Yahoo! News: World News

---

• Iraq militia fighters join battle for Syria's Aleppo
• Exclusive: ACT partners with test-prep firms despite signs of cheating in Asia
• U.S., Russia 'not there yet' on Syria deal: State Department
• U.S. says Libya close to eliminating Islamic State from Sirte
• Tensions over South China Sea belie summit cordiality
• Russian jet came within 10 feet of U.S. spy plane: U.S. officials
• Paralympic Games open to theme: 'Heart knows no limits'
• Syrian opposition says to reject any U.S./Russia deal unlike own plan
• Temer heckled and booed in first events as Brazil president
• Top Asian News 1:01 a.m. GMT
• Father of former Nigeria militant dies following military incursion
• NFL's Goodell doesn't agree with Kaepernick's actions
• Charge revoked for suspect in Mexico student disappearance
• Tesla says Autopilot system not to blame for Dutch crash
• Crotty returns to All Blacks lineup in Rugby Championship
• Hall of Fame boxer Bobby Chacon dies at 64
• Israel strikes Syrian positions after shell lands in Golan-army
• Israel: Rise of social media linked to rising anti-Semitism
• Fresh protests press Maduro in tense Venezuela crisis
• Gong Show: After let call, Murray loses to Nishikori at Open
• US Open Glance
• Boston University student from China hit, killed by train
• Barcelona arrives in New York looking to expand US market
• Maoists push back against modernizing China
• Terror link over gas cylinders found in Paris car
• Weakened Newton brings rain, humidity to Southwest
• Puerto Rico legislator ends re-election bid under pressure
• Mexico president replaces finance minister after damaging Trump visit
• U.S. Republicans seek to tie Syria refugee issue to spending bill
• 4 Puerto Rico police officers face civil rights charges
• US clears way for cleanup of Colorado mine after huge spill
• Mexico hunts for suspects who downed police chopper
• Obama meets Duterte after 'whore' slur
• North Dakota pipeline fight gives spark to Native American activism
• 38 dead, 92,000 left homeless by Niger floods
• Oklahoma Sept. 3 earthquake was strongest recorded in state -USGS
• Apple unveils iPhone 7 but some still waiting for iPhone 8
• Ecuador begins pumping oil in Amazon nature reserve
• Protests against new Brazilian president in dozens of cities

Iraq militia fighters join battle for Syria's Aleppo Posted: 07 Sep 2016 10:07 AM PDT By Angus McDowall and Ahmed Rasheed BEIRUT/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi Shi'ite militia said on Wednesday it had dispatched more than 1,000 fighters to the frontline in neighboring Syria, escalating foreign involvement in the battle for Aleppo, the biggest prize in five years of relentless civil war. New footage emerged of civilians choking in the aftermath of an apparent attack with poison chlorine gas on an opposition-held district as the battle for Syria's biggest city approaches what could be a decisive phase. Aleppo has been divided for years into government and rebel sectors, but President Bashar al-Assad's army has put the opposition areas under siege and now hopes to capture the whole city in what would be a devastating blow to his enemies.

Exclusive: ACT partners with test-prep firms despite signs of cheating in Asia Posted: 07 Sep 2016 12:46 PM PDT By Steve Stecklow, Alexandra Harney and Ju-min Park LONDON/SHANGHAI/SEOUL (Reuters) - Standardized testing giant ACT Inc continues to partner with Asian test-preparation operators, despite widespread cheating at overseas education centers it licenses. The maker of America's most popular college entrance exam approved South Korea's Seoul Scholars International school to administer the ACT test this year, Reuters found, even though the school is owned by a company that offers test-preparation services. In the past year, ACT Inc has also licensed a Chinese company to operate an "ACT Club" to promote the test in China.

U.S., Russia 'not there yet' on Syria deal: State Department Posted: 07 Sep 2016 02:40 PM PDT By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Russia have not reached a ceasefire deal for Syria, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday, saying it could not confirm Moscow's announcement that the U.S. and Russian foreign ministers would meet in Geneva on Thursday. "We're not there yet," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone for 45 minutes.

