Yahoo! News: World News

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• Bin Laden fixated on attacking U.S. interests: documents
• Islamic State seizes ancient Palmyra city from Syrian forces
• Malaysia, Indonesia to let 'boat people' come ashore temporarily
• U.S. embassy in Cuba likely to operate in restrictive environment
• Iran's Khamenei rules out interviews with nuclear scientists
• U.N. announces Yemen talks, Iran to allow ship inspection
• Leafs hire Babcock as head coach
• Crusaders, Waratahs face crucial clash in Super Rugby
• Japan approves third nuclear plant for restart
• FIFA sponsors Adidas, Coke, Visa express concern over Qatar
• A series of settlements in 2010 Gulf oil spill
• US to sell bombs to Israel, helicopters to Saudis
• U.S. plans to deliver anti-tank weapons to Iraq in early June
• Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT
• Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu to have left shoulder surgery
• AP Interview: US secrecy in trade, terror riles EU watchdog
• Strong quake hits near Solomon Islands, no tsunami expected
• Canada can't curb oil sands emissions fast enough: document
• Guatemalan central bank, social security chiefs arrested
• Yemeni rebel leader backs new UN peace talks in Geneva
• Puerto Rico gov files $9.8B budget that calls for deep cuts
• Drug plane from Venezuela crashes off Colombia's coast
• Rights group: Qatar making little progress on labor reforms
• UK's Cameron outlines new laws to tackle immigration
• Qatar failing to deliver on labour reform: Amnesty
• Sierra Leone berates Ebola quarantine escapees as cases surge
• Detectives charge ageing suspects over London heist
• Famous gray wolf in Oregon may have more puppies
• US says willing to take in Rohingya boat people
• Allardyce ponders future at West Ham
• Cuban sculptor named 'Artist of the Year' by US foundation
• US, Britain fine six top banks nearly $6 bn for forex, Libor abuses
• Ten nabbed in Canada's fight against radicalized youth
• Beaten and starving, some Rohingya flee boats, return to camps
• Prince Charles visits great-uncle's IRA murder site
• BP settles oil spill-related claims with Halliburton, Transocean
• California oil spill estimated at up to 2,500 barrels: company
• Colombians celebrate baby's miracle survival from mudslide
• Colombia to hold mass funeral for landslide victims
• Juventus wins Italian Cup to stay on track for treble

Bin Laden fixated on attacking U.S. interests: documents Posted: 20 May 2015 01:59 PM PDT By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden was fixated on attacking U.S. targets and pressured al Qaeda groups to heal local rivalries and focus on that cause, according to documents the United States says were seized in his hideout in Pakistan and released on Wednesday. The documents published by U.S. intelligence also contained details of purported negotiations between al Qaeda, its allies in the Pakistani Taliban and representatives of Pakistani intelligence, and what seemed to be an al Qaeda job application.

Islamic State seizes ancient Palmyra city from Syrian forces Posted: 20 May 2015 01:15 PM PDT By Sylvia Westall and Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State insurgents stormed the historic Syrian city of Palmyra on Wednesday, fighting off pro-government forces who withdrew after evacuating most of the civilian population, state television said. The capture of Palmyra is the first time the al Qaeda offshoot has taken control of a city directly from the Syrian army and allied forces, which have already lost ground in the northwest and south to other insurgent groups in recent weeks. Islamic State has destroyed antiquities and ancient monuments in neighboring Iraq and is being targeted by U.S.-led air strikes in both countries.

Malaysia, Indonesia to let 'boat people' come ashore temporarily Posted: 20 May 2015 03:46 PM PDT By Praveen Menon KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia and Indonesia said on Wednesday they would offer shelter to 7,000 "boat people" adrift at sea in rickety boats but made clear their assistance was temporary and they would take no more. More than 3,000 migrants have landed so far this month in Malaysia and Indonesia. Together with Thailand, they have pushed away many boats that approached their shores despite appeals from the United Nations to take them in.

