Yahoo! News: World News

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• More than 50 rebels killed as new Ukraine leader unleashes assault
• Obama plans to end U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan by 2016
• Egypt extends presidential election to help Sisi
• After seismic elections, EU leaders assess damage
• Fire at hospital for elderly kills 21 in latest major South Korea accident
• Anti-World Cup protesters march on Brasilia stadium, face tear gas
• Abuse victims skeptical about meeting with pope
• Obama lawyer to look into CIA officer revelation
• Mali's defense minister resigns following army defeats: sources
• Puerto Rico bank, government clash over $230M
• Officials: Fire kills 21 in South Korean hospital
• EU calls on Russia to help end fighting in Ukraine
• Rangers ace Darvish scratched with neck stiffness
• Brazil's indigenous, police clash in protest
• French politics in disarray, except for far right
• USS Bataan moves into Mediterranean
• Fire in S. Korea hospice for elderly kills 21
• EU leaders call for simpler EU after poll setback
• Brazil prosecutors try to halt government WCup ads
• Guam anticipates $22M Medicaid funding shortfall
• Mali's defence minister resigns
• Chinese man sentenced for smuggling rhino horns
• Senator criticizes Chamber of Commerce's Cuba trip
• Puerto Rico converts energy sector reform into law
• U.S. business leader praises growth of free enterprise in Cuba
• Ukraine fighting intensifies after election
• 2016 U.S. pullout gives time to build Afghan force: U.S. general
• Withdrawal: Obama charts end to Afghan war by 2016
• U.S. beefs up Mediterranean crisis force with warship, Marines
• South Korean officials: 21 die in fire at hospital in southwest
• Mali's defence minister resigns in wake of army defeats: sources
• British bank chief demands ethical approach

More than 50 rebels killed as new Ukraine leader unleashes assault Posted: 27 May 2014 04:48 PM PDT By Sabina Zawadzki and Gabriela Baczynska DONETSK, Ukraine, May 27 (Reuters) - Ukrainian aircraft and paratroopers killed more than 50 pro-Russian rebels in an assault that raged into a second day on Tuesday after a newly elected president vowed to crush the revolt in the east once and for all. The unprecedented offensive throws a challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has said he reserves the right to defend Russian speakers under threat, but whose past assertions that Kiev is led by an illegitimate "junta" were undermined by the landslide election victory of billionaire Petro Poroshenko. Reuters journalists counted 20 bodies in combat fatigues in one room of a city morgue in Donetsk. Some of the bodies were missing limbs, a sign that the government had brought to bear heavy firepower against the rebels for the first time.

Obama plans to end U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan by 2016 Posted: 27 May 2014 02:10 PM PDT By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday outlined a plan to withdraw all but 9,800 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year and pull out the rest by the end of 2016, ending more than a decade of military engagement triggered by the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. The decision means that Obama will leave office in early 2017 having extricated the country from the longest war in U.S. history. Obama's White House Rose Garden announcement prompted criticism from Republicans that the hard-fought gains made against the Taliban could be lost in much the same way that sectarian violence returned to Iraq after the U.S. withdrawal. Obama, who made a whirlwind visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan over the weekend before American combat operations conclude at the end of 2014, appeared to anticipate concerns that he is abandoning Afghanistan.

Egypt extends presidential election to help Sisi Posted: 27 May 2014 10:32 AM PDT By Maggie Fick and Stephen Kalin CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's presidential election was extended by a day on Tuesday in an effort to boost lower than expected turnout that threatened to undermine the credibility of the frontrunner, former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. After Sisi called for record voter participation, low turnout would be seen at home and abroad as a setback for the field marshal who toppled Egypt's first freely elected leader, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi. Sisi faces only one challenger in the election: the leftist Hamdeen Sabahi, who came third in a 2012 vote won by Mursi and was seen as a long-shot in the race against an army man who became popular after ending Mursi's divisive year in office. "I was going to vote for Sisi because he will be the president anyway, and because I was grateful to him for removing the Brotherhood from power," said Hani Ali, 27, who works in the private sector.

