Yahoo! News: World News

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• Russian opposition leader Nemtsov shot dead in Moscow
• British TV shows student picture of 'Jihadi John' in baseball cap
• Deaths shake Ukraine truce; Poroshenko wary of Russian threat
• U.S. begins vetting Syrian rebels for military training: Pentagon
• U.S. bill links Hong Kong economic privileges to autonomy
• Islamic State under pressure as Kurds seize Syrian town
• De Villiers "best of century", says Tahir
• Mexico's 'I'm tired now' attorney general steps down
• Top Asian News at 1:00 a.m. GMT
• Ex-Colombia president's allies convicted for spying ring
• Senators offer bill challenging Obama on Iran
• Russian opposition leader Nemtsov shot dead near Kremlin
• Obama condemns killing of Russia's Nemtsov
• Detentions of major Mexico drug chiefs in recent years
• Iran nuclear talks advancing, no deal likely next week: U.S. official
• Lydia Ko shoots 61 in New Zealand Women's Open
• World Cup: Australia wins toss, bats first vs. New Zealand
• Prominent Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov shot dead
• Gasquet pulls out of Davis Cup tie with lower back pains
• Maria Sharapova withdraws because of stomach virus
• Obama condemns 'brutal murder' of Russian opposition figure
• China indicates opposition to any sanctions in South Sudan
• Earthquake shakes Guatemala City: Reuters witness
• Canada worried as growing number of youths join jihad
• FDIC closes Puerto Rico's Doral Bank; Banco Popular steps in
• U.S., Cuba say progress made in talks; no date for diplomatic ties
• Azarenka beats Venus Williams for 1st time at Qatar Open
• McIlroy to miss cut at Honda Classic
• McIlroy set to miss cut at Honda Classic
• Ukraine leader says troop deaths 'serious breach' of truce
• Mexico City former mayor breaks with leftist PRD party
• Marseille title challenge hit after 3-2 home loss to Caen
• MLS Commissioner Garber: Hopeful season will start on time
• US could reopen embassy in Cuba within weeks
• Tokyo 2020 Olympics have 3 venue changes approved by IOC
• Mourinho says English game damaged by Barnes controversy
• Puerto Rico power company delays debt restructuring plan

Russian opposition leader Nemtsov shot dead in Moscow Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:34 PM PST By Alexander Winning MOSCOW (Reuters) - Boris Nemtsov, a Russian opposition politician and former deputy prime minister who was an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, was shot dead meters from the Kremlin in central Moscow late on Friday. Nemtsov, 55, was shot four times in the back, the Interior Ministry said. "Nemtsov B.E. died at 2340 hours as a result of four shots in the back," an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said by telephone.

British TV shows student picture of 'Jihadi John' in baseball cap Posted: 27 Feb 2015 09:12 AM PST Sky News broadcast a photograph of the 26-year-old wearing a black cap with a logo that resembled the P from the Pittsburgh Pirates U.S. Major League Baseball team, which it said was stored by the University of Westminster where he studied. Two U.S. government sources have told Reuters that Emwazi is Jihadi John, the black-clad militant seen brandishing a knife and speaking with an English accent in videos released by Islamic State (IS). The document obtained by Sky News also showed that Emwazi had completed a degree in Information Systems with Business Management.

Deaths shake Ukraine truce; Poroshenko wary of Russian threat Posted: 27 Feb 2015 11:09 AM PST By Natalia Zinets KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine on Friday reported the first deaths in three days in east Ukraine and President Petro Poroshenko said Russia would pose a "military threat" even if a ceasefire holds. "Even under the most optimistic scenario ... the military threat from the east would unfortunately remain," Poroshenko said in a televised speech, in a clear reference to Russia. Kiev and Western governments have accused Russia of sending troops and weapons to support the separatists in east Ukraine, despite a peace deal agreed in the Belarussian capital Minsk on Feb. 12.

U.S. begins vetting Syrian rebels for military training: Pentagon Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:09 PM PST By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military has begun vetting a group of Syrian rebels eligible for training and assistance in the fight against Islamic State militants, a step that paves the way for training to begin in weeks, the Pentagon said on Friday. Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said about 100 moderate Syrian rebels had been vetted to participate in the training and assistance effort, with no derogatory information uncovered to weigh against their involvement. "Our assessment is we could be ready sometime within the next four to six weeks to begin actual training," Kirby told a Pentagon briefing, noting that the vetting was "an important first step." A week ago, the United States and Turkey signed an agreement to use a site in Turkey for the effort. The site is one of four where U.S. and coalition partners may offer training to Syrian rebels to fight against Islamic State militants.

