Yahoo! News: World News

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• Kerry says unclear whether interim Iran deal within reach
• Iraqi troops pause, await back-up in battle for Tikrit against militants
• Afghanistan gave CIA money to al Qaeda for diplomat's ransom: NYT
• Venezuela stages military exercise to counter U.S. 'threat'
• Iraqi Kurds say Islamic State used chlorine gas against them
• Islamic State targeted in 10 air strikes by U.S., allies: statement
• Islamic State fighters and force allied with Tripoli clash in central Libya
• Murray advances at Indian Wells
• Egypt sacks 41 judges for supporting Brotherhood: sources
• Messi overtakes Ronaldo in scoring charts; Man City loses
• Rescue effort begins in Vanuatu after powerful Pacific cyclone
• Ryan Moore takes lead in Valspar Championship
• Vatican official says force may be needed to combat Islamic State: interview
• Andy Murray advances to 3rd round at Indian Wells
• U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia on heightened security
• Chile wildfire reported contained; many evacuees return home
• Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT
• Benfica beats Braga to increase overnight lead in Portugal
• Messi nets 31st, 32nd league goals as Barca protects lead
• Super Sunday to decide World Cup quarter-final line-up
• Bombs found in camp for displaced people in Nigeria's Maiduguri
• Motorcycle racing: Eslick wins Daytona 200
• Sad Taylor ready to move on from Zimbabwe
• Turkey not headed toward 'dictatorship': Erdogan
• Cartoonist Lars Vilks in first public appearance since Copenhagen attacks
• Abducted Chinese workers freed in Nigeria: police
• Juventus grinds out 1-0 win at Palermo to go 14 points clear
• West Indies win toss, send UAE in to bat at World Cup
• Court revives lawsuit over Nazi stolen art in US
• Championship promotion race heats up after goal glut
• Guyana defends oil concession in waters claimed by Venezuela
• Serbian helicopter in fatal crash while evacuating newborn
• Residents return after fleeing Chile port city inferno
• Panathinaikos beats Ergotelis 2-0 in Greek league
• Venezuela conducts military exercises, citing US threat
• EU's Mogherini to make first visit to Cuba to spur normalisation
• Vanuatu appeals for aid after cyclone 'calamity'
• Saint-Etienne wins 3-2 win at Metz in French league
• Israeli vote in balance as campaigning draws to close

Kerry says unclear whether interim Iran deal within reach Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:46 AM PDT By Lesley Wroughton SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) - On the eve of fresh talks with Iran, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said it was unclear whether an interim agreement over its nuclear power program was within reach. "I can't tell you whether or not we can get a deal, whether we are close," Kerry told a news conference on Saturday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he attended an Egyptian investment summit. The United States and five other major powers -- Britain, Germany, France, China and Russia -- will resume negotiations with Iran in Lausanne, Switzerland, from Sunday. The two sides would then seek to negotiate by June 30 a final agreement to would curb Iran's most sensitive nuclear activities for at least 10 years.

Iraqi troops pause, await back-up in battle for Tikrit against militants Posted: 14 Mar 2015 09:04 AM PDT By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces and mainly Shi'ite militiamen battling to wrest full control of the city of Tikrit from Islamic State militants paused their offensive for a second day on Saturday as they awaited reinforcements, a military source said. More than 20,000 troops and Iranian-backed Shi'ite fighters entered Tikrit on Wednesday, having retaken areas to the north and south in Iraq's biggest offensive against the militants yet. Islamic State fighters still hold about half the city and have booby-trapped buildings and laid improvised explosive devices and roadside bombs, the source in the local military command center told Reuters. More "well-trained forces" were needed for the street-by-street battles that recapturing the city would require, the source said, speaking by phone from Tikrit.

Afghanistan gave CIA money to al Qaeda for diplomat's ransom: NYT Posted: 14 Mar 2015 10:58 AM PDT About $1 million provided by the CIA to a secret Afghan government fund ended up in the hands of al Qaeda in 2010 when it was used to pay a ransom for an Afghan diplomat, the New York Times reported on Saturday. Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had at first been concerned about the payment, fearing the CIA knew about the money and had tainted it with poison, radiation or a tracking device, the Times said, and suggested it be converted to another currency. The newspaper said letters about the ransom payment were found in the 2011 raid by U.S. Navy SEALS who killed bin Laden at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The communications were submitted as evidence in the trial of Abid Naseer, who was convicted this month in New York of supporting terrorism and plotting to bomb a shopping center in Manchester, England.

