Friday, November 23, 2012

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Chinese-Mexicans celebrate repatriation to Mexico
In this photo taken Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012, Juan Chiu Trujillo, a Chinese Mexican weeps as he recounts his life story during an interview in Mexico City. Chiu who was born in Mexico, was among thousands of Chinese Mexicans expelled when Mexico erupted into xenophobia fueled by the economic turmoil of the Great Depression. Chiu returned in 1960, along with 300 other Chinese-Mexicans, after President Adolfo Lopez Mateos paid for their travel expenses and decreed that they would    be legally allowed to live in Mexico. Dozens of those Chinese-Mexicans and their descendants gather Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at a Chinese restaurant in central Mexico City to celebrate the anniversary of their return. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)Juan Chiu Trujillo was 5 years old when he left his native Mexico for a visit to his father's hometown in southern China. He was 35 when he returned.


Sweet Revenge: Rouge et Or defeat Marauders 37-14 in Vanier Cup rematch
TORONTO – The Laval Rouge et Or have been reminded of their crushing 2011 Vanier Cup loss every day for the last year.


End nears for shot boxer Hector 'Macho' Camacho
Former world boxing champion Hector The mother of Hector "Macho" Camacho says she has decided to have doctors cut off life support for the former world champion boxer Saturday once three more of his sons get a last chance to see him.


Bomb at Pakistan Shiite procession kills 3
Pakistani Shiite Muslims carry children in a procession to mark Muharram in Peshawar, Pakistan on Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. Muharram is a month of mourning in remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)Police say a bomb blast has killed three children and wounded 18 people at a Shiite Muslim procession in northwestern Pakistan.


McMaster players praise Quinlan after quarterback suffers Cup loss in final game
TORONTO – Kyle Quinlan wasn’t talking, but his McMaster teammates were happy to speak up for their star quarterback in the wake of a decisive 37-14 loss to Laval in the Vanier Cup on Friday.


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Canada's Kaillie Humphries wins sixth straight two-man bobsled event
WHISTLER, B.C. – Kaillie Humphries’ extended her dominating win streak to six at a World Cup bobsled event Friday.


Clashes in Cairo after Mursi seizes new powers
A protester cheers as items ransacked from an office of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party burn in AlexandriaCAIRO (Reuters) – Angry youths hurled rocks at security forces and burned a police truck as thousands gathered in central Ca iro to protest at Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi's decision to grab sweeping new powers. Police fired tear gas near Tahrir Square, heart of the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak at the height of the Arab Spring. Thousands demanded that Mursi should quit and accused him of launching a "coup". There were also violent protests in Alexandria, Port Said and Suez. …


Three killed in attack on Shi'ite procession in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – A roadside bomb killed at least three people near a Shi’ite procession in Pakistan on Saturday, police said, while security forces were on high alert over fears of large-scale attacks on the minority sect across the country. Pakistan is suspending phone coverage in many cities this weekend, an important one in the Shi’ite Muslim calendar, after a series of bomb attacks on Shi’ites triggered by mobile phones. Hardline Sunnis have threatened more attacks as the Shi’ite mourning month of Muharram comes to a climax. …


Pope elevates 6 cardinals to choose successor
Pope Benedict XVI, center, blesses faithful during his weekly general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. The Pontiff says he is praying for victims of the conflict between Israel and Gaza militants and gave his encouragement for efforts to obtain a cease-fire and negotiations. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)Six new cardinals are joining the elite club of churchmen who will elect the next pope, bringing a more geographically diverse mix into the European-dominated College of Cardinals.


Thai police fire tear gas in clash with hundreds of protesters
Police detain anti-government protesters after a scuffle near the government house in BangkokBANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai police fired tear gas in clashes with hundreds of protesters in Bangkok on Saturday ahead of a rally seeking to overthrow th e government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the largest demonstration yet against her administration. The protest highlights tensions that have been simmering since Yingluck's Puea Thai party swept to victory in July 2011 and could herald another period of unrest in Thailand. Anti-riot police wielding plastic shields fired gas canisters at protesters who tried to climb over cement and barbed wire barriers blocking entry to the rally …


Mexico arrests suspected murderer on FBI most wanted list
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican federal police have captured suspected murderer, rapist and drug gang member Joe Luis Saenz, one of the 10 most wanted fugitives on the FBI’s list, the government said on Friday. Saenz, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in the city of Guadalajara in western Mexico on Thursday following an investigation by the federal police in conjunction with the FBI, the government said in a statement. Saenz will be returned from Mexico to Los Angeles this weekend under FBI escort, said a statement from the FBI. …


Nicaragua's Ortega expects Colombia to respect border ruling
Nicaragua's President Ortega speaks to supporters after casting his vote in the municipal elections at a polling station in Managua(Reuters) – Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega expressed confidence on Friday that Colombia would recognize an international court ruling this week that grants Nicaragua jurisdiction over resources-rich Caribbean waters near a Colombian archipelago. Ortega did not mention Bogota's announcement on Wednesday that it would keep navy ships in the disputed waters until the International Court of Justice rules on a possible appeal from the country. …


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Rouge et Or get their revenge, defeat Marauders 37-14 in Vanier Cup rematch
TORONTO – Maxime Boutin rushed for a staggering 253 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, including an electrifying 84-yard run in the third quarter, as the Laval Rouge et Or defeated the McMaster Marauders 37-14 in the 48th Vanier Cup.


