Yahoo! News: World News

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• Co-pilot suspected of deliberately crashing Germanwings jet
• Yemeni leader Hadi leaves country as Saudi Arabia keeps up air strikes
• Iran's Rouhani intervenes as deadline for nuclear deal approaches
• U.S., allies conduct air strikes in Syria, Iraq against Islamic State: task force
• Japan PM Abe to address joint session of U.S. Congress
• U.S. has no policy to protect Syrian force after training: general
• Australia mandates metadata is stored for at least 2 years
• Hundreds rally in Mali to call for ousted president's return
• UK prime minister, opposition leader in live TV interviews
• Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT
• UK's Cameron beats Labour's Miliband in first TV contest before election: poll
• Bulgaria out of Euro weightlifting event after 11 drug cases
• UN creates watchdog for albino rights after surge in attacks
• Neymar and Willian shine as Brazil beats France 3-1
• Yahoo says it will buy back $2 billion in stock
• Mexico marks six months since 43 students vanished
• Former Germany coach Berti Vogts joins Klinsmann's US staff
• At least 71 dead as rebels advance on Syria's Idlib: monitor
• Del Potro loses 1st-round match at Miami Open
• European anti-Islam group plans Montreal protest
• Pilots must have regular medical check-ups: UN agency
• Mexico double-transplant patient eyes US humanitarian entry
• Pope Francis greets homeless at Sistine Chapel
• Sacked 'Top Gear' star Clarkson defends attack victim
• US diplomat for Africa will observe Nigeria elections
• Moroccan opposition in rare standoff with police over burial
• Powerful explosions rock Yemen capital
• 2 US funds to invest $900 million in Mexican gas pipeline
• Manslaughter charge for British Virgin Islands boat captain
• Flooding in Chilean desert region kills seven
• Watchdog report faults US handling of sex party allegations
• German aviation association 'seeks two-person cockpit rule'
• Co-pilot was 'very happy' with Germanwings job
• Turkey's Erdogan says can't tolerate Iran bid to dominate Middle East
• Co-pilot deliberately slams plane in Alps; families ask why
• US, Cuba to broach human rights Tuesday
• Airlines introduce two-person cockpit rule after Alps crash
• Two Albania MPs arrested over murder plot claims

Co-pilot suspected of deliberately crashing Germanwings jet Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:07 PM PDT They offered no motive for why Andreas Lubitz, 27, would take the controls of the Airbus A320, lock the captain out of the cockpit and deliberately set it veering down from cruising altitude at 3,000 feet per minute. German police searched his home for evidence that might offer some explanation for what was behind Tuesday's crash in the French Alps. EasyJet, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Air Berlin were among other carriers that swiftly announced such policies. Among those that didn't was Germanwings parent company Lufthansa, whose CEO said he thought it was unnecessary.

Yemeni leader Hadi leaves country as Saudi Arabia keeps up air strikes Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:05 PM PDT By Khaled Abdallah and Sami Aboudi SANAA/ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi left his refuge in Aden for Saudi Arabia on Thursday as Houthi rebels battled with his forces on the outskirts of the southern port city. Throughout the day, warplanes from Saudi Arabia and Arab allies struck at the Shi'ite Houthis and allied army units, who have taken over much of the country and seek to oust Hadi. Warplanes resumed bombing the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Thursday evening, shaking whole neighborhoods and terrifying residents. We live near the airport, where we think a lot of the Houthi leaders are living and many of the air strikes are." Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi said in a televised speech Yemenis would confront the "criminal, unjust and unjustified aggression" by Saudi Arabia.

