Yahoo! News: World News

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• South Korea police say probing U.S. ambassador attacker's visits to North Korea
• Islamic State torches oil field near Tikrit as militia advance
• Iran hints might be open to 10-year partial freeze of nuclear work
• Blast in Syria kills top al Qaeda commander, three others
• Exclusive: Scribbled note shows Nemtsov on trail of Russian deaths in Ukraine
• U.N. Security Council to vote on chlorine arms use in Syria
• Iraq says Islamic State militants 'bulldozed' ancient site
• Phil Moss fired as coach of A-League's Central Coast side
• Top Asian News at 1:00 a.m. GMT
• Libya rivals meet for talks in Morocco as UN seeks unity deal
• Scott goes to short putter, and it works!
• Knifed US envoy to Seoul in pain as officials investigate
• Turkish minister urges fight against extremists in Syria
• Hong Kong freedoms 'eroded' by China: British MPs
• Mexico: Troops kill 4 in gunbattle near border with Texas
• White powder sent to four Canada ministers: police
• Plane skids off New York runway as winter storm hits US
• IS 'bulldozed' ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, Iraq says
• Holmes opens 4-shot lead at Blue Monster
• Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia agree basis of Nile water deal
• UK lawmakers say China eroding freedoms in Hong Kong
• Orioles release Suk-min Yoon
• UN council to vote on condemning Syria chlorine bombs
• Evans issues denial, Cisse apology after spitting incident
• Canadian risks prison for not giving up phone's passcode
• Chelsea fans in new race row
• Mandarin Oriental says hotels in US, Europe hacked
• Davis Cup draws for the 1st round
• Suriname tribes present gov't with forest conservation plan
• Plenty to play for as Ireland face Zimbabwe
• France begins troop drawdown in Central African Republic
• Top-ranked Li Xuerui ousted in All England 2nd round
• Ex-wife of Argentine prosecutor says he was killed
• Father tells jury about boy's death at Boston Marathon
• Turkey calls on UN chief to present plan to reunify Cyprus
• US draft urges UN to condemn use of chlorine in Syria
• Heavy fighting in Aleppo as opposition eyes 'new strategy'
• Beauvue scores Guingamp's winner in French Cup

South Korea police say probing U.S. ambassador attacker's visits to North Korea Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:43 PM PST South Korean police said on Friday they were investigating possible links between a knife attack on the U.S. ambassador to Seoul and the assailant's frequent visits to North Korea in the past. The head of the police team probing the attack also said they plan to seek a formal detention warrant on Friday against the Korean nationalist who slashed Ambassador Mark Lippert at a forum discussing Korean reunification on Thursday. Police said the attacker, Kim Ki-jong, made seven visits to North Korea between 1999 and 2007.

Islamic State torches oil field near Tikrit as militia advance Posted: 05 Mar 2015 09:40 AM PST By Saif Hameed and Dominic Evans BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State militants have set fire to oil wells northeast of the city of Tikrit to obstruct an assault by Shi'ite militiamen and Iraqi soldiers trying to drive them from the Sunni Muslim city and surrounding towns, a witness said. The witness and a military source said Islamic State fighters ignited the fire at the Ajil oil field to shield themselves from attack by Iraqi military helicopters. The offensive is the biggest Iraqi forces have yet mounted against IS, which has declared an Islamic caliphate on captured territory in Iraq and Syria and spread fear across the region by slaughtering Arab and Western hostages and killing or kidnapping members of religious minorities like Yazidis and Christians. Black smoke could be seen rising from the oil field since Wednesday afternoon, said the witness, who accompanied Iraqi militia and soldiers as they advanced on Tikrit from the east.

Iran hints might be open to 10-year partial freeze of nuclear work Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:42 PM PST By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister on Thursday suggested that a 10-year moratorium on some aspects of the country's nuclear program might be acceptable to Tehran, though he declined to discuss the issue in detail. U.S. President Barack Obama told Reuters on Monday that Iran must commit to a verifiable freeze of at least 10 years on sensitive nuclear activity for a landmark atomic deal to be reached between Tehran and six world powers. CNN's Christiane Amanpour asked Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in an interview if Tehran was prepared to accept decade-long limits on a nuclear program it insists is peaceful.

