Yahoo! News: World News

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• Canada getting on top of Alberta wildfire, Fort McMurray off limits
• North Korea congress adopts decision to further boost nuclear capability
• Voting gets under way in Philippines presidential election
• Managing Saudi's new energy mega-ministry may bring challenges
• Australian PM calls July 2 poll amid economic slowdown, instability
• Greek lawmakers pass painful reforms to attain fiscal targets
• Nearly half of Europeans in poll want own votes on EU, like UK
• Sweden's Jesper Parnevik wins first PGA Tour Champions title
• North Korea congress adopts decision to improve nuclear arsenal: KCNA
• Philippine elections underway, fiery Duterte poised for presidency
• In Duterte's Davao, Filipinos ready to share their maverick mayor
• Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom wins second Symetra Tour title
• Top Asian News 10:51 p.m. GMT
• Ariya Jutanugarn becomes LPGA Tour's first Thai winner
• Factbox: Greece legislates tax and pension reforms
• Greek parliament approves controversial pension, tax reforms
• Ariya overcomes butterflies for first LPGA win
• Bolivia's Morales accuses Chile of setting up military base near border
• Benfica beats Maritimo, moves closer to Portuguese title
• Napoli wins at Torino to stay on course for Champs League
• New York win keeps Kiwis in America's Cup World Series lead
• Alex Schwazer wins 50K walk on return from doping ban
• About 2,500 people evacuated in Dominican Republic flooding
• Egyptologists differ on Tut tomb 'hidden chambers'
• Djokovic beats Murray to win record 29th Masters title
• Alberta oil sands producers shut most power generation due to wildfires
• Canada firefighters battled blaze as own homes burned down
• Judge in Mexico seeks 'El Chapo' extraditon to US
• Canada wildfires now advancing more slowly
• New prison for drug boss 'El Chapo' is Mexico's worst-rated
• Director tells British TV awards: 'Stand up and fight!'
• Fort McMurray moms celebrate 'bittersweet' Mother's Day
• High-ranking jihadist arrested: Mali security sources
• Greek police fire tear gas as thousands protest over reform vote
• Haiti drill preps city of Cap Haitien for major earthquake, tsunami
• Canada thrash Hungary for second win in ice hockey championships
• Turkey left to fight Islamic State alone, Erdogan says

Canada getting on top of Alberta wildfire, Fort McMurray off limits Posted: 08 May 2016 04:10 PM PDT By Liz Hampton and Rod Nickel GREGOIRE LAKE, Alberta (Reuters) - Canadian officials on Sunday showed some optimism for the first time that they were beginning to get on top of the country's most destructive wildfire in recent memory, as favorable weather helped firefighters and winds took the flames southeast, away from oil sands boomtown Fort McMurray. There was still no timeline, however, for getting Fort McMurray's 88,000 inhabitants back into what remains of their town, or when energy companies would be able to restart operations at evacuated sites near to the town, which has cut the area's oil output in half. "It definitely is a positive point for us, for sure," said Alberta fire official Chad Morrison in a news briefing, when asked if the fight to contain the flames had a reached a turning point.

North Korea congress adopts decision to further boost nuclear capability Posted: 08 May 2016 03:34 PM PDT North Korea said it would further strengthen self-defensive nuclear weapons capability "in quality and quantity" in a decision adopted at a rare Workers' Party congress, its KCNA news agency reported on Monday. The decision was adopted after a review of the work of the party's Central Committee on day three of the congress on Sunday, KCNA said. The congress is the first to be held in 36 years amid anticipation by the South Korean government and experts that leader Kim Jong Un would use it to further consolidate power.

Voting gets under way in Philippines presidential election Posted: 08 May 2016 03:57 PM PDT MANILA (Reuters) - Voting to elect the Philippines' next president began on Monday after an acrimonious campaign that underlined popular disgust with the country's ruling elite to tackle poverty and inequality despite years of robust economic growth. Five candidates are vying to succeed outgoing President Benigno Aquino, but opinion polls in the days ahead of the vote showed that firebrand mayor and crime-buster Rodrigo Duterte had a comfortable lead. ...

