[World] Marine surveillance around Diaoyu Islands normal activity: FM spokesman

Marine surveillance around Diaoyu Islands normal activity: FM spokesman
http://www.skynews.com.au/businessnews/article.aspx?id=811407
BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- A Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday that the recent patrol conducted by marine surveillance vessels in waters near the Diaoyu Islands constitutes a "normal activity" intended to exercise China's jurisdiction over the ...

Afghanistan presidential election set for April 2014
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/afghanistan-presidential-election-set-for-april-2014-286602
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan will hold its next presidential election on April 5, 2014, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday.

Berlin Starts to Test Its Ties With Russia
http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/the-making-of-angela-merkel/
This beautifully carved work, done between 1360 and 1370, shows scenes of Russian hunters armed with axes, bows and arrows, and sticks.

Greece's troubled government faces vote on privatization as finance chief ...
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/world-news/euro-zone-ministers-to-discuss-greece-no-decisions-seen_775385.html
ATHENS, Greece - Greece's government faced a vote Wednesday on a privatization bill that will be a major test for its fractious coalition, as the finance minister submitted a draft state budget for 2013.

Kalpakkam atomic power plant geared up for Cyclone Nilam
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/7OHD9bEaSBm07zp9ZlMmfI/Tamil-Nadu-Andhra-Pradesh-brace-for-cyclonic-storm-Nilam.html
Necessary precautions have been taken at the Kalpakkam atomic power project to meet any eventuality after Cyclone Nilam crosses the coast Wednesday, said a top officials at the nuclear facility at Kalpakkam.

Plague of office-buying wears at China's image
http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Plague-of-office-buying-wears-at-China-s-image-3995196.php
XILINHOT, China (AP) - In a small town in northern China's Inner Mongolia where sheep and cattle easily outnumber humans, Fan Chen paid a party boss three times an average urban resident's annual salary to become a local police chief.

EU budget: who pays what and how it is spent
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/9643193/EU-budget-who-pays-what-and-how-it-is-spent.html
EU budget: who pays what and how it is spent. We take a closer look at what Britain pays towards the EU budget, how Brussels spends it, and the countries that contribute the most.

A look at Caribbean deaths, damage from Sandy
http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=811339
By The Associated Press - 4 hours ago. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Hurricane Sandy has been blamed for at least 69 deaths in the Caribbean: - Haiti: The storm did not directly hit Haiti but it brought several days of drenching rains, causing rivers to ...