Reputed Mafia don Vito Rizzuto summoned to Quebec corruption inquiry: reports
MONTREAL – Police confirm they have met with Vito Rizzuto amid reports that he has been summoned for what would be the memorable spectacle of a reputed Mafia don testifying at Quebec’s corruption inquiry.


Thai anti-government protesters rally in Bangkok
Thai policemen patrol outside Government House in Bangkok, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. Anti-government protesters are expected to show up in Bangkok on Saturday to demand an overthrow of the current government under the rule of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)Anti-government protesters calling for Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down launched a rally in Bangkok on Saturday that authorities feared would grow into the biggest demonstration the country has seen since she took office last year.


Egypt clashes as president defends his new powers
Protesters storm an office of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood Freedom and Justice party and set fires in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, Egypt, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. State TV says Morsi opponents also set fire to his party's offices in the Suez Canal cities of Suez, Port Said and Ismailia. Opponents and supporters of Morsi clashed across Egypt on Friday, the day after the president granted himse   lf sweeping new powers that critics fear can allow him to be a virtual dictator. (AP Photo/Amira Mortada, El Shorouk Newspaper) EGYPT OUTSupporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi clashed Friday in the worst violence since he took office, while he defended a decision to give himself near-absolute power to root out what he called "weevils eating away at the nation of E gypt."


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Thai police fire tear gas to disperse protesters
Thai policemen patrol outside Government House in Bangkok, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. Anti-government protesters are expected to show up in Bangkok on Saturday to demand an overthrow of the current government under the rule of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)Police in Bangkok fired tear gas to disperse swarms of anti-government protesters who began gathering Saturday for a rally that was expected to be the biggest since Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra took office last year.


Middle East nuclear talks will not occur next month: U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Talks planned for next month on banning nuclear weapons in the Middle East will not take place, the United States said on Friday, a development likely to anger Arab states but please Israel. The State Department announced that the mid-December conference on creating a zone free of weapons of mass destruction, or WMD, would not occur and did not make clear when, or whether, it would take place. Earlier this month, diplomats told Reuters that the talks were likely to be postponed, rather than canceled outright. “As a co-sponsor of the proposed conference … …


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Rugby-Wallabies make late change to replacements bench for Italy
Nov 24 (Reuters) – Australia were forced to make a late change to their replacements bench for Saturday’s test against Italy in Florence with James Hanson taking over from Tatafu Polota Nau as backup hooker. Polota Nau dropped out of the side after failing to recover from soreness suffered in last weekend’s 20-14 victory over old rivals England at Twickenham. Queensland Reds hooker Hanson, 24, made his debut for the Wallabies in the 18-18 draw with New Zealand last month and will provide cover for the experienced Stephen Moore who starts the match against Italy. …


Cricket-Australia v South Africa - second test scoreboard
ADELAIDE, Nov 24 (Reuters) – Scoreboard at lunch on thethird day of the second test between Australia and South Africaat Adelaide Oval on Saturday: Australia won the toss and chose to bat Australia first innings 550 South Africa first innings G. Smith c Wade b Siddle 122 A. Petersen run out 54 H. Amla st Wade b Warner 11 J. Rudolph c Quiney b Lyon 29 AB de Villiers lbw b Siddle 1 F. du Plessis not out 26 D. Steyn c Ponting b Hilfenhaus 1 R. Kleinveldt b Hilfenhaus 0 J. …


Cricket-Australia turn screws on South Africa
ADELAIDE, Nov 24 (Reuters) – Australia’s bowlers landed a devastating blow early on day three of the second test, taking five wickets to leave South Africa reeling at 273-7 at lunch on Saturday. Pace bowler Peter Siddle removed century-maker Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers in a fiery spell of 2-7, after spinner Nathan Lyon had Jacques Rudolph caught early in the session at Adelaide Oval. Ben Hilfenhaus later took the new ball and had Dale Steyn out for one and Rory Kleinveldt for a duck. …


Cricket-South Africa 273-7 v Australia (550) - lunch
ADELAIDE, Nov 24 (Reuters) – South Africa were 273 for seven wickets in their first innings at lunch on the third day of the second test against Australia at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Score: Australia 550 (M. Clarke 230, D. Warner 119, M. Hussey 103; M. Morkel 5-146) v South Africa 273-7 (G. Smith 122, A. Petersen 54) (Compiled by Ian Ransom; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)


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Garneau bid for Liberal leadership to lift off from Montreal on Wednesday
OTTAWA – Former astronaut Marc Garneau will tell a Montreal audience on Wednesday that he is challenging fellow MP Justin Trudeau for the leadership of the federal Liberal party.


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Prime Minister Harper presents Diamond Jubilee Medal to Justin Bieber
OTTAWA – Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber now has a Diamond Jubilee Medal to add to his accolades.


Audit of Atlantic Veterinary College lab sparked by foreign complaint: CFIA
VANCOUVER – An Atlantic Veterinary College laboratory could find its international credentials suspended because of a complaint filed by another country over research into a potentially lethal salmon virus.


