Yahoo! News: World News

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• Syria's Assad says he will not negotiate with armed groups
• U.S. and Russia trade accusations at U.N. over Ukraine conflict
• Taliban attack hits Spanish embassy in Kabul, one security officer killed
• Putin says Russia backs Free Syrian Army alongside Assad troops
• World powers step up pressure on Saudis over Yemen conflict
• U.S. urges citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon due to security concerns
• West Indies forced to follow on despite Darren Bravo century
• Son of late Libyan leader Gadhafi kidnapped in Lebanon
• Iraqi prime minister calls for withdrawal of Turkish troops
• Russian hacking suspect says he thought arrest was abduction
• Climate negotiators say global deal is close in Paris
• Son of late Libyan dictator Kadhafi 'freed after kidnapping'
• Kerry to head to Moscow for talks on Syrian peace plan
• Clinton vows to defeat Islamic State if elected president
• Hoffman-Berger take 1-stroke lead at Shootout in Florida
• Sri Lanka 262-7 at lunch on day 3 of 1st test vs New Zealand
• Pallets made of 'wood-lookalike' cocaine seized in Spanish port
• Argentina's new government won't seek to revive deal with Iran
• After rescuing banks, Italy moves to bail out savers
• US man accused of mailing cyanide faces new charges
• Trump's name, image removed at Dubai development amid uproar
• World powers lead frenetic overtime push for climate accord
• Mysterious buffalo herd runs amok in Canadian prairies
• More rain to hit Pacific Northwest amid mudslide concerns
• Ulster hand Toulouse 38-0 European Cup rout
• Obama going to Pentagon to discuss anti-IS campaign
• US woman found stabbed to death in Costa Rica hotel
• Napout officially out as CONMEBOL president following arrest
• Burundi: 15 killed in coordinated attacks on military camps
• How the Dow Jones industrial average fared on Friday
• A rout in crude oil prices hammers the stock market
• Mexico issues first permits for marijuana under court ruling
• Putin: Russia provides air cover to Syrian opposition group
• Real Sociedad draws 1-1 at Getafe in the Spanish league
• Stolbova, Klimov win Grand Prix Final pairs title
• Struggling Stuttgart draws 0-0 at Mainz in Bundesliga
• A secret to Adele's success -- older music fans
• Caen grabs late equalizer in 1-1 draw at Rennes

Syria's Assad says he will not negotiate with armed groups Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:54 PM PST By John Davison and Dmitry Solovyov BEIRUT/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad declared on Friday that he would not negotiate with armed groups, appearing to scupper peace talks that Russia and the United States hope to bring about next month. Washington helped broker an agreement reached on Thursday by more than 100 members of Syria's opposition parties and more than a dozen rebel fighting groups ranging from Islamists to Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups - but not Islamic State - to send a joint team to meet the government under U.N. auspices next month. The initiative is driven at least partly by their focus on defeating a common enemy in the form of Islamic State, which has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq and is increasingly ordering or inspiring attacks on the West and Russia.

U.S. and Russia trade accusations at U.N. over Ukraine conflict Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:29 PM PST By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States and Russia blamed each other on Friday for the continued conflict in Ukraine, with Washington accusing the Kremlin of attempting to suppress public discussion of facts about the nearly two-year-old war. The mutual accusations came during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Ukraine, a session that was delayed for an hour and a half after Russia insisted U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic should not brief the 15-nation council. In the end, Simonovic spoke during the meeting, though Russian United Nations Ambassador Vitaly Churkin made clear his displeasure.

Taliban attack hits Spanish embassy in Kabul, one security officer killed Posted: 11 Dec 2015 11:57 AM PST By Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - Taliban fighters mounted a car bomb attack on a guest house near the Spanish embassy in Kabul on Friday, killing at least one security officer and further dimming any hopes of peace talks with moderate elements of the Islamist insurgent movement. Gunfire was reported immediately following the explosion, which the Taliban said targeted a guest house attached to the embassy near a heavily protected area of the capital close to many other foreign embassies, U.N. and government buildings. A spokesman for the Spanish foreign ministry said there had been an explosion in the embassy, which is outside the fortified "green zone", but Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said later that the attack was not directed at the embassy itself but at the guest house.

