[World] Putin revives show trials as a political weapon

Putin revives show trials as a political weapon
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/11/01/putin-takes-a-leaf-ouf-of-stalins-book-with-the-revival-of-the-show-trial/
Full Comment's Araminta Wordsworth brings you a daily round-up of quality punditry from across the globe. Today: Vladimir Putin is known to admire Stalin - he's called for history textbooks to emphasize the positive about the Soviet leader.

Fuel truck explodes in Saudi capital, killing at least 22 people
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/fuel-tanker-explosion-kills-22-in-riyadh/article4054013.ece
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - A fuel truck exploded after hitting portions of a bridge Thursday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, engulfing buildings and cars in flames and killing at least 22 people and injuring more than 110, witnesses and officials said.

Syria conflict: Clinton calls for opposition overhaul - live updates
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9647878/US-withdraws-support-for-Syrias-opposition-leadership.html
A rebel fighter said: "We want to fight the regime and instead we are fighting a new front that we don't need or have time for.

Beware of balls with slogans: Chinese authority to drivers
http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/national-rejuvenation-or-chinese-fascism/
The security lockdown ordered over Beijing for next week's 18th National Congress for the Communist Party of China (CPC) is reasonably literal for the city's taxi services.

China urges cease-fire, talks to end war in Syria
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Nov-01/193507-china-proposes-new-initiatives-for-syria-ceasefire.ashx
BEIJING: China on Thursday called for a phased-in cease-fire and negotiations on a gradual political transition to end the ongoing bloodshed in Syria.

Labour should leave it to the Tories to slug it out on Europe
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2012/nov/01/europe-budget-labour-tories-miliband-cameron
In the wake of Wednesday night's Commons vote to cut the EU budget (how cross that would have made a worldly EU leader like King Canute) I thought I heard a Conservative MP condescendingly explain that the 53 Tory rebels "want to see Europe get real".

3 dead, 2 seriously injured in Halloween party stampede in Spain's capital
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iA3TIqCTl0vmHXCS4DTaeTEzqDTw?docId=c2c7835f991c47eb8250aac6979be197
(Paul White/ Associated Press ) - A mannequin's head, bottles and and other debris lie in the Madrid Arena venue car park Madrid, Thursday Nov. 1, 2012.

NI prison officer dies in ambush
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1101/breaking18.html
GERRY MORIARTY, Northern Editor. A long-serving Northern Ireland prison officer was murdered in a motorway ambush today in an attack which police are blaming on dissident republicans.

Turkey Given Reassurance by Germany on Talks
http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/kenny-to-hold-talks-with-merkel-3279386.html
BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany met with Turkey's prime minister here on Wednesday and pledged that the European Union would continue to pursue talks “in good faith” over Turkey's accession to the bloc, despite disagreements that have ...

Burma considers citizenship for Rohingya Muslims
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/9648329/Burma-considers-citizenship-for-Rohingya-Muslims.html
Burma considers citizenship for Rohingya Muslims. Burma has acknowledged the persecution of its stateless Rohingya Muslim minority and is considering giving citizenship to thousands of members of the group as a first step to finding a solution to the ...

Rebels kill 28 Syrian army soldiers
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1101/breaking25.html
Rebels killed 28 Syrian army soldiers today in an attack on three checkpoints around the town of Saraqeb, which straddles the country's main north-south highway, an opposition-linked group said.

Bahrain bans all protests in crackdown on Shia opposition movement
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/30/bahrain-bans-protests-crackdown-opposition?newsfeed=true
Bahrain banned all protest gatherings on Tuesday and threating legal action against groups said to be backing escalating demonstrations and clashes.

Russian and Estonian crew freed in Nigeria
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gQ0dW621gTgOPJYD7dWgjmnKyz_w?docId=CNG.2e298d49afcc3d35e8ec4c52af974a57.51
Russian and Estonian sailors abducted from a French-owned ship off Nigeria's coast last month have been freed, a Nigerian military spokesman has said.

Nigerians' fear of northern atrocities
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20166065
Days after the latest suicide bomb attack in northern Nigeria, people at St Rita's church in Kaduna city are still shocked at what happened.

Greece is not alone â€" tax evasion is a British problem too
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/29/britain-shares-greeks-taxing-problem
Greece is not alone - tax evasion is a British problem too. A Greek journalist has published the names of those with secret Swiss bank accounts.

Talk of the Day -- Concern over China's Diaoyutai patrol policy
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9643177/Together-China-and-Europe-will-be-stronger.html
Talk of the Day -- Concern over China's Diaoyutai patrol policy 2012/11/01 21:09:30. The long-simmering territorial dispute over the Diaoyutai Islands seemed to hit a turning point earlier this week with China claiming that six of its maritime surveillance ships ...

“Taliban could run for Afghan president: poll chief”
http://nation.time.com/2012/11/01/taliban-could-run-for-afghan-president-poll-chief/
Every once in awhile you stumble across a headline that you have to read twice, to be sure you weren't mistaken the first time.

Cyclone Nilam: Helicopter rescue for tanker crew
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20164400
Hopes are fading for five sailors who remain missing after an oil tanker ran aground in a cyclone that hit India's south-eastern coast.