Yahoo! News: World News

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• Hezbollah buries militant Qantar, vows to retaliate against Israel
• Motorbike suicide bomber kills six U.S. troops in Afghanistan
• U.N. mulls 'light' options to monitor possible Syria truce: envoys
• Exclusive: In favoring Middle East ally, U.S. glossed over human rights record
• Passenger says Muslims protect Christians in Islamist attack on Kenyan bus
• Spain's Rajoy reaches out to rivals in tough bid to govern
• Islamic State radio show seeks new recruits in Afghanistan
• Haiti officials postpone vote set for this weekend
• Nicaragua, Costa Rica welcome pope's call for better ties
• State Department says U.S. citizen killed in Afghanistan
• Miss Universe show, host apologize for crowning wrong woman
• Top Asian News 12:20 a.m. GMT
• Mediator: Argentina debt talks set for 2016
• Haiti postpones presidential runoff vote: officials
• Boko Haram violence forces one million children out of school: U.N.
• S.Africa's SAA ordered to conclude planes deal with Airbus
• Haiti's election council postpones presidential runoff vote scheduled for this weekend
• McCullum expected to announce international retirement
• C. Africa constitutional reform clears way for new vote Sunday
• Haiti on the outside looking in at 'Star Wars' delirium
• Puerto Rico beauty queen suspended after anti-Muslim tweets
• Arsenal beats title rival Man City 2-1 in Premier League
• US troops killed near Bagram, Taliban insurgency intensifies
• Lebanon cabinet agrees to export country's waste in bid to end crisis
• Christmas Eve may wrap up warm, wet weather records in U.S.
• White House expresses condolences to families of six U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan
• Motorbike suicide bomber kills six U.S. troops in Afghanistan
• Coulter-Nile injures shoulder, in doubt for Windies Test
• Miss Universe crowns wrong beauty queen in live TV gaffe
• U.S. wildlife agency gives legal protection to African lions
• U.S. 'deeply concerned' by arrest of Vietnam rights activist
• UN, rights groups urge Hungary to end anti-migrant stance
• Burkina Faso: Intl arrest warrant out for ex-leader Compaore
• Fearing pollution, Chinese families build 'bubbles' at home
• Fire rips through Portuguese language museum in Brazil
• Protests have died but Lebanon's trash disaster continues
• France, Russia to 'strengthen' information exchange on IS
• World Bank pulls funding for Uganda transport project

Hezbollah buries militant Qantar, vows to retaliate against Israel Posted: 21 Dec 2015 11:53 AM PST By Mariam Karouny BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Hezbollah group on Monday said it would retaliate for the killing of prominent militant Samir Qantar in an Israeli air strike in Syria, after giving him an elaborate funeral in Beirut of the kind reserved for its top commanders. Thousands of people chanted "death to Israel" as Hezbollah fighters in military uniforms carried Qantar's coffin, which was wrapped by the group's yellow flag, to a Shi'ite Muslim cemetery in its south Beirut stronghold where he was laid to rest. "We have no doubt or question that Israel is the one which assassinated Samir Qantar, its planes fired precision missiles on a residential apartment (he was in)," Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech aired on the group's al-Manar television channel.

Motorbike suicide bomber kills six U.S. troops in Afghanistan Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:26 PM PST By Mirwais Harooni and Phil Stewart KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six American troops were killed in Afghanistan on Monday when a suicide bomber on a motorbike struck their patrol near Bagram air base, officials said, the deadliest attack on U.S. forces this year. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who stopped briefly at Bagram on Friday, said the deaths were a "painful reminder" of the dangers still faced by U.S. troops in Afghanistan long after fighting has largely shifted to local forces. Just last week, the Pentagon warned of deteriorating security in Afghanistan and assessed the performance of Afghan security forces as "uneven and mixed." The Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the strike, remains resilient 14 years after the start of U.S. military engagement in Afghanistan.

