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All rights reservedMon, 24 Dec 2012 13:18:56 -05005http://news.yahoo.com/russia/ http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gif<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syria-envoy-meets-assad-discuss-solutions-crisis-093917470.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/qnw_mt05o8hO2YPzZWsNxw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-24T125507Z_1_CBRE8BN0ZW000_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-SYRIA-CRISIS-ENVOY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Syria&#039;s President Bashar al-Assad meets International peace envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus" align="left" title="Syria&#039;s President Bashar al-Assad meets International peace envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Kuwait will host an international conference next month to tackle Syria&#039;s humanitarian crisis, the ruling emir said on Monday, as foes of President Bashar al-Assad voiced frustration with international efforts to end the civil war. In Damascus, special international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met Assad but the Syrian opposition vented its anger at what it called a &quot;silence&quot; over the unabated killing of civilians by government forces, most recently in the central town of Halfaya. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/syria-envoy-meets-assad-discuss-solutions-crisis-093917470.htmlMon, 24 Dec 2012 13:18:56 -0500Reuterssyria-envoy-meets-assad-discuss-solutions-crisis-093917470<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syria-envoy-meets-assad-discuss-solutions-crisis-093917470.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/qnw_mt05o8hO2YPzZWsNxw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-24T125507Z_1_CBRE8BN0ZW000_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-SYRIA-CRISIS-ENVOY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Syria&#039;s President Bashar al-Assad meets International peace envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus" align="left" title="Syria&#039;s President Bashar al-Assad meets International peace envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Kuwait will host an international conference next month to tackle Syria&#039;s humanitarian crisis, the ruling emir said on Monday, as foes of President Bashar al-Assad voiced frustration with international efforts to end the civil war. In Damascus, special international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met Assad but the Syrian opposition vented its anger at what it called a &quot;silence&quot; over the unabated killing of civilians by government forces, most recently in the central town of Halfaya. ...</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-central-banker-named-first-deputy-pm-082729620.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/N3._NbDiFqBgTgIRnCIphQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-24T145700Z_2_CBRE8BN0NHW00_RTROPTP_2_UKRAINE-CBANK-CHAIRMAN.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Arbuzov attends a session of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev" align="left" title="Arbuzov attends a session of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev" border="0" /></a>KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich on Monday named a member of his inner circle, central bank head Serhiy Arbuzov, as deputy prime minister, making him an important player in upcoming talks with the IMF. The appointment to the number-two government position also makes Arbuzov a likely successor to Prime Minister Mykola Azarov. The first major task of the new cabinet will be to secure a new bailout program from the International Monetary Fund. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-central-banker-named-first-deputy-pm-082729620.htmlMon, 24 Dec 2012 09:57:00 -0500Reutersukraine-central-banker-named-first-deputy-pm-082729620<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-central-banker-named-first-deputy-pm-082729620.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/N3._NbDiFqBgTgIRnCIphQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-24T145700Z_2_CBRE8BN0NHW00_RTROPTP_2_UKRAINE-CBANK-CHAIRMAN.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Arbuzov attends a session of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev" align="left" title="Arbuzov attends a session of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev" border="0" /></a>KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich on Monday named a member of his inner circle, central bank head Serhiy Arbuzov, as deputy prime minister, making him an important player in upcoming talks with the IMF. The appointment to the number-two government position also makes Arbuzov a likely successor to Prime Minister Mykola Azarov. The first major task of the new cabinet will be to secure a new bailout program from the International Monetary Fund. ...</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-india-sign-weapons-deals-worth-billions-093848131--finance.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/MUPO8RZnieeU_3Ji7sXibA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/5d4f3de01de79924240f6a7067008898.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, before a meeting at his residence in New Delhi, India, Monday, December 24, 2012. (AP Photo/ Mustafa Quraishi, Pool)" align="left" title="Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, before a meeting at his residence in New Delhi, India, Monday, December 24, 2012. (AP Photo/ Mustafa Quraishi, Pool)" border="0" /></a>NEW DELHI (AP) ? Russia and India signed weapons deals worth billions of dollars Monday as President Vladimir Putin sought to further boost ties with an old ally.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/russia-india-sign-weapons-deals-worth-billions-093848131--finance.htmlMon, 24 Dec 2012 06:08:27 -0500Associated Pressrussia-india-sign-weapons-deals-worth-billions-093848131--finance<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-india-sign-weapons-deals-worth-billions-093848131--finance.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/MUPO8RZnieeU_3Ji7sXibA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/5d4f3de01de79924240f6a7067008898.