| Russian airliner with 224 aboard crashes in Egypt's Sinai, all killed Posted: 31 Oct 2015 12:12 PM PDT  A militant group affiliated to Islamic State in Egypt, Sinai Province, said in a statement it had brought down the plane "in response to Russian airstrikes that killed hundreds of Muslims on Syrian land", but Russia's Transport Minister told Interfax news agency the claim "can't be considered accurate". The Airbus A321, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia under the brand name Metrojet, was flying from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg in Russia when it went down in central Sinai soon after daybreak, the aviation ministry said.
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| New U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance launches offensive against Islamic State Posted: 31 Oct 2015 08:51 AM PDT  By John Davison BEIRUT (Reuters) - A newly formed U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance on Saturday launched an offensive against Islamic State in the northeast province of Hasaka, a day after the United States said it would send special forces to advise insurgents fighting the jihadists. It was the first declared operation by the Democratic Forces of Syria, which joins together a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia and several Syrian Arab rebel groups, since it announced its formation earlier this month. World powers and regional rivals are convening in Vienna to seek a solution to the four-year conflict in Syria that has escalated since Russia intervened a month ago with an intense air campaign.
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| Palestinian wielding knife shot dead: Israeli police Posted: 31 Oct 2015 11:28 AM PDT  Israeli security forces shot and killed a Palestinian who ran at them with a knife in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, police said, as a month-long wave of violence showed no signs of abating. An Israeli police spokeswoman said that at a checkpoint in the northern West Bank a Palestinian holding a knife ran toward a security officer who called on him to stop. A growing number of visits by religious Jews to the al-Aqsa plaza - Islam's holiest site outside Saudi Arabia and revered in Judaism as the location of two destroyed biblical temples - have stirred Palestinian allegations that Israel is violating a "status quo" under which non-Muslim prayer there is banned.
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| Crunch talks for Merkel on refugee crisis as thousands more arrive Posted: 31 Oct 2015 11:33 AM PDT  Nearly 10,000 refugees continued to arrive in Germany daily, police said on Saturday, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the country's stretched border staff ahead of a crunch meeting between Angela Merkel and a Bavarian ally on the crisis. Chancellor Merkel will discuss refugee policy on Saturday evening with Bavarian premier Horst Seehofer, head of the Christian Social Union (CSU) and who has criticized her asylum policy and handling of the crisis. The CSU, sister party to Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has been outspoken about her "open doors" policy towards refugees, in part because its home state of Bavaria is the entry point for virtually all of the migrants arriving in Germany.
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| Romanian nightclub fire kills 27, national mourning declared Posted: 31 Oct 2015 05:58 AM PDT  By Radu-Sorin Marinas BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's government declared a three-day national mourning on Saturday, after an overnight fire in a Bucharest nightclub killed 27 people and injured 184 during a rock concert that featured fireworks used indoors. Officials and witnesses said fireworks were used inside the club, while Colectiv Club's Facebook page advertised pyrotechnic effects at the show. Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat said 17 of the 27 dead had yet to be identified and 146 people remained in hospital.
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| U.N. and ICRC chide states for 'paralysis' in face of conflict Posted: 31 Oct 2015 11:29 AM PDT  By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and International Committee of the Red Cross President Peter Maurer made what they called an "unprecedented joint warning" on Saturday for states to stop conflicts, respect international law and aid refugees. "This flouts the very raison d'etre of the United Nations." They also called for states to rein in armed groups and hold them accountable for abuses, and to stop the use of heavy weapons in populated areas. The United Nations is struggling with an unprecedented array of conflicts and crises, with 60 million people made homeless, record demand for humanitarian aid, and little sign of peace talks bringing a swift end to wars in Libya, Syria or Yemen.
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| American Pharoah wins Breeders' Cup Classic in final race Posted: 31 Oct 2015 04:56 PM PDT  LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Hail and farewell, American Pharoah.
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| Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 31 Oct 2015 04:32 PM PDT YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — The sweeping reforms Myanmar announced in 2011 after a half-century of crushing military rule seemed too good to be true to much of the outside world. And to some degree, they were. Myanmar citizens are experiencing an unprecedented degree of economic and political freedom, but the balance of power has changed little. Most of those in charge are former military men who have just swapped their khakis for suits and longyi — the sarong-type skirt traditionally favored by both men and women in Myanmar. |
| Divided Turkey holds snap election as security, economic fears weigh Posted: 31 Oct 2015 04:27 PM PDT  By Jonny Hogg ANKARA (Reuters) - Turks go to the polls on Sunday amid worsening security and economic worries, in a snap parliamentary election that could profoundly impact the divided country's trajectory and that of President Tayyip Erdogan. This is the second parliamentary poll in five months, after the ruling AK Party founded by Erdogan failed to retain its single-party majority in June. Since then, a ceasefire with Kurdish militants has collapsed into bloodshed, the Syria crisis has worsened, and NATO-member Turkey has been hit by two Islamic State-linked suicide bomb attacks, killing more than 130.
