2015年2月12日星期四

Yahoo! News: World News

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: World News


'Glimmer of hope' for Ukraine after new ceasefire deal

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:55 PM PST

Members of the Ukrainian armed forces ride on an armoured personnel carrier near DebaltseveBy Vladimir Soldatkin and Pavel Polityuk MINSK (Reuters) - Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine agreed to a deal offering a "glimmer of hope" for an end to conflict in eastern Ukraine, but the United States and NATO said further intense fighting on Thursday ran counter to the spirit of the accord. The agreement, announced after more than 16 hours of discussions in the Belarussian capital Minsk, was followed swiftly by allegations from Kiev of a new, mass influx of Russian armour into rebel-held eastern Ukraine. It calls for a ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists starting Sunday, the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line and constitutional reform to give eastern Ukraine more autonomy. Fighting has intensified in recent days as the rebels try to take control of Debaltseve, a strategic transport hub that would link the two separatist-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine, where elections are contemplated under the accord.


Islamic State says it's holding 'Israeli spy' in Syria

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 12:02 PM PST

The mother of Muhammad Musallam, an Israeli Arab held by Islamic State in Syria as an alleged spy, weeps next to his photograph in her East Jerusalem homeBy Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Islamic State said on Thursday it was holding an Israeli Arab who had posed as a foreign fighter in order to spy for Mossad, an account denied by Israel and by the man's family, who said he had been kidnapped. In an interview published by Islamic State's online English-language magazine Dabiq, Muhammad Musallam, 19, said he had joined the insurgent group in Syria so as to report to the Israelis on its weapons caches, bases and Palestinian recruits. After his conduct aroused the suspicion of Islamic State commanders, Musallam was quoted as saying, he broke cover by phoning his father in East Jerusalem, leading to his capture. "I say to all those who want to spy on the Islamic State, don't think that you're so smart and that you can deceive the Islamic State.


U.S. commander in Afghanistan offers drawdown options

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 11:00 AM PST

U.S. General John Campbell, commander of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), salutes during the change of mission ceremony in KabulBy David Alexander and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan said on Thursday he has presented his commanders with options on troop withdrawals in 2015, even as U.S. lawmakers accused the Obama administration of rushing to cut the U.S. military presence after 13 years of war. Army General John Campbell told the Senate Armed Services Committee his options would offer U.S. leaders flexibility in how they withdraw forces during the year. About 10,000 U.S. troops are currently in Afghanistan to train and assist Afghan forces, but the number is slated to drop to 5,500 by year's end. A senior administration official said on Wednesday that Obama was considering a request from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to slow the pace of withdrawals.


Jordan's air force resumes raids against Islamic State

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 02:05 PM PST

F16 fighter jets from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrive at an air base in JordanBy Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordanian air force jets bombed the hideouts of Islamic State militants in Syria on Thursday, state television said, resuming the intensified raids that it first launched last week in retaliation for the killing of a pilot. King Abdullah has vowed to avenge the burning to death of pilot Mouath al-Kasaesbeh by Islamic State and has ordered his commanders to prepare for a bigger military role in the U.S.-led coalition fighting the militants in both Syria and Iraq. "Daesh" is a derogative term for the militants. The raids are the first the Jordanian military have announced since three straight days of aerial bombing that ended last Saturday.


Violence flares in Venezuela on anniversary of 2014 fatalities

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:36 PM PST

Opposition students run from police and past burning trash as they protest against President Nicolas Maduro's government in CaracasBy Andrew Cawthorne and Javier Farias CARACAS/SAN CRISTOBAL (Reuters) - Venezuelan security forces faced off with stone-wielding protesters on Thursday as supporters of President Nicolas Maduro also rallied on the anniversary of last year's fatal unrest. The flare-ups, in the volatile western city of San Cristobal and the capital Caracas, recalled four months of protests and violence in 2014 killing 43 people and underlined just how tense the South American OPEC nation remains. In San Cristobal, National Guard soldiers and police fired teargas and buckshot against demonstrators who hurled pipes and Molotov cocktails when a march was blocked. Five security officials and three demonstrators were hurt in the nearly two-hour standoff, some shops vandalized, and four students arrested in that city, witnesses and authorities said.


