Yahoo! News: World News

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• U.S. expects Islamic State to wield chemical weapons in Mosul fight
• Syria rebels reject Aleppo withdrawal after Russian statement
• Yemen Houthis back truce, U.N., U.S. call for aid to flow
• Rocky politics, slow growth loom as Obama, Italy's Renzi meet
• Hong Kong fails to delay pro-independence lawmakers from taking office
• Bernie Sanders' brother Larry campaigns in rural England
• Ranieri irked by Leicester's split personality
• Top Asian News 12:22 a.m. GMT
• Roman coins ID'd in Japanese ruins, but their origin baffles
• Damascus, allies see risks in Mosul campaign
• Student killed fighting for IS group defended man in video
• Syrian president's wife says she was offered a deal to flee Syria
• Deal calls for delay of Congo vote until early 2018
• Smith misses London parade for mosque visits
• The Latest: Michelle Obama shines in Versace at state dinner
• Russia halts Aleppo strikes in "goodwill gesture"
• Australian casino staff detained in China yet to be charged
• Venezuela pushes back opposition-favored regional elections
• Iraq urges U.S.-led coalition to prevent Islamic State escape to Syria
• UN beefs up peacekeeping force in DR Congo capital
• Rooney insists he has a "lot of football left"
• UN seeks to shore up Colombia ceasefire
• Buffon stars for Juventus while Ronaldo draws a rare blank
• Venezuela postpones gubernatorial elections to 2017
• Magnitude 5.8 quake strikes off Dominica island in Lesser Antilles
• Mahrez takes Leicester closer to last 16, Madrid win big
• Madrid cruises past Legia Warsaw in Champions League
• Haiti hurricane victims lose hope of receiving aid
• Survivors, advocates launch U.S.-based anti-trafficking effort
• A long road back to PGA Tour for Fernandez-Castano
• Taiwanese woman, 72, killed in 1-car crash near Lake Tahoe
• Canadian carbon price worries farmers, fertilizer makers
• 'Stop whining,' Obama scolds Trump
• Samir Nasri gives Sevilla 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb
• Kiessling miss gives Spurs a point at Leverkusen
• Imprisoned Saudi blogger faces more lashes: supporters
• Iraq makes gains in 'difficult' assault on IS-held Mosul
• Obama: 'Ciao' to state dinners, Italy gets final one
• Monaco rescues draw against CSKA to Akinfeev's despair

U.S. expects Islamic State to wield chemical weapons in Mosul fight Posted: 18 Oct 2016 04:37 PM PDT By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States expects Islamic State to use crude chemical weapons as it tries to repel an Iraqi-led offensive on the city of Mosul, U.S. officials say, although adding that the group's technical ability to develop such weapons is highly limited. U.S. forces have begun to regularly collect shell fragments to test for possible chemical agents, given Islamic State's use of mustard agent in the months before Monday's launch of the Mosul offensive, one official said. In a previously undisclosed incident, U.S. forces confirmed the presence of a sulfur mustard agent on Islamic State munition fragments on Oct. 5, a second official said.

Syria rebels reject Aleppo withdrawal after Russian statement Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:38 AM PDT Syrian rebels said on Tuesday they rejected any withdrawal of fighters from Aleppo after Russia announced a halt in air raids which it said was designed to allow insurgents to leave and to separate moderate fighters from extremist militants. "The factions completely reject any exit - this is surrender," said Zakaria Malahifji, the political officer of the Aleppo-based Fastaqim group. Al-Farouk Abu Bakr, an Aleppo commander in the powerful Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham, said the rebels would fight on.

Yemen Houthis back truce, U.N., U.S. call for aid to flow Posted: 18 Oct 2016 12:22 PM PDT Yemen's Houthi-run administration welcomed a 72-hour ceasefire starting on Wednesday intended to allow aid to reach areas cut off by months of fighting and in dire humanitarian need. In its first statement on the truce, a governing council composed of the Iranian-allied Houthi group and powerful local allies demanded a Saudi-backed Arab coalition end military attacks and lift curbs on air, sea and land transport. A ceasefire between warring factions will begin at 2359 local time (2059 GMT) on Wednesday, the United Nations said on Monday, raising hopes of an end to a war that has killed thousands of civilians and left people starving.

Rocky politics, slow growth loom as Obama, Italy's Renzi meet Posted: 18 Oct 2016 11:13 AM PDT By Ayesha Rascoe WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama welcomed Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to the White House on Tuesday, using the pomp of the formal state visit to highlight the link between the sluggish European economy and populist discontent in the continent. The spotlight comes at an opportune time for Renzi, who seeks a boost ahead of a constitutional referendum on Dec. 4 that could determine his political future. "I have a feeling, and I think that rightly so, our American friends are a little more interested in November 8 than in the Italian vote on constitutional reform, and so are we, might I add," Renzi said, drawing laughter from the Rose Garden press conference.

