2015年12月23日星期三

Yahoo! News: World News

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: World News


U.N. council backs Libya peace deal, no Western air strikes sought

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 01:19 PM PST

General view of damage at the scene of an explosion at the Mislattah checkpoint near KhomsBy Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday endorsed a U.N.-brokered agreement among Libya's warring factions to form a national unity government, a deal Western powers hope will bring stability and help to combat a growing Islamic State presence. Libya's U.N. ambassador, Ibrahim Dabbashi, said Libyan authorities have no plans to request Western air strikes against Islamic State militants anytime soon, if at all. The unanimously adopted resolution, drafted by Britain, made clear that Libya's future unity government should be the sole representative for the North African country, where competing governments have long vied for power.


Iraqi troops expected to drive ISIS from Ramadi in days: state TV

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 07:55 AM PST

Iraqi security forces gather to advance towards the center of Ramadi cityBy Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's army chief was quoted on Wednesday as saying he needed only days to drive Islamic State from Ramadi, the city whose fall in May exposed the weakness of the Baghdad government and dampened hopes of restoring control in the north and west. Iraqi troops began advancing on Tuesday in an offensive complicated by rivalries and suspicions harbored by local Sunni tribes and by Shi'ite militia backed by Iran. U.S. officials, concerned also by militant operations over the border in Syria, have expressed frustration at delays in seizing back the city.


Syrian government ready to join U.N. talks to end conflict: Assad aide

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 09:15 AM PST

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is seen during an interview in DamascusA close adviser to Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Wednesday Damascus was ready to join U.N.-sponsored peace talks with its position bolstered by both Russian backing and the West's retreat from a hardline anti-Assad approach. Bouthaina Shaaban said her government approved of U.N. resolutions passed last week endorsing an international road map for a Syria peace process, a rare display of unity among global powers on a conflict that has killed more than 250,000 people. The resolutions gave U.N. blessing to a plan negotiated earlier in Vienna that calls for a ceasefire, talks between the Syrian government and opposition, and a roughly two-year timeline to create a unity government and hold elections.


Somber Christmas for Iraq's Christians under threat from Islamic State

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 12:38 PM PST

A volunteer wearing a Santa Claus costume distributes presents to children at a poor community in NajafBy Saif Hameed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - With Christmas falling this year a day after Prophet Mohammad's birthday, the city of Baghdad is holding Christmas celebrations in a sign of brotherhood with Iraq's hard-pressed Christian community. Fireworks will illuminate the Tigris river every night of the week and a 25-metre (82 feet) Christmas tree has been set up in Zawraa public park. In Zayuna camp, in the east of the city, children listened to Christmas carols on Wednesday and danced with Santa Claus to Iraqi songs.       But, though grateful, many Christians say the gesture comes too late to improve their lot in Iraq, their homeland for nearly 2,000 years, but where Islamic State is making their future increasingly bleak.     "I saw some nice gestures from many people on Facebook and this made me happy, to be honest, that people are celebrating Christmas together with us in defiance of Daesh," said Mariam, a 29-year-old school teacher in Baghdad, referring to Islamic State.


Italian president offers pardons in CIA rendition convictions

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 12:22 PM PST

Italian President Mattarella addresses the European Parliament in StrasbourgBy Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) - Italy has partially pardoned the former CIA Milan station chief Robert Seldon Lady who was convicted for his role in the kidnapping of an Egyptian Muslim cleric under the U.S. "extraordinary rendition" program. Another U.S. citizen found guilty in the case, Betnie Medero, was also granted a pardon by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, his office said in a statement. Lady and Medero were among 26 Americans convicted for snatching Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr from a street in Milan in 2003 and whisking him away to be questioned in Egypt.


Cameron's office to probe why British Muslim family barred from U.S.

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 12:40 PM PST

File photo of Cameron speaking during a news conference in HanoiBritish Prime Minister David Cameron's office said on Wednesday it was looking into the case of a family of 11 British Muslims who were refused permission to board a flight from London to Los Angeles to visit Disneyland. The family of two adults and nine children were told by a U.S. official that their right to travel had been revoked as they waited in the departure lounge of Gatwick airport last Tuesday. The source declined to offer further information about the identity of the family member who was barred, or the reason why.


Chilean Congress OKs law for free university education

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 04:59 PM PST

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chile's Congress has approved a law granting free university education to many of the South American country's students.

