Yahoo! News: World News

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• Ukraine says may block Russian aid convoy
• U.S. ready to help new Iraq leader, Iran welcomes choice
• Talks on ending Gaza war 'difficult', but truce holds
• Fearing Iraq's downfall, power brokers chose safe bet Abadi
• Afghan candidate casts fresh doubt over deal to share power
• Two dead, eight wounded in Ecuador earthquake
• German artists: We switched Brooklyn Bridge flags
• Judge orders exam for Guantanamo hunger striker
• UN: OK to use untested Ebola drugs in outbreak
• U.S. sends 130 more troops to Iraq
• US urges speedy formation of new Iraq government
• US sends 130 more military advisors to Iraq: Hagel
• Clippers sale to Steve Ballmer goes through
• Haiti recaptures kidnapper who escaped prison
• Activists to send ships this year to challenge Israel's blockade of Gaza
• Tsonga, Venus Williams lose in Cincinnati
• Hollywood lionizes Robin Williams as suicide probed
• Man Utd beat Valencia 2-1 in van Gaal home debut
• Officials: US to send 130 more advisers to Iraq
• United States sends another 130 military personnel to Iraq
• Retrofit needed to keep U.S. hurricane hunters flying into storms
• Cuomo invited to visit Palestinians on Israel trip
• ECOWAS official dies from Ebola in Nigeria
• Ecuador quake triggers deadly landslides
• Canada to donate 800 to 1,000 Ebola vaccine doses to WHO
• Liverpool agree fee for Sevilla defender Moreno
• Anger at army as small town near Ukraine rebel hub smoulders
• Quake rattles Ecuador's capital; 2 deaths reported
• Pitch invader waving Palestinian flag at Super Cup
• Flamengo player probed for alleged ties to militia
• Danish team brings Volvo Ocean Race fleet to 7
• 'Prince of Pot' back in Canada from US prison
• Egypt presents proposal to end war in Gaza
• Like stocks, junk bonds show investor jitters
• Ronaldo double clinches Super Cup for Real Madrid
• U.S. denies protections for wolverines, outrages conservationists
• Pavey, mother of 2, wins 10,000 at Euros at 40

Ukraine says may block Russian aid convoy Posted: 12 Aug 2014 07:59 AM PDT By Pavel Polityuk and Dmitry Zhdannikov KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian convoy of trucks carrying tonnes of humanitarian aid left on Tuesday for eastern Ukraine, where government forces are closing in on pro-Russian rebels, but Kiev said it would not allow the vehicles to cross onto its territory. Kiev and Western governments warned Moscow against any attempt to turn the operation into a military intervention by stealth in a region facing a humanitarian crisis after four months of warfare. "This cargo will be reloaded onto other transport vehicles (at the border) by the Red Cross," Ukrainian presidential aide Valery Chaly told journalists. "We will not allow any escort by the emergencies ministry of Russia or by the military (onto Ukrainian territory).

U.S. ready to help new Iraq leader, Iran welcomes choice Posted: 12 Aug 2014 12:17 PM PDT By Michael Georgy and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's new prime minister-designate won swift endorsements from uneasy mutual allies the United States and Iran on Tuesday as he called on political leaders to end crippling feuds that have let jihadists seize a third of the country. Haider al-Abadi still faces opposition closer to home, where his Shi'ite party colleague Nuri al-Maliki has refused to step aside after eight years as premier that have alienated Iraq's once dominant Sunni minority and irked Washington and Tehran. A statement from Maliki's office said he met senior security officials and army and police commanders to urge them "not to interfere in the political crisis". At least 17 people were killed in two car bombings in Shi'ite areas of Baghdad - a kind of attack that has become increasingly routine in recent months.

Talks on ending Gaza war 'difficult', but truce holds Posted: 12 Aug 2014 10:37 AM PDT By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Stephen Kalin GAZA/CAIRO (Reuters) - Talks to end a month-long war between Israel and Gaza militants are "difficult", Palestinian delegates said on Tuesday, while Israeli officials said no progress had been made so far and fighting could soon resume. As a 72-hour ceasefire held for a second day, Palestinian negotiators held fresh talks with Egyptian intelligence following a meeting on Monday that lasted nine hours. ...

