Yahoo! News: World News

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• Obama says Sony hack not an act of war
• Iraqi Kurds, Yazidis fight Islamic State for strategic town of Sinjar
• Essebsi declares win in Tunisia election, rival contests
• Syria says Israeli drone downed in Quneitra
• U.S.-led forces launch 13 air strikes in Iraq, three in Syria
• Libya's official government targets rival forces trying to seize ports
• South Korea lowers outlook on weak private sector
• China arrests thousands in porn, gambling crackdown: Xinhua
• U.S. firm finds malware targeting visitors to Afghan government websites
• Top Asian News at 1:00 a.m. GMT
• Johnson rewards Poyet for leap of faith
• Interim prime minister named in politically fractious Haiti
• Australian woman charged with murder of 8 children
• IMF policies criticised over Ebola outbreak
• France: Driver goes on rampage, feeding fears
• Mexico's church calls for changes in government strategy
• Brazil draws with US to win home tournament
• Liverpool held by Arsenal, Marseille top in France
• Belarus strongman looks to revive Ukraine peace talks
• S. Africa's Zuma in 'perfect condition' after health scare
• Griezmann nets 3 in Atletico's 4-1 win at Bilbao
• Driver ploughs into pedestrians in France's second 'Allahu Akbar' attack
• Invoking Allah, driver slams car into pedestrians in eastern France
• Benfica beats Gil Vicente 1-0, keeps 6-point lead
• 20 jihadists killed in failed east Syria airport attack
• S.Africa's Zuma vows to stop opposition from disrupting him
• Marseille beats Lille 2-1 to end year atop Ligue 1
• Nigerian Islamic extremists pose regional threat
• PAOK beats Levadiakos 2-1 in Greek league
• Protesters demand justice for Burkina legend Sankara
• Basque government proposes plan to aid ETA's disarmament
• Exit poll: Ex-regime official is Tunisia's new president
• Lazio held to 2-2 draw, stays 3rd in Serie A
• McCoist leaves troubled Rangers
• Protester takes perch on St. Peter's façade
• McCoist quits as manager of Scottish side Rangers
• German-language pop superstar Udo Juergens dies
• Shock and anger in NY after two police murdered

Obama says Sony hack not an act of war Posted: 21 Dec 2014 09:46 AM PST By Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama moved to prevent U.S. anger at North Korea from spiraling out of control on Sunday by saying the massive hacking of Sony Pictures was not an act of war but instead was cyber-vandalism. Washington's longstanding dispute with North Korea, which for years has centered on its nuclear weapons program, has entered new territory with the accusation that Pyongyang carried out an assault on a major Hollywood entertainment company. ...

Iraqi Kurds, Yazidis fight Islamic State for strategic town of Sinjar Posted: 21 Dec 2014 03:56 PM PST By Isabel Coles MOUNT SINJAR, Iraq (Reuters) - Kurdish and Yazidi fighters battled to take the strategic northern Iraqi town of Sinjar back from Islamic State on Sunday after breaking a months-long siege of the mountain above it. Seizing the town would restore the majority of territory Iraq's Kurds lost in the jihadist group's surprise August offensive. It would also give a huge strategic victory to both the Iraqi Kurds and the central government in Baghdad, as the Kurdish fighters could then cut the highway from Syria to Mosul, a vital supply line for Islamic State. Backed by U.S. ...

Essebsi declares win in Tunisia election, rival contests Posted: 21 Dec 2014 01:24 PM PST By Patrick Markey and Tarek Amara TUNIS (Reuters) - Veteran politician Beji Caid Essebsi declared victory in Sunday's presidential run-off vote, seen as the last step in Tunisia's shift to full democracy four years after an uprising ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. Official results are not due until Monday and his rival, the incumbent president, Moncef Marzouki, refused to concede defeat. ...

Syria says Israeli drone downed in Quneitra Posted: 21 Dec 2014 03:24 PM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria said on Sunday that an Israeli drone had been brought down in the province of Quneitra near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. State media said the drone was flying above the village of Hadar when it was downed. It was not immediately clear whether it had been shot down or had crashed. Quneitra has seen heavy fighting between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebels including al-Qaeda-linked fighters. ...

