Yahoo! News: World News

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• Obama says still weighing decision on arming Ukraine forces
• Gunmen fire on Marseille police as PM Valls visits city
• Euro zone, Greece face off as markets take fright
• Ex-IMF head Strauss-Kahn testifies in French sex ring trial
• Malaysia's Anwar faces final judgment in sodomy case
• Libyan army says has retaken main camp in Benghazi
• Four killed in truck crash in Bath
• Merkel says Ukraine conflict can't be solved by military
• Venezuela, Brazil leaned heavily on secret Swiss accounts
• Qualcomm to pay $975M fine over Chinese anti-monopoly claim
• Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT
• US announces indictment in New York-Russian spy ring case
• Nevada dust blamed for mystery 'milky' rain in U.S. Pacific Northwest
• Maze captures Alpine combined title at Beaver Creek worlds
• London mayor touts life sciences in visit to Massachusetts
• Illinois woman accused of aiding extremists appears in court
• FBI: Puerto Rico man makes death threats against US attorney
• Obama, Merkel rally behind diplomacy in Ukraine conflict
• Study: Cats, foxes behind Australia's alarming extinctions
• Obama: Time has come for Iran to decide on nuclear deal
• No. 5 Dimitrov beats angry Mathieu in Rotterdam
• APNewsBreak: Man charged in Megaupload case brought to US
• Obama says extending deadline for Iran nuclear deal not useful
• I've no problem with Djokovic - Murray
• UN: Taliban act like gangsters not would-be government
• Boston-area transit, schools to shut Tuesday after record snowfall
• Wales acts to avoid repeat of concussion incident
• Food scares cost McDonald's in China, Japan; sales fall
• Netanyahu considering changes to Congress speech after criticism
• Obama defends lack of Netanyahu meeting, citing protocols
• Netanyahu speech to U.S. Congress still on for March 3
• Mexico questions allegations of independent forensic team
• Top-seeded Lopez pulls out of Brazil Open after injury
• California high-speed rail opponents challenge federal ruling
• Diplomat: Buffer zone, border controls key to Ukraine talks
• British MPs to probe HSBC over SwissLeaks tax evasion
• Mexico defends probe of 43 missing students
• Australia lobbies Indonesia to save 2 death row prisoners
• Aide who gave gun to dead Argentine prosecutor is fired
• Obama's labor 2-step: Fight on trade, embrace on wages

Obama says still weighing decision on arming Ukraine forces Posted: 09 Feb 2015 01:59 PM PST By Andreas Rinke and Aleksandar Vasovic WASHINGTON/DONETSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama signaled on Monday he will wait for the results of high-stakes talks on Ukraine before deciding whether to arm the Kiev government, saying diplomacy and sanctions remain his preferred tools to resolve the crisis. Obama, at a White House news conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said providing weapons to Ukraine was among the options he and his advisors were considering.

Gunmen fire on Marseille police as PM Valls visits city Posted: 09 Feb 2015 09:56 AM PST Gunmen fired on a police car in Marseille on Monday in what local officials said was a drug-related incident, just hours before a visit by Prime Minister Manuel Valls to hail a drop in crime in France's second city. "There were shots fired in the direction of a police vehicle coming from hooded individuals armed with Kalashnikovs," local police chief Pierre-Marie Bourniquel told Reuters Bourniquel later confirmed it was his vehicle that had been targeted. Police seized seven Kalashnikovs and around 20 kilograms of drugs, according to Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, who was accompanying Valls. Caroline Pozmentier, deputy mayor of Marseille, said the authorities were "99.9 percent sure" the incident was related to drugs and score-settling, adding that she did not see a link with Valls' visit.