Managing Saudi's new energy mega-ministry may bring challenges Posted: 08 May 2016 06:47 AM PDT By Angus McDowall , Rania El Gamal and Reem Shamseddine RIYADH (Reuters) - Managing Saudi Arabia's new energy mega-ministry, set to oversee over half the economy and designed to cut through a tangled bureaucracy to make government more coherent and efficient, will be a formidable challenge. The new Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Ministry, under Khalid al-Falih, already chairman of state oil company Saudi Aramco, will handle oil and gas extraction, power generation and distribution, mining and industrial development. The changes were announced on Saturday as part of a major reshuffle by King Salman aimed at making the Vision 2030 economic reform program easier to implement by ending decades of miscommunication and turf war between government departments.

Australian PM calls July 2 poll amid economic slowdown, instability Posted: 08 May 2016 03:38 PM PDT By Jane Wardell SYDNEY (Reuters) - Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull fired the starting gun on Sunday on one of the longest election campaigns in Australia's history, against the backdrop of a flagging economy and heated debate over sensitive political issues like asylum seekers. Turnbull officially called federal elections for July 2, several months earlier than originally planned, using rarely invoked powers to dissolve both houses of parliament after the upper house Senate repeatedly blocked government legislation. The federal poll throws up the specter of more political instability in Australia, where infighting among the leading parties has resulted in a revolving door to the top job at a time when Australia is trying to rebalance its economy away from a once-in-a-generation mining boom.

Greek lawmakers pass painful reforms to attain fiscal targets Posted: 08 May 2016 03:30 PM PDT By George Georgiopoulos and Renee Maltezou ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's parliament on early Monday passed a package of unpopular pension and tax reforms that the country's leftist-led government hopes will persuade official creditors to unlock bailout cash. The vote was a test of the ruling coalition's cohesion, given its wafer-thin majority of three lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' government drew fire from the political opposition during the debate on grounds the pension cuts and tax hikes will prove recessionary, dealing another blow to a population fatigued by years of austerity.

Nearly half of Europeans in poll want own votes on EU, like UK Posted: 08 May 2016 04:20 PM PDT Nearly half of voters in eight big European Union countries want to be able to vote on whether to remain members of the bloc, just as Britons will in a referendum next month, according to an opinion poll published on Monday. Forty-five percent of more than 6,000 people surveyed in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain and Sweden said they wanted their own vote, and a third would opt to leave the EU if given the chance, poll firm Ipsos-MORI said. The size of the potential "Out" vote ranges from as high as 48 and 41 percent in Italy and France respectively to as low as 22 and 26 percent in Poland and Spain, the firm said.

Sweden's Jesper Parnevik wins first PGA Tour Champions title Posted: 08 May 2016 04:06 PM PDT THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Jesper Parnevik won the Insperity Invitational for his first PGA Tour Champions victory, shooting a 5-under 67 for a four-stroke victory Sunday.

North Korea congress adopts decision to improve nuclear arsenal: KCNA Posted: 08 May 2016 04:03 PM PDT Pyongyang (AFP) - North Korea's first ruling party congress for nearly 40 years formally adopted a policy to improve and expand the country's nuclear arsenal, state media said Monday.

Philippine elections underway, fiery Duterte poised for presidency Posted: 08 May 2016 03:57 PM PDT Voting was underway in the Philippines on Monday to elect a new president, with anti-establishment firebrand Rodrigo Duterte the shock favourite after an incendiary campaign in which he vowed to butcher criminals. Duterte, the longtime mayor of the southern city of Davao, has held a commanding lead over other presidential rivals in recent surveys as he hypnotised millions with profanity-laced tirades promising brutal but quick solutions to the nation's twin plagues of crime and poverty. Departing President Benigno Aquino, whose mother led the democracy movement that ousted Marcos then led the nation for six years, has warned repeatedly the nation is at risk of succumbing to another dictatorship.

In Duterte's Davao, Filipinos ready to share their maverick mayor Posted: 08 May 2016 03:57 PM PDT By Neil Jerome Morales DAVAO, Philippines (Reuters) - After 22 years with Rodrigo Duterte as its crime-busting mayor, the Philippine city of Davao is coming to realize that it might have to share him with the rest of the country after Monday's presidential election. Duterte is the undisputed hero and patriarch of Davao and his touting of extreme measures to bring order to a once-lawless city has resonated on a national scale and put him on the cusp of winning the presidency. "Davaoanians", as they call themselves, feel it is time the rest of the country got a taste of Duterte's rule.

Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom wins second Symetra Tour title Posted: 08 May 2016 03:56 PM PDT GREENWOOD, S.C. (AP) — Madelene Sagstrom ran away with the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women's Health Classic on Sunday for her second Symetra Tour victory of the season.

Top Asian News 10:51 p.m. GMT Posted: 08 May 2016 03:51 PM PDT PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country will not use its nuclear weapons unless its sovereignty is invaded and announced a five-year economic plan at a milestone congress of North Korea's ruling party, which entered its third day Sunday. Kim said he is ready to improve ties with "hostile" nations, and called for more talks with rival South Korea to reduce misunderstanding and distrust. He also urged the United States to stay away from inter-Korean issues. "Our republic is a responsible nuclear state that, as we made clear before, will not use nuclear weapons first unless aggressive hostile forces use nuclear weapons to invade on our sovereignty," Kim said in a roughly three-hour speech shown Sunday on the North's Korean Central Television.

Ariya Jutanugarn becomes LPGA Tour's first Thai winner Posted: 08 May 2016 03:48 PM PDT PRATTVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Ariya Jutanugarn was shaking over her final 5-foot putt, with personal, Thailand and LPGA Tour history on the line.

Factbox: Greece legislates tax and pension reforms Posted: 08 May 2016 03:39 PM PDT Greek lawmakers early on Monday approved new tax and pension reforms, a move the left-led government hopes will help unlock fresh bailout funds under a financial lifeline worth up to 86 billion euros extended to Athens last year. PENSIONS Introduces unified retirement rules and a national pension at 384 euros, cuts supplementary pensions, plans to gradually phase out a top-up stipend for pensioners now on lower incomes and recalculate pensions. Reforms the social security contribution base from notional to actual incomes for the self-employed, including farmers and lawyers, forcing them to make a contribution to pension funds which is phased in over a five-year period to 20 percent of their income instead of a fixed monthly amount currently paid.

Greek parliament approves controversial pension, tax reforms Posted: 08 May 2016 03:36 PM PDT The unpopular reforms, which saw thousands take to the streets in protest, passed thanks to the Syriza-led coalition government's slim majority in parliament, according to an AFP count. As expected the main New Democracy opposition party voted against the bill, which will reduce Greece's highest pension payouts, merge several pension funds, increase contributions and raise taxes for those on medium and high incomes. The parliamentary vote came just hours before an emergency meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels, who are racing to finalise their long-stalled first review of Greece's reform efforts so Athens can repay the European Central Bank (ECB) billions of euros in July.

Ariya overcomes butterflies for first LPGA win Posted: 08 May 2016 03:29 PM PDT Ariya Jutanugarn fought off back nine nerves to par the 18th hole Sunday and win the Yokohama Tire Classic, becoming the first Thai player to win on the LPGA Tour. Ariya started the fourth round with a three-stroke lead and despite a roller-coaster round she manged to close with an even-par 72 to claim her first win. My legs were shaking, my hands were shaking," Ariya said.

Bolivia's Morales accuses Chile of setting up military base near border Posted: 08 May 2016 03:29 PM PDT By Daniel Ramos and Anthony Esposito LA PAZ/SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Bolivian President Evo Morales accused Chile on Sunday of threatening the landlocked Andean nation by establishing a military base near their shared border, an accusation that Chile's government said was false. Morales said Chile had set up a base 15 km (9 miles) from the border and close to the disputed Silala River, adding that international norms prohibited installing military bases less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from international borders in order to avoid confrontations.

Benfica beats Maritimo, moves closer to Portuguese title Posted: 08 May 2016 03:23 PM PDT LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Benfica defeated Maritimo 2-0 on Sunday to move a step closer to winning the Portuguese league title.

Napoli wins at Torino to stay on course for Champs League Posted: 08 May 2016 03:09 PM PDT MILAN (AP) — Napoli won 2-1 at Torino to boost its chances of qualifying directly to the Champions League, while Roma celebrated Francesco Totti's 600th Serie A appearance with a 3-0 win over Chievo Verona on Sunday.

