Yahoo! News: World News

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• North Korea nuclear test draws threat of sanctions, despite H-bomb doubts
• China again lands planes on disputed island in South China Sea: Xinhua
• A year after 'Je suis Charlie', a divided France struggles
• Obama, Abadi discuss concern over Saudi Arabia execution in call
• Gunfire celebration in Kabul after dramatic Afghanistan win
• Britain's 'shoddy' security under fire after militant slips away to Islamic State
• War crimes suspect sentenced in Ohio for lying on documents
• Egypt Christians celebrate Christmas amid tight security
• California governor declares LA-area gas leak an emergency
• A rebranded Saab at the center of China's green car push
• Trump to scrap UK investments if barred from Britain
• Cuban migrants to fly out of Costa Rica next week
• Venezuela opposition swears in lawmakers barred by court
• U.S. wildfires burned record area in 2015: Agriculture Department
• US raids on illegal migrants alarm Central American nations
• Japanese, U.S. leaders phone talks over North Korea's nuclear test: Kyodo
• Top Asian News 11:54 p.m. GMT
• North Korea nuclear test poses sanctions dilemma for major powers
• Drogba denies retirement report
• Venezuela opposition sets out to oust government
• North Korea test draws threat of sanctions despite H-bomb doubts
• Terence Crawford will defend title against Lundy on Feb. 27
• Jamaica homicides jump 20 pct, to highest level in 5 years
• Guatemala arrests 17 ex-military over civil war abuses
• Ghana takes in 2 Yemenis released from Guantanamo by US
• American charged in bombing attack on US base in Afghanistan
• Alleged top Mexican cartel member pleads guilty in Atlanta
• House leaders discussing vote to tighten North Korea sanctions: sources
• Day has his own act to follow at Kapalua
• Widely used pesticide can harm bees in some cases -EPA
• Porto slips while Sporting & Benfica romp to 6-0 wins
• House Democrats urge rejection of CP bid for Norfolk Southern
• Obama, Iraq's leader work to contain Iran-Saudi fallout
• UK set to schedule school exams around Ramadan: boards
• Cologne divided over who to blame for New Year's assaults
• Lukaku gives Everton semi-final edge over City
• Two Guantanamo detainees transferred to Ghana: Pentagon
• Spieth, Day resume rivalry in Hawaii
• Dodgers to announce signing of Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda

North Korea nuclear test draws threat of sanctions, despite H-bomb doubts Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:59 PM PST By Ju-min Park and Mark Hosenball SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea said it successfully tested a nuclear bomb on Wednesday, drawing threats of further sanctions even though the United States and weapons experts voiced doubts the device was as advanced as the isolated nation claimed. The underground explosion triggered U.S. quake monitors and angered China, putting pressure on Beijing to rein in its neighbor and ally. The test also alarmed Japan, whose leader told U.S. President Barack Obama in a phone call that a firm global response was needed, Kyodo news agency said.

China again lands planes on disputed island in South China Sea: Xinhua Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:26 AM PST China on Wednesday landed two test flights on an island it has built in the South China Sea, four days after it angered Vietnam with a landing on the same runway in the disputed territory, the Xinhua state news agency said. The two flights are likely to spark further condemnation from Vietnam, which launched a formal diplomatic protest over the weekend, and the Philippines, which said it was planning to do the same. Both countries have claims to the area that overlap with that of China, which claims almost the whole of the South China Sea.

A year after 'Je suis Charlie', a divided France struggles Posted: 05 Jan 2016 10:51 PM PST By Ingrid Melander PARIS (Reuters) - One year on, an anxious, fragmented France is paying tribute to the victims of the killings at Charlie Hebdo magazine, with old divisions made worse by what President Francois Hollande has called "a terrible year". The slogan "Je suis Charlie," a defiant cry of solidarity that appeared everywhere immediately after the killings, is little seen a year on. There are several Frances and they are clashing," he said, describing a France of big cities turned towards the future, a rustbelt France that feels crushed by globalization, and a France of housing estates that feels forgotten.

