Yahoo! News: World News

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• Improved weather raises hopes that divers can reach suspected AirAsia plane wreck
• New Year's Eve stampede kills 35 in Shanghai after fake money thrown from building
• Palestinians join war crimes court after U.N. rejection
• At least 26 killed in Yemen suicide bombing: security official
• Italy president says he will step down soon
• Netanyahu wins Likud nomination ahead of Israel general election
• Deadly winter storms batter California, chill New Year's Eve
• Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT
• Canada beats US 5-3 in world junior hockey
• 2015 begins: Shanghai tragedy, fireworks elsewhere
• Lithuania joins eurozone to seal ties with West
• Lampard to stay at Man City to end of season
• Rocket hits Afghan wedding, at least 15 killed: officials
• Woman suicide attack on barracks in northeast Nigeria
• New Year tragedy as 35 killed in Shanghai stampede
• Syria's Assad visits embattled Damascus district: presidency
• Lithuania joins euro as tensions with neighboring Russia rise
• US judge rejects trial delay for Boston bomb suspect
• Guam creates tax incentives to boost hotel rooms
• Ghost town: As Lithuania joins euro, concern over emigration
• New Year's Eve stampede kills 35 on Shanghai's Bund tourist strip
• Applications for US jobless aid rise, but growth looks solid
• Frank Lampard stays at Manchester City
• Nick Kyrgios out of Hopman Cup with back injury
• Cuban artist briefly freed after protest arrest
• Canada police try to make sense of mass slaying
• Palestinians say postpone delivery of newly signed treaties
• Plotters will fail says Gambian president after failed coup
• Palestinians to press war-crimes case against Israel
• Police: Rocket kills 26 at Afghan wedding party
• Report: 35 killed, 42 injured in Shanghai stampede
• Italy: 98 still unaccounted for from fire-ravaged ferry
• Palestinians to deliver newly signed treaty instruments to UN on Wednesday
• French president vows to fight racism and anti-Semitism
• Dominican man weds partner thanks to UK embassy
• Wide power outage in rebel-held Ukrainian city
• Report: 35 killed, 42 injured in Shanghai stampede during New Year's event
• Nigeria's Gombe military barracks hit by suspected suicide bomber

Improved weather raises hopes that divers can reach suspected AirAsia plane wreck Posted: 31 Dec 2014 04:37 PM PST By Fergus Jensen and Wilda Asmarini PANGKALAN BUN/SURABAYA, Indonesia (Reuters) - A break in bad weather raised hopes on Thursday that divers would be able to investigate what is believed to be the sunken wreck of an AirAsia jet off Borneo and retrieve the black boxes that should explain the cause of the crash. The Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people, fell from the sky while trying to climb above stormy weather early on Sunday, during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. The pilots did not issue a distress signal. ...

New Year's Eve stampede kills 35 in Shanghai after fake money thrown from building Posted: 31 Dec 2014 04:34 PM PST By Adam Jourdan SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A stampede killed at least 35 people during New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai, authorities said, possibly caused by people rushing to pick up fake money thrown from a building overlooking the city's famed Bund waterfront district. The Shanghai government said that large crowds started to stampede in Chen Yi Square on the Bund just before midnight, with authorities working to rescue and aid the wounded. ...

Palestinians join war crimes court after U.N. rejection Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:21 PM PST By Noah Browning RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed on to 20 international agreements on Wednesday, including the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a day after a bid for independence by 2017 failed at the United Nations Security Council. The move, which angered Israel and the United States, paves the way for the court to take jurisdiction over crimes committed in Palestinian lands and investigate the conduct of Israeli and Palestinian leaders over more than a decade of bloody conflict. ...

At least 26 killed in Yemen suicide bombing: security official Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:04 PM PST SANAA (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 26 people in central Yemen on Wednesday when he blew himself up at a cultural center where students were celebrating the Prophet Mohammad's birthday, a security official said. At least 48 people were also wounded, including many women and children, the official said, according to state news agency Saba. The celebration, in the city of Ibb, was organized by the Houthis, the Shi'ite Muslim group that controls most of Yemen. ...

