Yahoo! News: World News

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• Mediator heads to east Ukraine, seeking surrenders
• South Korea recovers first bodies from inside sunken ferry
• Iran says it watered down, converted over 200 kg of enriched uranium
• In Damascus, Christians briefly ignore war for Easter
• New militant group claims responsibility for Friday blast in Cairo
• U.N. peace envoy criticizes Israeli Easter security in Jerusalem
• Quigg stops Munyai to keep WBA super-bantam title
• Puerto Rico Cheo Feliciano wake attracts hundreds
• Angry protesters in Brazil burn buses over killing
• Cavani fires PSG to League Cup title
• Germany's Steinmeier urges focus on de-escalation with Russia, not sanctions
• Fox executive fired over Flight 370 charity email
• Asia seeks Obama's assurance in territorial spats
• French journalists free after 10-month Syria hostage ordeal
• Raptors exec apologizes for crude dig at Nets
• Top Asian News at 10:00 p.m. GMT
• Sporting wins to delay Benfica's title
• Crusaders continue mid-season charge
• Buses, cars burned in Brazil protest against police
• Vela's injury-time goal snatches win for Sociedad
• Snooker Champion O'Sullivan eases into second round
• Hamilton looks to topple Rosberg in China GP
• Balotelli leads AC Milan to 5th straight win
• Barcelona defends Messi, offers better contract
• Top Asian News at 9:00 p.m. GMT
• Holy fire ceremony draws thousands in Jerusalem
• Pope seeks to bring faith to "ends of the Earth"
• Quake hits near St. Kitts; no damage reported
• Christians mark Holy Fire rite on eve of Easter
• Sudanese militants kill two, kidnap three at oil field
• Top Asian News at 8:30 p.m. GMT
• Relegation-threatened Livorno switches coaches
• Ukraine rabbi seeks end to anti-Semitism row - in vain
• Captain of sunken SKorean ferry, 2 crew arrested

Mediator heads to east Ukraine, seeking surrenders Posted: 19 Apr 2014 11:12 AM PDT By Alastair Macdonald and Aleksandar Vasovic KIEV/DONETSK (Reuters) - A mediator from Europe's OSCE security body headed to eastern Ukraine on Saturday seeking the surrender of pro-Russian separatists as the Kiev government declared an Easter truce following a peace accord with Moscow. Gunmen occupying public buildings in Donetsk and other Russian-speaking border towns refuse to recognize an accord in Geneva on Thursday by which Russia, Ukraine and Kiev's U.S. and EU allies agreed that the OSCE should oversee the disarmament of militants and the evacuation of occupied facilities and streets.

South Korea recovers first bodies from inside sunken ferry Posted: 19 Apr 2014 04:05 PM PDT South Korean divers retrieved three bodies from inside a sunken ferry overnight, officials said on Sunday, the first time they have been able to gain entry to the passenger section of the ship. "At 11:48 p.m. (10.48 ET) the joint rescue team broke a glass window and succeeded in getting inside the vessel," the South Korean government said in a statement. The discovery of the bodies brought to 36 the official death toll from what looks to be South Korea's deadliest maritime accident in 21 years.

Iran says it watered down, converted over 200 kg of enriched uranium Posted: 19 Apr 2014 03:31 PM PDT Iran said on Saturday it had completed watering down and converting more than 200 kilograms (440 lb) of enriched uranium under a deal reached in Geneva last November with world powers over its disputed nuclear program. "Based on the agreement with the West, we were supposed to have half of our 200 kilogram stock of uranium diluted and the other half converted to uranium oxide," Iran's atomic chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, told the Arabic-language Al Alam television channel. The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Thursday that Iran has acted to cut its most sensitive nuclear stockpile by nearly 75 percent in implementing a landmark pact with world powers, but a planned facility it will need to fulfil the six-month deal has been delayed. Salehi, who heads the country's atomic energy organization, said the fast process of uranium conversion was expected to expedite the release of frozen Iranian assets in the West.

In Damascus, Christians briefly ignore war for Easter Posted: 19 Apr 2014 06:30 AM PDT The sound of battles echoes from the outskirts of the capital as Christians in Damascus celebrated the Easter weekend, briefly ignoring the conflict for the yearly ritual. At the gates of Saint George Syrian Orthodox Church - just a few minutes walk from a school where a mortar attack killed several children and injured dozens earlier this week - incense was burning as several uniformed and armed men stood patrol before Good Friday evening services. Inside the ancient city walls of the Old City where the church is located, the cobbled streets bustled with evening shoppers and diners, a rare sight reminiscent of pre-war Damascus. Christians, many belonging to ancient denominations found only in Syria, form about 10 percent of the country's population.