Fearing Iraq's downfall, power brokers chose safe bet Abadi Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:09 PM PDT By Michael Georgy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to step aside had become unbearable. Sunnis, Kurds, fellow Shi'ites, regional power broker Iran and the United States all wanted him out. Maliki calculated he may have one more chance to hold onto power after eight years in office, even though alarmed allies had run out of patience as Islamic State jihadis swept government forces aside in much of western and northern Iraq. Maliki's plan would require persuading Iraq's most influential cleric that he alone could reform and unite a country that had slid back into a civil war fueled by what critics view as his sectarian politics.

Afghan candidate casts fresh doubt over deal to share power Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:47 PM PDT By Jessica Donati KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani cast fresh doubt over a deal to share power with his rival Abdullah Abdullah on Tuesday, saying the accord was ambiguous and needed clarifying. Abdullah was the clear winner in the first round of Afghanistan's presidential election in April, while a preliminary count showed Ghani won the run-off vote in June. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has twice flown to Kabul to try to defuse the crisis and last Friday helped persuade the pair to sign a framework agreement for sharing power, including control over key economic and security institutions.

Two dead, eight wounded in Ecuador earthquake Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:59 PM PDT Two people were killed, eight wounded and three trapped following a magnitude 5.1 earthquake near the Ecuadorean capital of Quito on Tuesday, a government office said via Twitter.

German artists: We switched Brooklyn Bridge flags Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:55 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Two German artists have claimed responsibility for replacing American flags on the Brooklyn Bridge with faded white versions last month in a bizarre urban mystery that exposed holes in security at one of the city's most enduring landmarks.

Judge orders exam for Guantanamo hunger striker Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:44 PM PDT MIAMI (AP) — A federal judge ordered the military Tuesday to allow an independent medical evaluation for a hunger-striking Guantanamo prisoner who his lawyers say is in sharply declining health as a result of his protest at the U.S. base in Cuba.

UN: OK to use untested Ebola drugs in outbreak Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:43 PM PDT MADRID (AP) — The World Health Organization declared it's ethical to use untested drugs and vaccines in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa, although the tiny supply of one experimental treatment has been depleted and it could be many months until more is available.

U.S. sends 130 more troops to Iraq Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:43 PM PDT Another 130 U.S. troops arrived in Iraq on Tuesday on what the Pentagon described as a temporary mission to assess the scope of the humanitarian crisis facing thousands of displaced Iraqi civilians trapped on Sinjar Mountain.

US urges speedy formation of new Iraq government Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:40 PM PDT SYDNEY (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Iraq's new leaders on Tuesday to work quickly to form an inclusive government and said the U.S. is prepared to offer significant additional aid in the fight against Islamic State militants.

US sends 130 more military advisors to Iraq: Hagel Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:35 PM PDT The United States has sent 130 more military advisors to northern Iraq to assess the scope of the humanitarian crisis there, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Tuesday. "I recommended to the president and the president has authorized me to go ahead and send about 130 new assessment team members up to northern Iraq in the Arbil area to take a closer look and give more in-depth assessment of where we can continue to help," said Hagel. Hagel added: "I would also say that this follows the criteria that President Obama has made very clearly that this is not any extension of any role other for the United States than to find ways to assist and help advise the Iraqi security forces. "As the president has made very clear, we're not going back to Iraq in any of the same combat mission dimensions that we once were in."

Clippers sale to Steve Ballmer goes through Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:32 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) — Steve Ballmer officially became the new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.

Haiti recaptures kidnapper who escaped prison Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:26 PM PDT PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Police recaptured an alleged kidnapper who escaped custody during a mass breakout that authorities believe was staged for him at a prison outside the Haitian capital, officials said Tuesday.

Activists to send ships this year to challenge Israel's blockade of Gaza Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:26 PM PDT Pro-Palestinian activists said on Tuesday they would send ships this year to the Gaza Strip to try to breach Israel's naval blockade, repeating an action that four years ago ended with Israeli marines boarding a vessel and killing nine Turks. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, made up of 10 rights groups from 10 countries, did not specify how many ships would sail or when. Israel views the Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), a leading participant, as a terrorist group. "It is the responsibility of civil society to challenge this blockade ... We plan to sail to Gaza during 2014," said Ann Ighe, a Swedish spokeswoman for the coalition, after a meeting in Istanbul of pro-Palestinian activists from 10 countries.

