Yahoo! News: World News

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• Syrian forces seize Islamic State-held town near Palmyra
• Exclusive: U.N. audit identifies serious lapses linked to alleged bribery
• Syrian Nusra Front's Abu Firas killed in suspected drone strike: rebels
• Azerbaijan says to stop fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, separatists voice doubts
• One reported dead in blast claimed by Islamic State at police station south of Riyadh
• Thousands attend rally in Warsaw against proposed abortion ban
• Huge tax leak exposes Putin aides, world leaders, stars
• Tsunami alert wound back after large quake hits off Vanuatu
• Ranieri keeps calm amid Leicester maelstrom
• Panama vows to cooperate if legal fallout from 'Panama Papers' leak
• Officials: 28 injured, 2 killed in tourist bus crash in Cuba
• Herman wins Houston Open to get into the Masters
• News group claims huge trove of data on offshore accounts
• EPL clubs deny links to doping after claims against doctor
• Man United beats Everton 1-0 after Bobby Charlton is honored
• Colombia rebels free ex-governor held since 2013: officials
• Syria's Qaeda spokesman, 20 jihadists dead in strikes: monitor
• 'Kinky Boots,' 'Hangmen,' 'Gypsy' win at UK's Olivier Awards
• Lyon climbs to 3rd in French league with 3-1 win at Lorient
• Iraqi forces take northern edge of IS-held town
• 'Cruel' on Stokes, says proud Morgan
• Egypt editor warns of break in ties with Italy over student
• Villarreal beats Eibar to secure grip on 4th place in Spain
• Brisbane moves top in tight A-League race, Keogh sets record
• Napoli's title hopes fading after 3-1 loss at Udinese
• Brazil's president to play last cards in impeachment fight
• Brazil buses burned to protest death of boy by stray bullet
• Minister demands inquiry into doping claims
• Up to 400,000 in Sudan may need food aid due to El Nino: WFP
• Nagorny Karabakh clashes continue despite Azerbaijan 'ceasefire'
• Champion Olympiakos beats relegated Panthrakikos 4-0
• Yemen president dismisses PM Bahah over 'failures'
• Sammy: Pay dispute, insults led to West Indies T20 success
• Andrew Svoboda wins Web.com Tour's Brazil Champions
• Greece counts down to first Turkey migrant returns under EU deal
• South Korean OF Kim makes Orioles opening day roster
• Engine problems threaten Ferrari challenge to Mercedes
• Yemen's president reshuffles vice president, prime minister
• Guyana investigate posts against president on Facebook

Syrian forces seize Islamic State-held town near Palmyra Posted: 03 Apr 2016 08:25 AM PDT By Lisa Barrington BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian and allied forces backed by Russian air strikes drove Islamic State militants out of the town of al-Qaryatain on Sunday after encircling it over the past few days, Syria's military command said. Surrounded by hills, al-Qaryatain is 100 km (60 miles) west of the ancient city of Palmyra, which government forces recaptured from Islamic State last Sunday. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been trying to retake al-Qaryatain and other pockets of Islamic State control to reduce the jihadist group's ability to project military power into the heavily populated western region of Syria, where Damascus and other main cities are located.

Exclusive: U.N. audit identifies serious lapses linked to alleged bribery Posted: 03 Apr 2016 12:35 PM PDT By Louis Charbonneau, Nate Raymond and Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations' internal investigations office has uncovered serious lapses and due-diligence failures in the world body's interaction with organizations tied to an alleged bribery scheme involving a former U.N. General Assembly president. The 21-page confidential report by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services' (OIOS), reviewed by Reuters, outlines the results of an audit ordered by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in response to charges against John Ashe, General Assembly president in 2013-2014, and six other people. The report gave the U.N. an overall grade of "partially satisfactory" in the March 22 report, which is available to U.N. member states on request.

Syrian Nusra Front's Abu Firas killed in suspected drone strike: rebels Posted: 03 Apr 2016 04:20 PM PDT By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - A prominent leader in Syrian al Qaeda offshoot Nusra Front was killed on Sunday in what rebel sources said appeared to be a U.S. drone strike in the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks violence in the country, confirmed reports on websites by militant sympathizers that Abu Firas, "the Syrian", was killed along with a number of his companions. While the Observatory said he was killed in a suspected Syrian or Russian air raid on a village northwest of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria, two rebel sources said the attack appeared to have the hallmarks of a U.S. drone strike.