Iran's Rouhani intervenes as deadline for nuclear deal approaches Posted: 26 Mar 2015 02:33 PM PDT By John Irish and Louis Charbonneau LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Iran's president spoke with the leaders of France, Britain, China and Russia on Thursday in an apparent effort to break an impasse to a nuclear deal between Tehran and major world powers. He also raised the Saudi-led military operation against Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen, as did U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry ahead of nuclear negotiations in Switzerland with Tehran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

U.S., allies conduct air strikes in Syria, Iraq against Islamic State: task force Posted: 26 Mar 2015 02:58 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies staged 29 air strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq in the latest round of daily attacks, the Combined Joint Task Force said on Thursday. In Iraq, the coalition conducted 17 air strikes near Tikrit, where Iraqi forces have mounted an offensive to try to oust Islamic State militants from the city. Seven air strikes were conducted against Islamic State targets in other parts of Iraq. In Syria, four air strikes hit Islamic State positions near the city of Kobani and one strike hit near Raqqa. ...

Japan PM Abe to address joint session of U.S. Congress Posted: 26 Mar 2015 12:46 PM PDT By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will address a joint meeting of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on April 29, becoming the first Japanese leader to do so. Abe will spend eight days on a state visit expected to focus on joint responses to growing Chinese assertiveness in Asia, including his moves to loosen restraints on Japan's pacifist postwar constitution. In announcing the invitation to the Japanese leader, U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner said Abe's speech would be an opportunity for Americans to hear from a close ally about ways to expand cooperation on economic and security priorities. Trade is an important component of President Barack Obama's diplomatic and security "pivot" to Asia.

U.S. has no policy to protect Syrian force after training: general Posted: 26 Mar 2015 01:12 PM PDT By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Syrian opposition forces being trained to fight Islamic State militants will need support from the U.S.-led coalition when they return home, but the Obama administration has yet to decide what protection to offer, a top U.S. commander said on Thursday. Army General Lloyd Austin, the head of U.S. Central Command, told a Senate hearing the Syrian opposition force being trained by the coalition would need help with logistics, air strikes and intelligence but said the administration had not agreed on a policy about providing protection once the troops returned home. His remarks prompted Senator John McCain, a Republican who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, to slam the administration for launching the training effort before it had worked through how it would support the forces once they returned to Syria. The United States and coalition partners have begun vetting members of the Syrian opposition and plan to offer military training in as many as four countries across the region.

Australia mandates metadata is stored for at least 2 years Posted: 26 Mar 2015 04:07 PM PDT CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's parliament has created a new law that will force Australian telecommunications companies and Internet providers to store customers' personal data for the convenience of law enforcement agencies, despite questions over who will pay for it and how it will affect journalism.

Hundreds rally in Mali to call for ousted president's return Posted: 26 Mar 2015 04:06 PM PDT Hundreds of supporters of exiled former Malian president Amadou Toumani Toure, who was overthrown in a military coup in 2012, called for his return on Thursday in rallies held in several cities. "ATT must be allowed to come back without any trouble... for the sake of peace and national reconciliation," said one of the organisers, Oumar Toure. Ex-president Toure, who came to power in 2002, fled to Senegal after being overthrown by a military junta in 2012 just as he was preparing to end his final term in office. He was accused by the soldiers of failing to tackle an Islamist insurgency in the north of Mali.

UK prime minister, opposition leader in live TV interviews Posted: 26 Mar 2015 04:03 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — It wasn't quite a debate, but back-to-back live televised interviews of Prime Minister David Cameron and opposition leader Ed Miliband were billed Thursday as the unofficial campaign kickoff six weeks before Britain's general election.

Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 26 Mar 2015 04:02 PM PDT BEIJING (AP) — Along with two dozen of her fellow "dancing grannies," 60-year-old Zhang Jinsu twirls and steps her way every night across a central Beijing plaza, sometimes gliding over the pavement like a butterfly, at other times marching with a plastic rifle. But when new Chinese government instructions on such hugely popular — and loud — senior dances take hold, Zhang may need to learn a new routine.

UK's Cameron beats Labour's Miliband in first TV contest before election: poll Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:59 PM PDT Prime Minister David Cameron won the first TV encounter before a close national election in Britain, turning in a stronger performance than Labour leader Ed Miliband, a poll showed on Thursday. The snap Guardian/ICM poll showed 54 percent of those asked thought Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party, had won, compared to 46 percent who judged Miliband had triumphed. Both men were subjected to back-to-back but separate live TV interviews and question and answer sessions with a studio audience. Cameron conceded he'd made mistakes during his five years in power, but implored voters to give him a second term to finish the job of rebuilding the economy.