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, before a meeting at his residence in New Delhi, India, Monday, December 24, 2012. (AP Photo/ Mustafa Quraishi, Pool)" align="left" title="Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, before a meeting at his residence in New Delhi, India, Monday, December 24, 2012. (AP Photo/ Mustafa Quraishi, Pool)" border="0" /></a>NEW DELHI (AP) ? Russia and India signed weapons deals worth billions of dollars Monday as President Vladimir Putin sought to further boost ties with an old ally.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/india-russia-seal-defense-deals-trumpet-partnership-105228158--finance.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/0XvI3zn21bwsdW2q_OG5VQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-24T105321Z_1_CBRE8BN0U8100_RTROPTP_2_INDIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Russia&#039;s President Putin shakes hands with India&#039;s Prime Minister Singh after a press statement following signing ceremony in New Delhi" align="left" title="Russia&#039;s President Putin shakes hands with India&#039;s Prime Minister Singh after a press statement following signing ceremony in New Delhi" border="0" /></a>NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India agreed to buy dozens of Russian military helicopters and kits for the assembly of Sukhoi jets at a summit in New Delhi on Monday, where the leaders of both countries reaffirmed their commitment to a strategic partnership. India, traditionally one of Moscow&#039;s top arms clients, said the two sides would also set up a joint venture to manufacture Russian-model helicopters and a $2 billion fund to invest in trade and economic cooperation projects. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/india-russia-seal-defense-deals-trumpet-partnership-105228158--finance.htmlMon, 24 Dec 2012 05:53:21 -0500Reutersindia-russia-seal-defense-deals-trumpet-partnership-105228158--finance<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/india-russia-seal-defense-deals-trumpet-partnership-105228158--finance.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/0XvI3zn21bwsdW2q_OG5VQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-24T105321Z_1_CBRE8BN0U8100_RTROPTP_2_INDIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Russia&#039;s President Putin shakes hands with India&#039;s Prime Minister Singh after a press statement following signing ceremony in New Delhi" align="left" title="Russia&#039;s President Putin shakes hands with India&#039;s Prime Minister Singh after a press statement following signing ceremony in New Delhi" border="0" /></a>NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India agreed to buy dozens of Russian military helicopters and kits for the assembly of Sukhoi jets at a summit in New Delhi on Monday, where the leaders of both countries reaffirmed their commitment to a strategic partnership. India, traditionally one of Moscow&#039;s top arms clients, said the two sides would also set up a joint venture to manufacture Russian-model helicopters and a $2 billion fund to invest in trade and economic cooperation projects. ...</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-investigates-protest-leader-theft-party-funds-085922279.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/bQJwpFmNSE8zWXma9z3Oqw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-24T100834Z_1_CBRE8BN0S6E00_RTROPTP_2_RUSSIA-OPPOSITION.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Opposition leader Navalny speaks during the first meeting of the Russian opposition Coordination Council in Moscow" align="left" title="Opposition leader Navalny speaks during the first meeting of the Russian opposition Coordination Council in Moscow" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian authorities have opened a third criminal investigation into opposition leader Alexei Navalny, saying on Monday that the critic of President Vladimir Putin is suspected of stealing millions of dollars from a political party in 2007. Navalny, 36, the most prominent leader of large street protests that erupted last December against Putin&#039;s nearly 13-year rule, already faces up to 10 years in jail if convicted on existing charges of theft from a state timber company. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/russia-investigates-protest-leader-theft-party-funds-085922279.htmlMon, 24 Dec 2012 03:59:22 -0500Reutersrussia-investigates-protest-leader-theft-party-funds-085922279<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-investigates-protest-leader-theft-party-funds-085922279.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/bQJwpFmNSE8zWXma9z3Oqw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-24T100834Z_1_CBRE8BN0S6E00_RTROPTP_2_RUSSIA-OPPOSITION.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Opposition leader Navalny speaks during the first meeting of the Russian opposition Coordination Council in Moscow" align="left" title="Opposition leader Navalny speaks during the first meeting of the Russian opposition Coordination Council in Moscow" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian authorities have opened a third criminal investigation into opposition leader Alexei Navalny, saying on Monday that the critic of President Vladimir Putin is suspected of stealing millions of dollars from a political party in 2007. Navalny, 36, the most prominent leader of large street protests that erupted last December against Putin&#039;s nearly 13-year rule, already faces up to 10 years in jail if convicted on existing charges of theft from a state timber company. ...</p><br clear="all"/>NEW DELHI (AP) ? India and Russia held talks Monday intended to help cement Russia's position in the growing Indian market and reinvigorate political ties.http://news.yahoo.com/putin-focus-economic-ties-trip-india-064327549--finance.htmlMon, 24 Dec 2012 02:00:10 -0500Associated Pressputin-focus-economic-ties-trip-india-064327549--financeNEW DELHI - Russian President Vladimir Putin is in India for talks intended to help cement Russia's position in the growing Indian market and reinvigorate political ties.http://news.yahoo.com/russian-leader-putin-india-talks-focusing-trade-reinvigorating-064617936.htmlMon, 24 Dec 2012 01:46:17 -0500Associated Pressrussian-leader-putin-india-talks-focusing-trade-reinvigorating-064617936BEIRUT - A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed more than 60 people, activists said, casting a pall over a visit by the international envoy charged with negotiating an end to the country's civil war.http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-airstrike-kills-dozens-international-envoy-pushes-peace-043015885.htmlSun, 23 Dec 2012 23:30:15 -0500Associated Presssyrian-airstrike-kills-dozens-international-envoy-pushes-peace-043015885<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syria-jets-kill-tens-international-envoy-visits-193506243.