Yahoo! News: World News

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• Pro-Russia protesters seize Ukraine buildings, Kiev blames Putin
• Smooth Afghan poll raises questions about Taliban strength
• Hungary re-elects maverick PM, far-right opposition gains
• Merkel ally says U.S. assurances on NSA spying 'insufficient'
• Search planes, ships divert to Indian Ocean area where 'pings' detected
• India to kick off world's biggest election in remote northeast
• Top Asian News at 12:00 a.m. GMT
• Pressure on City as Reds roar back to top
• Wenger vows to fight for Champions League place
• Hungary prime minister wins 3rd term
• Libyan rebels, government agree to gradually reopen occupied oil ports
• Nigeria becomes Africa's biggest economy
• Gazprom Neft CEO says Russian oil company could look eastward if sanctions hit
• Czech leader says NATO could offer troops to Ukraine if Russia goes beyond Crimea
• Hagel to tour China's new aircraft carrier
• Mali's new premier in talks to form government
• No breakthrough seen in last-ditch Mideast talks
• Cruden sidelined with broken thumb
• Cagliari sacks Diego Lopez as coach, rehires Pulga
• Flamengo and Vasco draw in 1st leg of Rio final
• Orban cruises to re-election in Hungary
• El Salvador president-elect plans 'routine' health check-up abroad
• Calls mount for British MP's head over expenses scandal
• Liverpool beats West Ham 2-1 to retake top spot
• Group of Libyan lawmakers plan to sack parliamentary president
• Hungary's Jobbik is EU's strongest national radical party: leader
• Victims of U.S. mudslide are remembered in first funeral services
• Martinez nets 2, Porto beats Academica 3-1
• Roma moves 5 points behind Juventus with 3-1 win
• Monaco beats Nantes 3-1 in French league
• Suspected Fulani herdsmen kill 79 in Nigeria
• Bahamas police find 4 burnt bodies on remote cay
• Norwich sacks manager Chris Hughton
• Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT

Pro-Russia protesters seize Ukraine buildings, Kiev blames Putin Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:18 PM PDT By Lina Kushch and Thomas Grove DONETSK/KIEV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Pro-Russian protesters seized state buildings in three east Ukrainian cities on Sunday, triggering accusations from the pro-European government in Kiev that President Vladimir Putin was orchestrating "separatist disorder". The protesters stormed regional government buildings in the industrial hub of Donetsk and security service offices in nearby Luhansk, waving Russian flags and demanding a Crimea-style referendum on joining Russia.

Smooth Afghan poll raises questions about Taliban strength Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:39 PM PDT By John Chalmers and Maria Golovnina KABUL (Reuters) - A bigger-than-expected turnout in Afghanistan's presidential election and the Taliban's failure to derail the vote have raised questions about the capacity of the insurgents to tip the country back into chaos as foreign troops head home. The Taliban claimed that they staged more than 1,000 attacks and killed dozens during Saturday's election, which they have branded a U.S.-backed deception of the Afghan people, though security officials said it was a gross exaggeration. There were dozens of minor roadside bombs, and attacks on polling stations, police and voters during the day. But the overall level of violence was much lower than the Taliban had threatened to unleash on the country.

Hungary re-elects maverick PM, far-right opposition gains Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:37 PM PDT By Krisztina Than and Gergely Szakacs BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarians handed their maverick Prime Minister Viktor Orban another four years in power, election results showed on Monday, while one in every five voters backed a far-right opposition party accused of anti-Semitism. Orban has clashed repeatedly with the European Union and foreign investors over his unorthodox policies, and after Sunday's win, big businesses were bracing for another term of unpredictable and, for some of them, hostile measures. After 96 percent of the ballots were counted from Sunday's parliamentary vote, an official projection gave Orban's Fidesz party 133 of the 199 seats, guaranteeing that it will form the next government. The same projection gave the Socialist-led leftist alliance 38 seats, while Jobbik was on 23 seats.