Bulgaria out of Euro weightlifting event after 11 drug cases Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:57 PM PDT BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Bulgaria pulled its team out of next month's European weightlifting championships after 11 of its athletes tested positive for steroids.

UN creates watchdog for albino rights after surge in attacks Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:53 PM PDT The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday decided to appoint an expert to investigate abuses suffered by albinos, who have faced a surge of attacks in east Africa. The resolution, presented by Algeria on behalf of the group of African states, comes after UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein earlier this month decried a steep hike in attacks on albinos in east Africa. In the past six months, at least 15 people with albinism in Tanzania, Malawi and Burundi have been abducted, wounded, killed or escaped being kidnapped, his office said. The UN has warned that the surge in Tanzania could be linked to looming general and presidential elections in October 2015, as political campaigners may be turning to influential sorcerers to improve their odds.

Neymar and Willian shine as Brazil beats France 3-1 Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:47 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Striker Neymar scored his 43rd international goal and midfielder Willian set up two as Brazil beat France 3-1 on Thursday in another step in rebuilding its credibility.

Yahoo says it will buy back $2 billion in stock Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:43 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Yahoo says it will buy back $2 billion in company stock as it prepares to spin off its stake in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba.

Mexico marks six months since 43 students vanished Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:40 PM PDT Mexico marked six months Thursday since the disappearance of 43 college students, with parents of the young men protesting to demand the suspension of elections in their home state. The case has become the biggest challenge of President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration, with a Reforma newspaper opinion poll showing that his approval rating remained at a low 39 percent. Hundreds of people protested in front of the National Electoral Commission in Mexico City to deliver a letter demanding the suspension of June 7 elections in Guerrero, the southern state where the students disappeared and were allegedly murdered. "These last six months have been torture, painful, an agony for us," Meliton Ortega, uncle of a missing student, said outside the institute protected by riot police.

Former Germany coach Berti Vogts joins Klinsmann's US staff Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:38 PM PDT Berti Vogts has been pals with Jurgen Klinsmann for a long time, and now the German national team coach will work alongside his former player in a long-term role.

At least 71 dead as rebels advance on Syria's Idlib: monitor Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:37 PM PDT Islamist fighters have seized 17 checkpoints from Syrian forces in clashes around the city of Idlib that have cost at least 71 lives, a monitor said Thursday. "The government and its supporting forces have lost 17 checkpoints and regime locations to the Al-Nusra Front and other Islamist groups in and around Idlib" in the country's northwest, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The clashes come as part of an Islamist offensive launched Tuesday and led by Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Al-Nusra Front, on the regime-held city of Idlib. Citing eyewitnesses, the Observatory said heavy shelling by the Islamist fighters had forced "regime forces to erect new checkpoints and barricades" in the city.

Del Potro loses 1st-round match at Miami Open Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:35 PM PDT KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Juan Martin del Potro's latest comeback from an injury is off to a slow start, and he's OK with that.

European anti-Islam group plans Montreal protest Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:34 PM PDT A new Canadian chapter of a German-based anti-Islam group has called for a protest in Montreal on Saturday, which would be PEGIDA's first in North America, drawing condemnation from politicians. The city of Montreal "is a welcoming place and we will condemn all forms of Islamaphobia," Mayor Denis Coderre said, vowing a police crackdown on any racist or hateful messaging at the demonstration. PEGIDA, or Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West, has called for a protest on the outskirts of Montreal's Little Maghreb neighborhood, which is home to a large North African Muslim community. "Since when does a North African neighborhood exist in Montreal?

Pilots must have regular medical check-ups: UN agency Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:33 PM PDT Pilots must have regular mental and physical check-ups, the UN world aviation body said Thursday, after it emerged that a Germanwings first officer deliberately crashed his plane killing all 150 on board. All pilots are required to "undergo a periodic medical examination (by a doctor who is trained in aviation medicine) that includes both a physical and a mental assessment," the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said in a statement. "If there is any concern from this medical screening then a further, more specialized, assessment can be undertaken that may include neuropsychological testing," the UN agency added.