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/QviWkEl5K6.0JbuWBm2iCA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/4b07a63405968724240f6a70670042a3.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi speaks during a press conference in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Al-Zoubi said, the Syrian government?s line that it is fighting terrorist groups backed by foreign powers who seek to destroy Syria, he equated the rebels with al-Qaida and denied that they had taken over any territory and said the government was willing to engage in dialogue but said the other side wasn?t. (AP Photo/SANA)" align="left" title="In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi speaks during a press conference in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Al-Zoubi said, the Syrian government?s line that it is fighting terrorist groups backed by foreign powers who seek to destroy Syria, he equated the rebels with al-Qaida and denied that they had taken over any territory and said the government was willing to engage in dialogue but said the other side wasn?t. (AP Photo/SANA)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed more than 60 people, activists said, casting a pall over a visit by the international envoy charged with negotiating an end to the country&#039;s civil war.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/syria-jets-kill-tens-international-envoy-visits-193506243.htmlSun, 23 Dec 2012 22:03:26 -0500Associated Presssyria-jets-kill-tens-international-envoy-visits-193506243<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syria-jets-kill-tens-international-envoy-visits-193506243.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/QviWkEl5K6.0JbuWBm2iCA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/4b07a63405968724240f6a70670042a3.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi speaks during a press conference in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Al-Zoubi said, the Syrian government?s line that it is fighting terrorist groups backed by foreign powers who seek to destroy Syria, he equated the rebels with al-Qaida and denied that they had taken over any territory and said the government was willing to engage in dialogue but said the other side wasn?t. (AP Photo/SANA)" align="left" title="In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi speaks during a press conference in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Al-Zoubi said, the Syrian government?s line that it is fighting terrorist groups backed by foreign powers who seek to destroy Syria, he equated the rebels with al-Qaida and denied that they had taken over any territory and said the government was willing to engage in dialogue but said the other side wasn?t. (AP Photo/SANA)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed more than 60 people, activists said, casting a pall over a visit by the international envoy charged with negotiating an end to the country&#039;s civil war.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/putin-visits-india-eyes-arms-sales-trade-political-000545367.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/oxg_bbPaqEi0J5seMNh.jw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-24T000545Z_1_CBRE8BN009P00_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-INDIA-RUSSIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Russian President Putin looks on during a news conference following EU-Russia summit in Brussels" align="left" title="Russian President Putin looks on during a news conference following EU-Russia summit in Brussels" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Arms sales will be on the agenda when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India on Monday to court a country that has traditionally been a top client. Putin&#039;s trip, his first to India since he started a new Kremlin six-year term in May, is a chance to reaffirm Russia&#039;s interest in India, long a regional ally and now a partner in the BRICS group of emerging market nations. In an article for publication in the Indian newspaper The Hindu on Monday, Putin stressed that &quot;deepening friendship and cooperation with India is among the top priorities of our foreign policy&quot;. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/putin-visits-india-eyes-arms-sales-trade-political-000545367.htmlSun, 23 Dec 2012 19:05:45 -0500Reutersputin-visits-india-eyes-arms-sales-trade-political-000545367<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/putin-visits-india-eyes-arms-sales-trade-political-000545367.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/oxg_bbPaqEi0J5seMNh.jw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-24T000545Z_1_CBRE8BN009P00_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-INDIA-RUSSIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Russian President Putin looks on during a news conference following EU-Russia summit in Brussels" align="left" title="Russian President Putin looks on during a news conference following EU-Russia summit in Brussels" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Arms sales will be on the agenda when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India on Monday to court a country that has traditionally been a top client. Putin&#039;s trip, his first to India since he started a new Kremlin six-year term in May, is a chance to reaffirm Russia&#039;s interest in India, long a regional ally and now a partner in the BRICS group of emerging market nations. In an article for publication in the Indian newspaper The Hindu on Monday, Putin stressed that &quot;deepening friendship and cooperation with India is among the top priorities of our foreign policy&quot;. ...</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syrias-war-battered-pound-floats-rebel-funds-130143419.