Analysis: Charges against BP employees test reach of U.S. statute
BP logo is seen at a fuel station of British oil company BP in St. PetersburgNEW YORK (Reuters) – Not all manslaughter charges are created equal. If they were, the U.S. Justice Department might have filed just 11 charges when it brought a criminal case against two BP Plc employees last week, one for each of the 11 deaths in the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Instead, the government charged Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine, the two highest-ranking BP supervisors on board the rig in the hours before the 2010 disaster, with 11 counts of involuntary manslaughter and 11 counts of what's known as seaman's manslaughter. …


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Canada to talk to allies, competitors in options to replace CF-18s, sources
OTTAWA – Defence sources say the agency overseeing the replacement of the country’s CF-18s intends to talk to the U.S., Australia and Britain as it conducts a full-fledged options analysis into the future of Canada’s fast fighter fleet.


Maori All Blacks overcome 2 yellow cards to beat Canada 32-19 in Oxford
OXFORD, England – The Maori All Blacks overcame a sin-binned player in each half to defeat Canada 32-19 at Oxford University on Friday.


Undisclosed relationships cause Mountie who killed wife to lose parole
VANCOUVER – A former Mountie convicted of murder for throwing his wife off a 17th floor balcony has had his parole revoked after he failed to report relationships with several women to his parole supervisor.


Analysis: Israel wins U.S. support on Gaza but differences remain
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sits after delivering a statement in JerusalemWASHINGTON (Reuters) – As conflict erupted in Gaza last week, Israel's officials and supporters embarked on what proved a successful diplomatic and media campaign to ensure the United States remained right behind them. Israel's ambassador to Washington Michael Oren became a regular fixture on cable news channels and talk shows. Pro-Israel lobby groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Israel Project bombarded journalists with e-mails offering footage of Hamas rocket strikes and interviews with ordinary Israelis in the line of fire. …


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South Dakota's circa-1926 State Theatre, dark since early 1990s, nears reopening
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Downtown Sioux Falls in its heyday was home to seven movie theatres, but filmgoers since the early 1990s have been heading to the malls to sit in front of a big screen.


Stamps' long snapper says he 'learned so much' from stabbing in bar fight
TORONTO – Randy Chevrier tugged up his jersey to show his tattoo, the long blade of a knife pointing downward with a biblical inscription. The tip of the knife ends at an actual scar on his right ribcage.


Rugby-New Zealand's Thomson has ban extended to two weeks
LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) – New Zealand flanker Adam Thomson’s one-week ban for stamping on the head of an opponent has been doubled after an appeal by the International Rugby Board (IRB). Thomson was cited for contact with Alasdair Strokosch’s head after the 51-22 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield on Nov. 11. He was suspended by an independent judicial officer but the IRB said a one-week ban was “unduly lenient”. “The Appeal Committee considered the appropriate sanction in this case was two weeks,” said a statement on Friday. …


NYC gas post-storm rationing set to end Saturday; odd-even license plate system started Nov. 9
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Gasoline rationing in New York City was scheduled to end at 6 a.m. Saturday.


Mark Thompson testifies at London probe into BBC
A New York Times Co. spokesman says new CEO Mark Thompson has testified before a committee in London investigating a scandal at his former employer, the BBC.


Fire Island, a favourite beach getaway for New Yorkers, assesses future after damage from Sandy
OCEAN BEACH, N.Y. – New Yorkers who cherish Fire Island as an idyllic summertime getaway feared the worst when the 32-mile-long barrier island took a direct hit from Superstorm Sandy’s powerful surge. The wall of water swamped nearly the entire island, destroyed or washed away about 200 homes and scraped sand dunes down to nothing.


Veteran Ricky Ray gives Argos edge in Grey Cup showdown against Stampeders
TORONTO – It has been quite a stretch run for Ricky Ray.


Reid off to strong start with second medal of skeleton World Cup season
WHISTLER, B.C. – Sarah Reid credits her strong start to the 2012-13 skeleton season to sliding on familiar tracks close to home.


Grey Cup kickers take different paths to the CFL championship game
TORONTO – Swayze Waters’ football career took a turn in eighth grade in Mississippi when he broke his wrist. A bored Waters started kicking the ball while he watched practice.


C$ to weaken back under parity: Bank of Canada survey
A sign framed by maple leaves is pictured in front of the Bank of Canada building in OttawaOTTAWA (Reuters) – Companies and institutional investors who hedge their Canadian dollar exposure through major banks expect the currency to fall back under parity with the U.S. dollar in 2013, a Bank of Canada survey showed on Friday. The central bank conducted the survey of banks that are active in Canadian foreign exchange hedging from June to August, a period when the Canadian dollar was largely weaker than the U.S. dollar. It found the banks' average estimate of their clients' budgeted Canadian dollar rate for 2013 is C$1.0119 to the U.S. dollar, or 98.82 U.S. cents. …


Clashes in Egypt after president expands powers
Protesters storm an office of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood Freedom and Justice party and set fires in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, Egypt, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. State TV says Morsi opponents also set fire to his party's offices in the Suez Canal cities of Suez, Port Said and Ismailia. Opponents and supporters of Morsi clashed across Egypt on Friday, the day after the president granted himself swe   eping new powers that critics fear can allow him to be a virtual dictator. (AP Photo/Amira Mortada, El Shorouk Newspaper) EGYPT OUTSupporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi clashed Friday in the worst violence since he took office, while he defended a decision to give himself near-absolute power to root out what he called "weevils eating away at the nation of Egypt."


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Coal mining company signs agreement on training of Canadian workers
VANCOUVER – The coal mining company at the centre of a controversy over hiring temporary foreign workers has signed a memorandum of understanding with a northern B.C. college to train Canadian workers.


