DAKHA (Reuters) – A fire broke out in a multi-storey garment factory building outside Dhaka on Monday, one day after more than 100 people were killed in a blaze that swept through another factory on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital. A fire brigade official said the blaze in the 11-storey building in the suburb of Uttara, which housed three separate factories, was almost under control. There were no reports of deaths, but eight workers were injured due to heavy smoke, fire brigade Director General Abu Nayeem Mohammad Shahidullah told Reuters. … Veteran punter Prefontaine unsure if Grey Cup win will spell end of CFL career
TORONTO – As his Toronto Argonauts teammates celebrated winning the historic 100th Grey Cup, veteran kicker Noel Prefontaine stood off by himself holding his 18-month-old son Ethan.
Web access battles brew before UN conference
An upcoming U.N. gathering about Internet oversight is raising alarms from a broad coa lition of critics, including the U.S., tech giants such as Google and rights groups, concerned that changes could lead to greater efforts to censor Web content and stifle innovation in cyberspace. Fire kills at least 112 workers at 8-story Bangladesh garment factory with no emergency exits
DHAKA, Bangladesh – Fire raced up the floors of a Bangladeshi garment factory with no emergency exits, killing at least 112 people, some of whom jumped from the eight-story building where they made clothes for major global retailers.
China praises engineer in aircraft carrier program
China's government gave hero's praise Monday to a senior engineer on its aircraft carrier program who died of a heart attack after witnessing the first landi ng of a plane on the ship, underscoring the project's huge national prestige. Bangladeshis protest after fire that killed 112
Thousands of Bangladeshi workers demanding justice after a garment-factory fire killed at least 112 people are blocking the streets of a Dhaka suburb in a protest that has turned violent at times. Owens gets the nod over Cornish again as Argonauts defeat Stampeders in Grey Cup
TORONTO – The defences kept a lid on the two Most Outstanding Players finalists at the Grey Cup, but the victory spoils went to Argonauts receiver-returner Chad Owens once again.
Argentina playing last cards in court battle with bondholders
BUENOS AIRES/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Argentina will make a last-ditch attempt this week to stall a U.S. court ruling that has shaken the nation’s strategy to put a 2002 debt crisis behind it and fueled fears of a fresh default. A decade since it staged the biggest sovereign default in history, Argentina faces a stark choice between depositing $1.3 billion before December 15 to pay “holdout” creditors who rejected two debt restructurings, or jeopardizing payments to all its bondholders. …
Euro zone, IMF to seek Greece deal, debt write-off main problem
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund will seek to unfreeze the second bailout package for Greece on Monday, but they first need to agree if some of the official loans to Athens might eventually be forgiven to cut Greek debt. Euro zone ministers and their deputies have held numerous meetings and conference calls over the last two weeks to decide how Greek debt, seen at almost 190 percent of GDP next year, could be cut to a more sustainable 120 percent in 8-10 years. … 
CANBERRA (Reuters) – Australia's government an d defense force commander apologized to hundreds of victims of abuse within the military on Monday, clearing the way for victims to receive compensation. In an address to parliament, Defence Minister Stephen Smith acknowledged that soldiers, sailors and member of the air force had suffered abuse, often by superiors under the excuse of toughening up younger recruits, since the early 1950s. … 
(Reuters) – New York Times Co Chief Executive Mark Thompson was in London on Friday to answer questions at a BBC inquiry involving a shelved "Newsnight" program about the late Jimmy Savile, who is accused of sexually abusing hundreds of young people for decades. "Thompson is expected to be back in the office on Monday," said a New York Times spokesman who confirmed Thompson was at the BBC-appointed inquiry. Thompson was head of the BBC from 2004 until September during the controversy surrounding the news program that investigated the allegations about Savile. … 
TOKYO/NAGOYA, Japan (Reuters) – A split within the Bank of Japan was laid bare on Monday, with newcomers to its board pressing to strengthen commitment to an ultra-loose policy, as pressure on the central bank for bolder acti on intensified in the run up to next month's election. Shifting the debate away from the central bank, BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa repeated his view that monetary easing alone cannot beat deflation, urging the government pursue fiscal reform and deregulation to boost domestic investment. … 
BEIJING (Reuters) – French carmaker Renault SA is planning to launch a joint venture to build cars in China with Dongfeng Motor Group Co , the country's second-largest automaker, a local newspaper reported. The two firms plan to invest a combined 6.5 billion yuan ($1.0 billion) in a plant in the central province of Hubei with an initial capacity of 200,000 cars a year, China Business News said on Monday, citing unnamed sources at Dongfeng. … 