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/QThVgxm7RnyCmCr1VQzd7Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-23T130143Z_1_CBRE8BM108D00_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-SYRIA-CRISIS-CURRENCY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="A cashier counts Syrian currency notes in Amman" align="left" title="A cashier counts Syrian currency notes in Amman" border="0" /></a>AMMAN (Reuters) - In Syria&#039;s eastern town of Deir al-Zor, a rebel commander flush with cash was swapping his dollars for Syrian pounds to pay fighters battling President Bashar al-Assad&#039;s forces. Money changers said that influx of foreign currency earlier this month helped push the pound&#039;s black market rate in the impoverished town up by at least 10 percent. Hundreds of kilometers away in Damascus, panicked Syrians bracing for more violence sold pounds for dollars, driving the pound, which has lost half its value since the anti-Assad uprising erupted in March last year, the other way. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/syrias-war-battered-pound-floats-rebel-funds-130143419.htmlSun, 23 Dec 2012 08:01:43 -0500Reuterssyrias-war-battered-pound-floats-rebel-funds-130143419<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syrias-war-battered-pound-floats-rebel-funds-130143419.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/QThVgxm7RnyCmCr1VQzd7Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-23T130143Z_1_CBRE8BM108D00_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-SYRIA-CRISIS-CURRENCY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="A cashier counts Syrian currency notes in Amman" align="left" title="A cashier counts Syrian currency notes in Amman" border="0" /></a>AMMAN (Reuters) - In Syria&#039;s eastern town of Deir al-Zor, a rebel commander flush with cash was swapping his dollars for Syrian pounds to pay fighters battling President Bashar al-Assad&#039;s forces. Money changers said that influx of foreign currency earlier this month helped push the pound&#039;s black market rate in the impoverished town up by at least 10 percent. Hundreds of kilometers away in Damascus, panicked Syrians bracing for more violence sold pounds for dollars, driving the pound, which has lost half its value since the anti-Assad uprising erupted in March last year, the other way. ...</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/israel-says-syria-chemical-weapons-secure-now-074300263.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/9Ft5q3bVo6ly4Sr.IkRyVg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-23T074300Z_1_CBRE8BM0LFW00_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-ISRAEL-SYRIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Free Syrian Army fighters pose near a tank after the fighters said they fought and defeated government troops in Al-Latameneh" align="left" title="Free Syrian Army fighters pose near a tank after the fighters said they fought and defeated government troops in Al-Latameneh" border="0" /></a>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Syria&#039;s chemical weapons are still secure despite the fact that President Bashar al-Assad has lost control of parts of the country, a senior Israeli defense official said on Sunday. Amos Gilad told Army Radio that the civil war between Assad and opposition forces fighting to topple him had become deadlocked, but that the Syrian leader showed no signs of heeding international calls to step down. &quot;Suppose he (Assad) does leave, there could be chaos ... in the Middle East you never know who will come instead. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/israel-says-syria-chemical-weapons-secure-now-074300263.htmlSun, 23 Dec 2012 02:43:00 -0500Reutersisrael-says-syria-chemical-weapons-secure-now-074300263<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/israel-says-syria-chemical-weapons-secure-now-074300263.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/9Ft5q3bVo6ly4Sr.IkRyVg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-23T074300Z_1_CBRE8BM0LFW00_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-ISRAEL-SYRIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Free Syrian Army fighters pose near a tank after the fighters said they fought and defeated government troops in Al-Latameneh" align="left" title="Free Syrian Army fighters pose near a tank after the fighters said they fought and defeated government troops in Al-Latameneh" border="0" /></a>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Syria&#039;s chemical weapons are still secure despite the fact that President Bashar al-Assad has lost control of parts of the country, a senior Israeli defense official said on Sunday. Amos Gilad told Army Radio that the civil war between Assad and opposition forces fighting to topple him had become deadlocked, but that the Syrian leader showed no signs of heeding international calls to step down. &quot;Suppose he (Assad) does leave, there could be chaos ... in the Middle East you never know who will come instead. ...</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-welcomes-offer-assad-refuge-204207031.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RP9._aJBYFZOjptwYDA8bA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/6382b06bd29d5a23240f6a7067008aa7.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during fighting with the Syrian Army in Azaz, Syria. (AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Huang)" align="left" title="In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during fighting with the Syrian Army in Azaz, Syria. (AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Huang)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Russia would welcome any country&#039;s offer of safe haven for Syrian President Bashar Assad, but has no plans to make one of its own, Moscow&#039;s foreign minister said in the latest comments to suggest a growing distance between the two allies.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/russia-welcomes-offer-assad-refuge-204207031.htmlSat, 22 Dec 2012 16:04:38 -0500Associated Pressrussia-welcomes-offer-assad-refuge-204207031<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-welcomes-offer-assad-refuge-204207031.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RP9._aJBYFZOjptwYDA8bA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/6382b06bd29d5a23240f6a7067008aa7.