Yahoo! News: World News

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• Netanyahu claims victory in Israel election after hard right shift
• Syria monitor says army kills six in gas attack, military denies it
• U.S. loses drone over Syria, which claims to have brought it down
• Food concerns mount in Vanuatu after monster cyclone
• Lawyer for Pakistan doctor who helped CIA find bin Laden shot dead
• Magnitude 6.6 earthquake in Indonesia, no tsunami threat
• Strong undersea earthquake hits eastern Indonesia
• In close Israel vote, leader of upstart party is kingmaker
• Peterson a slow starter at every level and making progress
• Atletico beats Leverkusen on penalties to reach CL quarters
• Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT
• Isolated tribe ventures out of threatened Peru forests
• AP ANALYSIS: Advantage Netanyahu in close race
• Monaco reaches CL quarters despite 2-0 loss to Arsenal
• Despite tie, Netanyahu secures shot at 4th term as Israel PM
• Syria claims downing of US drone
• Netanyahu calls for forming rightist government without delay
• Feds: US Air Force vet tried to join Islamic State group
• Exit polls in Israel's election
• Venezuela runs ad in New York Times accusing US of hostility
• Netanyahu claims victory in knife-edge Israel vote
• Putin, Erdogan discuss 'Turkish Stream' gas project: Kremlin
• Israel's Netanyahu emerges with slight edge after tight race
• Obama on St Patrick's Day touts immigrant tradition in US
• Israel's Herzog says still in race to form government
• US says it lost a drone aircraft in Syria
• Reserve days come into play in World Cup knockout rounds
• LatAm leftists hold summit in support of Venezuela
• U.S. warns lack of accountability hampers South Sudan peace bid
• Activists accuse Syrian military of deadly poison gas attack
• Syria claims to shoot down US reconnaissance aircraft
• Opposition lawmakers in Argentina urge caution with Iran
• Netanyahu's chief challenger, Zionist Union's Herzog, says 'everything open'
• Puerto Rico sells $246 million in bond anticipation notes
• FA warns clubs over 'scary' rise of referee confrontations
• Israeli opposition leader Herzog says he will make 'every effort' to form coalition.

Netanyahu claims victory in Israel election after hard right shift Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:43 PM PDT By Jeffrey Heller and Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed victory in Israel's election after exit polls showed he had erased his center-left rivals' lead with a hard rightward shift in which he abandoned a commitment to negotiate a Palestinian state. Difficult coalition talks still lie ahead. Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu's chief opponent and head of the center-left Zionist Union, said "everything is still open" and that he already had spoken to party leaders about forming a government.

Syria monitor says army kills six in gas attack, military denies it Posted: 17 Mar 2015 11:49 AM PDT By Oliver Holmes and Sylvia Westall BEIRUT (Reuters) - A group monitoring the Syrian civil war said on Tuesday government forces carried out a poison gas attack that killed six people in the northwest, and medics posted videos of children suffering what they said was suffocation. A Syrian military source described the report of an attack in the village of Sarmin in Idlib province as propaganda. President Bashar al-Assad's government has previously denied accusations that it has used chemical weapons against rebel-held areas in the four-year-old war. An army statement said dozens of militants were killed in other areas of Idlib province overnight in clashes and attacks.

U.S. loses drone over Syria, which claims to have brought it down Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:42 PM PDT BEIRUT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States lost contact with an unarmed Predator drone over Syria on Tuesday, U.S. officials said, stopping short of confirming the plane was taken down by Syrian air defenses, as reported by Syrian state media. It was the first such incident since the U.S.-led coalition began carrying out air strikes against the hardline militant Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria last summer. "Syrian air defenses brought down a hostile U.S. surveillance plane in northern Latakia," SANA said in a bulletin, without giving further details.

Food concerns mount in Vanuatu after monster cyclone Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:30 PM PDT By Stephen Coates PORT VILA (Reuters) - International aid agencies ramped up appeals for cyclone-hit Vanuatu on Wednesday, warning that the powerful storm which affected more than two-thirds of the South Pacific island nation had wiped out crops and destroyed fishing fleets, raising the risk of hunger and disease. The United Nations said the official death toll was 11, but many officials anticipate that number will rise once they are able to more thoroughly inspect the outer islands of the scattered archipelago. "For a small nation like Vanuatu this is a huge disaster that requires an international response." Sune Gudnitz, Pacific head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said food supplies were a concern. We want to avoid creating a bottleneck in Port Vila so we very quickly need to work out a plan for getting things out," Gudnitz said, referring to the Vanuatu capital.

Lawyer for Pakistan doctor who helped CIA find bin Laden shot dead Posted: 17 Mar 2015 10:35 AM PDT By Jibran Ahmad PESHAWAR (Reuters) - A Pakistani lawyer under death threats for defending a doctor who helped CIA agents hunt al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was shot dead on Tuesday, police said, and two militant groups claimed responsibility. Samiullah Afridi represented Dr Shakil Afridi, who was jailed in 2012 for 33 years for running a fake vaccination campaign believed to have helped the U.S. intelligence agency track down bin Laden. Samiullah Afridi was shot dead on Tuesday as he was returning to his home in the northwestern city of Peshawar, police said. According to media, he had recently returned there from abroad after leaving Pakistan for his safety.