Rough conditions expected on 1st night of Sydney to Hobart

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 04:58 PM PST

SYDNEY (AP) — Forecast southerly winds of up to 35 knots (65 kilometers per hour, 40 mph) will create a blustery first night for 109 yachts entered in this year's Sydney to Hobart race which begins Saturday.

Top Asian News 12:34 a.m. GMT

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 04:34 PM PST

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Afghan military has rushed reinforcements to a southern district threatened for days with takeover by the Taliban, the country's defense minister said Wednesday as he appealed for stepped-up NATO assistance and military support. In a besieged army base in the embattled district of Sangin, an Afghan soldier described a dire situation, saying a handful of Afghan troops inside were fighting to the last, trying to keep the Taliban out. Meanwhile, at an air base outside of Kabul, U.S. troops saluted fallen comrades during a memorial ceremony Wednesday for six American soldiers killed in a Taliban attack this week.

Thai court set to rule in murder of British backpackers

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 04:33 PM PST

KOH SAMUI, Thailand (AP) — A Thai court was to deliver its verdict Thursday in the high-profile murder case of two British backpackers found bludgeoned on a resort island last year, a gruesome crime that focused global attention on tourist safety and police conduct in the country.

Behind the scary headlines, 2015 gives reason for optimism

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 04:22 PM PST

By Joseph D'Urso LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - This year may be remembered for barrel bombs, beheadings and the Bataclan massacre, but according to a Harvard psychologist, a remarkable long term downward trend in violence is continuing. Wars are far less common and deadly than in the recent past, terrorism is rare, and the European refugee crisis is nothing new, said Steven Pinker, a bestselling science author. "The news is a systematically misleading way to understand the world," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview.

Severe weather menaces central and southern U.S., snarls holiday traffic

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 04:07 PM PST

Planes parked at the terminal Reagan National Airport in Washington on a rainy travel day(Reuters) - One person was killed as severe storms menaced the southern and central United States on Wednesday, pelting a region home to tens of millions of people with heavy rain and hail and snarling roads as holiday travel began in earnest for the Christmas weekend. An 18-year-old Arkansas woman died and a toddler was injured when a tree crashed into her house after being uprooted by powerful winds during a storm, according to emergency officials. In California, 11 million people were planning to travel by car between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3, and another million were planning to fly to their destinations.


UN Security Council backs Libya unity accord

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:51 PM PST

Libya's General National Congress deputy president Saleh al-Makhzoum (C-R), new national government head Fayez al-Sarraj (C) and head of Tobruk-based House of Representatives Mohammed Ali Shoeb (C-L) celebrate after signing deal on December 17, 2015The UN Security Council gave its backing Wednesday to the new national unity government in embattled Libya, a move it hopes will help stem mass migration to Europe and reverse gains made by jihadists from the Islamic State group. The 15-nation council gave its support to the deal signed last week in the Moroccan town of Skhirat between representatives of strife-torn Libya's two competing regimes. "This is just the start of a process to deliver a prosperous and stable future for all Libyans," Rycroft declared.


Aussie Smith pinching himself after player award

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:47 PM PST

Australia captain and batting supremo Steve Smith Thursday admitted it has been "a hell of a ride" from his Test debut as a leg-spinner to be named ICC cricketer of the year. "You don't think about these awards and these accolades," the dashing right-hander told the Cricket Australia website. Given his prolific recent output with the bat, it is easy to forget that he made his Test debut as a leg-spinner against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, batting well down the order.


1 dead, 7 injured in Mexico gathering fuel near pipeline tap

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:44 PM PST

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A fire broke out as people gathered fuel left near an illegal tap on an oil pipeline in southern Mexico, and at least one person died and seven others were injured, authorities said Wednesday.

Williams: African roots thriving in Spain's Basque region

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:43 PM PST

In this Tuesday Nov. 24, 2015 photo, Athletic Bilbao's Inaki Williams, center, warms up with Ander Iturraspe, and Raul Garcia, left, during a team training session in Lezama, near to Bilbao, northern Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. Inaki Williams is not the type of soccer player you would expect to see at Athletic Bilbao, the traditional Spanish club that only fields players from Bilbao and its neighboring Basque regions. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)BILBAO, Spain (AP) — Inaki Williams is not the type of soccer player you would expect to see at Athletic Bilbao, the traditional Spanish club which only fields players from Bilbao and its neighboring Basque regions.


