Moody’s downgrades French rating

19 November 2012 Last updated at 18:11 ETThe credit ratings agency Moody’s has downgraded France from its top rating. The country’s debt has been reduced from AAA to AA1 and has kept its negative outlook, meaning it could be downgraded again.In a statement, Moody’s blamed the risk of a Greek exit from the euro, stalled...

Read More..

Turbulence on Cuba-Italy flight leaves 30 bruised

ROME (AP) — An airliner flying from Havana to Milan abruptly plunged some 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) when it hit unusually strong turbulence over the Atlantic on Monday, terrifying passengers and leaving some 30 people aboard with bruises and scrapes, airline officials said.The flight continued to Milan’s Malpensa airport after the plane’s captain determined...

Read More..

Soccer-Liverpool’s Sterling apologises to Watson over collision

Nov 18 (Reuters) – Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling has wished Wigan Athletic‘s Ben Watson a speedy recovery after a freak collision between the pair on Saturday left Watson with a suspected shin fracture.Sterling, who made his England debut midweek, used his Twitter account to offer an apology to Watson following the Reds’ 3-0 win at Anfield. Midfielder...

Read More..

Doping-Four year bans proposed under new WADA Code

Nov 18 (Reuters) – Athletes guilty of serious doping offenses will be suspended for four years from 2015 under proposals being considered by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), but there are no plans for a specific rule to ban offenders from the Olympics.Currently, athletes found guilty of a first major doping offense are handed a two-year ban with any...

Read More..

Virgin wins Heathrow routes bid

18 November 2012 Last updated at 22:19 ETVirgin Atlantic has been offered the rights to operate Heathrow links to Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Sir Richard Branson’s airline bid successfully for the London landing slots formerly operated by BMI.The slots were released to others by regulators as a condition of allowing the...

Read More..

Rebels in Congo reach door of Goma

GOMA, Congo (AP) — A Rwandan-backed rebel group advanced to within 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) of Goma, a crucial provincial capital in eastern Congo, marking the first time that rebels have come this close since 2008.Congolese army spokesman Col. Olivier Hamuli said the fighting has been going on since 6 a.m. Sunday and the front line has moved to just a...

Read More..

Apple, Samsung allowed to add products in U.S. patent lawsuit

(Reuters) – A U.S. judge allowed Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to pursue claims the iPhone5 infringes its patents on Thursday, while also allowing Apple Inc to add claims that the Samsung Galaxy Note, Galaxy S III and the Jelly Bean operating system violate its patents.The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal in San Jose, California, was the latest...

Read More..

Irish rally for government action on abortion

DUBLIN (Reuters) – At least 5,000 people marched to the offices of Ireland‘s socially conservative prime minister on Saturday to call for clearer guidelines on abortion following the death of a woman denied a termination.It was the largest of a wave of protests across Ireland in recent days in response to the death of 31-year old Indian woman Savita Halappanavar...

Read More..

To Get Rich in China Is Not So Glorious

In the course of a U.S. presidential campaign, the American public is bombarded with surveys asking voters to rank the relative importance of various issues, and whether they think the country is overall on the right track. Not so in China, where another leadership transition has just concluded, with the 18th Party Congress choosing Xi Jinping to succeed...

Read More..

Israel hits Hamas buildings, shoots down Tel Aviv-bound rocket

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli aircraft bombed Hamas government buildings in Gaza, and the “Iron Dome” defense system shot down a Tel Aviv-bound rocket on Saturday as Israel geared up for a possible ground invasion.Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that runs the Gaza Strip, said Israeli missiles wrecked the office building of Prime Minister Ismail...

Read More..