Magnitude 6.6 earthquake in Indonesia, no tsunami threat Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:30 PM PDT SYDNEY (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck off the northwest of Ternate in Indonesia on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There was no risk of a Pacific-wide tsunami threat from the Indonesia quake. (Reporting by Swati Pandey; Editing by Chris Reese)

Strong undersea earthquake hits eastern Indonesia Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:47 PM PDT JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A strong undersea earthquake has struck off eastern Indonesia, but there are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

In close Israel vote, leader of upstart party is kingmaker Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:42 PM PDT TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The new kingmaker of Israeli politics grew up in a hardscrabble town in northern Israel, one of seven children of Libyan Jewish immigrants, and worked stints as a fisherman and fruit vendor before becoming a working class hero in politics.

Peterson a slow starter at every level and making progress Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:35 PM PDT ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — John Peterson never had to worry about a sophomore slump. At just about every level, his struggles started much sooner.

Atletico beats Leverkusen on penalties to reach CL quarters Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:34 PM PDT MADRID (AP) — Fernando Torres scored the decisive spot-kick as Atletico Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:32 PM PDT JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A strong undersea earthquake has struck off eastern Indonesia, but there are no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck 136 kilometers (85 miles) northwest of Ternate, the capital of North Maluku province. It had a depth of 41 kilometers (25 miles).

Isolated tribe ventures out of threatened Peru forests Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:32 PM PDT Dressed in loincloths and speaking an unknown language, the Mashco-Piro, one of the last isolated peoples on Earth, are increasingly venturing out of their forests in Peru -- to the government's distress. Authorities say encroachments on the Amazon rainforest by illegal loggers may be forcing the Mashco-Piro, a tribe of hunter-gatherers, into some of their first recorded contacts with the outside world. Often the meetings seem friendly enough: Residents of the surrounding area give the Mashco-Piro food, and tourists give them clothing. In December, Peruvian authorities evacuated two small villages after some 200 Mashco-Piro attacked them with bows and arrows, killing residents' livestock and pets and carting off food, pots, pans, machetes and rope.

AP ANALYSIS: Advantage Netanyahu in close race Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:28 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's election has yielded a fractured parliament and no clear winner, setting up a horse-trading phase that seems likely to leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in place and in ever deeper confrontation with the world. To govern, his Likud Party would need to depend on ultranationalists — a recipe for neither stability nor bold moves toward Mideast peace.

Monaco reaches CL quarters despite 2-0 loss to Arsenal Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:27 PM PDT MONACO (AP) — Monaco withstood Arsenal's onslaught to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League despite a 2-0 home defeat on Tuesday, advancing on the away goals rule after drawing 3-3 on aggregate.

Despite tie, Netanyahu secures shot at 4th term as Israel PM Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:23 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's parliament election ended in a deadlock, according to TV exit polls, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to hold the advantage ahead of coalition talks. Here is a look at how the main players fared.

Syria claims downing of US drone Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:14 PM PDT The US military confirmed that it had lost communication with an unarmed Predator drone over northwest Syria on Tuesday and was looking into the claims it was brought down. If confirmed, it would be the first time that Syrian forces have attacked a US aircraft since the coalition fighting the Islamic State began raids against the jihadist group in Syria in September.

Netanyahu calls for forming rightist government without delay Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:13 PM PDT JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming victory for his Likud party in a close-call election on Tuesday, said he had invited other rightist politicians to join him in a coalition government "without delay". "Reality does not take a break," Netanyahu said in a speech to supporters after two television exit polls gave Likud a narrow lead over his center-left challenger in the ballot. (Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Howard Goller)

Feds: US Air Force vet tried to join Islamic State group Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:08 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. Air Force veteran and airplane mechanic plotted to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group and was arrested on terrorism charges, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Exit polls in Israel's election Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:02 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Exit polls from Israeli elections showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and its nationalist and religious allies deadlocked with the center-left Zionist Union, an Arab alliance and more dovish parties.

Venezuela runs ad in New York Times accusing US of hostility Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:01 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuela has placed a full page ad in The New York Times decrying what it charges are "tyrannical" attempts by the U.S. government to undermine its socialist system.

Netanyahu claims victory in knife-edge Israel vote Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:01 PM PDT Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed victory in elections Tuesday as exit polls put him neck-and-neck with centre-left rivals after a late fightback in his bid for a third straight term. Analysts said Netanyahu was in a stronger position to forge a coalition with his rightwing allies that would extend his six years in power. Figures published by public Channel 1 and private Channel 10 television both gave Netanyahu's Likud and Isaac Herzog's Zionist Union 27 seats each in the 120-member parliament. A third poll by private Channel 2 gave Likud a one-seat lead.