Obama, Abadi discuss concern over Saudi Arabia execution in call Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:40 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Wednesday discussed their "mutual concern" over Saudi Arabia's execution of Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr and attacks on Saudi Arabia's embassy in Iran, the White House said. "They agreed on the need for all regional parties to demonstrate restraint, avoid provocative rhetoric or behavior, and avoid a worsening of sectarian tensions," the White House said in a statement. "They agreed on the importance that all parties maintain diplomatic engagement and dialogue. ...

Gunfire celebration in Kabul after dramatic Afghanistan win Posted: 06 Jan 2016 12:19 PM PST Heavy gunfire rang out in celebration in Kabul after Afghanistan's cricket team secured a last-gasp victory over Zimbabwe on Wednesday to win a one-day series in Sharjah. With only three balls remaining, Gulbadin Naib hit a six to clinch a narrow win and prompt delirious scenes in the Afghan capital, where heavily-armed cricket fans fired automatic rifles into the air. Security forces in Kabul have been on high alert since a string of suicide bomb attacks claimed by the Taliban over recent days and police had appealed to sports fans not to fire weapons to celebrate.

Britain's 'shoddy' security under fire after militant slips away to Islamic State Posted: 06 Jan 2016 05:41 AM PST By Guy Faulconbridge LONDON (Reuters) - Six weeks after a British militant who is suspected of being an Islamic State executioner slipped out of the country, police sent a letter asking him to surrender his passport, a security bungle that has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers. Dhar, 32, left Britain for Syria in September 2014 while on police bail after his arrest on suspicion of belonging to a banned group and encouraging terrorism. "The system has failed because it allowed him to abscond to Syria," Andy Burnham, the home affairs spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, said in parliament on Tuesday.

War crimes suspect sentenced in Ohio for lying on documents Posted: 06 Jan 2016 05:07 PM PST CLEVELAND (AP) — A Serbian refugee who admitted to lying on immigration documents about whether he ever engaged in genocide or ethnic cleansing has been sentenced in a U.S. court in Ohio to two years in prison.

Egypt Christians celebrate Christmas amid tight security Posted: 06 Jan 2016 05:00 PM PST CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Christians flocked to churches on Wednesday to attend Masses on Christmas Eve across the predominantly Muslim country, as the government continues to battle a burgeoning Islamic insurgency.

California governor declares LA-area gas leak an emergency Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:56 PM PST By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Governor Jerry Brown on Wednesday declared a Los Angeles-area natural gas leak that has been sickening area residents for more than two months an emergency, calling for alternatives to stop the underground leak if existing efforts fail. Southern California Gas Co, which operates the well that is the site of the underground methane leak, is trying to stop it by drilling a relief well to reach a damaged pipeline, then injecting fluids and heavy mud into it. The leak was discovered on Oct. 23 at a well used for natural gas storage in Aliso Canyon just outside Los Angeles' Porter Ranch neighborhood in the San Fernando valley, which is home to more than 30,000 people.

A rebranded Saab at the center of China's green car push Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:21 PM PST By Norihiko Shirouzu BEIJING (Reuters) - The Swedish automaker once known as Saab has emerged as part of China's push to make electric vehicles a mass-market alternative to petrol cars, after getting a $12 billion order for EVs. Chinese-owned National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) - the company that acquired Saab's assets, though not its name - said it received an order for 250,000 EVs in December from a little known Chinese company. Beijing has created a range of incentives to both attract technology-oriented firms into the EV sector and get the public to buy them.

