Suspicious package sent to German leader

German police are investigating a suspicious package mailed to Chancellor Angela Merkel's office, hours after small mail bombs exploded outside the Russian and Swiss embassies in Athens.
Greek police destroyed at least three more suspected bombs in Athens.
No group claimed responsibility for

Tokyo recalls Moscow ambassador over Russia island row

TOKYO: Japan said Tuesday it will recall its ambassador to Moscow, heightening a long-standing row with Russia over four remote Pacific islands following a visit there by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Thirty killed in car bombings in Shiite districts in Baghdad

BAGHDAD: Thirty people were killed and 75 wounded in 11 coordinated car bombings in different Shiite districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, an interior ministry official said.

Thirty killed in car bombings in Shiite districts in Baghdad

BAGHDAD: Thirty people were killed and 75 wounded in 11 coordinated car bombings in different Shiite districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, an interior ministry official said.

China launches sixth satellite orbiter

BEIJING: China on Monday successfully launched its sixth orbiter which will form part of its indigenous satellite navigation and positioning network.
A Long March-3C carrier rocket carrying the "Beidou," or Compass navigation satellite took off at 0:26 am today from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

4 small mail bombs explode in Athens

ATHENS: Small mail bombs exploded outside the Russian and Swiss embassies in Athens on Tuesday and police destroyed at least three other packages as they tried to halt a wave of attacks blamed on far-left domestic extremists.

Thatcher is world's most influential woman

 

LONDON: Former British prime minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher has emerged as the most influential woman and role model in the world, edging out Michelle Obama and Mother Teresa in a survey.

Cracks surface as Nepal PM poll fails 15th time

KATHMANDU: Running into its fifth month on Monday, Nepal's bizarre prime ministerial election failed once more with the 15th round of vote unable to choose a new premier and an unprecedented 16th round being scheduled for Thursday.

Mumbai flyover collapses, one hurt

MUMBAI: A biker was injured after a portion of the under-construction Lalabug flyover in central Mumbai collapsed on Tuesday evening, fire officials said.
"A small portion of the under-construction Lalbaug flyover opposite Bharat Mata cinema in Parel collapsed at 6.30 pm," they said.
Prakash Podar (31), who was on a bike, injured his right leg. "Prakash got a minor injury on his right leg and has been admitted to KEM hospital," the officials said.

Better to be fond of beautiful girls than to be gay: Berlusconi

MILAN: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Tuesday dismissed the latest sex scandal facing him and defended his fondness for "beautiful girls".
"When I'm in the presence of a beautiful girl, I look at her. It is better to have a passion for beautiful girls than to be gay," Berlusconi said.

Polls open in US, Democrats fear defeat

WASHINGTON: US President and his Democratic party feared a rout in the House of Representatives, as Americans, frustrated with continued job loss and economic woes, came out to vote in the mid-term polls, seen as a referendum on the policies of Barack Obama.

Small Business Owners See Recovery In 2011

Small business owners' expectations of an economic rebound have been pushed out until the second half of 2011, even with improving indicators within their own businesses, according to a new survey by Aministaff.

Only 21% expect a rebound before mid-2011, while 47% expect a

Securities, Shares, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Stock Exchange

CAPITAL WAVES WORTH 10,650% DUE TO HIT THE MARKET…

French courts mull two Rwanda extradition cases

Palestinian PM stakes claim to east Jerusalem

AP – Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, right, looks through a window into a classroom as he visits
By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH, Associated Press Mohammed Daraghmeh, Associated Press – 1 hr 2 mins ago
DAHIAT AL-BARID, West Bank – Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Tuesday staked a claim to Israeli-controlled east Jerusalem, announcing that his government quietly helped fund the ..

Cuba to send 3 more prisoners to exile in Spain

AP – Members of Cuban dissident group Ladies in White attend their weekly march in front of Santa Rita church …
By PAUL HAVEN, Associated Press Paul Haven, Associated Press – Mon Nov 1, 2:35 pm ET
HAVANA – Roman Catholic officials on Monday announced the names of three more Cuban prisoners who have accepted exile in Spain in return for freedom.

Argentina's president addresses nation in tears

AP – In this picture released by Argentina presidency, Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez prepares to …
By DEBORA REY, Associated Press Debora Rey, Associated Press – Mon Nov 1, 10:22 pm ET
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Argentina's president emerged from mourning Monday vowing to honor the memory of her husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner, as she leads the country.
Cristina Fernandez spoke to the nation for the first time since Wednesday's heart attack death of Kirchner, a popular former president who was her closest ally and confidant in what many people viewed as a virtual joint presidency.

