The economically powerful region of Catalonia has voted into office a large majority of pro-independence lawmakers, but the leader who made a referendum over breaking away from Spain a central plank of his campaign saw his party's majority reduced by 12 seats. Syrian rebels capture helicopter air base near the capital Damascus after fierce fighting
BEIRUT – Syrian rebels captured a helicopter base just outside Damascus Sunday in what an activist called a “blow to the morale of the regime” near President Bashar Assad’s seat of power.
Voters in tsunami-hit zone feel let down as Japan election nears
IWAKI/KAMAISHI, Japan (Reuters) – Three wee ks before Japan's first national election since the March 2011 earthquake, none of the contenders has managed to win the hearts, and votes, of those hardest-hit by the disaster – with many feeling let down by the entire political class. Volunteers and donations had poured in after the magnitude 9.0 quake off the northeast coast of Japan's main island Honshu unleashed a deadly tsunami that killed nearly 19,000 and triggered reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant. … Eight dead, human remains found in northern Mexico
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican authorities discovered the bodies of eight men and the remains of others in the northern state of Chihuahua over the weekend, the local government said on Sunday. The eight victims, who were aged 30-35, were found by a road roughly 50 miles south of the city of Chihuahua. The victims had been tortured and shot in the head, a spokesman for the state government said. State prosecutors also found a grave containing the remains of men who died roughly two years ago in the desert area just south of the city of Ciudad Juarez, near the U.S. border. …
Revenge of the nerds as banks see risk, compliance hiring boom
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Tough regulations aimed at banks have jolted demand for compliance, risk and legal officers, creating one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal job market for the financial industry. Traditionally one of the least glamorous jobs in the sector, these staff are in hot demand at a time when nearly all other parts of the banking industry are getting cut. …
Analysis: India's deficit-cutting plan faltering as clock ticks
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India's finance minister has banned government officials from holding conferences at five-star hotels, re stricted travel and ordered a freeze on hiring to fill vacant posts. A single-minded political veteran who commands both fear and respect in Indian officialdom, P. Chidambaram is squeezing government ministries hard to cut spending wherever they can, and quickly, to help rein in a widening fiscal deficit. He is a man under pressure and with an eye on the clock. … Israel successfully tests new missile defence system against mid-range missile threat
JERUSALEM – Israel successfully tested its newest missile defence system Sunday, the military said, a step toward making the third leg of what Israel calls its “multilayer missile defence” operational.
19 bodies found in northern Mexico state; 11 long-dead, 8 newly killed
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico – The slain bodies of 19 people have been discovered in Mexico’s northern border state of Chihuahua, officials reported Sunday, including 11 apparently long-dead men found in mass graves and eight others who were apparently tortured and killed in recent days.
Cambridge University to open centre studying the risks of technology to humans
LONDON – Could computers become cleverer than humans and take over the world? Or is that just the stuff of science fiction?
1 dead, 40 hurt in Egypt riot
Security officials say rioters have stormed a Muslim Brotherhood headquarters building in northern Egypt, and a teenager protester was killed. Manila rising, so are rents as confidence in Philippines grows
MANILA (Reuters) – Manila's changing skyline demonstrates a city coming up in the world. The capital of the Philippines is in th e throes of a property boom described as the best in two decades, reflecting the increasing confidence in an economy that only recently began shedding its image as one of the region's basket cases. Nowhere is it more obvious than at Bonifacio Global City, a commercial and residential property development on a portion of land carved out from Manila's biggest army base. … Parker scores 32 points as Spurs down Raptors 111-106 in double overtime
TORONTO – Tony Parker scored seven of his game-high 32 points in double overtime as the San Antonio Spurs handed the Toronto Raptors their fourth straight loss, 111-106 on Sunday afternoon.
A Moab man has started an online petition to change name; first attempt in more than a decade
SALT LAKE CITY – Moab resident Louis Williams cringes every time he tells visitors the name of the canyon with the great hike to a stunning arch: Negro Bill Canyon.
Tourists visit Southfork Ranch day after actor Hagman dies; was "Dallas" home of J.R. Ewing
PARKER, Texas – Tourists and locals flocked to Southfork Ranch on Saturday, bringing flowers in memory of Larry Hagman, who played the infamous J.R. Ewing on the TV show “Dallas.”
Proposed 600-mile snowmobile trail would link up to 10 Maine wind farms, seen as tourism boost
AUGUSTA, Maine – Maine snowmobilers love to have destinations for their wintertime rides, and they are working with the wind power industry on a plan to link perhaps 10 of the state’s wind farms with trails in a unique addition to Maine’s outdoor tourism menu.
Climate financing fund will be empty unless Doha talks find solution
including Canada -- to help poor countries deal with climate change is still unfunded as of the end of 2012.
China's princelings come of age in new leadership
BEIJING (Reuters) – In China they are known as “princelings” -- the privileged children of the revolutionary founders of the People’s Republic of China. And in the generational leadership change that just took place in Beijing, it could not have been clearer that having the right family bloodlines is among the most important attributes an ambitious cadre could possess. Of the seven men who now comprise the Communist Party’s new politburo standing committee, the apex of political power in China, four are members of “the red aristocracy”, led by the new general secretary of the party, Xi Jinping. …
"Shadow of Roh" neck and neck with dictator's daughter before South Korea polls
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s December presidential election looks set to turn into a referendum on two of the country’s most polarizing leaders as the daughter of military dictator Park Chung-hee faces off against a former aide to ex-President Roh Moo-hyun. Park’s authoritarian rule propelled South Korea from poverty to the cusp of developed-nation status and ended when he was assassinated in 1979. …
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