Colombia, FARC rebels seek to end long conflict

Colombia, FARC rebels seek to end long conflict


Colombia, FARC rebels seek to end long conflict

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:06 PM PST

HAVANA (Reuters) - Colombia and the Marxist FARC rebels will sit down in Havana on Monday for their first peace talks in 10 years in the latest attempt to end Latin America's longest-running insurgency. The conflict has dragged on for nearly half a century, taken tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions of people and proven intractable in three previous peace processes. But both the Colombian government and the FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, have expressed optimism that this time might be different. ...


Palestinian civilian toll climbs in Gaza

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:17 PM PST

A member of the Abdel Aal family is rescued after his family house collapsed during an Israeli forces strike in the Tufah neighborhood, Gaza City, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012. The Israeli military widened its range of targets in the Gaza Strip on Sunday to include the media operations of the Palestinian territory's Hamas rulers, sending its aircraft to attack two buildings used by both Hamas and foreign media outlets. (AP Photo/Majed Hamdan)The Palestinian civilian death toll mounted Monday as Israeli aircraft struck densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip in its campaign to quell militant rocket fire menacing nearly half of Israel's population.



Myanmar frees political prisoners in new amnesty

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:04 PM PST

Myanmar has set free dozens of political prisoners around the country in an amnesty that coincides with the historic visit of President Barack Obama.


Obama to meet with Cambodia's longtime 'strongman'

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:59 PM PST

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen attends the 15th ASEAN - South Korea Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, Nov. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)President Barack Obama arrives in Cambodia on Monday having just won four more years in office, but that is nothing compared to his host, Hun Sen. The 60-year-old Cambodian prime minister has held power since Ronald Reagan was in the White House, and says he's not stepping down until he is 90.



Colombia, FARC rebels seek to end long conflict

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:06 PM PST

HAVANA (Reuters) - Colombia and the Marxist FARC rebels will sit down in Havana on Monday for their first peace talks in 10 years in the latest attempt to end Latin America's longest-running insurgency.


Hitman: Absolution (Review)

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 04:21 PM PST

In some ways, Hitman: Absolution is more like a puzzler than a shooter. That's because you need to think your way around the game rather than blasting your way through it. As with puzzle games, getting the solution makes you feel smarter, or in this case, stealthier. Playing protagonist 47, I [...]


UN Security Council debates the spread of piracy

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:20 PM PST

Centuries after piracy was recognized as the first international crime against humanity, its spread around the world has prompted the U.N. Security Council's first debate Monday on piracy's rise as a threat to world peace and security.


AP PHOTOS: Obama visits once-pariah state, Myanmar

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 08:50 PM PST

FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2007 file photo, Buddhist monks march on a street in protest against the military government in Yangon, Myanmar. President Barack Obama's historic visit to Myanmar on Monday, Nov. 19, 2012 is meant to show America's support for the country's transition to democracy. Obama's roughly six-hour visit will be confined to Yangon, the main city where the military brutally crushed pro-democracy uprisings in the past, including a 2007 rally led by Buddhist monks and protests in 1988 led by student activists. (AP Photo/File)President Barack Obama's historic visit to Myanmar on Monday is meant to show America's support for the country's transition to democracy.



Seven Steps to Negotiating Success

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 04:13 PM PST

Tried-and-true negotiation tactics from author and negotiation expert Selena Rezvani.


One More Time: Management Is Not Leadership

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 04:13 PM PST

There are very, very few organizations today that have sufficient leadership. Until we face this issue, understanding exactly what the problem is, we're never going to solve it. At a certain point we end up with over managed and under led organizations, which are increasingly vulnerable in a fast moving world.


How David Petraeus Mastered the Media

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 04:03 PM PST

Willy Stern and I first met as Forbes 400 sleuths two decades ago. He is a world-class journalist, who went on to do serious military reporting -- including many dealings with General David Petraeus. An insightful guest column below. By Willy Stern The evening before he was sworn in as CIA chief, [...]


