Yahoo! News: World News

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• Obama, in shift, to keep 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan until 2017
• British inquiry slams ex-PM Blair for catalog of failures over Iraq war
• Chef at Bangladesh cafe probably working with attackers: police
• NATO-Russia Council to meet in possible move to ease tensions
• Japan election manifestos free LGBT rights from political closet
• China warns U.S. on sovereignty ahead of South China Sea ruling: Xinhua
• Top Asian News 12:48 a.m. GMT
• UN panel says China is arbitrarily detaining US citizen
• South Korean court orders arrest of Lotte Group founder's daughter
• Blue Jays' Estrada to miss All-Star Game with sore back
• US urges aerial spraying amid jump in Puerto Rico Zika cases
• Watchdog: Cambodian PM's family rules business world, too
• Major League Baseball Capsules
• Hamilton and Rosberg face prospect of team orders at British GP
• District Attorney: Ex-NFL player shot by homeowner justified
• Australian government increases lead in election vote count
• Putin, Obama to 'intensify' coordination in Syria: Kremlin
• Colombian rebel unit says it will not disarm under peace deal
• Nani helps Ronaldo lead Portugal into Euro 2016 final
• Nigerian militant group blow up three Chevron manifolds
• Briton who sought to 'shoot' Trump pleads not guilty
• Court orders release of detained immigrant kids, not parents
• Lions in front as Super Rugby enters final straight
• Zombies out, cool tech in: Climate comics sketch new vision of warmer world
• US soldier pleads guilty to scheme to send guns to Indonesia
• Ronaldo exposes Welsh limitations
• Wales end tired and proud at European Championship
• Burden sharing woes to cloud Obama's trip to NATO summit
• US sanctions North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un for rights abuses
• Obama slows Afghanistan pullout, 8,400 troops to stay
• Blair defends Iraq war after damning inquiry report
• China chides U.N. group over criticism of 'arbitrary' detention
• Ronaldo leads Portugal to 2-0 win vs Wales, into Euro final
• Wales hurt but proud of Euro 2016 semi-final run - Coleman
• Argentina ex-president Kirchner defiant as fraud cases heard
• Ronaldo ends Wales's Euro fairytale with record goal
• Canada, Serbia, Greece into semis in Olympic hoop qualifiers
• Ronaldo wins Bale duel to reach second final with Portugal
• U.S. lawmakers to debate measures to block Boeing aircraft sale to Iran

Obama, in shift, to keep 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan until 2017 Posted: 06 Jul 2016 02:16 PM PDT By Jeff Mason and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday shelved plans to cut the U.S. force in Afghanistan nearly in half by year's end, opting to keep 8,400 troops there through the close of his presidency in January and let his successor determine the path forward. Acknowledging that security in Afghanistan remained precarious and Taliban forces had in some places gained ground, Obama put aside earlier plans to cut the U.S. troop presence from its current level of about 9,800 to 5,500 by the end of 2016. Obama took office in 2009 pledging to wind down the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

British inquiry slams ex-PM Blair for catalog of failures over Iraq war Posted: 06 Jul 2016 01:44 PM PDT By Michael Holden and William James LONDON (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's justification, planning and handling of the Iraq War involved a catalog of failures, a seven-year inquiry concluded on Wednesday in a scathing verdict on Britain's role in the conflict. Eight months before the 2003 invasion, Blair told U.S. President George W. Bush "I will be with you, whatever", eventually sending 45,000 British troops into battle when peace options had not been exhausted, the long-awaited British public inquiry said. More than 13 years since the invasion, Iraq remains in chaos, with large areas under the control of Islamic State militants who have claimed responsibility for attacks on Western cities.

Chef at Bangladesh cafe probably working with attackers: police Posted: 06 Jul 2016 09:10 AM PDT By Ruma Paul and Aditya Kalra DHAKA (Reuters) - A pizza chef killed during a militant attack on a cafe where he worked in Bangladesh's capital city last week was probably in league with the assailants, police said on Wednesday. Saiful Islam Chowkidar carried no arms but was seen "moving and running" with the five gunmen during the 12-hour stand-off, Monirul Islam, the chief of counter-terrorism police, said. On Friday, at least five Bangladeshi men had stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery, a cafe popular with foreigners, businessmen and diplomats and killed 20 customers, including Italians, Japanese, Indians and Americans.