U.S. embassy in Cuba likely to operate in restrictive environment Posted: 20 May 2015 01:25 PM PDT By Patricia Zengerle and Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new U.S. embassy in Havana is likely to operate with controls on staff travel and other restrictions similar to those on American diplomats in other countries with authoritarian governments, Washington's chief Cuba negotiator said on Wednesday. Thursday's talks in Washington will explore terms for reopening embassies in Havana and Washington as part of a deal to re-establish diplomatic ties announced in December by U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro.

Iran's Khamenei rules out interviews with nuclear scientists Posted: 20 May 2015 12:27 PM PDT By Parisa Hafezi ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Tehran would not accept "unreasonable demands" by world powers over its disputed nuclear program and ruled out letting inspectors interview its atomic scientists. The comments, broadcast live on state TV, were the latest in a series of forthright statements on inspections in the countdown to a June 30 deadline to resolve a decade-old standoff over Iran's nuclear work. "We will never yield to pressure ... We will not accept unreasonable demands ... Iran will not give access to its (nuclear) scientists," Khamenei said.

U.N. announces Yemen talks, Iran to allow ship inspection Posted: 20 May 2015 12:43 PM PDT By Louis Charbonneau and Sam Wilkin UNITED NATIONS/DUBAI (Reuters) - U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday announced talks between warring Yemeni parties in Geneva on May 28 to end over seven weeks of war, as Iran agreed for international inspections of an aid ship sailing to Yemen. Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and regional Shi'ite powerhouse Iran are in a tussle over influence in the Middle East, where sectarian tensions are fuelling civil strife in Syria and Iraq that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.

Leafs hire Babcock as head coach Posted: 20 May 2015 05:01 PM PDT Babcock coached the Detroit Red Wings to a Stanley Cup title in 2008 and led Canada to back-to-back Olympic gold medals in Vancouver in 2010 and four years later in Sochi. Babcock will become the 30th head coach in the club's history, Leafs president Brendan Shanahan announced Wednesday. Canadian sports network TSN reported that the 52-year-old Babcock has agreed to an eight-year contract worth close to $50 million which would make him by far the highest paid head coach in the history of the league.

Crusaders, Waratahs face crucial clash in Super Rugby Posted: 20 May 2015 04:53 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The New South Wales Waratahs and Crusaders meet Saturday in replay of last year's Super Rugby final that could exclude either team from this season's playoffs.

Japan approves third nuclear plant for restart Posted: 20 May 2015 04:50 PM PDT Japan's nuclear regulator signed off on the basic safety of a reactor at a third nuclear plant on Wednesday, as the country inches toward rebooting its atomic industry more than four years after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The decision will be a boost for operator Shikoku Electric Power Co, which relied on its sole Ikata nuclear power station in southwestern Japan for about 40 percent of its electricity output before the meltdowns at Fukushima led to the shutdown of all the country's reactors. For the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, resuming nuclear power, which provided about a third of Japan's electricity supply before Fukushima, is key to lifting the economy out of two decades of anaemic growth.

FIFA sponsors Adidas, Coke, Visa express concern over Qatar Posted: 20 May 2015 04:45 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — FIFA came under pressure from sponsors Adidas, Coca-Cola and Visa on Wednesday to push Qatar to deliver reforms for migrant workers as the country rapidly expands to host the 2022 World Cup.

A series of settlements in 2010 Gulf oil spill Posted: 20 May 2015 04:45 PM PDT NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A committee of lawyers representing businesses and individuals claiming damages from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill announced a $211 million settlement Wednesday with Transocean Ltd., owner of the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.

US to sell bombs to Israel, helicopters to Saudis Posted: 20 May 2015 04:41 PM PDT The United States said Wednesday it plans to sell thousands of bombs and missiles to Israel as well as 10 Seahawk helicopters to Saudi Arabia, in deals worth about $1.9 billion each, officials said Wednesday. The US State Department informed Congress of the proposed arms sales to two allies in the Middle East that are both wary of Washington's negotiations with Iran over Tehran's nuclear program. The planned weapons deal with Israel would provide 3,000 Hellfire missiles, 250 medium-range air-to-air missiles, 4,100 glide bombs and 50 BLU-113 "super penetrator" bombs designed to reach underground sites.