What States Should Build Instead of Obamacare's Health Insurance Exchanges

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 04:01 PM PST

In the aftermath of President Obama's re-election, in which the implementation of the Affordable Care Act plays a large role, many states are facing an important decision. Should these states act as agents of the Obama administration, and set up state-based versions of Obamacare's subsidized health insurance exchanges? Or should they say no, leaving implementation of the law in the hands of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius? In this article, I will discuss a third possibility: that states set up their own markets for health insurance, markets that drive down the cost of insurance by ignoring Obamacare's tangled web of mandates, regulations, and taxes.


Mobile Apps: The Trouble With Using 'Responsive Design'

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 03:51 PM PST

Guest post written by Carin van Vuuren Carin van Vuuren is chief marketing officer at Usablenet. Cairn van Vuuren If you've recently chatted with your Web development team, you may have heard about responsive design. A growing trend for today's businesses, publishers and developers, responsive design is an approach to Web development that [...]


AP PHOTOS: Obama makes historic visit to Myanmar

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 08:30 PM PST

U.S. President Barack Obama walks on a red carpet as he arrives at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, on Air Force One, Monday, Nov. 19, 2012. This is the first visit to Myanmar by a sitting U.S. president. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)President Barack Obama's historic visit to Myanmar on Monday is meant to show America's support for the country's transition to democracy.



French vote marred by fraud allegations

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 08:15 PM PST

Succession battle for leadership of main French opposition party is under dispute as both leaders claim victory.


Obama opens landmark visit to Myanmar

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:25 PM PST

People holding a poster with portraits of U.S. President Barack Obama, left, Myanmar President Thein Sein, center, and Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as they wait to welcome the arrival of U.S. President Barack Obama at Yangon International Airport Monday, Nov. 19, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)Launching a landmark visit to long shunned Myanmar, President Barack Obama said Monday he comes to "extend the hand of friendship" to a nation moving from persecution to peace. But his praise and personal attention came with an admonition to those in charge: The work of ensuring and protecting freedoms has just begun.



Astronauts touch down in chilly Kazakhstan steppe

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 08:54 PM PST

Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide smiles after landing in a Soyuz capsule outside the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, Nov. 19, 2012. Hoshide along with NASA's Sunita Williams, and Russian astronaut Yury Malenchenko touched down in the dark, chilly expanses of central Kazakhstan onboard a Soyuz capsule Monday after a 125-day stay at the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Maxim Shipenkov, Pool)Three astronauts touched down in the dark, chilly expanses of central Kazakhstan onboard a Soyuz capsule Monday after a 125-day stay at the International Space Station.



Obama to praise Burma’s journey toward democracy

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:23 PM PST

RANGOON, Burma — President Obama will hail Burma's "dramatic transition" and "remarkable journey" toward a more open, democratic society in a speech here Monday, while warning that the progress must shine as a "North Star" for the nation's 60 million people.

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Deadly bomb blast hits Pakistan

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 07:59 PM PST

At least two people killed and 20 others injured when a bomb exploded outside a Shia mosque in Karachi.


VIDEO: Italy's first rapper moves to home of hip hop

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 07:53 PM PST

Lorenzo Cherubini, better known by his stage name Jovanotti, has left his homeland - and superstar status - for New York.


5 things to watch for in Obama's visit to Burma

5 things to watch for in Obama's visit to Burma


5 things to watch for in Obama's visit to Burma

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 01:00 PM PST

President Obama will make history on Monday, becoming the first-ever U.S. president to visit Burma, a long-isolated Southeast Asian rogue state, called Myanmar by its rulers. The Obama administration has set rapprochement land speed records in its efforts to encourage the former military dictatorship in its recent democratic reforms and to bring the strategically located country, east of India and south of China, its long-time patron, into the American fold. Though Obama's visit is scheduled to take less than a day he will arrive in the morning from Thailand and fly out that evening for Cambodia it will set a historic milestone in his administration's effort to expand American influence and leadership in East Asia. Here are five things to watch for.

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Life in Gaza Strip refugee camp Khan Younis

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 12:51 PM PST

GAZA -- In Khan Younis refugee camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip, residents
went about business as usual early Sunday evening, shopping for groceries and filling roadside cafes.

Residents said that Khan Younis is a safer place to be right now than Gaza City to the north and Rafaha stronghold of militant offshoots that even Hamas can't controlto the south. But no one is really safe in such "closed" quarters, said Sami Harb, a resident of the camp, as his three-year-old son played on his shoulders.