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during fighting with the Syrian Army in Azaz, Syria. (AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Huang)" align="left" title="In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during fighting with the Syrian Army in Azaz, Syria. (AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Huang)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Russia would welcome any country&#039;s offer of safe haven for Syrian President Bashar Assad, but has no plans to make one of its own, Moscow&#039;s foreign minister said in the latest comments to suggest a growing distance between the two allies.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-wont-host-assad-others-welcome-132325388.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/59qbaT58Z6fo1n66WKLNLg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/5a7e8da7ebba6f23240f6a706700dd41.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE- Russia&#039;s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, in this file photo dated Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012. Lavrov said Saturday Dec. 22, 2012, that the Syrian government has consolidated its chemical weapons to safeguard the arsenal at one or two locations, and also revealed that Russia has military advisers in the country and have kept close watch over its chemical weapons. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe, File)" align="left" title="FILE- Russia&#039;s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, in this file photo dated Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012. Lavrov said Saturday Dec. 22, 2012, that the Syrian government has consolidated its chemical weapons to safeguard the arsenal at one or two locations, and also revealed that Russia has military advisers in the country and have kept close watch over its chemical weapons. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe, File)" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia&#039;s foreign minister says Moscow would welcome any country&#039;s offer of a safe haven to Syrian President Bashar Assad, but underlined that Moscow itself has no intention of giving him shelter if he steps down.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-wont-host-assad-others-welcome-132325388.htmlSat, 22 Dec 2012 15:12:25 -0500Associated Pressrussia-says-wont-host-assad-others-welcome-132325388<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-wont-host-assad-others-welcome-132325388.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/59qbaT58Z6fo1n66WKLNLg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/5a7e8da7ebba6f23240f6a706700dd41.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE- Russia&#039;s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, in this file photo dated Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012. Lavrov said Saturday Dec. 22, 2012, that the Syrian government has consolidated its chemical weapons to safeguard the arsenal at one or two locations, and also revealed that Russia has military advisers in the country and have kept close watch over its chemical weapons. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe, File)" align="left" title="FILE- Russia&#039;s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, in this file photo dated Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012. Lavrov said Saturday Dec. 22, 2012, that the Syrian government has consolidated its chemical weapons to safeguard the arsenal at one or two locations, and also revealed that Russia has military advisers in the country and have kept close watch over its chemical weapons. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe, File)" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia&#039;s foreign minister says Moscow would welcome any country&#039;s offer of a safe haven to Syrian President Bashar Assad, but underlined that Moscow itself has no intention of giving him shelter if he steps down.</p><br clear="all"/>You usually can judge Vladimir Putin?s dislike of a reporter's question by the intensity of his expression. Such was the case this week at his annual news conference, when he greeted with a hard scowl the subject of pending Russian legislation that would ban Americans from adopting orphaned children. Mr. Putin unleashed invective on the fact that consular representatives aren?t allowed to visit adopted Russian children in the United States.http://news.yahoo.com/deep-emotions-run-beneath-russias-adoption-ban-183659760.htmlSat, 22 Dec 2012 13:36:59 -0500Christian Science Monitordeep-emotions-run-beneath-russias-adoption-ban-183659760<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/rebels-threaten-storm-2-syrian-christian-towns-111223888.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RP9._aJBYFZOjptwYDA8bA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/6382b06bd29d5a23240f6a7067008aa7.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during fighting with the Syrian Army in Azaz, Syria. (AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Huang)" align="left" title="In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during fighting with the Syrian Army in Azaz, Syria. (AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Huang)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Rebels have threated to storm two predominantly Christian towns in central Syria if residents do not &quot;evict&quot; government troops they say are using the towns as a base to attack nearby areas.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/rebels-threaten-storm-2-syrian-christian-towns-111223888.htmlSat, 22 Dec 2012 10:59:13 -0500Associated Pressrebels-threaten-storm-2-syrian-christian-towns-111223888<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/rebels-threaten-storm-2-syrian-christian-towns-111223888.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RP9._aJBYFZOjptwYDA8bA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/6382b06bd29d5a23240f6a7067008aa7.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during fighting with the Syrian Army in Azaz, Syria. (AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Huang)" align="left" title="In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter takes cover during fighting with the Syrian Army in Azaz, Syria. (AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Huang)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Rebels have threated to storm two predominantly Christian towns in central Syria if residents do not &quot;evict&quot; government troops they say are using the towns as a base to attack nearby areas.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-target-aleppo-airport-110335105.