| Iran nuclear talks end without breakthrough: France Posted: 09 Nov 2013 04:11 PM PST  By Stephanie Nebehay and Lesley Wroughton GENEVA (Reuters) - French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday that nuclear talks between Iran and global powers had finished without an agreement but that they would continue at a later date. "From the start, France wanted an agreement to the important question of Iran's nuclear program. European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will announce that senior political officials, followed by ministers, would meet again to try to clinch a deal, he said. Ministers from Iran and the major powers held a series of meetings late on Saturday in a final push to hammer out the outline of a deal that would freeze parts of Iran's atomic program in exchange for sanctions relief.
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| Typhoon kills at least 1,200 in Philippines: Red Cross Posted: 09 Nov 2013 12:45 PM PST  By Manuel Mogato TACLOBAN, Philippines (Reuters) - One of the strongest typhoons ever to make landfall devastated the central Philippines, killing more than 1,000 people in one city alone and 200 in another province, the Red Cross estimated on Saturday, as reports of high casualties began to emerge. A day after Typhoon Haiyan churned through the Philippine archipelago in a straight line from east to west, rescue teams struggled to reach far-flung regions, hampered by washed out roads, many choked with debris and fallen trees. Among the hardest hit was coastal Tacloban in central Leyte province, where preliminary estimates suggest more than 1,000 people were killed, said Gwendolyn Pang, secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross, as water surges rushed through the city. "An estimated more than 1,000 bodies were seen floating in Tacloban as reported by our Red Cross teams," she told Reuters.
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| Maldives election result may prolong unrest Posted: 09 Nov 2013 12:46 PM PST  By J.J. Robinson MALE (Reuters) - Former leader Mohamed Nasheed edged ahead in the first round of the Maldives presidential race on Saturday, but his lack of a clear majority will mean a run-off with his nearest rival as early as Sunday. The poll was the Maldives' third attempt to elect a new president in as many months and the two main political factions again accused each other of blocking a free and fair election. Nasheed's rivals could turn to the Supreme Court to delay the second voting round, which they have demanded be postponed. The political crisis has hit tourism, a vital source of earnings, and the Maldives has faced fuel shortages because it is unable to pay suppliers on time as foreign exchange reserves dwindle.
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| China opens key meeting to set economic reform agenda Posted: 09 Nov 2013 05:37 AM PST  By Benjamin Kang Lim and Ben Blanchard BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese leaders began a four-day secret meeting on Saturday to set a reform agenda for the next decade as they try to push more sustainable growth after three decades of breakneck expansion. President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang must unleash new growth drivers as the world's second-largest economy loses steam, burdened by industrial overcapacity, piles of debt and soaring house prices. Economic reforms will dominate the meeting of the 205-member Central Committee of China's ruling Communist Party. Little if any news will be released during the event, but official news agency Xinhua traditionally issues a dispatch on the last day.
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| Exclusive: German parties reach deal on banking union - sources Posted: 09 Nov 2013 09:57 AM PST  By Andreas Rinke and Matthias Sobolewski BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD) have struck a deal on the contours of a European banking union under which a body attached to European finance ministers, not the European Commission, would decide when to close failing banks. Several sources involved in coalition talks between the parties told Reuters the two camps had also agreed funds from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) should not be directly available for winding down financial institutions. The sources said a number of legal questions needed to be resolved but the goal is to sign off on the agreement early next week so Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble can go to a meeting with his EU colleagues on Thursday with a firm German position on the issue. The EU wants to agree a deal on bank resolution by year end but uncertainty over Berlin's stance after September's election that led to complex coalition talks has sowed doubts about whether it can meet the deadline.
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| Maduro government 'occupies' Venezuela electronics chain Posted: 09 Nov 2013 04:32 PM PST  By Andrew Cawthorne and Carlos Rawlins CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government "occupied" a chain of electronics stores on Saturday in a high-profile crackdown on what it views as price-gouging hobbling the country's economy. Authorities arrested various managers of the five-store, 500-employee Daka chain, sent soldiers into the shops and forced the company to start selling products at cheaper prices. That brought crowds of bargain-hunters to Daka outlets and sparked looting at one store in the central city of Valencia. I'm not sure if this was the right way, but something had to be done," said Carlos Rangel, 37, among about 500 people queuing outside a Daka store in Caracas.
