South Africa's Amplats fires 12,000 strikers, union leader shot

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• South Africa's Amplats fires 12,000 strikers, union leader shot
• South Korea, U.S. agree on boosting missile capability: media
• North Korean soldier defects to South across land border
• Dissident blogger released after detention in Cuba
• American gunman killed in Israeli hotel shoot-out
• Judgment looms for butler who leaked papal papers
• World Bank names former ICC prosecutor to head corruption panel
• Nervous Venezuelans stock up on supplies before election
• Exclusive: U.N. chief wants Italy's Prodi as envoy to troubled Sahel
• NKorean soldier defects to SKorea across border
• Abu Hamza extradited to US after UK ruling
• Putin strong at 60 but economic challenges loom
• Turkey responds to Syrian shelling
• Pope's butler awaits verdict in papal leaks trial
• Venezuelan voters explain choices for president
• Pakistani lawmakers' citizenship under scrutiny
• Pakistan motorcade protesting US drones sets off
• Panetta says Karzai should thank allied forces
• UN removes Saudi businessman from blacklist
• Libya attack: Congressmen casting blame voted to cut diplomatic security budget
• Does Ivanishvili's win put Georgia back in Russia's orbit?
• Tortured Kenyans win historic ruling in Britain
• Egypt's leading female voice for change warns that revolution is backsliding
• Oppan Gangnam Style! Psy comes home to Korea in triumph.
• Hugo Chávez vs Henrique Capriles: Venezuelan vote will have regional impact
• Aid that works: A new road, farmer co-op revitalizes rural El Salvador
• In Libya, a patchwork of militias keeping the peace, and straining it
• Responses to Syrian shelling highlight Turkish-Western divide on conflict
• Brenda Palms Barber offers ex-cons in Chicago a honey of a second chance
• Turkish villagers thrust into center of Syria-Turkey tensions
• Latin American nations push UN to drop zero tolerance on drugs
• Rising seas washing away Ghana's former slave forts
• Iran's currency: Why did the rial tumble so precipitously?
• Russia keeps door open to Pakistan after Putin cancels trip
• Turkey tamps down talk of going to war with Syria
• How does Norway rehabilitate Anders Behring Breivik?
• College students massacred one-by-one in Nigeria
• Argentina: Oil nationalization and currency controls divide a nation
• Arrivederci auto! Italy's bike purchases outstrip car sales.

South Africa's Amplats fires 12,000 strikers, union leader shot Posted: 05 Oct 2012 02:46 PM PDT JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Amplats fired 12,000 wildcat strikers on Friday, a high-stakes attempt by the world's biggest platinum producer to push back at a wave of illegal stoppages sweeping through the country's mining sector and beyond. Later on, a trade union leader was shot dead near a mine run by platinum producer Lonmin in a potentially explosive escalation of the two-month-old violent labor unrest that took the death toll to 49. ...

South Korea, U.S. agree on boosting missile capability: media Posted: 05 Oct 2012 08:56 PM PDT SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States have reached an agreement on extending the range of Seoul's ballistic missiles to counter the threat from North Korea, local media reported on Saturday, citing unnamed government officials. Under an agreement signed in 1979 and then revised in 2001 between the two military allies, the range of South Korean missiles is limited to 300 kilometers (186 miles) and a payload of 500 kilograms (1,102 lbs). ...

North Korean soldier defects to South across land border Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:20 AM PDT SEOUL (Reuters) - A North Korean soldier killed two of his officers before crossing the heavily mined border into South Korea on Saturday, South Korea's defence ministry and media reports said. Defections across the Demilitarized Zone, a buffer zone dividing the two Koreas, are rare as the 250 km-long (155 miles) land border is heavily armed and tightly guarded. A defence ministry official confirmed a North Korean had defected across the land border, but provided no further details. ...

Dissident blogger released after detention in Cuba Posted: 05 Oct 2012 10:13 PM PDT BAYAMO, Cuba (Reuters) - Cuban authorities released prominent dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez late on Friday after detaining her on the eve of a Spanish activist's high-profile manslaughter trial in the eastern city of Bayamo. Sanchez, her husband Reinaldo Escobar, and their driver were taken into custody along with a half dozen other local dissidents on Thursday, said Elizardo Sanchez of the independent Cuban Commission on Human Rights. ...

American gunman killed in Israeli hotel shoot-out Posted: 05 Oct 2012 10:31 AM PDT JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An American man opened fire in an Israeli seaside hotel packed with tourists on Friday after losing his job there, killing one person before being shot dead in a stand-off with security forces. The firefight erupted in the popular Red Sea resort of Eilat when New York native William Hershkovitz, 23, attacked a security guard at the Leonardo Club hotel and snatched his gun, officials and witnesses said. He then shot dead one of the hotel chefs, whom police identified as 33-year-old Armando Abed. ...

Judgment looms for butler who leaked papal papers Posted: 05 Oct 2012 03:29 PM PDT VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A trial that has thrown open the window on a betrayal of trust and sensitive secrets in the Vatican will come to a head on Saturday with final arguments before judges deliver their verdict on Pope Benedict's former butler. The so-called "Vatileaks" trial, which began last Saturday, is due to wind up after only four hearings when the prosecution and defense make closing arguments on Saturday morning. ...