Putin, Erdogan discuss 'Turkish Stream' gas project: Kremlin Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:55 PM PDT MOSCOW/ANKARA (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the "Turkish Stream" gas project during a phone call, the Kremlin said in a statement on Tuesday, as Moscow continues to push for its new undersea pipeline to Europe. Facing objections from the European Union, Russia in December abandoned its $40 billion South Stream project which would have passed under the Black Sea to Bulgaria and carried up to 63 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually to Europe. It has now pinned its hopes on Turkey, hoping to construct a "Turkish Stream" pipeline with the same capacity to an as-yet unbuilt hub on the Turkey-Greece border by the end of 2016. Turkish officials have said the plans are unlikely to progress as quickly as Russia would like, given Ankara's concerns about overdependence on Russian energy.

Israel's Netanyahu emerges with slight edge after tight race Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:52 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to have fended off a strong challenge from the country's opposition leader in parliamentary elections Tuesday, emerging from an acrimonious campaign in a slightly better position to form Israel's next government.

Obama on St Patrick's Day touts immigrant tradition in US Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:50 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Donning green in the Oval Office, President Barack Obama promoted U.S.-Irish ties on St. Patrick's Day as proof of America's immigrant-friendly tradition. He and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny urged Congress to follow Obama's lead on immigration.

Israel's Herzog says still in race to form government Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:43 PM PDT Tel Aviv (AFP) - Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog said Wednesday he is still in the race to form Israel's next government after exit polls showed a last-minute surge by the rightwing Likud, leaving the two parties neck-and-neck.

US says it lost a drone aircraft in Syria Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:43 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — An unarmed U.S. Predator drone aircraft went down in Syria, but it's not clear whether it was shot down as claimed by the Syrian government, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

Reserve days come into play in World Cup knockout rounds Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:43 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Cricket World Cup has had a charmed run with the weather but new contingencies will come into play if rain disrupts any of the match in the knockout rounds which start on Wednesday.

LatAm leftists hold summit in support of Venezuela Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:30 PM PDT Leaders from leftist Latin American regional bloc ALBA gathered Tuesday for a summit in Caracas, a show of support for Venezuela in its mounting standoff with the United States. The meeting of the 11-nation Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America comes as the United States faces backlash in Latin America over its new sanctions on Venezuela.

U.S. warns lack of accountability hampers South Sudan peace bid Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:26 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A lack of accountability in South Sudan for "atrocities, sexual and gender based violence, child soldier recruitment and mass graves" hinders a bid for peace in the world's youngest state, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Tuesday. Fighting since December 2013 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebels allied with his former deputy Riek Machar has reopened ethnic fault lines that pit Kiir's Dinka people against Machar's ethnic Nuer forces. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, told reporters that until an accountability mechanism was in place then a "kind of collective ascription of responsibility is going to remain a major impediment to peace and to trust." Power said: "This notion that accountability can wait because peace has to come first is just an inherently flawed and self-defeating notion." She said "this is a scale of atrocities and sexual and gender based violence and child soldier recruitment and mass graves that warrants, by any objective measure, accountability." Talks between Kiir and Machar are being brokered by the eight-member East African bloc IGAD.

Activists accuse Syrian military of deadly poison gas attack Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:25 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian activists and the Western-backed opposition accused the government Tuesday of carrying out a chlorine gas attack against a rebel-held town that killed at least six people and left dozens, including children, choking and gasping for breath.

Syria claims to shoot down US reconnaissance aircraft Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:23 PM PDT DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian state media said the country's air defenses shot down a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft Tuesday in a northwestern province along the Mediterranean coast.

Opposition lawmakers in Argentina urge caution with Iran Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:22 PM PDT BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Several opposition lawmakers in Argentina have written a letter urging countries negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program to consider two terrorist attacks in the South American country allegedly orchestrated by Tehran.

Netanyahu's chief challenger, Zionist Union's Herzog, says 'everything open' Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:22 PM PDT TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main challenger, Zionist Union chief Isaac Herzog, disputed Netanyahu's victory claim in Israel's election on Tuesday, saying "everything is open". "This result allows us to return to power," Herzog told supporters at party headquarters in Tel Aviv after exit polls showed a tie between the center-left Zionist Union and Netanyahu's right-wing Likud. ...

Puerto Rico sells $246 million in bond anticipation notes Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:17 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's government said Tuesday that it has sold $246 million in bond anticipation notes to refinance part of its short-term debt and help generate more money for the financially strapped island.

FA warns clubs over 'scary' rise of referee confrontations Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:17 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — The English Football Association has warned clubs about their players' on-field behavior after what it calls a "scary" rise in the number of cases of referees being surrounded.

Israeli opposition leader Herzog says he will make 'every effort' to form coalition. Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:17 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli opposition leader Herzog says he will make 'every effort' to form coalition.

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