Merkel ally says U.S. assurances on NSA spying 'insufficient' Posted: 06 Apr 2014 07:10 AM PDT A leading ally of Angela Merkel has criticized the United States for failing to provide sufficient assurances on its spying tactics and said bilateral talks were unlikely to make much progress before the German leader visits Washington next month. Reports last October - based on disclosures by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden - that Washington had monitored Merkel's mobile phone caused outrage in Germany, which is particularly sensitive about surveillance because of abuses under the East German Stasi secret police and the Nazis. Berlin subsequently demanded talks with Washington on a "no-spy" deal, but it has become clear in recent months that the United States is unwilling to give the assurances Germany wants. "The information we have so far is insufficient," Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, one of Merkel's closest cabinet allies, told German weekly magazine Der Spiegel.

Search planes, ships divert to Indian Ocean area where 'pings' detected Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:58 PM PDT By Jane Wardell and Swati Pandey SYDNEY/PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - Some planes and ships searching for a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner in the Indian Ocean moved on Monday toward waters where a Chinese vessel had picked up "ping" signals at the weekend, raising hopes of finding the airliner's black-box recorders. "We are running out of time in terms of terms of the battery life," Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the operation, told a news conference in Perth on Sunday. Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01 reported receiving a pulse signal with a frequency of 37.5 kHz, consistent with the signal emitted by flight recorders, on Friday and again on Saturday. The pulses were detected within two km (1.2 miles) of each other but were hundreds of nautical miles outside the main search zone in the southern Indian Ocean which has been scoured by planes and aircraft for more than a week.

India to kick off world's biggest election in remote northeast Posted: 06 Apr 2014 12:35 PM PDT By Shyamantha Asokan LAHOAL, India (Reuters) - Indians start voting in the world's biggest ever election on Monday, with a Hindu nationalist opposition party that has promised economic rejuvenation and jobs tipped to emerge as the clear leader but likely to fall short of an absolute majority. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, and its allies are forecast to win the biggest chunk of seats but fall shy of a majority, according to a poll released this week by respected Indian pollsters CSDS. In such a situation, a coalition government led by the BJP is seen as the most likely outcome. India's 815 million voters are set to inflict a resounding defeat on the ruling Congress party, led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, surveys show, after the longest economic slowdown since the 1980s put the brakes on development and job creation in a country where half of the population is under 25 years old.

Top Asian News at 12:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 06 Apr 2014 05:02 PM PDT PERTH, Australia (AP) — Searchers hunting for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet raced toward a patch of the southern Indian Ocean on Sunday to determine whether a few brief sounds picked up by underwater equipment came from the plane's black boxes, whose battery-powered pingers are on the verge of dying out. Ships scouring a remote stretch of water for the plane that vanished nearly a month ago detected three separate sounds over three days. A Chinese ship picked up an electronic pulsing signal on Friday and again on Saturday, and an Australian ship carrying sophisticated deep-sea acoustic equipment detected a signal in a different area on Sunday, the head of the multinational search said.

Pressure on City as Reds roar back to top Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:56 PM PDT Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists all the pressure will be on Manchester City when his Premier League leaders take on their title rivals in a crucial showdown at Anfield next weekend. Rodgers' side returned to the top of the table with a contentious 2-1 win at West Ham on Sunday that showed they can cope with the stress of challenging for their first English league title in 24 years. Liverpool's red-hot run is the best in the division since Manchester United recorded 11 consecutive victories in 2008-09 and Rodgers' team will end their long wait to be crowned champions if they win their last five matches. City's visit to Anfield on Sunday will play a major role in deciding the destiny of the title, but Rodgers is convinced Liverpool should be able to play with freedom because, compared to Manuel Pellegrini's expensively-assembled side, his players have nothing to lose.

Wenger vows to fight for Champions League place Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:56 PM PDT Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted the race for the final Champions League place has been blown wide open after his sideâ s 3-0 loss away to Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday. The gap between Arsenal in fourth place in the Premier League and Everton in fifth spot is now just a point, and the Toffees have the advantage of a game in hand on Wenger's side. Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League for the past 16 consecutive seasons, a qualification record for the competition bettered only by Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Hungary prime minister wins 3rd term Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:40 PM PDT BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party won parliamentary elections Sunday and narrowly secured a new two-thirds majority, but gains by a far-right party were a cause for concern.