Mexico double-transplant patient eyes US humanitarian entry Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:31 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — A young Mexican man who is urgently trying to travel to the Mayo Clinic for a double-organ transplant has filed a third application for entry into the United States after twice being denied a visa.

Pope Francis greets homeless at Sistine Chapel Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:28 PM PDT Dozens of homeless people were on Thursday treated to a private viewing of the Sistine Chapel, complete with a surprise appearance by Pope Francis himself, in the pontiff's latest gesture towards the most vulnerable in society. In an unannounced visit, it was the pope himself who welcomed the group to the Sistine Chapel, taking the time to greet each of the visitors.

Sacked 'Top Gear' star Clarkson defends attack victim Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:25 PM PDT The outspoken former presenter of hit car show "Top Gear" Jeremy Clarkson on Thursday defended the co-worker he attacked in a fracas that led to his sacking by Britain's BBC. Clarkson's contract was not renewed after an internal BBC investigation found he physically attacked a "Top Gear" producer, Oisin Tymon, after a lengthy verbal tirade.

US diplomat for Africa will observe Nigeria elections Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:25 PM PDT The top US diplomat for Africa will travel to Nigeria to observe presidential elections, the State Department said Thursday, an unusual move for Washington that is closely monitoring the country's Islamist crisis. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield will lead an "official diplomatic observation mission" of the presidential and national assembly elections that take place Saturday, according to a statement. "This is the latest example of U.S. support for a credible, peaceful electoral process in Nigeria," the State Department said.

Moroccan opposition in rare standoff with police over burial Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:23 PM PDT Thousands of supporters of Morocco's biggest opposition movement buried their late leader's widow on Thursday after a standoff with security forces who tried to prevent her being laid to rest beside his grave. It was one of the biggest shows of defiance by the Islamist movement Justice and Spirituality, or Al-Adl Wal-Ihssan, since it became a major player in 2011 protests that forced limited political reforms in the North African kingdom. Abdessalam Yassine, who died in 2013, formed the group in 1981. Moroccan police forces attacked a first group of mourners preparing the grave of Khadija al-Maliki, Yassine's widow, injuring some of them, said one of the group's leaders, Hassan Bennajeh.

Powerful explosions rock Yemen capital Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:21 PM PDT Powerful explosions rocked Sanaa Thursday night as a Saudi-led coalition carried out air strikes against Shiite rebels in control of the Yemeni capital, an AFP correspondent reported. There were also strikes in the south of the country, while clashes continued in the southern port of Aden, the bastion of embattled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Anti-aircraft fire erupted in response to what witnesses said were air strikes by the coalition forces against a camp at Al-Istiqbal, at Sanaa's western entrance. Witnesses also said strikes targeted Al-Samaa military base, north of Sanaa, which is used by army units believed to take orders from their former commander, Ahmed Ali Saleh.

2 US funds to invest $900 million in Mexican gas pipeline Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:21 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's state-owned petroleum company Pemex has signed an agreement giving two investment funds a 45 percent stake in a natural gas pipeline in exchange for $900 million.

Manslaughter charge for British Virgin Islands boat captain Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:16 PM PDT ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands (AP) — A boat captain from the British Virgin Islands who was involved in a crash that killed a U.S. woman and a Jamaican man has been charged with manslaughter.

Flooding in Chilean desert region kills seven Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:14 PM PDT Copiapó (Chile) (AFP) - Flash floods in a normally bone-dry region of northern Chile killed seven people and left 19 missing, officials said Thursday, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency and send in the army. The downpour began late Tuesday in the Atacama region, home to the world's most arid desert, and lashed the area for hours, turning riverbeds that had been dry for years into torrents. The weather forced state copper company Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, to temporarily halt operations in Atacama and the neighboring region of Antofagasta. As Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo urged residents to evacuate, the army declared a curfew for the Atacama region and the city of Antofagasta.