Costa Rica denounces alleged Nicaraguan incursion

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Costa Rica on Monday asked the Organization of American States to call an urgent meeting to address an alleged incursion by Nicaraguan troops onto Costa Rican soil.

Security Minister Jose Tijerino said more police had been sent to the northeastern border with Nicaragua after authorities detected Nicaraguan troops on Calero, an island in the San Juan River claimed by Costa Rica.

Mexico: 4 US citizens killed in separate attacks

AP – People hang a banner that reads in Spanish 'No more death' outside the federal attorney general office …
By OLIVIA TORRES, Associated Press Olivia Torres, Associated Press – Tue Nov 2, 12:58 am ET
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico – Four U.S. citizens were shot to death in separate attacks in the border city of Ciudad

Obama expected to lose steam after polls

India Can Give the U.S. a Big Export Boost Business Week
Obama to address students at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai Deccan Herald
US goes to polls, Democrats on backfoot Deccan Herald
PM invites Shabana-Javed to dine with Obamas Deccan Herald
The races to watch (not necessarily the races you have been) | The Upshot Yahoo Daily News

Twitter to introduce in-stream ads for users' timelines

SapientNitro Launches Tablet Offering for Immersive, Socially Networked Experiences at Conferences, Meetings and Events Stockhouse
Answers.com Hits 10 Millionth Answer Milestone Stockhouse
Content-Maker BlueGlass Launches New Tool for Online Publishers The New York Times
Computing tech that defined the decade TechRadar
The modern tech CEO: Barefoot and 21 CNN

Login Edit Anand Sharma felicitates Indian CWG medal winners

Olympic qualification on men's hockey team's mind: Harendra The Times of India
Olympic qualification on men’s hockey team’s mind: Harendra Zeenews
Sonepat cremation ground throws up wrestling champions The Times of India
Men behind the CWG probe The Times of India
I have been overlooked for the Asian Games: Humpy Zeenews.

Theodore Sorensen obituary

Theodore Sorensen, left, conferring with President John F Kennedy in the Oval Office in 1961. Photograph: George Tames/New York Times/Redux/eyevine
Theodore Sorensen, universally known as Ted, was one of those men whose brilliant career and great talents were partially clouded by anonymity. Even before his boss, John Fitzg

Actor playing gunman shot dead in Philippines

A village watchman in the central Philippines allegedly mistook an actor playing a masked gunman in a British film for a real assassin and fatally shot him, police said today. Watchman Eddie Cuizon tried to accost Filipino actor Kirk Abella late on Saturday, then shot him as the actor was directed to speed away on a motorcycle with a masked driver, said community police chief Alexis Relado of Cebu City's Parian district.Cuizon, 52, told police he had been woken up by a concerned citizen who reported the presence of armed men in his community. He told police he saw two masked men on a motorcycle and approached them but they sped away and he stumbled as he tried to stop them, injuring his knee. He fired at Abella when the actor pulled out a gun, which turned out to be made of plastic, Relado said.

Burmese people's dream of accountable government remains distant

Free Burma Coalition stages a protest against the 7 November Burmese national elections in Manila. Photograph: Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images
In under a week, national elections will be held in Burma for the first time in 20 years. After so many years of military rule this should have been a huge event. But instead Sunday's poll will represent another missed opportunity as Burma's rulers again

Desert discs: how mobile phones are at the root of Saharan music

Sim city: Kirkley collected MP3 memory cards in Kidal, Mali. Photograph: Alfred Wolf/Getty
However eclectic your music collection, it would still need to go some way to match the sheer range of tracks shared by villagers swapping songs via Bluetooth and Sim card in the Sahara. Bollywood classics, Algerian Rai, Kuduro, French ballads – this is just a sample grab of the

China unveils ambitious plan to protect wildlife at UN talks

Golden monkeys at the Shennongjia nature reserve. Photograph: Rex Features
China has unveiled its most ambitious conservation plan in a generation, ahead of the opening today of a crucial UN biodiversity conference.

