Yahoo! News: World News

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• Afghan blast kills 33; president blames Islamic State
• Greece wants EU/IMF deal but impasse could bring referendum: deputy PM
• Iraqi forces retake most of Baiji refinery from Islamic State
• Thousands in Germany protest against Europe-U.S. trade deal
• Putin says ready to work with United States: TV
• Storm, Dragons join Broncos atop National Rugby League
• Last 2 Raiders give congressional medal to Ohio museum
• Browne, Langer match record 64s in Greater Gwinnett
• Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT
• Mathews wins interim WBA lightweight title
• Castroneves earns pole at Long Beach with track record
• Finance officials see rising risks to economic recovery
• Boko Haram Cameroon attack toll rises to 19, 'many beheaded'
• Swans, Crows unbeaten in Australian Rules
• California revises drought plan after pressure from cities
• Replica of French general's historic US independence ship sails again
• Messi scores 400th goal for Barcelona in 2-0 win vs Valencia
• Runaway Serie A leader Juventus beats 2nd-place Lazio 2-0
• Torrential rain floods Houston before heading toward New Orleans
• Europe is protected from possible Greek problems, France says
• Yemen government rejects Iranian peace plan
• French replica of revolutionary frigate sets sail for Boston
• Daly returning to IndyCar Series at Long Beach
• Benfica, Porto win to set up title clash in Portugal
• Russian cyber attackers used two unknown flaws: security company
• S.Africa's Zuma seeks to reassure foreigners as violence spreads
• Pastore scores twice as PSG wins 3-1 at Nice to go top
• Ex-boxing champ Wilfredo Gomez detained, but no charges
• Chelsea easing to EPL title; Arsenal back in FA Cup final
• UN Libya envoy condemns latest deadly violence
• Hazard sends Chelsea 10 points clear by clinching United win
• French customs seize record 2.25 tonnes of cocaine in Caribbean
• Madrid's Bale & Modric hurt 4 days before Atletico CL derby
• Call for Mali peace deal to be signed next month
• Problems keeps on mounting for miserable McLaren
• Pope hopes Milan world's fair will help environmental effort
• PSV Eindhoven wins Eredivisie title, first since 2008
• Arsenal returns to FA Cup final with 2-1 win over Reading
• UK reviews security of Anzac Day events after Australian arrests

Afghan blast kills 33; president blames Islamic State Posted: 18 Apr 2015 08:49 AM PDT By Rafiq Sherzad JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber in Afghanistan's eastern city of Jalalabad killed 33 people and injured more than 100 on Saturday, setting off a blast outside a bank where government workers collect salaries, the city's police chief said. President Ashraf Ghani blamed Islamic State militants, without giving further detail. If true, it would be the first such major attack carried out by the group in Afghanistan, marking a significant step in its expansion into South Asia. Up until now militants claiming allegiance to Islamic State in Afghanistan have been widely identified as former Taliban fighters disillusioned with their leadership.

Greece wants EU/IMF deal but impasse could bring referendum: deputy PM Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:42 PM PDT Greece aims for a deal with its creditors over a reforms package but will not retreat from its red lines, the country's deputy prime minister told the Sunday newspaper To Vima, not ruling out a referendum or early polls if talks reach an impasse. Athens is stuck in negotiations with its euro zone partners and the International Monetary Fund over economic reforms required by the lenders to unlock remaining bailout aid. "Our objective is a viable solution inside the euro," Yannis Dragasakis told the paper. The aim is (to reach) an agreement." Greece is quickly running out of cash and in the next few weeks may face a choice of either paying salaries and pensions or paying back loans from the International Monetary Fund.

Iraqi forces retake most of Baiji refinery from Islamic State Posted: 18 Apr 2015 09:34 AM PDT Iraqi forces retook most of the country's largest refinery from Islamic State on Saturday, officials said, reversing gains by the militants who seized parts of the sprawling complex in northern Iraq this week. A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State said troops had recaptured all of Baiji refinery at 11:30 GMT (7.30 a.m. EDT), but officials in Salahuddin, the province where it is located, said there was still fighting around some facilities. The Baiji refinery produced around 175,000 barrels per day before it shut in June when Islamic State fighters seized it at the same time as the city of Mosul. Iraqi forces retook it from militants in November but subsequently lost control again.