Venezuela stages military exercise to counter U.S. 'threat' Posted: 14 Mar 2015 03:34 PM PDT By Alexandra Ulmer and Deisy Buitrago CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela on Saturday staged a military exercise to counter an alleged U.S. threat, deploying soldiers and partisans across the country to march, man shoulder-fired missiles and defend an oil refinery from a simulated attack. Socialist President Nicolas Maduro has framed recent U.S. sanctions on seven Venezuelan officials as a bid to topple him, and on Saturday his government mobilized 80,000 soldiers and 20,000 civilians as part of a 10-day military drill. "The United States has declared Venezuela a threat," said General Vladimir Padrino, Venezuela's defense minister. "And that means an imminent danger for us, so we have to use the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) as part of our constitutional mission to guarantee independence and sovereignty." Opposition leaders labeled the exercise a farce and accused Maduro, increasingly unpopular as a result of an economic crisis, of seeking to distract Venezuelans from long queues for scarce products, sky-high inflation and rampant crime.

Iraqi Kurds say Islamic State used chlorine gas against them Posted: 14 Mar 2015 12:56 PM PDT By Isabel Coles ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi Kurdish authorities said on Saturday they had evidence that Islamic State had used chlorine gas as a chemical weapon against their peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq in January. The Security Council of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region said in a statement to Reuters that the peshmerga had taken soil and clothing samples after an Islamic State car bombing attempt on Jan. 23. Chlorine is a choking agent whose use as a chemical weapon dates back to World War One. It is banned under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits all use of toxic agents on the battlefield.

Islamic State targeted in 10 air strikes by U.S., allies: statement Posted: 14 Mar 2015 09:08 AM PDT The United States and its coalition partners staged 10 air strikes on Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria in a 24-hour period, the Combined Joint Task Force said on Saturday. The strikes, which began on Friday, hit a fighting position and tactical units near the Syrian cities of Kobani and Al Hasakah, the task force said in a statement on the latest daily raids. In Iraq, four strikes targeted a large Islamic State unit, two tactical units, four buildings and vehicles near Kirkuk.

Islamic State fighters and force allied with Tripoli clash in central Libya Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:34 PM PDT Clashes erupted in central Libya on Saturday between Islamic State fighters and a force loyal to a Tripoli-based faction, a military official and residents said. It was the first publicly known major confrontation between the two groups since militants loyal to Islamic State, the group which has seized much of Iraq and Syria, established a larger presence in central Libya in recent weeks. Islamic State, which analysts say is splintered into smaller factions in Libya, has sought to exploit turmoil in the major oil producer where two rival governments and their respective allies fight for power. On Saturday, Islamic State militants clashed with forces allied to a Tripoli-based government that was established after an armed faction called Libya Dawn seized the capital in August.

Murray advances at Indian Wells Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:32 PM PDT Indian Wells (United States) (AFP) - Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray cruised past Vasek Pospisil 6-1, 6-3 in his opening match at the Indian Wells ATP Masters on Saturday.

Egypt sacks 41 judges for supporting Brotherhood: sources Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:32 PM PDT By Mahmoud Mourad CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian disciplinary court ordered 41 judges into compulsory retirement on Saturday for supporting the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, judicial sources said, the latest move in a sweeping crackdown on political dissent. The government has implemented a harsh crackdown on Islamists and secular political opponents since July 2013, when then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi following mass protests against his rule. The Disciplinary Council headed by Nabil Zaki, a judge, did not immediately release the reason for its decision, but the judicial sources said 31 of the judges were sent into compulsory retirement for signing a statement condemning Mursi's removal. Another 10 were removed from their posts for joining the "Judges for Egypt" group, which supported the Brotherhood even before Mursi's removal, the sources added.

Messi overtakes Ronaldo in scoring charts; Man City loses Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:26 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Not content with breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's record for hat tricks in the Spanish league last weekend, Lionel Messi moved ahead of his rival in this season's scoring charts too.