U.N. mulls 'light' options to monitor possible Syria truce: envoys Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:58 PM PST By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations is mulling "light touch" options for monitoring a possible ceasefire in Syria that would keep its risks to a minimum by relying largely on Syrians already on the ground, diplomatic sources said. The U.N. Security Council on Friday unanimously called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to draw up within a month options for monitoring a ceasefire in Syria. It is the second time since the Syrian civil war broke out in March 2011 that the council backed a plan for peace talks and a truce.

Exclusive: In favoring Middle East ally, U.S. glossed over human rights record Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:36 PM PST By Jason Szep, Matt Spetalnick and Yara Bayoumy WASHINGTON/MUSCAT (Reuters) - As the United States negotiated this year's nuclear pact with Iran, the State Department quietly agreed to spare the Gulf sultanate of Oman from an embarrassing public rebuke over its human rights record, rewarding a close Arab ally that helped broker the historic deal. In a highly unusual intervention, the department's hierarchy overruled its own staff's assessments of Oman's deteriorating record on forced labor and human trafficking and inflated its ranking in a congressionally mandated report, U.S. officials told Reuters. The move, which followed protests by Oman, suggests the Obama administration placed diplomatic priorities over human rights to pacify an important Middle East partner.

Passenger says Muslims protect Christians in Islamist attack on Kenyan bus Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:39 PM PST By Joseph Akwiri MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - Somali Islamist militants sprayed a Kenyan bus with bullets on Monday, killing two people, but a passenger said he and fellow Muslims defied demands from the attackers to help identify Christians traveling with them. The attack took place in Mandera, in northeast Kenya. A year ago, al Shabaab gunmen stormed a Nairobi-bound bus in the same area and killed 28 non-Muslim passengers execution-style.

Spain's Rajoy reaches out to rivals in tough bid to govern Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:08 PM PST By Julien Toyer and Adrian Croft MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Monday his center-right People's Party (PP) would talk to like-minded rivals in a bid to form a government after an inconclusive election, but his chances look slim without support from left-wing parties. Rajoy's PP won the most votes in Sunday's national election but fell well short of the 176 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, setting the scene for weeks of complex negotiations on building pacts to govern. The two biggest left-wing blocs - the opposition Socialists and newcomer Podemos ("We Can") - have already signaled they would not back a PP-led government, complicating Rajoy's attempts to find allies who will at the very least abstain to let him form a government.

Islamic State radio show seeks new recruits in Afghanistan Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:54 PM PST By Rafiq Sherzad JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan have taken to the airwaves to win recruits as they try to build strength and replace the Taliban as the leading force in the Islamist insurgency. Officials have been increasingly concerned by the broadcasts, which encourage young people to find a sense of direction in the radical movement. If the broadcasts take hold, officials fear they will feed off a growing sense of hopelessness among many inured to war and struggling to get by in an increasingly tough economic climate.

Haiti officials postpone vote set for this weekend Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:48 PM PST PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Less than a week before balloting was scheduled, Haitian authorities postponed the country's presidential and legislative runoffs because they said they needed to wait for recommendations from a special commission tasked with evaluating the widely criticized electoral process.

Nicaragua, Costa Rica welcome pope's call for better ties Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:38 PM PST "We are fully ready for dialogue," Nicaraguan government spokeswoman -- and First Lady -- Rosario Murillo offered to state media. Ties between Costa Rica and Nicaragua are at a low point, largely because of Nicaragua's refusal since mid-November to let more than 5,000 US-bound Cubans stuck in Costa Rica pass over its border.

State Department says U.S. citizen killed in Afghanistan Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:32 PM PST The U.S. State Department said on Monday that American Lisa Akbari, who had worked as a consultant for aid agency World Vision, was killed in Kabul on Sunday but gave few details about the circumstances surrounding her death. "Out of respect for the privacy of all those affected, including her family, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to provide more details," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Asked whether Akbari had been specifically targeted, Kirby said, "It's just too soon to know right now." World Vision confirmed that Akbari had worked for the agency as a consultant on two project evaluation assignments in 2012 and 2014 in Afghanistan.