CONCACAF suing California company over alleged kickbacks

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:39 PM PST

LOS ANGELES (AP) — CONCACAF is suing a California company for at least $50 million in an alleged kickback scheme involving two former executives of the soccer body.

Giants Odell Beckham Jr. loses appeal of 1-game suspension

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:33 PM PST

New York Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. signs an autograph as he leaves NFL headquarters in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015. Hearing officer James Thrash upheld the suspension for multiple violations of safety-related playing rules after hearing an appeal by the New York Giants wide receiver earlier in the day. Beckham will miss the game Sunday night at Minnesota. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK (AP) — Odell Beckham Jr. is going to have to serve his one-game suspension.


Montreal Impact hope to keep Didier Drogba for 2016 season

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:33 PM PST

MONTREAL (AP) — Major League Soccer's Montreal Impact hopes to keep Didier Drogba for next season and prevent his return to Chelsea.

Kooyong to host Australia's Davis Cup clash with US

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:32 PM PST

Lleyton Hewitt, pictured on September 3, 2015, will captain Australia in a Davis Cup clash against the United StatesAustralia's first-round Davis Cup World Group clash with the United States in March will be played on grass at Kooyong in Melbourne in a tie marking Lleyton Hewitt's debut as captain. The former home of the Australian Open Grand Slam will host its first Davis Cup showdown in 10 years from March 4-6 on a portable grass court, organisers said Thursday. "To play Davis Cup in Melbourne, the home of tennis in Australia, at a club like Kooyong with so much tennis history is a privilege," said Hewitt.


South American left in retreat as economic crisis deepens

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:26 PM PST

FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2015 file photo, Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez gestures after unveiling a bust of her late husband, and former president, Nestor Kirchner, at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Voters in Argentina elected a conservative businessman president over Fernandez's chosen successor. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan, File)BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — After a decade on the advance, the left in South America is in retreat.


Russia issues arrest warrant for Kremlin foe Khodorkovsky

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:23 PM PST

Mikhail Khodorkovsky was recently charged in absentia with organising the 1998 murder of a mayor in SiberiaRussia said on Wednesday it had issued an international arrest warrant for top opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky, as Moscow ramped up the pressure on a leading critic of President Vladimir Putin. The announcement from the Investigative Committee, a top law enforcement body which reports directly to Putin, came nearly two years to the day since the Kremlin strongman stunned Russia by announcing that his political enemy, who had spent a decade in prison, would be pardoned and set free. Khodorkovsky said he might apply for asylum in Britain, and that the arrest warrant showed Putin still saw him as a threat.


Airlines prep for holiday crush: More flights, bigger planes

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:11 PM PST

FILE - In this Nov. 29, 2015 file photo, travelers walk to their gates at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. Airlines are shifting the timing of thousands of flights, even adding dozens of redeyes, as they try to avoid delays while hauling millions of passengers from now through the Christmas weekend. Success or failure could all depend on the weather.(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)DALLAS (AP) — Airlines are shifting the timing of thousands of flights, even adding dozens of redeyes, as they try to avoid delays while hauling millions of passengers from now through the Christmas weekend.


Trump laps Republican field in latest 2016 poll

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 03:03 PM PST

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sparked controverys recently with a call to bar Muslims from entering the United States and vulgar verbal attacks on Democratic rival Hillary ClintonAmerican billionaire Donald Trump, the dominant Republican no one can stop talking about heading into the 2016 presidential election, is leaving his rivals far behind in the polls. The provocative real estate magnate and political neophyte remains at the center of campaign firestorms, roiling the Republican establishment and leading the GOP pack as it gears up for the post-New-Year gallop to Iowa and the first voting in the nominations process on February 1. Trump's campaign trail bombast -- including extraordinary comments, among them a vulgar attack on Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton that stunned many observers -- appears to have done him little if any harm in the polls as he solidifies the frontrunner status he has maintained since late July.


Under-pressure Van Gaal walks out of United news conference

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:43 PM PST

Manchester United's new manager Louis van Gaal takes to the touchline before his team's English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Norwich City at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Louis van Gaal walked out of a news conference on Wednesday after becoming annoyed about speculation regarding his future as Manchester United manager.


Severe pre-Christmas weather menaces central, southern United States

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:41 PM PST

Planes parked at the terminal Reagan National Airport in Washington on a rainy travel day(Reuters) - One person was killed as severe storms menaced the southern and central United States on Wednesday, pelting a region home to tens of millions of people with heavy rain and hail, while states from Louisiana to Illinois were under a tornado watch. The bad weather threatened to scramble plans for many holiday travelers, even as dreams of a white Christmas melted in northeastern parts of the country, which were experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures. An 18-year-old Arkansas woman died and a toddler was injured when a tree crashed into her house after being uprooted by powerful winds during a storm, according to emergency officials.