Watchdog report faults US handling of sex party allegations Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:07 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal watchdog on Thursday faulted the Drug Enforcement Administration over allegations that agents attended sex parties with prostitutes on government-leased property while stationed overseas.

German aviation association 'seeks two-person cockpit rule' Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:07 PM PDT Germany's aviation association BDL announced plans Thursday to introduce a two-person cockpit rule after it emerged that the co-pilot on a Germanwings flight deliberately crashed after being left alone. The new policy would require two crew members to be in the cockpit at all times. The second person could be a flight attendant if the pilot or co-pilot has to exit the cockpit in flight. Separately, the head of Germanwings' parent company Lufthansa, Carsten Spohr, said the two-person cockpit rule would be discussed at an industry meeting on Friday to be attended by the Federal Aviation Office (LBA).

Co-pilot was 'very happy' with Germanwings job Posted: 26 Mar 2015 03:02 PM PDT MONTABAUR, Germany (AP) — Andreas Lubitz never appeared anything but thrilled to have landed a pilot's job with Germanwings, according to those who helped him learn to fly as a teenager in this town in the forested hills of western Germany.

Turkey's Erdogan says can't tolerate Iran bid to dominate Middle East Posted: 26 Mar 2015 02:55 PM PDT By Humeyra Pamuk ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused Iran on Thursday of trying to dominate the Middle East and said its efforts have begun annoying Ankara, as well as Saudi Arabia and Gulf Arab countries. Turkey earlier said it supports the Saudi-led military operation against Houthi rebels in Yemen and called on the militia group and its "foreign supporters" to abandon acts which threaten peace and security in the region. "Iran is trying to dominate the region," said Erdogan, who is due to visit Tehran in early April. This has begun annoying us, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries.

Co-pilot deliberately slams plane in Alps; families ask why Posted: 26 Mar 2015 02:51 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Passengers with moments to live screamed in terror and the pilot frantically pounded on the locked cockpit door as a 27-year-old German co-pilot deliberately and wordlessly smashed an Airbus carrying 150 people into an Alpine mountainside.

US, Cuba to broach human rights Tuesday Posted: 26 Mar 2015 02:49 PM PDT Cuba said it will hold talks Tuesday with the United States on human rights, one of the most delicate issues pending in their historic rapprochement, insisting that both sides' records should be scrutinized. Washington and Havana have held three rounds of talks since they announced on December 17 that they would resume relations after more than five decades of enmity, but so far they have not broached the sensitive topic of human rights. "This demonstrates Cuba's readiness to address any issue despite our differences," he told journalists.

Airlines introduce two-person cockpit rule after Alps crash Posted: 26 Mar 2015 02:46 PM PDT By Victoria Bryan and Tim Hepher BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) - Airlines rushed on Thursday to change rules to require a second crew member in the cockpit at all times, hours after French prosecutors suggested a co-pilot who barricaded himself alone at the controls of a jetliner had crashed it on purpose. The United States already requires two crew members to be in the cabin at all times, but many other countries do not, allowing pilots to leave the flight deck, for example to use the toilet, as long as one pilot is at the controls. Airlines including Norwegian Air Shuttle, Britain's easyJet, Air Canada and Air Berlin all said within hours that they had introduced a requirement that two crew members be in the cockpit at all times. "We had a lot of concerned customers," an Air Berlin spokesman said.

Two Albania MPs arrested over murder plot claims Posted: 26 Mar 2015 02:40 PM PDT Police arrested on Thursday two Albanian lawmakers charged with false statements for alleging that the parliament speaker was plotting the murder of one of them. Police acted upon an arrest warrant issued for the two deputies -- Tom Doshi and Mark Frroku, a police spokesman said. The arrest came soon after the parliament lifted their immunity after a probe concluded that their allegations against speaker Ilir Meta were false. Doshi was expelled from the ruling Socialist Party after accusing Meta of plotting to kill him and an opposition MP.

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