Euro zone, Greece face off as markets take fright Posted: 09 Feb 2015 10:23 AM PST By Lefteris Papadimas and Gernot Heller ATHENS/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Greece and its euro zone partners engaged in brinkmanship on Monday, with leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras insisting his country would not extend its reform-linked bailout and Germany saying it would get no more money without such a program. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned Greeks not to expect the euro zone to bow to Tsipras' demands in a growing confrontation which spooked financial markets and prompted U.S. and Canadian pleas for calm and compromise. Escalating the rhetoric, Greece's finance minister said the euro zone could collapse "like a house of cards" if Athens were forced out. A Greek finance official said he did not believe Juncker, IMF chief Christine Lagarde or German Chancellor Angela Merkel would let Greece go bankrupt, but Merkel said Greece needed to come up with a sustainable proposal.

Ex-IMF head Strauss-Kahn testifies in French sex ring trial Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:04 PM PST By Alexandria Sage LILLE, France (Reuters) - Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former IMF chief who was tipped to become French president before being accused of sexual assault by a New York maid in 2011, will testify to a criminal court on Tuesday over his alleged role in sex parties with prostitutes. The allegations that he participated in a French sex ring have dogged the once prominent Socialist ever since criminal charges were dropped against him in the New York case and he settled a civil case with chambermaid Nafissatou Diallo. In Strauss-Kahn's case, it is alleged that he allowed his rented apartment to be used for sex parties involving prostitutes and that the parties were organized for his benefit. Strauss-Kahn, who says his political career is over, risks as much as 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 1.5 million euros ($1.72 million) if convicted.

Malaysia's Anwar faces final judgment in sodomy case Posted: 09 Feb 2015 01:27 PM PST By Praveen Menon KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's highest court will deliver a decision on Tuesday on an appeal against a sodomy conviction by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, with a ruling against him likely meaning a five-year prison term that would stymie his political ambitions. Anwar was the ruling party's rising star in the mid-1990s before he fell out with then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia. A conviction would disqualify the 67-year-old from political office and contesting the next election that must be held by 2018.

Libyan army says has retaken main camp in Benghazi Posted: 09 Feb 2015 01:09 PM PST By Ayman al-Warfali BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan special forces said on Monday they had retaken the main military base in Benghazi from Islamist fighters that they have been battling since October, part of a wider struggle four years after the ousting of autocrat Muammar Gaddafi. Special forces commander Wanis Bukhamada told Reuters by telephone that his troops had seized the army camp, on a road to the airport outside Libya's second biggest city, as well as nearby offices belonging to state cellphone operator al-Madar. Backed by troops led by general Khalifa Haftar, special forces launched their offensive against Islamists in the city in mid-October aiming to retake the city seized by Islamists last summer.

Four killed in truck crash in Bath Posted: 09 Feb 2015 04:49 PM PST Four people including a young girl were killed when a 32-tonne tipper truck lost control on a steep hill in Bath, Somerset, on Monday, police said. "We are continuing to carry out a detailed examination of the scene in Bath, where four people tragically died this afternoon," a spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said. Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster said the accident had struck the close-knit suburb of Bath hard.

Merkel says Ukraine conflict can't be solved by military Posted: 09 Feb 2015 04:48 PM PST OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the conflict between Russia and Ukraine cannot be solved by "military means" and she is hopeful it will be solved through diplomacy.

Venezuela, Brazil leaned heavily on secret Swiss accounts Posted: 09 Feb 2015 04:37 PM PST CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela was among the top clients for HSBC's Swiss private banking arm, which helped shield wealthy clients around the world from scrutiny and taxes.

Qualcomm to pay $975M fine over Chinese anti-monopoly claim Posted: 09 Feb 2015 04:33 PM PST SAN DIEGO (AP) — Qualcomm has agreed to pay $975 million to China after the government found that the chipmaker violated that country's anti-monopoly laws.

Top Asian News at 12:30 a.m. GMT Posted: 09 Feb 2015 04:32 PM PST CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's beleaguered Prime Minister Tony Abbott emerged politically wounded after withstanding a leadership challenge from within his own party Monday, with many analysts doubting he can survive to lead his conservative government to next year's elections. The polarizing leader's grip on power has slipped since last month when he drew widespread criticism for making Queen Elizabeth II's 93-year-old husband, Prince Philip, an Australian knight on Australia's national day. Many saw it as an insult to worthy Australians.