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Monti says Italy must keep reform agenda after vote

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 01:00 PM PST

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, drafted in unelected to haul Italy from crisis a year ago, said on Sunday that a new government appointed after next year's election would have to keep up his reform agenda to retain the confidence of investors.


Hamilton beats Vettel in America

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 12:43 PM PST

Lewis Hamilton wins the US Grand Prix after a tight battle with Sebastian Vettel, as Fernando Alonso keeps the title fight alive.


Bond star in UK Afghan base visit

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:36 AM PST

James Bond star Daniel Craig surprises UK troops serving at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan with a visit as they prepare to watch the 007 latest film, Skyfall.


UK's Cameron hires rival's strategist to boost poll hopes

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 12:25 PM PST

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron has hired an Australian political strategist to mastermind his party's re-election campaign and draw a line under months of policy reversals that have seen his Conservatives slump in popularity.


Tube fire remembered 25 years on

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:36 AM PST

The 25th anniversary of the fire at King's Cross Underground station is marked as unions raise concerns over Tube and fire service cuts.


Obama set for landmark Myanmar visit

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 01:01 PM PST

US leader denies trip endorses Myanmar leadership as he makes three-country Asia tour on first post-election trip.


ASEAN Summit adopts human rights accord

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 12:50 AM PST

Southeast regional leaders discuss territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and ethnic conflict in Myanmar


Obama set for landmark Myanmar visit

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 01:01 PM PST

US leader denies trip endorses Myanmar leadership as he makes three-country Asia tour on first post-election trip.


Syrian rebels eye Assad's economic lifeline in east

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 12:22 PM PST

AMMAN (Reuters) - A Syrian rebel offensive that captured border crossings with Turkey and Iraq aims to cut off supplies from the country's main grain and oil-producing region and speed President Bashar al-Assad's downfall, a tribal leader said.


Akela Flats Journal: Fort Sill Apache Tribe’s Casino Plans Lead to Conflict

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:44 AM PST

A year after the federal government designated a roadside plot in New Mexico as their sole reservation, the Fort Sill Apache are mired in a dispute over their efforts to build a casino on the site.


Pop: Disco Revival in New York With Crystal Ark and Escort

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:44 AM PST

In an era of one-person-laptop bands, disco is seeing a revival in New York, with more acts turning to big ensembles and live shows.


Iran defends "normal procedures" at Bushehr nuclear plant

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:41 AM PST

VIENNA (Reuters) - An Iranian diplomat said on Sunday Iran had unloaded fuel from its first atomic power plant as part of a normal technical procedure linked to transferring responsibility for the plant from Russian engineers.


Analysis: Hamas finds cause to smile under Israeli assault

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:31 AM PST

GAZA (Reuters) - As Israel bombed Palestinian militant targets in the Gaza Strip for a fifth day, Ali Al-Ahmed took to the streets of Gaza city in his pyjamas on Sunday to buy eggs and chocolate for his three children.


Bond star in UK Afghan base visit

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:36 AM PST

James Bond star Daniel Craig surprises UK troops serving at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan with a visit as they prepare to watch the 007 latest film, Skyfall.


Sudan's army clashes with rebels outside Darfur city: state media

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:26 AM PST

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's armed forces and a rebel group clashed outside a major city in the troubled western Darfur region, scene of an almost decade-long insurgency, state news agency SUNA said on Sunday.


Jordan protesters face charges over anti-monarch chants

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:15 AM PST

AMMAN (Reuters) - Security agents in Jordan were interrogating 130 demonstrators who could face charges for calling for the downfall of U.S. ally King Abdullah in protests triggered by a sharp rise in fuel prices.


New York City Decides to Extend Gas Rationing Through Friday

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 12:59 PM PST

Rationing that was scheduled to end on Monday has been extended through Friday, even as the gas station lines that prompted it have all but disappeared.


Syria Assails Foreign Support for Rebels

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:32 AM PST

Syria's information minister accused France, Turkey and Qatar of supporting "terrorism" in Syria by extending diplomatic recognition to a new opposition coalition.