New militant group claims responsibility for Friday blast in Cairo Posted: 19 Apr 2014 08:06 AM PDT The Egyptian militant group Ajnad Misr claimed responsibility on Saturday for a blast that killed one police officer in Cairo. The bomb exploded in Cairo's Lebanon Square on Friday night, killing the officer and wounding another. Ajnad Misr, or Soldiers of Egypt, said in a statement on an Islamist website that its militants had monitored a police checkpoint in the square before detonating the bomb. It has claimed at least six attacks since then, including explosions outside Cairo University which killed a police brigadier-general and one other person earlier this month.

U.N. peace envoy criticizes Israeli Easter security in Jerusalem Posted: 19 Apr 2014 03:28 PM PDT By Allyn Fisher-Ilan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli police refused to let the U.N.'s peace envoy to the Middle East, other diplomats and a crowd of Palestinians pass through a barricade to attend a pre-Easter ritual in the Jerusalem church that Christians revere as the burial site of Jesus, the U.N. official said on Saturday. The incident, following two days of violence at a separate holy site known as a flashpoint for Jews and Muslims, underscored rising tensions in the politically charged city ahead of Pope Francis's Holy Land visit next month. Israel dismissed the U.N. complaint, calling it an attempt to inflate a "micro-incident" and saying police at the barricade keep people back as a crowd-control measure while there was no reported violence among the tens of thousands of Christians who thronged to the Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem's old walled city to witness the "Holy Fire" ritual. Robert Serry, the United Nation's peace envoy to the Middle East, said in a statement Israeli security officers had stopped a group of Palestinian worshippers and diplomats in a procession near the church, "claiming they had orders to that effect".

Quigg stops Munyai to keep WBA super-bantam title Posted: 19 Apr 2014 04:13 PM PDT MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Scott Quigg of Britain retained his WBA super-bantamweight title by stopping substitute Tshifhiwa Munyai of South Africa in the second round on Saturday.

Puerto Rico Cheo Feliciano wake attracts hundreds Posted: 19 Apr 2014 04:10 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hundreds of people are attending a wake for Puerto Rico salsa great Cheo Feliciano.

Angry protesters in Brazil burn buses over killing Posted: 19 Apr 2014 03:35 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Angry residents of a city near Rio de Janeiro have torched four buses to protest the death of a man killed by a bullet on his way to a Good Friday church service.

Cavani fires PSG to League Cup title Posted: 19 Apr 2014 03:31 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Edinson Cavani scored twice to fire Paris Saint-Germain to a 2-1 win over Lyon in the French League Cup final on Saturday.

Germany's Steinmeier urges focus on de-escalation with Russia, not sanctions Posted: 19 Apr 2014 03:27 PM PDT German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he wished as much emphasis would be placed on preventing an escalation of tensions with Russia over Ukraine as there is at the moment in threatening economic sanctions. In an interview to appear in Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday, Steinmeier appeared to be referring to threats from the United States as well as from within Germany about the need for economic sanctions against Russia. "I sometimes wish that the same engagement being used for the debate about sanctions would also exist when it comes to avoiding a further escalation," Steinmeier told the Sunday newspaper, according to excerpts released before publication. "We've already exhaustively discussed the sanctions issue," he added, in comments the newspaper said were addressed at German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who has called for economic sanctions against Russia.

Fox executive fired over Flight 370 charity email Posted: 19 Apr 2014 03:24 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A veteran Fox television executive who used her company email account to plan aid for loved ones of the missing Malaysian airplane's passengers has been fired.

Asia seeks Obama's assurance in territorial spats Posted: 19 Apr 2014 03:14 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Barack Obama travels through Asia this coming week, he will confront a region that's warily watching the crisis in Ukraine through the prism of its own territorial tensions with China.

French journalists free after 10-month Syria hostage ordeal Posted: 19 Apr 2014 03:13 PM PDT Four French journalists taken hostage in Syria last year were freed on Saturday after a 10-month ordeal in the world's most dangerous country for the media. French President Francois Hollande announced the release of Edouard Elias, Didier Francois, Nicolas Henin and Pierre Torres, saying they were "in good health despite the very challenging conditions of their captivity". Turkish soldiers found the four men abandoned in no-man's land on the border with Syria overnight, wearing blindfolds and with their hands bound, the Turkish news agency Dogan reported. They had been captured in two separate incidents in June last year while covering the conflict in Syria.

