Yahoo! News: World News

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• Ukraine rebels show weapons pullback; Kiev rejects 'empty words'
• Islamic State in Syria abducts at least 150 Christians
• Cuba honors five spies who served long prison terms in U.S.
• U.S. Embassy reports threats to Americans in Afghanistan
• U.S., Iran positive after nuclear talks, say much left to do
• U.S. arms flow to Iraq ahead of planned Mosul offensive
• Top Asian News at 1:00 a.m. GMT
• Bresciano retires from international football for Australia
• Love, old captain, now 'new' captain of US Ryder Cup team
• Raul Castro honors 'Cuban Five' intelligence agents
• Obama nominates first US envoy to Somalia since 1991
• Kerry defends Iran negotiations before Congress
• Will a new UK law eradicate supply chain slavery?
• Chris Brown says denied entry to Canada
• World response to armed groups like IS 'shameful': Amnesty
• American Airlines cancels 170 Wednesday flights due to storm in U.S. South
• Report: Cluster bombs have been used in Ukraine conflict
• Guangzhou R&F wins on debut in Asian Champions League
• 3 Austrians get bionic hands after amputation
• US institute: NKorea nuke arsenal set to multiply
• Bach says Rio 2016 Olympics will be 'safe games'
• Chris Brown's Canada concerts canceled after singer denied entry
• Stolen statue, painting returned to Italian government in NY
• Kerry appears to take swipe at Netanyahu over Iran nuclear talks
• Juventus beats Dortmund 2-1 in Champions League last 16 tie
• US Rep. Cohen to skip Netanyahu speech to Congress
• Trinidad, Venezuela sign deal for natural gas exploration
• European cruise giant Viking plans Mississippi River tours
• MI5 agents testify at US trial of man charged in UK plot
• Suarez scores 2, Barca beats City 2-1 in Champions League
• Toddler dies of measles in Berlin, first death in outbreak
• Ukraine disputes rebel claim that weapons pullback begins
• French woman kidnapped in crisis-hit Yemen
• US troops heading to Ukraine to give medical training
• UK 1st country to allow creation of embryos from 3 people
• Togo presidential election to be held on April 15: government
• Togo sets presidential election date for April 15
• UN chief appoints Jan Kubis as UN's top envoy in Iraq
• Aussies, Kiwis prepare for heated World Cup clash

Ukraine rebels show weapons pullback; Kiev rejects 'empty words' Posted: 24 Feb 2015 12:40 PM PST By Anton Zverev MAKIYVKA, Ukraine (Reuters) - Pro-Russia separatists brought reporters on Tuesday to witness the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line in east Ukraine under a ceasefire deal, but Ukraine said the rebels were using the cover of the truce to reinforce for another advance. Fighting has eased in eastern Ukraine in recent days, raising hope that a ceasefire due to start on Feb. 15 can finally take effect after the rebels initially ignored it to storm a government-held town last week. A feud over natural gas, which appeared to have been settled for the winter by an agreement late last year, has also resurfaced, with Moscow threatening to cut off Kiev's supplies in two days unless Kiev pays more money.

Islamic State in Syria abducts at least 150 Christians Posted: 24 Feb 2015 02:25 PM PST By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Islamic State militants have abducted at least 150 people from Assyrian Christian villages in northeastern Syria they had raided, Christian Syrian activists said on Tuesday. A Syrian Christian group representing several NGO's inside and outside the country said it had verified at least 150 people missing, including women and elderly, who had been kidnapped by the militants. "We have verified at least 150 people who have been adducted from sources on the ground," Bassam Ishak, President of the Syriac National Council of Syria, whose family itself is from Hasaka, told Reuters from Amman. Earlier the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 90 were abducted when the militants carried out dawn raids on rural villages inhabited by the ancient Christian minority west of Hasaka, a city mainly held by the Kurds.

Cuba honors five spies who served long prison terms in U.S. Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:47 PM PST By Daniel Trotta HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba President Raul Castro on Tuesday pinned medals on five spies, declaring them national heroes for infiltrating right-wing exile groups that plotted against Havana and for then enduring long prison terms in the United States. The final three of the "Cuban Five" returned home in a prisoner exchange on Dec. 17 - the same day the United States and Cuba announced they would restore diplomatic ties and seek to end more than half a century of confrontation. All five received a standing ovation from Cuba's top political leaders, military officers and hundreds of dignitaries gathered in parliament. Besides being named Heroes of the Republic, the Cuban government's highest honor, they also received the Order of Playa Giron, the Cuban name for the Bay of Pigs invasion, in which Cuba defeated a U.S.-organized exile force in 1961.