Thousands in Germany protest against Europe-U.S. trade deal Posted: 18 Apr 2015 11:30 AM PDT By Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - Thousands of people marched in Berlin, Munich and other German cities on Saturday in protest against a planned free trade deal between Europe and the United States that they fear will erode food, labor and environmental standards. Opposition to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is particularly high in Germany, in part due to rising anti-American sentiment linked to revelations of U.S. spying and fears of digital domination by firms like Google. A recent YouGov poll showed that 43 percent of Germans believe TTIP would be bad for the country, compared to 26 percent who see it as positive. The level of resistance has taken Chancellor Angela Merkel's government and German industry by surprise, and they are now scrambling to reverse the tide and save a deal which proponents say could add $100 billion in annual economic output on both sides of the Atlantic.

Putin says ready to work with United States: TV Posted: 18 Apr 2015 07:36 AM PDT Russia has key interests in common with the United States and needs to work with it on a common agenda, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday in a television interview. In his comments to the state-run Rossiya channel, Putin appeared to soften his anti-American rhetoric after being highly critical. Relations between Moscow and Washington and other Western powers have soured over the conflict in Russia's neighbor Ukraine, sinking to an all-time low. We have a common agenda." Putin has in the past fiercely attacked the United States and the West in general, blaming them for the Ukraine crisis, which Russia says was the result of a Western-backed "coup" against Ukraine's former leader Viktor Yanukovich.

Storm, Dragons join Broncos atop National Rugby League Posted: 18 Apr 2015 04:28 PM PDT SYDNEY (AP) — The Melbourne Storm and St. George Illawarra Dragons joined Brisbane atop the National Rugby League standings with 10 points each after seventh-round matches.

Last 2 Raiders give congressional medal to Ohio museum Posted: 18 Apr 2015 04:09 PM PDT CINCINNATI (AP) — The last two "Doolittle Tokyo Raiders" have presented their Congressional Gold Medal for permanent display at a museum in southwest Ohio.

Browne, Langer match record 64s in Greater Gwinnett Posted: 18 Apr 2015 04:05 PM PDT DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Olin Browne shot a tournament-record 8-under 64 to take the Greater Gwinnett Championship lead and still couldn't relax.

Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 18 Apr 2015 04:02 PM PDT FAIZABAD, Afghanistan (AP) — A motorcycle-riding suicide bomber attacked a line of people waiting outside a bank Saturday in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 35 and wounding 125 in an assault the country's president blamed on the Islamic State group. The accusation by President Ashraf Ghani, following local media reporting the Islamic State group's Afghan affiliate claiming the attack, would mark a major escalation in the extremists' nascent campaign of violence in the country.

Mathews wins interim WBA lightweight title Posted: 18 Apr 2015 04:02 PM PDT LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Hometown fighter Derry Mathews won the interim WBA lightweight title after beating Tony Luis of Canada by unanimous decision at Echo Arena on Saturday.

Castroneves earns pole at Long Beach with track record Posted: 18 Apr 2015 04:00 PM PDT LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Helio Castroneves will start on the pole for the Grand Prix of Long Beach after setting a track record Saturday during qualifying.

Finance officials see rising risks to economic recovery Posted: 18 Apr 2015 03:47 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — World finance officials said Saturday they see a number of threats on the horizon for a global economy still clawing back from the deepest recession in seven decades, and a potential Greek debt default presents the most immediate risk.

Boko Haram Cameroon attack toll rises to 19, 'many beheaded' Posted: 18 Apr 2015 03:42 PM PDT Yaoundé (AFP) - Nineteen people were killed in Thursday night's attack on a Cameroonian village by Nigeria-based Boko Haram militants, a security source said in an updated toll, adding that most of the victims were beheaded. "The final toll from this attack is 19 dead, with a majority of the victims decapitated," a security source said Saturday on condition of anonymity. Security sources had previously said 10 civilians were killed in the cross-border raid on the village of Bia in Cameroon's Far North region. The attack comes after a regional military offensive -- which includes Cameroon -- has claimed a string of successes in their fightback against the Islamist militants in Nigeria in recent weeks.

Swans, Crows unbeaten in Australian Rules Posted: 18 Apr 2015 03:06 PM PDT MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Sydney Swans and Adelaide Crows had comfortable weekend wins to remain unbeaten in the Australian Football League after three rounds.

California revises drought plan after pressure from cities Posted: 18 Apr 2015 03:04 PM PDT By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California water regulators on Saturday revised a still-tentative drought plan by easing cuts for Los Angeles and San Diego and bumping up reduction targets in the areas that consume the most water. With the country's most populous state entering the fourth year of a devastating drought, Governor Jerry Brown has ordered an overall 25 percent cut in urban water use though the first statewide mandatory reductions in California's history. The plan, developed by the state's Water Resources Control Board, is scheduled to be approved in early May, but officials said more fine-tuning could take place before then. "We're not at the point where we can set a single target for everywhere in California, because climates are so different and because we're in an emergency," Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, said in a conference call with reporters.