Top-seeded Bouchard, Kerber lose in Diamond Games 2nd round

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:48 PM PST

ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — Top-seeded Eugenie Bouchard of Canada and second-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany lost in the second round of the Diamond Games on Thursday.

Puppies, rings, mullets highlight Daytona 500 media day

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:43 PM PST

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. talks with reporters during NASCAR media day at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP) — Daytona 500 media day included lots of talk — about puppy love, wedding rings and a growing mullet — and conversations about four-time champion Jeff Gordon and possibly his final ride in NASCAR'S most prestigious race.


Tomic defeats 4th-seeded Dolgopolov at Memphis Open

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:38 PM PST

Donald Young celebrates a point during his tennis match against Denis Kudla at the Memphis Open, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015 in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/The Commercial Appeal, Nikki Boertman)MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Bernard Tomic of Australia defeated fourth-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1, 7-5 at the Memphis Open on Thursday.


US House leader: Obama force proposal needs toughening

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:35 PM PST

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., left, and Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., walk through a corridor at the Capitol following a closed-door meeting on President Barack Obama's request for Congress to authorize military action against terrorists who are cutting a swath across the Middle East, in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. At the heart of the debate, the struggle to define any role for American ground forces is likely to determine the outcome of the administration's request for legislation. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. congressional Republicans vowed Thursday to toughen President Barack Obama's day-old legislation to authorize military force against Islamic State fighters, and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi warned, "It's going to be hard" to find common ground.


Lajovic upsets Verdasco to reach Brazil Open quarterfinals

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:33 PM PST

SAO PAULO (AP) — Serbia's Dusan Lajovic defeated seventh-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the Brazil Open on Thursday.

Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:32 PM PST

SAN JOSE, California (AP) — Each year about 8.8 million tons of plastic ends up in the world oceans, a quantity much higher than previous estimates, according to a new study that tracked marine debris from its source. That's the equivalent of five grocery bags full of plastic debris dotting each foot of coastline around the world, said study lead author Jenna Jambeck, an environment engineering professor at the University of Georgia.

Islamic State fighters seize parts of western Iraqi town: officials

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:31 PM PST

Islamic State insurgents took control on Thursday of large parts of the western Iraqi town of al-Baghdadi, threatening an air base where U.S. Marines are training Iraqi troops, officials said. Al-Baghdadi, about 85 km (50 miles) northwest of Ramadi in Anbar province, has been besieged for months by the radical Sunni Islamist militants who captured vast swathes of northern and western Iraq last year. Militants attacked al-Baghdadi from two directions earlier in the day and then advanced on the town, intelligence sources and officials in the Jazeera and Badiya operations commands said.

Anna Fenninger captures giant slalom title at worlds

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:30 PM PST

Austria's Anna Fenninger celebrates her first-place finish in the women's giant slalom competition at the alpine skiing world championships, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015, in Beaver Creek, Colo. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) — Anna Fenninger's ski tips nearly crossed going from one turn to the next late in her run, lurching her violently forward.


Former Guantanamo detainee in Argentina, calls for asylum

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:28 PM PST

In this frame grab taken from Barricada TV, former Guantanamo detainee Abu Wa'el Dhiab, one of the Syrian refugees recently released from Guantanamo and now living in Uruguay speaks during an interview, in Buenos Aires Argentina, Wednesday Feb. 11, 2015. Dhiab said he was there to ask the the Argentine government to grant asylum to his former fellow inmates still being held at the U.S. prison facility in Cuba. (AP Photo/Barricada TV)BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A former Guantanamo detainee who was resettled in Uruguay has appeared in neighboring Argentina wearing a prison-style orange jumpsuit and asked the country to grant asylum for detainees still at the U.S. detention facility.


