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• Palestinians win implicit U.N. recognition of sovereign state
• Fighting cuts access to Damascus airport, flights suspended
• Opposition cries foul as Egypt constitution finalized
• U.S. gives Iran until March to cooperate with IAEA
• Chinese police plan to board vessels in disputed seas
• U.N. chief appeals for countries to take Iran dissidents
• Al Qaeda battle in Afghanistan to stretch for years: U.S.
• Strauss-Kahn in preliminary deal with maid in civil case: source
• Britain's Cameron rejects press law after hacking scandal
• Venezuela's Chavez doing well in Cuba: vice president
• Internet service goes out across Syria
• Egypt's Islamists race to approve new constitution
• UK judge issues damning press verdict
• Noisy city: Cacophony in Caracas sparks complaints
• Congo rebels pulling back; fate of Goma uncertain
• UN vote recognizes state of Palestine; US objects
• US finds Guantanamo prisoner death was overdose
• Russian whistleblower's death in UK unexplained
• Factory owner: I didn't know fire exits needed
• Myanmar cracks down on mine protest; dozens hurt
• Tabloid breakup? Cameron and Clegg on the skids
• Syrian rebels cut off Damascus airport in critical step
• In DR Congo, Goma residents worry about life after rebels' departure
• Europeans bolster Palestinian bid at the UN
• Will the rush to pass Egypt's constitution render it hollow?
• Disposable diapers or bare bottoms? China frets over potty training
• Serbs frustrated, Kosovars elated as former Kosovo PM acquitted of war crimes
• Who backs Palestine UN bid? Ehud Olmert, among others

Palestinians win implicit U.N. recognition of sovereign state Posted: 29 Nov 2012 03:03 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the de facto recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the world body to issue its long overdue "birth certificate." There were 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions. Three countries did not take part in the vote to upgrade the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations to "non-member state" from "entity. ...

Fighting cuts access to Damascus airport, flights suspended Posted: 29 Nov 2012 03:24 PM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels battled forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad just outside Damascus on Thursday, cutting access to its international airport, and Dubai-based Emirates airline and EgyptAir stopped flights to the Syrian capital. The Internet and some telephone lines went down across Syria. Rebels and the government traded blame for the blackout, the worst communications outage in 20 months of conflict. Rebels fighting to topple Assad have been making gains around Syria by overrunning military bases and have been ramping up attacks on Damascus, his seat of power. ...

Opposition cries foul as Egypt constitution finalized Posted: 29 Nov 2012 04:23 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - An Islamist-led assembly was expected to finalize a new constitution on Friday aimed at transforming Egypt and paving the way for an end to a crisis which erupted when President Mohamed Mursi gave himself sweeping new powers last week. Mursi said his decree halting court challenges to his decisions, which provoked protests and violence from Egyptians fearing a new dictator was emerging less than two years after they ousted Hosni Mubarak, was "for an exceptional stage". "It will end as soon as the people vote on a constitution," he told state television on Thursday night. ...

U.S. gives Iran until March to cooperate with IAEA Posted: 29 Nov 2012 10:39 AM PST VIENNA (Reuters) - The United States set a March deadline on Thursday for Iran to start cooperating in substance with a U.N. nuclear agency investigation, warning Tehran the issue may otherwise be referred to the U.N. Security Council. The comments by U.S. diplomat Robert Wood to the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency signaled Washington's growing frustration at a lack of progress in the IAEA's inquiry into possible military dimensions to Tehran's nuclear program. Iran - which was first reported to the U.N. ...

Chinese police plan to board vessels in disputed seas Posted: 29 Nov 2012 04:16 PM PST BEIJING/MANILA (Reuters) - Police in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan will board and search ships which illegally enter what China considers its territory in the disputed South China Sea, state media said on Thursday, a move likely to add to tensions. The South China Sea is Asia's biggest potential military trouble spot with several Asian countries claiming sovereignty over waters believed to be rich in oil and gas. The shortest route between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, it has some of the world's busiest shipping lanes. ...

U.N. chief appeals for countries to take Iran dissidents Posted: 29 Nov 2012 12:18 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon appealed on Thursday for countries to consider resettling several thousand Iranian dissidents living in Iraq who were recently moved to a former U.S. military base in Baghdad from a camp where they lived for decades. In a report to the Security Council, Ban said 3,112 members of the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran have been transferred to Camp Hurriya, leaving about 100 still at Camp Ashraf - also know as Camp New Iraq - to help close it down. ...

Al Qaeda battle in Afghanistan to stretch for years: U.S. Posted: 29 Nov 2012 04:33 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda fighters are still trying to make inroads into Afghanistan, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Thursday, cautioning that battling the group would be a core U.S. mission there for years to come. Panetta made the comments as the United States weighs how large a military force to keep in Afghanistan when the NATO combat mission ends in 2014, ending a war that, at that point, will have stretched for over 13 years. There are approximately 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but the residual force may number less than 10,000. ...

Strauss-Kahn in preliminary deal with maid in civil case: source Posted: 29 Nov 2012 04:49 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the hotel maid who accused him of sexually assaulting her last year have reached a preliminary agreement to settle the civil lawsuit she brought against him, a person familiar with the case said. The person, however, cautioned that the agreement could still fall apart. The development was first reported by the New York Times, which cited people with knowledge of the case. Lawyers for Strauss-Kahn and the maid, Nafissatou Diallo, will appear before a judge in New York next week, the Times reported. ...

Britain's Cameron rejects press law after hacking scandal Posted: 29 Nov 2012 11:55 AM PST LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron rejected the idea of a law to regulate the British press on Thursday, risking a split in his government after an inquiry advised legal backing for a watchdog to police the sometimes outrageous conduct of newspapers. Opposing an independent regulator enshrined in law will delight the British press ahead of the 2015 election but may raise concern inside the coalition government that Cameron lacks the mettle to stand up to media barons such as Rupert Murdoch. ...