Hong Kong fails to delay pro-independence lawmakers from taking office Posted: 18 Oct 2016 10:31 AM PDT By Venus Wu HONG KONG (Reuters) - The Hong Kong government failed in an unprecedented legal attempt on Tuesday to halt the swearing-in of two newly elected lawmakers seeking to push for independence for the autonomous region. High Court Judge Thomas Au rejected its last-ditch request for an injunction against a decision allowing the two lawmakers to re-take their oath of office at Hong Kong's Legislative Council on Wednesday. Yau Wai-ching, 25, and Baggio Leung, 30, were initially barred by legislative authorities last week after pledging their allegiance to the "Hong Kong nation" and displaying a "Hong Kong is not China" banner when they first attempted to take office.

Bernie Sanders' brother Larry campaigns in rural England Posted: 18 Oct 2016 10:53 AM PDT Larry Sanders, elder brother of former U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie, was pressing the flesh in his own campaign on Tuesday as he took to the streets ahead of an election this week in rural Oxfordshire, central England. Sanders, 81, is standing as a candidate for the left-leaning Green Party in Witney, an affluent seat left vacant by the resignation of former Prime Minister David Cameron after June's EU membership referendum. Brooklyn-born Larry Sanders, an academic who has lived in Britain since 1969, is the Greens' national spokesman on health affairs and has been the leader of the county council's Green group for the past eight years.

Ranieri irked by Leicester's split personality Posted: 18 Oct 2016 05:29 PM PDT Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri urged his side to take their fine European form into the Premier League after they closed on a place in the Champions League last 16. Riyad Mahrez's goal earned Leicester a 1-0 win over FC Copenhagen on Tuesday, extending their 100 percent record in Group G and leaving them one win away from the knockout phase.

Top Asian News 12:22 a.m. GMT Posted: 18 Oct 2016 05:22 PM PDT BEIJING (AP) — This week's visit to China by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte points toward a restoration of trust between the sides following recent tensions over their South China Sea territorial dispute, China's official news agency said Tuesday. The visit by the recently elected Duterte, who was due to arrive in Beijing later in the day, will be a step toward ending years of estrangement between the countries, Xinhua News Agency said. "Should he demonstrate his good faith, the trip will present a long overdue opportunity for the two nations, which enjoy longstanding friendship, to heal the wounds of the past few years and steer their relationship back to the right course," Xinhua said in a commentary.

Roman coins ID'd in Japanese ruins, but their origin baffles Posted: 18 Oct 2016 05:21 PM PDT TOKYO (AP) — The eyes of a visiting archaeologist lit up when he was shown the 10 tiny, tarnished discs that had sat unnoticed in storage for two and a half years at a dig on a southern Japan island.

Damascus, allies see risks in Mosul campaign Posted: 18 Oct 2016 05:12 PM PDT By Laila Bassam and Tom Perry BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - The Syrian army and its allies see a risk that Islamic State will regroup in eastern Syria as it is forced from the Iraqi city of Mosul in a U.S.-backed operation, posing new risks for President Bashar al-Assad. Both the Syrian army and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah have warned of what they have called a U.S. plan to open a path of retreat for Islamic State from Iraq into Syria.

Student killed fighting for IS group defended man in video Posted: 18 Oct 2016 05:09 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A New York college student killed fighting for the Islamic State group in Syria made a video trying to clear the name of an Arizona man who was charged with helping him join, prosecutors said.

Syrian president's wife says she was offered a deal to flee Syria Posted: 18 Oct 2016 05:03 PM PDT The wife of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview her husband's foes had offered her the chance to flee Syria in order to try to shake confidence in him, but that she had not left the country since the war erupted. Speaking in English to Russia's state-backed Rossiya 24 channel, Asma Assad, a London-born former investment banker, did not say who made the offers. "Yes I was offered the opportunity to leave Syria or rather to run from Syria.

Deal calls for delay of Congo vote until early 2018 Posted: 18 Oct 2016 04:43 PM PDT KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Government, opposition and other negotiators signed an agreement Tuesday calling for Congo's next presidential vote to be held in April 2018 — more than a year after President Joseph Kabila's mandate expires.

Smith misses London parade for mosque visits Posted: 18 Oct 2016 04:30 PM PDT London (AFP) - Olympic gymnast Louis Smith missed a victory parade in London for Britain's Rio medallists in London's Trafalgar Square and a subsequent reception at Buckingham Palace to visit mosques after he appeared to mock Islam.