Rescue effort begins in Vanuatu after powerful Pacific cyclone Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:25 PM PDT Rescue workers began a massive relief operation in Vanuatu on Sunday following a devastating cyclone that killed at least six people, sent thousands into emergency shelters and disrupted communications in the Pacific island nation. Officials said the airport in Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, remained closed, though they hoped it might partly reopen later on Sunday to allow in the first relief planes. As Cyclone Pam finally moved off to the southeast, more people left homeless by the disaster flooded into evacuation centers filled with thousands of evacuees, government officials said. "Our communication link is still down," Paolo Malatu, an official at the country's National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), told Reuters.

Ryan Moore takes lead in Valspar Championship Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:24 PM PDT PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Moore had no trouble explaining how, after 12 consecutive pars to start the third-round of the Valspar Championship, he birdied four of the final six holes Saturday.

Vatican official says force may be needed to combat Islamic State: interview Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:17 PM PDT The Vatican's ambassador in Geneva has said the use of force will be necessary to protect minority groups from Islamic State aggression if a political solution cannot be achieved. In an interview with U.S. Catholic website Crux, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said the jihadists, who have declared a cross-border caliphate after seizing land in eastern Syria and northern Iraq, were committing "genocide" and must be stopped. "What's needed is a coordinated and well-thought-out coalition to do everything possible to achieve a political settlement without violence," Crux quoted Tomasi as saying on Friday, "but if that's not possible, then the use of force will be necessary." Tomasi's words follow repeated condemnations of Islamic State by Pope Francis, who decried the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya in February and has said it is "lawful" to stop an unjust aggressor. The Vatican said more than 60 countries including the United States have endorsed the statement, which warns that Christians in particular now "live a serious existential threat".

Andy Murray advances to 3rd round at Indian Wells Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:17 PM PDT INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Andy Murray defeated Vasek Pospisil 6-1, 6-3 to reach the third round of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday, with the hard-serving Canadian making it easier as a result of his 35 unforced errors.

U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia on heightened security Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:15 PM PDT (Reuters) - U.S. citizens are urged to take precautions in Saudia Arabaia and U.S. consular services in the country have been canceled for Sunday and Monday due to heightened security concerns, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh said on Saturday. In a statement on its website, the embassy said consular services in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran would be canceled and it urged all U.S. citizens to take extra precautions when traveling in Saudi Arabia. Fox News, citing an intelligence source, said the threat is serious enough that the facilities will have only essential staff over the next two days. On Friday, the embassy warned that Western oil workers in Saudi Arabia may be the target of militant attacks.

Chile wildfire reported contained; many evacuees return home Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:07 PM PDT SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A wildfire burning near the Pacific ports of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar was contained but still a threat Saturday, authorities said, as many of 7,000 people who had been evacuated began returning home.

Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:03 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — At least eight people were confirmed dead in Vanuatu after a massive cyclone tore through the tiny South Pacific archipelago, and the death toll is likely to rise much higher once communications are restored with outlying islands, aid workers said Sunday. Packing winds of 270 kilometers (168 miles) per hour, Cyclone Pam tore through Vanuatu early Saturday, leaving a trail of destruction and unconfirmed reports of dozens of deaths.

Benfica beats Braga to increase overnight lead in Portugal Posted: 14 Mar 2015 04:02 PM PDT LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Jonas and Eliseu Pereira scored to help Benfica beat 10-man Braga 2-0 at home Saturday and increase its overnight lead in the Portuguese league.

Messi nets 31st, 32nd league goals as Barca protects lead Posted: 14 Mar 2015 03:53 PM PDT BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi moved ahead of rival Cristiano Ronaldo with his 31st and 32nd Spanish league goals of the season as Barcelona won 2-0 at Eibar on Saturday to stay atop the standings.

Super Sunday to decide World Cup quarter-final line-up Posted: 14 Mar 2015 03:51 PM PDT The World Cup's marathon group stage finally comes to an end on Sunday with the last two quarter-final places still up for grabs. Pakistan, the 1992 champions, 1975 and 1979 winners the West Indies and non-Test side Ireland are the three teams battling for two remaining places in the knockout phase from Pool B. The winners of the match between Pakistan and Ireland in Adelaide will be guaranteed a quarter-final spot in a fixture that will take place almost eight years to the day since the Irish knocked Pakistan out of the 2007 World Cup.

