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| Cirque du Soleil acrobat in hospital after fall at Las Vegas show Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 08:26 PM PDT A Cirque du Soleil acrobat was hospitalized after suffering injuries in a fall during a performance in Las Vegas on Friday night, just days after the Montreal-based company was fined in connection with a fatal accident in June. The unidentified male acrobat was performing in the "Wheel of Death" act during the show "Zarkana" when he slipped and fell off the wheel, Cirque du Soleil said in a Facebook posting on Saturday. "The show was halted and the artist was transported to University Medical Center where he is in stable condition and is expected to be released from hospital in the next few days," the statement said. In June, Paris native Sarah Guillot-Guyard fell 94 feet to her death during a midair battle scene in the show "KA" in Las Vegas. Full Story | Top |
| Holocaust memorabilia found on eBay - Mail on Sunday report Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 08:05 PM PDT  EBay has removed from its listings around 30 items of memorabilia from the Nazi Holocaust, including clothes worn by concentration camp victims, after a newspaper investigation discovered they were on sale on the e-commerce website, Britain's Mail on Sunday said. The newspaper said its reporters found a range of items on the site over the past week, including what was presented by the vendor as a complete Auschwitz uniform worn by a Polish baker who perished in the Nazi death camp. The Mail on Sunday said it had alerted eBay and that the online auctioneer had removed 30 items from sale and offered to make a donation of 25,000 pounds to a suitable charity. In a statement, eBay said: "We are very sorry these items have been listed on eBay and we are removing them. Full Story | Top |
| Cuba shutters private theaters, threatens other businesses Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 08:03 PM PDT By Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba closed dozens of home-based movie theaters on Saturday and reaffirmed its plans to end the private sale of imported goods as communist authorities pressed for "order, discipline and obedience" in the growing small business sector. A government statement issued through official media said home-based theaters and video games will "stop immediately in any type of self employment," a local euphemism for small business. The statement said "the showing of movies, including in 3D salons, and likewise the organization of computer games, has never been authorized." The government banned the private sale of imported goods last month, a measure that potentially affects some 20,000 small businesses and their employees who sell clothing, hardware and other goods brought in informally by travelers, some of whom visit the Caribbean island regularly carrying merchandise from the United States, Spain and Latin American countries. President Raul Castro, who replaced his brother Fidel in 2008, has instituted a series of market-oriented reforms to Cuba's Soviet style economy where the state still employs 79 percent of the 5 million-strong labor force. Full Story | Top |
| Holocaust memorabilia found on eBay: UK newspaper report Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 08:02 PM PDT  EBay has removed from its listings around 30 items of memorabilia from the Nazi Holocaust, including clothes worn by concentration camp victims, after a newspaper investigation discovered they were on sale on the e-commerce website, Britain's Mail on Sunday said. The newspaper said its reporters found a range of items on the site over the past week, including what was presented by the vendor as a complete Auschwitz uniform worn by a Polish baker who perished in the Nazi death camp. The Mail on Sunday said it had alerted eBay and that the online auctioneer had removed 30 items from sale and offered to make a donation of 25,000 pounds ($40,000) to a suitable charity. In a statement, eBay said: "We are very sorry these items have been listed on eBay and we are removing them. Full Story | Top |
| Georgia couple charged with murder after girl's body found in trash Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 07:07 PM PDT The father and stepmother of a 10-year-old girl were charged with murder after the burned body of the girl was found in a trash can outside an apartment complex near Atlanta, police said. Eman Moss and Tiffany Moss were charged with felony murder, cruelty to a child and concealing a body, according to a statement issued by the Gwinnett County Police Department. Police identified the victim as 10-year-old Emani Moss. Eman Moss called 911 early on Saturday morning to say he was suicidal and that there was a dead body with him, police said. Full Story | Top |
| Accused Los Angeles airport shooter could face death penalty Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 06:58 PM PDT  By Alex Dobuzinskis and Dana Feldman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The 23-year-old man accused of opening fire at Los Angeles International Airport, killing an airport security officer and wounding three other people, could face the death penalty after being charged with murder on Saturday, a federal prosecutor said. Paul Anthony Ciancia was charged with murder of a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport, U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte told reporters a day after the shooting that touched off panic and chaos at the world's sixth busiest airport. Ciancia carried a signed note that called Transportation Security Administration officers "traitorous" and he targeted them during his rampage at the airport's Terminal 3, FBI special agent in charge David Bowdich said. Ciancia was dropped off at the airport, said Bowdich, who declined to say if the FBI knew who drove the suspected gunman there. Full Story | Top |