New York win keeps Kiwis in America's Cup World Series lead Posted: 08 May 2016 02:54 PM PDT Emirates Team New Zealand grabbed a dramatic victory in the final race of the America's Cup World Series New York on Sunday to maintain their overall lead in the America's Cup preliminary circuit. In a disastrous start to the day's third race, skipper Team New Zealand crossed the start line early, earning a penalty and hooking the starting buoy. Team USA -- the defending America's Cup champions -- were second with 50 points followed by Groupama Team France (44), SoftBank Team Japan (42), Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing of Britain (42) and Sweden's Artemis Racing (40).

Alex Schwazer wins 50K walk on return from doping ban Posted: 08 May 2016 02:53 PM PDT ROME (AP) — Alex Schwazer made a triumphant return from a doping ban to win the 50-kilometer event at the world race walking team championships on Sunday.

About 2,500 people evacuated in Dominican Republic flooding Posted: 08 May 2016 02:42 PM PDT SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — About 2,500 people have been evacuated in the Dominican Republic because of flooding caused by heavy rains over the previous 12 days, relief agencies said Sunday.

Egyptologists differ on Tut tomb 'hidden chambers' Posted: 08 May 2016 02:40 PM PDT Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani said on Sunday new technology is needed to determine whether Tutankhamun's tomb contains hidden chambers which a British archaeologist believes may hide queen Nefertiti's remains. Anani spoke to archaeologists and reporters at a conference in Cairo dedicated to King Tutankhamun and his world-famous golden funerary mask. The mood at Sunday's conference was sceptical months after former minister Mamduh Damati said the secret chambers probably existed, raising expectations of another historical find.

Djokovic beats Murray to win record 29th Masters title Posted: 08 May 2016 02:26 PM PDT MADRID (AP) — A decade after their first match, when they were a couple of promising teenagers, Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray again in Madrid, this time to win a record 29th career Masters title.

Alberta oil sands producers shut most power generation due to wildfires Posted: 08 May 2016 02:24 PM PDT (Reuters) - Cogeneration power plants in the fire-ravaged Canadian oil town of Fort McMurray were operating at about 18 percent of capacity early Sunday, down from around 30 percent Friday afternoon, as oil sands producers in the area continue to shut their operations. The electricity powers oil sand operations with any surplus energy sold to the local grid, while the steam is used to cook the oil sands to produce crude. There are about 3,200 MW of power cogeneration capacity serving the oil sands industry in the province of Alberta, about two-thirds of which is located in the Fort McMurray area.

Canada firefighters battled blaze as own homes burned down Posted: 08 May 2016 02:22 PM PDT By Rod Nickel GREGOIRE LAKE, Alberta (Reuters) - Fort McMurray's 160 firefighters worked almost non-stop in the first days of a massive Canadian wildfire that sent nearly 90,000 fleeing for safety, even as some of them lost their own homes, fire officials said on Sunday. "One of our members stood at the end of his driveway, watched his house burn to the ground, and then put in an 18-hour shift for the rest of the city," captain Nick Waddington, 37, said by phone from Fort McMurray, which is still off-limits to the public and guarded by police. "This is our home." For each of the first two days, firefighters worked as many as 24 hours straight, inhaled smoke and coped with cuts, bruises and sore feet.

Judge in Mexico seeks 'El Chapo' extraditon to US Posted: 08 May 2016 02:20 PM PDT Hours before Mexican authorities transferred drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to a prison in Ciudad Juarez, a federal judge ruled he should be extradited to the United States, Guzman's lawyer said Sunday. The request would now have to be approved by the Mexican Foreign Ministry, with Guzman in the northern city's prison near the US border. Guzman is accused of crimes including smuggling tons of drugs into the United States by boat, submarine, airplane and an extensive network of tunnels under the border.

Canada wildfires now advancing more slowly Posted: 08 May 2016 02:18 PM PDT Raging forest fires that prompted the evacuation of an entire Canadian city were advancing more slowly Sunday thanks to a change in the weather and oil facilities have escaped major damage, officials said. Alberta premier Rachel Notley and other officials said the fires raging for days around Fort McMurray were moving "much, much more slowly" thanks to a bit of rain and cooler temperatures. The ruthless blaze, fanned by high winds and fueled by tinder-dry conditions, devastated Fort McMurray and the region around it.