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| FIA boss Todt compares Ferrari veto to 'having a gun' Posted: 31 Oct 2015 04:17 PM PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) — The president of Formula One's governing body called Ferrari's veto power over regulations changes "like having a gun" and said he was disappointed the Italian team recently blocked a cost cap for customer engines. |
| Bautista Augut outlasts Johnson to reach Valencia Open final Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:55 PM PDT VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — Roberto Bautista Agut saved six match points before beating American Steve Johnson 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8) Saturday to reach the final of the Valencia Open. |
| Russian airliner crash in Egypt's Sinai kills all 224 on board Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:52 PM PDT  The IS affiliate in Egypt said it was behind the crash of the flight run by the Kogalymavia airline, which operates under the name Metrojet, but did not give details and Cairo and Moscow both cast doubt on the claim. Egyptian Prime Minister Sharif Ismail said experts had confirmed that a plane cannot be downed at the altitude the Airbus 321 was at, while Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said the claim "cannot be considered accurate". Germany's Lufthansa, Emirates and Air France all said they would halt flights over Sinai until the reasons behind the crash became clear.
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| American Ashley Wagner wins Skate Canada Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:46 PM PDT  LETHBRIDGE, Alberta (AP) — American Ashley Wagner ran away with the Skate Canada women's title Saturday.
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| Haiti officials look into new allegations against US man Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:43 PM PDT  PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haitian investigators are looking into new allegations of child sex abuse against a U.S. man who founded an orphanage for boys in Haiti's capital decades ago.
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| Survivors describe horror as fire spread in Bucharest club Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:39 PM PDT  BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — When the first sparks flew, the lead singer of Goodbye to Gravity joked that they weren't part of the heavy metal band's performance.
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| Guinea court confirms President Conde's re-election Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:35 PM PDT  Reading the final results, court president Kelefa Sall said Conde took 57.84 percent of the vote in the first round, or 2,284,827 of ballots counted, in line with the results announced earlier this month by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). Conde is therefore "declared president of the republic with a mandate that runs from December 21, 2015 to December 21, 2020," Sall said in a public address in the capital Conakry. Appeals lodged by three of the seven candidates who ran against Conde that had called for the vote to be annulled were rejected by the court, with Sall saying their complaints either lacked proof or had no bearing on the results.
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| US nightclub fire victims lament deadly Romanian blaze Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:34 PM PDT WEST WARWICK, Rhode Island (AP) — Survivors and families of victims of a deadly nightclub blaze in Rhode Island over a decade ago said Saturday the tragedy in Bucharest, Romania, was sadly and eerily similar. |
| Richie McCaw earns a rest after 2nd Rugby World Cup title Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:31 PM PDT  New Zealand has done its best to lavish honors on Richie McCaw in recognition of one of the greatest All Blacks careers, a contribution which likely ended with New Zealand's victory over Australia in the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday.
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| Real Madrid beats Las Palmas 3-1, stays top in Spain Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:23 PM PDT  MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 13th goal of the season as Real Madrid defeated Las Palmas 3-1 Saturday to remain top of the Spanish league.
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| Sonny Bill Williams gives RWC gold medal away to stranger Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:23 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Sonny Bill Williams received a gold medal for winning the Rugby World Cup on Saturday, and gave it away moments later to a stranger.
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| Peru Catholic society admits sex abuse probe against founder Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:07 PM PDT LIMA, Peru (AP) — A secretive Roman Catholic society with chapters across South America and in the U.S. has revealed under pressure that a Vatican investigator is looking into allegations that its founder sexually molested young recruits. |
| Cast aside by Mourinho, Cuadrado saves Juventus from crisis Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:59 PM PDT  ROME (AP) — Cast aside by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, Juan Cuadrado is rediscovering his form at Juventus.
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| Kiwis party at Twickenham after World Cup win Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:59 PM PDT  All Blacks fans at Twickenham erupted in celebrations after watching New Zealand win the Rugby World Cup for a record third time on Saturday. The final whistle in their 34-17 triumph over Australia became the starting gun for a long, long night of partying in London. It doesn't get bigger or better than this," said Nick Randell, 23, from Auckland.
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| BP drops effort to retrieve Gulf oil spill business payouts Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:57 PM PDT NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Energy giant BP is ending its effort to recoup money it paid in economic damage claims to businesses and individuals under a settlement arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. |
| Trade trumps hostility for S. Korea-China-Japan summit Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:54 PM PDT  South Korea, China and Japan hold their first leadership summit in more than three years Sunday, marking a victory for political, and particularly economic pragmatism over historical antipathy and territorial rivalry. The triumph of realpolitik will be capped by a first ever one-on-one summit between South Korean President Park Geun-Hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after an extended diplomatic freeze. "China hopes the meeting will be an opportunity for the three countries to review the past and find a way out of their difficulties," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said last week.
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| Australia goes down fighting in Rugby World Cup final Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:52 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — In a Rugby World Cup final few expected them to reach, the Wallabies produced a comeback that seemed improbable at halftime.
