Yahoo! News: World News

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• NATO plans more support for east Europeans worried by Crimea
• Russian prime minister angers Ukraine by visiting Crimea
• Japan relaxes arms export regime to fortify defense
• Kerry returns to Middle East to push flailing peace talks
• North, South Korea trade artillery rounds into the sea: Seoul
• Britain's opposition Labour party warns against 'foolish' EU exit
• Venezuela orders landlords to list homes for sale
• Jamaica panel charges 3 more police with murders
• Another Mexican vigilante leader accused of murder
• AP sources: US considers release of spy Pollard
• Australia says no time limit on Flight 370 search
• U.S. judge tosses law firm's motion seeking Malaysia plane evidence
• British PR guru says worked with celebrity perverts
• Former U.S. hostages angry about new Iran U.N. envoy appointee
• Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor feels 'fresh start'
• Malaga rallies for 2-1 win at Betis in Spain
• Ukrainian pleads guilty after flight disruption
• Uruguay soccer leaders quit in fan violence crisis
• Mexico honors Octavo Paz 100 years after birth
• Atletico striker Costa could miss Barcelona game
• Russian, Ukrainian boxing teams put aside tensions
• Prosecutor: Woman stabbed beau 25 times with heel
• Lawmaker Yee's lawyer questions FBI investigation
• Tunisia policemen get 7-year prison sentences for rape
• Jury selection begins in Apple-Samsung case
• Emergency crews face toxic challenge in Washington state mudslide
• Russia boycotts UN meeting with Ukraine's Tatars
• France fails budget target, Hollande faces reform dilemma
• Top Asian News at 10:00 p.m. GMT
• Sunderland survival hopes suffer Hammer blow
• Australia PM vows to continue hunt for missing Malaysia plane
• 3 police officers injured in north Kosovo ambush
• Trinidad minister steps down amid assault probe
• Official death toll from Washington state mudslide rises to 24

NATO plans more support for east Europeans worried by Crimea Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:26 PM PDT By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO will decide new steps on Tuesday to reinforce eastern European countries worried by Russia's annexation of Crimea, and on how to bolster Ukraine's armed forces. Diplomats said NATO foreign ministers will look at options ranging from stepped-up military exercises and sending more forces to eastern members states, to the permanent basing of alliance forces there - a step Moscow would view as provocative. Ministers from the 28 alliance members are meeting in Brussels for the first time since Russia's military occupation and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region caused the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War. While the United States and its allies have made clear they will not intervene militarily in Ukraine, which does not belong to NATO, they have scrambled to reassure anxious NATO members in eastern Europe, particularly ex-Soviet republics in the Baltics, that they are sheltered by the alliance's security umbrella.

Russian prime minister angers Ukraine by visiting Crimea Posted: 31 Mar 2014 01:24 PM PDT By Darya Korsunskaya SIMFEROPOL, Crimea (Reuters) - Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev flaunted Russia's grip on Crimea by flying to the region and holding a government meeting there on Monday, angering Ukraine and defying Western demands to hand the peninsula back to Kiev. But in a gesture that could ease tension in the worst East-West stand-off since the Cold War, Russia pulled some troops back from near Ukraine's eastern frontier - a move which the United States said would be a positive sign if it is confirmed as a withdrawal. President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that he had ordered a partial drawdown in the region, Merkel's spokesman said.

Japan relaxes arms export regime to fortify defense Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:39 PM PDT By Kiyoshi Takenaka TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan eased its weapons export restrictions on Tuesday in the first major overhaul of arms transfer policy in nearly half a century, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to fortify ties with allies and bolster the domestic defense industry. In a move likely to anger China, where bitter memories of Japan's past militarism run deep, the government decided to allow arms exports and participation in joint weapons development and production when they serve international peace and Japan's security. That is a shift from a decades-old policy of banning all weapons exports in principle, although quite a few exceptions to the rule have been made over the years, such as the transfer of arms technology to the United States, Japan's closest ally. "If you live in a closed market like the Japanese defense industry does, you clearly lag behind in technological development." But even under the new regime, Japan is to focus mainly on non-lethal defense gear such as patrol ships and mine detectors and says it has no plan to export such weapons as tanks and fighter jets.

