General news

• Nepal climbers face ruin after quake, blockade hits Everest industry

  19-12-2015 23:55 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Andrew MacAskill KHUMJUNG, Nepal (Reuters) - Phurba Tashi Sherpa, the most accomplished high-altitude climber in history, holds a bucket and crowbar as he claws through the rubble of his home seven months after Nepal's earthquake shattered the country. Despite years of guiding wealthy foreign clients up Mount Everest, something he has done 21 times - a joint record - the 44-year-old has been left penniless. Phurba Tashi's predicament is shared by many Sherpas, whose homes, lodges and restaura
  
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• The Latest: Police: 1 person injured in mall shooting

  19-12-2015 23:47 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on shots fired at a mall in Madison, Wisconsin (all times local):
  
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• Turkey 'to pull more troops from Iraq'

  19-12-2015 23:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Turkey says it will move more of its troops out of northern Iraq, acknowledging a "miscommunication" with the Baghdad government.
  
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• Martin Shkreli says securities fraud charges are 'baseless'

  19-12-2015 23:30 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Frank McGurty NEW YORK (Reuters) - Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceuticals entrepreneur vilified for jacking up the price of a life-saving AIDS drug, said on Saturday that unrelated securities fraud allegations that resulted in his arrest this week were "baseless and without merit." Federal prosecutors have alleged that Shkreli was running a Ponzi-like scheme at his former hedge fund and a company he headed before he took the helm of Turing Pharmaceuticals Inc, where he created an uproar in Septe
  
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• NBA's Irving to return for Cavs

  19-12-2015 23:11 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Cleveland Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving will make his comeback from injury on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers after fracturing a kneecap in June. Irving said Saturday he would return to face the visiting Sixers after a lengthy rehabilitation from an injury sustained in the Cavs NBA finals defeat to Golden State. "I'm pretty ... excited," Irving said.
  
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• Newton scores 20, No. 15 Miami rolls past Charleston 85-63

  19-12-2015 22:12 via news.yahoo.com
  
  CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Rick Barry's son had a great game. Rick Barry's alma mater was even better.
  
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• Cavs star guard Kyrie Irving will make season debut Sunday

  19-12-2015 22:12 via news.yahoo.com
  
  CLEVELAND (AP) — Kyrie Irving's long road to recovery has reached the end. All the pain, the grueling hours of rehab, the unceasing wait is finally over for the Cavaliers' star point guard.
  
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• Obama arrives in home state Hawaii for holiday vacation

  19-12-2015 22:09 via news.yahoo.com
  
  US President Barack Obama and his family arrived early Saturday in Hawaii where they will spend the Christmas and New Year holidays. First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha, in summery attire, followed him as he stepped onto the tarmac at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu. En route, Obama stopped in San Bernardino, California, where he met with family members and survivors of the mass shooting there.
  
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• Bush has a moment of 'self-therapy,' calls Trump 'a jerk'

  19-12-2015 22:07 via news.yahoo.com
  
  CONTOOCOOK, N.H. (AP) — Days after going toe-to-toe with Donald Trump on the debate stage, Jeb Bush seemed to relish his new role as the Republican front-runner's chief critic while campaigning on Saturday in New Hampshire.
  
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• Conductor Kurt Masur dies at 88

  19-12-2015 21:51 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Kurt Masur, the German conductor who led the New York Philharmonic orchestra for 11 years, dies in the US at the age of 88.
  
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• Utah upsets No. 7 Duke 77-75 in overtime in New York

  19-12-2015 21:41 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Kuzma scored 21 points to lead Utah to a 77-75 overtime win over No. 7 Duke in the Ameritas Insurance Classic on Saturday.
  
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• Bush keeps pressure on Trump in New Hampshire

  19-12-2015 21:36 via news.yahoo.com
  
  CONTOOCOOK, N.H. (AP) — Days after going toe-to-toe with Donald Trump on the debate stage, Jeb Bush seemed to relish his new role as the Republicans' chief Trump critic while campaigning on Saturday in New Hampshire.
  
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• No. 11 North Carolina beats No. 22 UCLA 89-76

  19-12-2015 21:29 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Brice Johnson scored 27 points, the second straight game he set his career high, and No. 11 North Carolina overcame a horrible game from beyond the 3-point arc to beat No. 22 UCLA 89-76 on Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic at Barclays Center.
  