Putin says Russia backs Free Syrian Army alongside Assad troops Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:35 PM PST By Dmitry Solovyov and Jack Stubbs MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Friday Russia is supporting the opposition Free Syrian Army, providing it with air cover, arms and ammunition in joint operations with Syrian troops against Islamist militants. Putin said last month the Russian air force had hit several "terrorist" targets identified by the Free Syrian Army.

World powers step up pressure on Saudis over Yemen conflict Posted: 11 Dec 2015 10:24 AM PST By Louis Charbonneau and Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Frustrated at a worsening humanitarian crisis and rising civilian death toll in Yemen, Western nations are quietly increasing pressure on Saudi Arabia to seek a political deal to end the nearly nine-month conflict, U.N. diplomats said. While much of that pressure has been applied through discreet diplomacy, they said, the United States will shine a global spotlight on the conflict when it chairs a public United Nations Security Council meeting on Yemen on Dec. 22. It will be the first open council session on Yemen since Saudi Arabia led an Arab military intervention in March to try to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government and fend off what it sees as creeping Iranian influence.

U.S. urges citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon due to security concerns Posted: 11 Dec 2015 04:22 PM PST The U.S. State Department on Friday urged U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon "because of ongoing safety and security concerns." It also advised U.S. citizens living and working in Lebanon that they should "understand that they accept the risks of remaining in the country and should carefully consider those risks." "Sudden outbreaks of violence can occur at any time in Lebanon, and armed clashes have occurred in major cities," the State Department said in a statement, adding that the Lebanese government could not guarantee the safety of U.S. citizens there.

West Indies forced to follow on despite Darren Bravo century Posted: 11 Dec 2015 04:50 PM PST HOBART, Australia (AP) — Australia enforced the follow-on with a lead of 360 runs Saturday after pace bowler Josh Hazlewood helped clear out the West Indies batting order in the absence of the injured tailender Shannon Gabriel on the third day of the first test Saturday.

Son of late Libyan leader Gadhafi kidnapped in Lebanon Posted: 11 Dec 2015 04:50 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — A son of Libya's late leader Moammar Gadhafi was kidnapped in Lebanon by militants demanding information about the fate of a Shiite cleric who went missing in Libya decades ago, a security official and local TV stations said Friday.

Iraqi prime minister calls for withdrawal of Turkish troops Posted: 11 Dec 2015 04:37 PM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called for the immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from northern Iraq in a national address Friday night, insisting no foreign forces are needed to fight the Islamic State group in his country.

Russian hacking suspect says he thought arrest was abduction Posted: 11 Dec 2015 04:25 PM PST SEATTLE (AP) — A Russian man charged with hacking into U.S. businesses testified Friday that he thought he was being kidnapped when three federal agents put him in handcuffs at a Maldives airport last year and led him from the building.

Climate negotiators say global deal is close in Paris Posted: 11 Dec 2015 04:05 PM PST LE BOURGET, France (AP) — Talks on a global pact to fight global warming appeared to make progress late Friday, with some negotiators telling The Associated Press a deal was close.

Son of late Libyan dictator Kadhafi 'freed after kidnapping' Posted: 11 Dec 2015 04:05 PM PST Hannibal Kadhafi, the high-living businessman son of the late Libyan dictator, was freed late Friday, several hours after he was kidnapped in Lebanon by an unknown armed group, security sources told AFP. Lebanese police freed Kadhafi and were set to question him, one source said, without specifying where the businessman had been released. A second security source told AFP Kadhafi had been "kidnapped by an armed group in the region of Bekaa while he was travelling from Syria, before being released on Friday night in the same region".

Kerry to head to Moscow for talks on Syrian peace plan Posted: 11 Dec 2015 04:01 PM PST US Secretary of State John Kerry will head to Moscow on Tuesday on a delicate diplomatic mission to try to keep the fragile Syrian peace process on track. In a sign of the complexity of the US-Russian relationship, the State Department said Kerry would meet President Vladimir Putin but the Kremlin would not confirm this. "They will discuss ongoing efforts to achieve a political transition in Syria," US spokesman Mark Toner said on Friday on the sidelines of the UN climate summit in Paris.