Canada meat plant operations halted on food safety concerns
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian food inspectors on Friday said they have suspended operations at a meat-processing plant in Edmonton, Alberta, for failing to properly track its deliveries after detecting the Listeria bacteria on an employee. The incident comes just a month after a major health scare in Canada over tainted beef at another meat plant in the province. Capital Packers Inc detected the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes — which can cause fever, nausea and even meningitis in infected people — on a worker’s sleeve and on Monday notified the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). …


Enbridge, shippers at odds over "air barrel" relief
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – Enbridge Inc and its crude oil pipeline customers are battling over a plan by the company to try to cut the over-booking of capacity on the massive export network that has played a role in the deep discounting of Canadian crude prices. The dispute is the latest symptom of an oil pipeline network running ever closer to capacity as production from the Canadian oil sands and North Dakota Bakken surges and expansion plans get bogged down by regulatory delays and environmental opposition. …


Attending the Grey Cup an annual tradition for many Canadian football fans
TORONTO – Cy Addley was 12 when he went to his first Grey Cup.


Settlement in lawsuit filed by US restaurant listed in phone book under 'carcass removal'
HELENA, Mont. – A phone book company has settled a lawsuit filed by a Montana barbecue restaurant that was listed in a section of the yellow pages for “Animal Carcass Removal.”


Former coach and star player 'Pinball' Clemons gives Argos Grey Cup pep talk
former star player and coach Michael (Pinball) Clemons.


Stamps star Jon Cornish talk speaks of lesbian mother with pride and love
TORONTO – Football took a backseat briefly Thursday as Calgary running back Jon Cornish talked about his mother.


UK circus owner found guilty of abuse of elderly performing elephant
LONDON – A British court has found a circus owner guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a performing elephant.


Ashley Smith inquest to have broad focus despite objections, coroner rules
TORONTO – An inquest into the prison death of a disturbed teenager will be broadly based despite objections raised by several doctors who treated her, the presiding coroner formally ruled on Friday.


S&P downgrades maverick Hungary on weak growth
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Standard & Poor’s on Friday cut Hungary’s long-term credit rating, already in junk territory, by one notch to BB, saying its government’s unpredictable policies could hurt medium-term growth. The move came almost a year after S&P slashed Hungary to below investment grade on similar grounds and could hit the forint currency and Hungarian bonds when markets reopen on Monday, analysts said. …


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UPDATE 1-Rugby-All Blacks flyhalf Carter out of Wales clash
(Adds details) LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) – New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter will miss Saturday’s test against Wales at the Millennium Stadium and has been replaced by Aaron Cruden after failing to recover from a leg injury. “Gutted not to be playing with these boys in this stadium tomorrow,” Carter said on his official Twitter account. Carter, the leading points scorer in test rugby, pulled up in training on Thursday and looked to be in discomfort. Cruden, 23, has won 18 caps. …


Abbas determined to seek UN nod for Palestine
After bitter rival Hamas held its own in a fierce battle with Israel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has no choice but to override U.S. objections and seek U.N. recognition of a state of Palestine next week, his aides said Friday.


Brazilian soccer federation fires national coach Mano Menezes; Scolari touted as replacement
SAO PAULO – Brazil’s soccer federation has fired national team coach Mano Menezes.


Canada's third quarter GDP growth seen falling sharply
TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada’s economy likely expanded at a disappointing annualized rate of 0.9 percent in the third quarter, hurt by weaker demand for the country’s exports and the drag of a rapidly cooling housing market. The median forecast in a Reuters survey of 25 analysts was less than the Bank of Canada’s already modest 1 percent forecast and well below what is needed to absorb the economy’s unused slack. Such a pace is likely to keep the central bank from raising interest rates anytime soon. Just last month, a Reuters poll showed analysts were expecting third quarter growth of 1. …


Canada's Lolë women's wear expanding, could challenge Lululemon
(Reuters) – A small, privately owned Canadian women’s active wear brand is pushing further into the United States, where it could challenge yogawear retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc in its main growth market. Montreal-based Coalision Inc’s Lolë, which has 11 stores in North America and Europe, is planning to open five new locations in 2013, and hopes to hit 50 in the next five years, the company said. Lolë’s only U.S. locations are a temporary, or “pop-up”, store in Santa Barbara, California, and one outlet in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. …


Analysis: Charges against BP employees test reach of U.S. statute
BP logo is seen at a fuel station of British oil company BP in St. PetersburgNEW YORK (Reuters) – Not all manslaughter charges are created equal. If they were, the U.S. Justice Department might have filed just 11 charges when it brought a criminal case against two BP Plc employees last week, one for each of the 11 deaths in the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Instead, the government charged Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine, the two highest-ranking BP supervisors on board the rig in the hours before the 2010 disaster, with 11 counts of involuntary manslaughter and 11 counts of what's known as seaman's manslaughter. …


Alberta, Quebec to study rerouting Canadian crude eastward
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (Reuters) – Alberta, Canada’s oil-producing heartland, and Quebec’s separatist government will study the benefits of shipping the western province’s crude to refineries in Quebec, a shift that could help cut the industry’s dependence on the U.S. market. The development is a shift from previous comments by Quebec officials that had cast doubt on the energy industry’s quickly evolving plans to get oil sands-derived crude to Eastern Canadian refineries, which now handle mostly imported oil that arrives at a much higher price. …


Return of 'Downton Abbey' for fourth season confirmed, filming to start next year
LONDON – British television channel ITV has confirmed that hit drama “Downton Abbey” will return for a fourth season.