NATO-Russia Council to meet in possible move to ease tensions Posted: 06 Jul 2016 02:57 PM PDT NATO envoys will hold a further formal meeting with Russia on July 13, days after the alliance's summit in Warsaw, in a sign Washington and Moscow want to defuse tensions in Europe. The forum bringing together Russia and its former Cold War adversary NATO last met in April after an almost two-year hiatus as relations sank to their lowest level in decades over Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula. The NATO-Russia Council will meet again at ambassadorial level in Brussels next week following the NATO summit in Warsaw in which Western leaders will cement a new deterrent against what they say is Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Japan election manifestos free LGBT rights from political closet Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:23 PM PDT By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - When openly gay independent candidate Wataru Ishizaka campaigned for a 2007 Tokyo local election, people snickered at his speeches, but now even Japan's conservative ruling party mentions gay rights in its platform for this year's upper house election. By Asian standards, Japanese laws are relatively liberal - homosexual sex has been legal since 1880 - but social attitudes keep the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community largely invisible.

China warns U.S. on sovereignty ahead of South China Sea ruling: Xinhua Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:51 PM PDT China's foreign minister spoke with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry by telephone on Wednesday ahead of a key international court ruling on China's South China Sea claims and warned Washington against moves that infringe on China's sovereignty, Beijing's official Xinhua news agency reported. Xinhua said Wang Yi repeated China's rejection of the jurisdiction of the International Court of Arbitration in a case the Philippines has brought against China's claims to nearly all of the South China Sea, calling it a "farce" that should come to an end.

Top Asian News 12:48 a.m. GMT Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:48 PM PDT NEW DELHI (AP) — A Bangladeshi politician whose son was one of the Dhaka restaurant attackers said Wednesday that many young men from educated families have been missing like his son was for several months before carrying out the deadly attack. Two police officers and 20 hostages — nine Italians, seven Japanese, an Indian and three students at American universities — were killed in the weekend siege at an upscale restaurant in the capital's diplomatic zone. Authorities have said security forces killed six of the attackers and freed 13 hostages in the rescue operation Saturday morning. It was the worst in a recent series of militant attacks in Bangladesh, and the escalating violence has raised global concerns about whether the South Asian country can cope with increasingly strident Islamist militants.

UN panel says China is arbitrarily detaining US citizen Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:48 PM PDT BEIJING (AP) — A U.N. panel says China has arbitrarily detained an American woman in violation of international human rights norms, bringing her case back into public attention ahead of a visit to Beijing by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week.

South Korean court orders arrest of Lotte Group founder's daughter Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:46 PM PDT A South Korean court on Thursday ordered that the daughter of the founder of South Korea's Lotte Group conglomerate be detained on charges including breach of trust and embezzlement, a judge told Reuters. Prosecutors had applied for a detention warrant earlier this week for Shin Young-ja, who is also a director of Lotte Group's hotel unit, said a Seoul Central District Court judge authorized to speak to media. Prosecutors allege Shin received bribes of about 3 billion won ($2.6 million) as requests for preferential treatment for brands in Lotte Duty Free stores, a prosecution source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters earlier this week.

Blue Jays' Estrada to miss All-Star Game with sore back Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:45 PM PDT TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada has gone on the disabled list because of a sore lower back and will not play in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

US urges aerial spraying amid jump in Puerto Rico Zika cases Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:44 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — As many as 50 pregnant women in Puerto Rico are becoming infected with Zika every day, top U.S. health officials said Wednesday as they urged the U.S. territory to strongly consider aerial spraying to prevent further spread of the mosquito-borne virus.

Watchdog: Cambodian PM's family rules business world, too Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:41 PM PDT BANGKOK (AP) — A report by the research and advocacy group Global Witness says that an extensive network of businesses controlled by the family of Cambodia's longtime leader sustains and is sustained by his authoritarian rule, making foreign investment in the country risky.

Major League Baseball Capsules Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:41 PM PDT CHICAGO (AP) — Tucker Barnhart hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off Trevor Cahill in the seventh inning as the Cincinnati Reds beat Chicago 5-3 Wednesday in the Cubs' 12th loss in 17 games.

Hamilton and Rosberg face prospect of team orders at British GP Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:40 PM PDT Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg may face team orders and the eruption of another noisy controversy when they arrive at Silverstone on Thursday ahead of this weekend's keenly-anticipated British Grand Prix. The defending three-time world champion and his championship leading Mercedes team-mate collided on the final lap of last Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, won by Hamilton, after which team chief Toto Wolff threatened team action.

District Attorney: Ex-NFL player shot by homeowner justified Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:33 PM PDT PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) — Officials say the shooting of a former Detroit Lions NFL cornerback at a multimillion-dollar home in Portland, Oregon, last month was justified.

Australian government increases lead in election vote count Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:32 PM PDT CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's conservative government increased its narrow lead over the opposition in vote counting on Thursday after weekend elections turned out too close to call.