U.S. says Libya close to eliminating Islamic State from Sirte Posted: 07 Sep 2016 01:56 PM PDT U.S.-backed Libyan forces are close to vanquishing Islamic State from its last holdouts in the city of Sirte, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Wednesday. Carter said forces aligned with Libya's U.N.-backed government, who have been aided by U.S. air strikes since the beginning of August, had cornered Islamic State in one small section of the city. "I expect that they'll eliminate .... remaining opposition shortly," Carter told a news conference in London.

Tensions over South China Sea belie summit cordiality Posted: 07 Sep 2016 02:21 PM PDT By Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Manuel Mogato VIENTIANE (Reuters) - The Philippines said on Wednesday it was "gravely concerned" that Chinese boats were preparing to build structures at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, shattering an appearance of cordiality at an Asian summit in Laos. There was no reference to a July ruling by an court in The Hague that declared illegal some of China's artificial islands and invalidated its claims to almost the entire waterway. "We believe that this is a precursor to possible building of structures on the shoal," spokesman Arsenio Andolong said in Manila, adding that a denial by China's ambassador was "even more disturbing." "We are gravely concerned," he said.

Russian jet came within 10 feet of U.S. spy plane: U.S. officials Posted: 07 Sep 2016 12:36 PM PDT By Idrees Ali and Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON/BERLIN (Reuters) - A Russian fighter jet carried out an "unsafe and unprofessional" intercept of a U.S. spy plane over the Black Sea and came within 10 feet (3.05 meters) of the American aircraft, two U.S. defense officials said on Wednesday. The incident is likely to cause more tension between the United States and Russia, who are at odds over the Syrian civil war and Ukraine. Officials were talking with the pilot and reviewing the incident to determine whether it would be included in an annual meeting of U.S. and Russian officials about more serious intercepts, the official added.

Paralympic Games open to theme: 'Heart knows no limits' Posted: 07 Sep 2016 06:01 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Paralympic Games opened Wednesday with 4,350 athletes demonstrating first-hand their creed: "The heart knows no limits; everybody has a heart."

Syrian opposition says to reject any U.S./Russia deal unlike own plan Posted: 07 Sep 2016 06:00 PM PDT By William James LONDON (Reuters) - Syria's main opposition negotiating group would reject any deal struck by Russia and the United States on Syria's fate that was very different from its own proposed transition plan, the group's general coordinator Riyad Hijab said on Wednesday. The High Negotiations Committee, which is backed by Saudi Arabia and Western powers and has been involved in stalled U.N.-mediated peace talks, presented its road map to a new political settlement for Syria at a meeting in London. It would require President Bashar al-Assad to leave office at the end of those six months.

Temer heckled and booed in first events as Brazil president Posted: 07 Sep 2016 05:56 PM PDT Protesters jeered Brazil's new President Michel Temer on Wednesday as he participated in the county's Independence Day parade in Brasilia and the opening ceremonies of the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, his first official events since taking office on Aug. 31. Protesters at the events and in nearly a dozen other state capitals across Brazil were shouting "Temer Out" and "Usurper". Police in Brasilia estimated the number of protesters gathered in the nation's capital at about 600, relatively small compared with protests that brought millions to the streets on occasion over the last two years of impeached President Dilma Rousseff's administration.

Top Asian News 1:01 a.m. GMT Posted: 07 Sep 2016 06:01 PM PDT VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — President Barack Obama and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte met informally on Wednesday in a holding room before attending a gala dinner at a regional summit, Philippine officials said. The brief meeting took a little sting out of the soured relations caused by Duterte's intemperate language in referring to Obama earlier this week. That had caused Obama to cancel a formal meeting scheduled for Tuesday. There was no immediate confirmation from the White House. Philippine Foreign Secretary Pefecto Yasay told The Associated Press that the leaders had met. "They met at the holding room and they were the last persons to leave the holding room.