Raptors exec apologizes for crude dig at Nets Posted: 19 Apr 2014 03:03 PM PDT Toronto (Canada) (AFP) - Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri apologized Saturday for a foul-mouthed, fan-baiting speech at a rally prior to the Raptors' NBA playoff opener against the Brooklyn Nets. Ujiri, a Nigerian who was the first African-born general manager in the NBA and earned GM of the Year honors while with Denver, said he was trying to whip up the crowd outside the Air Canada Centre prior to Saturday's Eastern Conference clash when he concluded his remarks by shouting "F--- Brooklyn!"

Top Asian News at 10:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 19 Apr 2014 03:02 PM PDT MOKPO, South Korea (AP) — The captain of the ferry that sank off South Korea, leaving more than 300 missing or dead, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need. Two crew members also were taken into custody, including a rookie third mate who a prosecutor said was steering in challenging waters unfamiliar to her when the accident occurred. The number of confirmed dead rose to 36 after divers broke a window in the submerged ferry and retrieved three more bodies, Kim Kwang-hyun, a coast guard official, said early Sunday. These apparently were the first bodies recovered from inside the ferry since it sank Wednesday.

Sporting wins to delay Benfica's title Posted: 19 Apr 2014 02:34 PM PDT LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Sporting Lisbon won 1-0 at Belenenses on Saturday to secure at least a second-place finish in the Portuguese league and delay Benfica's title for at least one day.

Crusaders continue mid-season charge Posted: 19 Apr 2014 02:32 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Seven-time champions the Crusaders continued their mid-season revival in Super Rugby with an 18-17 win over the Chiefs to lift themselves into the playoffs zone and to second place in the New Zealand conference.

Buses, cars burned in Brazil protest against police Posted: 19 Apr 2014 02:31 PM PDT Four buses, a truck and two cars were burned Saturday in Brazil when demonstrators took to the streets to protest the deaths of two young men during police actions. The 17 and 21 year olds died Friday and Saturday in Niteroi, across the bay from Rio de Janeiro, local press reported. One was killed when his motorcycle hit an armored police vehicle, while the other was hit by crossfire in a gun battle between suspects and police, the Globo G1 news site said. In protest, around 30 protesters raised barricades and burned vehicles blocking the large avenues in Niteroi, as many residents were trying to head out of town for the Easter holiday weekend.

Vela's injury-time goal snatches win for Sociedad Posted: 19 Apr 2014 02:24 PM PDT BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Carlos Vela skillfully chested down a long pass before firing in Real Sociedad's injury-time winner to snatch a dramatic 2-1 win at home over Espanyol in the Spanish league on Saturday.

Snooker Champion O'Sullivan eases into second round Posted: 19 Apr 2014 02:22 PM PDT Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan began his quest for a sixth world snooker title with a comfortable 10-4 first-round win over Finland's Robin Hull at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Saturday. "I'm just pleased to have got through," said O'Sullivan. "There's one out of the way and I just move on to the next," said O'Sullivan, who will play either Jamie Burnett or Joe Perry in the second round. Lifting the world championship trophy for a sixth time would see 'The Rocket' draw level with one-time mentor Ray Reardon and Steve Davis while leaving him one shy of Scottish great Stephen Hendry's record of seven world titles.

Hamilton looks to topple Rosberg in China GP Posted: 19 Apr 2014 02:20 PM PDT Dominant Lewis Hamilton will gun for his third win in a row at Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix and hope he can also snatch the world championship lead from his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg. Such is Hamilton's form that he stormed to his third pole position of the season in a rain-soaked qualifying session on Saturday, and has won both races he has completed this year. But the Briton, seeking his second world title after winning in 2008, also knows that Mercedes' supremacy this year could come under threat from Red Bull and Ferrari in Shanghai. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel, whose cars qualified second and third respectively, managed to relegate championship leader Rosberg to fourth on the grid.

Balotelli leads AC Milan to 5th straight win Posted: 19 Apr 2014 02:18 PM PDT ROME (AP) — Mario Balotelli set a personal record with his 14th goal of the Serie A season and set up another score as AC Milan beat visiting Livorno 3-0 Saturday for its fifth straight win.

Barcelona defends Messi, offers better contract Posted: 19 Apr 2014 02:09 PM PDT BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona's president and manager defended Lionel Messi on Saturday from criticism for his erratic play during the team's recent collapse, and made sure to stamp out any talk of the club's all-time leading scorer leaving Camp Nou.