Azerbaijan says to stop fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, separatists voice doubts Posted: 03 Apr 2016 06:53 AM PDT By Nailia Bagirova and Hasmik Mkrtchyan BAKU/YEREVAN (Reuters) - Azerbaijan said on Sunday it would stop fighting Armenian-backed separatists over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region after two days of clashes, but the other side denounced Baku's gesture as hollow and said violence was continuing. Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies inside Azerbaijan but is controlled by ethnic Armenians, has run its own affairs with heavy military and financial backing from Armenia since a separatist war ended in 1994. "Armenia has violated all the norms of international law.

One reported dead in blast claimed by Islamic State at police station south of Riyadh Posted: 03 Apr 2016 09:13 AM PDT An improvised explosive device planted next to a police station south of the Saudi capital Riyadh killed one person, the Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement carried on state news agency SPA on Sunday. The ministry said at least three police cars were damaged in the explosion at a parking lot on Saturday night that killed an expatriate man, but gave no further details on who was behind the attack. An Islamic State affiliate, calling itself the Nejd Province branch of the organization, claimed responsibility for the blast, which took place in al-Dilam, a small city located about 100 km (62 miles) south of Riyadh.

Thousands attend rally in Warsaw against proposed abortion ban Posted: 03 Apr 2016 12:42 PM PDT By Wiktor Szary WARSAW (Reuters) - Thousands attended a pro-choice rally outside parliament in Warsaw on Sunday after the powerful leader of Poland's ruling party backed a call by Polish Catholic bishops for a full ban on pregnancy terminations. Poland already has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the European Union. The conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which came to power in October, plans to tighten regulations to bring them into line with the Catholic Church's teachings, infuriating liberals and women's rights activists.

Huge tax leak exposes Putin aides, world leaders, stars Posted: 03 Apr 2016 04:47 PM PDT A massive leak of 11.5 million tax documents on Sunday exposed the secret offshore dealings of aides to Russian president Vladimir Putin, world leaders and celebrities including Barcelona forward Lionel Messi. The vast stash of records was obtained from an anonymous source by German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and shared with media worldwide by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The documents, from around 214,000 offshore entities, came from Mossack Fonseca, a Panama-based law firm with offices in more than 35 countries.

Tsunami alert wound back after large quake hits off Vanuatu Posted: 03 Apr 2016 04:37 PM PDT Officials wound back an initial tsunami threat issued after a large earthquake struck off the coast of the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu on Sunday. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the danger had largely passed and canceled an earlier warning of a possible tsunami as a result of the quake, which was initially measured at a magnitude of 7.2 but later revised down to 6.9. The quake was also deemed to be deeper that first thought - 33 kilometers (21 miles) as opposed to 10 kms, Kanoa Koyanagi, a geophysicist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii told Reuters.

Ranieri keeps calm amid Leicester maelstrom Posted: 03 Apr 2016 04:36 PM PDT Leicester's win, courtesy of captain Wes Morgan's 38th-minute header, left them requiring 12 points from their last six games to complete one of the most improbable title triumphs in football history. "(The fans) must believe, they must be happy for this season, but we must stay with our feet on the ground," he said.

Panama vows to cooperate if legal fallout from 'Panama Papers' leak Posted: 03 Apr 2016 04:30 PM PDT Panama's government vowed Sunday to "vigorously cooperate" with any legal probe that might be launched in the wake of the "Panama Papers" data leak. "The Panamanian government will vigorously cooperate with any request or assistance necessary in the event of any legal action occurring," it said in a statement.

Officials: 28 injured, 2 killed in tourist bus crash in Cuba Posted: 03 Apr 2016 04:26 PM PDT SANTI SPIRITUS, Cuba (AP) — A bus carrying tourists from Germany and Austria crashed in the central Cuban city of Santi Spiritus, killing two and injuring 28 people, Cuban authorities said.

Herman wins Houston Open to get into the Masters Posted: 03 Apr 2016 03:57 PM PDT HUMBLE, Texas (AP) — Jim Herman delivered a masterful performance at just the right time Sunday in the Shell Houston Open.

News group claims huge trove of data on offshore accounts Posted: 03 Apr 2016 03:34 PM PDT BERLIN (AP) — An international coalition of media outlets on Sunday published what it said was an extensive investigation into the offshore financial dealings of the rich and famous, based on a vast trove of documents provided by an anonymous source.

EPL clubs deny links to doping after claims against doctor Posted: 03 Apr 2016 03:31 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester emphatically dismissed any links to doping on Sunday after being embroiled in an investigation into a doctor alleged to have prescribed performance-enhancing substances.