Football art auction raises millions for charity

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:25 PM PST

"Lionel Messi and a Universe of Flowers" by Takashi Murakami sold at a Sotheby's Fundraising Auction on February 12, 2015A London auction of football-themed works raised more than $4 million for children's charities on Thursday, including a portrait of Barcelona star Lionel Messi by Damien Hirst that alone fetched $556,000. The Sotheby's London auction featured 18 works donated from artists including Japan's Takashi Murakami, US sculptor Richard Serra, Egyptian artist Wael Shawky and Saudi Arabia's Manal al Dowayan. A circular Murakami work showing the footballer about to kick a ball on a floral background, "Lionel Messi and a Universe of Flowers", sold for $483,000. A football designed by Murakami and signed by Messi sold for $69,000, while the most expensive item sold was a 1999 work by US artist Jeff Koons entitled "Donkey (Yellow)" that went for $850,000.


Venezuela's currency plunges in debut of exchange rate

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:23 PM PST

A cleaning woman walks by replicas of Venezuela's currency bills, hung in a hallway at the Central bank office building in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015. Venezuela's Minister of Economy, Finance and Public Banking, Rodolfo Marco Torres and Venezuela's Central Bank Chairman Nelson J. Merentes announced a new system they will allow a free-floating exchange rate for the country's battered currency while maintaining a subsidized rate for key imports. Venezuela has maintained strict currency controls since 2003. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's bolivar currency plunged Thursday during the debut of a new exchange rate system aimed at easing the country's crippling economic crisis.


Jamaica extradites first lottery scam suspect to US

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:21 PM PST

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — A Jamaican man was extradited Thursday from the Caribbean island to Florida on charges that he was involved in a lottery scam ring that defrauded elderly Americans out of their retirement savings.

Violent clashes in Venezuela on protest movement anniversary

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:10 PM PST

An opposition demonstrator sets a road block on fire in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015. Venezuelans staged dueling marches to mark the anniversary of last year's bloody protest movement that resulted in more than 40 people being killed, including both government supporters and opponents. Dozens of protesters remain jailed, while the social issues they railed against last year- a faltering economy, widespread shortages and pervasive violent crime - have only gotten worse. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)SAN CRISTOBAL, Venezuela (AP) — Protesters clashed with police in this anti-government stronghold Thursday amid a storm of tear gas, rocks and rubber bullets as Venezuelans staged dueling marches on the anniversary of last year's bloody protest movement.


World's oceans clogged by millions of tons of plastic trash

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:10 PM PST

File photo of volunteers collecting garbage along the shore off Manila BayBy Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's oceans are clogged with plastic debris, but how much of it finds its way into the seas annually? Enough to place the equivalent of five grocery bags full of plastic trash on every foot (30 cm) of every nation's coastline around the globe. Experts have sounded the alarm in recent years over how plastic pollution is killing huge numbers of seabirds, marine mammals, sea turtles and other creatures while sullying ocean ecosystems.     China was responsible for the most ocean plastic pollution per year with an estimated 2.4 million tons, about 30 percent of the global total, followed by Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria and Bangladesh. "In short, you name it and it is probably somewhere in the marine environment," said Kara Lavender Law, a research professor of oceanography with the Massachusetts-based Sea Education Association.


New Orleans jury could soon decide 'guest worker' lawsuit

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:10 PM PST

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Weeks of trial in a years-old lawsuit claiming a marine services company defrauded guest workers from India and subjected them to forced labor are nearing an end in New Orleans.

Rights group: Iran must halt execution of man jailed as teen

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:05 PM PST

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian Kurdish man who was arrested when he was 17 years old and alleges he was tortured into confessing has been informed he will be hanged next week, rights group Amnesty International said Friday.