Retrial of Nancy Kissel in 'milkshake murder' case to begin in Hong Kong

Nancy Kissel is being retried in Hong Kong after her murder conviction was quashed earlier this year. Photograph: Bobby Yip/Reuters
The retrial of Nancy Kissel, the Amercian woman whose conviction for murdering her banker husband by spiking his milkshake and clubbing him to death was quashed earlier this year, begins in Hong Kong tomorrow.

Tibetan student protests spread to Beijing

Tibetan students protest in Rebkong, in north-west China's Qinghai province, angry at being forced to study in the Chinese language. Photograph: Free Tibet/AFP/Getty Images
Protests by Tibetan students in western China over plans to restrict the use of their language have spread, according to state media and a campaign group.

China census could be first to record true population

China's 2010 census will be the first to record people where they live and work rather than where they are registered. Photograph: Jason Lee/Reuters
In Denmark or Jordan, it would be the population covered by the national census. In China, six million is the number of people needed just to carry it out.

Terror bombs were primed to down cargo planes in mid-air

Security officials inspect UPS containers in the cargo area of East Midlands airport after an explosive package was found on a plane from Yemen. Photograph: David Jones/PA
Sophisticated bombs contained in packages sent from Yemen were designed to explode in the air and bring down the cargo planes carrying them, the government confirmed.

Booby-trap bomb sent to Nicolas Sarkozy

Police search for evidence outside an Athens courier company where a package exploded today. A similar parcel had been sent to Nicolas Sarkozy. Photograph: Yiorgos Karahalis/Reuters
Greek police intercepted a booby-trapped parcel addressed to French president Nicolas Sarkozy today, after another package exploded at a courier company in Athens.

Vladimir Putin goes hunting for 'action man' image

Shots of a horse-riding, rifle-toting Vladimir Putin in Siberia have been seen as an attempt by the Russian premier to preserve his image as a man of action. Photograph: Ria Novosti/Reuters

Woman stabbed Labour MP over his Iraq war vote, court hears

Stephen Timms, Labour MP for East Ham, was stabbed at his constituency surgery in May this year. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian
A former Labour minister was stabbed twice in his stomach by a woman who wanted to kill him as "revenge" for his voting for the Iraq war, a court today heard.

Barack Obama's final midterm rally highlights declining popularity

Barack Obama speaks to supporters in Cleveland during his last rally before the midterm elections. Photograph: J.D. Pooley/Getty Images
Barack Obama sought to rekindle the spirit of the 2008 election today at the final campaign rally of the midterm elections but thousands of empty seats testified that the love affair with the electorate is long over.

Dilma Rousseff wins Brazil's presidential election | World news | The Guardian

Dilma Rousseff, a former Marxist rebel who was jailed and tortured during Brazil's military dictatorship, last night became the first woman president in her country's history Link to this video

Cargo plane bomb plot: Cobra to discuss response

Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri. Photograph: Yemeni Interior Ministry/Handout/EPA
The government's Cobra emergency committee is meeting today to discuss a response to the Yemen-based plot to send bombs on US cargo planes, as Yemeni authorities promise to increase airport security.

Baby dies after being snatched by monkey

A macaque monkey, like the two pictured, is believed to have been looking for food when it snatched the baby from her house. Photograph: Mark Baker/AP
A newborn baby has died in Malaysia after being snatched, badly bitten and then dropped by a wild monkey.

Adam Lambert to tone down act for Malaysia concert

Adam Lambert has pledged to obey Malaysian laws forbidding onstage kissing. Photograph: Steve Nesius/AP
American Idol star Adam Lambert has agreed to tone down his act for a Kualar Lumpur concert at the request of Malaysian authorities.

Three Ways to Profit - No Matter Who Wins Tuesday's Midterm Elections

By William Patalon III, Executive Editor, Money Morning

If you're worried that next week's midterm elections could further cloud an already-uncertain investment landscape, take a page from the investment playbook of Money Morning'

Publish Post

s Keith Fitz-Gerald: Position yourself to profit no matter which party wins on Tuesday.

Will Midterm Elections Ignite a Stock Market Rally?

By Don Miller, Associate Editor, Money Morning

The Democrats and Republicans have spent a record $3.5 billion in preparation for this year's midterm elections. But regardless of the outcome - whether you're a Democrat or Republican - the good news is that the stock market traditionally has performed well during midterm election cycles.

