Tuesday, November 13, 2012

seenewstoday.com : Top News updates

University fees push inflation to five-month high in October
Oxford University police officers look on as graduates emerge from the Sheldonian Theatre after a graduation ceremony at Oxford University in EnglandLONDON (Reuters) – Inflation jumped to a five-month high in October, driven by higher univer sity fees and food prices, official data showed on Tuesday, just a day before the Bank of England publishes fresh economic forecasts. Annual consumer price inflation surged to 2.7 percent from 2.2 percent in September, the Office for National Statistics said, raising the chance the BoE will have to increase its short-term inflation forecast on Wednesday. October's figure was the highest since May, and well above economists' average forecast of an increase to 2.3 percent. …


New trial of Ukraine's Tymoshenko put back
A supporter of opposition parties attends a protest rally and holds up a portrait of jailed former Tymoshenko in KievKHARKIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – A second trial of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko was again adjourned on Tuesday until November 23 because the fo rmer prime minister, who is on hunger strike, could not attend. Tymoshenko, the main political opponent of President Viktor Yanukovich, is already serving a seven-year term following her conviction for abuse of office in October last year. Her second trial is for alleged tax evasion and embezzlement. …


G4S Olympics boss leaves over contract blunder
LONDON (Reuters) – G4S said the managing director of its botched Olympics contract had left the company, becoming the third director to leave over its London 2012 blunder. The world’s biggest security firm on Tuesday said Mark Hamilton, a former bodyguard to rock star Paul McCartney, had left the company “by mutual consent” but declined to give any further details. …


Russia paroles physicist jailed for espionage
File photo of Russian physicist Valentin Danilov standing outside the Krasnoyarsk regional courtMOSCOW (Reuters) – A Russian court on Tuesday paroled a physicist convicted of spying for China in 2004 in a case that was criticized by human rights campaigners during President Vladimir Putin& #039;s first term. Valentin Danilov, now in his 60s, is expected to be freed in 10 days. Rights activists said the satellite technology data he passed to China was declassified and the case was politically motivated, highlighting the shortcomings of Russia's judiciary. …


Three die in Italy floods as heavy rain continues
FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) – Three people died after their car fell off a collapsed bridge during heavy rain near the town of Grosseto in central Italy, authorities said on Tuesday, as severe flooding continued in the Tuscany region. The identity of the victims was still being verified but the car they were in bore the logo of Enel, Italy’s biggest electricity company, Civil Protection authority officials said. It was not immediately clear if their vehicle drove off the bridge or was caught on it when it collapsed. …


Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to issue fall economic update today
OTTAWA – Canadians can expect more clarity on the country’s economic affairs today as Finance Minister Jim Flaherty issues a mid-term fiscal report card.


Ex-Alberta premier Ralph Klein to be made an Officer of the Order of Canada
OTTAWA – Former Alberta premier Ralph Klein will be made an Officer of the Order of Canada today at Calgary city hall.


EU finance ministers discuss banking union
International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde, right, talks with Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos Jurado, during the Eurogroup finance ministers meeting in Brussels, Monday, Nov, 12, 2012. Greece's international lenders have prepared a Shoring up Europe's banking sector and strengthening oversight of economic policies will likely top the agenda of a meeting Tuesday of the European Union's 27 finance ministers.


Anti-bullying conference in Vancouver a month after Amanda Todd's suicide
VANCOUVER – An anti-bullying conference on how to cope with bullying and reduce its impact is planned for today in Vancouver just over a month after 15-year-old Amanda Todd’s suicide.


Court martial begins today for Calgary major charged in Afghanistan accident
CALGARY – A Canadian soldier who was charged after a mine explosion killed a colleague on a training range in Afghanistan will appear before a military court today as his court martial begins.


Motions continue at Ashley Smith inquest; corrections officials told to co-operate
TORONTO – Motions are to continue today in Toronto at a coroner’s inquest into the death five years ago of a troubled teenager in a Kitchener, Ont., prison.


Loblaw recalls some chocolate covered raisins due to almond
BRAMPTON, Ont. – Loblaw Companies Ltd. is recalling its 908 gram pack size of PC Chocolate Covered Raisins because they may also contain some chocolate covered almonds.