Man United beats Everton 1-0 after Bobby Charlton is honored Posted: 03 Apr 2016 03:18 PM PDT MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Anthony Martial kept Manchester United a point behind neighbor Manchester City in the quest for Champions League qualification on Sunday, clinching a 1-0 victory over Everton.

Colombia rebels free ex-governor held since 2013: officials Posted: 03 Apr 2016 03:12 PM PDT Colombia's second-largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), freed an ex-governor on Sunday held captive since 2013, in a new boost to peace efforts. Bogota hopes the talks with the ELN will bring it on board alongside Colombia's biggest rebel force, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in a bid to end what is seen as the last major armed confrontation in the West. The ELN is a leftist group like the FARC, but they have fought as rivals for territory in a many-sided conflict that started as a peasant uprising in 1964.

Syria's Qaeda spokesman, 20 jihadists dead in strikes: monitor Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:57 PM PDT The spokesman for Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, his son and 20 other jihadists were killed in air strikes Sunday in the northeast of the country, a monitor said. "Abu Firas al-Suri, his son and at least 20 jihadists of Al-Nusra and Jund al-Aqsa and jihadists from Uzbekistan were killed in strikes on positions in Idlib province," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Abdel Rahman said Suri was meeting with other leading jihadists in Kafar Jales when the raids took place.

'Kinky Boots,' 'Hangmen,' 'Gypsy' win at UK's Olivier Awards Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:52 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — The high-stepping Broadway hit "Kinky Boots" was named best new musical at London's Olivier theater awards on Sunday, while Martin McDonagh's killer comedy "Hangmen" won the prize for best new play.

Lyon climbs to 3rd in French league with 3-1 win at Lorient Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:49 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — France forward Alexandre Lacazette scored twice as Lyon reasserted its credentials in the fight for Champions League spots with a 3-1 win at Lorient on Sunday.

Iraqi forces take northern edge of IS-held town Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:28 PM PDT HIT, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi forces took the northern edge of the Islamic State-held town of Hit, west of Baghdad, on Sunday in an operation led by the country's elite counterterrorism forces, military officials said.

'Cruel' on Stokes, says proud Morgan Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:27 PM PDT England skipper Eoin Morgan said Ben Stokes would be devastated by the manner of the "cruel" final-over defeat to the West Indies in the World Twenty20 final in Kolkata on Sunday. With England needing to stop the Windies from scoring 19 runs in the last over, Morgan handed the ball to Stokes, only for Carlos Brathwaite to hit four consecutive sixes. "I think it is cruel (on Stokes).

Egypt editor warns of break in ties with Italy over student Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:22 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — The editor of Egypt's top state newspaper called on authorities on Sunday to seriously deal with the case of an Italian student tortured and killed in Cairo, saying officials who don't realize the gravity of the case are risking a break in Egyptian-Italian relations.

Villarreal beats Eibar to secure grip on 4th place in Spain Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:15 PM PDT MADRID (AP) — Adrian Lopez and Roberto Soldado scored a goal each as Villarreal came from behind to defeat Eibar 2-1 and snap a four-game winless streak in the Spanish league on Sunday, securing its grip on fourth place.

Brisbane moves top in tight A-League race, Keogh sets record Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:09 PM PDT SYDNEY (AP) — Brisbane edged ahead in a tightening race for first place in the A-League on Sunday when it rallied for a 2-1 win over 10-man Newcastle.

Napoli's title hopes fading after 3-1 loss at Udinese Posted: 03 Apr 2016 02:04 PM PDT MILAN (AP) — Napoli's title hopes are fading after losing 3-1 at Udinese to leave it six points behind Serie A leader Juventus with only seven rounds remaining.

Brazil's president to play last cards in impeachment fight Posted: 03 Apr 2016 01:57 PM PDT It's make or break time for leftist Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's attempt to avoid impeachment -- and for Brazil itself. On Monday, Rousseff's solicitor general, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, will make final arguments before a congressional impeachment commission, which then has five sessions to debate before voting. Shortly after -- April 17 is the latest plan -- the commission's non-binding recommendation goes to the lower house, which will either scrap impeachment or send Rousseff to trial in the upper house.

Brazil buses burned to protest death of boy by stray bullet Posted: 03 Apr 2016 01:33 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Demonstrators protesting the death of a boy who was killed by a stray bullet looted stores and set 12 buses ablaze in Brazil over the weekend.