U.S. Embassy reports threats to Americans in Afghanistan Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:04 PM PST The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan issued an emergency message on Tuesday warning of threats to Americans living in the capital Kabul. "As of late February 2015, militants planned to conduct multiple imminent attacks against an unspecified target or targets in Kabul City, Afghanistan," read the message posted on the embassy's website. It said the threats were against U.S. citizens in Afghanistan, but there was no further information provided. New U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Afghanistan on Sunday.

U.S., Iran positive after nuclear talks, say much left to do Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:07 PM PST By Lesley Wroughton GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States made some progress in talks with Iran on its nuclear program and managed to "sharpen up some of the tough issues", a senior U.S. official said on Monday, but both sides said much remained to be done. Negotiators from Iran and six major powers agreed to resume talks next Monday at a venue to be decided, the official said, speaking after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held two-day talks in Geneva. Zarif told Iran's Fars news agency: "We had serious talks with the P5+1 representatives and especially with the Americans in the past three days ... But still there is a long way to reach a final agreement." As Kerry's plane touched down in Washington later on Monday, a senior State Department official said Kerry and Zarif would meet again next week and details were being worked out. The P5+1 group -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- are seeking to negotiate an agreement with Tehran to address concerns that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons technology, something it denies.

U.S. arms flow to Iraq ahead of planned Mosul offensive Posted: 24 Feb 2015 02:21 PM PST By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some 10,000 U.S. M-16 rifles and other military supplies worth about $17.9 million arrived in Iraq this week as U.S. troops pushed ahead with training and supplying Iraqi security forces battling Islamic State fighters, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. The update on U.S. efforts to arm Iraqi troops followed an unusual, detailed briefing last week on preparations for an operation this spring to retake Iraq's second biggest city, Mosul, from Islamic State militants.

Top Asian News at 1:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 24 Feb 2015 05:02 PM PST KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — Gunmen in southern Afghanistan kidnapped 30 members of the Hazara ethnic community, authorities said Tuesday, in what appeared to be the latest in a series of attacks on Shiites in the predominantly Sunni country. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack Monday afternoon, police and officials said.

Bresciano retires from international football for Australia Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:59 PM PST SYDNEY (AP) — Midfielder Mark Bresciano announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday after 84 appearances for Australia, including three World Cup tournaments and its recent win at the Asian Cup.

Love, old captain, now 'new' captain of US Ryder Cup team Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:41 PM PST PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Davis Love III was on his porch in Sea Island taking part in a conference call for the first Ryder Cup Task Force meeting, and he was shocked by what he heard.

Raul Castro honors 'Cuban Five' intelligence agents Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:40 PM PST HAVANA (AP) — President Raul Castro on Tuesday honored five Cuban intelligence agents who spent years in U.S. prisons, becoming heroes in their homeland and causing friction between the two countries that are now in the process of restoring full diplomatic relations.

Obama nominates first US envoy to Somalia since 1991 Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:28 PM PST US President Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated America's first ambassador to Somalia since 1991, when ties soured as rival warlords took over the African nation. Katherine Dhanani, a long-time diplomat with deep experience of African affairs, will have to be confirmed by the Senate for the role in Somalia, where extremists have targeted government officials in a bloody campaign. The State Department welcomed the move as "historic" and said it "signals the deepening relationship" between the two countries after they launched a new era of diplomatic relations in 2013. If confirmed, Dhanani will lead the US mission to Somalia, which is currently based at the US embassy in Nairobi, said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

Kerry defends Iran negotiations before Congress Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:23 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry told wary lawmakers on Tuesday that it was premature to criticize nuclear negotiations with Iran before any deal can be reached to keep Tehran from developing atomic weapons.

Will a new UK law eradicate supply chain slavery? Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:22 PM PST By Kieran Guilbert LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Whether it is high street fashion, bedding from a department store or eggs from a supermarket, few British shoppers would stop to ask whether slave labor was involved in making their goods. Yet forced labor often lurks along the supply chain as a product and its individual parts are manufactured, packaged and distributed in a process linking multiple suppliers in many different countries, business ethics experts say. Globally, the International Labour Organisation estimates that 21 million people are victims of forced labor. In Britain alone, the Home Office (interior ministry) says up to 13,000 people are forced into manual labor, sold for sex in brothels, or kept in domestic servitude, among other forms of slavery.

