2nd opinion ordered for teen declared brain dead

---

• 2nd opinion ordered for teen declared brain dead
• Vanishing adviser reappears as Iran policy player
• UN peacekeeper killed in Central African Republic
• Twitter's Jack Dorsey joins Disney board
• APNewsBreak: Wash. governor met with Airbus exec
• Last-minute insurance shoppers given grace period
• South Sudan's Kiir says committed to talks with rebel leader: U.S. official
• Report: Brazil crane operator worked 18 days
• Apollo 8 astronaut marks 1968 broadcast to Earth
• Bolivia's president criticizes American's escape
• American warns World Cup fans about Brazil police
• Activists: Syrian aircraft bomb the north, 45 dead
• APNewsBreak: Wash. governor met with Airbus CEO
• Putin frees his enemies as part of Sochi spin
• Dustup over military appeals judge delaying cases
• Obama signs up through DC health care exchange
• NYPD: Father throws son, himself off building
• Rain, ice taper; cold temps stay for parts of US
• South Sudan rebel leader sets out conditions for talks
• Pacers, Heat running away with East _ for now
• Rodman leaves NKorea without word if he met leader
• UAE sentences American to 1 year in video case
• 2 Pussy Riot members released from prison
• Judge allows gay marriage in Utah to continue
• Exclusive: Assad's secret oil lifeline: Iraqi crude from Egypt
• AP Source: Von Miller out for season with torn ACL
• U.S. moves Marines to Africa as South Sudan violence rages
• Colombia downplays report of CIA covert program
• Francis meets Benedict XVI on first Christmas as pope
• Peacekeepers open fire on C.Africa protesters, one dead
• Rain, ice tapers, cold temps stay for parts of US
• Chadian peacekeepers fire on protesters in Central African Republic
• Russia's Kalashnikov, designer of AK-47, dies
• Obamacare signup deadline pushed back to Tuesday
• U.N.'s Ban to ask for more South Sudan peacekeepers: diplomats
• Long-time Palestinian hunger striker released
• Horseback protesters urge France: No new taxes
• Losses in sports in 2013: Musial, Weaver, Griffith
• Stocks rise to start off a slow holiday week
• Headphones, speakers top gift lists

2nd opinion ordered for teen declared brain dead Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:54 PM PST OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — With a family fighting a hospital to keep their brain-dead daughter on life support just days before Christmas, a California judge on Monday ordered a second medical evaluation for 13-year-old Jahi McMath.

Vanishing adviser reappears as Iran policy player Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:53 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Last year, while Jake Sullivan was traveling with his boss, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he quietly disappeared during a stop in Paris. He showed up again a few days later, rejoining Clinton's traveling contingent in Mongolia.

UN peacekeeper killed in Central African Republic Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:52 PM PST BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (AP) — A military official says a U.N. peacekeeper from the Republic of Congo was killed over the weekend in Central African Republic by a Christian militia trying to overthrow the country's Muslim president.

Twitter's Jack Dorsey joins Disney board Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:47 PM PST US entertainment giant Walt Disney Company announced Monday that it tapped Twitter co-founder and chairman Jack Dorsey to join its board of directors. Disney chief executive Robert Iger praised Dorsey as a "talented entrepreneur who has helped create groundbreaking new businesses in the social media and commerce space," according to a statement. "The perspective he brings to Disney and its Board is extremely valuable, given our strategic priorities, which include utilizing the latest technologies and platforms to reach more people and to enhance the relationship we have with our customers," Iger said. Dorsey was a co-founder of the social networking site Twitter and is credited with writing the first Tweet in 2006.

APNewsBreak: Wash. governor met with Airbus exec Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:47 PM PST SEATTLE (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee personally met with an Airbus executive recently to discuss how the state and the Boeing rival can work together.

Last-minute insurance shoppers given grace period Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:41 PM PST CHICAGO (AP) — Anticipating heavy traffic on the government's health care website, the Obama administration effectively extended Monday's deadline for signing up for insurance by a day, giving Americans in 36 states more time to select a plan.