U.S.-led forces launch 13 air strikes in Iraq, three in Syria Posted: 21 Dec 2014 10:11 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces attacked Islamic State targets on Sunday with 13 air strikes in Iraq and three in Syria, using fighter, bomber and other aircraft, the U.S. military said. Four of the Iraq strikes were near Sinjar in the north of the country, which destroyed Islamic State buildings, tactical units and vehicles, while other Iraqi cities targeted included Tal Afar, Ramadi, Mosul and Baiji, according to the Combined Joint Task Force. The strikes in Syria over the weekend were focused around the contested city of Kobani near the Turkish border, it said in a statement. ...

Libya's official government targets rival forces trying to seize ports Posted: 21 Dec 2014 10:10 AM PST By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Military planes loyal to Libya's recognized government attacked on Sunday an opposing force that is seeking to seize the country's two biggest oil ports, officials said. The advancing force, which is allied to a rival government based in Tripoli, moved east a week ago to try take the Es Sider and Ras Lanuf ports. The adjacent terminals have since closed, halting exports of an estimated 300,000 barrels a day of oil. ...

South Korea lowers outlook on weak private sector Posted: 21 Dec 2014 05:08 PM PST SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea has lowered its growth forecast for next weak citing the persistently weak sentiment among consumers and businesses.

China arrests thousands in porn, gambling crackdown: Xinhua Posted: 21 Dec 2014 05:08 PM PST SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has detained over 30,000 people during a two-month clamp down on pornography and gambling, state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday. In the latest arrests, police in the southern province of Guangdong arrested 3,014 and put more than 8,000 in criminal detention as of Dec. 15, Xinhua reported the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department as saying. In Huizhou City, police busted an online gambling ring involving funds of 30 million yuan ($4.82 million) on Nov. 24. Gambling has been illegal on mainland China since 1949, though a state lottery does operate. ...

U.S. firm finds malware targeting visitors to Afghan government websites Posted: 21 Dec 2014 05:05 PM PST By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Malicious software likely linked to China is being used to infect visitors to a wide range of official Afghan government websites, U.S. cybersecurity researchers say. ThreatConnect, a Virginia-based cybersecurity firm, said its researchers last week found a corrupted JavaScript file that is being used to host content on "gov.af" websites, and there are no antivirus protections available for the malware. ...

Top Asian News at 1:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 21 Dec 2014 05:02 PM PST HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama says the United States is reviewing whether to put North Korea back on its list of state sponsors of terrorism as Washington decides how to respond to what he calls an "act of cybervandalism," not one of war, against a movie company. Sony Pictures Entertainment, which said it canceled the theatrical release of "The Interview" after distributors refused to show it, pledged to find a way to get the film out. "How it's going to be distributed, I don't think anybody knows quite yet," a Sony lawyer said. The comedy involves a plot to assassinate North Korea's leader.

Johnson rewards Poyet for leap of faith Posted: 21 Dec 2014 04:44 PM PST Newcastle (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Adam Johnson played the decisive role in Sunderland's 1-0 win at Newcastle United in the Premier League, but only after persuading manager Gus Poyet to let him stay on the pitch.

Interim prime minister named in politically fractious Haiti Posted: 21 Dec 2014 04:43 PM PST PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Health Minister Florence Duperval Guillaume was named as Haiti's interim prime minister on Sunday following the resignation of her predecessor a week ago amid a stalemate over delayed legislative elections.

Australian woman charged with murder of 8 children Posted: 21 Dec 2014 04:33 PM PST CAIRNS, Australia (AP) — A judge on Monday rejected a plea by lawyers for an Australia woman charged with killing eight children to have the next hearing held in a mental health court.

IMF policies criticised over Ebola outbreak Posted: 21 Dec 2014 04:29 PM PST International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies left healthcare systems in the African countries worst affected by Ebola underfunded and lacking doctors, and hampered a coordinated response to the outbreak, researchers said Monday. Links between the IMF and the rapid spread of the disease were examined by researchers from Cambridge University's sociology department, with colleagues from Oxford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. They found IMF programmes held back the development of effective health systems in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the three countries at the epicentre of the outbreak that has killed over 7,370 people. Reforms advocated by the IMF hampered the ability of the health systems to cope with infectious disease outbreaks and other emergencies, the researchers found.