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/HfYuefLJGHppNEaWmTqUZw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-22T172441Z_1_CBRE8BL1CD700_RTROPTP_2_SYRIA-CRISIS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Free Syrian Army fighters inspect a tank after the fighters said they fought and defeated government troops in Al-Latameneh" align="left" title="Free Syrian Army fighters inspect a tank after the fighters said they fought and defeated government troops in Al-Latameneh" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria&#039;s civil war has reached stalemate and international efforts to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to quit will fail, Russia&#039;s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday. Mainly Sunni Muslim rebels seeking to overthrow Assad are fighting on the edge of the capital Damascus and expanding southwards from their northern strongholds in Aleppo and Idlib into the central province of Hama. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-target-aleppo-airport-110335105.htmlSat, 22 Dec 2012 10:42:44 -0500Reuterssyrian-rebels-target-aleppo-airport-110335105<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-target-aleppo-airport-110335105.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/HfYuefLJGHppNEaWmTqUZw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-22T172441Z_1_CBRE8BL1CD700_RTROPTP_2_SYRIA-CRISIS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Free Syrian Army fighters inspect a tank after the fighters said they fought and defeated government troops in Al-Latameneh" align="left" title="Free Syrian Army fighters inspect a tank after the fighters said they fought and defeated government troops in Al-Latameneh" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria&#039;s civil war has reached stalemate and international efforts to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to quit will fail, Russia&#039;s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday. Mainly Sunni Muslim rebels seeking to overthrow Assad are fighting on the edge of the capital Damascus and expanding southwards from their northern strongholds in Aleppo and Idlib into the central province of Hama. ...</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/merkel-rival-attacks-germanys-soaring-arms-exports-142225233.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/YvkgISQzN_0H_Vtr72_9PA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-22T152722Z_1_CBRE8BL13Y700_RTROPTP_2_GERMANY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Top candidate for the 2013 German general elections Steinbrueck of German SPD party addressees news conference in Berlin" align="left" title="Top candidate for the 2013 German general elections Steinbrueck of German SPD party addressees news conference in Berlin" border="0" /></a>BERLIN (Reuters) - Peer Steinbrueck, set to challenge Angela Merkel as German leader next year, criticized her centre-right government on Saturday for letting arms exports surge and vowed to end that if his centre-left opposition wins power. The former finance minister, nominated to lead the Social Democrats (SPD) into September&#039;s election against Merkel, said it was a scandal that Germany has become the world&#039;s third largest arms exporter on her watch. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/merkel-rival-attacks-germanys-soaring-arms-exports-142225233.htmlSat, 22 Dec 2012 10:27:22 -0500Reutersmerkel-rival-attacks-germanys-soaring-arms-exports-142225233<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/merkel-rival-attacks-germanys-soaring-arms-exports-142225233.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/YvkgISQzN_0H_Vtr72_9PA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-22T152722Z_1_CBRE8BL13Y700_RTROPTP_2_GERMANY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Top candidate for the 2013 German general elections Steinbrueck of German SPD party addressees news conference in Berlin" align="left" title="Top candidate for the 2013 German general elections Steinbrueck of German SPD party addressees news conference in Berlin" border="0" /></a>BERLIN (Reuters) - Peer Steinbrueck, set to challenge Angela Merkel as German leader next year, criticized her centre-right government on Saturday for letting arms exports surge and vowed to end that if his centre-left opposition wins power. The former finance minister, nominated to lead the Social Democrats (SPD) into September&#039;s election against Merkel, said it was a scandal that Germany has become the world&#039;s third largest arms exporter on her watch. ...</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-neither-side-win-syrian-civil-war-145512721.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3rhImqynJqnPDnecGbs8sg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-22T145512Z_1_CBRE8BL15GE00_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-SYRIA-CRISIS-RUSSIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov speaks during a meeting of President Putin&#039;s trustees in Moscow" align="left" title="Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov speaks during a meeting of President Putin&#039;s trustees in Moscow" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said neither side can win the war in Syria, and that China and Russia would be unable to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to quit if they tried. Russia has been rowing back since the Kremlin&#039;s Middle East envoy was quoted this month as saying the rebels could defeat Assad and that Russia was preparing for a possible evacuation of its nationals, the strongest signs yet that it was positioning itself for a post-Assad Syria. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-neither-side-win-syrian-civil-war-145512721.htmlSat, 22 Dec 2012 09:55:12 -0500Reutersrussia-says-neither-side-win-syrian-civil-war-145512721<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-neither-side-win-syrian-civil-war-145512721.