After seismic elections, EU leaders assess damage Posted: 27 May 2014 04:12 PM PDT By Paul Taylor and Luke Baker BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders, stunned by a big Eurosceptic protest vote in European Parliament elections, agreed on Tuesday to seek a package deal of appointments to top EU jobs with an economic agenda to win back public confidence. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the 28-nation bloc's most powerful leader, acknowledged that her center-right party's candidate, former Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker, may not end up heading the executive European Commission. British Prime Minister David Cameron, under pressure after the anti-EU UK Independence Party won the European Parliament election in Britain, came to the EU summit in Brussels determined to block the nomination of Juncker, seen in London as an old-style European federalist. Sweden, the Netherlands and Hungary also voiced reservations and the 28 leaders mandated European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who chairs EU summits, to hold consultations on a slate of candidates for senior positions and a policy agenda for the next European Commission, Merkel told reporters.

Fire at hospital for elderly kills 21 in latest major South Korea accident Posted: 27 May 2014 03:47 PM PDT A fire at a rural South Korean hospital for chronically ill elderly patients on Wednesday killed 21 people and injured eight in the second major fire this week as the country still mourns victims of a ferry disaster last month. The midnight blaze at the hospital in the southwest region of Jeolla was put out relatively quickly, but most of the victims were elderly patients unable to walk or move freely, leading to the large number of casualties, fire officials said. All the victims were on the second floor of one building, and most of them suffered smoke inhalation, a local fire department official said by telephone. South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy and a leading manufacturing powerhouse, has developed into a vibrant and technically advanced democracy, but it faces criticism that regulatory controls and safety standards have not kept pace.

Anti-World Cup protesters march on Brasilia stadium, face tear gas Posted: 27 May 2014 03:08 PM PDT Police fired tear gas canisters to contain anti-World Cup demonstrators who tried to march to the Brasilia stadium where the soccer tournament's trophy was on public display on Tuesday. Adding to the tension, Indians in traditional tribal dress with bows drawn joined the protesters from the Homeless Worker's movement. The group says building stadiums to host the World Cup was too costly, caused real estate prices to soar and forced lower-income families out of their homes. Brazil is rushing to finish stadiums and urban transport systems in time for the World Cup in a climate of growing civil disobedience by groups of Brazilians who seek to disrupt the event saying its cost was excessive for a developing nation.

Abuse victims skeptical about meeting with pope Posted: 27 May 2014 04:59 PM PDT BOSTON (AP) — A man who took part in a private meeting six years ago between Pope Benedict XVI and victims of sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests said Tuesday that he hopes another summit planned soon with Benedict's successor will be more productive.

Obama lawyer to look into CIA officer revelation Posted: 27 May 2014 04:51 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's top lawyer will look into how the name of the CIA's top official in Afghanistan was accidently revealed to thousands of journalists, the White House said Tuesday.

Mali's defense minister resigns following army defeats: sources Posted: 27 May 2014 04:51 PM PDT Mali Defence Minister Soumeylou Boybeye Maiga resigned on Tuesday, less than a week after an embarrassing defeat of army forces by Tuareg separatist rebels who seized several northern towns, sources close to the minister said. The Malian army had launched a surprise assault on the rebel stronghold of Kidal last Wednesday after clashes broke out in the northern town the previous weekend during a visit by Prime Minister Moussa Mara. The government has said that President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita did not give the order for the army's botched attempt to retake Kidal and it launched an inquiry into the matter. Tuareg separatists accepted a cease-fire agreement on Friday brokered by the chairman of the African Union and U.N. special representative in Mali.

Puerto Rico bank, government clash over $230M Posted: 27 May 2014 04:47 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's government and one of the island's biggest banks are locked in a heated battle over $230 million as both sides struggle to regain their financial footing in a wobbly economy.