Syrian fighter jet attacks near Turkish border
This image taken from video obtained from Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and an Associated Press journalist who saw a plane bomb an area around the Syrian-Turkish border town of Ras al-Ayn, shows Syrians inspecting the damage and looking for victims moments after an airstrike by Syrian warplanes in Ras al-Ayn, Syria, Monday, Nov. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)A Syrian jet bombed a rebel-held region near the border with Turkey for a second day on Tuesday, killing at least one person and wounding three others, an official said.


Secrecy cloaks South Korea's civil nuclear program
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s government should resume publishing polls on nuclear safety after a loss of public confidence in the sector in the wake of Japan’s Fukushima disaster, an opposition South Korean lawmaker said on Tuesday. The call came as South Korea, whose public is traditionally seen as pro-nuclear, investigated fake safety documents for parts used in nuclear plants led to two of the country’s 23 reactors being shut down last week and has raised the prospect of power shortages in the harsh Korean winter. …


Dalai Lama presses China to investigate Tibetan self-immolations
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is greeted by members of the Japanese parliament upon his arrival at the upper house members' office building in TokyoTOKYO (Reuters) R 11; Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday urged Japanese parliamentarians to visit Tibet, and for China to investigate the dozens of self-immolations by Tibetans. "I always ask the Chinese government: Please, now, thoroughly investigate. What is the cause of these sort of sad things?" the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dalai Lama told a group of Japanese lawmakers. …


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Arbitrator: Lufthansa reaches agreement with union
The arbitrator in a wage dispute between Germany’s biggest airline Lufthansa and its flight attendants says the two sides have reached a deal that averts the possibility of widespread strikes during the holiday season.


General investigated for emails to Petraeus friend
FILE - This July 22, 2012, file photo shows U.S. Gen. John Allen, top commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, during an interview with The Associated Press in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Pentagon says Gen. John Allen is under investigation for alleged In a new twist to the Gen. David Petraeus sex scandal, the Pentagon said Tuesday that the top American commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen, is under investigation for alleged "inappropriate communications" with a woman who is said to have received threatening emails from Paula Broadwell, the woman with whom Petraeus had an extramarital affair.


Official: Syrian fighter jet resumes bombing rebel-held area near Turkish border
CEYLANPINAR, Turkey – Officials and witnesses say a Syrian jet has resumed bombing a rebel-held region near the border with Turkey.


Plane in S. Africa catches fire, no injuries
A chartered Boeing MD-82 airplane aborted its takeoff Tuesday in South Africa after a landing gear caught fire when its tire came off its mount, officials said. No one was injured.


Israel says Gaza strife not over, targets sites
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel struck three targets in the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Tuesday and warned an on-going crisis with Palestinian militants had not been resolved, despite a marked decrease in rocket-fire from the territory. The Israeli military said its warplanes successfully hit a weapons storage facility in central Gaza and two rocket launching sites in the north of the coastal enclave. No casualties were reported following the loud, pre-dawn blasts. …


China drafts name list of party central committee
China’s ruling communists are considering a list of candidates for their new Central Committee ahead of a tightly circumscribed vote.


Palestinian official: Gaza militant dies of wounds
An Israeli police sapper holds the remains of a rocket fired by Palestinian militants after it hit the southern city of Netivot, Monday, Nov. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)A Palestinian health official says a Gaza militan t has died of wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike.


Pear or heart-shaped, big diamonds sell in Geneva
FILE - In this May 2, 2012, file photo, an employee shows the Beau Sancy diamond, 34.98 carat, at Sotheby's auction house in Zurich, Switzerland. In May, Sotheby's sold the 34.98 carat Beau Sancy diamond to an anonymous bidder for $9.7 million. Marie de Medici had wore it at her coronation as Queen Consort of Henry IV in France in 1610. Then the diamond passed among the royal families in France, England, Prussia and the Netherlands. I   t was sold by the Royal House of Prussia. (AP Photo / Keystone, Alessandro Della Bella, File)Geneva's jewelry auctions, held in five-star hotels along its elegant lakefront, can seem a continent if not a world away from the grim austerity gripping much of Europe. Two out-of-this-world diamonds are being auctioned off this week, joining a long list of other fabulous jewels, watches and other luxury goods sold in Gene va. Here's a look at the city's most eye-popping diamonds:


Syrian jet bombs town near Turkish border: witness
CEYLANPINAR, Turkey (Reuters) – A Syrian fighter jet bombed the town of Ras al-Ain for a second day on Tuesday, meters from the Turkish border, sending thick plumes of smoke into the air, a Reuters witness said. Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are trying to regain control of Ras al-Ain, which fell to rebels on Thursday. The offensive has caused some of the biggest refugee movements since the Syrian conflict began in March last year. (Reporting by Jonathon Burch; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Pravin Char)


Hungary Ex-PM takes on challenge to unseat Orban
Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai gestures during a speech in Parliament assessing the achievements of his government in handling crises, in BudapestBUDAPEST (Reuters) – Former prime minister Gordon Bajnai faces one of the toug hest political battles in post-communist Hungary as he forges a coalition to beat Prime Minister Viktor Orban in 2014 elections. Bajnai has set out to build a broad opposition alliance and draft a new programme to help him oust Orban's ruling centre-right Fidesz party, which has become the strongest political force in the central European country's recent history. …


Jordan to back British appeal over cleric ruling
FILE - In this Tuesday, April 17, 2012 file photo, Abu Qatada is driven away after being refused bail at a hearing at London's Special Immigration Appeals Commission, which handles deportation and security cases, in London. Radical Preacher Abu Qatada won his appeal against deportation from Britain to Jordan to face terrorism charges on Monday Nov. 12, 2012. The decision represents a setback to the British government. Home Office officia   ls say they strongly disagree with the ruling. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)Jordan is seeking to assist the British government in efforts to appeal the ruling against the deportation of a radical Islamist cleric described by prosecutors as a key al-Qaida operative.


Receiver declares himself fit to play against Stamps in Western Final
SURREY, B.C. – Arland Bruce III wants to show he can keep his head in the game when he returns to B.C. Lions’ receiving corps just in time for the CFL West final.


Municipal officials asking Ottawa for stable cash to fix crumbling cities
VANCOUVER – Municipal officials warn that Canada’s aging municipal infrastructure is crumbling, and they’re looking for a promise of long-term investment from the federal government to address the problem.


Myanmar quake death toll up to 26, tremor hits capital
YANGON (Reuters) – An earthquake struck near Myanmar’s new capital of Naypyitaw on Tuesday, state television reported, but there were no immediate reports of damage, while the death toll from a weekend quake to its north rose to 26, according to an aid organization. MRTV television said the new quake of 4.8 magnitude hit at 8:23 a.m. (0153 GMT). Its epicenter was about 35 miles south of the capital. “We in Naypyitaw are no strangers to tremors, but we rushed out of our hostel in panic this morning,” a Commerce Ministry official said, asking not to be named. …


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Australia's Catholic church acknowledges "shame" of child abuse
CANBERRA (Reuters) – The head of Australia’s powerful Catholic Church acknowledged the “shame” of child sex abuse among the clergy and welcomed a sweeping inquiry on Tuesday, but also warned that the extent of the problem within his church had been exaggerated. On Monday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard ordered a rare Royal Commission, the highest form of investigation in Australia, into how churches, government bodies and other organizations have dealt with possibly thousands of child sex abuse claims. …


At Mao-style leadership conclave, China's communists embrace microblogging, drawing Web jeers
BEIJING, China – During China’s last party congress, the cadres in charge of the world’s most populous nation didn’t know a hashtag from a hyperlink. But five years on, there’s a new message from Beijing: The political transition will be microblogged.


Loss to B.C. Lions a watershed moment for both Cornish and Stampeders
Jon Cornish ran for more yards this season than any Canadian ever has in the CFL, but there was a watershed moment in his breakout campaign.


At Mao-style conclave, China embraces Twitter age
During China’s last party congress, the cadres in charge of the world’s most populous nation didn’t know a hashtag from a hyperlink. But five years on, there’s a new message from Beijing: The political transition will be microblogged.