U.S. bill links Hong Kong economic privileges to autonomy Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:50 PM PST A bipartisan group of U.S. legislators reintroduced a bill on Friday aimed at putting pressure on China to ensure autonomy and human rights in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act would update a 1992 law that has afforded Hong Kong trade and economic privileges not enjoyed by mainland China. It would require the U.S. secretary of state to certify annually that Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous before enacting any new laws or agreements granting Hong Kong such different treatment. It is sponsored by Republican Representatives Chris Smith and Dana Rohrabacher and Democrats Eliot Engel and Dan Lipinski.

Islamic State under pressure as Kurds seize Syrian town Posted: 27 Feb 2015 07:59 AM PST By Mariam Karouny BEIRUT (Reuters) - Kurdish forces dealt a blow to Islamic State by capturing an important town on Friday in the latest stage of a powerful offensive in northeast Syria, a Kurdish militia spokesman said. Islamic State has been forced into retreat across parts of the strategic region, a land bridge between territory it controls in Syria and Iraq, even as its fighters have mounted new raids this week on Assyrian Christian villages, abducting more than 200 people. The capture of Tel Hamis was announced by the Kurdish YPG militia and confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the country's civil war. "The flag is flying over Tel Hamis.

De Villiers "best of century", says Tahir Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:12 PM PST South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir described captain AB de Villiers as "the best player of the century" after the skipper smashed a whirlwind, undefeated 162 against the West Indies at the World Cup. De Villiers made his runs off just 66 balls as South Africa raced to the second-highest World Cup total of 408 for five on Friday. South Africa won by 257 runs with De Villiers making the second fastest World Cup century off just 52 balls. "I'm just really happy that I'm playing with AB de Villiers and not against him," added Tahir, who admitted he'd struggle to know the best way to bowl to de Villiers if he was on the opposing team.

Mexico's 'I'm tired now' attorney general steps down Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:04 PM PST Mexico's much-maligned attorney general, who has faced public anger over the investigation into the presumed slaughter of 43 students, stepped down Friday and was given a more low-key cabinet post. Murillo Karam's exit was widely expected under a reform that will turn the federal prosecutor's office into an autonomous department. Murillo Karam concluded that the students were abducted by corrupt local police officers in the city of Iguala, who handed them over to a drug gang that killed the young men and incinerated their bodies in September. Murillo Karam also drew public scorn when he declared "I'm tired now" to wrap up a press conference in November in which he first indicated the students were probably dead.

Top Asian News at 1:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:03 PM PST DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A prominent Bangladeshi-American blogger known for speaking out against religious extremism was hacked to death as he walked through Bangladesh's capital with his wife, police said Friday. The attack Thursday night on Avijit Roy, a Bangladesh-born U.S. citizen, occurred on a crowded sidewalk as he and his wife, Rafida Ahmed, were returning from a book fair at Dhaka University. Ahmed, who is also a blogger, was seriously injured. It was the latest in a series of attacks on secular writers in Bangladesh in recent years.

Ex-Colombia president's allies convicted for spying ring Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:00 PM PST BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia's Supreme Court on Friday convicted two close aides of former President Alvaro Uribe for organizing a spying ring that illegally intercepted the communications of some of the conservative leader's top opponents.

Senators offer bill challenging Obama on Iran Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:57 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators unveiled legislation Friday that would require a congressional review of any deal the Obama administration and other western powers strike with Iran on its nuclear program.

Russian opposition leader Nemtsov shot dead near Kremlin Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:57 PM PST A Russian opposition leader and fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, Boris Nemtsov, was shot dead by an unidentified attacker who fired multiple rounds at the politician as he was walking in central Moscow late Friday. The murder of the 55-year-old politician, who has been an outspoken critic of Russia's involvement in Ukraine, came ahead of a major opposition rally this weekend. US President Barack Obama condemned the "vicious murder" of Nemtsov, whom he had met on a visit to Moscow, and called on the Russian government to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation of the killing, which sent shock waves across Russia. The Kremlin swiftly dubbed his death a provocation.