US announces indictment in New York-Russian spy ring case Posted: 09 Feb 2015 04:29 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — A Russian citizen who worked in New York as a banker has been indicted on charges accusing him of participating in a Cold War-style Russian spy ring.

Nevada dust blamed for mystery 'milky' rain in U.S. Pacific Northwest Posted: 09 Feb 2015 04:17 PM PST By Courtney Sherwood PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - Unusual rain that deposited a mysterious residue across a swath of the U.S. Pacific Northwest appears to be a byproduct of dust storms hundreds of miles (km) away in Nevada, although volcanic ash from Japan cannot be ruled out, the National Weather Service said on Monday. "We're fairly certain it came from Nevada, but to confirm that we'd need to know exactly what the substance is," Weather Service scientist Mary Wister said. "Nevada had incredibly strong winds Thursday night and Friday morning, and the dirt there is a very alkaline dust." She added that low-elevation wind gusts have been blowing to the north, and likely carried the dust to rain clouds, which then could have deposited milky drops across a region that spans from remote Fossil, Oregon, to Spokane, Washington, she said. The National Weather Service is not equipped to perform such an analysis, and has not conducted tests on the substance, she added.

Maze captures Alpine combined title at Beaver Creek worlds Posted: 09 Feb 2015 04:14 PM PST BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) — Tina Maze pulled off an impressive feat on the soft snow — a round-house flip in ski boots. Her racing wasn't too bad, either.

London mayor touts life sciences in visit to Massachusetts Posted: 09 Feb 2015 04:06 PM PST CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (AP) — London Mayor Boris Johnson, launching a six-day swing through the East Coast, on Monday took on the role of traveling salesman, encouraging a packed room of some of the nation's top college students and entrepreneurs to consider launching their careers as part of his city's growing technology sector.

Illinois woman accused of aiding extremists appears in court Posted: 09 Feb 2015 04:05 PM PST CHICAGO (AP) — A prosecutor told a federal judge Monday that a suburban Chicago mother of four accused of sending money and military equipment to militant groups in Syria and Iraq poses a danger to the community and is a flight risk, so should remain in custody.

FBI: Puerto Rico man makes death threats against US attorney Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:59 PM PST SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The FBI says charges have been filed against a Puerto Rican inmate for making what it asserts were death threats against the island's U.S. attorney.

Obama, Merkel rally behind diplomacy in Ukraine conflict Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:54 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel rallied behind efforts to reach a long-shot diplomatic resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine Monday, but they offered no clear path for how the West would proceed if talks this week fail.

Study: Cats, foxes behind Australia's alarming extinctions Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:52 PM PST SYDNEY (AP) — Australia has always been unique, from its geographical isolation at the bottom of the Earth to its infamous bevy of venomous creatures. Now, scientists have uncovered another unique — and disturbing — facet of Australian life: the country's mammals are going extinct at an alarmingly high rate, due in large part to a couple of critters with voracious appetites.

Obama: Time has come for Iran to decide on nuclear deal Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:42 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said Monday that the time has come for Iran to decide whether to accept a nuclear deal, and he acknowledged "very real differences" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the negotiations.

No. 5 Dimitrov beats angry Mathieu in Rotterdam Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:36 PM PST ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Fifth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria saved two match points against an irate Paul-Henri Mathieu, beating the French qualifier 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2 on Monday to reach the second round of World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.

APNewsBreak: Man charged in Megaupload case brought to US Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:34 PM PST McLEAN, Virginia (AP) — An Estonian man was brought to the U.S. to face charges in what federal prosecutors say was a massive copyright-piracy scheme run through the now-defunct website Megaupload.