Chris Brown says denied entry to Canada Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:15 PM PST R&B star Chris Brown, notorious for brushes with the law including an assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna, ditched a performance Tuesday in Canada at the 11th hour after he was barred entry. "The good people of the Canadian government wouldn't allow me entry. Brown made the announcement hours before he was to go on stage at the 21,273-capacity Bell Centre hockey arena in Montreal. Scandalizing her fans and advocates against domestic violence, Rihanna later resumed a relationship with Brown.

World response to armed groups like IS 'shameful': Amnesty Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:14 PM PST World leaders have proved "shameful and ineffective" in failing to protect civilians from groups like Islamic State (IS), Amnesty International said Wednesday, calling 2014 a "catastrophic" year. It said millions of civilians had been killed from Syria to Ukraine, Gaza to Nigeria, while the number of displaced people around the world exceeded 50 million last year for the first time since the end of World War II. "2014 was a catastrophic year for millions caught up in violence," said Amnesty's secretary general, Shalil Shetty. Amnesty singled out the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for criticism, with Shetty saying it had "miserably failed" to protect civilians.

American Airlines cancels 170 Wednesday flights due to storm in U.S. South Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:12 PM PST (Reuters) - American Airlines Group Inc has canceled 170 flights for Wednesday because of weather conditions in the southern United States, largely affecting its Dallas-Fort Worth hub. American, the world's largest airline by passenger traffic, also canceled more than 1,000 flights Monday and Tuesday as an ice storm battered Texas, which caused traffic accidents and shut down schools. (Reporting By Jeffrey Dastin in New York; Editing by Ken Wills)

Report: Cluster bombs have been used in Ukraine conflict Posted: 24 Feb 2015 04:12 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — Illegal weapons such as cluster bombs have been used in the Ukraine conflict, Amnesty International said while also criticizing both sides in the fighting for the high number of civilian deaths.

Guangzhou R&F wins on debut in Asian Champions League Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:54 PM PST OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Guangzhou R&F made an ideal debut in the Asian Champions League with a 2-0 win over 2008 champion Gamba Osaka.

3 Austrians get bionic hands after amputation Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:46 PM PST LONDON (AP) — Three Austrians have replaced injured hands with bionic ones that they can control using nerves and muscles transplanted into their arms from their legs.

US institute: NKorea nuke arsenal set to multiply Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:39 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — North Korea could increase its nuclear arsenal from at least 10 weapons today to between 20 and 100 weapons in five years, U.S. researchers said Tuesday, as the Obama administration vowed to work with U.S. allies to pressure Pyongyang to denuclearize.

Bach says Rio 2016 Olympics will be 'safe games' Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:36 PM PST RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — IOC President Thomas Bach said Tuesday he is confident that the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will be a "safe games."

Chris Brown's Canada concerts canceled after singer denied entry Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:36 PM PST (Reuters) - R&B singer Chris Brown, whose California probation stemming from a 2009 plea to assaulting singer Rihanna was revoked last month, said on Tuesday he was denied entry into Canada for concerts in Montreal and Toronto. Concert promoter Live Nation said "due to immigration issues" Brown's Tuesday show in Montreal with R&B artist Trey Songz and rapper Tyga was canceled as well as their Wednesday performance in Toronto. It is unclear where and when Brown, whose probation was revoked by a judge last month for leaving Los Angeles County without court permission, was denied entry into Canada. Messages left with Canada's Border Services Agency were not immediately returned, and Brown's publicist and attorney did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Stolen statue, painting returned to Italian government in NY Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:35 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Decades after being stolen in Italy, an ancient statuette and an 18th-century painting were returned to the country's government Tuesday after turning up in New York.

Kerry appears to take swipe at Netanyahu over Iran nuclear talks Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:32 PM PST U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday appeared to take a swipe at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying critics of an emerging nuclear deal with Iran did not know what they were talking about. Kerry told a U.S. Senate subcommittee that he also expected to know soon whether Iran was willing to craft an "acceptable, verifiable" plan that would satisfy major powers that it is not seeking to develop a nuclear weapon. Netanyahu, who is scheduled to make a speech before a joint session of Congress on March 3, has described the agreement under negotiation with Iran as a "bad deal," and said he would do what he could to prevent it. "And I caution people to wait and see what these negotiations produce." It was the second time in recent days in which the Obama administration, irked that Netanyahu's speech to the Republican-led Congress was scheduled initially without its knowledge, appeared to criticize Israel over Iran.

Juventus beats Dortmund 2-1 in Champions League last 16 tie Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:30 PM PST TURIN, Italy (AP) — Juventus settled for a narrow 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday to leave it all to play for in the return fixture in Germany.

US Rep. Cohen to skip Netanyahu speech to Congress Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:30 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic congressman Steve Cohen says he is skipping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress.