Libyan rebels, government agree to gradually reopen occupied oil ports Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:25 PM PDT By Ulf Laessing and Ayman al-Warfalli TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan rebels occupying four eastern oil ports agreed with the government on Sunday to gradually end their eight-month petroleum blockade, which has cost the North African state billions in lost revenues. Zueitina and Hariga ports, held by federalist rebels demanding more autonomy from Tripoli, will open immediately while the larger ports, Ras Lanuf and Es Sider, will be freed in two to four weeks after more talks, the government said. Ending the oil port standoff will be a major advance for Libya's fragile government, which has struggled to impose its authority over an unruly nation still in flux nearly three years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Top rebel leader Ibrahim Jathran confirmed the blockage of Zueitina and Hariga ports had ended.

Nigeria becomes Africa's biggest economy Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:21 PM PDT Nigeria on Sunday became Africa's biggest economy, leap-frogging South Africa, after the government announced a long-overdue rebasing of the country's gross domestic product. The data indicated that the economy grew to $453 billion in 2012, instead of $264 billion as measured by the World Bank for that year. South Africa's economy was at $384 billion in 2012, according to the World Bank. Estimates for 2013 indicated further expansion to $510 billion, Nigeria's chief statistician, Yemi Kale, told a news conference in the capital, Abuja.

Gazprom Neft CEO says Russian oil company could look eastward if sanctions hit Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:18 PM PDT By Katya Golubkova ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - Gazprom Neft has not been affected by Western sanctions over Russia's annexation of Crimea but is ready to move away from dollars in its contracts and to redirect oil flows to Asia if needed, the CEO of Gazprom's oil arm said. Alexander Dyukov told reporters that Western banks are unlikely to stop cooperating with Gazprom Neft and that Western oil majors do not want geopolitical tension to affect their partnerships, but said the company is prepared to step up contacts with Asian lenders and also raise money in Russia. The United States and European Union have imposed visa bans and asset freezes on allies of President Vladimir Putin, and are threatening broader measures that could affect entire economic sectors if Moscow escalates tension over Ukraine. "As for sanctions, they have not affected the company's business in any way," Dyukov said in St. Petersburg, where Gazprom Neft is now based.

Czech leader says NATO could offer troops to Ukraine if Russia goes beyond Crimea Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:18 PM PDT The West should take strong action, possibly including sending NATO forces to Ukraine, if Russia tries to annex the eastern part of the country, Czech President Milos Zeman said on Sunday. "The moment Russia decides to widen its territorial expansion to the eastern part of Ukraine, that is where the fun ends," Zeman said in a broadcast on Czech public radio. "There I would plead not only for the strictest EU sanctions, but even for military readiness of the North Atlantic Alliance, like for example NATO forces entering Ukrainian territory," Zeman said. Pro-Russian protesters seized state buildings in three east Ukrainian cities on Sunday, triggering accusations from the pro-European government in Kiev that President Vladimir Putin was orchestrating "separatist disorder".

Hagel to tour China's new aircraft carrier Posted: 06 Apr 2014 04:02 PM PDT TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is expected to get a rare tour of China's first aircraft carrier Monday, becoming the first foreign visitor to go aboard the ship.

Mali's new premier in talks to form government Posted: 06 Apr 2014 03:36 PM PDT Mali's new prime minister was in talks on Sunday to appoint a government to lead the west African nation's post-war recovery after the surprise resignation of his predecessor and the entire cabinet. Former planning minister Moussa Mara, 39, was promoted to the premiership on Saturday after Mali's first post-war prime minister Oumar Tatam Ly quit just six months into office, a statement from the presidency said. He has not spoken in public since his appointment but wrote a brief message on Twitter thanking Malians for their support. Have a good Sunday and viva Mali," he said.