Tsonga, Venus Williams lose in Cincinnati Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:23 PM PDT MASON, Ohio (AP) — Jo-Wilfried Tsonga followed his week of big upsets with an early exit Tuesday, losing his opening match at the Western & Southern Open.

Hollywood lionizes Robin Williams as suicide probed Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:20 PM PDT A new generation of Hollywood royalty led by Oscar-winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon joined the greats of stand-up comedy Tuesday in hailing Robin Williams, after his apparent suicide. In a tribute to the 63-year-old comic actor's influence on younger greats, Williams' co-stars from "Good Will Hunting" -- the film that won him his Oscar -- joined the global outpouring of emotion. Further from the rarified air of Hollywood, the stand-up performers who shared the comedy circuit with Williams also chimed in. Thanks for everything," wrote Louis C.K., who cast Williams to play himself in an episode of his sitcom.

Man Utd beat Valencia 2-1 in van Gaal home debut Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:09 PM PDT MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United named Wayne Rooney as its new captain on Tuesday shortly after the team beat Valencia 2-1 in manager Louis van Gaal's first home game in charge of the English Premier League club.

Officials: US to send 130 more advisers to Iraq Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:09 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is sending 130 more military advisers to northern Iraq to help local forces in their escalating fight against Islamic militants, officials said Tuesday.

United States sends another 130 military personnel to Iraq Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:07 PM PDT The Obama administration has sent about 130 additional military personnel to Iraq, U.S Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Tuesday, as Washington seeks to help Iraq contain the threat posed by hardline militants from the Islamic State. Hagel, speaking to troops in California, said the soldiers had arrived in the area around Iraqi Kurdistan's capital, Arbil, earlier in the day on Tuesday. A U.S. defense official, in a statement issued as Hagel was speaking, said the soldiers sent to northern Iraq would "assess the scope of the humanitarian mission and develop additional humanitarian assistance options beyond the current airdrop effort in support of displaced Iraqi civilians trapped on Sinjar Mountain by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant." (Reporting By Missy Ryan;

Retrofit needed to keep U.S. hurricane hunters flying into storms Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:54 PM PDT Work on the two so-called hurricane hunters will be staggered over multiple years, ensuring one plane is always available to track a storm's intensity and path, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which operates the Florida-based planes. NOAA's two planes, which also fly hurricane reconnaissance missions, are equipped with additional weather research equipment. The retrofit comes at the peak of hurricane season, after NOAA last week predicted fewer storms than normal would affect the Atlantic region for the rest of the year. "It's like riding a giant wooden roller coaster," said Commander Devin Brakob, a NOAA aircraft specialist who has flown into 15 storms over the past 10 years.

Cuomo invited to visit Palestinians on Israel trip Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:54 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday invited New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and top state legislators who are heading to Israel this week to visit the Palestinian territories and experience "all sides of the conflict, not just one."

ECOWAS official dies from Ebola in Nigeria Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:52 PM PDT An ECOWAS official has died from Ebola in Nigeria, the West African regional bloc said on Tuesday, taking the total number of deaths in the country from the virus to three. "The ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Commission announces with deep regret the passing of a staff member of its Lagos Liaison Office, Mr Jatto Asihu Abdulqudir, aged 36," it said in a statement. "Mr Abdulqudir, a protocol assistant, was among those who assisted the Liberian delegate to a regional meeting Mr Patrick Sawyer, who died from the Ebola Virus Disease at a Lagos hospital on 25th July 2014." The official had been quarantined since Sawyer was confirmed as having Ebola, which has killed more than 1,000 people since the start of the year, most of them in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Ecuador quake triggers deadly landslides Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:49 PM PDT A shallow 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Ecuadoran capital Quito Tuesday, triggering landslides that killed at least two people and violently shaking buildings and homes. Another eight people were injured and three others trapped in the landslides at quarries on the outskirts of Quito, the country's risk management agency said on Twitter. Authorities closed roads around the capital in case of more landslides, and also shut the Quito airport. The quake lasted more than 20 seconds and caused panic in Quito, where residents evacuated buildings after it struck at 2:58 pm (1958 GMT).