Putin, Obama to 'intensify' coordination in Syria: Kremlin Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:23 PM PDT Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama agreed during a telephone call Wednesday to "intensify" military coordination between their two countries in Syria, the Kremlin said. "The two parties have confirmed their desire to intensify coordination between the Russian and American militaries in Syria," the Kremlin said in a statement. Putin also called on Obama to help aid the separation of moderate opposition groups from "terrorist groups like the Al-Nusra front", it said.

Colombian rebel unit says it will not disarm under peace deal Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:20 PM PDT A unit of Colombia's FARC rebel group says it will not lay down arms or demobilize under a potential peace deal with the government, the first public sign of opposition to an accord from within the rebel ranks. The statement by the Armando Rios First Front, a 200-strong rebel unit in the southeastern jungle province of Guaviare, comes nearly two weeks after leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government announced a ceasefire deal at their more than three-year-old peace talks. The unit, which famously held ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American contractors hostage, said the deals being reached at the talks will not solve the social and economic problems which first motivated rebels to take up arms more than five decades ago.

Nani helps Ronaldo lead Portugal into Euro 2016 final Posted: 06 Jul 2016 05:00 PM PDT LYON, France (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo may have guided Portugal into the final of the European Championship, but he needed a little help from an often forgotten forward.

Nigerian militant group blow up three Chevron manifolds Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:57 PM PDT (Reuters) - Nigerian militant group Niger Delta Avengers said on Wednesday that it had blown up Chevron Corp's manifolds RMP 22, 23 and 24. The group said it attacked the manifolds just around 11 p.m. A remote manifold platform (RMP) is where small oil or gas pipelines converge before connecting to a larger storage hub. On July 5, the group said it blew up a well and oil pipelines near the city of Warri in the country's southern oil hub.

Briton who sought to 'shoot' Trump pleads not guilty Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:48 PM PDT A British man pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges linked to his arrest at a Donald Trump rally during which he tried to snatch a policeman's gun. Michael Sandford, 20, entered his plea before a federal judge in Las Vegas, where he was arrested on June 18 at a campaign event for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. According to court documents, Sandford, who had overstayed his visa in the United States, told police that he had tried to snatch an officer's gun at the rally in order to shoot Trump.

Court orders release of detained immigrant kids, not parents Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:34 PM PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that Homeland Security officials must quickly release immigrant children — but not their parents — from family detention centers after being picked up crossing the border without documentation.

Lions in front as Super Rugby enters final straight Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:22 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The tournament-leading Lions host the bottom-of-the-table Kings in the penultimate round of Super Rugby on Friday as the regular season edges towards what some players and officials say is an unfair conclusion.

Zombies out, cool tech in: Climate comics sketch new vision of warmer world Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:21 PM PDT By Laurie Goering LEEDS, England (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Thanks to the success of Hollywood disaster films, from "Waterworld" to "The Day After Tomorrow", it's not hard to imagine an apocalyptic future as climate change takes hold. If you don't have any jeopardy, you don't really have a plot," said James McKay, an engineer who runs a centre for low-carbon technologies and bioenergy at the University of Leeds, in northern England. "If everything's going well, there's not much dramatic tension." But McKay, who for 20 years has moonlighted as a creator of comics, thinks he has found a way to overcome that: through publishing "graphic novels" that paint a picture, in drawings and stories, of a better future.

US soldier pleads guilty to scheme to send guns to Indonesia Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:16 PM PDT CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A U.S. Army soldier who participated in a scheme to buy guns and send them to a security detail for the president and vice president of Indonesia plead guilty Wednesday to several charges in federal court.

Ronaldo exposes Welsh limitations Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:12 PM PDT MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Like fellow underdog Iceland before it, Wales learned the hard lesson that a team needs more than just an abundance of guts and heart to succeed at the pointy end of a major tournament.

Wales end tired and proud at European Championship Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:05 PM PDT LYON, France (AP) — Wales ended its memorable run at the European Championship tired, full of pride and serenaded by devoted fans.

Burden sharing woes to cloud Obama's trip to NATO summit Posted: 06 Jul 2016 04:02 PM PDT By Ayesha Rascoe and Yeganeh Torbati WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will seek to show a united front with his European partners at the NATO summit this week, but the long-standing alliance is facing growing criticism that Europe is not pulling its weight in the coalition. While U.S. officials have complained for years that other NATO members need to spend more on defense, attention to the issue has intensified after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump accused NATO allies of "not paying their fair share" and called the alliance "obsolete." Of the 28 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, only five countries are meeting its target of military spending equal to at least 2 percent of gross domestic product, according to NATO figures.

