Yahoo! News: World News

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• Cause of deadly Mexico fireworks blasts still unknown
• Turkish prosecutors probing why Russian envoy's killer not taken alive: state media
• Exclusive: U.S.-supplied drones disappoint Ukraine at the front lines
• U.N. Security Council to vote Thursday on Israeli settlements
• Trump after Berlin, Turkey attacks: 'I've been proven to be right'
• UN votes to set up body to help document crimes in Syria
• Defiant Gambia president lets the clock run
• Aleppo evacuations in heavy snow end brutal war chapter
• Top Asian News 12:41 a.m. GMT
• Van explodes outside office of Australian Christian Lobby
• Children suffering in battle for Iraq's Mosul: Amnesty
• UN votes to set up panel to prepare Syria war crimes cases
• Japan's government approves record military spending
• U.N. creates team to prepare cases on Syria war crimes
• China launches carbon-tracking satellite into space: Xinhua
• UN inquiry unable to ID perpetrators of Syria aid convoy bombing
• Lake Chad most neglected crisis in 2016 despite hunger on 'epic scale'
• Disease and mines rule in Libya's former IS bastion
• US plays down Russian reports of chill in ties
• New Zealand economy grows 1.1 percent in September quarter
• Peru vows to back graft probes as Odebrecht plea shakes country
• U.N. creates team to prepare cases on Syria war crimes
• Barcelona's reserves rout Hercules 7-0 in Copa del Rey
• Brazilian companies to pay combined $3.5B in bribery case
• US puts Alibaba back on 'notorious markets' blacklist
• U.N. inquiry says air strike hit Syria aid convoy in September
• PSG beats woeful Lorient 5-0 to take some pressure off Emery
• Britain's ministry of defence loses hundreds of laptops
• Mexico probes deadly fireworks blast
• Volkswagen moves into Kenya, Rwanda in Africa expansion
• Trump picks China hawk to lead new White House trade council
• Icardi scores 2 as Inter Milan beats Lazio 3-0 in Serie A
• Puerto Rico to debate pot, surrogacy in special session
• Inside the DEA: A chemist's quest to identify mystery drugs
• U.S. returns China's Taobao shopping website to market blacklist
• Parents of Canadian hostage: first time we've seen kids

Cause of deadly Mexico fireworks blasts still unknown Posted: 21 Dec 2016 02:42 PM PST By Natalie Schachar and Noe Torres TULTEPEC, Mexico (Reuters) - Forensic investigators scoured the charred remains of a fireworks market outside Mexico City on Wednesday for clues to what caused a series of massive blasts that killed at least 32 people, the third fiery accident there in 11 years. Soldiers with dogs appeared to be looking for human remains. Alejandro Gomez, the state attorney general, told Mexican television it was unclear what caused the explosions, adding he could not corroborate accounts pointing to a detonation at one stall that may have begun a chain reaction.

Turkish prosecutors probing why Russian envoy's killer not taken alive: state media Posted: 21 Dec 2016 10:19 AM PST By Ece Toksabay ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish prosecutors are investigating why the off-duty policeman who shot dead Russia's ambassador to Turkey was not captured alive, state media said on Wednesday, as the number of people arrested over the killing rose to 11. Ambassador Andrei Karlov was gunned down from behind while delivering a speech in an Ankara art gallery on Monday. Russian and Turkey both cast the attack as an attempt to ruin a recent thawing of relations chilled by the civil war in Syria, where they back opposing sides.

Exclusive: U.S.-supplied drones disappoint Ukraine at the front lines Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:24 PM PST The 72 Raven RQ-11B Analog mini-drones were so disappointing following their arrival this summer that Natan Chazin, an advisor to Ukraine's military with deep knowledge of the country's drone program, said if it were up to him, he would return them. "From the beginning, it was the wrong decision to use these drones in our (conflict)," Chazin, an advisor to the chief of the general staff of Ukraine's armed forces, told Reuters. The hand-launched Ravens were one of the recent highlights of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine, aiming to give Kiev's military portable, light-weight, unarmed surveillance drones that were small enough to be used widely in the field.

U.N. Security Council to vote Thursday on Israeli settlements Posted: 21 Dec 2016 05:06 PM PST By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Thursday on a draft resolution that would demand that Israel "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem." Egypt circulated the draft on Wednesday evening and the 15-member council is due to vote at 3 p.m. (2000 GMT) on Thursday, diplomats said. It was unclear how the United States, which has traditionally protected Israel from U.N. action, would vote. U.S. officials said this month that President Barack Obama was not expected to make major moves on Israeli-Palestinian peace before leaving office.