The Peoples Voice News

There was no change There will be no change Stop Complying Start Defying

In our dying democracy, those with power and the puppets they parade in election charades every two years are above the law and think nothing of breaking it. And in our raped republic, those with wealth from stealing the Sheeples’ tax money and savings by the billions have no problems paying millions in penalties for doing so. But in this wasteland of unbridled greed and moral decay, those of you with character and courage can still prevail...

Barack Obama: The oligarchs' president

The director of "Inside Job" writes about Obama's depressingly rational decision to give in to Wall Street. When I first decided to make a documentary about the financial crisis, in late 2008, my biggest question was how to handle Barack Obama. Alas, the answer rapidly became all too clear, as my film "Inside Job" shows in painful detail.

The 2010 elections, the working class and the Democratic Party

With only a few days remaining in the 2010 election campaign, one thing is certain: the Obama administration and the Democratic Party are preparing a further lurch to the right. Four years after a massive turnout at the polls to repudiate the Republican-controlled Congress and give the Democrats the majority, and two years after the election of Barack Obama to the White House by a margin of 7 million votes, the administration’s right-wing policies have shattered the popular illusions raised by Obama’s vague appeals to “hope” and “change.”

Millions march in France against pension cuts

Millions of workers and students took to the streets across France Thursday to protest final approval by the National Assembly of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s pension “reform” bill. The French economy was still crippled by gasoline shortages due to ongoing refinery and port strikes.

Bluegrass Tea: How Rand Paul, Tea Party Darling, Learned to Love Mitch McConnell and the GOP Establishment

Rand Paul came to to the GOP table as an outsider, but there's no way to win without holding hands with the ultimate insider -- the Senate minority leader. So he is.

Earnings of FTSE 100 chiefs up 55% over past year

FTSE 100 company directors saw their total earnings soar by an average of 55 per cent during the past year in a startling recovery from short-lived restraint during the recession, according to research to be published today.

Dilma Rousseff: 'I will govern for all Brazilians' - Telegraph

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva with his protégé, Dilma Rousseff Photo: AP

Ms Rousseff, a former Marxist guerrilla and twice-divorced grandmother, had 57 per cent of the vote compared to 43 per cent for her opponent, Jose Serra, according to an exit poll from IBOPE (Brazilian Institute of Public Opinion and Statistics).

Somali pirates are holding over 435 sailors hostage

Each hijacked ship and its crew will bring the pirates holding it a ransom of anywhere between £1.5 and £3 million pounds Photo: AFP/GETTY

Figures gathered by the London-based International Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Crimes Services show that while the total number of attacks has declined, the numbers of crew kidnapped and ships hijacked has not. The pirates have had more success with less effort.

Olive tree wars: Israeli settlers do battle with Palestinians over olive groves

The two communities have planted record numbers of new saplings in a bid to entrench their rival claims over one of the world?s most bitterly contested territories Photo: AFP/GETTY

Nearly 3,500 olive trees a week have been destroyed in the harvest’s first month after settlers set them alight, cut them down or poisoned them with chemicals, according to Palestinian officials. Reprisal attacks on settler produce have also been reported.

British Consulate could be thrown out of Kazakh base

 

Samal Towers, worth an estimated $70m, serves as BTA's headquarters, as well as housing the UK and US consulates, and several major international companies

UK awarded top prize at the Shanghai Expo

The UK pavilion captured the imagination of the Chinese public from the beginning and around eight million visitors passed through its doors Photo: AFP/GETTY

The UK pavilion, a shimmering cube of 60,000 perspex rods, was judged to be the best of the Expo’s large exhibits, despite costing a fraction of its competitors’ budget.

US mid-term elections 2010: Barack Obama implores Americans to 'keep on believing'

Even Barack Obama's old Senate seat in Illinois is under grave threat Photo: REUTERS

Mr Obama returned to Chicago, where 200,000 people in Grant Park cheered his historic victory on a balmy night two years earlier, to tell a crowd of 20,000 at Midway Plaisance Park that they needed to “keep on fighting” despite all the setbacks.

US mid-term elections 2010: Hillary Clinton stays away from mid-term elections

Hillary Clinton visits the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia today Photo: AP

Although former President Bill Clinton has held more than 100 election events, his wife is unable to campaign because of her foreign policy role. She is currently on a two-week tour of Asia and Australasia that includes stops in Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia.