Father of former Nigeria militant dies following military incursion Posted: 07 Sep 2016 05:37 PM PDT The father of a former Nigerian militant leader has died after sustaining injuries during a government military campaign aimed at halting attacks on infrastructure in the oil-producing Delta region, his spokesman said late on Wednesday. Government Ekpemupolo, known as Tompolo, is a commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a group that spearheaded attacks on oil and gas installations in Nigeria's Delta region in the early 2000s until a government amnesty program halted the attacks by offering contracts to protect pipelines and oil production equipment. The violence has shut down more than 700,000 barrels per day of oil production and exacerbated an economic crisis in a nation reeling from its first recession in two decades.

NFL's Goodell doesn't agree with Kaepernick's actions Posted: 07 Sep 2016 05:36 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell disagrees with Colin Kaepernick's choice to kneel during the national anthem, but recognizes the quarterback's right to protest.

Charge revoked for suspect in Mexico student disappearance Posted: 07 Sep 2016 05:29 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — An appeals court in Mexico revoked organized crime charges against one of the key suspects in the disappearance of 43 college students two years ago, after the man claimed he was tortured by police and prosecution agents.

Tesla says Autopilot system not to blame for Dutch crash Posted: 07 Sep 2016 05:24 PM PDT THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Tesla Motors says the Model S sedan involved in a fatal crash in the Netherlands wasn't operating in the company's semi-autonomous Autopilot mode and was going more than 96 miles per hour when it crashed.

Crotty returns to All Blacks lineup in Rugby Championship Posted: 07 Sep 2016 05:22 PM PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Ryan Crotty will return from injury in midfield in the only change to the All Blacks' starting lineup for Saturday's Rugby Championship test against Argentina in Hamilton.

Hall of Fame boxer Bobby Chacon dies at 64 Posted: 07 Sep 2016 05:21 PM PDT LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (AP) — Hall of Fame boxer Bobby Chacon died Wednesday under hospice care for dementia. He was 64.

Israel strikes Syrian positions after shell lands in Golan-army Posted: 07 Sep 2016 05:11 PM PDT Israeli aircraft attacked targets in Syria on Thursday, for the second time in five days, after an errant mortar shell from fighting among factions in Syria struck the Golan Heights, the Israeli military said. No casualties from the shellfire were reported and a statement by the military spokesman's office said "the Israeli air force targeted Syrian armed forces mortar launchers in the northern Syrian Golan Heights." The area is close to where fighting in the Syrian civil war is taking place.

Israel: Rise of social media linked to rising anti-Semitism Posted: 07 Sep 2016 05:07 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Israel's U.N. ambassador demanded Wednesday that media companies "stop providing a platform for hate sites," saying there is a clear link between the rise of social media and the rise of anti-Semitism.

Fresh protests press Maduro in tense Venezuela crisis Posted: 07 Sep 2016 04:18 PM PDT Thousands of Venezuelans staged rival demonstrations Wednesday for and against President Nicolas Maduro in a new test of strength as the opposition pushes for a vote on driving him from power. Oil giant Venezuela's once-booming economy has gone into meltdown as crude prices have crashed since mid-2014. Outrage is mounting over shortages of food and medicine, threatening Maduro and the socialist "revolution" his late predecessor, Hugo Chavez, launched in 1999.

Gong Show: After let call, Murray loses to Nishikori at Open Posted: 07 Sep 2016 04:18 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Andy Murray lost his way, seven consecutive games and, eventually, his riveting five-set U.S. Open quarterfinal against Kei Nishikori after a loud noise from a malfunctioning sound system interrupted a key point, resulting in a do-over.

