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Germany will back Greek aid but wary of hints at haircut
BERLIN (Reuters) – German lawmakers are likely to approve the release of Greek aid immediately despite suspicions that talks of a debt write-down have just been delayed until after Germany 's 2013 elections. Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right coalition and the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) said on Tuesday that the Greek deal agreed overnight would be put to the vote in the Bundestag lower house on Thursday or Friday. With both sides voicing support, approval is guaranteed but the question will be whether the chancellor can rely on her coalition or needs the votes of the SPD and Greens. …

Pittsburgh Zoo calendar features wild dogs that fatally mauled 2-year-old boy
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Pittsburgh Zoo is featuring the animals that fatally mauled a 2-year-old boy earlier this year on the March page of its 2013 calendar.

Fire highlights harsh lives of Bangladesh workers
Clothing is king in Bangladesh, a country that exports more garments than any other in the world except China. It is responsible for four out of every five export dollars and has turned factory owners into members of parliament and leaders of sports clubs.

Cricket-Samaraweera's defiance keeps Sri Lanka in touch
COLOMBO, Nov 27 (Reuters) – Thilan Samaraweera defied the discomfort of an injured hand and the threat of the New Zealand attack to ensure Sri Lanka retained a foothold in the second test on Tuesday. Samaraweera, who had three stitches inserted into the webbing on his right hand on Monday after dropping a catch, made an unbeaten 76 to help steer the home side very slowly to 225 for six by the close of play on the third day. …

Bombs kill four Kurds in Iraq's disputed areas
KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) – Bombs targeting ethnic Kurds killed four people on Tuesday in the city of Kirkuk in Iraq’s disputed northern territories, where the Iraqi army and troops from the autonomous Kurdistan region have been in stand-off for more than a week. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attacks although Sunni Islamist insurgents including a local affiliate of al Qaeda continue to strike regularly, killing 144 people across Iraq in October alone. …

Cricket-Sri Lanka v New Zealand - second test scoreboard
Nov 27 (Reuters) – Scoreboard at the close of the third day of the second cricket test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo on Tuesday: New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat New Zealand first innings 412 Sri Lanka first innings (overnight 43-3) T. Paranavitana c Van Wyk b Southee 40 T. Dilshan b Southee 5 K. Sangakkara c Boult b Southee 0 M. Jayawardene c Williamson b Boult 4 A. Mathews c Guptill b Southee 47 T. Samaraweera not out 76 P. Jayawardene c Williamson b Patel 12 S. Randiv not out 34 Extras (lb-3, w-1, nb-3) 7 Total (six wickets; 86.2 overs) 225 To bat: N. Kulasekara, R. …

Cricket-Sri Lanka 225-6 v New Zealand 412 - close
Nov 27 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka were 225 for six wickets in their first innings at the close on the third day of the second test against New Zealand in Colombo on Tuesday. Scores: New Zealand 412 (Ross Taylor 142, Kane Williamson 135, Daniel Flynn 53; Rangana Herath 6-103) v Sri Lanka 225-6 (Thilan Samaraweera 76 not out; Tim Southee 4-51) (Compiled by Sudipto Ganguly; editing by Mark Meadows)

Activist: Uniformed men kill 9 in central Nigeria
An activist says nine people have died in an attack on a Christian village in central Nigeria, a region beset by religious and ethnic tensions.

China launches Sri Lanka's first satellite as India watches ties grow
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka launched its first communications satellite on Tuesday in partnership with a Chinese state-owned space technology firm, the Sri Lanka partner said, adding to unease in neighboring India about Beijing’s growing ties with the island nation. The Sri Lankan government has emphasized the launch was a private effort, carried out by SupremeSAT (Pvt) Ltd and the China Great Wall Industry Corp. But Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s youngest son, Rohitha, has been credited in domestic media as the creator of the satellite. …

OECD: Europe weighing on global economy
The world’s economic recovery will be “hesitant and uneven” next year, with Europe’s debt troubles weighing on more vibrant economies such as the U.S. and in the developing world, a leading international economic body said Tuesday.

Protesters, police clash in Cairo ahead of opposition rally against president's decrees
CAIRO – Egyptian protesters and police are clashing in Cairo just hours ahead of a planned massive rally by opponents of the country’s Islamist president demanding he rescinds decrees that granted him near-absolute powers.

India: 2 policemen suspended, magistrate transferred for arrest of 2 women over Facebook post
NEW DELHI – An Indian official says two senior policemen have been suspended for arresting two women over a Facebook post criticizing the shutdown of Mumbai for the funeral of a powerful politician.

M23 rebels say they won't leave Congo city of Goma
The political leader of the M23 rebels says his group will not leave the strategic eastern Congo city of Goma and is ready to fight the Congolese army, defying a deadline imposed by a regional group of nations.

Rwanda says FDLR rebels attacked villages, rebels deny this
KIGALI (Reuters) – Rwanda said on Tuesday its troops clashed with Rwandan FDLR rebels who attacked three villages on its border with Democratic Republic of Congo, but a spokesman for the FDLR denied its fighters had been involved. Rwanda has in the past used the presence of the FDLR as a justification for intervening in neighbor Congo. But the rebel group, which experts say has dwindled in strength, has not mounted a significant attack on Rwanda in years. …

Syrian planes bomb olive press, many killed
Syrian warplanes bombed an olive press factor y in the country's north on Tuesday, killing and wounding dozens of people, including farmers who were waiting to convert their olives to oil, activists said.

UN: Thawing permafrost to cause increased warming
The United Nations is warning that a thawing in the permafrost that covers almost a quarter of the northern hemisphere could "significantly amplify global warming."

Clashes resume in Cairo ahead of opposition rally
Egyptian protesters and police are clashing in Cairo just hours ahead of a planned massive rally by opponents of the country's Islamist president demanding he rescinds decrees that granted him near-absolute powers.