Obama says extending deadline for Iran nuclear deal not useful Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:31 PM PST U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday extending the March deadline for a nuclear deal with Iran would not be useful if Iran does not agree to a basic framework that assures world powers it is not pursuing nuclear arms. "At this juncture I don't see a further extension being useful if they have not agreed to the basic formulation and the bottom-line that the world requires to have confidence that they're not pursuing a nuclear weapon," he said at the White House after meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Obama said if the framework for a deal were agreed and "people have a clear sense of what is required, and there's some drafting" required, that would be a different issue. "The issues now are: does Iran have the political will and the desire to get a deal done?" Iran's supreme leader said on Sunday he could accept a compromise in nuclear talks and said he would "firmly" back a fair deal.

I've no problem with Djokovic - Murray Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:29 PM PST Australian Open finalist Andy Murray says there is no need for Novak Djokovic to explain himself after their controversial Australian Open final. Djokovic struggled through to an eighth Grand Slam title eight days ago - looking beaten physically but pulling through for a four-set victory at the expense of a furious Murray, who came close to accusing him of theatrics on court.

UN: Taliban act like gangsters not would-be government Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:25 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Taliban are increasingly acting more like gangsters than a "government in waiting," U.N. experts monitoring sanctions against the Islamic fundamentalist insurgents said in a report circulated Monday.

Boston-area transit, schools to shut Tuesday after record snowfall Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:20 PM PST By Scott Malone and Elizabeth Barber BOSTON (Reuters) - A record-setting run of snowstorms that has pounded the U.S. Northeast over the past two weeks has taken a heavy toll on Massachusetts, prompting officials to shut Boston's mass-transit service through Tuesday to allow time to clear the rails. Following a day that saw 48 commuters stuck on a snowbound train during the morning rush hour, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said all train service would shut down at 7 p.m. EST (2400 GMT) on Monday due to the snow and remain shut on Tuesday. The closure of Boston's transit system, as well as its schools, came after officials said 73.9 inches (1.9 meters) of snow had fallen on the city so far this season, making it the 10th snowiest winter on record. At least four buildings collapsed around Boston under the snow's weight, the National Weather Service said, though no injuries had been reported as a result of those incidents.

Wales acts to avoid repeat of concussion incident Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:13 PM PST CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Wales will have instant video replays available to its medical staff for the remainder of the Six Nations tournament to avoid a repeat of an incident where one of its players continued playing after losing consciousness on the field.

Food scares cost McDonald's in China, Japan; sales fall Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:12 PM PST OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) — Food-quality scares are hurting McDonald's in China and Japan, where weakness contributed to a key global sales figure falling 1.8 percent.

Netanyahu considering changes to Congress speech after criticism Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:07 PM PST By Luke Baker JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli officials are considering amending the format of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned address to the U.S. Congress next month to try to calm some of the partisan furore the Iran-focused speech has provoked. Netanyahu is due to address a joint session of Congress about Iran's nuclear programme on March 3, just two weeks before Israeli elections, following an invitation from John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the house. Boehner's invitation has caused consternation in both Israel and the United States, largely because it is seen as Netanyahu, a hawk on Iran, working with the Republicans to thumb their noses at President Barack Obama's policy on Iran.

Obama defends lack of Netanyahu meeting, citing protocols Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:07 PM PST U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday defended his decision not to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming Washington visit as following basic protocol of not meeting with world leaders just weeks before an election. "We have a practice of not meeting with leaders right before their elections," Obama said at a joint news conference German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Obama added that if Merkel had an election coming up shortly, she would not have been invited to White House and probably would not have asked for such a meeting.

Netanyahu speech to U.S. Congress still on for March 3 Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:07 PM PST Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives is still scheduled for March 3, a spokesman for John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the House said on Monday. A source close to Netanyahu's office had said Israeli officials were considering amending the format of the speech to perhaps have the prime minister speak in a closed session of Congress or in smaller meetings with lawmakers. Boehner spokesman Michael Steel declined comment on that report. The invitation has caused consternation in Israel and the United States, largely because it is viewed as Netanyahu, a hawk on Iran, working with the Republicans to thumb their noses at Democratic President Barack Obama's approach to nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Mexico questions allegations of independent forensic team Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:06 PM PST MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's attorney general's office on Monday questioned assertions by an Argentine-led team of forensics experts who expressed doubts about the government's conclusion that 43 missing college students were all killed and their bodies burned.