The Latest: Michelle Obama shines in Versace at state dinner Posted: 18 Oct 2016 04:26 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's official visit to the White House and the final state dinner of the Obama administration (all times EDT):

Russia halts Aleppo strikes in "goodwill gesture" Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:58 PM PDT Moscow announced Tuesday that Russian and Syrian air forces have stopped bombing Aleppo ahead of a brief truce, a move the Kremlin said showed "goodwill" as it faces mounting criticism for backing a brutal regime offensive. It came a day after Russia said there would be an eight-hour "humanitarian pause" in the battered city on Thursday, a move welcomed by the United Nations and the European Union which nevertheless said the ceasefire needed to be longer to allow the delivery of aid. The US State Department voiced scepticism regarding Moscow's latest initiative while welcoming a halt in the bombing.

Australian casino staff detained in China yet to be charged Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:58 PM PDT CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Two Australian executives of the country's largest casino operator are in good health after being detained in China last week over suspected gambling crimes, but they still do not know whether they would be charged, an Australian official said Wednesday.

Venezuela pushes back opposition-favored regional elections Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:54 PM PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela has postponed until next year gubernatorial elections the opposition is heavily favored to win.

Iraq urges U.S.-led coalition to prevent Islamic State escape to Syria Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:53 PM PDT Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday it was the duty of the U.S.-led coalition to prevent Islamic State militants from escaping into nearby Syria from the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. The coalition is providing air and ground support to Iraqi government and Kurdish forces that launched an offensive on Monday to retake Mosul, Islamic State's last major urban stronghold in Iraq which it captured in 2014. "It is the responsibility of the coalition to cut the road to Syria for Daesh," Iraqi state television quoted Abadi as saying, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

UN beefs up peacekeeping force in DR Congo capital Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:51 PM PDT The United Nations is moving hundreds of peacekeepers from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to Kinshasa to help deal with a possible outbreak of violence over the postponement of a presidential election, UN officials said Tuesday. About 300 soldiers and police from the MONUSCO force will be stationed in Kinshasa, where violent protests killed 49 last month, the officials said. "We are planning for all eventualities and have taken measures to strengthen our posture in Kinshasa," UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said.

Rooney insists he has a "lot of football left" Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:51 PM PDT Wayne Rooney has insisted he's got a "lot of football left" amid suggestions his days as a regular starting player for Manchester United could be coming to a close. United and England captain Rooney, who made his name as a goal-scoring forward, has been a substitute in five of the last six matches for club and country, including the Red Devils' goalless draw away to arch-rivals Liverpool on Tuesday where he failed to find the back of the net after coming on for Marcus Rashford.

UN seeks to shore up Colombia ceasefire Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:49 PM PDT The UN Security Council agreed on Tuesday that a new UN mission for Colombia could continue to monitor a ceasefire despite a referendum vote rejecting the peace deal. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos last week extended a ceasefire with the country's FARC guerillas until December 31 and said he hoped to have a new agreement for peace before that date. The council "welcomed the parties continued commitment to uphold the ceasefire," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters following a closed-door meeting.

Buffon stars for Juventus while Ronaldo draws a rare blank Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:47 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Gianluigi Buffon kept the shots out while Cristiano Ronaldo failed to put them in.

Venezuela postpones gubernatorial elections to 2017 Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:46 PM PDT Venezuela on Tuesday postponed gubernatorial elections due in December until mid-2017 after deeply unpopular President Nicolas Maduro said the country needs to focus on reviving its economy instead of elections. The head of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Tibisay Lucena, said governors would now be elected "at the end of the first half of 2017," in a statement on state TV that gave no reason for the change. The plunge in global oil prices has sent OPEC member Venezuela's economy into free-fall, putting Maduro on the defensive.

Magnitude 5.8 quake strikes off Dominica island in Lesser Antilles Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:35 PM PDT (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.8 quake struck off the island of Dominica in the Caribbean Sea's Lesser Antilles archipelago on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Although a magnitude 5.8 quake is capable of causing considerable damage, it was relatively deep, 91.8 miles (148 km) below the seabed, which would mitigate its impact. Dominica is a sovereign island with a population of about 72,500 people.

Mahrez takes Leicester closer to last 16, Madrid win big Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:23 PM PDT Riyad Mahrez secured another Champions League victory for Leicester City on Tuesday while big boys Real Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund were also in winning form. Leicester maintained a perfect record in Group G in their first foray in Europe's elite club competition by edging FC Copenhagen 1-0 at the King Power Stadium with Mahrez getting the only goal of the game. Islam Slimani headed down a Jamie Vardy cross for Mahrez to score with a close-range volley with the outside of his left foot five minutes before half-time.