TORONTO (Reuters) – Th e Toronto Argonauts were crowned the Canadian Football League's (CFL) 100th Grey Cup champions on Sunday after crushing the Calgary Stampeders 35-22. Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray, brought to Toronto during the offseason in a trade that shook the league, opened the game with an interception but ended with 231 passing yards, including touchdowns passes to Chad Owens and Andre Durie. … 
(Reuters) – Qatar Holding LLC has cashed in on its remaining warrants in Britain's Barclays Plc , a move that still leaves the sovereign wealth fund as the bank's top shareholder while their relationship faces legal scrutiny. Qatar Holding said in a statement on Sunday it had monetized the r emaining holding of 379 million units of Barclays warrants — instruments that convert into shares — as part of its active portfolio management, without affecting its 6.65 percent stake. In a separate statement on Sunday, Deutsche Bank AG and Goldman Sachs Group Inc said they would sell up to 303. … 
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – Congo said on Sunday it would not negotiate with M23 rebels in the eas t until they pulled out of the city of Goma, but a rebel spokesman said Kinshasa was in no position to set conditions on peace talks. Congolese President Joseph Kabila met with M23 for the first time on Saturday after an urgent summit in Uganda where regional leaders gave M23 two days to leave Goma, which the rebels seized six days ago after U.N.-backed government troops melted away. Eight months into a rebellion that U.N. … 
A MMAN (Reuters) – Syrian rebels said on Sunday they had captured a helicopter base east of Damascus after an overnight assault, their latest gain in a costly battle to unseat President Bashar al-Assad that is drawing nearer to his seat of power. The Marj al-Sultan base, 15 km (10 miles) from the capital, is the second military facility on the outskirts of the city reported to have fallen to Assad's opponents this month. Activists said rebels had destroyed two helicopters and taken 15 prisoners. … 
ROME (Reuters) – Pier Luigi Bersani, head of Italy's Democratic Party, will face his main rival Matteo Renzi in a runoff next week to pick the center-left can didate to fight to succeed Mario Monti as prime minister following the first round of a primary vote on Sunday. With almost half the results counted, Bersani led with about 44 percent, ahead of Renzi, the youthful mayor of Florence, who was campaigning as a modernizer, at around 36 percent, according to party officials. … 
Fire raced up the floors of a garment factory in Bangladesh, killing at least 112 people, many of them trapped in the eight-story building with no emergency exits where they make clothes for major global retailers. 
IWAKI/KAMAISHI, Japan (Reuters) – Three weeks befo re 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. … 
BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) – Separatists in Spain's Catalonia won regional elections on Sunday but failed to get the resounding mandate they need to push convincingly for a referendum on independence. Catalan President Artur Mas, who has implemented unpopular spending cuts in an economic crisis, had called an early election to test support for his new drive for independence for Catalonia, a wealthy region in northeastern Spain. Voters handed almost two thirds of the 135-seat local parliament to four different Catalan separatist parties that all want to hold a referendum on secession from … 
TOKYO (Reuters) – Asian shares rose on Monday on the hope Greece can avoid a near-term bankruptcy, with euro-zone finance ministers meeting later in the day, but a regional Spanish vote favoring separatist parties clouded Madrid' s push for fiscal austerity. Expectations that an agreement will be reached soon to disburse crucial aid for debt-stricken Greece, and Germany's Ifo business climate index rising for the first time in seven months in November, boosted the euro and riskier assets broadly and reduced appetite for the safe-haven dollar on Friday. … 
LONDON -- The Rolling Stones made a triumphant return to the London stage on Sunday night in the first of five concerts to mark the 50th anniversary of their debut as an American-oriented blues band. 
LONDON (Reuters) -Chancellor George Osborne may have to announce more spend ing cuts and tear up one of his key austerity goals next month, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said on Monday, warning government borrowing was likely to rise this year. Osborne, who updates parliament with the latest official borrowing and growth forecasts on December 5, has struggled to keep his austerity targets on track because of the economic malaise. … 
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Foreign investors have started rebuilding their China equity portfolios, tempted by low valuations after two years of market underperformance and signs economic growth may be stabilizing. They have pumped nearly $4 billion into Chinese equity funds in the past two months alone, trying to get in early on what they hope will be a sustained rally. But sentiment looks to be running ahead of fundamentals. … 
Supporters and opponents of Egypt's president on Sunday grew more entrenched in their potentially destabilizing battle over the Islamist leader's move to assume near absolute powers, with neither side appearing willing to back down as the stock market plunged amid the fresh turmoil. 