U.S. plans to deliver anti-tank weapons to Iraq in early June Posted: 20 May 2015 04:36 PM PDT The United States plans to deliver 1,000 anti-tank weapons to Iraq in June to combat Islamic State suicide bombings like those that helped the group seize Ramadi, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Thursday. The United States decided to supply Iraq with anti-tank weapons when Iraq's prime minister visited Washington in April and plans to deliver 1,000 of the shoulder-fired AT4 systems in early June, the official told reporters. Islamic State (IS) fighters overran Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, over the weekend, handing the government its most significant setback in a year and exposing the limitations of Iraq's army and the U.S.-led air strikes against the group.

Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 20 May 2015 04:33 PM PDT PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — In a major breakthrough that could ease Southeast Asia's migrant crisis, Indonesia and Malaysia offered Wednesday to temporarily take in thousands of people who have been stranded at sea but appealed for international help, saying the crisis is a global, not a regional, problem. The reversal in their positions after weeks of saying the migrants were not welcome came as more than 430 weak, hungry people were rescued — not by navies patrolling the waters but by a flotilla of Indonesian fishermen who brought them ashore in the eastern province of Aceh.

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu to have left shoulder surgery Posted: 20 May 2015 04:30 PM PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin of South Korea will undergo surgery on his troublesome throwing shoulder Thursday.

AP Interview: US secrecy in trade, terror riles EU watchdog Posted: 20 May 2015 04:26 PM PDT BRUSSELS (AP) — The U.S. government's restrictions on access to documents and its insistence on secrecy are undermining trust in trans-Atlantic trade talks and anti-terror data exchanges, the European Union's transparency watchdog said Wednesday.

Strong quake hits near Solomon Islands, no tsunami expected Posted: 20 May 2015 04:23 PM PDT A strong earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but no tsunami was expected and there were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake, with a magnitude 7.0, was centered near the Santa Cruz Island group between the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), the USGS said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which measured the quake at magnitude 6.9, said that based in its available data, no tsunami was expected.

Canada can't curb oil sands emissions fast enough: document Posted: 20 May 2015 04:18 PM PDT Emissions from Canada's oil sands will likely increase faster than new technologies can be developed to curb them, says a government document cited Wednesday by public broadcaster CBC. The memorandum to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet, marked secret, says cutting the upstream oil and gas emissions -- the nation's largest source of CO2 -- represents a "unique" challenge. "Increasing production is expected to outpace improvements in emissions intensity and most technologies with the potential to reduce emissions have not been commercialized or technically proven," it said.

Guatemalan central bank, social security chiefs arrested Posted: 20 May 2015 04:15 PM PDT The heads of the Guatemalan central bank and social security administration were arrested Wednesday on corruption charges, prosecutors said, the latest blow to embattled President Otto Perez. Julio Suarez, the head of the Central Bank of Guatemala, and Juan de Dios Rodriguez, the president of the Guatemalan Social Security Institute (IGSS), are accused of fraud in a $14.5-million contract for dialysis services for patients covered by IGSS health insurance. Members of the IGSS board of directors and two PISA executives were also arrested.

Yemeni rebel leader backs new UN peace talks in Geneva Posted: 20 May 2015 04:15 PM PDT SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Peace talks on Yemen will begin next week in Geneva, the U.N. announced Wednesday, as the international community tries to end weeks of Saudi-led airstrikes against an Iran-supported rebel group and a growing humanitarian crisis that has left millions short of food and fuel.

Puerto Rico gov files $9.8B budget that calls for deep cuts Posted: 20 May 2015 04:14 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's governor submitted a $9.8 billion budget proposal Wednesday calling for $674 million in cuts amid the U.S. territory's economic crisis.

Drug plane from Venezuela crashes off Colombia's coast Posted: 20 May 2015 04:10 PM PDT BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A small plane from Venezuela with more than a ton of cocaine on board has crashed into the Caribbean while being pursued by Colombia's air force.

Rights group: Qatar making little progress on labor reforms Posted: 20 May 2015 04:10 PM PDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Amnesty International said Thursday that Qatar is failing to deliver on reforms for its migrant workers a year after the wealthy Gulf nation announced plans to improve conditions for low-paid laborers building its highways, hotels, stadiums and skyscrapers.