South Sudan's Kiir says committed to talks with rebel leader: U.S. official Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:40 PM PST South Sudan's President Salva Kiir said on Monday he is committed to beginning talks with rebel leader Riek Machar, the country's former vice president, to end violence, a senior U.S. official said after meeting Kiir in the capital Juba earlier in the day. "President Kiir committed to me that he was ready to begin talks with Riek Machar to end the crisis without preconditions as soon as his counterpart is willing," U.S. special envoy to South Sudan, Donald Booth, told a conference call with reporters. Booth was sent to South Sudan at the weekend to seek a diplomatic solution to avoid the violence spiraling into an ethnic civil war.

Report: Brazil crane operator worked 18 days Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:40 PM PST RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A news report cites a Sao Paulo state Labor Ministry official as saying the man who operated the crane that collapsed at the city's World Cup stadium had worked 18 days in a row.

Apollo 8 astronaut marks 1968 broadcast to Earth Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:38 PM PST CHICAGO (AP) — Standing by a part of the Apollo 8 spacecraft he once rode, retired astronaut James Lovell on Monday read the 1968 Christmastime broadcast from the day he and two others became the first humans to orbit the moon.

Bolivia's president criticizes American's escape Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:37 PM PST LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivian President Evo Morales said a US businessman's decision to flee the South American nation was tantamount to admitting to the money laundering crimes he was being investigated for.

American warns World Cup fans about Brazil police Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:34 PM PST RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Six years ago, Elizabeth Martin's nephew Joseph was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer while out celebrating his 30th birthday in Rio de Janeiro. Now, Martin has a message for the hordes of foreigners set to descend on Brazil for next year's World Cup: The next Joseph Martin could be you.

Activists: Syrian aircraft bomb the north, 45 dead Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:23 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Government forces widened a bombing campaign in rebel-held areas of northern Syria on Monday, striking the northern city of Aleppo and a town on the Turkish border in raids that left an estimated 45 people dead, activists said.

APNewsBreak: Wash. governor met with Airbus CEO Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:21 PM PST SEATTLE (AP) — Gov. Jay Inslee has personally met with an Airbus executive to discuss how Washington state and the Boeing rival can work together.

Putin frees his enemies as part of Sochi spin Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:16 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — It came as a shock both for those released and the general public — President Vladimir Putin's move to pardon his foes has allowed him to drive the news agenda less than two months before the Sochi Games.

Dustup over military appeals judge delaying cases Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:15 PM PST WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Dozens of military criminal cases have been thrown into limbo because of a legal challenge over whether Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel improperly appointed a judge to the Air Force's highest court, with attorneys raising questions about the judge's independence amid increasing pressure over the military's handling of sexual assault cases.

Obama signs up through DC health care exchange Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:15 PM PST HONOLULU (AP) — In a symbolic step, President Barack Obama has signed up for health insurance through the new exchanges created by his health care overhaul.

NYPD: Father throws son, himself off building Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:13 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — A father threw his young child off the roof of a 52-story Manhattan apartment building in a murder-suicide on the first day he was allowed to be alone with the boy amid an ugly custody battle with the mother, police officials said Friday.

Rain, ice taper; cold temps stay for parts of US Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:10 PM PST AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Parts of the country socked by a wild weekend storm will be covered with ice through Christmas and beyond thanks to a steady diet of freezing rain and cold temperatures.

South Sudan rebel leader sets out conditions for talks Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:09 PM PST By Carl Odera and Aaron Maasho JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar told Reuters on Monday he was ready to negotiate with President Salva Kiir to bring an end to the nine-day conflict if Kiir first released his detained political allies. The U.S. special envoy to South Sudan, Donald Booth, said Kiir was committed to opening talks with Machar. Information Minister Michael Makuei immediately dismissed the demands made by Machar, who was South Sudan's vice president until Kiir sacked him in July. Hours before meeting Ambassador Booth, Kiir vowed to attack rebel-held Jonglei State capital Bor amid deepening fears that the conflict is provoking broader ethnic bloodletting.

Pacers, Heat running away with East _ for now Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:09 PM PST MIAMI (AP) — Christmas morning, 2008. The Boston Celtics were 27-2. The Cleveland Cavaliers were 24-4. It could have been argued that those teams were well ahead of everyone else, not just in the Eastern Conference, but the entire NBA.