Blast in Syria kills top al Qaeda commander, three others Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:06 PM PST By Mariam Karouny BEIRUT (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's official Syrian wing, the Nusra Front, announced on Thursday the death of its top military commander, who insurgent sources said fell victim to a blast targeting a high-level militant meeting. General Military Commander Abu Humam al-Shami, a veteran of Islamist militant fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, was the senior-most member of the group to die in the Syria war, an insurgent source said. The sources said at least three other Nusra Front commanders were also killed in the blast, which they said hit the town of Salqin, near the border with Turkey. The blast comes at a time of flux for the Nusra Front, which is waging war on other insurgents and also looking for support from Gulf states, sources in Nusra have said.

Exclusive: Scribbled note shows Nemtsov on trail of Russian deaths in Ukraine Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:56 AM PST By Darya Korsunskaya and Gabriela Baczynska MOSCOW (Reuters) - It may have been the last note Boris Nemtsov ever wrote, a hurried scrawl in blue pen on a plain white sheet of A4 paper. A day before he was shot dead near the Kremlin last week, the Russian opposition figure and his close aide Olga Shorina were discussing a sensitive investigation he was preparing into Moscow's backing for separatist fighters in eastern Ukraine. Since last summer, reports have been circulating inside the country that many serving Russian troops have died in combat in eastern Ukraine, where the separatist war has killed more than 6,000 people. Despite what Ukraine and its Western allies say is overwhelming evidence, Moscow adamantly denies sending arms or troops to the region, saying any Russians fighting in Ukraine are volunteers.

U.N. Security Council to vote on chlorine arms use in Syria Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:42 PM PST The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Friday on a U.S.-drafted resolution to condemn the use of chlorine as a weapon in Syria and threaten to take action if such arms are used again in the conflict. French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre, president of the council for March, said on Thursday that he hoped the resolution would be adopted unanimously by the 15-member council. Diplomats said it was unclear how Russia, a Syrian ally, would vote. The new draft resolution, obtained by Reuters, does not lay blame for previous chlorine attacks in Syria.

Iraq says Islamic State militants 'bulldozed' ancient site Posted: 05 Mar 2015 05:06 PM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic State militants "bulldozed" the renowned archaeological site of the ancient city of Nimrud near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Thursday using heavy military vehicles, the government said.

Phil Moss fired as coach of A-League's Central Coast side Posted: 05 Mar 2015 05:04 PM PST GOSFORD, Australia (AP) — England-born Phil Moss has been fired by the Central Coast Mariners and replaced on an interim basis by technical director Tony Walmsley for the remainder of the A-League season.

Top Asian News at 1:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 05 Mar 2015 05:02 PM PST SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A U.S. ambassador struggled with pain as he recovered Friday from a knife attack, while police searched the offices of the anti-U.S. activist who they say slashed the envoy while screaming demands for Korean reunification. The attack Thursday on Mark Lippert, which prompted rival North Korea to gloat about "knife slashes of justice," left deep gashes and damaged tendons and nerves. It also raised questions about security in a city normally seen as ultra-safe, despite regular threats of war from Pyongyang.

Libya rivals meet for talks in Morocco as UN seeks unity deal Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:58 PM PST Representatives of Libya's two rival parliaments on Thursday held UN-brokered talks in Morocco aimed at reaching an agreement on a national unity government and finding someone to head it, officials said. The meeting took place in a "positive and constructive" spirit, UN special envoy Bernardino Leon, who has been trying to bring the two sides together for weeks and who chaired the talks, told a press conference. Libya has been wracked by conflict since the 2011 armed uprising against Moamer Kadhafi, with two governments and powerful militias battling for control of key cities and the North African country's oil riches. Libya's internationally recognised parliament is based in the eastern city of Tobruk while the rival Islamist-backed General National Congress is in the capital Tripoli.

Scott goes to short putter, and it works! Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:51 PM PST DORAL, Fla. (AP) — Adam Scott said going to a short putter was not a big deal. But it certainly was a good start.

Knifed US envoy to Seoul in pain as officials investigate Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:49 PM PST SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A U.S. ambassador struggled with pain as he recovered Friday from a knife attack, while police searched the offices of the anti-U.S. activist who they say slashed the envoy while screaming demands for Korean reunification.

Turkish minister urges fight against extremists in Syria Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:38 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The world never had a plan to end the worsening Syrian conflict, Turkey's prime minister said Thursday.

Hong Kong freedoms 'eroded' by China: British MPs Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:37 PM PST Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy from China is being "eroded", an influential committee of British MPs warned Friday, voicing concern about the former colony's "direction of travel". In a report on Britain's relations with Hong Kong, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee warned the city could face a "crisis of governance" unless tensions over how it is ruled are resolved. Last year saw weeks of protests after China announced that candidates to be the city's next leader in a 2017 vote would be vetted by a pro-Beijing committee. Members of parliament (MPs) were barred from entering Hong Kong by China in December to research the report as the demonstrations continued, with Chinese officials accusing them of acting as a colonial power.