Robshaw regret at Wales World Cup penalty blunder

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:40 PM PST

England's flanker and captain Chris Robshaw, pictured on September 26, 2015, will appear at Twickenham for the first time since the World Cup when Harlequins host Gloucester in 'Big Game 8'Chris Robshaw admits he regrets his costly decision not to kick a penalty against Wales in the World Cup defeat that eventually sealed his team's humiliating pool stage exit. Speaking for the first time since England crashed out of the World Cup on home soil, captain Robshaw said opting for an attacking line-out instead of taking a shot at goal was the wrong call. If Owen Farrell had made the kick in the closing moments the game would have been drawn and England would have reached the quarter-finals.


Beatles end streaming boycott in time for Christmas

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:40 PM PST

The Beatles, the top-selling band in the history of music, will join the streaming-music bandwagon just in time for Christmas, drummer Ringo Starr announced via tweet on December 23 2015The Beatles, the top-selling band in musical history yet a persistent holdout on new technology, announced Wednesday they would end a boycott of streaming in time for Christmas. The Fab Four's full catalogue will be available on all major services including leader Spotify, removing the most glaring musical absence from the booming sector of streaming that allows unlimited on-demand music online. "Happy Crimble, with love from us to you," said a statement, employing a slang term for Christmas used by The Beatles.


Guinea PM steps down after president Conde re-elected

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:28 PM PST

Alpha Conde (R) takes the oath of office for his second five-year term as president of Guinea at the Sekoutoureya royal palace in Conakry on December 21, 2015Guinea's prime minister on Wednesday stepped down in order to make way for a new administration after President Alpha Conde was sworn in for a controversial second five-year term, the presidency said in a statement. While accepting Mohamed Said Fofana's resignation, Conde asked the government to continue exercising its functions until a new cabinet is formed, the statement added. The constitutional court last month formally confirmed Conde's re-election with 57.8 percent of the vote, dismissing opposition claims of vote rigging and fraud.


Kremlin critic Khodorkovsky may seek UK asylum: report

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:27 PM PST

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, pictured on June 17, 2015, said he might apply for political asylum in Britain after Moscow issued an international warrant for his arrestTop Russian opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky on Wednesday said he might apply for political asylum in Britain after Moscow issued an international warrant for his arrest. Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man but later imprisoned for 10 years after falling foul of President Vladimir Putin, told the BBC the Russian leader still saw him as a threat. "Definitely I'm considering asking for asylum in the UK," said the Kremlin critic, who already spends much of his time in London.


Leicester: The team that feared relegation now tops EPL

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:25 PM PST

Leicester City's Shanji Okazaki of Japan, right, celebrates after scoring a goal during the English Premier League soccer match at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Saturday Dec.19, 2015. (Peter Byrnev / PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT - NO SALES - NO ARCHIVESLONDON (AP) — Leicester reburied a medieval monarch and then its soccer team came back from the dead to become surprise contenders for the Premier League crown.


Canada to review extradition of mother to US

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:23 PM PST

Jody Wilson-Raybould, pictured on November 4, 2015 during her swearing-in ceremony, will review the case of a Canadian woman facing extradition to the United States for allegedly stealing her children from their abusive American fatherCanada's attorney general said Wednesday she would review the case of a Canadian woman facing extradition to the United States for allegedly stealing her children from their abusive American father. "I have decided to reconsider this case," Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould said in a statement, citing possible new facts in the years-long domestic dispute. The woman, known only as "M" in court documents, has been fighting extradition since her arrest in 2010, and reportedly went on a brief hunger strike after Canada's top court ruled earlier this month that she could be sent to the US state of Georgia to face prosecution for interstate interference of a child custody order.


'Vatileaks' priest freed from jail, put under house arrest

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:19 PM PST

Spanish Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda, pictured on January 15, 2014, was arrested in November over accusations he leaked confidential documents to the Italian pressA Spanish priest accused of leaking secret documents to journalists in the so-called Vatileaks scandal was released from prison and placed under house arrest, a spokesman for the Holy See said Wednesday. Spanish Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda was arrested in November over accusations he leaked confidential documents to the Italian press, along with his assistant Nicola Maio and Francesca Chaouqui, a former PR consultant to the Vatican. Vallejo Balda was released from jail Tuesday and is being housed in a small flat in a convent located above the Vatican police station, spokesman Ciro Benedettini told AFP, adding that he was barred from leaving the city-state.