Obama condemns killing of Russia's Nemtsov Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:56 PM PST U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday condemned the "brutal murder" of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, and called for a full investigation into the killing. "The United States condemns the brutal murder of Boris Nemtsov, and we call upon the Russian government to conduct a prompt, impartial, and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his murder and ensure that those responsible for this vicious killing are brought to justice," Obama said in a statement. Obama met Nemtsov during a 2009 trip to Moscow, where he held talks with opposition parties after a meeting with then-President Dmitry Medvedev.

Detentions of major Mexico drug chiefs in recent years Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:55 PM PST Recent captures or killings of top Mexican drug cartel leaders:

Iran nuclear talks advancing, no deal likely next week: U.S. official Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:55 PM PST By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Talks on curbing Iran's nuclear program have made substantial progress, a senior U.S. official said on Friday as the White House braced for an onslaught of criticism next week from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The official told reporters many hurdles remained to reaching an agreement to restrain the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for easing economic sanctions and said he did not expect one to be reached next week. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif are to meet in Switzerland early next week just as Netanyahu comes to Washington. U.S. Republicans have also criticized the talks with Iran.

Lydia Ko shoots 61 in New Zealand Women's Open Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:46 PM PST CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — Top-ranked Lydia Ko shot a course-record 11-under 61 on Saturday to take the early second-round lead in the New Zealand Women's Open.

World Cup: Australia wins toss, bats first vs. New Zealand Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:44 PM PST AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Australia won the toss and chose to bat in Saturday's eagerly-anticipated Cricket World Cup Pool A match against New Zealand at Eden Park.

Prominent Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov shot dead Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:32 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — Boris Nemtsov, a Russian opposition leader and sharp critic of President Vladimir Putin, was gunned down Saturday near the Kremlin, officials said. Nemtsov was killed just a day before a protest planned against Putin's rule.

Gasquet pulls out of Davis Cup tie with lower back pains Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:30 PM PST PARIS (AP) — Richard Gasquet has pulled out of France's first-round Davis Cup match against Germany next week because of lower back pains and has been replaced by Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Maria Sharapova withdraws because of stomach virus Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:29 PM PST ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Top-seeded Maria Sharapova of Russia withdrew Friday before her Mexico Open semifinal against Caroline Garcia because of a stomach virus.

Obama condemns 'brutal murder' of Russian opposition figure Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:24 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is condemning the killing of prominent Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov.

China indicates opposition to any sanctions in South Sudan Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:23 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — China indicated Friday that it opposes a U.S.-drafted resolution that would open a path for U.N. sanctions against those blocking peace and promoting violence in South Sudan.

Earthquake shakes Guatemala City: Reuters witness Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:19 PM PST An earthquake shook the capital of Guatemala on Friday, a Reuters witness said, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage. Mexico's national seismological service said the quake had a magnitude of 5.2 at a relatively shallow depth of 6 miles (10 km), and that the epicenter was on Guatemala's Pacific coast about 95 miles (153 km) southeast of the city of Hidalgo in Mexico's southern state of Chiapas.

Canada worried as growing number of youths join jihad Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:14 PM PST Concerned about a growing number of Canadian youths traveling overseas to join jihadists, and lacking an immediate alternative, political leaders have asked parents to keep a more watchful eye on their children for signs of extremism. "These situations are disastrous," Quebec premier Philippe Couillard said Friday, a day after Canadians learned that six of their own, aged 18 and 19, including two young women, had left for Syria via Turkey mid-January. All of them were born in Canada to immigrant parents who said they sought to instill Western values in their offspring. On Wednesday, an Alberta family revealed that their 23-year-old daughter had flown to Syria.

FDIC closes Puerto Rico's Doral Bank; Banco Popular steps in Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:12 PM PST SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico regulators shut down Doral Bank on Friday, with Banco Popular taking over most of the operations of what once the U.S. territory's fourth largest bank.