Top-seeded Lopez pulls out of Brazil Open after injury Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:03 PM PST SAO PAULO (AP) — Top-seeded Feliciano Lopez has pulled out of this week's Brazil Open because of a right thigh injury.

California high-speed rail opponents challenge federal ruling Posted: 09 Feb 2015 03:02 PM PST (Reuters) - California's high-speed rail project faces another challenge after a group of counties and activists filed a lawsuit on Monday to overturn a decision they said fails to apply state environmental law to a segment of the train's route. Two counties and five non-profit organizations from the Central Valley and the Bay Area filed the joint lawsuit in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. They seek to strike down a December decision by the federal Surface Transportation Board that put federal jurisdiction over California environmental regulations with regard to a segment of the rail line that travels from Fresno to Bakersfield. "This is about whether California gets to protect its own environment for its own rail system," said David Schonbrunn of the Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund.

Diplomat: Buffer zone, border controls key to Ukraine talks Posted: 09 Feb 2015 02:59 PM PST PARIS (AP) — A French diplomatic source says a demilitarized zone between Ukraine and Russia is essential for a cease-fire but is a sticking point in a new international push for peace.

British MPs to probe HSBC over SwissLeaks tax evasion Posted: 09 Feb 2015 02:54 PM PST British lawmakers announced they would open an inquiry into London-based banking giant HSBC, after allegations the bank helped rich clients dodge taxes emerged from a massive leak of documents. Cross-party parliamentary group the Public Accounts Committee will investigate the scandal and call HSBC to give evidence, according to the BBC. "Today's shocking revelations about HSBC further expose a secretive global industry serving a wealthy elite," committee chair Margaret Hodge told the broadcaster. HSBC has acknowledged there had been problems in its Swiss private banking subsidiary, but said that it had been overhauled and now has strong controls in place.

Mexico defends probe of 43 missing students Posted: 09 Feb 2015 02:52 PM PST The Mexican attorney general's office hit back Monday at mounting criticism of its conclusion that 43 missing students were slaughtered, after foreign experts charged that the probe was marred by mistakes. An Argentine-led team of forensic experts said that while they could not exclude the possibility that the students were incinerated in a landfill by a drug gang, there was "no scientific evidence" to say that for sure. "It is unacceptable that -- in the face of a body of evidence, expert (investigations), confessions, statements and investigative inspections -- there are attempts to sow doubts that around 40 people were executed and incinerated in that location," the statement said. Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam declared on January 27 that the "historical truth" was that the aspiring teachers were murdered in the southern state of Guerrero in September after corrupt police handed them over to the gang.

Australia lobbies Indonesia to save 2 death row prisoners Posted: 09 Feb 2015 02:48 PM PST CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia continued to make high-level appeals to Indonesia to spare the lives of two Australian drug traffickers on death row despite the Indonesian president rejecting their requests for clemency, the foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Aide who gave gun to dead Argentine prosecutor is fired Posted: 09 Feb 2015 02:42 PM PST The assistant who supplied late Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman with the gun used in his mysterious death was sacked on Monday, officials said. The justice ministry announced the dismissal of Diego Lagomarsino, a computer expert at the Argentine public prosecutor's office and the last person known to have seen Nisman alive. Lagomarsino was fired because Nisman's interim replacement "reported that he did no work," Luis Villanueva, a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office, told radio station Nacional Rock. Nisman was found dead in his apartment with a gunshot wound to the head on January 18, on the eve of a Congressional hearing at which he was expected to accuse President Cristina Kirchner of covering up high-ranking Iranian officials' role in a deadly 1994 bombing at a Buenos Aires Jewish center.

Obama's labor 2-step: Fight on trade, embrace on wages Posted: 09 Feb 2015 02:38 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — On a cold, overcast morning in January, President Barack Obama briefly delayed his departure for an Iowa day trip to huddle in the Oval Office with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and United Auto Workers President Dennis Williams. The topic was Obama's upcoming State of the Union address.

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