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• Spanish beauty queen claims crown at Miss World pageant

  19-12-2015 21:25 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Spanish model Mireia Lalaguna was crowned Miss World 2015 after beating out 113 contestants from across the globe on Saturday night at a coastal resort city in south China's Hainan Province. The pharmacy student from Barcelona claimed the illustrious crown after winning over the contest's judges during the 65th edition of the world famous pageant in China's Sanya.
  
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• Rwandans vote in favour of extra terms for Kagame: provisional results

  19-12-2015 21:17 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Rwanda has overwhelmingly voted to change the constitution to allow President Paul Kagame to potentially rule until 2034, election officials said Saturday citing nationwide referendum results. It's clear that what the people want, they can achieve," said National Electoral Commission chief Kalisa Mbanda. Kagame, 58, could now be in power potentially for another 17 years.
  
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• Italian officials save southern olive trees from culling

  19-12-2015 21:08 via news.yahoo.com
  
  ROME (AP) — Prosecutors in Italy's south have issued a no-cull order for some of the region's olive trees, saying there's no clear evidence that they are infected with bacteria.
  
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• ICC sends 2 convicted warlords to Congo prison

  19-12-2015 21:04 via news.yahoo.com
  
  KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The International Criminal Court has sent two militia leaders convicted of committing war crimes in Congo to that country to serve the remainder of their prison sentences.
  
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• In meeting with Obama, victim families share tears, stories

  19-12-2015 21:00 via news.yahoo.com
  
  SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — At a table inside the Indian Springs High School library, Mandy Pifer sat alone, the last name of her boyfriend killed in the San Bernardino terrorist attack printed on a label in front of her.
  
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• Data breach jolts Democratic contest ahead of debate

  19-12-2015 21:00 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — After months of relative civility, the Democratic presidential candidates take the debate stage on Saturday night amid an outburst of hostilities surrounding accusations that Bernie Sanders' campaign stole valuable voter information from front-runner Hillary Clinton.
  
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• Van Gaal's Utd slumps to Canaries defeat

  19-12-2015 20:54 via rss.cnn.com
  
  These are strange days in the English Premier League and worrying times for United boss, Louis Van Gaal.
  
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• AP Source: Rockies, Ottavino agree on 3-year extension

  19-12-2015 20:54 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DENVER (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says the Colorado Rockies and right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino have agreed on a three-year extension.
  
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• Heavy casualties in Yemen as Swiss peace talks due to end

  19-12-2015 20:35 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Fierce fighting between government forces and Iran-backed rebels in Yemen produced heavy casualties Saturday amid UN alarm at ceasefire violations ahead of a final day of peace talks in Switzerland. At least 68 people were killed near the northern town of Haradh, which was overrun by loyalists on Thursday, military and tribal sources said. The casualties were 28 troops and 40 Shiite Huthi rebels, with another 50 Huthis and 40 loyalists wounded.
  
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• No one wants opera? Just expose people, say two stars

  19-12-2015 20:31 via news.yahoo.com
  
  How can opera thrive in the modern era of instant and free entertainment? DiDonato, among the most prominent Americans in opera, has starred in productions around the world but has also sought out non-traditional venues. DiDonato recently performed at New York's top-security Sing Sing prison in a program to reach inmates, and said she was astounded at how much they identified with opera.
  
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• No dog-eat-dog politics: Siberian city backs cat for mayor

  19-12-2015 20:26 via news.yahoo.com
  
  BARNAUL, Russia (AP) — Tired of the dog-eat-dog politics in their Russian city, the residents of Barnaul say they want a cat to be their next mayor.
  
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• No. 10 Xavier off to best start with 85-61 win over Auburn

  19-12-2015 20:21 via news.yahoo.com
  
  CINCINNATI (AP) — Jalen Reynolds had a season-high 18 points as Xavier's front line dominated, and the 10th-ranked Musketeers got their best start in school history by beating Auburn 85-61 on Saturday afternoon.
  
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• Taylor Swift Releases Preview of '1989 World Tour LIVE' Film

  19-12-2015 20:18 via abcnews.go.com
  
  The pop superstar gives fans even more footage from her upcoming film.
  