UK's Cameron outlines new laws to tackle immigration Posted: 20 May 2015 04:09 PM PDT British Prime Minister David Cameron will propose new laws to control immigration in a speech Thursday, including giving police the power to seize wages earned by illegal immigrants. In his first speech on the issue since winning this month's general election with a surprise majority, Cameron said his centre-right Conservative government would include a new immigration bill in next Wednesday's Queen's Speech. This is when Queen Elizabeth II reads out the new government's legislative programme at the ceremonial state opening of parliament.

Qatar failing to deliver on labour reform: Amnesty Posted: 20 May 2015 04:09 PM PDT Amnesty International charged Thursday that Qatar is failing to deliver on promised labour reforms for migrant workers ahead of the 2022 football World Cup, urging FIFA to intervene. "Without prompt action, the pledges Qatar made last year are at serious risk of being dismissed as a mere public relations stunt to ensure the Gulf state can cling on" to the event, it said. In the latest in a string of reports on migrant worker "abuse", Amnesty said Doha has failed to deliver reforms in key areas such as pay, the "kafala" system which blocks workers from leaving the country and curbs on changing employers.

Sierra Leone berates Ebola quarantine escapees as cases surge Posted: 20 May 2015 04:06 PM PDT Sierra Leone on Wednesday berated the "selfish and shameful" behaviour of people risking a resurgence of the Ebola virus by flouting quarantine restrictions, as authorities announced a spike in cases. The country's National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) spoke out as the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed the west African nation and its neighbour Guinea had seen cases quadruple in a week. Palo Conteh, head of the government-run NERC, told reporters in the capital Freetown a man who went on the run despite being under quarantine was responsible for the enforced isolation of 52 people.

Detectives charge ageing suspects over London heist Posted: 20 May 2015 04:03 PM PDT British police investigating a brazen robbery in London's jewellery district charged eight ageing men with conspiracy to burgle on Wednesday. The gang of eight had an average age of 61, including two men aged 74 and 76 and a father and son team. Scotland Yard arrested nine men on Tuesday over the Hatton Garden heist last month, in which the thieves made off with tens of millions of pounds (dollars, euros) of diamonds, jewels and cash from safe deposit boxes.

Famous gray wolf in Oregon may have more puppies Posted: 20 May 2015 04:02 PM PDT By Shelby Sebens PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - A gray wolf who signaled the comeback of his species in Oregon and California might be welcoming some new pups to his pack, wildlife biologists said on Wednesday. The wolf, known as OR-7 because he was the seventh of his species ever collared in Oregon with a tracking device, is showing signs he may have more offspring after siring three pups last year, two of which officials know to have survived. Just the behavior we're seeing," said John Stephenson, wolf coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services in Oregon.

US says willing to take in Rohingya boat people Posted: 20 May 2015 04:01 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is willing to take in Rohingya refugees as part of international efforts to cope with Southeast Asia's stranded boat people, the State Department said Wednesday.

Allardyce ponders future at West Ham Posted: 20 May 2015 03:50 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — West Ham manager Sam Allardyce shifts his bulk uneasily, watching from the bench as his team loses its grip on the last home match of the season. After Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Everton a 'Big Sam Out' banner is unraveled in the stands, and a fate is potentially sealed.

Cuban sculptor named 'Artist of the Year' by US foundation Posted: 20 May 2015 03:50 PM PDT HAVANA (AP) — A Cuban artist known for whimsical public sculptures received a new award from a U.S. foundation Wednesday in a reflection of warmer relations between the countries.

US, Britain fine six top banks nearly $6 bn for forex, Libor abuses Posted: 20 May 2015 03:50 PM PDT US and British regulators fined six major global banks a total of nearly $6 billion between them Wednesday for rigging the foreign exchange market and Libor interest rates. "If you aint cheating, you aint trying," a Barclays Bank employee said in one message on how to mark up prices to clients. In the far-flung settlement, Barclays, JPMorgan Chase, Citicorp and the Royal Bank of Scotland all pleaded guilty to US Justice Department charges of conspiring to manipulate the massive currency market.

