The top world news and international headlines – Yahoo! News
The top world news and international headlines – Yahoo! News
MARJAH, Afghanistan – Taliban fighters stepped up counterattacks Monday against Marines and Afghan soldiers in the militant stronghold of Marjah, slowing the allied advance to a crawl despite Afghan government claims that the insurgents are broken and on the run. Full Story;
Adviser to Americans admits link to Salvador case
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The man who served as legal adviser to 10 American missionaries jailed in Haiti on charges of child kidnapping acknowledged Monday that he is the suspect wanted in El Salvador on human smuggling accusations. Full Story;
Eurozone tells Greece to ready new cuts, taxes
BRUSSELS – European finance ministers bluntly told Greece to prepare tougher spending cuts and new taxes in an attempt to snuff out a government debt crisis that has shaken the entire eurozone. Full Story;
Vancouver Olympics Luge Accident Forces Change to Course
With safety changes installed at the Olympic sliding track, the men's event went off without a mishap. Still, you won't find much of a celebration Full Story;
Army officer denies knowledge of 'Iraqi abuse'
LONDON (AFP) – A former commanding officer of a British army unit has denied that he knew about allegations Iraqi prisoners were abused by troops under his command in 2003. Full Story;
Saudi official questions new sanctions on Iran
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister on Monday expressed doubts about the usefulness of more sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. Full Story;
Disgraced in skirt scandal, woman is Carnival star
RIO DE JANEIRO – Geisy Arruda is dancing proof that nowhere is transformation more achievable than in Brazil’s Carnival, ripe with fantasy and metamorphosis. Full Story;
UN: Cocaine being traded for arms in West Africa
DAKAR, Senegal – Cocaine shipped to West Africa by Latin American drug cartels is now being traded for arms, the U.N.’s drug czar said Monday — an exchange of contraband that is especially dangerous in a region now home to cells of an al-Qaida-linked terror group. Full Story;
Top Taliban commander captured in Pakistan: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top military commander of the Taliban, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, has been captured in Karachi, Pakistan, in a secret raid by U.S. and Pakistani intelligence forces, The New York Times reported on Monday. Full Story;
Montreal adviser gets 11 years for Ponzi scheme
TORONTO (Reuters) – A Montreal financial adviser convicted of running a Ponzi scheme like the one that landed Bernard Madoff in jail for life was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Monday, a Quebec court said. Full Story;
Australian anti-immigration politician heads for Britain
SYDNEY (AFP) – Australian anti-immigration firebrand Pauline Hanson is selling up and heading to Britain after becoming disillusioned with her home country, a magazine reported on Monday. Full Story;
Taliban reportedly held civilian hostages when U.S. rockets hit
KABUL — Amid intelligence reports alleging that Taliban insurgents are holding civilians as hostages, American and Afghan forces moved cautiously through the Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Monday as they pressed the biggest offensive since the U.S. landed troops in Afghanistan more than eight years ago. Full Story;
Virgin's Richard Branson takes on peak oil
London – Long-accustomed to being dismissed as alarmists, the arguments of those warning of an impending peak oil crisis are now being bolstered by support from multi-billionaires like Richard Branson. Full Story;
Denmark and Israel Pioneer Green-Car Network
Most of Europe has grand plans for introducing electric cars, but tinyDenmark is the country best positioned to make the dream a reality Full Story;
Power outage impedes release of Americans
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Haiti’s creaky, quake-damaged electrical system apparently delayed on Monday a judge’s decision on whether to release 10 Americans charged with child kidnapping. Full Story;
Whaling protester in custody on Japanese boat
ADELAIDE, Australia – An anti-whaling activist from New Zealand was being held in custody on a Japanese whaling vessel Tuesday after secretly boarding it the day before as part of a protest, the whalers said. Full Story;
Gov’t: 34 deaths alleged in Toyotas since 2000
Complaints of deaths connected to sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles have surged in recent weeks, with the alleged death toll reaching 34 since 2000, according to new consumer data gathered by the government. Full Story;
Small plane crashes at mid-NJ airport, killing 5
A small plane trying to land broke apart and tore through a snowy field next to a runway Monday afternoon, killing all five people aboard, including a teenager and a child, and scattering debris over 200 feet. Full Story;
Wall Street and Washington Hope You Are Gullible: Disappoint Them
Read Janet Tavakoli's other articles on HuffingtonPost.com Full Story;