| Commerzbank CEO says independence no end in itself Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 06:03 PM PDT  BERLIN (Reuters) - The chief executive of Commerzbank said Germany's second largest lender should not remain independent at all costs, a German newspaper reported. "To me, autonomy is no end in itself," Martin Blessing was quoted as saying by weekly Welt am Sonntag in an interview published on Sunday. "I want our employees to have the feeling that they can do something meaningful for the economy." That marks a shift in emphasis by the CEO, who told daily Handelsblatt in August that he expected the Frankfurt-based bank to be still independent when it celebrates its 150-year anniversary in 2020. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt to look beyond U.S. for arms: foreign minister Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 05:46 PM PDT  By Samia Nakhoul and Michael Georgy CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said on Saturday that Egypt would look beyond the United States to meet its security needs and warned Washington that it could no longer ignore popular demands in a changed Arab world. Speaking ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Fahmy said the United States must take a long-term view of its relations with Egypt and understand that in the wake of the Arab Spring, "it would have to deal now with the Arab peoples, not only with Arab governments". Emphasizing the "turbulent" state of Washington's ties with its longtime Arab ally after U.S. military aid curbs in response to the army's overthrow in July of President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, Fahmy said Egypt would have to develop "multiple choices, multiple options" to chart its way forward - including military relationships. Full Story | Top |
| Britain's CBI ups 2014 GDP growth forecast to 2.4 percent Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 05:13 PM PDT  Britain's business association, the CBI, revised up its forecast for the country's economic growth next year to 2.4 percent on Sunday, predicting a rebound in business and housing investment. The previous quarterly forecast from the Confederation of British Industry, in August, expected 2014 gross domestic product growth to be 2.3 percent. A finance ministry spokesman said the CBI report showed the government's economic policies were effective. Full Story | Top |
| UK lawmakers chide police over role in 'pleb' scandal Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 05:13 PM PDT  By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers condemned on Sunday the conduct of police officers involved in a bizarre scandal that forced a cabinet minister to resign after being accused of calling a policeman a "pleb". The scandal, which erupted in September 2012, began as a controversy over class prejudice in Prime Minister David Cameron's ruling Conservative Party but later turned into a public relations nightmare for the police. At issue is whether police officers framed the Conservative minister, Andrew Mitchell, and made misleading comments to media to force his resignation, against a backdrop of government cuts in police budgets that had angered many in the rank and file. "This matter has been hugely damaging to the public's perception of the reputation of the police officers involved ... and the force itself," said opposition Labour Party lawmaker Keith Vaz, who chairs parliament's Home Affairs Committee. Full Story | Top |
| Accused Los Angeles airport shooter could face death penalty: prosecutor Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 04:38 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The man accused of opening fire at the Los Angeles International Airport faces charges of murder of a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport, U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte told reporters on Saturday. Under the charges, federal prosecutors could seek the death penalty against Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, Birotte said. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Mohammad Zargham) Full Story | Top |
| Embraer investigated for bribery in Argentine, Dominican deals Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 03:39 PM PDT By Brad Haynes and Aruna Viswanatha SAO PAULO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and Brazilian authorities are investigating whether Embraer SA bribed officials in Argentina and the Dominican Republic to secure deals for commercial and defense aircraft, according to legal documents reviewed by Reuters. The investigations involve the sale of 20 passenger jets to an Argentine state airline, worth about $900 million at Embraer list prices, and a $92 million deal with the Dominican armed forces for eight Super Tucano light attack planes, according to documents prepared by prosecutors. The world's third-largest commercial plane maker disclosed two years ago that it had been under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission since 2010 regarding sales of aircraft abroad. Full Story | Top |
| Man awaiting execution for Tennessee fast-food murders dies in hospital Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 02:49 PM PDT  By Tim Ghianni NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Death row inmate Paul Dennis Reid, who killed seven young people in a series of attacks at Tennessee fast-food restaurants in 1997, died on Friday in a Nashville hospital, a prison official said. The cause of death will be determined by the State Medical Examiner's office, where the body was taken after Reid was pronounced dead, said Dorinda Carter, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Correction. Reid was taken from Nashville's Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, where he was awaiting execution, to the city's General Hospital at Meharry about two weeks ago, Carter said. Reid, who was sometimes referred to as The Fast-Food Killer, had come to Nashville from Texas to pursue his dreams of being a country music singer. Full Story | Top |