Andy Murray advances to quarterfinals in Rotterdam

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:05 PM PST

Britain's Andy Murray returns the ball to Nicolas Mahut of France during their first round match of the 42nd ABN AMRO world tennis tournament at Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Top-seeded Andy Murray advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Tennis Tournament with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Vasek Pospisil of Canada on Thursday.


Rooney still Hodgson's leading striker, Kane set for England

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:02 PM PST

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney runs to take a corner during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Burnley at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Wednesday Feb. 11, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)LONDON (AP) — Shunted back in midfield for Manchester United, Wayne Rooney was reassured by England coach Roy Hodgson on Thursday that his status as the national team's leading striker was secure.


Senate panel OKs bill barring most transfers from Guantanamo

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:01 PM PST

FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2012 file photo reviewed by the U.S. Department of Defense, towers overlooking a U.S. detention facility are silhouetted against a morning sunrise at Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba. A Republican-led Senate panel on Feb. 12, 2015, narrowly approved legislation that would bar most transfers of terror suspects from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a major roadblock in President Barack Obama's push to close the detention center.(AP Photo/Toronto Star, Michelle Shephard, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican-led Senate panel on Thursday narrowly approved legislation that would bar most transfers of terror suspects from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a major roadblock in President Barack Obama's push to close the detention center.


Argentine player Leto struck on head while weight training

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:01 PM PST

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentine footballer Sebastian Leto was in a Buenos Aires hospital on Thursday after he was struck on the head by weightlifting equipment while training.

Pacific island of Tonga celebrates its 1st Catholic cardinal

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:59 PM PST

Soane Patita Paini Mafi, Archbishop of Tonga, right, leaves at the end of a special consistory with cardinals and bishops, in the Synod hall at the Vatican, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015. Pope Francis met with cardinals and bishops who will take part in the upcoming Feb. 14, 2015 consistory during which he will elevate 20 new cardinals. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Churches dot the heavily Christian, tiny island of Tonga everywhere and choirs can be heard singing on any day of the week.


Medical records sought for Saudi facing Guantanamo trial

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:40 PM PST

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) — Lawyers for a Saudi prisoner charged in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the U.S. argued for access to more of his medical records and to allow him to meet with officials from his government as the latest pretrial hearing in the case ended nearly a week ahead of schedule Thursday.

No negotiations on Greece at EU summit, officials to meet Friday

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:35 PM PST

By Jan Strupczewski and Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders did not enter into any negotiations on Greece's economic problems on Thursday, leaving the talks to officials who are to meet on Friday, the chairman of the EU summit Donald Tusk said. "The leaders did not enter into a negotiation on Greece," Tusk told a news conference after Thursday's Brussels summit. Greece, where the anti-austerity government of Alexis Tsipras took power in January, needs money to keep it afloat while it negotiates with the euro zone on what should replace a 240-billion euro bailout scheme that expires in two weeks. Euro zone countries want Athens to ask for a technical extension of the current program to buy itself time until something else is agreed.

Saudi women's rights campaigners 'freed from prison'

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:29 PM PST

Traffic flows on February 18, 2011 on a main highway in the Saudi capital RiyadhTwo Saudi women's rights activists, one of whom tried to defy a ban on female driving, have been freed after more than two months in jail, a campaigner said on Friday. "Yes, Loujain is free," said the campaigner who spoke with Loujain Hathloul after she left prison. Maysaa Alamoudi, detained at the same time as Hathloul, has also been let out of jail, her family confirmed, according to the activist who spoke with AFP. She and Alamoudi had been held since December 1, after Hathloul tried to drive into the kingdom from neighbouring United Arab Emirates in defiance of the ban.