Trinidad, Venezuela sign deal for natural gas exploration Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:28 PM PST PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) — Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro signed a deal Tuesday with Trinidad & Tobago for joint exploration of natural gas in waters between both nations.

European cruise giant Viking plans Mississippi River tours Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:27 PM PST NEW ORLEANS (AP) — European river cruise giant Viking, already gaining a high profile in the United States with its sponsorship of popular PBS television shows, announced Tuesday that it will make New Orleans its first North American home port for Mississippi River cruises expected to begin by late 2017.

MI5 agents testify at US trial of man charged in UK plot Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:19 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Identified only by four-digit numbers to conceal their identities, five British Security Service officers testified Tuesday at the U.S. trial of a terrorism suspect charged with plotting to bomb a shopping mall in Manchester, England.

Suarez scores 2, Barca beats City 2-1 in Champions League Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:18 PM PST MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Luis Suarez finally emerged from Lionel Messi's shadow at Barcelona by scoring twice in a 2-1 win over Manchester City on Tuesday, putting the Spanish club within sight of the Champions League quarterfinals for an eighth straight year.

Toddler dies of measles in Berlin, first death in outbreak Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:14 PM PST BERLIN (AP) — An 18-month-old boy has died of measles in Berlin, the first known death in an outbreak of the disease that has seen more than 570 cases in the German capital since October.

Ukraine disputes rebel claim that weapons pullback begins Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:09 PM PST ILOVAYSK, Ukraine (AP) — Russian-backed separatists moved some heavy weapons well back from the front line Tuesday in eastern Ukraine, but the Ukrainian government disputed the rebels' claim that a real pullback had begun.

French woman kidnapped in crisis-hit Yemen Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:05 PM PST A French woman working in Yemen was kidnapped Tuesday as President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi struggled to reassert his authority in the crisis-hit Arabian Peninsula nation. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Iran had contributed to the collapse of the government's authority in Yemen, where a Shiite militia seized the capital in September. The woman, a development worker on a project funded by the World Bank, was abducted Tuesday morning, France's foreign ministry said, urging all French citizens "to leave the country as fast as possible". Western nations including Britain, France and the United States closed their embassies in Yemen this month over security concerns and have also called on their citizens to leave.

US troops heading to Ukraine to give medical training Posted: 24 Feb 2015 03:03 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military official said Tuesday the Pentagon will be deploying a small number of troops to Ukraine to provide combat medical training to forces there who have been battling Russian-backed separatists.

UK 1st country to allow creation of embryos from 3 people Posted: 24 Feb 2015 02:58 PM PST LONDON (AP) — Britain has become the first country in the world to allow the creation of human embryos from the DNA of three people, a technique intended to help mothers avoid passing on genetically degenerative diseases to their babies.

Togo presidential election to be held on April 15: government Posted: 24 Feb 2015 02:56 PM PST Togo's presidential election will be held on April 15, the government said on Tuesday, the eve of a ruling party conference at which incumbent Faure Gnassingbe is expected to be selected as candidate. The Council of Ministers, sitting in Pya, 440 kilometres (275 miles) north of the capital, Lome, announced in a statement that "the electorate is called for the presidential election on April 15, 2015". Gnassingbe, in power for the last 10 years, is expected to be chosen to run for a third term of office when his ruling Union for the Republic (Unir) party meets on Wednesday. "The delegates will make only one choice: Faure Gnassingbe, allowing him to continue the work begun in the country," said Minzina Edimao, a student at the University of Lome.

Togo sets presidential election date for April 15 Posted: 24 Feb 2015 02:55 PM PST Togo has fixed April 15 as the date for a presidential election, a decree issued late on Tuesday stated, and incumbent President Faure Gnassingbe is expected to seek a third term in office in defiance of opposition calls for him to step aside. The president's ruling Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) is due to hold a party convention on Wednesday during which it is expected to nominate Gnassingbe as its candidate for the polls. He was installed as president with army support when his father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled the West African country for 38 years, died in 2005. Faure Gnassingbe later stepped down under regional pressure, but won an election months later and was re-elected for a second term in 2010.

UN chief appoints Jan Kubis as UN's top envoy in Iraq Posted: 24 Feb 2015 02:50 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed a veteran United Nations diplomat from Slovakia to head the United Nations political mission in Iraq.

Aussies, Kiwis prepare for heated World Cup clash Posted: 24 Feb 2015 02:45 PM PST AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Players from Australia and New Zealand are bracing themselves for a volatile environment when the Pool A powerhouses clash Saturday in a Cricket World Cup match at Eden Park.

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