| Two French journalists abducted, killed in northern Mali Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 02:22 PM PDT  By Adama Diarra and John Irish BAMAKO/PARIS (Reuters) - Two French radio journalists were killed by gunmen in northern Mali on Saturday shortly after being abducted in the town of Kidal, French and Malian officials said. The French government confirmed that 58-year old Claude Verlon and Ghislaine Dupont, 51, both journalists at RFI radio, had been found dead. "The French president ... expresses his indignation over this heinous act," Francois Hollande's office said in a statement. Kidal is the birthplace of a Tuareg uprising last year that plunged Mali into chaos, leading to a coup in the capital Bamako and the occupation of the northern half of the country by militants linked to al Qaeda. Full Story | Top |
| Congregation celebrates assembly - without religion Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 02:19 PM PDT By Mary Wisniewski CHICAGO (Reuters) - British comedian Sanderson Jones left a Christmas concert six years ago feeling uncomfortable - he no longer believed in God, but he sure liked singing carols. Jones also missed other things about being in a church - the sense of community and time spent thinking about being a better person - just not the religion part. "I wanted to celebrate being alive," said Jones, 32. "Being alive is one of the most magical, mystical things we've been given." So Jones and his friend, actress Pippa Evans, got together in January in London for a first "Sunday Assembly," a service they say is not just for atheists, but for anyone who wants to "live better, help often and wonder more." The London congregation now has 600 people, and Jones and Evans are taking the idea on a "road show" in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the U.S., Canada and Australia to help start new assemblies. Full Story | Top |
| Los Angeles airport terminal re-opens as shooting probed Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 02:07 PM PDT By Alex Dobuzinskis and Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles International Airport terminal where a gunman opened fire on Friday morning, killing an unarmed federal airport security officer and wounding others, re-opened to travelers the day after the shooting as authorities probed the motive behind the attack. Authorities have identified the suspected shooter as Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, and they said he was shot and wounded by police in an exchange of gunfire at Terminal 3 at one of the world's busiest airports. Authorities said the gunman fatally shot one TSA officer, identified as Gerardo Hernandez, 39, who was the first from the agency to be killed in the line of duty. Hernandez was at a document verification checkpoint when he was shot, said a TSA official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Full Story | Top |
| Rousseff urges Cabinet to speed up Brazil works projects before election Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 01:56 PM PDT  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who is expected to seek re-election in 2014, urged Cabinet ministers on Saturday to speed up major infrastructure and public services projects, amid concerns about delays with much-needed road, hospital and port improvements. Rousseff met in Brasilia with 15 Cabinet ministers, all of them presiding over ministries related to infrastructure and social policy matters. She asked the ministers to agree on a common timetable for completing the projects, the president's chief of staff, Gleisi Hoffmann, told a news conference. Brazil is scrambling to lift anemic investment levels that have kept its economy stagnant. Full Story | Top |
| UK prison incident resolved with no injuries, officials say Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 01:47 PM PDT An incident involving 40 inmates at Maidstone Prison in Kent, in southeast England, was resolved with no injuries to staff or prisoners, officials said on Saturday. The incident, described as a "riot" by a senior member of the prison officers' trade union, was confined to the Thanet Wing of the prison, which houses about 180 inmates. "An investigation is under way and the perpetrators will be dealt with appropriately by the prison," the Prison Service said. The authorities had deployed additional prison officers to the prison to help deal with the incident. Full Story | Top |
| Maidstone prison incident resolved with no injuries, officials say Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 01:43 PM PDT An incident involving 40 inmates at Maidstone Prison in Kent, in southeast England, was resolved with no injuries to staff or prisoners, officials said on Saturday. The incident, described as a "riot" by a senior member of the prison officers' trade union, was confined to the Thanet Wing of the prison, which houses about 180 inmates. "An investigation is under way and the perpetrators will be dealt with appropriately by the prison," the Prison Service said. The authorities had deployed additional prison officers to the prison to help deal with the incident. Full Story | Top |