U.S., Cuba say progress made in talks; no date for diplomatic ties Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:11 PM PST By David Adams and Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cuba and the United States held a second round of talks on Friday toward normalizing ties, and both sides said they made good progress, although they did not set a date for renewal of diplomatic relations that Washington severed 54 years ago. Going into the talks, Communist-ruled Cuba pushed to be removed from a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. The head of Cuba's delegation to the talks, Josefina Vidal, said afterward that removal from the list was not a pre-condition for renewal of diplomatic ties.

Azarenka beats Venus Williams for 1st time at Qatar Open Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:06 PM PST DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Victoria Azarenka defeated Venus Williams for the first time on Friday, rallying for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory to reach the final at the Qatar Open.

McIlroy to miss cut at Honda Classic Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:05 PM PST PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Rory McIlroy's first PGA Tour event in five months lasted only two days.

McIlroy set to miss cut at Honda Classic Posted: 27 Feb 2015 04:01 PM PST World number one Rory McIlroy admitted Friday he needs to sharpen up with the Masters only weeks away, as he looked set to miss the cut at the US PGA Tour's Honda Classic. The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland found just one birdie with five bogeys in a four-over-par 74 for a seven-over total of 147 that left him three shots over the projected cut line when darkness halted the second round of the rain-hit $6.1 million event in Florida. "I don't like missing cuts," said McIlroy, who last missed a cut on US soil at the 2012 US Open, but missed the cut at the European Tour's Irish Open last June. "You want to be playing on the weekend and I'm not there," added McIlroy, who was already looking forward to next week's World Golf Championships event at Doral in Miami.

Ukraine leader says troop deaths 'serious breach' of truce Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:59 PM PST Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared the killing of three government troops by pro-Moscow rebels a "serious breach of the ceasefire", during a telephone call Friday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, her office said. "The firing by separatists on Ukrainian troops who were withdrawing constitutes a serious breach of the ceasefire," he was quoted as saying. International monitors said earlier Friday the conflict in Ukraine was at a "crossroads" as further losses among government forces rattle the two-week-old truce just as it had seemed to be gaining traction. The latest skirmishes came as the UN geared up to discuss the conflict exactly one year after Russia began seizing ports and cities on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.

Mexico City former mayor breaks with leftist PRD party Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:55 PM PST MEXICO CITY (AP) — Former Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said Friday he is splitting with the country's leftist Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, citing what he described as its increasing closeness to President Enrique Pena Nieto and the governing Institutional Revolutionary Party.

Marseille title challenge hit after 3-2 home loss to Caen Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:54 PM PST PARIS (AP) — Marseille's title hopes took a significant blow after coach Marcelo Bielsa's team threw away a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 home loss to Caen on Friday.

MLS Commissioner Garber: Hopeful season will start on time Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:45 PM PST BOSTON (AP) — Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber says he is still hopeful the season will start on time, even as the professional soccer league and its players head into the last week of their offseason without a collective bargaining agreement.

US could reopen embassy in Cuba within weeks Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:23 PM PST The United States and Cuba said they made progress Friday in talks on restoring diplomatic ties and Washington could reopen its Havana embassy before a key April summit if differences are overcome. After a second round of historic meetings, negotiators from both countries appeared optimistic about the road ahead, but cautioned there were still outstanding issues to resolve in order to restore diplomatic ties frozen for half a century. In open, honest and sometimes challenging...conversation we addressed the requirements of each side and the differences we identified in our first discussion in Havana a month ago," said top US diplomat for Latin America, Roberta Jacobson.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics have 3 venue changes approved by IOC Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:21 PM PST RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics got the go-ahead Friday from the IOC executive board to change three venue locations, with more changes expected in the next few months as the Japanese try to cuts costs.

Mourinho says English game damaged by Barnes controversy Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:16 PM PST Jose Mourinho believes the credibility of English football has been damaged by the handling of the Nemanja Matic and Ashley Barnes incident. Blues midfielder Matic will miss Sunday's League Cup final against Tottenham after his sending off in last weekend's Premier League clash with Burnley, when he took exception to a challenge by Barnes which Mourinho later called "criminal". Mourinho has spoken of a "clear campaign" against his Chelsea side this season and thinks the fact Matic was banned by the Football Association but Barnes escaped punishment undermines English football's long-standing fair-play status.

Puerto Rico power company delays debt restructuring plan Posted: 27 Feb 2015 03:15 PM PST SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's heavily indebted public power company is asking creditors for more time to present its restructuring plan.

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