Yahoo! News: World News

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• Cuba's Raul Castro steps out of brother's shadow with U.S. deal, support surges
• China arrests U.S. missionary near North Korea border
• Israel bombs Gaza militant base after rocket hits southern Israel
• Fifteen U.S.-led air strikes target Islamic State militants: task force
• Cuba not returning to capitalism despite U.S. deal: Castro's daughter
• Obama to block exports of goods, technology, services to Crimea
• Celebrities react to latest Sony hack developments
• Cuban cigar boom? Not yet, stores and customers say
• State Dept. warns US travelers to be extra careful
• Dhawan hurt in practice ahead of day 4, 2nd test
• Court finds anti-whaling protesters in contempt
• Israeli air planes strike in Gaza Strip after rocket
• Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT
• China arrests US aid worker near N. Korean border
• AP Interview: Coelho says Sony hack threatens all
• Franciscan religious order in 'grave' financial crisis
• Coal ash is not hazardous waste under U.S. agency rules
• Obama vows U.S. response to North Korea over Sony cyber attack
• China's wealth finds home in Washington state
• US imposes new Russia sanctions ahead of Ukraine peace talks
• UN asks Israel to pay Lebanon $850 million for oil spill
• UN urging Taliban to reduce Afghan civilian casualties
• Israel carries out airstrike on Hamas site in Gaza
• Obama signs massive defense spending bill
• Shipulin wins biathlon sprint in Slovenia
• Federal court finds protesters in contempt for ignoring order to halt anti-whaling campaign
• Israeli army says it has carried out an airstrike in Gaza targeting a Hamas site
• No word yet from Fidel amid historic US-Cuba shift
• Obama warns N. Korea over Sony hack: 'We will respond'
• Sony on shelving 'The Interview': 'We had no choice'
• Obama signs bill deepening US-Israeli cooperation
• How Syria policy stalled under the 'analyst in chief'
• Suspected Honduran drug kingpins extradited to US
• Obama imposes sanctions on Crimea, echoes EU
• Kenyan leader signs controversial anti-terror bill into law
• London 'garden bridge' gets official approval
• Lens moves away from relegation zone after beating Nice 2-0
• Robben scores late for Bayern to beat Mainz 2-1
• Lots to say in historic Obama-Castro phone call
• US officially accuses North Korea of Sony hacking

Cuba's Raul Castro steps out of brother's shadow with U.S. deal, support surges Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:23 PM PST By Daniel Trotta and Rosa Tania Valdés HAVANA (Reuters) - Stepping out of his legendary brother's shadow, President Raul Castro has scored a diplomatic triumph and a surge in popular support with the deal that ends decades of open hostility with the United States. For many Cubans, the restoration of diplomatic relations and President Barack Obama's promise to dismantle economic sanctions against the communist-run island have raised hopes of a more prosperous future. ...

China arrests U.S. missionary near North Korea border Posted: 19 Dec 2014 12:50 PM PST By Megha Rajagopalan BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Friday arrested Korean American missionary who was being held near the country's border with North Korea, signaling a toughening crackdown on Christian activists in the sensitive region. Peter Hahn, 74, is being charged with embezzlement and counterfeiting receipts, his lawyer, Zhang Peihong, told Reuters. Zhang said he believed authorities were targeting Hahn because of his Christian faith and because he ran a non-governmental organization. "The charges leveled against him are just excuses," Zhang said. ...

Israel bombs Gaza militant base after rocket hits southern Israel Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:44 PM PST GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft bombed a Hamas militant base in the Gaza Strip on Friday for the first time since the end of a war in the territory, in response to a rocket that militants launched earlier in the day, the army said. The bombs struck in the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip. Local hospital officials said there were no casualties. The militant rocket fired earlier landed in a field in southern Israel and did not cause casualties. "The IDF (military) will not permit any attempt to undermine the security and jeopardize the well being of the civilians of Israel. ...

Fifteen U.S.-led air strikes target Islamic State militants: task force Posted: 19 Dec 2014 08:09 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition conducted 15 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria on Friday, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement. Eleven strikes in Iraq hit several groups of Islamic State militants as well as other vehicles and a building, among other targets, according to the statement In Syrian, four air strikes hit two units of militant fighters and an Islamic State training compound, among other targets, the task force said. (Reporting by Washington Newsroom; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Cuba not returning to capitalism despite U.S. deal: Castro's daughter Posted: 19 Dec 2014 01:46 PM PST By Rosa Tania Valdés HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba will defend its socialist principles and will not return to capitalism just because it has agreed a detente with the United States, the daughter of President Raul Castro said, dispelling any notion that U.S. companies would be free to roll into Cuba. "The people of Cuba don't want to return to capitalism," Mariela Castro, a member of parliament, told Reuters on Friday. Cuba and the United States on Wednesday agreed to end more than five decades of animosity and re-establish full diplomatic relations. U.S. ...

Obama to block exports of goods, technology, services to Crimea Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:25 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday said he would ban exports of goods, technology or services to Ukraine's Crimea region, and called on Russia to end its annexation of the region. In a statement, Obama said his order "is intended to provide clarity to U.S. corporations doing business in the region and reaffirm that the United States will not accept Russia's occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea." The measures followed similar moves by the European Union this week. Canada also announced such measures on Friday. ...