No breakthrough seen in last-ditch Mideast talks Posted: 06 Apr 2014 03:35 PM PDT Last-ditch talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators on salvaging a teetering, US-brokered peace process ended without a breakthrough Sunday, Palestinian sources told AFP. During the whole meeting, the Israelis threatened the Palestinians and no solution to the crisis was found," a Palestinian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Warning that the peace process was on the edge of collapse, an Israeli official close to the talks said that even US Secretary of State John Kerry, its tireless sponsor, was cooling off. "Israel is preparing to return to routine dealings with the Palestinians as they were before the negotiations started nine months ago.

Cruden sidelined with broken thumb Posted: 06 Apr 2014 03:33 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — All Blacks flyhalf Aaron Cruden will be sidelined for six to eight weeks after breaking a thumb during a Super Rugby match in South Africa on Saturday.

Cagliari sacks Diego Lopez as coach, rehires Pulga Posted: 06 Apr 2014 03:32 PM PDT CAGLIARI, Sardinia (AP) — Cagliari has sacked coach Diego Lopez, replacing him with former manager Ivo Pulga.

Flamengo and Vasco draw in 1st leg of Rio final Posted: 06 Apr 2014 03:28 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — Flamengo drew rival Vasco da Gama 1-1 in the first leg of the final of the Rio de Janeiro state championship on Sunday and is a draw away from winning its first state title in three years.

Orban cruises to re-election in Hungary Posted: 06 Apr 2014 03:26 PM PDT Hungary's strongman Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a clear victory in elections on Sunday, while the far-right Jobbik party increased its share of the vote. "We can say with absolute certainty that we won," Orban told cheering supporters in Budapest. With 89 percent of votes counted, Orban's Fidesz party was on 44.8 percent of the vote, well ahead of the left-wing opposition alliance on 25.5 percent. Gordon Bajnai, one of the leaders of the opposition alliance, called the result a "crushing defeat".

El Salvador president-elect plans 'routine' health check-up abroad Posted: 06 Apr 2014 03:23 PM PDT El Salvador's president-elect, Salvador Sanchez Ceren, said on Sunday he will travel abroad for a "routine" medical check-up ahead of assuming the presidency in June, and said he did not have any serious illness. The 69-year-old Sanchez Ceren, a former Marxist rebel commander from the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, became the next president of the small coffee-exporting Central American nation last month. "These are routine check-ups and it's not that I have any serious illness." Sanchez Ceren is set to take office on June 1.

Calls mount for British MP's head over expenses scandal Posted: 06 Apr 2014 03:14 PM PDT Pressure mounted on the British minister in charge of a new press regulation system on Sunday after a Conservative Party grandee called for her resignation over parliament's latest expenses scandal. Norman Tebbit, a member of the upper House of Lords and the party's chairman during the days of Margaret Thatcher, slammed Culture Secretary Maria Miller as "arrogant" for the way she responded to parliament's censure after she was found to have overclaimed on her mortgage. "Most members of the Commons must have hoped that the scandals over fiddled expenses had at least calmed down, even if not gone away," he wrote on a blog for the Daily Telegraph. "Now Mrs Miller has not just reignited the flames but, by the arrogance of her response to the scandal, poured petrol on the fire.

Liverpool beats West Ham 2-1 to retake top spot Posted: 06 Apr 2014 03:12 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Liverpool reclaimed top spot in the Premier League after two penalties from captain Steven Gerrard helped his team beat West Ham 2-1 Sunday to remain firmly in the hunt for the club's first league title since 1990.

Group of Libyan lawmakers plan to sack parliamentary president Posted: 06 Apr 2014 03:02 PM PDT By Ahmed Elumami and Feras Bosalum TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Some 30 Libyan lawmakers plan to remove parliamentary president Nouri Abu Sahmain, the country's top official, over a leaked video in which he was grilled by an unknown questioner over a visit by two women to his house, one of them said on Sunday. A week ago, Libya's Attorney General said it had launched an investigation into the video, which has been widely circulated on the country's news websites. The lawmakers' action has the potential to damage Abu Sahmain, who is the top army commander and has quasi-presidential powers, or force him even to resign at a time of growing turmoil in the oil-producing North African country. Lawmaker Abu Bakr Madur told a televised news conference while surrounded by colleagues that Abu Sahmain had lost the trust of the Libyan people and lied about the visit.