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• Ibrahimovic wondergoal as PSG break points record

  19-12-2015 20:16 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Paris Saint-Germain go into the winter break with a Ligue 1 record points haul of 51 after a 3-0 away win at Caen lit up by a thrilling Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike on Saturday. Already 1-0 up from an early Angel di Maria goal Ibrahimovic produced a stunning 25-yard snap-shot which flew into the top corner of the Caen goal on 36 minutes. The win lifted PSG to a massive 20 points clear of Angers, in action on Sunday at Saint-Etienne.
  
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• California shooter's spouse visa approved despite questions, lawmaker says

  19-12-2015 20:16 via news.yahoo.com
  
  United States immigration officials failed to obtain required proof from San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik that she had met her U.S. citizen fiancé in person, but granted her a spousal visa anyway, a Republican congressman said on Saturday. The new questions over the granting of the visa to Malik, raised by Congressman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, suggest she was the beneficiary of a lapsed government vetting process now under intense scrutiny after the Dec. 2 attack that killed 14 peop
  
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• Turkish news agency: 18 refugees drown, 14 saved at sea

  19-12-2015 20:14 via news.yahoo.com
  
  BODRUM, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish news agency says at least 18 migrants have drowned and 14 others were rescued after a boat taking them to Greece sank off the Turkish coast.
  
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• 70 killed in major anti-PKK operation in southeast Turkey: army

  19-12-2015 19:45 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Seventy suspected members of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been killed in a vast operation against the group in the mainly Kurdish southeast over the past four days, the army said Saturday. Eight PKK rebels have been killed since Friday, taking the death toll in the unprecedented offensive by the army and police on pro-PKK bastions in three towns and cities to 70, the army said on its website. The army also said it had carried out airstrikes Friday on PKK "hideouts" and "weapo
  
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• Spain's political leaders relax before Sunday's key election

  19-12-2015 19:37 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MADRID (AP) — Political leaders vying for power in Spain's general election made a point of relaxing as they observed a "day of reflection" before the vote begins.
  
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• Hiddink sees Chelsea win, Norwich imperil Van Gaal

  19-12-2015 19:34 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Chelsea's new interim manager Guus Hiddink saw his team beat Sunderland 3-1 on Saturday, while Norwich City won at Manchester United to imperil their manager Louis van Gaal. Appointed prior to kick-off in place of the sacked Jose Mourinho, Hiddink was in the stands at a discontented Stamford Bridge as Chelsea prevailed through goals from Branislav Ivanovic, Pedro Rodriguez and Oscar.
  
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• Brazil blocks mining giants' assets

  19-12-2015 19:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A federal judge in Brazil blocks the assets of mining giants BHP Billiton and Vale in the country over the collapse of a dam last month.
  
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• Kurt Masur, conductor from Iron Curtain to 9/11, dead at 88

  19-12-2015 19:08 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Kurt Masur, the conductor who seized on music's power to ease Germany's reunification and comfort New York after September 11, died Saturday. The New York Philharmonic announced the death of Masur, one of its longest-serving music directors who led the orchestra from 1991 to 2002 and was credited with enhancing its global reputation. A German born in what is today Poland, Masur was an unlikely choice to lead one of the New World's pre-eminent orchestras as he had spent his career -- both musical
  
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• WTO backs agricultural reforms, split on Doha

  19-12-2015 19:07 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Edith Honan NAIROBI (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization reached deals on agricultural export subsidies, food aid and other issues on Saturday, capping a ministerial conference in the Kenyan capital where rich and poor countries had been split over the path of trade reform. Members said the Nairobi deal had drawn a line under years of stalemate over the direction of global trade negotiations. "Our work in Nairobi marks a turning point for the World Trade Organization," U.S. Trade Represen
  
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• Beijing slams 'provocative' US overflight in South China Sea

  19-12-2015 18:47 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Two US B-52 bombers flew close to islands in the flashpoint South China Sea this month in a "serious military provocation", Beijing said Saturday, as tensions simmer in the disputed waterway. China insists it has sovereignty over virtually all of the resource-rich sea, conflicting with the various claims of several neighbouring nations, and US activity in the area has provoked Beijing's ire several times in recent months. "In the morning of 10 December, two US B-52 bombers entered air space over
  
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• Migrants continue to die at sea

  19-12-2015 18:21 via rss.cnn.com
  
  As Christmas approaches and the end of the year draws near, people trying desperately to reach European shores from war-torn Syria and Iraq continue to die at sea.
  