Replica of French general's historic US independence ship sails again Posted: 18 Apr 2015 03:03 PM PDT A replica of the 18th century ship that took a French general on his voyage to become a hero of the American war of independence set sail again Saturday, cheered off by thousands of well-wishers and President Francois Hollande. Thousands gathered to wish "bon voyage" to the painstakingly recreated tall ship Hermione, leaving from Ile d'Aix, in southwest France, for the east coast of the United States. The French and American flags were raised on the wooden frigate as it embarked on an Atlantic crossing retracing the voyage 235 years ago of General Lafayette, who won fame for rallying America's rebels fighting for independence from Britain. "The Hermione is a glorious page of our history... thus was sealed one of the finest alliances, a fraternal alliance," Hollande said ahead of the vessel's departure, followed by a rendition of the American national anthem, the "Star Spangled Banner".

Messi scores 400th goal for Barcelona in 2-0 win vs Valencia Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:59 PM PDT BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi set up Luis Suarez's first-minute opener then notched his 400th goal for Barcelona in stoppage time to give the Spanish league leaders a hard-fought 2-0 win over Valencia on Saturday.

Runaway Serie A leader Juventus beats 2nd-place Lazio 2-0 Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:56 PM PDT MILAN (AP) — Runaway leader Juventus took another important step towards the Serie A title as it eased to a 2-0 win over second-place Lazio on Saturday.

Torrential rain floods Houston before heading toward New Orleans Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:45 PM PDT Torrential rain triggered flooding on the streets of Houston and sent spectators fleeing from a circus south of the Texas city, officials said on Saturday, as the storm system headed east toward Louisiana and neighboring states. The heavy rainfall followed a front that built up along the Gulf Coast, causing moisture to accumulate along it, said Mark Paquette, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.com. Two tornadoes were spotted in rural Yuma County in northeastern Colorado at about 1:30 p.m. local time, according to the weather service. There were no reports of damage, the Yuma County Sheriff's Office said.

Europe is protected from possible Greek problems, France says Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:41 PM PDT It is Greece and not Europe which will be hurt by any problems stemming from the Greek financial situation, because Europe has built buffers to protect itself, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said on Saturday. So Europe is much stronger. Europe has sheltered itself from turbulence.

Yemen government rejects Iranian peace plan Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:39 PM PDT Yemen's government has rejected a four-point peace plan for the country that Iran submitted to the United Nations, a spokesman said on Saturday. Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab coalition partners have been bombing Iranian-allied Houthi rebels for three weeks in order to halt advances that could give the rebels full control of the country. The conflict, though rooted in local rivalries, has been described as a proxy war between predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran, both top OPEC oil producers. The Iranian plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and end of all foreign military attacks, humanitarian assistance, a resumption of broad national dialogue and "establishment of an inclusive national unity government." "We reject the Iranian initiative," Yemeni government spokesman Rajeh Badi told Reuters by telephone from Qatar's capital, Doha.

French replica of revolutionary frigate sets sail for Boston Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:39 PM PDT FOURAS, France (AP) — With champagne, fireworks and a presidential blessing, a painstakingly built replica of the frigate once used to bring French troops and funds to American revolutionaries set sail Saturday for the U.S. East Coast.

Daly returning to IndyCar Series at Long Beach Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:25 PM PDT LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Conor Daly will return to the IndyCar Series at the Grand Prix of Long Beach after Rocky Moran Jr. broke his thumb in practice.

Benfica, Porto win to set up title clash in Portugal Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:24 PM PDT LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portuguese leader Benfica won 2-0 at Belenenses while FC Porto edged Academica 1-0 to stay within three points of the pace-setter on Saturday.

Russian cyber attackers used two unknown flaws: security company Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:22 PM PDT By Joseph Menn SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A widely reported Russian cyber-spying campaign against diplomatic targets in the United States and elsewhere has been using two previously unknown flaws in software to penetrate target machines, a security company investigating the matter said on Saturday. FireEye Inc , a prominent U.S. security company, said the espionage effort took advantage of holes in Adobe Systems Inc's Flash software for viewing active content and Microsoft Corp's ubiquitous Windows operating system. The same hackers are also believed to have broken into White House machines containing unclassified but sensitive information such as the president's travel schedule. FireEye has been assisting the agencies probing those attacks, but it said it could not comment on whether the spies are the same ones who penetrated the White House because that would be classified as secret.