Hungary's Jobbik is EU's strongest national radical party: leader Posted: 06 Apr 2014 02:57 PM PDT Hungary's far-right Jobbik party is now the strongest national radical party in the European Union, Jobbik leader Gabor Vona said on Sunday after his party got close to 21 percent of party list votes in an election, according to preliminary results. "Jobbik continuously ... increases its popularity...And ahead of the European Parliament elections it is important to make clear that today in the EU Jobbik is the strongest national radical party," he added.

Victims of U.S. mudslide are remembered in first funeral services Posted: 06 Apr 2014 02:56 PM PDT By Jonathan Kaminsky ARLINGTON, Washington (Reuters) - A school custodian killed in Washington state's mudslide was described as a tough-minded animal lover on Saturday and a popular librarian was memorialized, as mourners gathered in the first of a series of services for the over two dozen dead. About 250 people crammed into a golf course clubhouse in Arlington, Washington, for the funeral of Summer Raffo, 36, a school custodian and specialist in hoof care for horses, just a few miles from the site where a torrent of mud swept her car off Highway 530 on March 22. She was dependable." Another service was held in nearby Darrington for Linda McPherson, 69, who was found dead in the debris of her home.

Martinez nets 2, Porto beats Academica 3-1 Posted: 06 Apr 2014 02:55 PM PDT LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Striker Jackson Martinez scored two goals and set up a third to guide FC Porto to a 3-1 win at home over Academica in the Portuguese league on Sunday.

Roma moves 5 points behind Juventus with 3-1 win Posted: 06 Apr 2014 02:53 PM PDT MILAN (AP) — Roma moved within five points of Serie A leader Juventus as Mattia Destro scored his first hat trick in a 3-1 win at Cagliari on Sunday.

Monaco beats Nantes 3-1 in French league Posted: 06 Apr 2014 02:53 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — A clinical Monaco side consolidated second place in the French league by defeating Nantes 3-1 on Sunday to restore its six-point lead over Lille.

Suspected Fulani herdsmen kill 79 in Nigeria Posted: 06 Apr 2014 02:52 PM PDT KANO (Nigeria) (AFP) - The death toll in an attack by Fulani herdsmen on a village in northern Nigeria's Zamfara State rose to 79 from 30, a governor spokesman said Sunday. "The governor and other officials were today at Yar Galadima village where they participated in the burial of 79 people killed in the attack by cattle rustlers," Nuhu Salihu Anka told AFP. The state police spokesman Lawal Abdullahi had earlier said 30 people were killed in the attack on Saturday when Fulani gunmen stormed a meeting to discuss security challenges in the four neighbouring states of Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi and Kastine. "We counted 61 bodies from the scene of the attack last night, while many people were wounded," a survivor who gave his name only as Babaginda from neighbouring Kaduna state told AFP.

Bahamas police find 4 burnt bodies on remote cay Posted: 06 Apr 2014 02:43 PM PDT NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Police in the Bahamas say the badly burnt bodies of four people have been found on a remote southern cay of the sprawling archipelago.

Norwich sacks manager Chris Hughton Posted: 06 Apr 2014 02:39 PM PDT NORWICH, England (AP) — Norwich sacked manager Chris Hughton and his backroom staff Sunday and replaced him with former player Neil Adams in a bid to keep the club in the Premier League next season.

Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 06 Apr 2014 02:32 PM PDT PERTH, Australia (AP) — Searchers hunting for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet raced toward a patch of the southern Indian Ocean on Sunday to determine whether a few brief sounds picked up by underwater equipment came from the plane's black boxes, whose battery-powered pingers are on the verge of dying out. Ships scouring a remote stretch of water for the plane that vanished nearly a month ago detected three separate sounds over three days. A Chinese ship picked up an electronic pulsing signal on Friday and again on Saturday, and an Australian ship carrying sophisticated deep-sea acoustic equipment detected a signal in a different area on Sunday, the head of the multinational search said.

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