France: Driver goes on rampage, feeding fears Posted: 21 Dec 2014 04:14 PM PST PARIS (AP) — A driver deliberately slammed his car into crowds around the city of Lyon in southeastern France on Sunday, raising concerns at a time when Islamic extremists are calling for attacks in France.

Mexico's church calls for changes in government strategy Posted: 21 Dec 2014 04:06 PM PST MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Roman Catholic Church is calling on the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto to make changes to its strategies for dealing with the crisis of violence and impunity that is shaking the country.

Brazil draws with US to win home tournament Posted: 21 Dec 2014 04:02 PM PST BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil's women's soccer team held on for a 0-0 draw with the United States to win the International Tournament of Brasilia on Sunday.

Liverpool held by Arsenal, Marseille top in France Posted: 21 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST LONDON (AP) — Liverpool is starting to produce the kind of fluent attacking displays that led the team to a second-place finish in the English Premier League last season.

Belarus strongman looks to revive Ukraine peace talks Posted: 21 Dec 2014 03:48 PM PST Kiev (AFP) - The authoritarian leader of Belarus flew into Kiev on Sunday hoping to revive stalled Ukrainian peace talks he has been hosting to calm Europe's volatile eastern edge.

S. Africa's Zuma in 'perfect condition' after health scare Posted: 21 Dec 2014 03:39 PM PST South Africa's President Jacob Zuma on Sunday declared that he was in "perfect condition", in his first comments allaying concerns over his health following his hospitalisation in June. Zuma told the public broadcaster SABC television in a year-end interview that the elections earlier in the year had taken a toll on him after he went into "overdrive". Due to the exhaustion the 72-year old was forced at one time in June to hand more duties to his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa. Power shortage is regularly cited as one of the weaknesses hampering South Africa's growth.

Griezmann nets 3 in Atletico's 4-1 win at Bilbao Posted: 21 Dec 2014 03:20 PM PST BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — France forward Antoine Griezmann netted a second-half hat trick to help Atletico Madrid roar back for a 4-1 win at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, as Diego Simeone's side pulled within four points of the lead in the Spanish league.

Driver ploughs into pedestrians in France's second 'Allahu Akbar' attack Posted: 21 Dec 2014 03:04 PM PST A driver shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") ploughed into pedestrians in eastern France on Sunday, injuring 11 of them, just a day after a man yelling the same words was killed in an attack on police officers. Two of the people injured in the car attack in the city of Dijon were in a serious condition, a police source said, adding that the driver had been arrested. Witnesses told police that the driver shouted "Allahu Akbar" and "that he was acting for the children of Palestine", a source close to the investigation said. Prime Minister Manuel Valls took to Twitter to express "solidarity" with those injured in the attack.

Invoking Allah, driver slams car into pedestrians in eastern France Posted: 21 Dec 2014 03:00 PM PST PARIS (Reuters) - French police arrested a man on Sunday evening after he deliberately mowed down a dozen pedestrians in the eastern city of Dijon, badly injuring two of them and shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is the greatest"), authorities said. The previous day, French police in central France shot dead a man who stabbed and wounded three officers in a police station while shouting those same Arabic words. ...

Benfica beats Gil Vicente 1-0, keeps 6-point lead Posted: 21 Dec 2014 02:43 PM PST LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Benfica beat bottom side Gil Vicente 1-0 at home to restore its six-point lead in the Portuguese league on Sunday.

20 jihadists killed in failed east Syria airport attack Posted: 21 Dec 2014 02:42 PM PST At least 20 Islamist State (IS) group members were killed in the second failed jihadist bid in a month to take over an air base in eastern Syria, a monitoring group said Sunday. "The IS tried, starting late Saturday, to storm the air base. A total of 20 jihadists were killed in the attack, as well as two regime soldiers," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "The withdrawing jihadists seized and took with them several anti-aircraft missiles," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

S.Africa's Zuma vows to stop opposition from disrupting him Posted: 21 Dec 2014 02:40 PM PST South African President Jacob Zuma on Sunday vowed to stop opposition lawmakers, who had hounded him out of parliament, to disrupt the national assembly. Zuma was in August forced to abandon his speech and leave parliament when lawmakers from the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party yelled "Pay back the money". The heckling came as Zuma was being grilled over the $23 million (18 million euros) of taxpayers money spent on "security upgrades" at his private residence.