New protests in Tahrir Square as Egypt's Morsi grants himself broad powers
Thousands of opponents of Egypt’s Islamist president clashed with his supporters in cities across the country Friday, burning several offices of the Muslim Brotherhood, in the most violent and widespread protests since Mohammed Morsi came to power, sparked by his move to grant himself sweeping powers.


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Revamped government website offers Canadian travellers timely info, advice
TORONTO – Whether it’s a security crisis in the Middle East or a two-hour delay at a Canada-U.S. border crossing, a government website promises to change the way Canadian travellers hear about it.


South Sudan: Sudan aerial bombardment kills 7
A South Sudanese official says Sudan carried out aerial bombardments of the northern part of South Sudan in the last three days killing seven people and wounding more than a dozen others.


NDP asks Elections Canada to look at alleged donor fraud involving Tories
OTTAWA – The NDP is asking Elections Canada to investigate alleged fraud involving donations to the Conservatives in Montreal.


Iran criticizes Turkish request for Patriots
In this Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012 photo, Syrian rebel fighters prepare to fire a homemade rocket as they carry out a coordinated attack by hundreds of rebel fighters on a Syrian air force compound during heavy clashes on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria. There is a struggle for power among rebel factions in Syria with Islamists rejecting the country's new Western-backed opposition coalition and unilaterally declaring an Islamic state in the key battleg   round of Aleppo though all of the groups are fighting to topple President Bashar Assad. (AP Photo/Narciso Contreras)Iran lashed out Friday at Turkey for requesting NATO to supply it with Patriot surface-to-air missiles to deploy along the border with Syria, denouncing the step by Ankara as counterproductive.


Mexico arrests suspected murderer on FBI most wanted list
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican federal police have captured suspected murderer, rapist and drug gang member Joe Luis Saenz, one of the 10 most wanted fugitives on the FBI’s list, the government said on Friday. Saenz, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in the city of Guadalajara in western Mexico on Thursday following an investigation carried out by the federal police in conjunction with the FBI, the government said in a statement. According to the FBI, Saenz is suspected of shooting and killing two rival gang members in Los Angeles in July 1998. For the FBI’s most wanted list, see: www.fbi. …


Singer Marc Anthony in Dominican Republic to launch expansion of orphanage
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Singer Marc Anthony is coming to the aid of an orphanage in the Dominican Republic.


Congo rebels advance as regional leaders seek cease-fire
As regional leaders talked peace in plush hotel rooms a country away, fighting between rebels and government troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s east rumbled on.


Smithsonian gathers best art of Civil War era for major exhibit showing its impact in US
WASHINGTON – Paintings and photographs depicting the raw reality of the Civil War marked a major change in American art that tossed out romantic notions of war.


Sierra Leone president Koroma wins second term
Sierra Leone's incumbent President Ernest Bai Koroma waves to supporters after voting in the capital FreetownFREETOWN (Reuters) – Sierra Leone's president, Ernest Bai Koroma, has won re-election with 58.7 percent of the vote, ahead of his top rival Julius Maada Bio on 37.4 percent, the West African state's electoral body announced on Friday. Koroma has overseen an investment boom that could turn the country, still scarred by a civil war that ended a decade ago, into one of the world's fastest growing economies this year. …


UK government reaches compromise on renewable subsidies
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will triple subsidies for low-carbon power generation by 2020 after its coalition government this week forged a compromise over how to fund wind farms without harming the future of gas-fired power. The compromise became possible after the government agreed to postpone until 2016 setting a target for decarbonization, which was opposed by many members of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party. The target is the extent to which carbon emissions are to be reduced by 2030. …


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Sweet tooth thieves steal 18 tons of chocolate
VIENNA – Thieves with a huge sweet-tooth have driven off with 18 tons of chocolate in Austria.


Clashes erupt across Egypt over Morsi's new powers
Protesters storm an office of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood Freedom and Justice party and set fires in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, Egypt, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. State TV says Morsi opponents also set fire to his party's offices in the Suez Canal cities of Suez, Port Said and Ismailia. Opponents and supporters of Morsi clashed across Egypt on Friday, the day after the president granted hi   mself sweeping new powers that critics fear can allow him to be a virtual dictator. (AP Photo/Amira Mortada, El Shorouk Newspaper) EGYPT OUTThousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president clashed with his supporters in cities across the country Friday, burning several offices of the Muslim Brotherhood, in the most violent and widespread protests since Mohammed Morsi c ame to power, sparked by his move to grant himself sweeping powers.