US Open Glance Posted: 07 Sep 2016 04:17 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A look at Wednesday's play in the $46.3 million U.S. Open tennis championships:

Boston University student from China hit, killed by train Posted: 07 Sep 2016 04:15 PM PDT BOSTON (AP) — A 17-year-old Boston University student from China has been struck and killed by a commuter train in Boston.

Barcelona arrives in New York looking to expand US market Posted: 07 Sep 2016 04:11 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Barcelona's official motto is "mes que un Club", or "more than a club" in the Catalan language.

Maoists push back against modernizing China Posted: 07 Sep 2016 04:04 PM PDT By Ben Blanchard BEIJING (Reuters) - Tears well up in Wang Shiji's eyes as he describes the first time he saw Mao Zedong, waving to a crowd of Red Guards in Beijing at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966 when Mao declared class war. "It was then I decided to give my life to Chairman Mao," Wang, a former soldier, told Reuters. "I swore to live and die as a Red Guard and that is what I will always be." For Wang, all of China's current problems, from corruption to a growing rich-poor gap, can be traced to the landmark economic reforms ushered in by Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s after Mao's death, reforms he terms "revisionism".

Terror link over gas cylinders found in Paris car Posted: 07 Sep 2016 03:30 PM PDT French police were holding a couple with links to radical Islam on Wednesday after gas cylinders were found in a car near Paris's Notre Dame cathedral, sources close to the investigation said. Anti-terror investigators have launched a probe and the man and woman, both known to security services, were arrested Tuesday on a motorway in southern France. The car's owner, known to authorities for his Islamist preaching, was released on Tuesday evening.

Weakened Newton brings rain, humidity to Southwest Posted: 07 Sep 2016 03:30 PM PDT PHOENIX (AP) — Less intense remnants of Tropical Storm Newton brought rain, powerful winds and uncharacteristically high humidity to desert cities in Arizona on Wednesday after pummeling the Mexican resort city of Cabo San Lucas and killing four people.

Puerto Rico legislator ends re-election bid under pressure Posted: 07 Sep 2016 03:24 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A federal corruption trial in Puerto Rico has dealt another blow to the U.S. territory's ruling party.

Mexico president replaces finance minister after damaging Trump visit Posted: 07 Sep 2016 03:22 PM PDT By Dave Graham MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday replaced his close ally and finance minister, Luis Videgaray, after the two were heavily criticized for Republican U.S presidential candidate Donald Trump's controversial visit to Mexico last week. A somber-looking Pena Nieto told a news conference that Videgaray, who officials said was the architect of Trump's visit, would make way for former Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade.

U.S. Republicans seek to tie Syria refugee issue to spending bill Posted: 07 Sep 2016 03:21 PM PDT Some conservative U.S. Republican lawmakers want to tie President Barack Obama's Syrian refugee resettlement program to a spending bill that must pass in order to keep the federal government open after the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. In a move that could complicate congressional leaders' efforts to pass the bill on time, members of the House of Representatives' conservative "Freedom Caucus" said they would support a temporary spending measure if it includes a moratorium on admitting the Syrians to the United States. Republican Representative John Fleming, a caucus member, said putting limits on Syrian refugees is a "high priority" for the group.

4 Puerto Rico police officers face civil rights charges Posted: 07 Sep 2016 03:20 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Four Puerto Rico police officers have been charged with civil rights violations and obstruction of justice in the latest hit against a department undergoing a federally mandated overhaul.

US clears way for cleanup of Colorado mine after huge spill Posted: 07 Sep 2016 03:19 PM PDT DENVER (AP) — A Colorado mine that spewed 3 million gallons of contaminated wastewater into rivers in three Western states was designated a Superfund site Wednesday, clearing the way for a multimillion-dollar federal cleanup.

Mexico hunts for suspects who downed police chopper Posted: 07 Sep 2016 03:18 PM PDT Troops and police hunted Wednesday for gang suspects who shot down a police helicopter in western Mexico, killing five aboard in a clash highlighting the government's struggle to quell violence in the region. The suspects apparently used a high-powered, .50-caliber Barrett rifle to bring down the helicopter chasing them in Michoacan state on Tuesday, said National Security Commissioner Renato Sales. The pilot and three state police officers died at the site.