Canada to donate 800 to 1,000 Ebola vaccine doses to WHO Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:46 PM PDT Canada will donate 800 to 1,000 doses of an Ebola vaccine it has developed in its government lab to the World Health Organization for use in Africa, Canadian Health Minister Rona Ambrose said on Tuesday. The Ebola outbreak, the world's largest and deadliest, in West Africa has killed 1,013 people so far. "Our government is committed to doing everything we can to support our international partners, including providing staff to assist with the outbreak response, funding and access to our experimental vaccine," Ambrose said in a statement.

Liverpool agree fee for Sevilla defender Moreno Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:43 PM PDT LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool says it has reached an agreement with Sevilla for the transfer of defender Alberto Moreno.

Anger at army as small town near Ukraine rebel hub smoulders Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:42 PM PDT Alexandra swept up glass outside the bank where she works in a small town in eastern Ukraine where fires still burned a hour after rockets rained down on its centre. The small town of Yasynuvata lies some 15 kilometres (9 miles) north of rebel bastion Donetsk in eastern Ukraine where government troops are waging a fierce battle to unseat the pro-Russian separatists. "It's all the Ukrainian army.

Quake rattles Ecuador's capital; 2 deaths reported Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:40 PM PDT QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A magnitude-5.1 earthquake shook Ecuador's capital and surrounding areas Tuesday, causing tall buildings to sway and sending some people rushing into the streets. The government said two people were confirmed dead and eight injured outside Quito.

Pitch invader waving Palestinian flag at Super Cup Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:37 PM PDT CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — A pitch invader waving a Palestinian flag briefly held up the UEFA Super Cup match between Real Madrid and Sevilla on Tuesday.

Flamengo player probed for alleged ties to militia Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:36 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian authorities say they will interrogate Flamengo midfielder Luiz Antonio as part of an investigation into criminal militia groups in Rio de Janeiro.

Danish team brings Volvo Ocean Race fleet to 7 Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:28 PM PDT COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has entered a team in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15, bringing the fleet to maximum of seven boats.

'Prince of Pot' back in Canada from US prison Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:25 PM PDT Canada's self-proclaimed "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery returned home Tuesday, vowing "political revenge" after spending more than four years in a US prison for selling marijuana seeds by mail across the border. The US Drug Enforcement Administration heralded Emery's initial arrest in Canada almost a decade ago as a "significant blow" to the pro-pot movement. During his incarceration, however, calls for softening marijuana laws across the Americas have grown louder, including a New York Times editorial last month comparing the US federal ban on cannabis to Prohibition. Uruguay, the first country to fully legalize production, sale and distribution of marijuana, meanwhile called for bids this month from private growers who want to farm cannabis in a public field.

Egypt presents proposal to end war in Gaza Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:24 PM PDT Egypt presented a proposed cease-fire to Israel and Hamas aimed at ending the monthlong war, Palestinian officials said early Wednesday after negotiators huddled for a second day of Egyptian-mediated talks meant to resolve the crisis and bring relief to the embattled Gaza Strip.

Like stocks, junk bonds show investor jitters Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:22 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market isn't the only place that's been signaling jitters among investors. The $2.3 trillion market for risky U.S. corporate debt has also been under pressure.

Ronaldo double clinches Super Cup for Real Madrid Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:18 PM PDT CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Moving on from a frustrating World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo began the new season as the last one ended for Real Madrid — with goals and a trophy.

U.S. denies protections for wolverines, outrages conservationists Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:16 PM PDT By Laura Zuckerman SALMON Idaho (Reuters) - U.S. wildlife managers on Tuesday denied federal protections for rare wolverines, outraging conservationists but pleasing Western states that opposed adding the reclusive but feisty member of the weasel family to the endangered and threatened species list. Last year the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed applying Endangered Species Act safeguards for the estimated 300 wolverines left in the Lower 48 states, most of which inhabit the high country of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. The service had said global warming was reducing mountain snows the animals use to dig dens and store food. "After carefully considering the best available science, the Service has determined that the effects of climate change are not likely to place the wolverine in danger of extinction now or in the foreseeable future," Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Gavin Shire said in a statement.

Pavey, mother of 2, wins 10,000 at Euros at 40 Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:11 PM PDT ZURICH (AP) — Jo Pavey won the first major title in her career at 40 and as a mother of two — still breastfeeding her daughter Emily during the spring when her rivals were in the midst of self-centered, focused preparation.

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