CP Railway plans Calgary HQ move to cut costs say unions, source
A Canadian Pacific Railway locomotive sits at the Obico Intermodal Terminal in Toronto(Reuters) – Canadian Pacific Railway is planning to relocate much of its head office from downtown Calgary, union officials and a source close to the company said, under a restructuring plan that its new chief executive will detail to investors in early December. Chief Executive Hunter Harrison told U.S. union leaders and a Canadian union president that Canada's second-biggest railroad will move employees out of its glass-towered headquarters as part of an ambitious cost-cutting plan. …


Four new cases of SARS-like virus found in Saudi, Qatar
LONDON (Reuters) – A new virus from the same family as SARS which sparked a global alert in September has now killed two people in Saudi Arabia, and total cases there and in Qatar have reached six, the World Health Organisation said. The U.N. health agency issued an international alert in late September saying a virus previously unknown in humans had infected a Qatari man who had recently been in Saudi Arabia, where another man with the same virus had died. On Friday it said in an outbreak update that it had registered four more cases and one of the new patients had died. …


Russian lawmakers introduce law on "foreign agent" media
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian lawmakers introduced a bill to the state Duma, or lower house of parliament, on Friday which would force foreign-funded media to register as ‘foreign agents’, adding to a raft of bills that critics say is aimed at cracking down on dissent. The law would complement another piece of legislation that forces non-government organizations that engage in “political activities” and receive money from abroad to register themselves using the same term, which is steeped in Cold-War era hostility. …


Postcard mailed by soldier's parents to his sisters during WWII arrives at upstate NY home
ELMIRA, N.Y. – A postcard mailed nearly 70 years ago has finally arrived at the former upstate New York home of the couple who sent it.


Trudeau says 'sorry' for Alberta comments, insists he was only attacking Harper
VANCOUVER – Liberal leadership front-runner Justin Trudeau says he’s sorry about comments he made in a two-year-old television interview that have fuelled accusations that he’s anti-Alberta.


Miami woman, 59, dies after spending 42 years in a coma
MIAMI – A Miami woman who spent 42 years in a coma has died.


Insurers face $1.6 billion flood bill - PwC
LONDON (Reuters) – British insurers look set to absorb 1 billion pounds of flood-related claims this year, their biggest flood damage bill since 2007, accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said on Friday. Heavy flooding during the summer inflicted a loss of about 500 million pounds on the industry, and further inundations this week across England and Wales are likely to boost the total for the year to 1 billion pounds, PwC said. …


French tennis coach convicted of raping players
A former tennis coach in France has been convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison for raping young players attending the academy he used to run in Saint-Tropez.


Circus owner found guilty of elephant cruelty
LONDON (Reuters) – A British circus owner was given a conditional discharge on Friday for causing unnecessary suffering to an Asian elephant by keeping her chained up and allowing a handler to beat her. Bobby Roberts, 69, was convicted of three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. Northampton Crown Court heard that Anne, an arthritic, 58-year-old elephant was kept tethered to the ground by one front leg and one back leg at all times. Roberts failed to give Anne her arthritis medicine and to prevent a handler from repeatedly beating the animal. …


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A look at powers decreed by Egypt's president
Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi issued decrees giving himself broad powers and effectively neutering the judiciary. Morsi, an Islamist hailing from the Muslim Brotherhood, defends the step as necessary to clear obstacles holding up Egypt’s transition, particularly from judges who could have disbanded a controversial assembly writing the constitution or overturned his decisions. Critics say Morsi, who already holds both executive and legislative powers, is setting himself up as a new dictator.


Steinbrueck says SPD-Greens ahead of Merkel bloc before vote
Steinbrueck of SPD party delivers speech during Bundestag session in BerlinBERLIN (Reuters) – Germany's center-left opposition is closer to winning a majority in next September's election than Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right alliance, Social Democrat (S PD) chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrueck said on Friday. In a fiery speech to SPD leaders, Steinbrueck acknowledged having initial problems in his campaign to oust Merkel's government but pointed out that the SPD and their allies, the Greens, had moved ahead of Merkel's coalition in the polls. …


Norway mass killer criticizes prison conditions
Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik accused prison officers of trying to drive him to suicide in conditions he describes as “a mini Abu Ghraib.”


Analysis: With eye on Iran, Gaza conflict reassures Netanyahu
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures during his visit to the police headquarters in JerusalemJERUSALEM (Reuters) – Both on the diplomatic and military front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah u will draw some comfort from his offensive against Gaza as he switches his gaze once more to his main strategic challenge — Iran. Israel views Iran's nuclear program as an existential threat in a totally different league to the problems posed by the Islamist group Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu fears a nuclear-armed Iran could one day eradicate Israel and has promised that Tehran will not get the bomb should he win a third term in office in elections on January 22. …


President of Edmonton meat plant speaks about food safety closure
EDMONTON – The president of an Edmonton meat-processing plant says its operating licence was suspended over record-keeping problems, not because of product hygiene.


Sarkozy judge mistook hostage for billionaire -lawyer
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy jogs in ParisPARIS (Reuters) – A judge investigating Nicolas Sarkozy's campaign funding mistook a Colombian hostage for a billionaire backer of France's right-wing party when he queried a meeting in the ex-president's diary, a lawyer for Sarkozy said. Sarko zy, who lost power in May, was questioned for 12 hours on Thursday by a judge who is trying to establish whether his election win in 2007 was aided by illegal funding from France's richest woman, 90-year-old Liliane Bettencourt. …


Debate rages over Sudan's Bashir after "plot" arrests
Sudan's President Bashir addresses the crowd after arriving at Khartoum AirportKHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan's information minister had one clear message after security agents moved in to arrest their former spy chief – that a plot had been uncovered, the culprits cau ght and the situation in the country was now "totally stable". Khartoum did appear quiet a day later on Friday – but on the desert city's dusty streets the detention amplified a debate about the future of the country's leader, and posed new questions about who might one day unseat him. …


