Yahoo! News: World News

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• Amid spate of violence, Afghans vote to choose new leader
• Ukraine PM says will stick to austerity despite Moscow pressure
• U.S. finalizing plan to boost support for Syrian rebels: sources
• Kerry warns U.S. is evaluating role in Middle East peace talks
• Iran oil exports will be in line with sanctions target: U.S.
• North Korea tells world 'wait and see' on new nuclear test
• Fort Hood gunman had argument with other soldiers
• Treaty's tighter adoption rules kick in for Haiti
• Mob attacks Ebola treatment centre in Guinea, suspected cases reach Mali
• Bouchard topples Jankovic to reach semis
• Samsung adding anti-theft solutions to smartphones
• Former Avon chief to run Grameen America
• Life slowly returns to normal in quake-hit Chile
• California's senator Yee indicted on gun, corruption charges
• Venezuelan opposition formally charged
• 2 tunnels found under California-Mexico border
• Acclaimed photographer Anja Niedringhaus dies
• Argentine president, godmother to lesbians' baby
• Boeing says US OK's sale of plane parts to Iran
• AP photographer killed, reporter wounded
• Geologist raised idea of removing homes from U.S. landslide area
• Puerto Rico police veteran nominated as new chief
• Mosquito-borne virus arrives in Dominican Republic
• US judge dismisses lawsuit over drone strikes
• Blackstone to buy US auto parts firm Gates for $5.4 bn
• Heineken: $100Mm investment in Haiti brewery
• Pink eye outbreak shuts schools in American Samoa
• Injured Rooney a doubt for Bayern showdown
• Anglican leader warns of Africa gay marriage backlash
• Rooney doubtful for Bayern game with toe injury
• Pollard talks latest twist in long legal US saga
• Osasuna wins 2-1 at Almeria to escape drop zone
• Kerry: It's 'reality check' time for Mideast talks
• Venezuela charges opposition leader, sparking protests
• Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT

Amid spate of violence, Afghans vote to choose new leader Posted: 04 Apr 2014 12:35 PM PDT The Taliban, hardline Islamists bent on toppling the government, have deployed fighters countrywide to disrupt an election they brand a U.S.-backed sham. A veteran Associated Press photographer was killed and a senior correspondent of the same news agency was wounded on Friday when a policeman opened fire on the two women in eastern Afghanistan as they reported on preparations for the poll. The capital, Kabul, has been sealed off from the rest of the country by rings of roadblocks and checkpoints. Kandahar, cradle of the Taliban insurgency, was in virtual lockdown ahead of the vote.

Ukraine PM says will stick to austerity despite Moscow pressure Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:36 AM PDT By Natalia Zinets, Richard Balmforth and Paul Ingrassia KIEV (Reuters) - The Kiev government will stick to unpopular austerity measures "as the price of independence" as Russia steps up pressure on Ukraine to destabilise it, including by raising the price of gas, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk told Reuters. Yatseniuk, 39, who stepped in as interim prime minister last month after Viktor Yanukovich and his ministers fled the "Euromaidan" protests, conceded that it would be very difficult "under the current Russian presence" to undo what he described as Russia's "international crime" in seizing Crimea. But he said Ukraine would never recognise the Russian takeover in exchange for re-establishing good relations. We will never recognise the annexation of Crimea ... The time will come when Ukraine will take over control of Crimea," he said, speaking in English, seated in his cavernous, Soviet-built government headquarters beneath the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag.

U.S. finalizing plan to boost support for Syrian rebels: sources Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:16 PM PDT By Mark Hosenball and Missy Ryan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government is finalizing a plan to increase training and small-arms shipments for Syrian rebels, two U.S. security sources said on Friday, as Syrian government troops gain momentum following the collapse of U.S.-backed peace talks. The United States would increase assistance and send the shipments to moderate rebel factions mostly based in Jordan, along Syria's southern border, the officials familiar with the plan told Reuters. But the United States fears supplies of advanced weapons to pro-Western rebels could be diverted to Islamic militant groups, who could use them to attack allied, Israeli or civilian aircraft, the U.S. officials said, explaining why the surface-to-air missiles won't be included in the assistance. President Barack Obama has resisted becoming entangled in Syria's complex, two-year civil war, but has faced criticism for failing to take a tougher stand given the immensity of the humanitarian crisis.