Rodman leaves NKorea without word if he met leader Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:09 PM PST BEIJING (AP) — Former basketball star Dennis Rodman left North Korea on Monday, but he plans to return next month — even if a sponsor won't be with him.

UAE sentences American to 1 year in video case Posted: 23 Dec 2013 12:03 PM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A court in the United Arab Emirates sentenced eight people including an American to up to a year in prison Monday after being convicted in connection to a satirical video about youth culture in Dubai.

2 Pussy Riot members released from prison Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:59 AM PST KRASNOYARSK, Russia (AP) — The last two imprisoned members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot walked free Monday, criticizing the amnesty measure that released them as a publicity stunt, with one calling for a boycott of the Winter Olympics to protest Russia's human rights record.

Judge allows gay marriage in Utah to continue Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:58 AM PST SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A federal judge on Monday allowed gay marriage to continue in Utah, rejecting a request to put same-sex weddings on hold as the state appeals a decision that has sent couples flocking to county clerk offices for marriage licenses.

Exclusive: Assad's secret oil lifeline: Iraqi crude from Egypt Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:54 AM PST By Julia Payne LONDON (Reuters) - The Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad has received substantial imports of Iraqi crude oil from an Egyptian port in the last nine months, shipping and payments documents show, part of an under-the-radar trade that has kept his military running despite Western sanctions. Assad's government has been blacklisted by Western powers for its role in the two-and-a-half year civil war, forcing Damascus to rely on strategic ally Iran - itself the target of Western sanctions over its nuclear program - as its main supplier of crude oil. A Reuters examination based on previously undisclosed commercial documents about Syrian oil purchases shows however that Iran is no longer acting alone. Dozens of shipping and payment documents viewed by Reuters show that millions of barrels of crude delivered to Assad's government on Iranian ships has actually come from Iraq, through Lebanese and Egyptian trading companies.

AP Source: Von Miller out for season with torn ACL Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:44 AM PST ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos began the season without Von Miller, and they'll end it without him, too.

U.S. moves Marines to Africa as South Sudan violence rages Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:44 AM PST By Phil Stewart and Missy Ryan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Monday deployed about 150 Marines to a base in the Horn of Africa to prepare for possible further evacuations of American citizens from the deepening conflict in South Sudan, U.S. officials said on Monday. The deployment of a special crisis-response team of Marines, who are normally stationed at Moron Air Base in Spain, follows a thwarted evacuation attempt in South Sudan over the weekend in which four U.S. soldiers were wounded by gunfire. Three U.S. officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the Marines were sent to a base in Djibouti, a move that would allow them to deploy to South Sudan more quickly, if asked. Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said earlier in the day that the U.S. repositioning of troops would allow for possible "evacuations and the security associated with an evacuation," should the State Department make such a request.

Colombia downplays report of CIA covert program Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:44 AM PST BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia's government is downplaying a newspaper report that a covert CIA program helped it kill two dozen rebel leaders.

Francis meets Benedict XVI on first Christmas as pope Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:44 AM PST Pope Francis visited his predecessor Benedict XVI on Monday for an informal Christmas greeting, as the Argentine pontiff prepares to celebrate his first Christmas as leader of the world's Roman Catholics. Francis met with the 86-year-old Benedict in a former monastery building on a hill inside the Vatican City walls where the pope emeritus has taken up residence following his historic resignation earlier this year. Francis came to "give his best wishes for the Christmas celebrations", the Vatican said in a statement.

Peacekeepers open fire on C.Africa protesters, one dead Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:37 AM PST Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - African peacekeepers fired into a crowd of protesters in the capital of the Central African Republic on Monday, killing one person and injuring around 40 more, in a shooting set to escalate tensions in the strife-torn country. The Chadian soldiers, part of a UN-mandated force, opened fire on stone-throwing protesters outside Bangui airport who accused them of complicity with rebels who have been terrorising the population, according to AFP reporters on the scene. Several hundred Christian demonstrators had massed to call for the departure of President Michel Djotodia, a former rebel who became the first Muslim leader of the majority Christian nation after a March coup that unleashed the current wave of sectarian violence. They were also demanding the departure of the Chadian troops within the 3,700-strong African Union's MISCA force which, alongside French forces, is battling to restore order in the volatile country.