EU warns Poland to protect 'rule of law' over judicial crisis

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:09 PM PST

Thousands of people demonstrated in Poland's capital Warsaw and other cities, accusing the conservative government of undermining democracyThe European Union warned eastern European powerhouse Poland to avoid endangering the rule of law with controversial reforms that former president Lech Walesa said undermined democracy and made the country a laughing stock. The EU's executive arm "attaches great importance to preventing the emergence of situations whereby the rule of law in (a) member state could be called into question," according to the letter. Parliament on Tuesday adopted -- by 235 votes to 181 with four abstentions -- reforms to the Constitutional Court which have provoked an avalanche of criticism at home and abroad.


Guatemala disputes stranded Cubans need humanitarian access

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:07 PM PST

Part of a group of 300 Cubans who remain in a shelter rest, in La Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, near the border with Nicaragua on November 26, 2015Guatemala on Wednesday rejected an argument by Costa Rica that thousands of stranded US-bound Cuban migrants should be allowed to travel through Central America on humanitarian grounds. The Cubans have been stuck in Costa Rica since mid-November, when Nicaragua closed its border to them.


Don Howe, England player turned respected coach, dies at 80

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 02:03 PM PST

FILE - This May 6, 1978 file photo shows Don Howe, right, in London. Don Howe, a former England defender who became a key member of the England coaching staff, has died. He was 80. Howe's death was announced Wednesday Dec. 23, 2015 by the English Football Association as well as West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal, two teams he played for and managed. (PA via AP, File)LONDON (AP) — Don Howe, a former England defender who became a key member of the England coaching staff, has died. He was 80.


Venezuela's lame duck congress approves high court judges

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 01:58 PM PST

FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2015 file photo, pedestrians walk past the National Assembly building in Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuela's lame duck congress approved the appointment of 13 Supreme Court justices on Dec. 23 in a move that the opposition says is meant to undermine its landslide victory in this month's legislative elections. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's lame duck congress approved the appointment of 13 Supreme Court justices Wednesday in a move that the opposition said is meant to undermine its landslide victory in this month's legislative elections.


British Muslim family barred from flying to Disneyland

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 01:55 PM PST

A British Muslim family of 11 was stopped from boarding their flight to Los Angeles at London's Gatwick airport by immigration officialsPrime Minister David Cameron was urged to intervene Wednesday after a British Muslim family was prevented from flying to the United States for a visit to Disneyland. The family of 11 was stopped from boarding their flight to Los Angeles at London's Gatwick airport on Tuesday last week by immigration officials. Mohammad Tariq Mahmood, who was travelling with his brother and nine of their children, said the officials gave no reason for blocking their travel plans.


Nordic countries in annual contest to claim real Santa

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 01:54 PM PST

A child looks at a large snowman in Santa Claus Village, around 8 kms, 5 miles north of Rovaniemi in Finland on Tuesday Dec. 15, 2015. Most kids learn that Santa Claus comes from the North Pole, but children in Scandinavia are taught he lives a bit further south. Where exactly is a matter of much debate, with businesses in Finland, Sweden and Norway competing to cash in on the cache that comes with claiming Santa's hometown. (AP Photo/James Brooks)HELSINKI (AP) — Most kids learn that Santa Claus comes from the North Pole, but children in Scandinavia are taught he lives a bit further south. Where exactly is a matter of much debate, with businesses in Finland, Sweden and Norway competing to cash in on the cachet that comes with claiming Santa's hometown.


Republicans, administration spar on visa travel for Iran

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 01:53 PM PST

FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2015 file photo, Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at United Nations headquarters. Congressional Republicans are criticizing the Obama administration over its reassurances to Iran about new visa rules. At issue is a new law tightening visa-free travel to the U.S. The measure was part of a spending bill passed by Congress last week and signed by President Barack Obama. It requires visas for citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran and Sudan, as well as recent visitors to those countries. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — Top GOP lawmakers accused the Obama administration Wednesday of ignoring congressional intent and the spirit of the law in offering reassurances to Iran about new visa rules.


0 条评论:

发表评论

订阅 博文评论 [Atom]

<< 主页

bnzv