Italy president says he will step down soon Posted: 31 Dec 2014 12:20 PM PST By James Mackenzie and Steve Scherer ROME (Reuters) - Italy's 89-year-old President Giorgio Napolitano said on Wednesday that he would step down soon because of his age, leaving Prime Minister Matteo Renzi facing a delicate political challenge to replace him. After dropping hints for months, Napolitano began the president's annual end-year address by saying he was speaking also to his successor, who would "soon" take his place. "I'm about to step down, to resign as the constitution expressly allows," he said. ...

Netanyahu wins Likud nomination ahead of Israel general election Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:42 PM PST JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been voted in as head of the right-wing Likud party, overcoming his first hurdle toward winning a fourth term in office in a March general election, results of a party primary published on Thursday showed. Israeli opinion polls put Likud slightly behind left-of-center Labor, giving the parliamentary contest a taste of unpredictability, but surveys still give Netanyahu the largest number of potential allies with whom to form a governing coalition, making his re-election seem more likely, for now. ...

Deadly winter storms batter California, chill New Year's Eve Posted: 31 Dec 2014 04:40 PM PST By Eric M. Johnson and Mark Guarino (Reuters) - Two people died on a wind-thrashed California island, and scores of motorists were left stranded on snow-swept mountain roads farther inland as winter storms chilled much of the Western United States on New Year's Eve, officials said on Wednesday. High winds also toppled a tree onto a home overnight in the Northern California town of Redding, killing a woman and injuring a child, a local fire official said. ...

Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT Posted: 31 Dec 2014 04:32 PM PST SHANGHAI (AP) — Thirty-five people died in a stampede during New Year's celebrations in downtown Shanghai, city officials said — the worst disaster to hit one of China's showcase cities in recent years. A Shanghai government statement said another 42 people were injured amid the chaos about a half-hour before midnight.

Canada beats US 5-3 in world junior hockey Posted: 31 Dec 2014 04:19 PM PST MONTREAL (AP) — Arizona Coyotes prospect Max Domi scored two empty-net goals to help Canada beat the United States 5-3 on Wednesday in the ice hockey World Junior Championship.

2015 begins: Shanghai tragedy, fireworks elsewhere Posted: 31 Dec 2014 04:19 PM PST Revelers converged on the beaches of Brazil, the skyscrapers of Dubai and New York's Times Square to say good riddance to a turbulent 2014 marred by terror woes, Ebola outbreaks and a horrific series of airline disasters.

Lithuania joins eurozone to seal ties with West Posted: 31 Dec 2014 04:16 PM PST Lithuania switched over to the euro on Thursday, becoming the last Baltic nation to adopt Europe's single currency in a bid to boost stability despite fears of inflation and eurozone debt woes. "Financial commitments are a huge burden and increase the country's debt.

Lampard to stay at Man City to end of season Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:50 PM PST MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Frank Lampard will carry on playing for Manchester City throughout the Premier League season, the English champions announced Wednesday night.

Rocket hits Afghan wedding, at least 15 killed: officials Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:38 PM PST A rocket fired during fighting between Afghan forces and insurgents killed at least 15 wedding guests late Wednesday in the southern province of Helmand, officials said, highlighting the continuing conflict after NATO's combat mission ended. Most of the victims were women and children in the attack in Helmand's Sangin district, a Taliban stronghold where the US and British troops were involved in years of fierce fighting until the NATO withdrawal.

Woman suicide attack on barracks in northeast Nigeria Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:37 PM PST Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - A woman suicide bomber was killed as she tried to enter a military barracks in strife-torn northeast Nigeria on Wednesday, eyewitnesses said.

New Year tragedy as 35 killed in Shanghai stampede Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:34 PM PST New Year celebrations turned to tragedy in China on Thursday when 35 people were killed in a stampede in Shanghai. As the rest of the world ushered in 2015 with a spectacular fireworks displays in cities from Sydney to Moscow, chaos broke out in China's financial hub.