Venezuela's Chavez doing well in Cuba: vice president Posted: 29 Nov 2012 02:38 PM PST CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is doing well as he receives medical treatment in Cuba, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday, despite a two-week absence from public view that has raised fresh doubts about his health. Chavez, 58, said in a letter to parliament on Tuesday he was returning to Havana for "hyperbaric oxygenation," which is used to treat bone decay caused by radiation therapy. The president has undergone three cancer operations in Cuba since mid-2011. ...

Internet service goes out across Syria Posted: 29 Nov 2012 03:41 PM PST Internet service went down Thursday across Syria and international flights were canceled at the Damascus airport when a road near the facility was closed by heavy fighting in the country's civil war.

Egypt's Islamists race to approve new constitution Posted: 29 Nov 2012 03:22 PM PST Islamists on Thursday rushed to approve a draft constitution for Egypt without the participation of liberal and Christian members, aiming to pre-empt a court ruling that could dissolve their panel and further inflaming the clash between the opposition and President Mohammed Morsi.

UK judge issues damning press verdict Posted: 29 Nov 2012 02:07 PM PST Britain needs a new independent media regulator to eliminate a subculture of unethical behavior that infected segments of the country's press, a senior judge said Thursday at the end of a yearlong inquiry into newspaper wrongdoing.

Noisy city: Cacophony in Caracas sparks complaints Posted: 29 Nov 2012 03:21 PM PST This metropolis of 6 million people may be one of the world's most intense, overwhelming cities, with tremendous levels of crime, traffic and social strife. The sounds of Caracas' streets live up to its reputation.

Congo rebels pulling back; fate of Goma uncertain Posted: 29 Nov 2012 12:32 PM PST Rebels who last week seized Goma, one of the most important cities in eastern Congo, said they had pulled back slightly and were on track to leave the city by Friday, in accordance with a deadline imposed by the international community.

UN vote recognizes state of Palestine; US objects Posted: 29 Nov 2012 03:15 PM PST The United Nations voted overwhelmingly Thursday to recognize a Palestinian state, a long-sought victory for the Palestinians and an embarrassing diplomatic defeat for the United States.

US finds Guantanamo prisoner death was overdose Posted: 29 Nov 2012 03:01 PM PST An autopsy has found that a Guantanamo Bay prisoner who died in September took an overdose of medication in an apparent suicide, a U.S. official said Thursday.

Russian whistleblower's death in UK unexplained Posted: 29 Nov 2012 10:39 AM PST British officials are investigating the unexplained death of a Russian businessman, a key witness against Russian officials who allegedly stole $230 million from a London hedge fund in a money laundering scheme.

Factory owner: I didn't know fire exits needed Posted: 29 Nov 2012 04:24 AM PST The owner of a Bangladesh clothing factory where a fire killed 112 people says he was never informed the facility was required to have an emergency exit, a sign of how far removed the leaders of the nation's garment industry are from issues of worker safety.

Myanmar cracks down on mine protest; dozens hurt Posted: 29 Nov 2012 08:13 AM PST Security forces used water cannons, tear gas and smoke bombs Thursday to clear protesters from a copper mine in northwestern Myanmar, wounding villagers and Buddhist monks in the biggest use of force against demonstrators since the reformist government of President Thein Sein took office last year.

Tabloid breakup? Cameron and Clegg on the skids Posted: 29 Nov 2012 01:02 PM PST A judge handed down his verdict on British press standards Thursday by calling for a new regulator to eliminate what he described as a "sub-culture" of unethical behaviour, accusing sections of the industry of wreaking havoc with innocent lives.

Syrian rebels cut off Damascus airport in critical step Posted: 29 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST Syrian opposition forces have reportedly captured part of the road to the Damascus airport in fighting today, bringing opposition forces closer to besieging the capital.

In DR Congo, Goma residents worry about life after rebels' departure Posted: 29 Nov 2012 09:56 AM PST Following days of doubt regarding whether M23 rebels in eastern Congo would withdraw from Goma, it appears that they have begun to return to their stronghold north of the country's second-largest city. But there are indications the rebels could yet reverse course.

Europeans bolster Palestinian bid at the UN Posted: 29 Nov 2012 08:00 AM PST A week after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas appeared all but forgotten in the wake of the Gaza conflict, his bid to gain a global mandate for statehood at the United Nations today has gained momentum.

Will the rush to pass Egypt's constitution render it hollow? Posted: 29 Nov 2012 07:43 AM PST Egypt's constitution-drafting committee put the document to a vote today in a surprise move that the president's allies say hastens Egypt's democratic transition, but which opponents claim undermines its legitimacy.

Disposable diapers or bare bottoms? China frets over potty training Posted: 29 Nov 2012 07:18 AM PST The grandmother and the toddler were huddled in the middle of the sidewalk on Gongtibeilu, not far from Beijing's Workers Stadium. As the child squatted, a small stream of urine appeared out of a slit in the back of the child's pants and puddled on the sidewalk while passersby barely gave them a glance. Beaming with pride, the grandmother carefully wiped the tiny bottom, and the two walked off, hand in hand.

Serbs frustrated, Kosovars elated as former Kosovo PM acquitted of war crimes Posted: 29 Nov 2012 06:17 AM PST Kosovars celebrated and Serbian media and officials slammed a decision today by the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal at The Hague to acquit former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj war crimes committed during the 1990s.

Who backs Palestine UN bid? Ehud Olmert, among others Posted: 28 Nov 2012 05:57 PM PST Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas looks set for a rare diplomatic victory tomorrow: An upgrade of Palestine to "observer state" status at the UN.

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