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Obama tells New Jersey: "We are here for you" - CBS News
Updated at 5:30 p.m. ET. President Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie today flew over the Jersey Shore to assess the devastation that Superstorm Sandy left in its wake, stopping at a community center to reassure the storm's victims that state and …

Kinross Gold hires new financial chief
(Reuters) – Kinross Gold Corp said on Wednesday it has hired a new chief financial officer just three months after replacing its chief executive officer. Tony Giardini will take on the CFO and executive vice-president role, effective December 1. Current CFO Paul Berry, whose pending departure was announced earlier this month, will stay on in a transition role, the company said. Giardini, a registered chartered account, was CFO of Ivanhoe Mines, now known as Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd , from 2006 to 2012. He was most recently CFO at Capstone Mining Corp . …

Kuwaitis protest after activist held for insulting emir
KUWAIT (Reuters) – Kuwaiti police fired tear gas and smoke bombs on Wednesday to disperse thousands of protesters marching on a prison where an opposition leader is being held on charges of insulting the emir, witnesses said. The unrest comes amid rising tension ahead of parliamentary elections on December 1 which the opposition is boycotting. Defense lawyers said on Wednesday prosecutors had charged Musallam al-Barrack on three counts related to a speech in which he made critical remarks about the country’s 83-year-old emir, and ordered him held for 10 days pending further questioning. …

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Potash eyes ICL takeover as a road to China, India
JERUSALEM/WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – Potash Corp , the world’s No. 1 fertilizer producer, is ramping up efforts to buy Israel Chemicals Ltd so it can shore up its leverage with China and India, top consuming countries that are expected to drive much of the industry’s growth. Although a deal is likely a long way off, acquiring ICL , the world’s sixth-largest fertilizer producer, would give Canada’s Potash Corp better shipping access to China, India and other Asian economies. Rising Asian incomes and populations are expected to trigger greater fertilizer use to produce more food. …

Canadian dollar ends near flat after GDP data shows contraction
TORONTO (Reuters) – The Canadian dollar weakened below parity against the U.S. currency before clawing back to end little changed on Wednesday after data showed the Canadian economy contracted unexpectedly in August. The currency weakened to a session low shortly after the gross domestic product data pointed to slower growth in the third quarter and supported the Bank of Canada’s message that interest rate hikes are not imminent. It later pared those losses. …

Bank of Canada chief: "A lot" of headwinds hitting economy
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, on the heels of telling markets that an interes t rate hike was not imminent, offered several reasons on Wednesday for why the central bank has kept rates exceptionally low. "There are a lot of headwinds against the Canadian economy from the rest of the world, there's a challenge to encourage business to invest, there are pressures on the currency," Carney told a parliamentary committee. …

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Analysis: Canadian banks seek assets to offset mortgage slump
TORONTO (Reuters) – Call it the Homer Simpson approach to business growth: when the pie is shrinking, eat a bigger piece. Canada’s big banks have been doing just that. Facing slower growth in the mortgage market and an unofficial government ban on buying one another, the five biggest lenders have been ravenously snapping up any other financial assets that have become available. It’s a trend that looks set to continue. “As you see slower growth in the mortgage business, they’re going to be finding these different types of lending businesses to drive growth,” said Tom Lewandowski, a St. …

NYC gardens cleaning up, assessing damage; reopening Friday in Brooklyn, Thursday in Bronx
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx were cleaning up and assessing damage from Superstorm Sandy Wednesday, but both planned to reopen this week, the Brooklyn garden on Friday and the New York Botanic Garden on Thursday.

Mexico's Day of Dead brings memories of missing
As people across Mexico prepare Day of the Dead offerings with flowers, food and candy skulls, thousands of families across the country can’t mourn their loved ones in the old Mexican tradition, because their relatives have disappeared in the wave of drug-fueled violence.

Rugby-England's Ashton to miss Fiji game after ban
LONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) – England winger Chris Ashton will miss the test against Fiji next month but can face Australia after receiving a one-week ban for totting up three yellow cards for foul play at club Saracens. “Chris Ashton suspended for one week. Sidelined from Sun, Nov 4 to Sat, Nov 10, free to play on Sun, Nov 11,” the Rugby Football Union said in a tweet on Wednesday. The Fiji match on Nov.10 is the first of England’s home November internationals with the Australia test taking place on Nov. 17, the South Africa match on Nov. 24 and New Zealand clash on Dec 1. …