Clinton vows to defeat Islamic State if elected president Posted: 11 Dec 2015 04:00 PM PST TULSA, Oklahoma (AP) — Hillary Clinton said Friday her opponents are all talk when it comes to defeating the Islamic State group but that she's the only presidential candidate with a specific plan.

Hoffman-Berger take 1-stroke lead at Shootout in Florida Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:59 PM PST NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Charley Hoffman and Daniel Berger had a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the Franklin Templeton Shootout

Sri Lanka 262-7 at lunch on day 3 of 1st test vs New Zealand Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:47 PM PST DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) — Milinda Sirwardana and Rangana Herath helped Sri Lanka recover from the loss of two early wickets Saturday to reach 262-7 at lunch on the third day of the first cricket test against New Zealand.

Pallets made of 'wood-lookalike' cocaine seized in Spanish port Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:43 PM PST Spanish police said Friday they have seized 40 pallets made out of 1.4 tonnes of compressed cocaine that was made to look like wood that arrived on a shipping container from Colombia. The authorities arrested 12 people in Spain, Dubai and Britain as part of the operation, including two Colombian experts in using chemicals to process cocaine into different formats, police said in a statement. The shipping container laden with what appeared to be sacks of charcoal on wooden pallets arrived in the Mediterranean port of Valencia, Spain's second-busiest port, on November 30.

Argentina's new government won't seek to revive deal with Iran Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:42 PM PST Argentina's new government will not appeal a court's decision to strike down a deal with Iran over investigating a deadly 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish community center, a government source said on Friday, putting the long-running controversy to rest. President Mauricio Macri took office on Thursday. Former leader Cristina Fernandez had said she would appeal the ruling last year voiding the agreement she signed with Iran in 2013 to investigate the country's suspected role in the bombing.

After rescuing banks, Italy moves to bail out savers Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:37 PM PST Italy was working Friday to set up a solidarity fund to help small investors who lost money in the rescue last month of four regional banks, following the suicide of a man whose life savings were wiped out. Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan told parliament's budget committee that the government was "preparing a directive for the creation of a fund", as police seized documents from one of the banks as part of a probe into the pensioner's death. "It's not possible to rule out that the four banks sold subordinated bonds to people who presented a risk profile incompatible with the nature of these bonds, but this is what should be verified with the analysis of each individual case," Padoan said.

US man accused of mailing cyanide faces new charges Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:32 PM PST PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A U.S. man accused of mailing cyanide to a British man who used it to kill himself has been indicted on new charges, including witness tampering and witness retaliation.

Trump's name, image removed at Dubai development amid uproar Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:26 PM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The image and name of American presidential hopeful Donald Trump were gone Friday from parts of a golf course and housing development under construction in Dubai amid the uproar over his comments about banning Muslims from traveling to the United States.

World powers lead frenetic overtime push for climate accord Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:21 PM PST World powers led an overtime push to seal a deal on Saturday aimed at averting catastrophic climate change, as sleep-deprived envoys battled in Paris over trillion-dollar disputes blocking a deal. The 195-nation conference in Paris was scheduled to wrap up on Friday evening, delivering a historic agreement to brake global warming and ease its impact. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he would submit a proposed final agreement on Saturday morning, declaring himself "sure" it would be adopted.

Mysterious buffalo herd runs amok in Canadian prairies Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:20 PM PST A mysterious buffalo herd numbering almost 100 has appeared in the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan, officials said Friday, 150 years after they were hunted to the brink of extinction. Police issued a warning to drivers to watch out for the large animals on local highways, while officials in the town of Tisdale, Saskatchewan, 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of the provincial capital Regina, try to sort out what to do with the beasts. "We're not sure where they're from," Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Daryl Andrusiak told AFP.

More rain to hit Pacific Northwest amid mudslide concerns Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:12 PM PST By Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE (Reuters) - A storm system moving across the western United States will bring heavy rain once again to the drenched Pacific Northwest and northern California on Friday, forecasts said, as officials warned of renewed mudslides and flooding following the record rainfall. In addition to more rain, strong winds and mountain snow were expected across the Cascades, Sierra and northern Rockies, the National Weather Service said. In Oregon, where two women died in storm-related accidents, Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency for 13 counties.