Syria's Assad visits embattled Damascus district: presidency Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:31 PM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited a district on the outskirts of Damascus and thanked soldiers fighting "in the face of terrorism", his office said on its Twitter account on Wednesday, posting pictures of the rare trip. The account said the visit took place in Jobar, northeast of Damascus, on the occasion of the New Year. The district came under heavy Syrian air force strikes on Wednesday according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the nearly four-year conflict. ...

Lithuania joins euro as tensions with neighboring Russia rise Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:30 PM PST By Andrius Sytas VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania joined the euro zone at the stroke of midnight on Thursday, hoping to anchor itself in Europe as its former master Russia flexes its military muscle in the region. The first Soviet republic to declare independence, in 1990, Lithuania is the last of the three Baltic states to join the currency union and will be the last country to do so for the foreseeable future, with remaining European Union members at least two years, and probably much more, away. ...

US judge rejects trial delay for Boston bomb suspect Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:28 PM PST A US federal judge on Wednesday rejected a request by Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to further postpone his highly-anticipated trial, meaning jury selection will begin next week. Tsarnaev, 21, faces the death penalty if convicted over the April 15, 2013 attacks on the Boston Marathon that killed three people and wounded 264 -- the worst such incident in the US since 9/11.

Guam creates tax incentives to boost hotel rooms Posted: 31 Dec 2014 03:07 PM PST HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — Guam has created tax incentives to encourage developers to build 1,600 new hotel rooms in the next five years with a new law enacted Wednesday.

Ghost town: As Lithuania joins euro, concern over emigration Posted: 31 Dec 2014 02:45 PM PST VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — When Antanas Zubavicius turns the light on in his run-down house, it's the only light for miles. He is the last man in Dumbliuneliai, a once busy farmers' village in Lithuania that has gradually been abandoned as its residents emigrated in search of better jobs.

New Year's Eve stampede kills 35 on Shanghai's Bund tourist strip Posted: 31 Dec 2014 02:42 PM PST SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A stampede killed at least 35 people and injured 43 during New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai, on the city's famed waterfront tourist strip known as the Bund, authorities said. The Shanghai government said that large crowds started to stampede in Chen Yi Square on the Bund just before midnight, with authorities working to rescue and aid the wounded. It was not immediately clear what triggered the stampede. The official Xinhua news agency said many of the injured were students. ...

Applications for US jobless aid rise, but growth looks solid Posted: 31 Dec 2014 02:30 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, but the number of applications continues to be at historically low levels that suggest solid economic growth will continue.

Frank Lampard stays at Manchester City Posted: 31 Dec 2014 02:30 PM PST London (AFP) - English Premier League champions Manchester City announced on Wednesday they had secured the services of Frank Lampard until the end of the season despite the midfielder signing for New York City in June.

Nick Kyrgios out of Hopman Cup with back injury Posted: 31 Dec 2014 02:25 PM PST PERTH, Australia (AP) — Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the Australian team at the Hopman Cup because of a back injury and has been replaced by Matthew Ebden.

Cuban artist briefly freed after protest arrest Posted: 31 Dec 2014 02:10 PM PST HAVANA (AP) — Artist Tania Bruguera was released Wednesday from detention on charges of disturbing public order for organizing a protest performance to set up an open microphone for Cuban citizens to air their political views, but she apparently was taken back into custody before she could hold a planned meeting with journalists.

Canada police try to make sense of mass slaying Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:57 PM PST Investigators in western Canada sought to unravel Wednesday what caused a depressed man to kill eight people -- including two children -- then commit suicide. Investigators say the killings were carried out by a man of Vietnamese origin who had been living in Canada for a long time and had a lengthy criminal past. He first went into a home, then shot and killed a 37-year-old woman, Cindy Duong, on Monday then traveled to a different part of the city and used a handgun to kill seven other people in a different home. Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht has said the attack was planned, deliberate and the worst mass killing in the city's history.