Officials: Fire kills 21 in South Korean hospital Posted: 27 May 2014 04:37 PM PDT SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A fire at a hospital annex housing elderly patients in the southwestern county of Jangseong killed 21 people early Wednesday, officials said.

EU calls on Russia to help end fighting in Ukraine Posted: 27 May 2014 04:31 PM PDT BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders on Tuesday hailed the presidential election in Ukraine and called on Vladimir Putin's Russia to do what it can to end the fighting in the country's east.

Rangers ace Darvish scratched with neck stiffness Posted: 27 May 2014 04:30 PM PDT MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish was scratched from his scheduled start at Minnesota because of neck stiffness he woke up with.

Brazil's indigenous, police clash in protest Posted: 27 May 2014 04:26 PM PDT BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Indigenous protesters in traditional headdress clashed with police in Brazil's capital Tuesday, resulting in one officer being shot in the leg with an arrow and the cancellation of a ceremony to open the exhibition of the World Cup trophy.

French politics in disarray, except for far right Posted: 27 May 2014 04:16 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — An anti-immigration movement founded by a man repeatedly convicted of anti-Semitism now leads polls in France. The mainstream conservative party risks collapse amid a financing scandal. The Socialist president is the most unpopular leader in modern French history.

USS Bataan moves into Mediterranean Posted: 27 May 2014 04:14 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Navy warship USS Bataan has moved into the Mediterranean Sea and could be used, if needed, for any possible evacuation of American personnel from Libya.

Fire in S. Korea hospice for elderly kills 21 Posted: 27 May 2014 04:08 PM PDT A fire tore through a hospice for the elderly in South Korea early Wednesday, killing 21 people -- the latest in series of deadly accidents following last month's ferry disaster that claimed around 300 lives. "We have recovered 21 bodies and seven people were injured, some of them in a serious condition," a fire department official told AFP from Jangseong County, about 190 miles (300 kilometres) south of Seoul. Although the fire was brought under control within 30 minutes, the official said many elderly patients on the second floor of the hospice were bedridden and unable to escape in time. The fact that most of the victims were sick and elderly will fuel debate about lax safety standards for vulnerable people following the Sewol ferry tragedy in which most of the victims were schoolchildren.

EU leaders call for simpler EU after poll setback Posted: 27 May 2014 04:01 PM PDT BRUSSELS (AP) — British Prime Minister David Cameron's recurring complaint that the European Union is "too big, too bossy, too interfering" gained traction at an EU summit on Tuesday, after election results that underscored voter apathy and hostility forced government leaders across the bloc to consider profound change.

Brazil prosecutors try to halt government WCup ads Posted: 27 May 2014 03:55 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Brazil have asked a court to suspend the airing of government advertisements touting the benefits that the World Cup will bring to the country, saying the ads are "absurdly divorced from reality."

Guam anticipates $22M Medicaid funding shortfall Posted: 27 May 2014 03:52 PM PDT HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — Public health officials in Guam are anticipating a $22 million funding shortfall in the territory's Medicaid program this fiscal year.

Mali's defence minister resigns Posted: 27 May 2014 03:51 PM PDT Bamako (AFP) - Mali's Defence Minister Soumeylou Boubèye Maiga resigned Tuesday, a week after army forces were overcome by armed rebels in the restive northeastern town of Kidal, a presidential spokesman said.

Chinese man sentenced for smuggling rhino horns Posted: 27 May 2014 03:45 PM PDT NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) — An antiques dealer from China has been sentenced to nearly six years in U.S. federal prison after admitting he was the mastermind of an international smuggling ring that specialized in rhinoceros horns and elephant ivory.

Senator criticizes Chamber of Commerce's Cuba trip Posted: 27 May 2014 03:42 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman has told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that he believes its trip to Cuba is a bad idea.

Puerto Rico converts energy sector reform into law Posted: 27 May 2014 03:41 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's governor signed a law Tuesday intended to revamp the U.S. territory's power company amid complaints of corruption and costly bills.