Trump after Berlin, Turkey attacks: 'I've been proven to be right' Posted: 21 Dec 2016 02:27 PM PST By Melissa Fares PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Wednesday that attacks this week in Berlin and Ankara proved he was correct to propose curbing Muslim immigration to the United States. "What's going on is terrible, terrible," Trump told reporters, when asked about the truck attack that killed 12 people at a Christmas market in Berlin and the killing of Russia's ambassador to Turkey. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Berlin killings though U.S. officials say they had seen no evidence that the militant group had directed the attack.

UN votes to set up body to help document crimes in Syria Posted: 21 Dec 2016 05:26 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted Wednesday to establish an investigative body that will assist in documenting and prosecuting the most serious violations of international law in Syria, including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Defiant Gambia president lets the clock run Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:47 PM PST The Gambia is facing prolonged political deadlock after strongman Yahya Jammeh, defiant despite his election defeat, said he would await a court ruling delayed until January before ceding power. Jammeh, who has been in power for 22 years, stunned observers by initially accepting his defeat in the December 1 vote by opposition candidate Adama Barrow, but then flip-flopped a week later, rejecting the results and filing a court challenge. "My rights cannot be violated and intimidated to a point where I succumb to blackmail," Jammeh said in a lengthy televised address, referring to diplomatic efforts by the west African ECOWAS bloc.

Aleppo evacuations in heavy snow end brutal war chapter Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:44 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Hundreds of rebel fighters and civilians, including small children swaddled in thick blankets, were bused out of war-ravaged Aleppo in heavy snow on Wednesday as the evacuation of former rebel strongholds entered its final phase.

Top Asian News 12:41 a.m. GMT Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:41 PM PST SYDNEY (AP) — A van carrying gas cylinders exploded outside the headquarters of a Christian lobbying group in Australia's capital, though there did not appear to be any political or religious motivations behind the incident, police said Thursday. The driver, a 35-year-old Australian man, was the only person injured in Wednesday night's explosion, which seriously damaged the van and blew out windows in the two-story building, Australian Capital Territory police said. The driver ignited several gas cylinders that were inside the van, causing the explosion, Deputy Chief Police Officer Mark Walters said. He then walked to a hospital, where he was in critical condition with serious burns.

Van explodes outside office of Australian Christian Lobby Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:40 PM PST SYDNEY (AP) — A van carrying gas cylinders exploded outside the headquarters of a Christian lobbying group in Australia's capital, though there did not appear to be any political or religious motivations behind the incident, police said Thursday.

Children suffering in battle for Iraq's Mosul: Amnesty Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:38 PM PST Children are being killed and wounded as well as witnessing horrific violence as Iraqi forces battle the Islamic State group in heavily populated Mosul, Amnesty International said on Thursday. Iraqi forces launched a massive operation to retake the country's last IS-held city more than two months ago, and have pushed the jihadists out of several neighbourhoods on Mosul's eastern side. "Children caught in the crossfire of the brutal battle for Mosul have seen things that no one, of any age, should ever see," Amnesty's Donatella Rovera said in a statement.

UN votes to set up panel to prepare Syria war crimes cases Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:32 PM PST The UN General Assembly on Wednesday agreed to set up a panel to gather evidence on war crimes in Syria, taking a first step toward prosecuting those responsible for atrocities in the nearly six-year war. The panel will work closely with the UN Commission of Inquiry which has submitted several reports detailing atrocities committed during the war that has killed more than 310,000 people. The measure prepared by Liechtenstein was co-sponsored by 58 countries including the United States, France, Britain, Italy and Germany as well as regional powers Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Japan's government approves record military spending Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:31 PM PST TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government on Thursday approved an increase in defense spending to record levels to counter growing Chinese military power in the East China Sea and an escalating North Korean ballistic missile threat. Abe's cabinet on Thursday signed off on a 1.4 percent increase in spending to 5.13 trillion yen ($43.66 billion) for the year starting April 1. If approved by lawmakers, which is highly likely given the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's control of parliament, it will be the fifth straight annual increase in outlays. ...

U.N. creates team to prepare cases on Syria war crimes Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:28 PM PST By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted to establish a special team to "collect, consolidate, preserve and analyze evidence" as well as to prepare cases on war crimes and human rights abuses committed during the conflict in Syria. The General Assembly adopted a Liechtenstein-drafted resolution to establish the independent team with 105 in favor, 15 against and 52 abstentions. The team will work in coordination with the U.N. Syria Commission of Inquiry.