World Bank names former ICC prosecutor to head corruption panel Posted: 05 Oct 2012 06:55 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - The former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court will lead a review of Bangladesh's investigation of alleged corruption tied to a major bridge project, the World Bank said late on Friday. Luis Moreno Ocampo will head the three-member panel and deliver a report to the World Bank, one of several steps necessary for the Washington-based development institution to resume its $1.2 billion line of credit. Ocampo sought to prosecute individuals for crimes against humanity at the ICC, located in The Hague, Netherlands. ...

Nervous Venezuelans stock up on supplies before election Posted: 05 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT (Note: Election law forbids publication of polls in Venezuela for a week before voting) CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelans packed supermarkets on Friday to stock up on food and other essentials in case of trouble around Sunday's presidential vote, which was shaping up as the biggest electoral challenge of Hugo Chavez's 14-year rule. Energetic young state governor Henrique Capriles has gained momentum in the closing days of the campaign and he seemed to have the opposition's best chance of unseating Chavez since the socialist president came to power in 1999. ...

Exclusive: U.N. chief wants Italy's Prodi as envoy to troubled Sahel Posted: 05 Oct 2012 05:57 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council on Friday he wants former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi to be his envoy to the troubled Sahel region, where West African states seek U.N. backing for military intervention in Mali. "I would like to inform you of my intention to appoint Mr. Romano Prodi (Italy) as my Special Envoy for the Sahel," Ban said in a letter to the 15-nation council, obtained by Reuters. "Mr. ...

NKorean soldier defects to SKorea across border Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:33 AM PDT A North Korean soldier killed two of his officers Saturday and defected to South Korea across the countries' heavily armed border in a rare crossing that prompted South Korean troops to immediately beef up their border patrol, officials said.

Abu Hamza extradited to US after UK ruling Posted: 05 Oct 2012 09:32 PM PDT Radical preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri and four other terror suspects were extradited from the U.K. after Britain's High Court ruled they had no more grounds for appeal in their yearslong battles to avoid facing charges in the United States.

Putin strong at 60 but economic challenges loom Posted: 05 Oct 2012 11:43 PM PDT As he hits his 60th birthday, Vladimir Putin seems to be in the prime of life: He hang-glides with Siberian cranes, shows off judo moves and exudes supreme self-confidence at Russia's helm. But scratch the surface and a picture emerges of a surprisingly vulnerable leader whose fate hinges on the vagaries of oil prices and popular docility in the face of strong-arm tactics.

Turkey responds to Syrian shelling Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:13 AM PDT Another mortar shell from Syria struck Turkish territory on Saturday, prompting a fourth straight day of retaliatory artillery fire, and reviving fears that the crisis in Syria could spiral into a regional conflict.

Pope's butler awaits verdict in papal leaks trial Posted: 05 Oct 2012 11:29 PM PDT A verdict in the case of the pope's butler accused of leaking papal documents may help close one of the most damaging scandals of Pope Benedict XVI's papacy. But even after Paolo Gabriele's fate is decided by a Vatican tribunal Saturday, a core question will remain: Did he really act alone in exposing one of the most secretive institutions in the world?

Venezuelan voters explain choices for president Posted: 05 Oct 2012 10:06 PM PDT On the streets of Venezuela's capital, six people explain their choices to vote for either President Hugo Chavez or his challenger Henrique Capriles on Sunday:

Pakistani lawmakers' citizenship under scrutiny Posted: 05 Oct 2012 11:57 PM PDT Pakistan's Supreme Court is demanding the nation's lawmakers disclose whether they are also citizens of other countries, a status that could cost them their seats. Already, around a dozen legislators on the federal and provincial levels have been pushed out, and that might be just the beginning.

Pakistan motorcade protesting US drones sets off Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:03 AM PDT Hundreds of Pakistanis, joined by dozens of American activists, took off Saturday on a motorcade "march" against U.S. drone strikes, hoping to reach a militant-riddled Afghan border region that has been the focus of many such attacks.

Panetta says Karzai should thank allied forces Posted: 05 Oct 2012 09:08 PM PDT Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lashed back at Afghan President Hamid Karzai Friday, saying the Afghan leader should say thank you now and then to the allied forces who are fighting and dying there, rather than criticizing them.

UN removes Saudi businessman from blacklist Posted: 05 Oct 2012 04:56 PM PDT The U.N. Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against al-Qaida removed a Saudi businessman from its blacklist Friday.

Libya attack: Congressmen casting blame voted to cut diplomatic security budget Posted: 05 Oct 2012 12:25 PM PDT Who's to blame for the Sept. 11 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi?

Does Ivanishvili's win put Georgia back in Russia's orbit? Posted: 05 Oct 2012 12:09 PM PDT This week's political upset in Georgia, which was a major defeat for the Kremlin's long time nemesis President Mikheil Saakashvili and may soon see the Russia-friendly tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili become prime minister in a more parliament-centered system, has many experts in both countries wondering whether the deep freeze in Moscow-Tbilisi relations that's prevailed since the 2008 Russo-Georgian war may finally begin to thaw?