Kerry returns to Middle East to push flailing peace talks Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:27 PM PDT By Lesley Wroughton and Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry rushed back to the Middle East on Monday to try to salvage stalled peace talks, possibly by releasing an Israeli spy jailed in the United States to push Israel to free Palestinian prisoners. Requesting anonymity, a U.S. official said the release of Jonathan Pollard, who is serving a life sentence in the United States for spying for Israel, was "on the table" as a possible element in a Middle East peace deal as an incentive to Israel. Kerry, who flew to Israel from Paris, held two-hour talks in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

North, South Korea trade artillery rounds into the sea: Seoul Posted: 31 Mar 2014 02:58 PM PDT By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired more than 100 artillery rounds into South Korean waters as part of a drill on Monday, prompting the South to fire back, officials in Seoul said, but the exercise appeared to be more saber-rattling from Pyongyang rather than the start of a military standoff. The North had flagged its intentions to conduct the exercise in response to U.N. condemnation of last week's missile launches by Pyongyang and against what it says are threatening military drills in the South by U.S. forces. ...

Britain's opposition Labour party warns against 'foolish' EU exit Posted: 31 Mar 2014 02:05 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Britain would be reckless and foolish to walk away from its membership of the European Union, the opposition Labour party's finance spokesman will say on Tuesday, warning of the damage an EU exit would have on jobs and investment. Britain's future in Europe is in doubt with Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron promising an in/out referendum by 2017 if his party wins an election next year. The anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) also has a small but growing share of the popular vote according to opinion polls. ...

Venezuela orders landlords to list homes for sale Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:55 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Forget rent control: Property owners in Venezuela are being squeezed by a new law requiring them to sell to longtime tenants.

Jamaica panel charges 3 more police with murders Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:50 PM PDT KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — An investigative commission that probes abuses by Jamaica's security forces said Monday that three more police officers in a central parish have been charged with murder, bringing the total number of accused law enforcers in the division to four.

Another Mexican vigilante leader accused of murder Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:43 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — Authorities announced Monday they have arrested another leader of the vigilante "self-defense" forces in western Mexico and accused him of participating in the killing of a rival, the second such arrest in less than a month.

AP sources: US considers release of spy Pollard Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:43 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — The United States is talking with Israel about releasing convicted spy Jonathan Pollard early from his life sentence as an incentive to the Israelis in the troubled Mideast peace negotiations, people familiar with the talks said Monday. Releasing Pollard, a thorn in U.S.-Israeli relations for three decades, would be an extraordinary step underscoring the urgency of U.S. peace efforts.

Australia says no time limit on Flight 370 search Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:35 PM PDT PERTH, Australia (AP) — Although it has been slow, difficult and frustrating so far, the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet is nowhere near the point of being scaled back, Australia's prime minister pledged Monday.

U.S. judge tosses law firm's motion seeking Malaysia plane evidence Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:31 PM PDT An Illinois judge on Monday dismissed a U.S. law firm's motion to obtain evidence of possible design and manufacturing defects from Boeing Co and Malaysian Airline System in connection with the disappearance of flight MH370 three weeks earlier. Cook County Judge Kathy Flanagan also threatened to impose sanctions against Ribbeck Law Chartered, citing previous instances where the Chicago-based law firm had "improperly brought" petitions, such as last year's Asiana Airlines plane crash in San Francisco. "Despite these orders, the same law firm has proceeded, yet again, with the filing of the instant petition, knowing full well that there is no basis to do so," said Flanagan. "Should this law firm choose to do so, the court will impose sanctions on its own motion." Ribbeck Law last week submitted, in Illinois Circuit Court, the first-filed legal action arising from the Malaysian plane tragedy saying it sought documents from the two companies concerning employees as well as sales and lease agreements, among other things.