Madrid cruises past Legia Warsaw in Champions League Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:21 PM PDT MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo was kept waiting for his 100th career goal in European club competitions as Real Madrid swept to a 5-1 victory over Legia Warsaw in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Haiti hurricane victims lose hope of receiving aid Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:21 PM PDT It's been two weeks since Hurricane Matthew devastated southern Haiti, but large parts of the impoverished country's third-largest city of Les Cayes remain a wasteland and many residents have stopped expecting to receive any help. A similar fate befell her neighbor Michel Donald.

Survivors, advocates launch U.S.-based anti-trafficking effort Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:08 PM PDT By Ellen Wulfhorst WASHINGTON, D.C. (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Necole Daniels spent years as a sex trafficking victim, pulled into the life by her mother and grandmother who each were prostitutes in the sex trade. At age 42, Daniels now works as a victims' advocate, proud that she broke the chain and that her own children did not fall into a life of degradation and violence. Daniels is a co-founder of World Without Exploitation (WorldWE), a coalition launched on Tuesday to end sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.

A long road back to PGA Tour for Fernandez-Castano Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:08 PM PDT NAPA, Calif. (AP) — The easy road back for Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano would have been to return to the comfort of Spain.

Taiwanese woman, 72, killed in 1-car crash near Lake Tahoe Posted: 18 Oct 2016 03:04 PM PDT GLENBROOK, Nev. (AP) — A 72-year-old Taiwanese woman who was visiting the United States on vacation has died from injuries she suffered in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 50 near Lake Tahoe.

Canadian carbon price worries farmers, fertilizer makers Posted: 18 Oct 2016 02:57 PM PDT By Rod Nickel and Alastair Sharp WINNIPEG/TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's plan to price carbon emissions may weaken the farm sector in one of the biggest grain-shipping countries, raising farmers' costs and discouraging investment in fertilizer production, industry groups say. Ottawa this month promised a price on carbon emissions by 2018, and will let provinces choose a tax or cap and trade system. At C$50, it would raise fertilizer prices C$2 per acre for farmers, and some experts peg the total farm cost at C$6 an acre, according to CIBC bank.

'Stop whining,' Obama scolds Trump Posted: 18 Oct 2016 02:55 PM PDT President Barack Obama on Tuesday slapped down Donald Trump's claim that the 2016 presidential race is rigged, telling the Republican nominee to "stop whining" and get on with his campaign. In language usually used to scold a moody teenager, Obama discarded diplomatic decorum and skewered the mogul from the Rose Garden in front of visiting Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The White House is increasingly concerned that Trump and his supporters will not recognize the outcome of the election, plunging the country into a political crisis.

Samir Nasri gives Sevilla 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb Posted: 18 Oct 2016 02:55 PM PDT ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Sevilla was rewarded for a display of attacking football with a well-deserved 1-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday that kept up its momentum in the Champions League.

Kiessling miss gives Spurs a point at Leverkusen Posted: 18 Oct 2016 02:54 PM PDT Tottenham Hotspur preserved their unbeaten record away this season with a goalless draw at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday in the Champions League after Stefan Kiessling's dramatic late miss for the hosts. A decade after Leverkusen lost 1-0 at home to Spurs in the old UEFA Cup, Kiessling was the only survivor in either team from the November 2006 fixture.

Imprisoned Saudi blogger faces more lashes: supporters Posted: 18 Oct 2016 02:52 PM PDT By Allison Lampert MONTREAL (Reuters) - Imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, whose public flogging in the kingdom last year generated a global outcry, now risks a new round of lashes, a co-founder of a Canadian foundation advocating his release said on Tuesday. Evelyne Abitbol, who founded the Raif Badawi Foundation with Badawi's wife, said a "reliable source" in Saudi Arabia claims he faces a new flogging after being sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes in 2014 for breaking the kingdom's technology laws and insulting Islam. Saudi embassy officials in Ottawa and Saudi government officials in Riyadh were not immediately available for comment.

Iraq makes gains in 'difficult' assault on IS-held Mosul Posted: 18 Oct 2016 02:52 PM PDT Tens of thousands of Iraqi forces were making gains from the Islamic State group in Mosul Tuesday in an offensive US President Barack Obama warned would be a "difficult fight". With the crucial battle in its second day, Iraqi commanders said progress was being made as fighters pushed on two main fronts against the jihadists' last stronghold in Iraq. The US military, which is leading a coalition providing air and ground support, said Iraqi forces even looked "ahead of schedule" but senior Western officials warned the battle would take time.

Obama: 'Ciao' to state dinners, Italy gets final one Posted: 18 Oct 2016 02:51 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says "ciao" Tuesday to White House state dinners as he honors U.S. ally Italy with the final one of his presidency.

Monaco rescues draw against CSKA to Akinfeev's despair Posted: 18 Oct 2016 02:50 PM PDT MOSCOW (AP) — With his CSKA Moscow team held to a late draw, Igor Akinfeev may just have been the unluckiest man in the Champions League on Tuesday.

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