RIYADH (Reuters) – At least 10 people were killed when a fuel truck crashed into a flyover in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday, triggering an explosion that caused the collapse of an industrial building, witness and television reports said. Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera television stations reported at least a further 50 people were injured. They said 10 were dead and a witness at the scene told Reuters he had seen that many bodies. The building, several storeys high, was almost leveled by the blast, with only one corner left standing. …
Hit by crisis, Greek society in free-fall
A sign taped to a wall in an Athens hospital appealed for civility from patients. "The doctors on duty have been unpaid since May," it read, "Please respect their work." Fuel tanker explodes in Saudi capital; 2 killed
A fuel truck exploded in an apparent roadway accident on Thursday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, engulfing buildings and cars in flames and killing at least two people, witnesses and officials said.
Putin spokesman: Crane flight didn't injure him
Did Vladimir Putin’s flight with a flock of cranes end up grounding him? The Russian president’s spokesman says no.
Sony posts small second-quarter profit, keeps full-year forecast
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan's Sony Corp booked a small operating profit in the second quarter, after a loss a year ago, helped by the sale of a chemicals business that offs et weak demand for its TVs and other devices, and it kept its full-year profit guidance. July-September operating profit of 30.3 billion yen ($379 million) compared with a 1.64 billion yen loss a year ago, and was close to the average 33.8 billion yen profit estimated by five analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. … Shell Q3 drops on oil price, charges
LONDON (Reuters) – World No. 2 oil company Royal Dutch/Shell suffered a 15 percent fall in current cost of supply profits in the third quarter as the impact of lower crude prices and charges outweighed stronger margins in refining. Shell reported CCS net profit of $6.1 billion, down from $7.2 billion a year ago. Stripping out the charges for weak U.S. gas prices, UK tax changes and other factors, the result was $6.6 billion. Analysts had predicted a result of $6.3 billion. (Reporting by Andrew Callus)
Glencore sees "healthy improvement" in marketing in Q3
LONDON (Reuters) – Trader Glencore said its closely watched marketing operations performed "strongly" in the third quarter, boosted by trading in agriculture and metals , though it warned tough global economic conditions would not improve any time soon. "(The third quarter) saw a healthy improvement both year-on-year and sequentially," Glencore said of its marketing operation, which accounts for a smaller portion of profit than its industrial arm, but is less easily forecast. "Glencore's outlook for the remainder of the year in marketing remains positive. … 
(AP) - 1 minute ago. WASHINGTON (AP) -- Five things to watch for in the final week of the presidential race between President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney: 1. OBAMA BACK ON THE ROAD: After a three-day absence from the … 
It was about 8 p.m., he said, when Hurricane Sandy's eye brought a moment of peace to what had been a hellish day at his north-end home. The moon was out along with the electricity, and stars spread across the hole in the clouds above the quiet Shore … 
LONDON (Reuters)- House prices rose faster than expected in October, data from mortgage lender Nationwide showed on Thursday, though a sustained recovery of the housing market still l ooks far from certain. House prices in Britain were 0.6 percent higher than in September, Nationwide said, though they were still 0.9 percent lower than in October 2011. Economists had expected a monthly rise of 0.2 percent after the 0.4 percent drop in September, and an annual decline of 1.2 percent. … 
"Their firewall," said an uber-confident member of Team Romney, with a hint of glee, "is burning." The "firewall' in question is the one allegedly dreamt up by Democratic strategists to stop dead any advance by the forces of Mitt: it consists of the Midwestern … 
When he drives around east Jerusalem, taxi driver Samer al-Risheq doesn't use GPS and tucks away his maps. In many parts on this side of the city, those tools are useless: The streets have no names. 
BEIJING (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp's sales in China fell 44 percent in October from a year earlier as the Japanese auto maker remains pressured under the impact of a territ orial row between the two countries. Toyota said on Thursday it and its two local joint-venture partners sold a total of about 45,600 cars. The year-on-year decline followed a nearly 50 percent slide it saw in September. … 
A tropical storm weakened Thursday after slamming into southern India, bringing heavy rain and a storm surge and displacing 150,000 people. Six deaths have been reported in India and Sr i Lanka. 