British PR guru says worked with celebrity perverts Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:29 PM PDT Max Clifford, Britain's top public relations guru, denied he was a pervert but told his sex assault trial Monday that he worked with many stars who were. Clifford, who denies 11 counts of indecent assault against seven girls and women, denied being a sexual pervert. "As long as I was able to create the right image and protect them, that's all that mattered to them," he told Southwark Crown Court in London.

Former U.S. hostages angry about new Iran U.N. envoy appointee Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:22 PM PDT By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Former U.S. embassy workers held hostage in Iran from 1979 to 1981 are outraged that Tehran has selected a new U.N. envoy who may have played a role in the 444-day crisis and want him barred from U.S. territory, lawyers for the ex-hostages said on Monday. The fact that Hamid Abutalebi, a veteran diplomat who has held key European postings in the past, has been selected by President Hassan Rouhani as Iran's new ambassador to the United Nations has been well known among U.N. delegations for months.

Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor feels 'fresh start' Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:20 PM PDT SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Trent Reznor says he feels "a fresh new start" for Nine Inch Nails after the band's latest album and world tour.

Malaga rallies for 2-1 win at Betis in Spain Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:05 PM PDT BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Malaga scored twice in the final eight minutes for a 2-1 victory at last-place Real Betis, whose hopes of avoiding relegation took a blow after another disappointing Spanish league defeat.

Ukrainian pleads guilty after flight disruption Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:58 PM PDT SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A 47-year-old Ukrainian man who told the FBI he had been drinking heavily for 50 days before causing a ruckus on a flight to Salt Lake City has pleaded guilty to interfering with a flight crew as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Uruguay soccer leaders quit in fan violence crisis Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:57 PM PDT MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayan soccer has lost its leadership with little more than two months before its national team is to compete in the World Cup.

Mexico honors Octavo Paz 100 years after birth Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:53 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexicans honored Nobel Prize poet and essayist Octavio Paz on Monday, marking the 100th anniversary of the late writer's birth.

Atletico striker Costa could miss Barcelona game Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:52 PM PDT BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone says Diego Costa could miss the Champions League quarterfinal against Barcelona on Tuesday.

Russian, Ukrainian boxing teams put aside tensions Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:47 PM PDT MOSCOW (AP) — Boxing teams from Russia and Ukraine put aside political tensions Monday to contest a World Series of Boxing quarterfinal in Moscow, with the hosts landing most of the blows in the ring.

Prosecutor: Woman stabbed beau 25 times with heel Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:47 PM PDT HOUSTON (AP) — A woman attacked her boyfriend in a fit of rage, sat on him after knocking him down and then stabbed him to death with the stiletto heel of her shoe, striking him at least 25 times in the face, a prosecutor told jurors Monday.

Lawmaker Yee's lawyer questions FBI investigation Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:41 PM PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A lawyer for a California state senator charged last week with accepting bribes and gun trafficking on Monday challenged the three-year FBI investigation that led to the arrest.

Tunisia policemen get 7-year prison sentences for rape Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:33 PM PDT Two Tunisian policemen were convicted late Monday of raping a young woman and sentenced to seven years in prison in a case that has captured international attention for the victim. Earlier in court the two policemen had denied the charge, instead accusing the woman of seeking to have sex with them, provoking an emotional outburst from the alleged victim. "They denied everything," Radhia Nasraoui, a lawyer of the young woman known by her pseudonym Meriem Ben Mohamed, told AFP. Koutheir Bouallegue, another of the victim's lawyers, confirmed the policemen denied raping her.

Jury selection begins in Apple-Samsung case Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:31 PM PDT SAN JOSE, California (AP) — The world's two leading smartphone makers were back in federal court on Monday, accusing each other of stealing ideas and features.

Emergency crews face toxic challenge in Washington state mudslide Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:29 PM PDT By Eric M. Johnson DARRINGTON, Washington (Reuters) - Recovery teams struggling through thick mud up to their armpits and heavy downpours at the site of a devastating landslide in Washington state are facing yet another challenge - an unseen and potentially more dangerous stew of toxic contaminants. Sewage, propane, household solvents and other chemicals lie beneath the surface of the gray mud and rubble that engulfed hundreds of acres of a rural community after the mudslide that left dozens of people dead or missing northeast of Seattle on the morning of March 22, authorities said. "We're worried about dysentery, we're worried about tetanus, we're worried about contamination," local fire Lieutenant Richard Burke, a spokesman for the operation, told reporters visiting the disaster site on Sunday.