Miss Universe show, host apologize for crowning wrong woman Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:20 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — The Miss Universe pageant and host Steve Harvey doubled down on the apologies Monday after an excruciating live television moment — announcing incorrectly that Miss Colombia had won and then taking the crown from her head to give to a rival from the Philippines.

Top Asian News 12:20 a.m. GMT Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:20 PM PST SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Rescuers searched Monday for 85 missing people a day after the collapse of a mountain of excavated soil and construction waste that had been piled up over two years in China's manufacturing center of Shenzhen. Authorities said the landslide buried or damaged 33 buildings in the industrial park in Shenzhen, a city near Hong Kong that makes products used around the world ranging from cellphones to cars. Residents blamed the government while officials cited human error, with one ministry saying, "The pile was too big, the pile was too steep." The landslide Sunday covered an area of 380,000 square meters (450,000 square yards) with silt 10 meters (33 feet) deep, authorities said.

Mediator: Argentina debt talks set for 2016 Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:11 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Argentina has agreed to negotiate in January 2016 with bondholders seeking $10 billion, a court-appointed mediator said on Monday.

Haiti postpones presidential runoff vote: officials Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:07 PM PST Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Haiti has pushed back next week's presidential runoff vote, election officials said Monday, without immediately announcing a new date. The runoff was to pit Jovenel Moise -- backed by outgoing president Michel Martelly and the ruling party -- against Jude Celestin, the second-place vote-getter from more than 50 contenders in the first round of balloting. The October presidential election was the latest attempt in the Americas' poorest country to shed chronic political instability and work toward development.

Boko Haram violence forces one million children out of school: U.N. Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:06 PM PST By Kieran Guilbert DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Violence in northeast Nigeria and neighboring countries targeted by Boko Haram has forced more than one million children out of school, leaving them prey to abuse, abduction and recruitment by armed groups, the United Nations said on Tuesday. More than 2,000 schools in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger remain closed due to the conflict and hundreds have been looted, damaged or destroyed, said the U.N. children's agency UNICEF. While hundreds of schools in northeast Nigeria have reopened in recent months, insecurity and fear of violence are preventing many teachers from resuming classes and discouraging parents from sending their children back to school, according to UNICEF.

S.Africa's SAA ordered to conclude planes deal with Airbus Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:35 PM PST South Africa's newly re-appointed finance minister on Monday ordered state-owned airline SAA to conclude a deal with Airbus to lease five A330 wide-body planes, after weeks of turbulence at the troubled carrier. "The Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, directed the board of South African Airways (SAA) to conclude the swap transaction with Airbus in line with approval granted in July 2015," said a Treasury statement released late night on Monday. The minister's directive thwarts attempts by the SAA chairwoman Dudu Myeni to renegotiate the deal - a move that would have hit the loss-making airline's finances hard.

Haiti's election council postpones presidential runoff vote scheduled for this weekend Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:24 PM PST PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti's election council postpones presidential runoff vote scheduled for this weekend.

McCullum expected to announce international retirement Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:22 PM PST WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum is expected to announce his impending retirement from international cricket on Tuesday.

C. Africa constitutional reform clears way for new vote Sunday Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:22 PM PST Voters in the troubled Central African Republic overwhelmingly backed a constitutional referendum, clearing the way for parliamentary and presidential polls on Sunday. The poor former French colony is trying to get back on its feet since being plunged into conflict after a mainly Muslim rebellion overthrew longtime Christian leader Francois Bozize in 2013. Violence marred the December 13-14 balloting, with five people killed and 20 injured in an attack in the flashpoint Muslim-majority PK-5 district of Bangui.

Haiti on the outside looking in at 'Star Wars' delirium Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:18 PM PST Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Without a single functioning movie theatre in their country, Haitians have been feeling left out in recent days, while much of the rest of the world swoons over the latest "Star Wars" movie. The debut past this weekend of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was a worldwide event -- except in remote and impoverished corners of the globe like Haiti, where fans of the epic film franchise are out in the cold. "This is a situation which really brings me down," said Vladimir Desir, 30, a long time Star Wars fan.