China launches carbon-tracking satellite into space: Xinhua Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:24 PM PST China launched a satellite to monitor its greenhouse gas emissions early on Thursday, the latest step in efforts to cut its carbon footprint, the official Xinhua news agency said. The launch follows the United States joining China in formally ratifying the Paris agreement to curb climate-warming emissions. It also comes as large sections of northern China have been shrouded in near-record levels of air pollution for most of the past week, disrupting flights, closing factories and schools, and forcing authorities to issue red alerts.

UN inquiry unable to ID perpetrators of Syria aid convoy bombing Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:22 PM PST A UN aid convoy that was bombed while en route to the besieged city of Aleppo in September came under an air attack, a UN inquiry has concluded, but it was unable to identify the perpetrators. The board of inquiry found that "while the incident was caused by an air attack, it was not possible to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators," said a summary of the findings released on Wednesday. At least 10 people were killed and 22 injured in the September 19 attack at Urem al-Kubra, near the northern city of Aleppo, as a fragile ceasefire agreed to by the United States and Russia collapsed.

Lake Chad most neglected crisis in 2016 despite hunger on 'epic scale' Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:16 PM PST By Emma Batha LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The humanitarian catastrophe in Lake Chad basin, where conflict has left over 8 million people destitute with many "teetering on the brink of famine", was the most neglected crisis in 2016, according to a survey of aid agencies. Following Lake Chad in a Thomson Reuters Foundation poll of 19 leading aid groups were Yemen, where children are starving, and South Sudan where U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon fears genocide is about to start. Overshadowed by the wars in Syria and Iraq and the global refugee and migrant crisis, Lake Chad barely made the headlines this year, but aid organizations said the crisis was "on an epic scale" with "terrifying rates of child malnutrition".

Disease and mines rule in Libya's former IS bastion Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:09 PM PST In the district of Al-Giza al-Bahriya in Libya's Sirte, the sea breeze mingles with the stench of corpses decomposing under the rubble. Two weeks later, many residents of Sirte are unable to return to their homes -- those that are still standing. "We fear an epidemic," said Ahmad Bala, a commander of pro-government forces, who sat in a 4x4 and wore a mask to block the stink.

US plays down Russian reports of chill in ties Posted: 21 Dec 2016 04:00 PM PST The United States played down Russian reports Wednesday that already tense ties between the old foes have plunged to chilly new lows. The State Department denied a Kremlin claim that communications are frozen, noting that Secretary of State John Kerry had called his Russian counterpart as recently as Tuesday. The Pentagon also noted that on the same day Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the claim, its officers had held a video conference with Russian commanders on how to stay out of each other's way in Syria.

New Zealand economy grows 1.1 percent in September quarter Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:56 PM PST WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand's economy grew at a brisk rate of 1.1 percent in the September quarter as people spent more on traveling, eating out and recreation.

Peru vows to back graft probes as Odebrecht plea shakes country Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:41 PM PST The government of Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said it was helping the attorney general's office obtain information from prosecutors abroad after Brazil-based Odebrecht said in a global plea deal that it doled out $29 million in bribes to local officials over three presidencies. Kuczynski has not been implicated in any act of corruption, Prime Minister Fernando Zavala stressed on Wednesday after engineering conglomerate Odebrecht acknowledged paying $20 million to benefit a high-ranking official in about 2005, when Kuczynski was finance minister and then prime minister under President Alejandro Toledo. Prosecutors in Peru have been probing potential wrongdoing in Odebrecht's local contracts since a massive graft scandal ensnared the company in Brazil, but they have yet to press charges.

U.N. creates team to prepare cases on Syria war crimes Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:39 PM PST By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted to establish a special team to "collect, consolidate, preserve and analyze evidence" as well as to prepare cases on war crimes and human rights abuses committed during the conflict in Syria. The General Assembly adopted a Liechtenstein-drafted resolution to establish the independent team with 105 in favor, 15 against and 52 abstentions. The team will work in coordination with the U.N. Syria Commission of Inquiry.

Barcelona's reserves rout Hercules 7-0 in Copa del Rey Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:35 PM PST MADRID (AP) — Barcelona's reserves got the job done at the second attempt, leading the Catalan club to the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey with a 7-0 rout of third-division Hercules on Wednesday.

Brazilian companies to pay combined $3.5B in bribery case Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:23 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht and major petrochemical company Braskem have agreed to pay a combined penalty of at least $3.5 billion to settle allegations that they bribed government officials in a dozen countries around the world, U.S. authorities said Wednesday.

US puts Alibaba back on 'notorious markets' blacklist Posted: 21 Dec 2016 05:37 PM PST Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group is back on the U.S. government's annual list of "notorious markets" that sell pirated goods. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said Wednesday ...

