trinidad coup Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:47 PM PDT KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — A fact-finding panel in Trinidad & Tobago says there is no evidence to support allegations that two political leaders had prior knowledge of a bloody coup attempt in 1990.

Hoy cops for Foy Chelsea abuse Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:41 PM PDT London (AFP) - Olympic champion cyclist Chris Hoy found himself yet again on the receiving end of Twitter abuse directed at football referee Chris Foy as angry Chelsea fans vented their frustration on social media.

St. Pat's parades proceed amid tension over gays Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:36 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A weekend of St. Patrick's Day revelry and tensions over the exclusion of gays in some of the celebrations culminated Monday in New York, where the world's largest parade celebrating Irish heritage stepped off without the city's new mayor and Guinness beer amid a dispute over whether participants can carry pro-gay signs.

Malawi's president calls for probe into political violence Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:35 PM PDT Blantyre (Malawi) (AFP) - Malawi's president Monday said clashes between opposition protesters and police that left two people dead following an election rally were "politically motivated" and called for a thorough investigation. "My government will not tolerate such acts of political violence to destabilise the peaceful management of elections and to threaten the peace and security of our people," Banda said in a statement. Violence erupted on Sunday shortly after an election rally led by President Joyce Banda at Goliyati village in a stronghold of her rival Peter Mutharika of the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party. A police officer was axed to death and a protester was shot dead in clashes with stone-throwing opposition activists after police fired tear gas to disperse the hostile crowd.

Brazilian football club says it has signed Cabanas Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:32 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — A fourth-division football club in Brazil says it has signed former Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas, the player shot in the head at a Mexico bar in 2010.

Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:32 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Officials revealed a new timeline Monday suggesting the final voice transmission from the cockpit of the missing Malaysian plane may have occurred before any of its communications systems were disabled, adding more uncertainty about who aboard might have been to blame. The search for Flight 370, which vanished early March 8 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, has now been expanded deep into the northern and southern hemispheres. Australian vessels scoured the southern Indian Ocean and China offered 21 of its satellites to help Malaysia in the unprecedented hunt.

US and EU impose sanctions as Crimea turns to Moscow Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:32 PM PDT The United States and Europe hit Vladimir Putin's inner circle with sanctions on Monday but failed to dissuade the Russian leader from pursuing his apparent goal of annexing Crimea. The White House said the measures were the toughest against Russia since the Cold War and warned it would target economic power brokers in Moscow if the Kremlin does not change course. There was no sign of Putin backing down, however, and Crimea's pro-Moscow authorities made plans to swiftly honor Sunday's 96 percent referendum vote to return to the Russian fold. Putin took a step closer to formally annexing the territory by recognizing its independence from Ukraine, opening the way for Russian lawmakers to later endorse its accession.

Former All Blacks captain Frank Oliver dies at 65 Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:31 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Frank Oliver, who captained New Zealand in four tests and whose son Oliver also became an All Blacks captain, has died, his provincial rugby union Manawatu said. He was 65.

Heart attacks misdiagnosed as anxiety in women Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:26 PM PDT Women are more likely to die of heart attacks because their symptoms are often misdiagnosed as anxiety so they do not get vital swift treatment, said a study Monday. Researchers at McGill University in Montreal set out to understand sex differences in mortality rates for men and women with acute coronary syndrome. The women in the study, the researchers found, generally came from lower income brackets, were more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure and a family history of heart disease. They also had substantially higher levels of anxiety and depression than the men.

Putin recognizes Crimean independence Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:24 PM PDT KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ignoring the toughest sanctions against Moscow since the end of the Cold War, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula as an "independent and sovereign country" on Monday, a bold challenge to Washington that escalates one of Europe's worst security crises in years.

Analysis: Ukraine casts pall over Iran nuke talks Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:16 PM PDT VIENNA (AP) — Tehran may have a new ally when Iran nuclear talks reconvene Tuesday — the Ukraine crisis. U.S.-Russian tensions over Ukraine could fray the search for consensus on what Iran needs to do to ease fears it could make atomic arms.

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