Silvio Berlusconi accused of having 'uncontrollable sickness' for women

 

Silvio Berlusconi and Ruby, the Moroccan belly dancer

Last year Veronica Lario, Mr Berlusconi's estranged wife, said she believed that he was 'unwell', accusing him of 'consorting with minors' Photo: AP

The Italian prime minister has been accused of personally intervening to have 17-year-old Karima Keyek released from police custody when she was arrested in May on suspicion of stealing cash and valuables from a female acquaintance in Milan.

BBC wildlife presenter Johnny Kingdom confronted 'poacher' over Emperor's death - Telegraph

Johnny Kingdom's own role in the shooting has also been a subject of intense speculation since he tipped off a local newspaper that the stag had been killed last weekend Photo: CHRISTOPHER JONES

George Hickenlooper dies aged 47 at film festival

George Hickenlooper: the Denver festival will now be dedicated to him

Hollywood director George Hickenlooper, who won an Emmy in 1992 for the film Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, has died at the age of 47.

The film-maker died of apparent natural causes in Denver, where he was attending a film festival, his cousin John Hickenlooper said in a statement.

Dubai bomb was flown on passenger planes

The device had been placed in a cardboard box and posted to the US

One of the two bombs posted from Yemen last week was transported on two passenger planes before being seized in Dubai, Qatar Airways has said.

The device was carried on an Airbus A320 from Sanaa to Doha. It was then flown on another aircraft to Dubai.

Istanbul suicide blast injures 32, including 15 police

The blast occurred near the independence monument in Taksim Square

A suicide bomb blast in the centre of Istanbul has injured 32 people, including 15 policemen.

Police say the bomber tried to board a police bus in Taksim Square. Seventeen civilians were also hurt.

Rare earths supply deal between Japan and Vietnam

The agreement in Hanoi was described as "a political and strategic decision"

Vietnam has agreed to help supply Japan with rare earths, as Tokyo tries to reduce its dependence on China.

The two countries have also agreed on greater nuclear cooperation, with Hanoi virtually awarding Japan contracts to build two reactors in Vietnam.

Ivory Coast holds long-delayed 'reconciliation' poll

There have been long lines at some polling stations for the first presidential election in 10 years

Voters in Ivory Coast are casting their ballots in presidential elections which have been delayed six times.

Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo is running against 13 candidates, including veteran politicians Alassane Ouattara and Henri Konan Bedie.

Failure to find airport bomb 'a weakness', expert says

Lord Carlile said technical equipment needed to be investigated to ensure it was "absolutely up to date".

Home Secretary Theresa May has said the "crucial thing" was that the bomb had been found.

BBC News - Brazil votes for new president, Rousseff tipped to win

Opinion polls suggest Ms Rousseff could win with a lead of 10 to 12 percentage points
Brazilians are voting to choose a new president to succeed the popular Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Opinion polls suggest the governing Workers' Party candidate Dilma Rousseff has a clear lead over Jose Serra of the opposition Social Democratic Party.

Athens Classic Marathon :: Welcome

MarathonMan Stefaan Engels is about to come to Athens as part of a crazy challenge to create an unbeatable world record by running one marathon a day for a year. For the 49-year-old Belgian, it is certainly not a case of the loneliness of the long distance runner, as he is joined by crowds of supporters wherever he runs. He is inviting all Greeks to accompany him for part or all of his daily endurance test. His tour reaches Athens on October 26 where he will undertake his week of marathon 'jogs' starting at Agios Kosmas Athletic Centre in Elleniko/Athens from around 2pm to 6pm every day until October 29 and on October 30 at Schinias Rowing center nearby the historic place of Marathon from 2.30pm to 6.30pm before running the Athens Classic Marathon on Sunday.

more

Marine Corps Marathon marks 2,500th anniversary of Pheidippides' historic run

The story of the world's most famous marathoner may be more apocryphal than historic, but the athletic movement he inspired could be hitting its stride exactly 2,500 years later. On Sunday, more than 20,000 runners will attempt to emulate Pheidippides' run - minus his signature gack at the finish

History of the original marathon

The modern Athens Marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C.

Yemen cargo bomb plot: female student arrested

The 22-year-old woman, named locally as Hanan al Samawi, was traced through a phone number left with a cargo company. Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president, said the information that identified her was provided by the US and the United Arab Emirates.

Miss USA crowned Miss World amid political tensions

Miss USA Alexandria Mills, 18, celebrates after she won the Miss World 2010 title in Sanya, on the Chinese island of Hainan
The hotly-tipped pre-tournament favourite Miss Norway failed to make the top five, with Miss United States being crowned the winner.