Trump to scrap UK investments if barred from Britain Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:16 PM PST Donald Trump will scrap $1 billion of planned investments in Britain if he is banned from entering the country, a spokesman for the US politician's business empire said on Wednesday. British lawmakers are expected to debate whether the Republican presidential candidate should be barred from Britain for an alleged "hate speech", a move the Trump Organization said would set a "dangerous precedent". The organisation said the US tycoon had planned to invest a total of £700 million pounds (950 million euros, $1 billion) in two golf courses he owns in Scotland.

Cuban migrants to fly out of Costa Rica next week Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:10 PM PST San José (AFP) - A first group of 180 Cuban migrants stranded in Costa Rica is to fly out of the country next Tuesday to continue their journey through Central America and Mexico to new lives in the US, officials said. If the trip is deemed a success, most if not all the 7,800 Cubans stuck in Costa Rica will be following, under an agreement struck last week between several Central American nations. Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel Gonzalez told a news conference on Wednesday that "the beginning of the pilot plan will take place on January 12 with a second flight planned for a week later.

Venezuela opposition swears in lawmakers barred by court Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:07 PM PST CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's new opposition congress on Wednesday swore in three lawmakers barred by the Supreme Court from taking their seats, setting up a direct confrontation with the ruling socialists in this economically struggling country.

U.S. wildfires burned record area in 2015: Agriculture Department Posted: 06 Jan 2016 04:05 PM PST U.S. wildfires burned a record 10.1 million acres (4.09 million hectares) in 2015 and the Forest Service spent 52 percent of its budget fighting fires, the Agriculture Department said on Wednesday. The states of Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington were especially hard hit. The 2015 fires included more than 20 that topped 100,000 acres (40,500 hectares), the department said in a statement.

US raids on illegal migrants alarm Central American nations Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:58 PM PST Central American nations Wednesday received some of the first groups of their citizens deported under tough new raids in the United States against illegal immigrants carried out by President Barack Obama's administration. In Guatemala, four mothers and 10 children aged two to 17 sent back walked off a plane that had arrived at a military airbase on the outskirts of the capital. One old man outside the base waiting for his niece and her two children in the group, Alfredo Vicente, told AFP about how US immigration officials had knocked at her door in Atlanta asking for her and then arrested her.

Japanese, U.S. leaders phone talks over North Korea's nuclear test: Kyodo Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:58 PM PST TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by telephone about North Korea's nuclear test, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday. The two leaders promised close cooperation over their responses to the nuclear test, Kyodo said. North Korea said on Wednesday it had successfully conducted the nuclear test, drawing threats of further sanctions even though the United States and weapons experts voiced doubts the device was as advanced as the isolated nation claimed. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Paul Tait)

Top Asian News 11:54 p.m. GMT Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:54 PM PST SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea's declaration that it had tested a hydrogen bomb for the first time was greeted with widespread condemnation — but also skepticism — as world powers vowed Wednesday to punish the impoverished and defiant nation with new international sanctions. The isolated country's fourth nuclear test since 2006 was a "reckless challenge to international norms of behavior and the authority of the U.N. Security Council," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft. The council met in an emergency session and called the test "a clear violation" of its resolutions. It agreed to start work immediately on a resolution for new sanctions.

North Korea nuclear test poses sanctions dilemma for major powers Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:47 PM PST By David Brunnstrom and Joel Schectman WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidates and members of Congress demanded more sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday after its latest nuclear test, but major powers will likely be reluctant to take the tough steps necessary to force Pyongyang to abandon its weapons program, former U.S. officials and analysts said. North Korea is already under a wide array of international sanctions, and diplomats said U.N. Security Council members were expected to discuss the possibility of adding to these in coming days. Asia analysts said China would likely support more U.N. sanctions, even though it is North Korea's neighbor and main ally, but within limits, for fear of destabilizing what has long been a physical buffer between it and U.S.-backed South Korea.