| Soccer-Red Star beat Partizan 1-0 in troubled Belgrade derby Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 01:23 PM PDT By Zoran Milozavljevic BELGRADE, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Red Star Belgrade closed in on Serbian champions and league leaders Partizan on Saturday after winning a tense city derby marred by crowd trouble with fire trucks moving in to quell a bonfire in the visiting section. Early in the second half, Partizan fans hurled volleys of flares on to the athletics track and as the seats in their tier had been removed before the match for safety reasons, they used whatever flammable plastic objects they could get to start a huge fire on the durable concrete blocks. Referee Milorad Mazic halted play for 10 minutes as the billowing smoke threatened to choke the 40,000 spectators at Red Star's Marakana stadium and two fire trucks were quickly deployed to restore some normality to the fixture, which has a long history of crowd trouble. Red Star, whose fans also set off loud fireworks and lit dozens of flares before kickoff, dominated the match but only won thanks to a bizarre own goal by Partizan defender Milan Obradovic, whose miscued header beat his own keeper Vladimir Stojkovic in the 18th minute. Full Story | Top |
| Niger arrests 150 migrants in crackdown after Sahara deaths Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 01:02 PM PDT Niger arrested about 150 people trying to cross its border into Algeria on Friday in a crackdown on networks ferrying migrants across the Sahara following the death of 92 people in a failed desert crossing last month. The migrants, including 18 Nigerians, were arrested while travelling in a convoy of five vehicles, rescue worker Almoustapha Alhacena and a security official, who asked not to be identified, said on Saturday. "The migrants were mostly men with a few children. They were arrested in the desert and are being held in Arlit, the town from where they illegally left for Algeria," the security official said. Full Story | Top |
| French hostages in West Africa Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 12:34 PM PDT Two French journalists were killed in the northern Mali town of Kidal on Saturday after being taken hostage by armed gunmen, bringing to three the number of French citizens killed in the country since Paris intervened militarily in its former colony in January. The deaths came just days after four French hostages kidnapped in Niger by al Qaeda's north African (AQIM) wing were released following secret talks with officials from the West African country. Paris launched air strikes and sent hundreds of soldiers into Niger's neighbor Mali at the start of the year to drive back al Qaeda-linked rebels it said could turn the West African country into a base for international attacks. Full Story | Top |
| Europe's spies work together on mass surveillance: Guardian Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 11:42 AM PDT  By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Spy agencies across Western Europe are working together on mass surveillance of Internet and phone traffic comparable to programs run by their U.S. counterpart denounced by European governments, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported on Saturday. Citing documents leaked by fugitive former U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, the Guardian said methods included tapping into fiber optic cables and working covertly with private telecommunications companies. The Guardian named Germany, France, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands as countries where intelligence agencies had been developing such methods in cooperation with counterparts including Britain's surveillance agency GCHQ. Full Story | Top |
| Town dependent on fame of Harper Lee book stung by museum lawsuit Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 11:35 AM PDT  By Verna Gates MONROEVILLE, Alabama (Reuters) - Harper Lee was once universally revered by her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, but a legal battle over the shrine it built to honor her literary legacy is dividing the small southern city. Exhibits there celebrate Lee's achievements, as does an annual play based on the book, while Lee leads a sheltered life at an assisted living home on the edge of town. "She just detested the attention of people who just wanted to be friends because she wrote the book," said George Jones, 91, who went to school with Lee. Full Story | Top |
| Fire breaks out in Saudi prison, riots and gunshots reported Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 11:06 AM PDT A fire broke out at a prison in northern Saudi Arabia and rioting and gunshots were reported, a Saudi news website said on Saturday. The official said a statement was expected later from prison authorities. The news website www.sabq.org reported that security forces were at the scene in the Buraidah prison, where the fire was reported in three rooms. Full Story | Top |
| Sectarian clashes kill 55 in north Yemen Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 11:01 AM PDT The death toll in four days of clashes between rival Muslim clans in north Yemen rose to 55 on Saturday, one of the clans said, as the Yemeni government tried to broker a ceasefire in a region that lies largely outside its control. Shi'ite Houthi rebels launched an attack on the town of Damaj, held by their Sunni Salafi rivals, on Wednesday. The army said earlier a ceasefire had come into effect on Friday afternoon, but a Salafi spokesman then said clashes had continued on Saturday, and that in all 55 Salafis had been killed by rockets and tank fire. Yehia Abuesbaa, the head of a presidential committee tasked with ending the fighting in Damaj, said a ceasefire was now expected to come into effect on Sunday. Full Story | Top |
| Germany's SPD: no coalition without dual citizenship, labor reform deal Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 10:35 AM PDT  By Holger Hansen BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) will not agree to a "grand coalition" with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives without agreement on core issues including labor market reforms and expanding dual citizenship, its leader said. The SPD got the green light from party members two weeks ago to start coalition talks after it pledged not to budge on 10 "non-negotiable" demands, also including infrastructure investment and equal pay. Full Story | Top |