Puerto Rico beauty queen suspended after anti-Muslim tweets Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:15 PM PST SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A Puerto Rico beauty queen has been suspended indefinitely after pageant officials accused her of posting anti-Muslim tweets.

Arsenal beats title rival Man City 2-1 in Premier League Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:12 PM PST LONDON (AP) — Arsenal boosted its Premier League title hopes and dented Manchester City's with a 2-1 victory over its rival at the Emirates Stadium on Monday.

US troops killed near Bagram, Taliban insurgency intensifies Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:00 PM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide attacker rammed an explosives-laden motorcycle into a joint NATO-Afghan patrol Monday, killing six American troops in the deadliest attack on international forces since August. Two U.S. troops and an Afghan were wounded.

Lebanon cabinet agrees to export country's waste in bid to end crisis Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:42 PM PST Lebanon's cabinet on Monday agreed to export the country's waste in a move that could end a crisis that led to a wave of protests and threatened the downfall of the government. The government has awarded two foreign companies 18 month contracts to transport Lebanon's waste by sea in a plan that should start to be carried out this month when the firms complete agreed financial obligations. Prime Minister Tamam Salam had previously expressed frustration at the failings of his cabinet, which struggled to resolve the garbage problem after the closure of Beirut's main rubbish tip in July.

Christmas Eve may wrap up warm, wet weather records in U.S. Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:40 PM PST (Reuters) - Santa may want to install air conditioning and heavy-duty wiper blades on his sleigh for his Christmas Eve ride into what U.S. weather forecasters say may be record-breaking warmth and wet. Along the East Coast, absurdly warm weather was expected to shatter records on Thursday including in Washington, D.C., where a forecasted high of 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius) may top the record of 69 F (21 C) set in 1933, said meteorologist Richard Bann of the National Weather Service. "It looks like the Eastern Seaboard, from Florida into New England, has the potential to set records for Christmas Eve," he said.

White House expresses condolences to families of six U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:31 PM PST The White House expressed its condolences to the families of six U.S. troops killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan on Monday and said the United States remains committed to supporting the Afghan people and their government. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and their loved ones," the White House said in a statement.  The six Americans were killed when a suicide bomber on a motorbike struck their patrol near Bagram air base, a U.S. official said, in the latest high-profile attack claimed by Taliban insurgents.

Motorbike suicide bomber kills six U.S. troops in Afghanistan Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:26 PM PST By Mirwais Harooni and Phil Stewart KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six American troops were killed in Afghanistan on Monday when a suicide bomber on a motorbike struck their patrol near Bagram air base, officials said, the deadliest attack on U.S. forces this year. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who stopped briefly at Bagram on Friday, said the deaths were a "painful reminder" of the dangers still faced by U.S. troops in Afghanistan long after fighting has largely shifted to local forces. Just last week, the Pentagon warned of deteriorating security in Afghanistan and assessed the performance of Afghan security forces as "uneven and mixed." The Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the strike, remains resilient 14 years after the start of U.S. military engagement in Afghanistan.

Coulter-Nile injures shoulder, in doubt for Windies Test Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:14 PM PST Injury-prone Australian paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile has injured his shoulder in a Big Bash League Twenty20 match and is in doubt for this week's second Test against the West Indies. Coulter-Nile dived and misfielded a ball while playing for the Perth Scorchers against the Adelaide Strikers in Perth late Monday. While the dislocated shoulder was put back into place, Coulter-Nile is considered little chance of being fit to make his Test debut against the West Indies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Miss Universe crowns wrong beauty queen in live TV gaffe Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:01 PM PST Colombia's president shared his dismay Monday after his country's beauty queen was wrongly named Miss Universe in a dramatic mix-up watched live by millions, before the glittering crown was bestowed on the rightful winner Miss Philippines. The pageant's host, US comedian Steve Harvey, misread his cue card in front of a global television audience late Sunday and initially announced that Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez, had triumphed.