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3rhImqynJqnPDnecGbs8sg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-22T145512Z_1_CBRE8BL15GE00_RTROPTP_2_CNEWS-US-SYRIA-CRISIS-RUSSIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov speaks during a meeting of President Putin&#039;s trustees in Moscow" align="left" title="Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov speaks during a meeting of President Putin&#039;s trustees in Moscow" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said neither side can win the war in Syria, and that China and Russia would be unable to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to quit if they tried. Russia has been rowing back since the Kremlin&#039;s Middle East envoy was quoted this month as saying the rebels could defeat Assad and that Russia was preparing for a possible evacuation of its nationals, the strongest signs yet that it was positioning itself for a post-Assad Syria. ...</p><br clear="all"/>CAIRO (Reuters) - International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi will visit Syria in the next few days and is expected to meet President Bashar al-Assad, government officials and some opposition factions, a source in the Arab League said. The source, who asked not to be named, told Reuters no date for such a visit had been announced but said he expected it would be "during the coming few days". A revolt against four decades of rule by Assad's family has now run for 21 months, killing more than 40,000 people. ...http://news.yahoo.com/syria-crisis-envoy-brahimi-visit-damascus-soon-source-140509370.htmlSat, 22 Dec 2012 09:05:09 -0500Reuterssyria-crisis-envoy-brahimi-visit-damascus-soon-source-140509370MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia called on South Sudan on Saturday to punish those responsible for shooting down a U.N. helicopter, killing its four Russian crew, and take steps to ensure such incidents do not happen again. A Russian Foreign Ministry statement named the victims and said the "tragic occurrence" in the African nation on Friday underscored the need to provide security for U.N. peacekeeping missions. ...http://news.yahoo.com/south-sudan-must-punish-those-downed-u-n-113420743.htmlSat, 22 Dec 2012 07:48:29 -0500Reuterssouth-sudan-must-punish-those-downed-u-n-113420743<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-syrian-chemical-weapons-under-control-111437169.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/jr.5IakTqwzZqx6b7NzJ0Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/96971bd6d2e65b23240f6a706700d571.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="A Syrian carries a revolution flag during a Friday protest in Aleppo, Syria, where young people and children sang songs against Bashar Assad and the Syrian regime, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012.(AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Hoang)" align="left" title="A Syrian carries a revolution flag during a Friday protest in Aleppo, Syria, where young people and children sang songs against Bashar Assad and the Syrian regime, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012.(AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Hoang)" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia&#039;s foreign minister says the Syrian government has consolidated its chemical weapons in one or two locations amid a rebel onslaught.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/russia-syrian-chemical-weapons-under-control-111437169.htmlSat, 22 Dec 2012 06:14:37 -0500Associated Pressrussia-syrian-chemical-weapons-under-control-111437169<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russia-syrian-chemical-weapons-under-control-111437169.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/jr.5IakTqwzZqx6b7NzJ0Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/96971bd6d2e65b23240f6a706700d571.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="A Syrian carries a revolution flag during a Friday protest in Aleppo, Syria, where young people and children sang songs against Bashar Assad and the Syrian regime, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012.(AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Hoang)" align="left" title="A Syrian carries a revolution flag during a Friday protest in Aleppo, Syria, where young people and children sang songs against Bashar Assad and the Syrian regime, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012.(AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Hoang)" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia&#039;s foreign minister says the Syrian government has consolidated its chemical weapons in one or two locations amid a rebel onslaught.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russian-parliament-approves-ban-u-adoptions-105037448.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/F8XDy2niJI3tlmVQqyXHJw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-21T220518Z_2_CBRE8BK0U4Q00_RTROPTP_2_RUSSIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="A general view shows the Russian State Duma headquarters, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow" align="left" title="A general view shows the Russian State Duma headquarters, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia&#039;s lower house of parliament approved on Friday a proposed law banning Americans from adopting Russian children, in retaliation for U.S. human rights legislation which Vladimir Putin says is poisoning relations. The State Duma overwhelmingly backed a bill which also would outlaw U.S.-funded &quot;non-profit organizations that engage in political activity&quot;, extending what critics say is a clampdown on Putin&#039;s opponents since he returned to the presidency in May. The bill responds to a new U.S. law known as the Magnitsky Act, passed by the U.S. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/russian-parliament-approves-ban-u-adoptions-105037448.htmlFri, 21 Dec 2012 17:05:18 -0500Reutersrussian-parliament-approves-ban-u-adoptions-105037448<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russian-parliament-approves-ban-u-adoptions-105037448.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/F8XDy2niJI3tlmVQqyXHJw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-21T220518Z_2_CBRE8BK0U4Q00_RTROPTP_2_RUSSIA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="A general view shows the Russian State Duma headquarters, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow" align="left" title="A general view shows the Russian State Duma headquarters, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow" border="0" /></a>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia&#039;s lower house of parliament approved on Friday a proposed law banning Americans from adopting Russian children, in retaliation for U.S. human rights legislation which Vladimir Putin says is poisoning relations. The State Duma overwhelmingly backed a bill which also would outlaw U.S.