Celebrities react to latest Sony hack developments Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:51 PM PST Latest reaction from Hollywood and beyond to the Sony hacking scandal and President Obama's remarks Friday that the studio "made a mistake" in not releasing its embattled film "The Interview":

Cuban cigar boom? Not yet, stores and customers say Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:48 PM PST MIAMI (AP) — The coveted Cuban cigar is set to make its first legal appearance in the U.S. in years, with relaxed guidelines allowing American travelers to return with a few of the once-forbidden items in their suitcases. But the cigars won't roll into stores just yet, and owners say they aren't worried about any dip in business.

State Dept. warns US travelers to be extra careful Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:45 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department is warning Americans traveling abroad to be extra cautious over the holidays.

Dhawan hurt in practice ahead of day 4, 2nd test Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:43 PM PST BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — India opener Shikhar Dhawan retired hurt ahead of the resumption of play on day four of the second test against Australia after being hit on the forearm during a practice session on Saturday morning.

Court finds anti-whaling protesters in contempt Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:42 PM PST SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Radical environmentalists who threw acid and smoke bombs at Japanese whalers were found in contempt of court Friday for continuing their relentless campaign to disrupt the annual whale hunt off the waters of Antarctica.

Israeli air planes strike in Gaza Strip after rocket Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:39 PM PST Israeli air planes struck targets in the southern Gaza Strip, witnesses and the army said early Saturday, hours after a rocket from the Palestinian enclave hit the Jewish state. A spokesman for Gaza's health ministry said there were no casualties in the attack, the first air strike by Israel on the Palestinian enclave since the summer truce that ended the deadly 50-day war between the sides. The Israeli army confirmed the strike, which it said "targeted a Hamas terror infrastructure site". On Friday, a rocket fired from Gaza hit an open field in southern Israel, Israeli police said, causing no casualties or damage.

Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:33 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama declared Friday that Sony "made a mistake" in shelving a satirical film about a plot to assassinate North Korea's leader and pledged the U.S. would respond "in a place and manner and time that we choose" to the hack attack on Sony that the FBI blamed on the communist government. Speaking of executives at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Obama said at a year-end news conference, "I wish they had spoken to me first. ... We cannot have a society in which some dictatorship someplace can start imposing censorship."

China arrests US aid worker near N. Korean border Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:30 PM PST BEIJING (AP) — A Korean-American aid worker running a school in a Chinese city near North Korea has been arrested on charges of embezzlement and possession of fake invoices, his lawyer said Friday, in a sign that authorities are increasingly sensitive about activities by foreigners in the border region.

AP Interview: Coelho says Sony hack threatens all Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:28 PM PST GENEVA (AP) — Brazilian author Paulo Coelho says the Sony hack threatens us all if society doesn't enforce important values: our individual and collective freedom of expression and an unwavering refusal to negotiate with anonymous terrorists.

Franciscan religious order in 'grave' financial crisis Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:04 PM PST ROME (AP) — The main Franciscan religious order in the Roman Catholic Church is in a financial crisis because of alleged wrongdoing from within and outside its ranks, the head of the order said.

Coal ash is not hazardous waste under U.S. agency rules Posted: 19 Dec 2014 04:02 PM PST By Jonathan Kaminsky (Reuters) - In a disappointment to environmentalists, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued rules on Friday labeling coal ash, a byproduct of coal-based power production containing toxic materials such as arsenic and lead, as non-hazardous waste. The label means that states and environmental groups taking legal action, and not the EPA, will be the primary enforcers of the first-ever federal rules targeting coal ash, which will require the closure of some coal ash holding ponds leaking contaminants into surrounding water but will not cover others. ...

Obama vows U.S. response to North Korea over Sony cyber attack Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:52 PM PST By Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to respond to a devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures that he blamed on North Korea, and scolded the Hollywood studio for caving in to what he described as a foreign dictator imposing censorship in America. Obama said the cyber attack caused a lot of damage to Sony but that the company should not have let itself be intimidated into halting the public release of "The Interview," a lampoon portraying the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. ...

China's wealth finds home in Washington state Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:51 PM PST MEDINA, Washington (AP) — Savvy Seattle-area real estate agents have gained an advantage by paying attention to the growing connections between China and Washington state.

US imposes new Russia sanctions ahead of Ukraine peace talks Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:48 PM PST The United States imposed sanctions Friday on Russian-controlled Crimea as Ukraine announced the loss of five soldiers ahead of peace talks meant to end a war against Russian-backed insurgents. President Barack Obama prohibited American exports of goods or services to Crimea, a strategic peninsula and vacation destination that Russian seized from Ukraine last March. "The United States will not accept Russia's occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea," Obama said in a statement.

UN asks Israel to pay Lebanon $850 million for oil spill Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:47 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution asking Israel to pay Lebanon over $850 million in damages for an oil spill caused by an Israeli air force attack on oil storage tanks during its war with Hezbollah in July 2006.