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| Rosberg takes pole for first Mexican Grand Prix since 1992 Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:42 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Once again, Nico Rosberg beat Lewis Hamilton for the pole position on a Saturday. Beating his Mercedes teammate to the checkered flag on Sundays is proving to be far more difficult.
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| Carter savours glorious World Cup farewell Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:41 PM PDT  Dan Carter, who landed the decisive blow in New Zealand's World Cup triumph over Australia, said he had been relieved to make the Twickenham final. "I'm so proud of the team," the 33-year-old fly-half said after the 34-17 win -- his swansong in international rugby. "I'm pretty grateful to be where I am considering what happened four years ago," added Carter who was named man-of-the match for his 19 point haul.
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| Lyon, Saint-Etienne warm up for European matches with wins Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:38 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — Local rivals Lyon and Saint-Etienne both won on Saturday to stay level on points in the French league and boost confidence for their crucial European matches next week. |
| McIlroy 1 shot behind leaders at Turkish Airlines Open Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:32 PM PDT ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — Rory McIlroy shot a third straight 5-under 67 Saturday to move to within one stroke of the leaders after the third round of the Turkish Airlines Open. |
| Officials search for cause of plane crash over Egypt's Sinai Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:31 PM PDT  SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — A Russian passenger airliner crashed Saturday in a remote mountainous part Egypt's Sinai Peninsula 23 minutes after taking off from a popular Red Sea resort, killing all 224 people on board, including 25 children.
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| Puerto Rico power utility creditors grant extension Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:28 PM PDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's financially struggling power utility is aiming to finalize a restructuring deal on its nearly $9 billion debt next week after creditors extended a forbearance agreement until Tuesday. |
| 10 minutes that will define New Zealand great Dan Carter Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:26 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Dan Carter switched onto his trusty left boot and sent over a momentum-turning dropped goal from 40 meters. Then he booted a penalty from just inside his limit, before delivering the knockout blow — a right-footed conversion in front of the posts. |
| The Latest: Co-pilot's wife: He complained about plane Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:18 PM PDT  CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — The latest news on a Russian passenger plane that crashed Saturday on a flight from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to St. Petersburg, Russia.
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| Seven arrested after Maldives boat blast probe leads to weapons find Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:09 PM PDT  By Daniel Bosley MALE (Reuters) - Maldives police arrested seven people after an investigation into a boat explosion that targeted President Abdulla Yameen led to the discovery of weapons hidden on the sea bed, officials said on Saturday. Ali Ihusaan, a Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) official said the investigation into the Sept. 28 boat blast had led to the discovery of the weapons, some of which could be used to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A police official said seven suspects were arrested after the find, which came a day after Malaysia deported a man to the Maldives who was suspected of involvement in the attempted assassination of Yameen last month.
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| Hackers target Vodafone customers in UK Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:04 PM PDT  Hackers have accessed the personal details of nearly 2,000 customers of mobile phone company Vodafone in Britain, it announced Saturday. The incident may have led to hackers being able to access Vodafone customers' names, mobile phone numbers and limited bank account details. The news comes a week after another British telecoms company, Talk Talk, faced a major hacking attack on its website in which nearly 21,000 bank account numbers and sort codes were accessed.
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| President Aliyev's party seen easily winning election in Azerbaijan Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:00 PM PDT  By Nailia Bagirova BAKU (Reuters) - President Ilham Aliyev's ruling party is poised to sweep the board in a parliamentary election in Azerbaijan on Sunday, a vote the mainstream opposition and international monitors are shunning. Aliyev has consolidated his power since succeeding his father and long-serving leader Heydar in 2003, presiding over a period when officials say revenues from rising oil and gas exports have delivered better living standards. The government denies wrongdoing, and Western governments, who are courting Azerbaijan as an alternative source of oil and gas to Russia, balance their criticism over human rights with strategic considerations.
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| Palestinians clash with Israel soldiers at Hebron funerals Posted: 31 Oct 2015 01:48 PM PDT  Violence broke out Saturday in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron as Palestinians buried five teenagers killed in a wave of attacks and clashes with Israeli forces. The funerals came as Israeli border guards shot dead a Palestinian at a checkpoint between the West Bank and Israel after he allegedly tried to stab one of them, police said. The surge of unrest since early October has triggered fears of a third Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation by a generation gripped by despair and anger over stalled peace efforts.
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| Milestones in the Rugby World Cup final Posted: 31 Oct 2015 01:45 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — New Zealand became the first team to win three Rugby World Cups.
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| Campaigning wraps up for critical Turkey vote Posted: 31 Oct 2015 01:44 PM PDT  Opinion polls are predicting a replay Sunday of the shock June election which stripped the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of its majority after 13 years of single-party rule, leaving the country without a government after coalition talks failed. Turkey goes into the election more polarised than ever on ethnic and sectarian lines, and deeply on edge after the Ankara bombings blamed on Islamic State jihadists that killed 102 people, the worst in the country's modern history. The AKP of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is tipped to win between 40 and 43 percent of the vote, paving the way either for a shaky coalition that many analysts say will not last long -- or yet another election.
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