Italy Monti declines comment on running for election
Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti arrives at the EU council headquarters for an European Union leaders summit discussing the European Union's long-term budget in BrusselsROME (Reuters) & #8211; Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti declined to comment on Friday when asked for his reaction to remarks from President Giorgio Napolitano who said that Monti could not stand as a candidate in next year's parliamentary election. "I have no comment to make," he said at a news conference after a European Council meeting in Brussels. Napolitano said on Thursday that Monti's status as Senator for Life meant he could not run for parliament, dampening growing speculation that the former European Commissioner could join a centrist force to contest the election, expected in March. …


Gaza truce holding even after Palestinian death
Israeli troops fired Friday to push back Gaza crowds surging toward Israel’s border fence with the Hamas-ruled territory, killing one Palestinian and wounding 19 in the first violence since a truce between Israel and Hamas took hold a day earlier.


Black Friday: Think it's crazy in the US? You should see China's version.
If you think America goes shopping mad on the day after Thanksgiving, you should look at China.


Science fund cuts could hurt EU recovery, scientists warn
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy arrives for a news conference at the end of an EU leaders summit in BrusselsLONDON (Reuters) – Cutting science funding in the European Union would threaten economic recovery in the bloc, the heads of scientific organisations said on Friday after such cuts were proposed. "We believe it would be deeply damaging to future economic growth if we were to cut funding now," Andrew Harrison, director general of Grenoble-based neutron research centre the Institut Laue-Langevin, told Reuters. …


Zimbabwe: Civic groups refuse diamond money offer
Civic activists say they will not accept the Zimbabwe mining minister’s offer of funds because it would hamper their efforts to make government accountable for its diamond revenues.


Rugby-All Blacks flyhalf Carter out of Wales clash
LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) – New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter will miss Saturday’s test against Wales at the Millenniun Stadium after failing to recover from a leg injury. “Gutted not to be playing with these boys in this stadium tomorrow,” Carter said on his official Twitter account. (Reporting by Justin Palmer; Editing by John Mehaffey)


BP appoints Lamar McKay as head of upstream
BP says it has appointed Lamar McKay, the head of its U.S. division, as chief executive of the company’s upstream business, leading the company’s oil and gas exploration, development and production.


Two powers, Qatar and Iran, try to sway Hamas
The courtship of Hamas between rivals Iran and Qatar has been one of the Middle East’s intriguing subplots of the Arab Spring. The bloodshed in Gaza has now sharpened their competition for influence with the Palestinian militant group and the direction it takes in the future.


Former Russian Defence Ministry official charged with fraud
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A former bureaucrat was charged with fraud on Friday in a $100 million embezzlement case that has cost the defense minister his job and shone a spotlight on corruption in President Vladimir Putin’s administration. Yevgeniya Vasilyeva, who had valuable paintings, rare antiques and more than 100 expensive rings seized in an early morning raid on her central Moscow apartment last month, was charged with large-scale fraud. …


Russian beauty queen puts spotlight on Russia's official corruption
A Russian beauty queen garnered global headlines this week by standing by her impassioned denunciation of the endemic corruption that demoralizes society and saps the economic life of her homeland, made in an essay she’d written that was supposed to be about why she’s proud to be a Russian.


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Police: Mass. man left tot in car to shop on Black Friday, went home with new TV but no boy
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Police say a Massachusetts man left his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son in a car while he went shopping for Black Friday bargains, then went home with his new 51-inch flat screen television and left the toddler behind.


Ireland opens new probe into death of woman denied abortion
A woman holds a poster during a vigil in Dublin in memory of Savita Halappanavar and in support of changes to abortion law. The 31 year old died at a Galway hospital last month. Her family claim she was repeatedly refused a termination during a miscarriageDUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland has opened a new investigation into the death of a woman denied an abortion of her dying fetus, as the government scrambled to stem criticism of its handling of an incident that polarized the overwhelmingly Catholic country. …


US skier Lindsey Vonn will take practice run in Aspen before deciding whether to compete
APSEN, Colo. – Lindsey Vonn will take a practice run on the race hill in Aspen on Friday before making any decisions about competing this weekend.


Report: Impunity endangers Somalia's journalists
Somalia’s journalists are urging their new government and the international community to help end the impunity they say is contributing to making Somalia one of the world’s most dangerous countries to practice journalism.


AP PHOTOS: M23 rebels battle Congolese soldiers
Congolese women run after Congolese soldiers and rebel fighters battled for hours over the eastern Congolese town of Sake , 27 kilometers (17 miles) west of Goma, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. The woman in orange only identified as Mamou, said she lost her husband to a fatal wound to the head from incoming mortar round. Thousands fled the M23 controlled town as the militants seeking to overthrow the government vowed to push forward despite mounting i   nternational pressure. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)M23, the eight-month-old rebel group made up of soldiers who defected from the Congolese army, has pushed beyond Goma, the bustling regional capital of eastern Congo, which fell to the fighters earlier this week.


Syria says Turkey's bid for NATO missiles "provocative"
Turkish soldier takes up his position near the border with Syria as seen from the Turkish border town of CeylanpinarBEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria on Friday condemned Turkey's request for NATO to deploy Patriot defense missiles near their common border, calling it "provocative", after a spate of fighting there that has raised fears of the Syrian civil war embroiling the wider region. In the first Syrian response to Ankara's request earlier this week, a ministry source told Syrian state television that Damascus would hold Turkey's prime minister responsible for increasing tensions along the frontier. …


Minister demands RCMP plan on female recruits as harassment tales linger
OTTAWA – The public safety minister is giving the RCMP three weeks to come up with a detailed plan to bolster the ranks of women in the force amid simmering concerns about sexism and harassment.