U.S. wildlife agency gives legal protection to African lions Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:01 PM PST By Emma Farge DAKAR (Reuters) - A U.S. agency on Monday listed two lion subspecies under the Endangered Species Act, offering them legal protection that will make it harder for hunters to import trophies into the country. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed lions found mostly in West and Central Africa as "endangered" and lions in eastern and southern Africa as "threatened" and said it would withhold permits from violators. Several African countries such as Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso still allow tourists to hunt their lions, saying it provides an important source of revenue and helps support conservation.

U.S. 'deeply concerned' by arrest of Vietnam rights activist Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:52 PM PST The United States said on Monday it was deeply concerned by the arrest of a Vietnamese human rights lawyer and called on Hanoi to release all prisoners of conscience. Rights activist Nguyen Van Dai, who was badly beaten this month by unknown attackers, was arrested last week for anti-state "propaganda," the latest incident in what rights groups are calling an alarming crackdown on government critics. "We're deeply concerned by the arrest of human rights advocate Nguyen Van Dai under national security-related article 88 of Vietnam's penal code," U.S. State Department Spokesman John Kirby told a regular news briefing.

UN, rights groups urge Hungary to end anti-migrant stance Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:44 PM PST The UN's refugee agency and human rights groups urged Hungary on Monday to end policies that promote "intolerance and hatred" of migrants as Europe struggles to cope with its worst migration crisis since World War II. In a joint statement, UNHCR, the Council of Europe and the OSCE's office of human rights called on Hungary's leaders to help "those who have been forced out of their countries against their own will and choice and are currently seeking safety in Europe". It refers to EU plans to distribute 160,000 refugees and migrants across the bloc, with Slovakia and Hungary due to take in around 2,300 people each.

Burkina Faso: Intl arrest warrant out for ex-leader Compaore Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:28 PM PST OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso's military court has issued an international arrest warrant for former President Blaise Compaore for the assassination of the country's ex-revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara, the tribunal director said Monday.

Fearing pollution, Chinese families build 'bubbles' at home Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:28 PM PST By Alexandra Harney SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Liu Nanfeng has five air purifiers, two air quality monitors and a water purification system in his Beijing apartment. "It feels hopeless." China's persistent pollution and regular product safety scandals are driving an increasing number of consumers to build bubbles of clean air, purified water and safe products at home and in their cars. Beijing's city government has twice this month issued pollution "red alerts", the first time it has triggered its most severe smog warning.

Fire rips through Portuguese language museum in Brazil Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:26 PM PST A large fire tore through the Museum of the Portuguese Language in Sao Paulo Monday, partly destroying the historic building but apparently claiming no victims, Brazilian authorities said. Flames engulfed the third floor of the museum, which is closed Mondays, as clouds of smoke poured from the building. Firefighters said there were no immediate reports of victims.

Protests have died but Lebanon's trash disaster continues Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:23 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's trash collection crisis which set off huge protests this summer is entering its sixth month, but you would hardly know it in Beirut.

France, Russia to 'strengthen' information exchange on IS Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:23 PM PST Russia and France have agreed to bolster efforts to share intelligence relating to the Islamic State jihadist group after the two countries vowed to cooperate militarily on the issue. "We have agreed to strengthen our exchange of military information, both on the strikes and the location of the different groups (in Syria)," French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said following talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu. Le Drian said they had identified a method to assess the state of IS and other "terrorist groups" following air strikes conducted by both the Russian and French air forces.

World Bank pulls funding for Uganda transport project Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:19 PM PST The World Bank on Monday canceled funding for a Uganda transport initiative, citing environmental concerns and allegations of sexual misconduct by contractors working on the project. The cancelation, a rarity for the development bank, came after an early review of the Uganda Transport Sector Development Project uncovered numerous problems, the bank said. "The multiple failures we've seen in this project -- on the part of the World Bank, the government of Uganda, and a government contractor -– are unacceptable," said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.

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