Ten nabbed in Canada's fight against radicalized youth Posted: 20 May 2015 03:49 PM PDT With a combination of new anti-terror measures and appeals to parents, Canada is striving to keep its youths from joining Islamist extremist groups and leaving to fight in Syria. Ten would-be jihadists were arrested at a Montreal airport as they waited to board a flight to Turkey, a popular crossing point into neighboring Syria. There, the young men had hoped to join the Islamic State group, according to an anti-terrorism task force.

Beaten and starving, some Rohingya flee boats, return to camps Posted: 20 May 2015 03:46 PM PDT By Antoni Slodkowski SAY THA MAR GYI, Myanmar (Reuters) - Scores of Myanmar's minority Rohingya Muslims are paying off people smugglers and returning to the squalid camps they used to live in after being held for months on overcrowded ships that were to take them to Thailand but did not move far from shore. A crackdown on the people-smuggling network in Thailand, usually the first stop en route to Malaysia, has meant that at least three ships loaded with hundreds of Rohingya and impoverished Bangladeshis were staying off the coast of Myanmar, they said. Thousands more are adrift on overcrowded boats in the Andaman Sea off Indonesian, Malaysian or Thai shores, while others are closer to home, off Myanmar or Bangladesh.

Prince Charles visits great-uncle's IRA murder site Posted: 20 May 2015 03:45 PM PDT Britain's Prince Charles spoke of "anguish" at the murder of his godfather by IRA paramilitaries in 1979 as he became the first royal to visit the assassination site in Ireland on Wednesday. Charles remembered Lord Louis Mountbatten as "the grandfather I never had" on an emotional trip to the rugged coastline, saying he understood the suffering of the Irish people in "a profound way". The British Union Jack flag and the Irish tricolour flew side by side on the main street in Mullaghmore, the seaside village from where Mountbatten and his family set off on a boat which was later blown up by an Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb.

BP settles oil spill-related claims with Halliburton, Transocean Posted: 20 May 2015 03:45 PM PDT (Reuters) - BP Plc has settled with oilfield services provider Halliburton Co and contract driller Transocean Ltd cross claims related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the worst offshore disaster in U.S. history. BP still faces a potential fine of up to $13.7 billion under the U.S. Clean Water Act. Transocean, which owned the Deepwater Horizon rig, had settled its Clean Water Act liability for $1 billion.

California oil spill estimated at up to 2,500 barrels: company Posted: 20 May 2015 03:43 PM PDT An oil pipeline that burst along the California coast, fouling a pristine beach and a stretch of ocean near Santa Barbara, is believed to have spilled up to 2,500 barrels of crude petroleum, about five times more than initially estimated, the pipeline company said on Wednesday. According to the latest figures issued by Plains All American Pipeline, about 500 barrels (21,000 gallons) of the total released may have reached the water at Refugio State Beach. A county energy official ranked the spill as the largest to hit the Santa Barbara coast in at least 18 years.

Colombians celebrate baby's miracle survival from mudslide Posted: 20 May 2015 03:41 PM PDT BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombians are celebrating the rescue of an 11-month-old baby who survived a huge mudslide that killed at least 78 people, including the child's mother and 11 other relatives, but officials held out no hope Wednesday for finding more survivors.

Colombia to hold mass funeral for landslide victims Posted: 20 May 2015 03:40 PM PDT Mourners will hold a large group funeral for the victims of a massive landslide that killed at least 83 people in northwest Colombia, religious officials said Wednesday. Rescue workers continued searching for victims after the Liboriana River burst its banks early Monday and sent a flood of mud rushing down a ravine, virtually obliterating the small town of La Margarita. Fifty-four bodies have been identified at the morgue in the regional capital Medellin and are expected to begin arriving home Thursday, said Ruben Lopez, the parish priest for Salgar, the municipality of 18,000 people where La Margarita is located.

Juventus wins Italian Cup to stay on track for treble Posted: 20 May 2015 03:37 PM PDT ROME (AP) — Serie A champion Juventus added the Italian Cup title to its trophy case with a 2-1 win over Lazio in extra time Wednesday, setting up a chance for a treble.

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