Bombs found in camp for displaced people in Nigeria's Maiduguri Posted: 14 Mar 2015 03:28 PM PDT Nigerian soldiers on Saturday detonated two homemade bombs found in a camp housing people displaced by Boko Haram violence in the restive northeastern city of Maiduguri, witnesses told AFP. The school was converted into a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) after Boko Haram Islamists captured the town of Bama, some 70 kilometres (43 miles) from Maiduguri, last July. Butari accused Boko Haram of being behind the foiled bomb attack. Scores of IDP camps dot Maiduguri following a huge influx of people fleeing towns and villages seized by Boko Haram, doubling the population of the city which stood at around one million people.

Motorcycle racing: Eslick wins Daytona 200 Posted: 14 Mar 2015 03:10 PM PDT DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Danny Eslick won the Daytona 200 for the second straight year with a last-lap pass of Josh Herrin in the final turn at Daytona International Speedway.

Sad Taylor ready to move on from Zimbabwe Posted: 14 Mar 2015 03:06 PM PDT Zimbabwe batsman Brendan Taylor says he will miss representing his country after playing his last one-day international against India in Auckland on Saturday but insisted life goes on. The 29-year-old will play for Nottinghamshire in England on a three-year deal which will put his Zimbabwe career on hold -- and there is the possibility that he may never turn out for his country again. Asked what he will miss, Taylor replied: "Not wearing the shirt. There have been special times through good and bad," said Taylor, who smashed a brilliant 138 in his team's 287 all out against India in their concluding World Cup Pool B match at Eden Park on Saturday.

Turkey not headed toward 'dictatorship': Erdogan Posted: 14 Mar 2015 03:01 PM PDT Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday dismissed claims that a new constitution expanding his powers would install a "dictatorship". "They say the presidential system would bring dictatorship. Is there dictatorship in the United States, Mexico or in Brazil?" Erdogan said in the western province of Canakkale. The building of a new Turkey is inevitable.

Cartoonist Lars Vilks in first public appearance since Copenhagen attacks Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:58 PM PDT Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks on Saturday made his first public appearance in Copenhagen after surviving an attack last month in the Danish capital, local media reported. The 68-year-old cartoonist, who whipped up an outcry across the Muslim world with his 2007 sketch of the Prophet Mohammed as a dog, had lived in a secret location since the February 14 attempt on his life. A Dane of Palestinian origin had fired a series of shots at a Copenhagen cultural centre that was hosting a debate on free speech attended by the cartoonist, killing a filmmaker. On Saturday, Vilks emerged in public to receive a prize awarded by a Danish association promoting free speech called Trykkefrihedsselskabet.

Abducted Chinese workers freed in Nigeria: police Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:53 PM PDT Three Chinese workers kidnapped by gunmen in central Nigeria's Kogi state were released unhurt on Saturday, police said. They were freed today through a joint operation by the police and other security agents," state police spokesman Sola Collins Adebayo told AFP. A senior police officer told AFP earlier on Saturday that the gunmen had stormed the quarry and engaged the police on guard there in a shootout that left one officer dead and another wounded. Kogi state has seen a wave of abductions targeting foreigners this year.

Juventus grinds out 1-0 win at Palermo to go 14 points clear Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:45 PM PDT MILAN (AP) — Juventus managed to grind out a 1-0 win at Palermo on Saturday despite missing a number of players and provisionally extended its Serie A lead to 14 points.

West Indies win toss, send UAE in to bat at World Cup Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:45 PM PDT NAPIER, New Zealand (AP) — The West Indies had a setback in the push for a World Cup quarterfinal spot with veteran opener Chris Gayle ruled out of the starting lineup for the must-win Pool B match against United Arab Emirates.

Court revives lawsuit over Nazi stolen art in US Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:42 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court in New York has given new life to a claim that the University of Oklahoma is harboring a Camille Pissarro painting stolen by the Nazis during World War II.

Championship promotion race heats up after goal glut Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:41 PM PDT Bournemouth, Watford and Middlesbrough all thumped four goals on Saturday to remain tied at the top of the Championship, while Derby and Norwich remain hot on their heels after playing out a 1-1 draw. A first half hat-trick by forward Brett Pitman helped free-scoring Bournemouth to a 4-0 win over lowly Blackpool at Dean Court, the other goal coming from the penalty spot courtesy of strike partner Callum Wilson. Following their third straight win, the Cherries remain in top spot on goal difference, while Blackpool look doomed, 18 points from safety. Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe praised his team's handling of the late-season pressure as well as his match winner.