U.N. inquiry says air strike hit Syria aid convoy in September Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:19 PM PST A United Nations internal inquiry released on Wednesday found that "multiple types of munitions deployed from more than one aircraft and aircraft type" struck an aid convoy in Syria in a deadly September attack. The inquiry said it was unable to identify the perpetrator, though it noted that only Syrian, Russian and U.S.-led coalition aircraft had the capability to carry out such an attack, not opposition forces. It said it was "highly unlikely" that U.S.-led coalition aircraft were involved in the attack.

PSG beats woeful Lorient 5-0 to take some pressure off Emery Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:03 PM PST PARIS (AP) — Striker Edinson Cavani scored his 18th league goal of the season as Paris Saint-Germain trounced woeful Lorient 5-0 on Wednesday to take some pressure off coach Unai Emery heading into the winter break.

Britain's ministry of defence loses hundreds of laptops Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:02 PM PST Britain's defence ministry has lost more than 700 laptops and computers over 18 months, according to figures released on Wednesday. A total of 759 laptops and computers were lost and an additional 32 were stolen between the May 2015 election and October 2016, records released by the Press Association show. A further 328 CDs, DVDs and USBs were lost by the defence ministry over the same period, according to the data requested under Britain's Freedom of Information Act.

Mexico probes deadly fireworks blast Posted: 21 Dec 2016 03:01 PM PST Mexico worked Wednesday to identify charred bodies left by an explosion that killed at least 32 people at its biggest fireworks market, as authorities investigated what caused the multi-colored salvo of destruction. Rescue workers were still searching for bodies -- or survivors -- in the smoldering wreckage of the San Pablito market in the Mexico City suburb of Tultepec. Concepcion Hernandez said she had no news from her mother, 65, and brother, 29, since the Tuesday afternoon explosion.

Volkswagen moves into Kenya, Rwanda in Africa expansion Posted: 21 Dec 2016 02:56 PM PST Volkswagen on Wednesday opened a new assembly plant in Kenya and launched plans for a ride-sharing service in Rwanda as it seeks to take advantage of surging car demand in Africa. The German car manufacturer's move into East Africa comes just weeks after it signed a deal to build an assembly plant in Algeria. "Overall car sales in Africa are bound to rise by 40 percent within the next five years, that is why we are expanding our business," said Volkswagen Brand CEO Herbert Diess.

Trump picks China hawk to lead new White House trade council Posted: 21 Dec 2016 02:53 PM PST In another sign that he intends to shake up relations with China, President-elect Donald Trump named economist Peter Navarro to lead a newly created White House council on trade. The University of California-Irvine ...

Icardi scores 2 as Inter Milan beats Lazio 3-0 in Serie A Posted: 21 Dec 2016 02:42 PM PST MILAN (AP) — Mauro Icardi ended 2016 in style as he scored two goals to help Inter Milan beat Lazio 3-0 in Serie A on Wednesday in coach Stefano Pioli's first match against his old team.

Puerto Rico to debate pot, surrogacy in special session Posted: 21 Dec 2016 02:38 PM PST SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico legislators are preparing for a last-minute debate on bills that call for decriminalizing marijuana and regulating fertility treatments.

Inside the DEA: A chemist's quest to identify mystery drugs Posted: 21 Dec 2016 02:34 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — No one knew what was in the baggie. It was just a few tablespoons of crystalline powder seized back in April, clumped like snow that had partially melted and frozen again.

U.S. returns China's Taobao shopping website to market blacklist Posted: 21 Dec 2016 02:31 PM PST By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday returned Taobao, China's most popular consumer-to-consumer shopping website, to its blacklist of "notorious marketplaces" known for the sale of counterfeit goods and violations of intellectual property rights. The move by the U.S. Trade Representative's office against the online bazaar run by Alibaba Group Co Holding Ltd followed complaints from U.S. and international trade groups for apparel and luxury goods that Taobao was not doing enough to police sales of fakes and pirated products. Inclusion on the blacklist does not carry any direct penalties but is a blow to Alibaba's efforts to shed perceptions its websites are riddled with fakes - a key to gaining a bigger international customer base and taking market share from global competitors such as eBay Inc and Amazon.com.

Parents of Canadian hostage: first time we've seen kids Posted: 21 Dec 2016 02:29 PM PST TORONTO (AP) — The parents of a Canadian man held hostage in Afghanistan say a recently released Taliban video of his family marks the first time they've seen the two grandchildren, who were born in captivity.

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