Kerry warns U.S. is evaluating role in Middle East peace talks Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:40 PM PDT By Lesley Wroughton RABAT (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday Washington was evaluating whether it was worth continuing its role in Middle East peace talks, signaling his patience with the Israelis and Palestinians was running out. There was a limit to U.S. efforts if the parties themselves were unwilling to move forward, Kerry said during a visit to Morocco after a week of setbacks. White House spokesman Josh Earnest acknowledged that President Barack Obama shared Kerry's frustration over "unhelpful" actions by both sides and the two men would discuss the path forward in the eight-month-old talks after the secretary of state's return to Washington. Kerry's decision to declare a time-out could be an attempt to pressure Israel and the Palestinians to soften their entrenched positions but, should that fail, it might mark the beginning of the end for his signature diplomatic initiative.

Iran oil exports will be in line with sanctions target: U.S. Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:34 PM PDT By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States on Friday dismissed suggestions that Iran was exporting much more oil than it is allowed to sell under a preliminary nuclear deal with world powers and predicted that aggregate Iranian oil sales would meet targets set for Tehran. The remarks from a senior U.S. official came ahead of a new round of senior-level negotiations between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia in Vienna on April 8-9. It will be the third round of talks this year in the Austrian capital on a long-term deal with Iran. Iran's oil exports have stayed above levels allowed under Western sanctions for a fifth month, the latest sign that the limited sanctions relief agreed upon in November is helping Tehran sell more crude, according to sources who track tanker movements.

North Korea tells world 'wait and see' on new nuclear test Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:22 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - North Korea said on Friday that the world would have to "wait and see" when asked for details of "a new form" of nuclear test it threatened to carry out after the United Nations Security Council condemned Pyongyang's recent ballistic missile launch. North Korea fired two medium-range Rodong ballistic missiles into the sea on March 26. Its first firing in four years of mid-range missiles that can hit Japan followed a series of short-range rocket launches over the past two months. North Korea (DPRK) reacted on Sunday with a threat to conduct what it called "a new form of nuclear test.

Fort Hood gunman had argument with other soldiers Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:51 PM PDT FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The Fort Hood soldier who gunned down three other military men before killing himself had an argument with colleagues in his unit before opening fire, and investigators believe his mental condition was not the "direct precipitating factor" in the shooting, authorities said Friday.

Treaty's tighter adoption rules kick in for Haiti Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:40 PM PDT PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Foreigners seeking to adopt a child from Haiti will now have better assurances the new family member wasn't trafficked.

Mob attacks Ebola treatment centre in Guinea, suspected cases reach Mali Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:21 PM PDT By Adama Diarra and Misha Hussain BAMAKO/CONAKRY (Reuters) - An angry crowd attacked an Ebola treatment center in Guinea on Friday, accusing its staff of bringing the deadly disease to the town, Medecins Sans Frontieres said, as Mali identified its first suspected cases. More than 90 people have already died in Guinea and Liberia in what medical charity MSF, or Doctors without Borders, has warned could turn into an unprecedented epidemic in an impoverished region with poor health services. The outbreak in Guinea is the first time the disease, epidemics of which occur regularly in Central Africa, has appeared in the country. News of the outbreak has sent shockwaves through communities with little knowledge of the disease or how it is transmitted, and the suspected cases in Mali have added to fears that it is spreading in West Africa.

Bouchard topples Jankovic to reach semis Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:21 PM PDT Charleston (United States) (AFP) - Sixth-seeded Eugenie Bouchard notched one of the biggest wins of her career Friday, reaching the semi-finals of the WTA Family Circle Cup by toppling world number eight Jelena Jankovic. The 20-year-old Canadian outlasted former world number one Jankovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in a rematch from last year's quarter-finals at this green claycourt event. Jankovic won that one, but has now lost two out of three matches against rising star Bouchard. "I knew in the second set my game wasn't where I wanted it to be," Bouchard said.

Samsung adding anti-theft solutions to smartphones Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:19 PM PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Samsung Electronics will add two safeguards to its latest smartphone in an effort to deter rampant theft of the mobile devices nationwide, the company said Friday.

Former Avon chief to run Grameen America Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:12 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — The former head of Avon is now leading Grameen America, a group that provides small loans to poor women entrepreneurs in the U.S.