Minister demands inquiry into doping claims Posted: 03 Apr 2016 01:29 PM PDT Secret filming made public by Britain's Sunday Times newspaper showed London-based Dr Mark Bonar talking about providing professional athletes -- including Premier League footballers, British Tour de France cyclists, tennis players and a British boxer -- with banned substances including steroids, human growth hormone and the blood-booster EPO. John Whittingdale, Britain's sports minister, demanded an urgent investigation after it emerged that United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) first knew about the allegations two years ago but took no action at the time. "I have asked for there to be an urgent independent investigation into what action was taken when these allegations were first received and what more needs to be done to ensure that British sport remains clean," he said.

Up to 400,000 in Sudan may need food aid due to El Nino: WFP Posted: 03 Apr 2016 01:23 PM PDT Some 400,000 people in Sudan could need food aid because of poor rains caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, a UN official told AFP on Sunday. El Nino saw rains in the 2015-2016 agricultural season drop significantly in parts of Sudan in comparison with the previous season. "We got down to a net number of about 400,000 individuals that will be in need of food assistance" because of the low rainfall in parts of Sudan, said Marco Cavalcante, head of programme for the UN's World Food Programme in Sudan.

Nagorny Karabakh clashes continue despite Azerbaijan 'ceasefire' Posted: 03 Apr 2016 01:18 PM PDT Clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces rumbled on Sunday, despite Baku announcing a ceasefire after the worst outbreak of violence in decades over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region sparked international pressure to stop fighting. Azerbaijan said it had decided to "unilaterally cease hostilities" and pledged to "reinforce" several strategic positions it claimed to have captured inside the Armenian-controlled territory. The authorities in Karabakh -- which claims independence but is heavily backed by Armenia -- said they were willing to discuss a ceasefire but only if it saw them regain their territory.

Champion Olympiakos beats relegated Panthrakikos 4-0 Posted: 03 Apr 2016 01:16 PM PDT ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Already-crowned champion Olympiakos had an easy night beating already-relegated Panthrakikos 4-0 in the Greek league on Sunday.

Yemen president dismisses PM Bahah over 'failures' Posted: 03 Apr 2016 01:07 PM PDT Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi on Sunday relieved prime minister and vice president Khaled Bahah of his duties due to what he called government "failures". Bahah's surprise dismissal comes just a week ahead of a UN-brokered ceasefire planned between Yemen's warring parties, which is expected to pave the way for peace talks in Kuwait on April 18. Hadi appointed Ahmed bin Dagher, former secretary general of the General People's Congress party to which the president once belonged, as prime minister, according to a decision published on the official sabanew.net website.

Sammy: Pay dispute, insults led to West Indies T20 success Posted: 03 Apr 2016 01:07 PM PDT KOLKATA, India (AP) — The West Indies team was determined to win a second World Twenty20 title after criticism by the media and its own cricket board ahead of the tournament, captain Darren Sammy said on Sunday.

Andrew Svoboda wins Web.com Tour's Brazil Champions Posted: 03 Apr 2016 01:05 PM PDT SAO PAULO (AP) — Andrew Svoboda rallied to win the Web.com Tour's Brazil Champions on Sunday, closing with a birdie to overcome a one-stroke deficit to Bhavik Patel.

Greece counts down to first Turkey migrant returns under EU deal Posted: 03 Apr 2016 12:59 PM PDT Greece was on Sunday making final preparations to return hundreds of migrants to Turkey, the first to be sent back under a landmark EU deal that has been slammed by rights watchdogs. The operation is set to begin Monday on the Greek island of Lesbos, which has served as a gateway for hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants arriving in Europe from Turkey in the past year. Details of how the operation will proceed are sketchy, with Greek officials tight-lipped Sunday over who and how many migrants will be sent back across the Aegean Sea.

South Korean OF Kim makes Orioles opening day roster Posted: 03 Apr 2016 12:59 PM PDT BALTIMORE (AP) — South Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim has made the Baltimore Orioles' 25-man opening day roster after resisting the team's effort to send him to the minor leagues.

Engine problems threaten Ferrari challenge to Mercedes Posted: 03 Apr 2016 12:55 PM PDT SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Ferrari's goal of challenging the dominance of Mercedes is being threatened by engine troubles which struck again in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix when Sebastian Vettel's engine failed on the warm-up lap.

Yemen's president reshuffles vice president, prime minister Posted: 03 Apr 2016 12:49 PM PDT SANAA, Yemen (AP) — The Yemeni president has sacked the vice president and the head of the Cabinet, Khaled Bahah, citing shortcomings in the government's performance.

Guyana investigate posts against president on Facebook Posted: 03 Apr 2016 12:43 PM PDT GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Police say they've arrested a woman who used her Facebook account to suggest that Guyana's President David Granger should be assassinated.

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