Obama meets Duterte after 'whore' slur Posted: 07 Sep 2016 03:17 PM PDT Barack Obama met briefly with Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, their two governments said, days after the firebrand politician branded the US president a "son of a whore". Obama cancelled Tuesday's planned meeting with Duterte on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-hosted summit after the notoriously acid-tongued Philippine president launched a barrage of insults the previous day.

North Dakota pipeline fight gives spark to Native American activism Posted: 07 Sep 2016 03:07 PM PDT By Andrew Cullen and Ruthy Munoz CANNON BALL, N.D./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Native American tribe's efforts to halt construction of a crude oil pipeline in North Dakota have swelled into a movement, drawing international attention and the support of movie stars and social media, and making a major oil company blink. While the tribe's lawyers work to persuade a federal judge to withdraw permits for the pipeline in a ruling expected on Friday, thousands of protesters gathered at campgrounds near Standing Rock Sioux Tribe lands. "This is a new beginning, not just for our tribe, but for all tribes in this country," said Standing Rock Sioux spokesman Ron His Horse is Thunder, one of the leaders hoping for a rebirth of Native American activism beyond the pipeline battle.

38 dead, 92,000 left homeless by Niger floods Posted: 07 Sep 2016 02:48 PM PDT At least 38 people have been killed and more than 92,000 left homeless since June in disastrous floods in Niger, the United Nations said Wednesday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the deaths, up from a previous government toll of 14, followed torrential rains in August. More than 26,000 livestock have been lost and more than 9,000 homes destroyed, the UN said, citing government figures.

Oklahoma Sept. 3 earthquake was strongest recorded in state -USGS Posted: 07 Sep 2016 02:46 PM PDT (Reuters) - An earthquake in Oklahoma on Sept. 3 was the strongest on record in the state and had a magnitude of 5.8, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Wednesday. It fueled growing concerns about seismic activity linked to a decade-long boom in oil and gas production after advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. The earthquake prompted the state's oil and gas regulator, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, to order 37 disposal wells shut in a 725-square-mile (1,878-sq-km) area around Pawnee.

Apple unveils iPhone 7 but some still waiting for iPhone 8 Posted: 07 Sep 2016 02:45 PM PDT Apple Inc unveiled an iPhone 7 with high-resolution cameras and no headphone jack at its annual launch event Wednesday, though the biggest surprise was the debut of a three-decade-old Nintendo game franchise, Super Mario Bros, on the smartphone. While shares of Apple barely budged, Nintendo's U.S.-listed shares jumped 29 pct on investors' hopes that Super Mario would be another mobile gaming hit for the Japanese company akin to the wildly popular Pokemon Go. Much of the presentation headed by Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook was devoted to technical details of photography, wireless earphones, games from Nintendo, and a new version of Apple watch - with fitness features.

Ecuador begins pumping oil in Amazon nature reserve Posted: 07 Sep 2016 02:34 PM PDT Ecuador began pumping oil Wednesday from a massive field located partly on a protected nature reserve in the Amazon rainforest, drawing criticism from environmentalists and indigenous-rights groups. After years of fraught debate over whether to drill inside the Yasuni national park, state oil company Petroamazonas started pumping crude from the so-called ITT block, which holds more than 40 percent of the South American country's proven reserves. "Today, a new era is beginning, a new oil horizon for all Ecuadorans," said Vice President Jorge Glas at a launch ceremony at the Tiputini oil field -- which forms the ITT block together with the nearby fields of Tambococha and Ishpingo.

Protests against new Brazilian president in dozens of cities Posted: 07 Sep 2016 02:34 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Protests against new Brazilian President Michel Temer are taking place in several dozen cities across the country.

You are subscribed to email updates from World News Headlines - Yahoo News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States