Life slowly returns to normal in quake-hit Chile Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:11 PM PDT Iquique (Chile) (AFP) - Life was gradually returning to normal in northern Chile on Friday, with power restored to a majority of homes that lost electricity during this week's powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake. General Miguel Alfonso, head of the disaster zone that is centred on the coastal city of Iquique, said that he expected normal food and energy distribution will be possible within about three weeks. The hardest-hit victims from Tuesday's quake were inhabitants of desert towns and villages who reside in the highland plateaus where water sometimes is already scarce. The fragile construction of dwellings in these areas puts residents at greater risk from building collapse during a quake, officials said.

California's senator Yee indicted on gun, corruption charges Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:04 PM PDT By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - A prominent Democratic California state senator and gun-control advocate was indicted by a San Francisco grand jury on charges of corruption and conspiracy to traffic in firearms, according to court documents released on Friday. The indictment adds to the troubles facing state Senator Leland Yee, who was arrested last week and criminally charged along with two dozen others in the same case. Yee, 65, is the third California state senator to face criminal charges this year in separate cases that have cost Democrats a cherished two-thirds legislative majority in an election year and prompted them to cancel a major fundraiser planned for this weekend. Senate Democratic leader Darrell Steinberg, who has said that the charges against Yee "sickened" him, on Friday renewed calls for the senator to resign.

Venezuelan opposition formally charged Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:04 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was formally charged Friday with inciting violence at an anti-government protest that has been followed by weeks of unrest across Venezuela.

2 tunnels found under California-Mexico border Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:03 PM PDT SAN DIEGO (AP) — Two drug-smuggling tunnels with rail systems stretching hundreds of yards across the U.S.-Mexico border were discovered by law enforcement officials, and a 73-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of helping run one operation, federal authorities said Friday.

Acclaimed photographer Anja Niedringhaus dies Posted: 04 Apr 2014 04:00 PM PDT Anja Niedringhaus faced down some of the world's greatest dangers and had one of the world's loudest and most infectious laughs. She photographed dying and death, and embraced humanity and life. She gave herself to the subjects of her lens, and gave her talents to the world, with images of wars' unwitting victims in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and beyond.

Argentine president, godmother to lesbians' baby Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:59 PM PDT BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez has agreed to be the godmother of a lesbian couple's baby in a Roman Catholic cathedral.

Boeing says US OK's sale of plane parts to Iran Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:58 PM PDT CHICAGO (AP) — Boeing Co. says it has received U.S. government approval to export certain spare parts for commercial airplanes to Iran.

AP photographer killed, reporter wounded Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:56 PM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan police commander opened fire Friday on two Associated Press journalists, killing Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Anja Niedringhaus and wounding veteran correspondent Kathy Gannon — the first known case of a security insider attacking journalists in Afghanistan.

Geologist raised idea of removing homes from U.S. landslide area Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:33 PM PDT By Jonathan Kaminsky DARRINGTON, Washington (Reuters) - A contractor who studied the risks to a rural neighborhood in Washington state wiped out by a mudslide last month made recommendations more than a decade ago that included possible relocation of homes elsewhere. News of the recommendations, made in a report for a Native American tribe with traditional fishing rights in the area, emerged as searchers scoured a pile of mud and debris for victims of the March 22 slide that left dozens dead or missing. About 30 people have been confirmed dead from the slide, which roared over the north fork of the Stillaguamish River and state Highway 530, engulfing about three dozen homes on the outskirts of the rural town of Oso in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Jim Miller, a geological engineer with GeoEngineers, said his company prepared a 2001 report for the Stillaguamish tribe that warned of a "significant risk to human lives and private property" at the slide site.

Puerto Rico police veteran nominated as new chief Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:27 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's governor has nominated a 35-year police veteran to head the U.S. territory's troubled force.

Mosquito-borne virus arrives in Dominican Republic Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:26 PM PDT SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Health authorities in the Dominican Republic have reported the first outbreak of a mosquito-borne virus that has spread quickly in the Caribbean in the weeks since it was first detected in the region.

US judge dismisses lawsuit over drone strikes Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:26 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit against Obama administration officials for the 2011 drone-strike killings of three U.S. citizens in Yemen, including an al-Qaida cleric.