Palestinians say postpone delivery of newly signed treaties Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:50 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Palestinian U.N. observer mission has delayed the delivery to the United Nations of a batch of newly signed treaties, originally planned for Wednesday, until the end of the week, a diplomat at the mission said. The diplomat, a legal adviser at the Palestinian mission, offered no explanation for the delay until Friday. The mission had earlier announced that the Palestinian observer, Riyad Mansour, would present the treaty instruments to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's office at 4:45 p.m. ET (2145 GMT) on Wednesday. ...

Plotters will fail says Gambian president after failed coup Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:47 PM PST Gambia's iron-fisted ruler Yahya Jammeh said Wednesday plotters would never win, as fears mounted of possible reprisals by his regime a day after a failed coup. "Those who advocate and sponsor violence for regime change should know that they are not only acting in violation of the human rights and legitimate interest of those affected, but it is also against the will of the Almighty Allah," Jammeh, a devout Muslim, said in a New Year address.

Palestinians to press war-crimes case against Israel Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:27 PM PST RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Turning up the pressure on Israel, the Palestinians announced Wednesday that they are joining the International Criminal Court to pursue war-crimes charges against the Jewish state — a risky, high-stakes move that brought threats of retaliation from Israel and criticism from the U.S.

Police: Rocket kills 26 at Afghan wedding party Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:23 PM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A rocket fired amid fighting between Taliban insurgents and Afghan soldiers killed at least 26 people at a nearby wedding party Thursday, authorities said, a grim end to a year that saw the end of the 13-year U.S.-led combat mission there.

Report: 35 killed, 42 injured in Shanghai stampede Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:19 PM PST SHANGHAI (AP) — China's state-run Xinhua News Agency is reporting that 35 people have been killed in a stampede during the city's New Year's celebrations.

Italy: 98 still unaccounted for from fire-ravaged ferry Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:18 PM PST BRINDISI, Italy (AP) — Stormy weather in the Adriatic Sea thwarted efforts Wednesday to tow a fire-ravaged ferry to Italy so authorities can investigate the blaze that killed at least 11 people and search the ship for more possible dead.

Palestinians to deliver newly signed treaty instruments to UN on Wednesday Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:16 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Palestinian U.N. observer Riyad Mansour will deliver a group of newly signed international treaties to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's office on Wednesday, the Palestinian mission said.     "The ambassador will be delivering the treaty instruments to the SG's office today at 4:45 (p.m. ET/2145 GMT)," the mission said in a statement. A Palestinian diplomat said she understood the Rome Statute, the treaty of the International Criminal Court, was among them. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Howard Goller)

French president vows to fight racism and anti-Semitism Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:14 PM PST PARIS (AP) — French President Francois Hollande has used his New Year's Eve television speech to say that the fight against racism and anti-Semitism will be his national cause for 2015.

Dominican man weds partner thanks to UK embassy Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:14 PM PST SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Same-sex marriage is banned in the Dominican Republic, but a man and his partner have exchanged vows in the first ceremony of its kind performed at the British embassy in the conservative Caribbean country.

Wide power outage in rebel-held Ukrainian city Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:10 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — News reports say a widespread electricity outage has hit Luhansk, the second-largest city in Ukraine's separatist east, and the leader of the rebels who control it is claiming that's due to Ukrainian sabotage.

Report: 35 killed, 42 injured in Shanghai stampede during New Year's event Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:09 PM PST SHANGHAI (AP) — Report: 35 killed, 42 injured in Shanghai stampede during New Year's event.

Nigeria's Gombe military barracks hit by suspected suicide bomber Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:07 PM PST KADUNA, Nigeria (Reuters) - A suspected suicide bomb went off in an open-air recreational area at a military barracks in the city of Gombe in northeastern Nigeria on Wednesday, a security source and a local journalist at the scene told Reuters. The journalist, David Hassan, said he believed there were fatalities but did not have details. A source from within the barracks said the bomber arrived at the Mami area of the compound, where soldiers go to eat and drink after hours, on a three-wheel motorcycle. The area is usually busy with people, especially on New Year's Eve. ...

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