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• Shooting victims' families hug, talk with Obama, first lady

  19-12-2015 18:12 via news.yahoo.com
  
  SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — The girlfriend of one of the 14 people killed in the Dec. 2 shooting in San Bernardino said President Barack Obama immediately asked her for a hug when he came to talk with her.
  
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• Error coin, a dime struck onto a nail, is headed to auction

  19-12-2015 18:03 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Is it a dime? Or is it a nail?
  
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• California shooter's visa request was missing key information: politician

  19-12-2015 17:57 via news.yahoo.com
  
  A member of the US Congress Saturday accused immigration officials of allowing California attacker Tashfeen Malik into the country despite critical missing information in her request for a fiancee visa. "After reviewing Tashfeen Malik's immigration file, it is clear that immigration officials did not thoroughly vet her application," House Judiciary Committee chairman Bob Goodlatte said in a statement. Malik, a 29-year-old Pakistani national, came to the United States last year on a fiancee visa,
  
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• Al-Shabaab claims deadly car bomb

  19-12-2015 17:52 via rss.cnn.com
  
  At least three people were killed and seven wounded Saturday when a car packed with explosives exploded outside a shopping mall in Somalia's capital, a senior police official said.
  
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• Armenia, Azerbaijan hold Swiss talks on Nagorno-Karabakh

  19-12-2015 17:47 via news.yahoo.com
  
  BERLIN (AP) — The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have met in Switzerland to discuss their long-running dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh.
  
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• Rwandans vote overwhelmingly to lift Kagame's term limits

  19-12-2015 17:46 via news.yahoo.com
  
  KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — The head of Rwanda's electoral commission says provisional results show Rwandans have voted overwhelmingly to lift term limits to allow President Paul Kagame to run for more terms in office.
  
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• NYC set to ramp up outreach, services to street homeless

  19-12-2015 17:45 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — A surge of outreach teams set to be deployed by New York City to deal with its persistent street homelessness problem has a deceptively simple goal: talk to as many homeless people as possible, as often as possible.
  
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• Surprisingly, 2015 was a great year

  19-12-2015 17:43 via rss.cnn.com
  
  If you spend a lot of time with us here on CNN (and we hope you do), you probably think 2015 was a pretty terrible year: Wars. Refugees. Terrorism. The list goes on.
  
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• One killed, several injured in Norwegian Arctic avalanche

  19-12-2015 17:38 via news.yahoo.com
  
  One person was killed and nine injured on Saturday after an avalanche buried about 10 houses on the Svalbard archipelago in the heart of the Norwegian Arctic, local officials said. The governor's office said that a 40-year-old man was killed by the avalanche on the slopes of Mount Sukkertoppen overlooking Longyearbyen, the archipelago's remote capital where coal mining families and polar bears live side-by-side. Around 10 brightly-coloured wooden houses, typical of the style found in the archipe
  
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• Fierce fighting in northern Yemen kills at least 75

  19-12-2015 17:36 via news.yahoo.com
  
  SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemeni security sources and witnesses say fierce fighting in northern Yemen's Hajjah province near the Saudi border has killed more than 75 troops over the past three days.
  
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• Golden State Warriors, Spurs take their revenge

  19-12-2015 17:21 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The Golden State Warriors avenged their only defeat of the NBA season, rallying for a 121-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Six nights after the Bucks ended the Warriors' season-opening winning streak at 24 games, Milwaukee threatened to hand Golden State a first defeat on their home floor in Oakland, California, since last January.
  
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• Tim Peake to help with space walk

  19-12-2015 17:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  UK astronaut Tim Peake is to be involved in assisting two astronauts carry out a space walk outside the International Space Station next week, Nasa says.
  
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• Catalonia's separatist bid: the 'hot potato' of Spanish elections

  19-12-2015 17:11 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Catalonia's bid for independence from Spain has thrust the region's separatist movement to the forefront of Sunday's general election, forcing parties to come up with a range of proposals on how best to meet its demands. Years of inaction by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government, whose ruling Popular Party refused any form of negotiation or compromise with the separatists, "have caused a lot of harm," says Catalan historian Andreu Mayayo. Backed by hundreds of thousands of prote
  
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