Blackstone to buy US auto parts firm Gates for $5.4 bn Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:25 PM PDT Investment fund Blackstone said Friday it will buy US auto parts maker Gates Corporation for $5.4 billion from its Canadian owners. The deal is the second-largest private equity takeover so far this year after Cerberus Capital's $9.1 billion agreement to merge its Albertson's supermarket chain with rival Safeway. Blackstone said it had clinched the cash deal to buy all of Pinafore Holdings, the parent company of Gates owned by Canadian private-equity company Onex and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. The buyout is Blackstone's biggest since it acquired hotelier Hilton for $26 billion in 2007.

Heineken: $100Mm investment in Haiti brewery Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:24 PM PDT PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The Dutch brewer Heineken announced Friday that it is investing $100 million in its Haiti production plant that makes the popular lager Prestige.

Pink eye outbreak shuts schools in American Samoa Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:17 PM PDT PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP) — Officials in American Samoa on Friday ordered all public schools in the U.S. island territory closed after nearly 2,300 students and more than 100 teachers contracted pink eye.

Injured Rooney a doubt for Bayern showdown Posted: 04 Apr 2014 03:16 PM PDT Wayne Rooney is a major doubt for Manchester United's Champions League showdown against Bayern Munich after being ruled out of Saturday's clash at Newcastle with a toe injury. Rooney sustained the bruised toe during the second half of United's 1-1 draw against holders Bayern in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Old Trafford on Tuesday. It was hoped Rooney would recover in time to lead the United attack at St James' Park, but boss David Moyes has revealed the injury is yet to respond to treatment and the England striker is now set to go for a scan to see if there is further damage.

Anglican leader warns of Africa gay marriage backlash Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:59 PM PDT Justin Welby, the leader of the world's Anglicans, warned Friday that if the Church of England accepted gay marriage, it could prove "catastrophic" for Christians in Africa. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion's mother church, warned that doing so could potentially lead to massacres of Christians. Gay marriage became legal in England and Wales on March 29, with the first couples tying the knot after the stroke of midnight. However, the Church of England, the state church, is barred from performing same-sex marriages to provide it with an additional layer of legal protection.

Rooney doubtful for Bayern game with toe injury Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:55 PM PDT MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been ruled out of Saturday's Premier League game against Newcastle with a toe injury, and is doubtful for the Champions League return leg against Bayern Munich next week.

Pollard talks latest twist in long legal US saga Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:54 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The arrest of Jonathan Pollard nearly 30 years ago set off an emotional legal saga that has confronted American presidents and Israeli prime ministers, wound through the courts and divided those who say the convicted spy has paid his debt to society and those who contend the damage he caused was incalculable.

Osasuna wins 2-1 at Almeria to escape drop zone Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:44 PM PDT ALMERIA, Spain (AP) — Osasuna won 2-1 at Almeria to escape the Spanish league's relegation zone and push the hosts into danger on Friday.

Kerry: It's 'reality check' time for Mideast talks Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:39 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — With Mideast peace talks on the verge of collapse, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry declared Friday that "it's reality check time" on whether an agreement can be reached anytime soon after decades of bitterness between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. The U.S. will re-evaluate its role as mediator, he said.

Venezuela charges opposition leader, sparking protests Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:39 PM PDT Venezuela's attorney general formally charged jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez on Friday over anti-government protests that have roiled the country for two months, triggering fresh demonstrations in Caracas. The Harvard-educated economist has been held in a military prison since his February 18 arrest in the midst of an opposition protest rally against leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who has faced near-daily demonstrations since early February. Thirty-nine people have died in clashes between security forces and protesters angered by soaring crime, high inflation and shortages of essential goods. Attorney General Luis Ortega Diaz told a press conference that formal charges were brought against Lopez, leader of the Popular Will party, accusing him of inciting violence, arson, damage to property and conspiracy.

Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 04 Apr 2014 02:32 PM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan police commander opened fire Friday on two Associated Press journalists inside a security forces base in eastern Afghanistan, killing prize-winning photographer Anja Niedringhaus and wounding veteran correspondent Kathy Gannon. Niedringhaus, 48, who had covered conflict zones from the Balkans in the 1990s to Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan and was part of a team of AP photographers who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005, died instantly of her wounds.

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