President Obama is greeted by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie after arriving in Atlantic City on Wednesday to visit areas hit by Sandy. (Photo: Jewel Samad, AFP/Getty Images). 12:15AM EDT November 1. 2012 – President Obama got to do something the past … 
Supporters listen to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at a rally in an airport hangar in Tampa on Wednesday. Melina Mara / THE WASHINGTON POST. Related Content. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, right, joins other volunteers … 
BRIDGEVIEW, IL – OCTOBER 31: Alex #71 of Chicago Fire and Jermaine Taylor #4 of Houston Dynamo fight for the ball in an MLS match on October 31, 2012 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. The Houston Dynamo defeated the Chicago Fire 2-1. (Photo … 
Nearly 6 million homes and businesses in at least 12 states remain without power as an army of more than 50,000 utility workers from across the country and Canada work to make repairs. Story Highlights. Sandy's U.S. death toll stands at 63; Estimates of the … 
Amina Begum had never seen a computer until a few years ago, but now she's on Skype regularly with her husband. A woman on a bicycle brings the Internet to her. 
Published October 31, 2012, 09:34 PM. North Dakota Red Cross volunteers make trip to Hurricane destruction sites. Fargo, ND (WDAY TV) – A second wave of local Red Cross volunteers left for the East Coast today. By: WDAY Staff Reports, WDAY Staff … 
(Reuters) – Billionaire investor Carl Icahn bought 10 percent of Netflix Inc , presaging another bruising corporate battle and raising the possibility that the pioneering movie and TV-streaming company would get acquir ed. Netflix shares rose 14 percent to close at $79.24 on Nasdaq after Icahn disclosed in a regulatory filing he purchased shares and call options in the company that boasts more than 30 million subscribers globally. Icahn, known for shaking up management, said in an interview he felt Netflix was undervalued and would make "a great acquisition for a number of companies. … 
SEOUL (Reuters) – Hyundai Motor Co shares fell more than 5 percent on Thursday ahead of the release of its October auto sales figures with analysts citing market rumors that the South Korean automaker may anno unce a recall in the United States or face fuel-economy related lawsuits. Two Hyundai Motor executives told Reuters that they have not heard about possible recalls or lawsuits. "As far as I know, October sales went well," one of the two executives told Reuters on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. … 
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina lowered its votin g age to 16 from 18 on Wednesday, a change that could help politically ailing President Cristina Fernandez court the youth vote ahead of 2013 mid-term elections. Dozens of opposition members of the lower house of Congress walked out of the rancorous late-night session just before the measure won final approval by a vote of 131 to 2. Fernandez, who polls well among younger voters, has not ruled out a bid by her supporters to change the constitution to allow her to run for a third term in 2015. … 
BEIJING (Reuters) – Disgraced former top Chinese politician Bo Xilai can be expected to mount a feisty defense of himself when he finally comes to trial, but a guilty verdict is not in doubt, a lawyer who had a front seat at China's last major show trial said. Zhang Sizhi was defense lawyer for Mao Zedong's widow, Jiang Qing, leader of the "Gang of Four" that wielded supreme power during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution. She was given a suspended death sentence in 1981 for the deaths of tens of thousands during that period of chaos. … 
By Jason Grant and Bill Wichert/The Star-Ledger. HOBOKEN -- The National Guard has been brought in to rescue marooned residents. The mayor has journeyed into swamp-like depths to help people stranded in buildings overlooking the murky waters that … 
As the East Coast grapples with the fallout of Hurricane Sandy, Democrats are sounding the alarm over climate change, suggesting that carbon pollution played a role in bringing about the deadly storm. "Hurricane Sandy is exactly the type of extreme weather … 
BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Thursday that it will launch anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into imported European Union solar-grade polysilicon, in the latest instance of tit-for-tat trade tensions in the global solar industry. China' ;s Commerce Ministry said in two statements posted to its website that it would roll the investigations into ongoing probes of U.S. and South Korean made solar products. … 
TOKYO (Reuters) – Panasonic Corp said it will lose almost $10 billion this business year as it cleans house of poorly performing operations, writing down bill ions of dollars of goodwill and assets in its mobile and energy units while its new boss readies for a fresh bout of restructuring. Shares in Panasonic, founded in 1918, plunged by nearly a fifth on Thursday to their lowest in more than three decades. A day earlier, it forecast a 765 billion yen ($9.6 billion) net loss for the year to March, nearly matching last year's record loss of 772 billion yen. … 
In a small town in northern China's Inner Mongolia where sheep and cattle easily outnumber humans, Fan Chen paid a Communist Party boss three times an average urban resident's annual salary to become a local police chief. 