Tortured Kenyans win historic ruling in Britain Posted: 05 Oct 2012 10:41 AM PDT A historic legal ruling in London today could leave Britain's government facing dozens of new court cases alleging systematic torture by the officers of its former empire dating back decades.

Egypt's leading female voice for change warns that revolution is backsliding Posted: 05 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Years from now, when scholars and historians debate the beginnings of the uprisings that rocked Egypt and the entire Middle East in 2011, one woman will likely figure prominently: Dalia Ziada, an ebullient Egyptian woman, civil society activist, and prolific blogger.

Oppan Gangnam Style! Psy comes home to Korea in triumph. Posted: 05 Oct 2012 10:04 AM PDT The figure on the sprawling stage was barely visible to most of the 80,000 people massed on the Seoul City Hall plaza but came through far larger than life on three huge screens high above.

Hugo Chávez vs Henrique Capriles: Venezuelan vote will have regional impact Posted: 05 Oct 2012 07:15 AM PDT On Sunday, Venezuelans will head to the polls to vote in a race with arguably the most significant policy implications of their lifetime.

Aid that works: A new road, farmer co-op revitalizes rural El Salvador Posted: 05 Oct 2012 06:58 AM PDT Outside this small town in the rural north of El Salvador, a sleek, new ribbon of black asphalt known as the Northern Highway connects local farmers to the headquarters of El Salvador Produce, a farmers cooperative.

In Libya, a patchwork of militias keeping the peace, and straining it Posted: 05 Oct 2012 06:43 AM PDT Not too long ago Wasim Ben Hamid's job was to bring Libya's social order crashing down. Now he's trying to build a new one as Benghazi coordinator for the Libyan Shield Forces (LSF), a national umbrella for militias who fought Muammar Qaddafi and are now working with the defense ministry to provide internal security.

Responses to Syrian shelling highlight Turkish-Western divide on conflict Posted: 05 Oct 2012 06:16 AM PDT • A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

Brenda Palms Barber offers ex-cons in Chicago a honey of a second chance Posted: 05 Oct 2012 05:00 AM PDT "Pollinate" is a word that Brenda Palms Barber likes to throw around when talking to people about her work.

Turkish villagers thrust into center of Syria-Turkey tensions Posted: 04 Oct 2012 02:30 PM PDT Residents in the Turkish border town at the center of rising military tensions between Turkey and Syria blamed their government in Ankara for not acting to forestall a fatal mortar strike that killed five people here yesterday and left 11 wounded.

Latin American nations push UN to drop zero tolerance on drugs Posted: 04 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT ‪The world has watched the crescendoing pushback, coming mostly from Latin America, against the United States-dominated "war on drugs" for the past three years with incredulity as the drug policy debate continues to mark new firsts.‬

Rising seas washing away Ghana's former slave forts Posted: 04 Oct 2012 01:48 PM PDT The ocean is starting to wash away historical slave trading forts and castles on the coast of Ghana, threatening a thriving tourist industry as well as the homes of coastal dwellers.

Iran's currency: Why did the rial tumble so precipitously? Posted: 04 Oct 2012 12:31 PM PDT The value of Iran's national currency, the rial, plunged to its lowest against the dollar in more than two decades this week, plummeting by an estimated 40 percent in the past four days. And while the precipitous drop has been brought on by US sanctions, Iranians are in large part blaming the government's massive economic mismanagement.

Russia keeps door open to Pakistan after Putin cancels trip Posted: 04 Oct 2012 09:17 AM PDT Confusion surrounds the Kremlin's hopes of establishing a tighter relationship with Pakistan, in advance of NATO's planned 2014 withdrawal from Afghanistan, after President Vladimir Putin abruptly cancelled a visit to Islamabad planned for this week.

Turkey tamps down talk of going to war with Syria Posted: 04 Oct 2012 05:30 AM PDT • A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

How does Norway rehabilitate Anders Behring Breivik? Posted: 04 Oct 2012 05:06 AM PDT Norway's attitude toward criminal offenders is to rehabilitate them back into society, rather than punish them. The tolerant Nordic country has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world, 20 percent compared to about 50 percent in the US.

College students massacred one-by-one in Nigeria Posted: 03 Oct 2012 02:31 PM PDT Unidentified gunmen massacred at least two dozen university students in northern Nigeria Monday night in the city of Mubi near the border with Cameroon. The attacks lasted more than an hour, with gunmen targeting specific students by name rather than indiscriminately firing.

Argentina: Oil nationalization and currency controls divide a nation Posted: 03 Oct 2012 02:09 PM PDT Argentina is no stranger to financial crises. In fact, in the past 40 years, one has erupted every decade. This means many Argentines are skittish when it comes to controversial government decisions like nationalizing the country's biggest energy company or receiving warnings from international bodies who condemn it for misreporting economic statistics.

Arrivederci auto! Italy's bike purchases outstrip car sales. Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:19 AM PDT The chaos, congestion, and cobblestones can make cycling in Italy a nerve-shattering affair.

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