Drogba denies retirement report Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:40 PM PST Didier Drogba denied reports of his retirement on Wednesday, saying he had not yet taken a decision over his future amid speculation about a possible coaching role with former club Chelsea. The Montreal Impact striker said he was still in discussions with the Major League Soccer outfit, who he joined last year. "Lovely to receive these messages but I have not yet announced my retirement & am still in discussion with @impactmontreal about my future," Drogba wrote on Twitter.

Venezuela opposition sets out to oust government Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:33 PM PST Venezuela's opposition laid claim Wednesday to a big legislative majority that could empower it to oust President Nicolas Maduro. The opposition has vowed to find a way to get rid of Maduro within six months. It has taken control of the National Assembly for the first time since 1999, the year the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez came to power.

North Korea test draws threat of sanctions despite H-bomb doubts Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:30 PM PST By Ju-min Park and Mark Hosenball SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea said it successfully tested a powerful nuclear bomb on Wednesday, drawing threats of further sanctions even though the United States and weapons experts voiced doubts the device was as advanced as the isolated nation claimed. The underground explosion shook the earth so hard that it registered as a seismic event with U.S. earthquake monitors. It put pressure on China to rein in neighbouring North Korea.

Terence Crawford will defend title against Lundy on Feb. 27 Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:28 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Unbeaten Terence "Bud" Crawford will defend his WBO junior welterweight title against Hank Lundy on Feb. 27 at Madison Square Garden.

Jamaica homicides jump 20 pct, to highest level in 5 years Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:26 PM PST KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Violent rivalries among Jamaica's lottery scam rings have helped drive the Caribbean island's homicide rate to the highest level in five years, according to police.

Guatemala arrests 17 ex-military over civil war abuses Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:21 PM PST The Guatemalan security forces Wednesday arrested 17 retired military personnel accused of massacres and other human rights abuses during the Central American country's 1960-1996 civil war, prosecutors said. Of the suspects, 13 are accused of involvement in at least 88 massacres of indigenous people between 1981 and 1986, top prosecutor Thelma Aldana told a news conference. Four others are accused of the disappearance of a boy, Marco Antonio Molina Theissen, near the capital Guatemala City in October 1981.

Ghana takes in 2 Yemenis released from Guantanamo by US Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:04 PM PST ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Two men who were captured by the U.S. in Afghanistan and held at the base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for nearly 14 years without charge have been released and sent to this West African nation for resettlement, officials said Wednesday.

American charged in bombing attack on US base in Afghanistan Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:02 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. citizen is facing new charges he helped build explosives for a 2009 suicide attack on an American military base in Afghanistan.

Alleged top Mexican cartel member pleads guilty in Atlanta Posted: 06 Jan 2016 03:01 PM PST ATLANTA (AP) — A former Texas high school football player whom authorities say rose from petty street dealer to the top ranks of a Mexican drug cartel was responsible for sending truckloads of cocaine across the border for distribution in the eastern U.S., prosecutors said.

House leaders discussing vote to tighten North Korea sanctions: sources Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:55 PM PST By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives are considering a vote as soon as next week on long-delayed legislation to broaden sanctions against North Korea through stiffer punishments on foreign companies doing business with Pyongyang, U.S. congressional sources said on Wednesday. Representatives Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Eliot Engel, the top Democrat on the panel, introduced the measure early last year and it was passed by the committee in February. The chamber's Republican leaders did not bring the measure up for a vote in 2015, but North Korea's announcement on Wednesday it had tested a powerful nuclear bomb left lawmakers clamoring for a strong U.S. response.

Day has his own act to follow at Kapalua Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:54 PM PST KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Jordan Spieth isn't the only player with a tough act to follow.

Widely used pesticide can harm bees in some cases -EPA Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:52 PM PST By P.J. Huffstutter CHICAGO (Reuters) - An insecticide widely used on cotton plants and citrus groves can harm bees that come into contact with those crops under certain conditions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday. The agency said a preliminary risk assessment of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide chemically similar to nicotine, found that chemical residues of more than 25 parts per billion would likely harm bees and their hives and result in the bees producing less honey. The EPA, which collaborated with California's Department of Pesticide Regulation, said data showed imidacloprid residues in pollen and nectar above that threshold level in citrus and cotton crops.

