(Reuters) – Toronto's main stock index looked set to open lower on Wednesday, tracking its biggest trading partner, as concerns over U.S. lawmakers' lack of progress in dealing with the U.S. fiscal cliff dented investor sentiment. TOP STORIES * Euro zone central banks may decide to roll over thei r holdings of Greek debt to reduce by 5.6 billion euros the amount governments will need to provide Athens by 2016, according to a document obtained by Reuters. * Abu Dhabi National Energy Co will buy a number of BP's North Sea assets for over $1. … ECB wants "executioner" to terminate Europe's weak banks
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The European Central Bank has proposed that the EU's powerful antitrust chief be given a permanent role for shutting down weak banks that survi ve largely on central bank funding, officials familiar with the issue say. In the absence of a pan-European scheme for winding up struggling lenders, the task of cleaning up the sector has fallen by default to Joaquin Almunia, the European commissioner for competition issues, who ordered a restructuring of Spanish banks on Wednesday and wants similar moves in Greece. … U.N., other envoys to meet on Mali in Rome
BOLOGNA, Italy (Reuters) – International envoys will meet in Rome next week to coordinate strategy on Mali, where much of the north of the country is held by al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants, former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said on Wednesday. Prodi, the U.N. envoy to the troubled Sahel region, told Reuters the meeting would focus on coordinating positions against terrorism, humanitarian issues, encouraging dialogue, and reinforcing political structures so that elections could eventually be held. …
Dutch to scrap blasphemy law on insulting God
The Almighty will have to defend his own name from now on: Dutch parliament has accepted a motion that will scrap a law making it a crime to insult God.
Cricket-New Zealand close on historic win in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Nov 28 (Reuters) – New Zealand were within sight of their first test victory in Sri Lanka in 14 years after 17 wickets fell on a thrilling penultimate day of the series on Wednesday. The Black Caps set Mahela Jayawardene’s side 363 for victory after first bowling them out for 244 and making 194 for nine declared in their second innings. By stumps Sri Lanka had slumped to 47 for four as New Zealand dismissed Tharanga Paranavitana (0), Tillakaratne Dilshan (14), Kumar Sangakkara (16) and Jayawardene (5). …
Turkey lifts headscarf ban in religious schools
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey has lifted a ban on female students wearing headscarves in schools providing religious education, in a move drawing criticism from secularists who see it as fresh evidence of the government pushing an Islamic agenda. Education has been one of the main battlegrounds between religious conservatives, who form the bedrock of support for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party, and secular opponents who accuse him of imposing Islamic values by stealth. …
Egyptian Christians sentenced to death for Islam film
CAIRO (Reuters) – A Cairo court on Wednesday sentenced to death seven Egyptian Christians tried in absentia for participating in an anti-Islam video that was released on the Internet in September and prompted violent protests in Muslim countries. “The seven accused persons were convicted of insulting the Islamic religion through participating in producing and offering a movie that insults Islam and its prophet,” Judge Saif al-Nasr Soliman said. The low-budget video, produced privately in California, denigrated the Prophet Mohammad and triggered anti-U.S. …
Germany: won't back Palestinian state at UN
Germany says it won’t back a Palestinian drive for statehood in a U.N. vote this week -- putting it at odds with France and other European countries.
Red Square bomb plotter gets 15 years in jail
A man who plotted to organize suicide bombings on Moscow’s iconic Red Square on New Year’s eve 2010 has been sentenced to 15 years in jail.
Iran showcases new warships near strategic waters
Iran’s state TV is showcasing additions to its Navy including a missile-launching warship around the size of a frigate.
Imperial Oil to pay C$1.55 billion for 50 percent stake in Celtic
(Reuters) – Imperial Oil Ltd , Canada’s second-largest integrated oil company, said it will invest C$1.55 billion for a 50 percent stake in Celtic Exploration Ltd after Celtic is taken over by parent Exxon Mobil Corp . Exxon Mobil, which owns 69.6 percent of Imperial, said in October that it would buy Celtic through its Canadian subsidiary ExxonMobil Canada for C$2.6 billion. (Reporting by Bhaswati Mukhopadhyay in Bangalore; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
Jakes Gerwel, friend and aide to Mandela, dies
Jakes Gerwel, who advocated for the end of apartheid in South Africa and became a longtime friend and trusted aide to former President Nelson Mandela, died Wednesday. He was 66. Bank standards inquiry to question ex-HBOS CEOs
LONDON (Reuters) – Two former chief executives of HBOS will appear on Monday before British lawmakers conducting an inquiry into the bank's near collapse in 2008, as part of a wider review of banking standards. HBOS had to be rescued in 2008 through a government-engineered take over by Lloyds Banking Group which, weeks later, needed to ask for a 20 billion-pound government bailout to stay afloat. … Israel detains Gaza fishermen for sailing too far out to sea
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s navy detained a group of Gaza fishermen on Wednesday, saying they had gone beyond a recently expanded fishing zone off the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian enclave. Fishermen on two boats were detained and taken to Israel’s Mediterranean port of Ashdod for questioning, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza said nine men had been seized and at least one vessel sunk. …
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