Sex and power, an age-old heady combination

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:24 PM PST

Dominique Strauss-Kahn's high-flying career and presidential prospects were torpedoed nearly four years ago when he was accused of sexual assault by a New York hotel maidFrom Caesar to Napoleon, John F. Kennedy to Silvio Berlusconi, Cleopatra to Catherine the Great, history is full of anecdotes about the sexual antics of politicians and world leaders. Power and a voracious sexual appetite are often intrinsically linked, as highlighted in sometimes graphic detail by the trial of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on charges of "aggravated pimping". "Since the dawn of time, there has been something erotic about power," says psychoanalyst Jean-Pierre Winter. Those who set their sights on conquering power often have similar character traits, adds Jean-Pierre Friedmann, another psychoanalyst and author of two books on the issue.


Marathon talks produce Ukraine peace deal; cease-fire Sunday

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:17 PM PST

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gestures as he speaks to the media after the peace talks in Minsk, Belarus, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015. Ukraine's president says the accords signed in Minsk give no autonomy to rebel-held areas. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)MINSK, Belarus (AP) — The peace deal reached Thursday for Ukraine, if it holds, would be a partial win for both Moscow and Kiev: Ukraine retains the separatist eastern regions and regains control of its border with Russia, while Russia holds strong leverage to keep Ukraine from ever becoming part of NATO.


Ex wife of dead Argentine prosecutor says 'stop politicizing' case

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:12 PM PST

Judge Salgado, ex-wife of the late prosecutor Nisman, speaks to a group senators of in Buenos AiresBy Hugh Bronstein BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The investigation into the death of an Argentine prosecutor who leveled criminal charges against the president has become too politicized and needs the involvement of a regional human rights commission, the dead man's ex wife said on Thursday. Minutes before the Senate passed a bill creating a new state security service to replace the tarnished intelligence secretariat (SI) at the heart of the scandal, Sandra Arroyo called for calm as investigators probe the death of Alberto Nisman.


International sailing competition held in Wisconsin

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:12 PM PST

In this Feb. 11, 2015 photo, an unidentified wing skater participates in a race during World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships on Lake Winnebago in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)FOND DU LAC, Wisconsin (AP) — An international sailing competition is being held in Wisconsin on a frozen Lake Winnebago.


Chinese mobile sensation dips toes in US with accessories

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:10 PM PST

Xiaomi vice president of global operations Hugo Barra holds up a Mi Note after a presentation in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015. While stopping short of declaring plans to sell phones in the United States, Xiaomi said Thursday that it will dip its toes in the U.S. market by selling headphones and other accessories online, through an Internet-based, fan-friendly model that has helped make the company one of the leading smartphone suppliers in China. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Xiaomi, one of China's hottest companies, is bringing its blend of cheap yet fashionable technology and crowd-pleasing antics to the U.S.


Wawrinka recovers to join Murray in Rotterdam quarters

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:05 PM PST

Swiss player Stanislas Wawrinka returns the ball to Spanish player Guillermo Garcia-Lopez during their tennis match at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on February 12, 2015Stan Wawrinka joined Andy Murray as the pair of seeds each posted difficult wins on Thursday to advance to the quarter-finals of the ATP Rotterdam World Tennis event. Wawrinka, last year's Australian Open winner, struggled until breaking loose with his big game in the final set as he defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-2 for his second win over the Spaniard in three weeks. Murray saved five break points to hold off determined Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-3, 7-5 and reach the quarter-finals. The Scottish top seed and 2009 champion will next meet eighth seed Gilles Simon after the Frenchman needed just 67 minutes for a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Jeremy Chardy.


Former wife of dead Argentine prosecutor criticizes probe

Posted: 12 Feb 2015 03:04 PM PST

A poster announcing a march organized by federal prosecutors in demand for justice to commemorate the first month after the death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, is seen on a window in Buenos Aires, Argentina,Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015. Nisman's mysterious death came as he was presenting allegations that Argentine President Cristina Fernandez had conspired to protect Iranian officials implicated in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in which 85 people died. Fernandez and Iran have denied the allegations. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The ex-wife of the prosecutor whose mysterious death has rocked Argentina criticized the investigation Thursday, calling for an international commission to take up the case and accusing the lead investigator of releasing too much information.


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