Porto slips while Sporting & Benfica romp to 6-0 wins Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:52 PM PST LISBON, Portugal (AP) — While leader Sporting Lisbon and defending champion Benfica both laid down 6-0 wins on Wednesday, FC Porto drew 1-1 against Rio Ave to slip to third place in the Portuguese league.

House Democrats urge rejection of CP bid for Norfolk Southern Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:52 PM PST Two senior Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives urged federal regulators on Wednesday to reject any acquisition of railroad operator Norfolk Southern Corp by Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. In a Jan. 6 letter to the Surface Transportation Board, senior Democrats on the House Transportation Committee warned that an acquisition would reduce competition and exacerbate shipper concerns about costs. "The board is in the process of responding to the letter," said Dennis Watson, spokesman for the Surface Transportation Board, which can approve or disapprove acquisitions in the railroad industry. The Canadian company in mid-November disclosed its $28 billion offer to buy Norfolk Southern.

Obama, Iraq's leader work to contain Iran-Saudi fallout Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:52 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Iraq's leader are discussing ways to prevent a diplomatic dust-up between Saudi Arabia and Iran from exacerbating ongoing sectarian conflict in Iraq.

UK set to schedule school exams around Ramadan: boards Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:43 PM PST British school examinations are to be timetabled in order not to disadvantage students from the Muslim minority observing Ramadan, exam boards said Wednesday. GCSEs, taken by 16-year-olds, and A-Levels, taken by 18-year-olds, in core subjects such as English and mathematics could be set for the beginning of the exam season, before the start of Ramadan, which begins this year in early June. The Joint Council for Qualifications, which represents exam boards, said it would meet "the needs of various groups as far as possible".

Cologne divided over who to blame for New Year's assaults Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:41 PM PST COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — Amid widespread shock over a string of sexual assaults in this cosmopolitan German city on New Year's Eve, the response was divided Wednesday: blame the police or chide the victims, deport criminal foreigners or prevent migrants from entering the country in the first place.

Lukaku gives Everton semi-final edge over City Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:34 PM PST Romelu Lukaku's 19th goal of the season gave Everton a 2-1 win over Manchester City in their League Cup semi-final first leg clash on Wednesday. Everton haven't lifted a trophy since the 1995 FA Cup but they took a step closer to Wembley and a possible repeat of their 1984 League Cup final with local rivals Liverpool thanks to Lukaku's late winner. Liverpool lead Stoke 1-0 from the first leg of their semi-final and Manchester City will still be hopeful of turning this tie round as they look to repeat their 2014 success in the competition.

Two Guantanamo detainees transferred to Ghana: Pentagon Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:20 PM PST Two Guantanamo Bay detainees have been transferred from the US military prison to Ghana, the Pentagon said Wednesday, bringing the controversial facility's remaining population down to 105. Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih al-Dhuby, both from Yemen, are the first detainees to be sent anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, Pentagon spokesman Commander Gary Ross told AFP. The duo will be monitored and the Pentagon is confident they do not pose a threat, Ross said.

Spieth, Day resume rivalry in Hawaii Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:18 PM PST World number one Jordan Spieth and Australian superstar Jason Day will resume their thrilling rivalry on Thursday as the first PGA Tour event of 2016 tees off in Hawaii at the $5.9 million Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Spieth launches his 2016 campaign determined to extend his scintillating run of form from last season, when he won the Masters and the US Open, finished fourth in the British Open and second in the US PGA Championship. The Texan arrived in Hawaii relaxed after a three-week break -- and revealed he is not attaching any significance to the advent of the new year.

Dodgers to announce signing of Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda Posted: 06 Jan 2016 02:12 PM PST LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Dodgers are set to announce the signing of free-agent Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda.

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