-funded &quot;non-profit organizations that engage in political activity&quot;, extending what critics say is a clampdown on Putin&#039;s opponents since he returned to the presidency in May. The bill responds to a new U.S. law known as the Magnitsky Act, passed by the U.S. ...</p><br clear="all"/>JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan's army shot down a United Nations peacekeeping helicopter in the restive Jonglei state on Friday, killing the four Russian crew members onboard, U.N. and military officials said. A U.N. source said the helicopter was on a reconnaissance mission in an area where the SPLA, South Sudan's army, has been fighting rebels led by David Yau Yau. U.N. ...http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-says-peacekeeping-helicopter-shot-down-south-171540405.htmlFri, 21 Dec 2012 15:57:35 -0500Reutersu-n-says-peacekeeping-helicopter-shot-down-south-171540405<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-step-attacks-strategic-sites-192951283.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/dvPMev2FgDDHqvrW9g_Izg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/5b83cc869ecf2823240f6a706700c9f1.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 photo, Syrian rebels prepare to make bombs to be used against government forces, at their post in Maaret Misreen, near Idlib, Syria. The new Syrian rebel chief, a defected army general who spent months in exile, says he has begun operating inside Syria to unite autonomous anti-regime militias for what he hopes will be the final push against President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)" align="left" title="In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 photo, Syrian rebels prepare to make bombs to be used against government forces, at their post in Maaret Misreen, near Idlib, Syria. The new Syrian rebel chief, a defected army general who spent months in exile, says he has begun operating inside Syria to unite autonomous anti-regime militias for what he hopes will be the final push against President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria&#039;s rebels stepped up attacks on strategic sites including a sprawling military complex in the country&#039;s north on Friday, while reports emerged that President Bashar Assad&#039;s forces continued to fire Scud missiles at rebel areas.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-step-attacks-strategic-sites-192951283.htmlFri, 21 Dec 2012 15:51:55 -0500Associated Presssyrian-rebels-step-attacks-strategic-sites-192951283<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-step-attacks-strategic-sites-192951283.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/dvPMev2FgDDHqvrW9g_Izg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/5b83cc869ecf2823240f6a706700c9f1.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 photo, Syrian rebels prepare to make bombs to be used against government forces, at their post in Maaret Misreen, near Idlib, Syria. The new Syrian rebel chief, a defected army general who spent months in exile, says he has begun operating inside Syria to unite autonomous anti-regime militias for what he hopes will be the final push against President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)" align="left" title="In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 photo, Syrian rebels prepare to make bombs to be used against government forces, at their post in Maaret Misreen, near Idlib, Syria. The new Syrian rebel chief, a defected army general who spent months in exile, says he has begun operating inside Syria to unite autonomous anti-regime militias for what he hopes will be the final push against President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria&#039;s rebels stepped up attacks on strategic sites including a sprawling military complex in the country&#039;s north on Friday, while reports emerged that President Bashar Assad&#039;s forces continued to fire Scud missiles at rebel areas.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-fight-strategic-town-hama-province-095210843.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/DMeVfznPFh5FHI_39arFkA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-21T203822Z_1_CBRE8BK1KJB00_RTROPTP_2_SYRIA-CRISIS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Free Syrian Army fighters are seen at a front line during fighting with Syrian forces loyal to President Assad at Bustan al-Qasr district" align="left" title="Free Syrian Army fighters are seen at a front line during fighting with Syrian forces loyal to President Assad at Bustan al-Qasr district" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels warned on Friday they will target the international airport of the northern city of Aleppo after firing at an airliner preparing to take off, the first direct attack on civilian a flight in the 21-month-old revolt. Thursday&#039;s attack was another sign of the growing confidence of rebels who are also fighting an offensive in the central province of Hama, pursuing a string of territorial gains to try to cut army supply lines and pressure the capital Damascus to the south. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-fight-strategic-town-hama-province-095210843.htmlFri, 21 Dec 2012 15:38:22 -0500Reuterssyrian-rebels-fight-strategic-town-hama-province-095210843<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-fight-strategic-town-hama-province-095210843.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/DMeVfznPFh5FHI_39arFkA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-12-21T203822Z_1_CBRE8BK1KJB00_RTROPTP_2_SYRIA-CRISIS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Free Syrian Army fighters are seen at a front line during fighting with Syrian forces loyal to President Assad at Bustan al-Qasr district" align="left" title="Free Syrian Army fighters are seen at a front line during fighting with Syrian forces loyal to President Assad at Bustan al-Qasr district" border="0" /></a>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels warned on Friday they will target the international airport of the northern city of Aleppo after firing at an airliner preparing to take off, the first direct attack on civilian a flight in the 21-month-old revolt. T

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