Mexico: Troops kill 4 in gunbattle near border with Texas Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:32 PM PST MEXICO CITY (AP) — Security officials in the northeast Mexico state of Tamaulipas say they have killed four gunmen in a town near the U.S. border.

White powder sent to four Canada ministers: police Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:31 PM PST Montreal (AFP) - Four Canadian government ministers were sent envelopes of a suspicious white powder on Thursday that was later believed to be harmless, police said.

Plane skids off New York runway as winter storm hits US Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:29 PM PST An airliner skidded off a runway at New York's La Guardia airport Thursday and slid to a halt just yards from frigid waters, as a snow storm battered the US coast from Texas to Boston. Heavy snow was falling as Delta flight 1086 from Atlanta careered off the runway, plowed up an embankment and demolished a fence after its late morning landing. New York firefighters said 24 people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, including three who were transported from the scene. The McDonnell Douglas MD-88 was carrying 127 passengers and five crew.

IS 'bulldozed' ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, Iraq says Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:18 PM PST The Islamic State group began bulldozing the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in Iraq on Thursday, the government said, in the jihadists' latest attack on the country's historical heritage. IS "assaulted the historic city of Nimrud and bulldozed it with heavy vehicles," the tourism and antiquities ministry said on an official Facebook page. Nimrud, one of the jewels of the Assyrian era, was founded in the 13th century BC and lies on the Tigris River around 30 kilometres (18 miles) southeast of Mosul, Iraq's second city and the main hub of IS in the country. "Hatra of course will be next," he said, referring to a beautifully-preserved city in Nineveh province that is more than 2,000 years old and is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Holmes opens 4-shot lead at Blue Monster Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:07 PM PST DORAL, Fla. (AP) — J.B. Holmes never liked the old Blue Monster at Doral because he thought it was too easy for a World Golf Championship.

Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia agree basis of Nile water deal Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:04 PM PST The foreign ministers of Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia said early on Friday they had reached the basis of an agreement on the sharing of Nile waters and Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam. "A full agreement has been reached between our three countries on the principles of the use of the eastern Nile Basin and the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam," Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti told reporters early on Friday morning. Egypt fears Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam project would diminish its share of the river waters.

UK lawmakers say China eroding freedoms in Hong Kong Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:02 PM PST British lawmakers banned from entering Hong Kong last year said Chinese regulations were eroding freedoms in the former British colony, and urged their government to take a harder stance against Beijing. Pro-democracy protests shut down parts of Hong Kong for two and a half months last year in response to a decision by China to pre-screen candidates in a 2017 election which will choose the city's next chief executive. On Friday a report by British parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee said China's new nomination process was "unduly restrictive". The report highlighted what it called a "troubling pattern" of limitations being imposed on the autonomy and freedoms negotiated for Hong Kong 30 years ago when Britain and China agreed a deal to hand it back to Beijing.

Orioles release Suk-min Yoon Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:58 PM PST SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles have released right-hander Suk-min Yoon.

UN council to vote on condemning Syria chlorine bombs Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:57 PM PST The UN Security Council is set to vote on Friday on a US-drafted resolution that threatens measures against the Syrian regime over its alleged use of chlorine bombs. While the measure does not single out the Damascus regime over the use of chlorine, Western powers have made clear that the evidence points to attacks being carried out by President Bashar al-Assad's forces. The draft text states that the Security Council "decides in the event of future non-compliance... to impose measures under chapter 7" of the UN charter, which provides for sanctions and possibly military force. It remained unclear whether Russia, Syria's ally, would support the move and its serious threat of punitive measures.

Evans issues denial, Cisse apology after spitting incident Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:52 PM PST LONDON (AP) — When two English Premier League opponents spat at each other, the television evidence seemed clear.

Canadian risks prison for not giving up phone's passcode Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:51 PM PST A Canadian charged for refusing to give border agents his smartphone passcode was expected Thursday to become the first to test whether border inspections can include information stored on devices. Alain Philippon, 38, risks up to a year in prison and a fine of up to Can$25,000 (US$20,000) if convicted of obstruction. "Philippon refused to divulge the passcode for his cell phone, preventing border services officers from their duties," Canada Border Services Agency said in an email.