S.Africa's Zuma seeks to reassure foreigners as violence spreads Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:05 PM PDT President Jacob Zuma on Saturday pleaded with foreigners to stay in South Africa as he cancelled a state visit to Indonesia to deal with a wave of deadly xenophobic violence at home. Three weeks of escalating anti-foreigner violence in South Africa have claimed at least six lives and forced more than 5,000 immigrants to seek refuge in makeshift camps. The unrest, which began in the eastern port city of Durban before spreading to other parts of the country, carries echoes of the xenophobic riots that gripped South Africa in 2008 when 62 people were killed. In the latest incident, police on Saturday said a foreigner died of stab wounds in Alexandra, a township north of Johannesburg.

Pastore scores twice as PSG wins 3-1 at Nice to go top Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:42 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain showed it can cope with injuries and without top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic as it won 3-1 at Nice on Saturday to pressure Lyon in the close-fought French title race.

Ex-boxing champ Wilfredo Gomez detained, but no charges Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:37 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Former three-time boxing champion Wilfredo Gomez will not face any charges after police detained him Saturday while investigating allegations of domestic violence, authorities said.

Chelsea easing to EPL title; Arsenal back in FA Cup final Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:37 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — While rarely ruthless, Chelsea is easing to the English Premier League title. With a 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Saturday, Chelsea surged 10 points clear of Arsenal.

UN Libya envoy condemns latest deadly violence Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:22 PM PDT The UN envoy trying to broker a peace agreement in Libya on Saturday condemned another outbreak of violence and repeated calls for an immediate end to hostilities. A UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) statement said Bernardino Leon "strongly condemned the renewed outbreak of violence in different neighbourhoods of the Libyan capital that caused many casualties and endangered the lives of civilians".

Hazard sends Chelsea 10 points clear by clinching United win Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:17 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Eden Hazard propelled Chelsea closer to its first English Premier League title in five years on Saturday by clinching a 1-0 victory over Manchester United that established a 10-point lead.

French customs seize record 2.25 tonnes of cocaine in Caribbean Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:13 PM PDT French customs agents have seized 2.25 tonnes of cocaine, their largest haul ever, from a sailboat in the Caribbean, the government said Saturday. Authorities made the seizure Wednesday about 200 kilometres (124 miles) off the French island Martinique when they intercepted a boat "falsely flying an American flag".

Madrid's Bale & Modric hurt 4 days before Atletico CL derby Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:11 PM PDT MADRID (AP) — Gareth Bale and Luka Modric left Real Madrid's match against Malaga with leg injuries on Saturday, four days before their Champions League second-leg quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid.

Call for Mali peace deal to be signed next month Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:10 PM PDT International mediators in the Mali conflict on Saturday invited all parties to sign a peace and reconciliation agreement at a ceremony on May 15 in Bamako, a statement said. Mediators meeting in Algiers to review progress on the accord, "invite and encourage all political-military movements... to proceed by signing the agreement", the APS news agency quoted the statement as saying. Peace talks begun in Algiers last July resulted last month in a deal between the Malian government and some armed groups, but not by the main Tuareg rebel alliance known as the Coordination for the Movements of Azawad (CMA), which wanted amendments. Islamist militants seized control of northern Mali for more than nine months in 2012 until a French-led military intervention in 2013 partly drove them from the region.

Problems keeps on mounting for miserable McLaren Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:08 PM PDT SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Despite having two former world champions behind the wheel, McLaren looks no closer to scoring its first points of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix following a dismal qualifying session on Saturday.

Pope hopes Milan world's fair will help environmental effort Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:01 PM PDT VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis says Milan's world's fair, which opens on May 1, can inspire decision-makers to help save the "health of the planet that God entrusted to the care of the human race."

PSV Eindhoven wins Eredivisie title, first since 2008 Posted: 18 Apr 2015 01:00 PM PDT THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — PSV Eindhoven sealed its 22nd Eredivisie title and dethroned four-time defending champion Ajax when it beat SC Heernveen 4-1 on Saturday.

Arsenal returns to FA Cup final with 2-1 win over Reading Posted: 18 Apr 2015 12:58 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Alexis Sanchez sent Arsenal back into the FA Cup final, scoring his second goal of the semifinal in extra time Saturday to secure a 2-1 win over Reading at Wembley.

UK reviews security of Anzac Day events after Australian arrests Posted: 18 Apr 2015 12:54 PM PDT Security arrangements for next weekend's Anzac Day commemorations in Britain are being reviewed following terrorism arrests in Melbourne, although there is no specific threat, police said Saturday. "We already have protective security plans in place for major Anzac events in the UK," said Neil Basu, deputy assistant commissioner for specialist operations at London's Metropolitan Police. "But as a sensible precaution all forces have been asked to review security arrangements at related events to ensure they are safe and secure for the public and officers.

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