| Italy justice minister faces calls to quit over influence allegations Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 10:11 AM PDT  By Steve Scherer ROME (Reuters) - Italian Justice Minister Anna Maria Cancellieri faced calls to resign on Saturday over accusations she used her influence to get the ailing daughter of a former insurance magnate out of prison. The loss of an influential minister could further destabilize Prime Minister Enrico Letta's fragile right-left coalition, where tensions are already running high ahead of a vote to expel center-right leader Silvio Berlusconi from parliament later this month over his conviction for tax fraud. The opposition 5-Star Movement said on Friday it would present a no-confidence motion against Cancellieri. The Democratic Party (PD), the largest bloc supporting the government, called on her to address parliament on the matter. Full Story | Top |
| Obamacare website to be down again for maintenance late Saturday Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 09:50 AM PDT  The glitch-ridden website used to sign up for insurance under President Barack Obama's healthcare law will be down for "extended maintenance" overnight on Saturday, the Department of Health and Human Services said. "The HealthCare.gov tech team is performing extended maintenance this weekend to improve network infrastructure and make enhancements to the online application and enrollment tools," said Joanne Peters, the spokeswoman. The administration has said it will fix the site by the end of this month. The government hopes that about 7 million people enroll for insurance by the end of March under the law passed in Obama's first term to expand access to health insurance and require that people have coverage or pay a fine. Full Story | Top |
| Tunisia handed Davis Cup ban after Israeli boycott order Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 09:40 AM PDT By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Tunisia have been suspended from the 2014 Davis Cup competition after the country's tennis federation ordered its number one player not to play against an Israeli. Malek Jaziri withdrew from the second tier Tashkent Challenger tournament last month before his match against Israel's Amir Weintraub. The governing body of men's tennis, ATP, cleared the player of wrongdoing but the International Tennis Federation (ITF) decided to impose the ban. "The ITF Board of Directors found that the Tunisian Tennis Federation was in breach of the ITF Constitution by interfering with international sporting practice and ordering Tunisian player Malek Jaziri not to compete against Israeli player Amir Weintraub at the 2013 Tashkent Challenger in October," the ITF said in a statement on Saturday. Full Story | Top |
| Tennis-Tunisia handed Davis Cup ban after Israeli boycott order Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 09:23 AM PDT (Adds Israeli reaction, background) By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM Nov 2 (Reuters) - Tunisia have been suspended from the 2014 Davis Cup competition after the country's tennis federation ordered its number one player not to play against an Israeli. Malek Jaziri withdrew from the second tier Tashkent Challenger tournament last month before his match against Israel's Amir Weintraub. The governing body of men's tennis, ATP, cleared the player of wrongdoing but the International Tennis Federation (ITF) decided to impose the ban. "The ITF Board of Directors found that the Tunisian Tennis Federation was in breach of the ITF Constitution by interfering with international sporting practice and ordering Tunisian player Malek Jaziri not to compete against Israeli player Amir Weintraub at the 2013 Tashkent Challenger in October," the ITF said in a statement on Saturday. Full Story | Top |
| Kenyatta vows to ensure controversial new media law is constitutional Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 09:01 AM PDT  Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta told journalists on Saturday not to panic over a new media law which critics say will muzzle the press in East Africa's biggest economy, saying he will veto it to ensure it is constitutional. Kenyan media and opposition politicians say the new rules passed by parliament will stunt democracy in a country which currently enjoys broad press freedoms. Kenyatta asked journalists to report more responsibly, but said he would closely examine the law, which will only become effective once he signs it. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. aligns beef rules with global mad cow standards Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 08:58 AM PDT The United States on Friday issued new import rules for cattle and beef that will comply with international standards for the prevention of mad cow disease, saying the step could ultimately boost U.S. beef exports. The European Union said the U.S. move would bring a welcome re-opening of a market closed to its beef since January 1998. Lawmakers and industry groups also welcomed the news, saying it would help the United States regain access to markets that have been closed for decades. World trade in beef was jolted in the 1980s by the discovery of mad cow disease, a fatal brain-wasting disease in cattle, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Full Story | Top |