Chelsea fans in new race row Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:24 PM PST Chelsea fans have allegedly been caught in a fresh race row, according to British media reports on Thursday. A video of the latest racist abuse apparently involving Chelsea supporters, obtained by The Sun and broadcast by ITV London News, was taken by a passenger on a train from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly following Chelsea's League Cup final win over Tottenham at Wembley on Sunday.

Mandarin Oriental says hotels in US, Europe hacked Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:08 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — High-end hotel chain Mandarin Oriental said Thursday that the credit card systems at some of its hotels in the U.S. and Europe were hacked.

Davis Cup draws for the 1st round Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:05 PM PST Draw for the first round of the Davis Cup:

Suriname tribes present gov't with forest conservation plan Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:02 PM PST KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Members of indigenous tribes in Suriname presented lawmakers with an ambitious proposal Thursday urging them to conserve roughly half of the sparsely populated country with a sprawling rainforest hinterland.

Plenty to play for as Ireland face Zimbabwe Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:01 PM PST Ireland and Zimbabwe face each other in a Pool B clash at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Saturday in a match that could have a key bearing on both sides' chances of reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup. The Irish are just ahead of Zimbabwe in the standings with four points from three matches compared to the Africans' two from four. Zimbabwe have two handicaps going into the match against Ireland, arguably the most impressive of all the four non-Test or Associate sides at this World Cup. They will be without captain Elton Chigumbura after the 28-year-old all-rounder suffered a thigh injury when he tripped and fell while chasing a ball in Sunday's 20-run loss to Pakistan at the Gabba in Brisbane.

France begins troop drawdown in Central African Republic Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:00 PM PST France announced on Thursday it was reducing its troop numbers in the Central African Republic as it gradually hands over to a 8,500-strong UN peacekeeping force brought in to contain a deadly sectarian conflict. "We are going to begin a first cutback phase in the following days, going from 2,000 to 1,700 men," army spokesman Gilles Jaron said. France's Operation Sangaris will be reorganised around two zones -- one between the capital Bangui and the central town of Bambari and the other around Kaga Bandoro and Ndele further north -- with the UN mission MINUSCA taking over almost all the responsibility in the east, Jaron said. France will continue to provide support to the UN as it tackles ex-Seleka extremists, he said.

Top-ranked Li Xuerui ousted in All England 2nd round Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:00 PM PST BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — World No. 1 Li Xuerui was ousted in the second round of the All England Open when she lost for the first time to fellow Chinese Sun Yu 21-13, 21-13 on Thursday.

Ex-wife of Argentine prosecutor says he was killed Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:59 PM PST BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The former wife of a prosecutor whose mysterious death has rocked Argentina said Thursday a team of experts she hired concluded that her former husband was killed and his body moved to the bathroom where he was found dead.

Father tells jury about boy's death at Boston Marathon Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:55 PM PST BOSTON (AP) — With Dzhokhar Tsarnaev seated at the defense table not far away Thursday, the father of an 8-year-old boy killed in the Boston Marathon bombing described the moment when he looked down at his son's pale, torn body and realized he wouldn't make it.

Turkey calls on UN chief to present plan to reunify Cyprus Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:55 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Turkey's prime minister called on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Thursday to come up with a plan to reunify Cyprus before he leaves at the end of 2016.

US draft urges UN to condemn use of chlorine in Syria Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:54 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States has circulated a draft resolution in the U.N. Security Council that condemns the use of toxic chemicals such as chlorine in Syria without assigning blame, while threatening militarily enforced action in the case of further violations. The council will vote on it Friday morning.

Heavy fighting in Aleppo as opposition eyes 'new strategy' Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:50 PM PST Heavy fighting shook the Syrian city of Aleppo Thursday as the exiled opposition chief said for the first time that President Bashar al-Assad's ouster need not be a pre-condition for peace talks. US Secretary of State John Kerry said meanwhile that "military pressure" may be needed to oust Assad, as Moscow announced it would host a fresh round of peace talks next month. Aleppo, Syria's second city, saw fierce clashes between regime forces and rebels near an air force intelligence headquarters that the opposition tried to seize in a spectacular attack on Wednesday. Regime forces also struck rebel-held territory in the east of the city, killing at least 22 civilians, including three children, in a single barrel bomb attack, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group.

Beauvue scores Guingamp's winner in French Cup Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PST LORIENT, France (AP) — Claudio Beauvue's free kick in added time ensured French Cup holder Guingamp's progression to the semifinals with a scrappy 2-1 win over fourth-tier side Concarneau on Thursday.

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