New prison for drug boss 'El Chapo' is Mexico's worst-rated Posted: 08 May 2016 02:14 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — The northern prison where authorities suddenly transferred convicted drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is rated as the worst in Mexico's federal penitentiary system for inmate conditions and other factors, according to the government's own reporting.

Director tells British TV awards: 'Stand up and fight!' Posted: 08 May 2016 02:04 PM PDT DUBLIN (AP) — Rarely has an awards show begun on such a rousing note.

Fort McMurray moms celebrate 'bittersweet' Mother's Day Posted: 08 May 2016 02:01 PM PDT A big burly man jumps up from his seat at a Canadian fire evacuation center Sunday muttering a profanity, and rushes to a firefighter who is distributing flowers for Mother's Day. Several children also mob the firefighter, Laura Pereira, and ask the same. "It's Mother's Day and they need to be honored no matter what," Pereira told AFP.

High-ranking jihadist arrested: Mali security sources Posted: 08 May 2016 01:55 PM PDT "Yacouba Toure, number two in the Ansar Dine of the South terrorist group, was arrested on Thursday outside Bamako," a security source told AFP. The arrest follows that of Souleymane Keita, described as the top jihadist leader in southern Mali, in March. Keita has been linked to the Ansar Dine group, which was one of three Islamist factions that conquered vast swathes of the country's north in 2012 before being repelled by French troops.

Greek police fire tear gas as thousands protest over reform vote Posted: 08 May 2016 01:53 PM PDT Greek riot police fired tear gas to disperse petrol bomb-throwing protesters in Athens Sunday as thousands took to the streets in anti-austerity demos ahead of a vote by lawmakers on a controversial tax and pensions overhaul. Hooded youths lobbed flares and Molotov cocktails at officers who responded with volleys of tear gas, AFP reporters saw in clashes outside the parliament in the early evening, where some 10,000 protesters turned out to show their anger at the latest reforms demanded by Greece's creditors. Police said more than 18,000 people rallied over the course of the day in the Greek capital, while around 8,000 turned out in the second city of Thessaloniki against the measures demanded by the EU and IMF and which the government is seeking to adopt ahead of a crunch meeting of eurozone creditors on Monday.

Haiti drill preps city of Cap Haitien for major earthquake, tsunami Posted: 08 May 2016 01:45 PM PDT Cap-Haïtien (Haiti) (AFP) - A school gymnasium fills with hundreds of students seeking shelter from an earthquake and tsunami, with whistles at the ready in case they are trapped by rubble and need to be rescued. Haiti's second-largest city of Cap Haitien is extremely vulnerable, located on the country's northern coast between two major seismic faults. "This is only an exercise and you can already see the stress among the people," said Pierre Betonus, a geologist working in the emergency operations center where information about the fictional quake and tsunami streamed in continuously.

Canada thrash Hungary for second win in ice hockey championships Posted: 08 May 2016 01:30 PM PDT Reigning champions Canada swept past promoted Hungary 7-1 in their ice hockey world championship Group B encounter in Saint Petersburg to make it two wins from two on Sunday. Defenceman Michael Matheson collected a goal and two assists, while Colorado Avalanche goalie Calvin Pickard made 21 saves on his debut for Canada, who notched their 12th consecutive win at the worlds. Winnipeg centre Mark Scheifele and skipper Corey Perry put Canada two goals in front, before Istvan Bartalis narrowed their lead in the first period.

Turkey left to fight Islamic State alone, Erdogan says Posted: 08 May 2016 01:18 PM PDT Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday accused the international coalition battling the Islamic State group in Syria of leaving his country to fight the jihadists alone on its own soil. "They have left us alone in our struggle against this organisation which is shedding our blood both through suicide bombings and by attacks on Kilis," he said, referring to a Turkish border town regularly targeted by rockets fired from Syria. "In Syria none of those who say they are fighting Daesh (Islamic State) have suffered the kind of losses that we have, nor paid such a heavy price as us," added Erdogan, speaking at a film contest in Istanbul.

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