U.S. business leader praises growth of free enterprise in Cuba Posted: 27 May 2014 03:38 PM PDT By Daniel Trotta HAVANA (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce praised the growth of free enterprise in Cuba upon his arrival in Havana Tuesday at the start of a three-day visit that was criticized by a leading supporter of the U.S. embargo in Washington. Chamber President Thomas Donohue has long opposed the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba as an impediment to free enterprise for American companies that want to do business in the communist-ruled country. Now that free market reforms in recent years under Cuban President Raul Castro have created a class of small-business owners and private cooperatives and the government is courting foreign investment, Donohue has returned for the first time in 15 years. "I'm here because of the evidence that we're seeing in Cuba of an extraordinary expansion of free enterprise, the reduction in government jobs, and more private hiring, all of which is moving in the right direction," said Donohue, whose chamber is an influential lobbying group that bills itself as the world's largest business organization.

Ukraine fighting intensifies after election Posted: 27 May 2014 03:33 PM PDT DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — Dozens of dead insurgents lay piled in a van outside a morgue Tuesday, and a rebel said more were on the way. Bomb disposal experts disarmed a mortar round lodged in a corpse. A wrecked and blood-soaked truck at the Donetsk airport showed the grisly aftermath of battle.

2016 U.S. pullout gives time to build Afghan force: U.S. general Posted: 27 May 2014 03:27 PM PDT By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States believes Afghanistan has time to develop a reliable counterterrorism force before the end of 2016, when U.S. troops are due to withdraw under plans unveiled on Tuesday, the top U.S. military officer told Reuters. President Barack Obama announced plans to leave 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan at the start of next year, down from some 32,000 now. By the end of 2015, that U.S. presence would be reduced by about half. ...

Withdrawal: Obama charts end to Afghan war by 2016 Posted: 27 May 2014 03:18 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama announced plans Tuesday for keeping nearly 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after this year but then withdrawing virtually all by the close of 2016 and the conclusion of his presidency, charting an end to America's longest war.

U.S. beefs up Mediterranean crisis force with warship, Marines Posted: 27 May 2014 03:16 PM PDT A U.S. warship carrying about 1,000 Marines has moved into the Mediterranean Sea to augment the American crisis response force already deployed in the region, a military official said on Tuesday. The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, which carries a Marine Expeditionary Unit of about a thousand troops, had been participating in the Jordanian-led multinational military exercise Eager Lion before heading into the Mediterranean, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Bataan will increase the U.S. crisis response force already in the region. Earlier this month, U.S. officials said about 250 Marines plus several tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft, normally based in Spain, were at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily in case they were needed to evacuate Americans from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli during unrest there.

South Korean officials: 21 die in fire at hospital in southwest Posted: 27 May 2014 03:14 PM PDT SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials: 21 die in fire at hospital in southwest.

Mali's defence minister resigns in wake of army defeats: sources Posted: 27 May 2014 03:11 PM PDT BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's Defence Minister Soumeylou Boybeye Maiga resigned on Tuesday after Tuareg separatist rebels defeated an army assault on their stronghold Kidal last week and seized several northern towns, sources close to the minister said. "The minister of defence has resigned," his nephew Akimbo Maiga told Reuters by telephone. A ministry official, who asked not to be identified, also confirmed the information. (Reporting by Adama Diarra; Writing by Daniel Flynn)

British bank chief demands ethical approach Posted: 27 May 2014 03:05 PM PDT Bank of England chief Mark Carney on Tuesday warned that the capitalist system could collapse unless bankers began to behave more ethically. Speaking at a London conference on capitalism's future, Carney urged bankers to be "custodians of their institutions" and blamed the financial crisis on the sector's "reductionist view of the human condition". "Just as any revolution eats its children, unchecked market fundamentalism can devour the social capital essential for the long-term dynamism of capitalism itself," he said.

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