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| Dyche keeps calm after Burnley slip Posted: 09 Nov 2013 04:49 PM PST  Burnley manager Sean Dyche refused to criticise his players after the Championship leaders were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth. Dyche could have been forgiven for feeling frustrated as Burnley's former boss Eddie Howe returned to Turf Moor in charge of the visitors and left with a point that put a dent in the Clarets' promotion push. Howe, who quit Burnley last November, looked on course to plunder a victory when a superb 25-yard strike from Tokelo Rantie put the visitors ahead four minutes into the second half. But in-form Danny Ings, a former Bournemouth striker whom Howe signed during his spell as Burnley boss, headed in the equaliser from close range in the 84th minute.
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| Saudi police clash with foreign workers after visa raids Posted: 09 Nov 2013 04:47 PM PST Saudi Arabian police clashed with foreign workers in a poor district of Riyadh on Saturday, nearly a week into a visa crackdown in which thousands have been detained and one man killed by police. Most of the foreign workers involved in the clashes appeared to be Africans. Authorities this year said they would no longer turn a blind eye to foreign workers breaking visa rules by working for companies that had not sponsored their entry into the world's top oil exporter. The intention is to end a black market for cheap imported workers, cut the foreign labor force, reduce the flow of remittances to other countries and make more private sector jobs available for Saudi citizens. |
| Typhoon slams Philippines; high death toll feared Posted: 09 Nov 2013 04:39 PM PST  TACLOBAN, Philippines (AP) — The central Philippine city of Tacloban was in ruins after being ravaged by one of the strongest typhoons on record, as horrified residents spoke of storm surges as high as trees and authorities said they were expecting a "very high number of fatalities."
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| Iran says hopes for nuclear deal at next meeting Posted: 09 Nov 2013 04:37 PM PST Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Sunday they hoped Iran and six world powers would reach an agreement when they gather again in 10 days, adding that the latest round of talks on Tehran's nuclear program was something all delegations can build on. "We have done some intense negotiations and discussions and our objective is to reach a conclusion and that's what we will come back to try and do," Ashton told reporters early on the fourth day of negotiations in the Swiss city of Geneva. Ashton, who coordinated the talks, also said Iran and the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany would meet again on November 20. |
| No nuclear deal between 6 world powers and Iran Posted: 09 Nov 2013 04:37 PM PST  GENEVA (AP) — The European Union's top diplomat and Iran's foreign minister say nuclear talks between six world powers and Tehran did not seal a deal.
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| Iran, world powers fail to clinch deal at nuclear talks Posted: 09 Nov 2013 04:35 PM PST  Iran and world powers have failed to clinch a deal on Tehran's disputed nuclear programme despite intensive negotiations but will meet again on November 20 for fresh talks, officials said Sunday. "The meetings in Geneva have made it possible to move forward, but we have not yet managed to conclude (a deal), because there are still some questions remaining to be dealt with," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said after talks broke up. EU diplomatic chief Catherine Ashton said there had been "three days of intense and constructive discussions" but that Tehran and the P5+1 group of world powers would have to meet again. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he was not discouraged despite the failure of the talks.
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| France: Iran talks failed to reach deal Posted: 09 Nov 2013 04:02 PM PST GENEVA (AP) — France's foreign minister says marathon six-power talks with Iran have failed to reach a deal meant to cap some of Tehran's nuclear program. |
| No deal at Iranian nuclear talks: Fabius Posted: 09 Nov 2013 03:47 PM PST  French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday that no deal had been reached at international talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme. "The meetings in Geneva have made it possible to move forward, but we have not yet managed to conclude (a deal), because there are still some questions remaining to be dealt with," Fabius said. Fabius said there would be further talks and "we hope at that time to be able to conclude an agreement."
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| Talks over Iran's disputed nuke program hit a snag Posted: 09 Nov 2013 03:45 PM PST GENEVA (AP) — Marathon talks on a deal to temporarily curb Iran's nuclear program ran into trouble Saturday after France raised objections to a draft agreement, complaining it did not go far enough to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions. |
| Tokyo area hit by magnitude 5.5 earthquake Posted: 09 Nov 2013 03:43 PM PST An earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 5.5 shook eastern Japan, including the capital Tokyo, on Sunday morning, but there were no immediate reports of damage and no irregularities at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant. The earthquake was centered in southwest Ibaraki Prefecture, just northeast of Tokyo. Tokyo Electric Power Co, operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant 220 km (130 miles) northeast of Tokyo, said there was no apparent impact from the quake. The Tohoku Shinkansen bullet trains connecting Tokyo with northern Japan were briefly suspended, while Tokyo's two international airports were operating normally and there were no reports of irregularities at the Tokai Daini nuclear facility, public broadcaster NHK said. |
| Iran nuclear talks in Geneva conclude, no word on outcome Posted: 09 Nov 2013 03:32 PM PST GENEVA (Reuters) - Negotiations between Iran and six world powers on Tehran's nuclear program ended early in the morning on Saturday, a diplomats said, although there was no immediate word on whether a deal was reached. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton, Fredrik Dahl, Louis Charbonneau) |
| Afrojack: It's fun hosting pop stars in Amsterdam Posted: 09 Nov 2013 03:22 PM PST  AMSTERDAM (AP) — DJ Afrojack, a Dutch native, says he's thoroughly enjoying playing host to some of the world's biggest pop stars, such as Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke and Bruno Mars, as they descend upon Amsterdam for the MTV European Music Awards.