Top Asian News at 9:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 19 Apr 2014 02:03 PM PDT MOKPO, South Korea (AP) — The captain of the ferry that sank off South Korea, leaving more than 300 missing or dead, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need. Two crew members also were taken into custody, including a rookie third mate who a prosecutor said was steering in challenging waters unfamiliar to her when the accident occurred. The number of confirmed dead rose to 36 after divers broke a window in the submerged ferry and retrieved three more bodies, Kim Kwang-hyun, a coast guard official, said early Sunday. These apparently were the first bodies recovered from inside the ferry since it sank Wednesday.

Holy fire ceremony draws thousands in Jerusalem Posted: 19 Apr 2014 02:01 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — The dark hall inside Christianity's holiest shrine was illuminated with the flames from thousands of candles on Saturday as worshippers participated in the holy fire ceremony, a momentous spiritual event in Orthodox Easter rites.

Pope seeks to bring faith to "ends of the Earth" Posted: 19 Apr 2014 01:55 PM PDT VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis baptized 10 people Saturday and urged them to bring their faith "to the ends of the Earth" as he presided over an Easter Vigil in St. Peter's Basilica.

Quake hits near St. Kitts; no damage reported Posted: 19 Apr 2014 01:51 PM PDT BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (AP) — A magnitude-5.0 earthquake has struck northeast of the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, but there are no immediate reports of damage.

Christians mark Holy Fire rite on eve of Easter Posted: 19 Apr 2014 01:51 PM PDT Thousands of Christian pilgrims thronged the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City Saturday amid tight security to celebrate the Holy Fire ceremony on the eve of Easter. Believers hold that a divine fire from heaven ignites a flame in the church, built on the site where Christians say Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected. The flame is then passed between worshippers, candle to candle. The crowd roared as the Holy Fire was lit, in an ancient annual rite dating to the 4th century AD to symbolise the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday, an AFP correspondent said.

Sudanese militants kill two, kidnap three at oil field Posted: 19 Apr 2014 01:38 PM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Armed militants killed two security staff and kidnapped a Chinese, an Algerian and a Sudanese worker in an attack on an oil field in Sudan's West Kordofan state, army spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa'ad said on Saturday. Security forces are still tracing the perpetrators, he added. West Kordofan is the main oil-producing state in Sudan. It has faced several attacks by armed militants attempting to disrupt production. The main rebel group active in the area, the Justice and Equality Movement, denied any involvement in the latest incident. ...

Top Asian News at 8:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 19 Apr 2014 01:34 PM PDT MOKPO, South Korea (AP) — The captain of the ferry that sank off South Korea, leaving more than 300 missing or dead, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need. Two crew members also were taken into custody, including a rookie third mate who a prosecutor said was steering in challenging waters unfamiliar to her when the accident occurred. The number of confirmed dead rose to 36 after divers broke a window in the submerged ferry and retrieved three more bodies, Kim Kwang-hyun, a coast guard official, said early Sunday. These apparently were the first bodies recovered from inside the ferry since it sank Wednesday.

Relegation-threatened Livorno switches coaches Posted: 19 Apr 2014 01:31 PM PDT LIVORNO, Italy (AP) — Relegation-threatened Livorno has fired coach Domenico Di Carlo and rehired Davide Nicola following a 3-0 loss at AC Milan.

Ukraine rabbi seeks end to anti-Semitism row - in vain Posted: 19 Apr 2014 01:22 PM PDT By Aleksandar Vasovic and Alastair Macdonald DONETSK/KIEV (Reuters) - A Ukrainian rabbi whose congregation was the target of an anti-Semitic leaflet that drew global media interest and condemnation from the U.S. government believes it was a hoax and wants to put the matter to rest. But five days after the incident in the restive eastern city of Donetsk, Ukraine's prime minister, anxious to maintain U.S. support against Russia, issued a statement accusing Moscow and told a U.S. TV channel he would find the "bastards" responsible. On Monday evening, as Jews left a synagogue after a Passover service, masked men handed out fliers purported to be from pro-Russian separatists who seized the regional authority building in Donetsk and styled themselves as its government. In an echo of the Holocaust which devastated Ukraine's Jews, it ordered all Jews to register with them or face deportation.

Captain of sunken SKorean ferry, 2 crew arrested Posted: 19 Apr 2014 01:21 PM PDT MOKPO, South Korea (AP) — The captain of the ferry that sank off South Korea, leaving more than 300 missing or dead, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need. Two crew members also were taken into custody, including a rookie third mate who a prosecutor said was steering in challenging waters unfamiliar to her when the accident occurred.

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