Ulster hand Toulouse 38-0 European Cup rout Posted: 11 Dec 2015 03:09 PM PST Ulster handed four-time champions Toulouse a 38-0, five-try rout on Friday to kickstart their European Cup campaign and leave the French giants facing elimination in the pool stages for a second successive season. After losing their opening Pool 1 fixture at home to Saracens, Ulster were a transformed side at Ravenhill with South African scrum-half Ruan Pienaar playing a crucial, match-winning role. It was Ulster's fourth win in their last five home matches against Toulouse in Belfast.

Obama going to Pentagon to discuss anti-IS campaign Posted: 11 Dec 2015 02:44 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will look for ways to gather more intelligence and strike key Islamic State targets when he visits the Pentagon next week.

US woman found stabbed to death in Costa Rica hotel Posted: 11 Dec 2015 02:43 PM PST SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — A U.S. woman who organized volunteer medical missions in Central America was found stabbed to death at a hotel in Costa Rica's capital of San Jose, authorities said.

Napout officially out as CONMEBOL president following arrest Posted: 11 Dec 2015 02:39 PM PST ASCUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Juan Angel Napout has officially resigned as the head of South American soccer after being arrested last week in Switzerland on corruption charges issued by U.S. authorities.

Burundi: 15 killed in coordinated attacks on military camps Posted: 11 Dec 2015 02:29 PM PST BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) — In coordinated attacks, gunmen stormed three military installations in Burundi before dawn Friday. At least 15 people were killed as gunfire and explosions rocked the African capital of Bujumbura, marking a steep escalation of a simmering conflict.

How the Dow Jones industrial average fared on Friday Posted: 11 Dec 2015 02:23 PM PST A slump in oil prices sparked a global sell-off in financial markets on Friday with losses spreading from Asia to Europe to the U.S., where stocks fell sharply to cap their worst week since the summer. The selling was broad, with all 10 sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index ending down.

A rout in crude oil prices hammers the stock market Posted: 11 Dec 2015 02:11 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — A slump in oil prices sparked a global sell-off in financial markets on Friday with losses spreading from Asia to Europe to the U.S., where stocks fell sharply to cap their worst week since the summer.

Mexico issues first permits for marijuana under court ruling Posted: 11 Dec 2015 02:08 PM PST MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government on Friday granted the first permits allowing the cultivation and possession of marijuana for personal use.

Putin: Russia provides air cover to Syrian opposition group Posted: 11 Dec 2015 02:07 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has provided air cover to a leading Western-backed opposition group in Syria, President Vladimir Putin said Friday, calling for closer coordination with the U.S.-allied coalition — comments that may reflect Moscow's desire to narrow its differences with the West over the Syrian crisis.

Real Sociedad draws 1-1 at Getafe in the Spanish league Posted: 11 Dec 2015 02:03 PM PST MADRID (AP) — Real Sociedad had to recover from a goal down to draw 1-1 at Getafe in the Spanish league on Friday.

Stolbova, Klimov win Grand Prix Final pairs title Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:51 PM PST BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia avenged last year's loss to Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford by beating the world champions for the Grand Prix Final pairs title on Friday.

Struggling Stuttgart draws 0-0 at Mainz in Bundesliga Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:49 PM PST BERLIN (AP) — Stuttgart's bid to provisionally leave the Bundesliga's relegation zone was thwarted with a scoreless draw at Mainz on Friday.

A secret to Adele's success -- older music fans Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:36 PM PST With Adele's album "25" breaking sales records, one of the keys to the British singer's success is an unusual pop music demographic -- older adults. The buyers of "25" come from "a demographic not normally closely examined in the millennial-fixated entertainment industry," sales tracking service Nielsen Music said in a study. US consumers who bought the CD of "25" in its first week were 36 percent more likely than the average American to be between ages 55 and 64, Nielsen Music said.

Caen grabs late equalizer in 1-1 draw at Rennes Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:35 PM PST PARIS (AP) — Defender Syam Ben Youssef scored a late equalizer as 10-man Caen drew 1-1 away to Rennes in the French league on Friday.

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