Bellevue Hospital Center, New York City's flagship public hospital and the premier trauma center in Manhattan, shut down Wednesday after fuel pumps for its backup power generators failed, and it worked into the night to evacuate the 300 patients left in its … 
Contributing to this report were Robert Bazell, Jay Blackman, Bill Briggs, Tom Costello, Maggie Fox, Lester Holt, Miguel Llanos, Jim Miklaszewski, A. Pawlowski, Jesse Rodriguez, Al Roker, Sarah Rosefeldt, Anne Thompson, Katy Tur, Ali Weinberg, Jason … 
(Advisory: Contains language that may offend in paragraph 7) WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. regulators threatened to fine Barclays roughly $470 million to settle all egations that the bank and four traders manipulated California electricity markets, reviving the specter of a sector-wide crackdown on energy trading. It could possibly be the biggest penalty ever levied by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and potentially exceeds the fine Barclays paid over the Libor bid-rigging scandal that cost Chief Executive Robert Diamond his job. … 
The embarrassing reverse came despite a concerted drive by the Prime Minister, cabinet colleagues and Tory whips to charm and cajole rebels into line. They failed, and a motion calling for Mr Cameron to press for a cut in real terms in the EU budget for … 
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Halloween has finally arrived, and kids across the River Region will be on a quest for candy and spooky fun in just a few hours. Looking for a fun way to celebrate the holiday in your area? Here is a listing of several events planned … 
Video: The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza walks you through the scenarios that have either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney winning the election on November 6. Here's how both men could grab one of the most important numbers of a presidential election, … 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for an overhaul of Syria's political opposition, pulling U.S. support for the main exile-led group in favor of those fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces on the front lines. Mrs. Clinton's announcement Wednesday … 
A government think tank is urging Chinese leaders to start phasing out China's one-child policy immediately and allow two children for every family by 2015, a daring proposal to do away with the unpopular policy. 
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook's new go-to management team of mostly familiar faces failed to drum up much excitement on Wall Street, driv ing its shares to a three-month low on Wednesday. The world's most valuable technology company, which had faced questions about a visionary-leadership vacuum following the death of Steve Jobs, on Monday stunned investors by announcing the ouster of chief mobile software architect Scott Forstall and retail chief John Browett — the latter after six months on the job. … 
All things considered, it was not a bad day at the Supreme Court for Aldo, a drug-hunting German shepherd from the Florida Panhandle. But his crime-fighting colleague from Miami, a chocolate Lab named Franky, has reason for concern. The justices spent … 
LONDON (Reuters) – Lloyds Banking Group is expected to say the cost of compensating customers mis-sold loan insurance will be far higher than previously thought when it reports third-quarter results on Thursday. Britain's biggest retail ban k has already set aside 4.3 billion pounds to repay customers wrongly sold payment protection insurance (PPI), far higher than rivals as it had the biggest share of the PPI market. Analysts say the final figure could rise by as much as 2.3 billion pounds. … 
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday gave the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia a seven-day extension while its 15 members weigh an African Union request to review a two-decade old arms embargo to help the government defeat Islamist rebels. U.N. diplomats said that the council remained divided on the union's request to begin allowing the sale of arms to the Somali government. It is also split on calls to permit the export of stocks of charcoal, the Islamist al Shabaab rebels' principal source of funds, from the war-ravaged Horn of Africa nation. … 
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council was fo rced to relocate on Wednesday for a meeting on Somalia and other issues because of extensive water damage to parts of the United Nations complex from the storm Sandy, U.N. officials and diplomats said. It was not immediately clear how badly the U.N. buildings were damaged by the storm. The U.N. press office sent a statement to reporters announcing that the U.N. headquarters would reopen Thursday after a three-day closure and outlining which areas would be accessible. The statement also said senior U.N. … 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The staff of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has recommended that Barclays should pay roughly $470 million to settle allegations that the bank and its traders manipulated Californ ia energy markets from November 2006 to December 2008. FERC said in an order issued on Wednesday that Barclays and the accused traders have 30 days to show why they should not be penalized. (Reporting by Karey Wutkowski; Editing by Gary Hill) 
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 … 
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. …