| Pakistan Taliban secretly bury leader, vow bombs in revenge Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 08:34 AM PDT  By Saud Mehsud and Hafiz Wazir DERA ISMAIL KHAN/WANA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani Taliban fighters secretly buried their leader on Saturday after he was killed by a U.S. drone aircraft and quickly moved to replace him while vowing a wave of revenge suicide bombings. The Pakistani government denounced the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud as a U.S. bid to derail planned peace talks and summoned the U.S. ambassador to protest. Some lawmakers demanded the blocking of U.S. supply lines into Afghanistan in retaliation. Full Story | Top |
| Georgian PM names successor, ties with Russia a priority Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 08:33 AM PDT  By Margarita Antidze TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia's prime minister named Interior Minister Irakly Garibashvili as his successor on Saturday, handing a close ally the task of treading a political tightrope between Russia and the West. Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili has said he will quit as premier after Georgy Margvelashvili is sworn in as president on November 17. Margvelashvili was elected last month to take over from Mikheil Saakashvili, who spent a decade in power pursuing friendly relations with the West - often at the expense of Russia. He named his successor at the headquarters of his Georgian Dream coalition. Full Story | Top |
| Greeks fear more violence after Golden Dawn members shot dead Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 08:22 AM PDT  By Renee Maltezou ATHENS (Reuters) - A brazen drive-by shooting that killed two young members of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party has shocked Greeks and prompted soul-searching about whether the crisis-hit country is slipping into a "cycle of violence". Greece's anti-terrorism force is investigating whether Friday's rush hour shooting outside the party's offices in Athens was retaliation for a fatal stabbing of an anti-fascism rapper by a Golden Dawn supporter in September, police said. Rapper Pavlos Fissas's death sparked protests across Greece and a government crackdown on Golden Dawn, which is widely considered neo-Nazi and is blamed for attacks against migrants. "We cannot let this cycle of violence continue," Makis Voridis, a senior lawmaker in Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's New Democracy party, told Mega TV. Full Story | Top |
| Pakistan summons U.S. ambassador to protest Taliban leader's death Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 08:14 AM PDT The Pakistani government summoned the U.S. ambassador to protest over the death of Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone strike, it said on Saturday. A statement from the Foreign Office said Friday's strike was "counter-productive to Pakistan's efforts to bring peace and stability to Pakistan and the region." Mehsud was head of the Pakistani Taliban, an insurgent group that has beheaded Pakistani soldiers and killed thousands of civilians in suicide bombings. Full Story | Top |
| Tunisia handed one year Davis Cup ban after Israeli boycott order Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 06:28 AM PDT (Reuters) - Tunisia have been suspended from the 2014 Davis Cup competition after the country's tennis federation ordered its number one player not to play against an Israeli. Malek Jaziri withdrew from the second tier Tashkent Challenger tournament last month before his match against Israel's Amir Weintraub. The governing body of men's tennis, ATP, cleared the player of wrongdoing but the International Tennis Federation (ITF) decided to impose the ban. "The ITF Board of Directors found that the Tunisian Tennis Federation was in breach of the ITF Constitution by interfering with international sporting practice and ordering Tunisian player Malek Jaziri not to compete against Israeli player Amir Weintraub at the 2013 Tashkent Challenger in October," the ITF said in a statement on Saturday. Full Story | Top |
| Bahrain summons head of Shi'ite opposition for questioning Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 06:26 AM PDT  Bahrain police have summoned the head of the main Shi'ite Muslim opposition group al-Wefaq for questioning on Sunday, a source at the interior ministry said on Saturday. Unrest has dogged Bahrain, a Western ally which hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, since the 2011 uprising led by majority Shi'ites demanding reforms and more share in running the kingdom ruled by the Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa dynasty. The ministry source had no details of what the questioning of Wefaq Secretary General Sheikh Ali Salman was about. His arrest prompted Wefaq to suspend its participation in talks with the government aimed at ending continued Shi'ite opposition protests in the small Gulf Arab island state. Full Story | Top |
| Rousseff gives go-ahead to Brazil fuel price formula, Estado says Saturday, Nov 02, 2013 06:25 AM PDT  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will allow state-run oil company Petróleo Brasileiro SA to increase domestic fuel prices "two or three times" a year through the use of a formula without triggering significant consumer price gains, newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo said on Saturday. According to Estado, which cited an unidentified presidential aide as the source for the information, Rousseff's endorsement of the plan aims to ensure that the company, commonly known as Petrobras, has a predictable business plan for the years ahead. Petrobras said this week that its new policy to set domestic diesel and gasoline prices will automatically trigger adjustments based on international prices, exchange rates and other factors. The methodology will not allow full pass-through of volatility of international oil prices, Petrobras said. Full Story | Top |
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