Russia boycotts UN meeting with Ukraine's Tatars Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:27 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia boycotted an informal Security council meeting with members of Crimea's Tatar minority organized by Lithuania on Monday, calling it "inappropriate" and another international attempt to distract attention from "the grave situation in Ukraine."

France fails budget target, Hollande faces reform dilemma Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:18 PM PDT France is way behind budget targets, new data shows, deepening a dilemma for President Francois Hollande over spending cuts which could split his allies, or doing a U-turn in dangerous defiance of the EU. This raises the stakes for France and Hollande sharply the day after an election debacle for his Socialist Party, analysts said. Hollande went on French television Monday evening to announced that he has named popular Interior Minister Manuel Valls as prime minister, seen as pro-business, to replace Jean-Marc Ayrault. That second option could cause damaging tensions with the EU, European Central Bank and Germany, but Hollande said in his address he was trying to balance the two sides of his dilemma.

Top Asian News at 10:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:02 PM PDT THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The future of whaling in Japan was thrown into doubt after the International Court of Justice ruled Monday that the nation's annual hunt in the Antarctic was not really for scientific purposes — as Tokyo had claimed — and ordered it halted. The ruling was a major victory for whaling opponents, as it ends for now one of the world's biggest whale hunts, for minkes in the icy Southern Ocean. The judgment was praised by Australia, which brought the case against Japan in 2010, and by environmentalists, who have been seeking an end to whaling since the 1970s on ethical grounds.

Sunderland survival hopes suffer Hammer blow Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PDT Sunderland (United Kingdom) (AFP) - West Ham United moved closer to Premier League safety and kept Sunderland in the relegation zone with a 2-1 away win on Monday. Andy Carroll, formerly a striker with Sunderland's arch north-east rivals Newcastle, headed West Ham into an early lead and Mohamed Diame made it 2-0 to the London club shortly after half-time. Sunderland substitute Adam Johnson pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 65th minute to the joy of the Stadium of Light crowd but they were unable to add to that. Victory took 11th placed West Ham onto 37 points, three short of the traditional survival mark of 40, but the result meant Sunderland stayed second bottom on 25 points, four shy of safety with eight games remaining.

Australia PM vows to continue hunt for missing Malaysia plane Posted: 31 Mar 2014 02:58 PM PDT By Michael Martina PERTH (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Monday the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 had no time limit, despite the failure of an international operation to find any sign of the plane in three weeks of fruitless searching. A total of 20 aircraft and ships were again scouring a massive area in the Indian Ocean some 2,000 km (1,200 miles) west of Perth, where investigators believe the Boeing 777 carrying 239 people came down. Some families have strongly criticized Malaysia's handling of the search and investigation, including the decision last week to say that, based on satellite evidence, the plane had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean on March 8. Abbott rejected suggestions his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak, had been too hasty to break that news, given that no confirmed wreckage from the plane has been found and its last sighting on radar was northwest of Malaysia heading towards India.

3 police officers injured in north Kosovo ambush Posted: 31 Mar 2014 02:58 PM PDT PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo police say three police officers were wounded when unknown gunmen ambushed a border police patrol car in the north of the country, which is controlled by minority Serbs.

Trinidad minister steps down amid assault probe Posted: 31 Mar 2014 02:56 PM PDT PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) — Trinidad & Tobago's tourism minister has stepped down as police investigate assault allegations made against him by a former girlfriend.

Official death toll from Washington state mudslide rises to 24 Posted: 31 Mar 2014 02:55 PM PDT DARRINGTON, Washington (Reuters) - The official death toll from a catastrophic mudslide in Washington state has risen to 24, up from 21, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office said on Monday. A statement issued by the coroner's office said the remains of 17 of the victims of the March 22 disaster have now been positively identified, including Sonoah Heustis, a 4-month-old infant and two other children aged 5 and 6. (Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

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