Marseille beats Lille 2-1 to end year atop Ligue 1 Posted: 21 Dec 2014 02:37 PM PST PARIS (AP) — Marseille beat Lille 2-1 Sunday to ensure it ended the year top of Ligue 1, while Lyon thrashed 10-man Bordeaux 5-0 to leapfrog Paris Saint-Germain into second spot.

Nigerian Islamic extremists pose regional threat Posted: 21 Dec 2014 02:37 PM PST MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Thousands of members of Nigeria's home-grown Islamic extremist Boko Haram group strike across the border in Cameroon, with coordinated attacks on border towns, a troop convoy and a major barracks.

PAOK beats Levadiakos 2-1 in Greek league Posted: 21 Dec 2014 02:33 PM PST ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Giorgos Tzavelas and Facundo Pereyra scored a goal each to lead PAOK to a 2-1 victory at Levadiakos in the Greek league Sunday.

Protesters demand justice for Burkina legend Sankara Posted: 21 Dec 2014 02:28 PM PST Ouagadougou (AFP) - Hundreds of people placed brooms on the grave of the former Burkina Faso leader Thomas Sankara on Sunday in a symbolic gesture to demand justice for the revolutionary hero killed in a 1987 coup.

Basque government proposes plan to aid ETA's disarmament Posted: 21 Dec 2014 02:24 PM PST The regional Basque government on Sunday unveiled a plan to facilitate ETA's disarmament process, amid frustration over a lack of response from the Spanish government three years after the separatist group ended its campaign of violence. "It's time to bring ETA directly into a rapid, verifiable, and effective disarmament process by making it a concrete proposal," the regional government said in a statement. The Basque government -- backed by the Basque parliament -- proposed the creation of a commission to which ETA would send information on the exact location and state of its arsenal.

Exit poll: Ex-regime official is Tunisia's new president Posted: 21 Dec 2014 02:10 PM PST TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisian polling firms have declared Beji Caid Essebsi, an 88-year-old official from previous regimes, as the winner of Sunday's presidential runoff, cementing his dominance over a country where his party already controls Parliament.

Lazio held to 2-2 draw, stays 3rd in Serie A Posted: 21 Dec 2014 01:55 PM PST Lazio squandered a two-goal advantage to draw 2-2 at Inter Milan but will spend the winter break in third spot in Serie A after Sampdoria and Genoa also failed to win on Sunday.

McCoist leaves troubled Rangers Posted: 21 Dec 2014 01:44 PM PST Glasgow (AFP) - Ally McCoist's reign as Rangers manager ended on Sunday when he left the troubled Glasgow club, the Scottish second-tier side announced.

Protester takes perch on St. Peter's façade Posted: 21 Dec 2014 01:37 PM PST VATICAN CITY (AP) — An Italian entrepreneur lowered himself onto a narrow ledge on the facade of St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday, the fifth time he has evaded Vatican security to mount a public protest against government reforms at one of Roman Catholicism's holiest sites.

McCoist quits as manager of Scottish side Rangers Posted: 21 Dec 2014 01:28 PM PST GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Days after handing in his resignation, Ally McCoist negotiated his departure as Rangers manager on Sunday to leave the fallen Scottish power in turmoil.

German-language pop superstar Udo Juergens dies Posted: 21 Dec 2014 01:22 PM PST BERLIN (AP) — Udo Juergens, an Austrian-born star who dominated pop music in the German-speaking world and sold more than 100 million records in a career spanning five decades, died on Sunday. He was 80 years old.

Shock and anger in NY after two police murdered Posted: 21 Dec 2014 01:20 PM PST New York was reeling Sunday after the murder of two uniformed cops by a man who said he was seeking revenge for the recent killings of unarmed black men by police. The two officers, Wenjian Liu, 32, Rafael Ramos, 40, were shot in the head through the window of their patrol car in broad daylight in Brooklyn on Saturday in an attack that shocked America's biggest city just days before Christmas. Police named the shooter as 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, allegedly a member of the "Black Guerrilla Family" gang. They may never have actually even seen their assailant, their murderer," said New York police chief Bill Bratton.

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