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. 
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. … 
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. … 
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. … 
ROME (Reuters) – The head of Italy's Democratic Party, Pier Luigi Bersani, was in the lead after the primary to choose the main center- left candidate in next year's national election, ahead of his main rival, Matteo Renzi, according to an exit poll on Sunday. The exit survey by the Piepoli polling institute for RAI News 24, showed Bersani with 44 percent support, Renzi with 36 percent, and Nichi Vendola, governor of the southern region of Puglia on 16 percent. … 
The blaze broke out at the seven-story factory just outside Bangladesh's capital Dhaka late Saturday. More than 100 bodies had been found by Sunday morning. 
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Knight Capital Group , currently in talks with at least two f irms on the possible sale of its largest business unit, is well capitalized and would only pursue a deal if it created value for its shareholders and clients, Knight's chief executive said in an internal memo. The electronic trading firm has been approached by rivals Getco LLC and Virtu Financial LLC about its market-making operation, which uses computer models to match buy and sell orders in stocks and options, executing around 10 percent of U.S. volume, according to people familiar with the talks. … 
Mohammed Falah Azzam has been through this before. 
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – F ormer Liberian President Charles Taylor should have walked free and not been jailed for war crimes because there was not enough evidence to prove he was guilty beyond reasonable doubt, a judge involved in his trial said in a magazine interview. Justice Malick Sow's criticism of how the trial was conducted and of the final decision-making process are likely to be seized on by Taylor's defence lawyers as part of his appeal. Taylor, 64, was the first head of state convicted by an international court since the trials of Nazis after World War Two. … 
Headstones are pockmarked, their inscriptions faded. Stone slabs that have covered tombs for centuries are crumbling. White marble has turned grey, likely from the acrid smoke that spews from a nearby oil refinery. 
More than 1,000 ethnic Albanians marched in the capital of Macedonia on Sunday to mark the 100th anniversary of Albania's independence from the Ottoman Empire. Some politicians have opposed such celebrations, saying they could stoke ethnic tensions in Macedonia. 
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland should allow limited access to abortion by clarifying the conditions under which women can terminate pregnancies, experts have concluded in a report that will fuel a debate which has split the country and led to tensions within the coalition. Abortion was banned in all circumstances in overwhelmingly Catholic Ireland by a 1983 constitutional amendment, but when the ban was challenged in 1992 by a 14-year-old rape victim, the Supreme Court ruled a termination was permitted when the woman's life was at risk, including from suicide. … 
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Black Friday retail sales online topped $1 billion for the first time this year as more consumers used the Interne t do their holiday shopping, comScore Inc said on Sunday. Online sales jumped at least 22 percent on Black Friday, from sales of $816 million on the same day last year, according to comScore data. E-commerce accounts for less than 10 percent of consumer spending in the United States. However, it is growing much faster than bricks-and-mortar retail as shoppers are lured by low prices, convenience, faster shipping and wide selection. … 
The message from Kuwait's emir is blunt heading into this week's parliamentary elections: Opposition factions should express dissent in the legislature, and not in the streets. The response from the opposition is equally uncompromising: We're not satisfied with what we can accomplish through parliament, so we're boycotting the vote. 
BOCHUM, Germany (Reuters) – Germany's fast-sinking Pirates Party struggled to overcome infighting at a congress that ended on Sunday and chart a course for next year's feder al elections that may see it cast into political oblivion as swiftly as it arrived. Support for the Pirates, who surprisingly won seats in four states over the past year, has shrunk to around a quarter of its peak. Their demise could help the centre left recover enough votes to oust conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel. … 
TORONTO (Reuters) – Slowing housing activity and uncertain financial markets will not stop Canada's banks from reporting solid increases in quarterly profit starting this week, although recent gains in their shares mean it migh t take blockbuster results to push the stocks much higher. Blockbuster earnings are plausible, given that Canada's big banks all topped estimates in the previous August reporting period. But few see that happening again in the banks' fiscal fourth quarter, due to an expected decline in trading revenue and higher expenses. …