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| Hodgson eager to tackle England penalty jinx Posted: 09 Nov 2013 03:21 PM PST  England manager Roy Hodgson says he is willing to think outside the box in a bid to end the national team's record of penalty shoot-out heartache at major international tournaments. England have been eliminated on penalties at five of the last eight showpiece competitions in which they have competed and former head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted in his new autobiography that he regretted not seeking out the services of a mental coach. The Football Association has moved to address the problem by employing Dave Reddin, who helped the British Olympic team with their psychological preparations for last year's London Games, and Hodgson says he is looking forward to working with him.
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| Venezuela releases Miami Herald reporter detained for two days Posted: 09 Nov 2013 03:18 PM PST Venezuelan authorities released a Miami Herald reporter on Saturday after detaining the American two days ago near the border with Colombia where he was researching a story ahead of next month's local elections, the paper said. Jim Wyss was handed over unharmed and in good spirits to U.S. diplomats in Caracas, the Herald said. "And I'm thankful to the Venezuelan authorities for helping accelerate this process." President Nicolas Maduro's government, which accuses Western media of fanning an international campaign to destabilize his socialist government, has not commented on the case. The Herald said soldiers arrested Wyss on Thursday evening after he sought an interview with military officials in the Andean city of San Cristobal, where he was preparing a story on economic shortages and the December 8 municipal elections. |
| Maldives candidate wants runoff postponed Posted: 09 Nov 2013 03:16 PM PST  MALE, Maldives (AP) — The first democratically elected president of the Maldives and the brother of the country's former autocratic ruler have qualified for a runoff according to results in the island nation's presidential election. But doubts emerged that the runoff could be held as planned on Sunday.
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| Miami Herald writer freed from Venezuela custody Posted: 09 Nov 2013 03:04 PM PST  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan authorities released on Saturday a Miami Herald reporter they detained almost two days ago while he reported on the South American country's economic crisis.
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| Two policemen killed in Libya's Benghazi after army vows to restore order Posted: 09 Nov 2013 02:42 PM PST Gunmen killed two policemen in Benghazi in eastern Libya on Saturday, a security source said, a day after the army had vowed to restore order in the port city hit by bombings and assassinations. Security in Benghazi, an important part of Libya's oil infrastructure, has deteriorated in the past few months with militants and Islamists roaming unchallenged, highlighting the upheaval two years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. But on Saturday night unknown gunmen killed two policemen on patrol as they were driving back to police headquarters, a security source said. In separate violence, the head of a court in Derna, a city east of Benghazi, was killed by a bomb under his car as he was leaving his house, another security source said. |
| AP PHOTOS: High death toll feared in typhoon Posted: 09 Nov 2013 02:36 PM PST  A day after one of the strongest typhoons on record slammed into the Philippines, horrified residents say storm surges were as high as trees and the central city of Tacloban is in ruins. At least 138 people are confirmed dead in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, but authorities say they are expecting a "very high number of fatalities" with death toll estimates from field staff in Tacloban already around 1,000.
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| Iran nuclear deal unlikely as split emerges in Western camp: diplomats Posted: 09 Nov 2013 02:32 PM PST By Louis Charbonneau and Yeganeh Torbati GENEVA (Reuters) - Barring a last-minute breakthrough, talks between Iran and six world powers on curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions were set to end without a full agreement on Saturday as a split emerged between France and the other Western powers, diplomats said. Ministers from Iran and the major powers held a series of meetings late on Saturday in a final push to hammer out the outline of a deal that would freeze parts of Iran's atomic program in exchange for sanctions relief. "Efforts to secure an agreement are continuing with great intensity," a Western diplomat close to the talks said. The latest round of talks began on Thursday and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry unexpectedly arrived on Friday to help narrow remaining differences between Iran and the six nations. |
| Newspaper: US reporter released in Venezuela Posted: 09 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan authorities have released a Miami Herald reporter they detained almost two days ago while he reported on the South American country's economic crisis. |
| Libyans protest against extension of Congress mandate Posted: 09 Nov 2013 02:17 PM PST  Hundreds of Libyans took to the streets of the capital Tripoli and other cities Saturday to protest against a renewed mandate for the country's top political body, the General National Congress, next year. The GNC is the fruit of the country's first free elections in July 2012 after the overthrow of longterm dictator Moamer Kadhafi's regime in October 2011. On its election the GNC was given an 18-month mandate to draft a new constitution and guide Libya towards general elections. But political tension and chronic insecurity have cast doubts over Libya's ability to complete the transition before the GNC's mandate expires in February.