US sanctions North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un for rights abuses Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:54 PM PDT The United States placed North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on its sanctions blacklist for the first time Wednesday, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. "Under Kim Jong-Un, North Korea continues to inflict intolerable cruelty and hardship on millions of its own people, including extrajudicial killings, forced labor, and torture," said Adam Szubin, Acting Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

Obama slows Afghanistan pullout, 8,400 troops to stay Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:51 PM PDT President Barack Obama on Wednesday put the brakes on the US pullout from Afghanistan, saying 8,400 troops will remain in the war-ravaged country into next year to tackle the threat from a resurgent Taliban. Obama, who was elected in 2008 on a promise to end America's longest war, had previously vowed to slash the US troop presence from its current level of 9,800 to 5,500 by 2017. "Instead of going down to 5,500 troops by the end of this year, the United States will maintain approximately 8,400 troops in Afghanistan into next year through the end of my administration," Obama said.

Blair defends Iraq war after damning inquiry report Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:50 PM PDT Former British prime minister Tony Blair's case for going to war in Iraq in 2003 was based on flawed evidence and woefully executed, a hard-hitting official inquiry pronounced on Wednesday. The long-awaited Chilcot report offered a damning verdict on Britain's role in the US-led war, detailing the flawed intelligence, questionable legal basis and inadequate preparation for the occupation. The report said Britain deployed troops before diplomatic options had been exhausted.

China chides U.N. group over criticism of 'arbitrary' detention Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:46 PM PDT China said on Wednesday U.N. authorities should respect its judicial independence after a U.N. agency said last week that an American businesswoman who is accused of spying in China had been detained arbitrarily. The U.S. State Department said it was concerned about the welfare of Sandy Phan-Gillis of Houston, Texas, who has been held for more than a year without formal charge. It urged China to resolve the case "expeditiously." State Department spokesman John Kirby said that although the ruling of the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was not legally binding, "we would encourage the Government of China to review and consider the opinion and recommendations received..." Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei criticized the U.N. group after it said Phan-Gillis's detention violated international human rights norms and that authorities had not provided evidence for holding her without any specific charges.

Ronaldo leads Portugal to 2-0 win vs Wales, into Euro final Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:43 PM PDT LYON, France (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo had just propelled Portugal into another European Championship final when he made for Gareth Bale, shared a long conversation with his Real Madrid teammate and gave him a sympathetic hug.

Wales hurt but proud of Euro 2016 semi-final run - Coleman Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:43 PM PDT Wales manager Chris Coleman heaped praise on his players for a historic run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals after they bowed out 2-0 to Portugal on Wednesday. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring and then teed up Nani as two goals in three minutes early in the second half in Lyon condemned Wales to defeat in their first ever major tournament semi-final. "It hurts that we lost the semi-final.

Argentina ex-president Kirchner defiant as fraud cases heard Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:41 PM PDT Argentina's ex-president Cristina Kirchner went before a judge Wednesday to hear charges in a fraud case over alleged dodgy dollar transactions when she was leader last year. It is one in a series of politically charged cases against the leftist former leader and her allies launched since her conservative rival Mauricio Macri replaced her in December. Hundreds of armed police guarded the Palace of Justice in Buenos Aires, where the hearings took place.

Ronaldo ends Wales's Euro fairytale with record goal Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:38 PM PDT Cristiano Ronaldo made European Championship history as Portugal ended Wales's extraordinary Euro 2016 journey with a 2-0 semi-final win on Wednesday that sent them into the final. In what was billed as a shootout between Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale, it was the Portugal captain who prevailed, opening the scoring in Lyon with a majestic 50th-minute header that saw him tie France great Michel Platini's record of nine goals at Euro finals.

Canada, Serbia, Greece into semis in Olympic hoop qualifiers Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:33 PM PDT Canada, Serbia and Greece all clinched semifinal berths Wednesday in the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments that determine the final spots in the men's basketball field.

Ronaldo wins Bale duel to reach second final with Portugal Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:13 PM PDT LYON, France (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo was tetchy and grouchy, then majestic.

U.S. lawmakers to debate measures to block Boeing aircraft sale to Iran Posted: 06 Jul 2016 03:10 PM PDT By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. House of Representatives panel will debate legislation on Thursday intended to block Boeing Co's planned sale of dozens of commercial aircraft to Iran, which could also affect other planemakers, including Airbus if they became law. A third measure would bar the Export-Import Bank from financing involving any entity that does business with Iran or provides financing to another entity to facilitate transactions with Iran. "I am extremely concerned that by relaxing the rules, the Obama administration has allowed U.S. companies to be complicit in weaponizing the Iranian regime," Representative Bill Huizenga, chairman of the Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee, said in a statement on Wednesday.

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