UN urging Taliban to reduce Afghan civilian casualties Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:38 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. said Friday it's been talking to the Taliban about reducing civilian casualties in Afghanistan but hasn't seen any change on the ground, where it attributes 75 percent of deaths and injuries this year to the insurgent group that used to rule the country.

Israel carries out airstrike on Hamas site in Gaza Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:30 PM PST JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's military struck a Hamas site in the Gaza Strip early Saturday in its first airstrike on the Palestinian territory since this summer's war.

Obama signs massive defense spending bill Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:10 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law a massive U.S. defense policy bill that endorses his plan to fight Islamic State militants, including air strikes and training Iraqis and moderate Syrian rebels.

Shipulin wins biathlon sprint in Slovenia Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:04 PM PST POKLJUKA, Slovenia (AP) — Anton Shipulin of Russia shot clean to win a men's 10-kilometer sprint on Friday for his first biathlon World Cup victory of the season.

Federal court finds protesters in contempt for ignoring order to halt anti-whaling campaign Posted: 19 Dec 2014 03:02 PM PST SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Federal court finds protesters in contempt for ignoring order to halt anti-whaling campaign.

Israeli army says it has carried out an airstrike in Gaza targeting a Hamas site Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:58 PM PST GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli army says it has carried out an airstrike in Gaza targeting a Hamas site.

No word yet from Fidel amid historic US-Cuba shift Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:57 PM PST HAVANA (AP) — Everyone in Cuba is talking about the startling turn in relations with the United States, with one notable exception: Fidel Castro.

Obama warns N. Korea over Sony hack: 'We will respond' Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:54 PM PST US President Barack Obama on Friday warned North Korea it would face retaliation for a crippling cyber attack on Sony Pictures over an irreverent film comedy that infuriated Pyongyang. Obama said the movie giant had "made a mistake" in canceling the Christmas Day release of "The Interview," a madcap romp about a CIA plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Sony defended its decision, made after anonymous hackers invoked the 9/11 attacks in threatening cinemas screening the film, prompting theater chains to say they would not risk showing it. An envoy for Pyongyang denied the secretive state was behind the hacking, which led to the release of a trove of embarrassing emails, scripts and other internal communications, including information about salaries and employee health records.

Sony on shelving 'The Interview': 'We had no choice' Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:51 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Following pointed criticism from President Barack Obama for shelving "The Interview," Sony Pictures Entertainment on Friday defended its decision, claiming it had no choice but to cancel the film's Christmas Day theatrical release.

Obama signs bill deepening US-Israeli cooperation Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:46 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has signed a bill deepening U.S.-Israeli cooperation and says the legislation reinforces "critical defense and security programs."

How Syria policy stalled under the 'analyst in chief' Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:45 PM PST By David Rohde and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - (In Oct. 9 story, corrects paragraph 12 to clarify that size of Obama's National Security Council staff has continued to grow, rather than "has nearly doubled", after the White House clarified numbers it had provided to Reuters. ) Throughout 2012, as signs mounted that militants in Syria were growing stronger, the debate in the White House followed a pattern. ...

Suspected Honduran drug kingpins extradited to US Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:41 PM PST ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP) — Two Honduran brothers suspected of running one of the world's largest drug-trafficking rings have been extradited to the U.S. and charged in federal court.

Obama imposes sanctions on Crimea, echoes EU Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:37 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama banned new investments in Crimea on Friday, slapping sanctions on the peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine earlier this year.

Kenyan leader signs controversial anti-terror bill into law Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:34 PM PST Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday signed into law a controversial anti-terrorism bill that sparked brawls in parliament and provoked charges that it violates basic freedoms. Kenyatta said he was satisfied that the text adopted by the National Assembly on Thursday did not breach the country's bill of rights. The controversial measures extend the time police can hold terror suspects from the current 90 days to nearly a year and increase the sentences they face. The opposition and rights groups, however, dismissed the amendments as sugercoating and said the law risked turning Kenya into a police state.

London 'garden bridge' gets official approval Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:30 PM PST London (AFP) - The project to create a garden bridge over the River Thames between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars got the final go-ahead on Friday, with the office of the London mayor announcing construction could start in 2015.

Lens moves away from relegation zone after beating Nice 2-0 Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:26 PM PST PARIS (AP) — Lens beat mid-table Nice 2-0 on Friday to secure a vital win its relegation battle and move provisionally out of the relegation zone.

Robben scores late for Bayern to beat Mainz 2-1 Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:25 PM PST BERLIN (AP) — Arjen Robben's last-minute strike gave Bayern Munich a 2-1 win at Mainz to set a Bundesliga record for points at the halfway stage of the season on Friday.

Lots to say in historic Obama-Castro phone call Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:21 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — When the leaders of the U.S. and Cuba had their first phone conversation in more than 50 years, they were not at a loss for words.

US officially accuses North Korea of Sony hacking Posted: 19 Dec 2014 02:14 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Friday formally accused North Korea's government of being responsible for the dramatic hacker break-in at Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. but offered few hints about how or whether it would retaliate. Its proof: The U.S. detected communications between computer Internet addresses known to be operated by North Korea and hacking tools left behind at the crime scene, which the FBI also said contained subtle clues linking them to that country's government.

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