Clashes in Egypt as Morsi defends new powers
Protesters storm an office of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood Freedom and Justice party and set fires in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, Egypt, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. State TV says Morsi opponents also set fire to his party's offices in the Suez Canal cities of Suez, Port Said and Ismailia. Opponents and supporters of Morsi clashed across Egypt on Friday, the day after the president granted himself sweeping ne   w powers that critics fear can allow him to be a virtual dictator. (AP Photo/Amira Mortada, El Shorouk Newspaper) EGYPT OUTThousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president clashed with his supporters in cities across the country Friday, burning several offices of the Muslim Brotherhood, in the most violent and widespread protests since Mohammed Morsi came to power, spa rked by his move to grant himself sweeping powers.


Russian parliament backs cut in pension savings
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s lower house of parliament, the Duma, has approved a pension reform law that will cut savings without raising retirement ages, ducking a tough decision on how to finance the budget burden of an ageing population. The parliament made one concession to Russia’s nascent asset management industry, retaining a higher levy for workers who opt to keep their retirement account with a private asset manager. …


StatsCan: eastern Canadians paying more for gasoline than westerners
CALGARY – A study by Statistics Canada says gasoline prices in Central and Eastern Canada are rising more quickly than those in the West.


EU summit ends without budget deal
British Prime Minister David Cameron, center, departs after an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. The leaders of Britain and France staked out starkly different visions of Europe's future as talks in Brussels on how much the European Union should be allowed to spend, set the stage for a long, divisive and possibly inconclusive summit. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)A European Union summit charged with agreeing on a long-term budget for the 27-nation bloc has broken up without a deal.


New Brunswick nuclear reactor returns to service after lengthy refurbishment
FREDERICTON – Atlantic Canada’s only nuclear power plant has returned to commercial operation for the first time since March 2008.


Family of boxer 'Macho' Camacho keeps grim vigil in Puerto Rico; life support decision pending
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Family and friends of Hector (Macho) Camacho are keeping a sombre vigil at the hospital in Puerto Rico where he remains on life support.


Sweden's rich and poor tussle over tutor tax breaks
Sweden's Prime Minister Reinfeldt arrives at EU council headquarters for an European Union leaders summit discussing the European Union's long-term budget in BrusselsSTOCKHOLM (Reuters) – A Swedish government plan to offer tax breaks to parents who hire tutors for their children has sparked fresh fears about rising class divisions in the traditionally egalitarian nation. Though the country is home to the Swedish model of high taxes and generous welfare, data from the OECD club of wealthy nations has shown inequalities rising. The centre-right government of Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has over six years chipped away at the social welfare system and rolled out wide tax rebates. …


Saudi dynasty faces generational choice
RIYADH (Reuters) – Two royal deaths and two cabinet reshuffles in just over a year have edged Saudi Arabia’s ruling family toward a tough decision: turning to a new generation after 60 years of rule by sons of the founding patriarch. The succession beyond King Abdullah – the fifth of Ibn Saud’s sons to reign and who is, at 89, recovering from major surgery – is a sensitive subject among the al-Saud dynasty’s hundreds of princes; but it will determine the path of the world’s top oil exporter and main Arab ally of the United States as it navigates domestic change and regional turmoil. …


Man in naked standoff on statue in central London
A naked man sits on top of a statue of George, Duke of Cambridge in Whitehall, London, Friday Nov. 23, 2012. Police and eyewitnesses say a naked man has climbed atop an equestrian statue in the heart of Whitehall, London's government district. A Scotland Yard spokesman said that the man, believed to be in his 30s or 40s, has been sitting atop the statue for the better part of two hours. He said Friday: A naked man clambered atop a large equestrian statue in the heart of London's Whitehall government district Friday, striking a variety of precarious poses before being coaxed down by police nearly three hours later.


Italy soccer attack stokes fears of neo-fascist violence
ROME (Reuters) – A brutal attack on fans of English football club Tottenham Hotspur in Rome has stoked fears in Italy of rising right-wing and anti-Semitic violence. Italy’s capital has been rattled by increasing militancy by the extreme right since October, with weekly demonstrations by the neo-fascist youth group Blocco Studentesco often ending in clashes with police. Local media initially blamed Thursday’s attack on hard-core fans or ‘ultras’ supporting Lazio, who Tottenham had traveled to the capital to play in the Europa League. …


Greek police clash with migrants at detention centre
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek police fired teargas at dozens of immigrants pelting them with sticks and metal objects during a protest at a detention center in the northeastern city of Komotini on Friday, police said. The clashes broke out after more than 400 of about 550 immigrants held at the center protested against their living conditions, shouting “Freedom!” and “Send us home!”. Some set fire to dozens of mattresses. At least four immigrants and four police officers were injured, police said. Greece is a gateway for mostly Asian and African migrants trying to enter the European Union. …


China's challenge with corruption
Just two years after he founded Communist China, in December 1951, Mao Zedong issued one of his characteristically forthright directives. “We must probably execute 10,000 to tens of thousands of these embezzlers before we solve the problem,” he wrote.