Rain, ice tapers, cold temps stay for parts of US Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:29 AM PST AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Parts of the country socked by a wild weekend storm will be covered with ice through Christmas and beyond thanks to a steady diet of freezing rain and cold temperatures.

Chadian peacekeepers fire on protesters in Central African Republic Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:28 AM PST By Paul-Marin Ngoupana BANGUI (Reuters) - Chadian peacekeepers fired on a crowd demonstrating against their presence in the capital of Central African Republic, where at least nine people were killed in inter-religious violence on Monday. The clash was the latest sign of rising tension between the majority Christian population in Bangui and the Chadian forces, complicating international efforts to calm violence in the large, landlocked African state. Locals accuse the Chadian troops of siding with Seleka fighters, who have unleashed a wave of looting, rapes and killing after toppling President Francois Bozize in March. Sporadic fighting took place in several parts of Bangui between Seleka gunmen and members of the Christian self-defense militias, called anti-balaka.

Russia's Kalashnikov, designer of AK-47, dies Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:28 AM PST Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the fabled AK-47 automatic rifle which became a weapon of choice for guerrillas and governments the world over, died Monday at age 94. Kalashnikov, though he designed a weapon that became synonymous with killing on a sometimes indiscriminate scale, was seen in the Soviet Union as a national hero and symbol of Moscow's proud military past. He died in Izhevsk, an industrial town 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) east of Moscow, Viktor Chulkov, spokesman for Udmurtia's leader Alexander Volkov, told AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his "deepest condolences" to the family of the "outstanding" designer, the Kremlin said.

Obamacare signup deadline pushed back to Tuesday Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:20 AM PST By Susan Cornwell and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As Americans scrambled to beat a deadline to sign up for insurance under President Barack Obama's new healthcare law, the White House gave consumers shopping on the program's website an extra day, until December 24, to pick plans for coverage that starts January 1. The last-minute move by the Obama administration came on a day when officials reported record traffic on HealthCare.gov, the enrollment website that struggled with glitches after its launch in October. The website has been repaired and officials said on Monday that it received 1 million visits over the weekend while a call center took 200,000 calls from those seeking insurance under the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. The hustle to sign up by the deadline for January 1 coverage - which already had been extended once - seemed to be a positive sign for the Obama administration as it tries to patch up a botched rollout of the president's top domestic policy achievement - the law that requires Americans to get health insurance or face fines.

U.N.'s Ban to ask for more South Sudan peacekeepers: diplomats Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:17 AM PST U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon will likely ask the U.N. Security Council on Monday for a two-third increase in the number of peacekeepers in South Sudan in a bid to better protect civilians from worsening violence, said council diplomats. The 15-member council is expected to adopt a resolution on Tuesday approving about 5,000 more troops and 280 more police for the U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as UNMISS, said the diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity. There are currently 6,800 peacekeeping troops and nearly 700 police in South Sudan. The Security Council is due to meet later on Monday to discuss the situation in South Sudan.

Long-time Palestinian hunger striker released Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:09 AM PST JERUSALEM (AP) — A Palestinian prisoner who refused food for nearly nine months to press for his freedom walked out of an Israeli prison on Monday to a joyous welcome from friends and family.

Horseback protesters urge France: No new taxes Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:03 AM PST PARIS (AP) — Horse riders and trainers are demonstrating against a plan to nearly triple the tax on riding schools in France.

Losses in sports in 2013: Musial, Weaver, Griffith Posted: 23 Dec 2013 11:00 AM PST The soundtracks could not have been more different.

Stocks rise to start off a slow holiday week Posted: 23 Dec 2013 10:55 AM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks moved higher Monday at the beginning of what is traditionally a slow week as investors start to close the books on 2013. Apple helped lift technology stocks after the company reached a deal to sell the iPhone to China's largest wireless carrier.

Headphones, speakers top gift lists Posted: 23 Dec 2013 10:48 AM PST ATLANTA (AP) — Listen up, Santa.

You are subscribed to email updates from Yahoo! News - Top Stories To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610