Guyana defends oil concession in waters claimed by Venezuela Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:35 PM PDT GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana's government is rejecting the latest objections raised by neighboring Venezuela over the granting to ExxonMobil Corp. of an oil and gas concession in Caribbean waters claimed by both nations.

Serbian helicopter in fatal crash while evacuating newborn Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:27 PM PDT A Serbian military helicopter evacuating a five-day-old baby for emergency medical treatment has crashed in heavy fog, killing all seven people on board, the officials said Saturday. A four-member crew, two medical workers and the baby were all killed in the crash, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic told RTS television. The incident was the worst of its kind since 1996, Serbian army chief of staff Ljubisa Dikovic said. The Mi-17 helicopter transporting the baby who was suffering severe respiratory problems to a Belgrade hospital crashed late Friday near the Serbian capital, the defence ministry said in a statement.

Residents return after fleeing Chile port city inferno Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:20 PM PDT Valparaíso (Chile) (AFP) - Thousands of residents began returning to their Valparaiso homes Saturday, hours after fleeing a still-smoldering forest fire that threatened the treasured Chilean seaport city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Most of the 7,000 people who had been evacuated after Chile declared a state of emergency Friday were permitted to return home, after the fire's "marginal" nighttime spread, according to one official. National Emergency Office chief Ricardo Toro said that "the fire now has been contained.

Panathinaikos beats Ergotelis 2-0 in Greek league Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:19 PM PDT ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Panathinaikos beat host Ergotelis 2-0 through first-half goals by Marcus Berg and Abdul Jeleel Ajagun in the Greek league Saturday.

Venezuela conducts military exercises, citing US threat Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:12 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan soldiers are starting 10 days of military exercises that the president of the socialist-governed South American country says are needed to protect against a looming threat from the U.S.

EU's Mogherini to make first visit to Cuba to spur normalisation Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:04 PM PDT EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is to visit Cuba later this month in a bid to spur talks aimed at normalising ties with the Communist-led island state, the first such trip by a top EU diplomat. The planned visit appears to mark a further thaw in relations between Cuba and the West, especially after the dramatic rapprochement between Havana and Washington in the last few months. Mogherini will meet Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on the March 23-24 visit to Havana which "comes at a crucial time" for negotiations between the two sides, her office said in a statement Saturday. "Cuba is facing a very interesting period and the European Union is keen to see how we can take the relationship forward with strong momentum," Mogherini said.

Vanuatu appeals for aid after cyclone 'calamity' Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:01 PM PDT Vanuatu's president made an emotional appeal for international assistance on Saturday after his island nation was hit by a calamity of a cyclone, wreaking devastation in what is feared to be one of the region's worst weather disasters. Though the full extent of the damage is unknown, the UN had unconfirmed reports of 44 people killed in just one province while aid agencies described scenes of destroyed homes, uprooted trees and blocked roads as a result of Super Cyclone Pam, a maximum category five storm. Media including the Wall Street Journal cited the country's Disaster Management Office in saying six people were killed and a state of emergency declared over the tropical cyclone, which brought gusts of up to 320 kilometres (200 miles) an hour. Images showed the battered capital littered with debris as strong waves pounded onshore, while aid agencies described homes "blown to pieces" and "widespread destruction".

Saint-Etienne wins 3-2 win at Metz in French league Posted: 14 Mar 2015 02:00 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Ivory Coast winger Max-Alain Gradel scored for the fourth straight match as Saint-Etienne secured a 3-2 win at struggling Metz on Saturday to strengthen its hold on fifth place in the French league standings.

Israeli vote in balance as campaigning draws to close Posted: 14 Mar 2015 01:57 PM PDT Three days ahead of Israel's general election, there was growing uncertainty Saturday over who will win the premiership, with polls showing incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu trailing his centre-left rivals. The final two surveys released Friday night by private television channels gave the Zionist Union, headed by Labour leader Isaac Herzog, a four-seat lead over Netanyahu's Likud. A poll by Channel 10 showed Likud winning 20 seats, compared with 24 for the Zionist Union, while a survey issued by Channel 2 also showed Likud four seats behind, 22 to 26. Israel's new premier will be the one who can build a coalition commanding a majority of at least 61 seats in the 120-strong Knesset.

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