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| Venezuelan is the new Miss Universe Posted: 09 Nov 2013 02:12 PM PST  MOSCOW (AP) — A 25-year-old Venezuelan who appears on TV in her country and is an accomplished flamenco dancer is the new Miss Universe.
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| Attacks in eastern Libya kill six in under 24 hours Posted: 09 Nov 2013 02:03 PM PST  Benghazi (Libya) (AFP) - A string of attacks in eastern Libya has killed a public prosecutor and five members of the security forces in less than 24 hours, judicial and medical sources said Saturday. Since the ouster of veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi in October 2011, eastern Libya has been hit by a wave of bombings and shootings, mostly targeting security officials. Prosecutor Mohamed al-Naass was killed in the town of Derna on Saturday when an explosive device attached to his car detonated, a judicial source told AFP. Naass was responsible for the "Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar region, east of Benghazi," the source said.
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| Mali's president replaces junta-linked army chief Posted: 09 Nov 2013 01:59 PM PST  Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has replaced the head of the army, further marginalizing officers involved in a coup that helped plunge the West African nation into turmoil last year. A military junta led by Amadou Sanogo, then a captain and now a general, overthrew President Amandou Toumani Toure in March 2012. The decision to replace army chief of staff General Ibrahim Dahirou Dembele, who was appointed to the post by Sanogo following the coup, was taken during a cabinet meeting on Friday, a government statement said. The director of the national police force and the head of Mali's military academies, both considered close to Sanogo, were also replaced on Friday.
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| Greek police, protesters scuffle at shut public broadcaster Posted: 09 Nov 2013 01:37 PM PST  Scuffles broke out on Saturday between Greek riot police and opposition lawmakers protesting the closure of former public broadcaster ERT ahead of a government no-confidence vote, a police source said. Police guarding the shut ERT headquarters in a northern Athens suburb pushed back lawmakers from the left-wing opposition Syriza party and the smaller Independent Greeks grouping as they tried to enter the building. The confrontation came as parliament debated a no-confidence motion that Syriza introduced after a police raid on Thursday cleared the ERT site of disgruntled employees who had been occupying it since the broadcaster's shock closure in June. ERT's closure in June sparked an international outcry and nearly brought down the coalition government in debt-laden Greece, which has been implementing painful public-sector restructuring in return for international bailout loans.
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| 3 Tuareg rebels killed in northern Mali Posted: 09 Nov 2013 01:32 PM PST BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Malian officials and Tuareg separatists say three Tuareg fighters were killed by the army in northeastern Mali on Friday. |
| Nasheed tops Maldives vote, faces shaky run-off Posted: 09 Nov 2013 01:24 PM PST  Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - The Maldives first freely elected president Mohamed Nasheed topped Saturday's bitterly-fought elections but faces a tricky run-off that is likely to be delayed as he bids to return to power 21 months after he was ousted. The 46-year-old -- a one-time political prisoner and environmental activist -- won the country's first multi-party elections in 2008, ending 30 years of iron-fisted rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. His Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) immediately pressed for a quick second round of voting on Sunday as previously scheduled as his main challenger Abdulla Yameen, half-brother of former autocrat Gayoom, asked for a postponement. The Commonwealth which monitored Saturday's election warned the Maldives against delaying the run-off, saying it was "unreasonable and unacceptable for parties to continue to demand changes to an agreed election date."
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| Lee improves her speed skating 500m world record Posted: 09 Nov 2013 12:33 PM PST  Calgary (Canada) (AFP) - South Korea's Lee Sang-Hwa improved her own 500m speed skating world record on Saturday with a time of 36.74sec in a World Cup race on Calgary's Olympic Oval.
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| Lawyer, 2 police killed in Libya Posted: 09 Nov 2013 12:28 PM PST TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Gunmen shot dead two policemen in Libya's second city and a state attorney was killed when a bomb blew up his car in an Islamist militant stronghold on Saturday, the latest violence to hit the country's restive east, security officials said. |
