Four people with fever considered at risk for Ebola were being tested Thursday in Spain for the virus, including one who arrived on an Air France jet that was isolated at Madrid's airport as a precaution, officials said.
	Other passengers were allowed to disembark. But a passenger with a fever who had traveled from Nigeria was taken by ambulance with a driver wearing protective gear to Madrid's Carlos III hospital.
	Another person with a fever who came into contact with infected Spanish nursing assistant Teresa Romero before she was hospitalized on October 6 was also sent to the same hospital, the Health Ministry said. Romero's condition, meanwhile, appeared to be improving, a ministry official said.
	A missionary was transported to the hospital because he came down with a fever after returning to Spain from Liberia, where he treated Ebola patients, Spain's government said.
	A fourth person, a Red Cross health worker who recently worked with Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, was ...

Spain tests 4 with fever for Ebola, isolates jet

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A firm accused of fraud will pay a USD 1 million penalty in what federal regulators say is the first case of market manipulation brought against a high-speed trading firm.
	The Securities and Exchange Commission also censured Athena Capital Research, which it said used a trading algorithm code-named "Gravy" to manipulate the closing prices of thousands of stocks on the Nasdaq market.
	Athena placed a large number of rapid trades in the final two seconds of nearly every trading day over six months, the SEC said today.
	Athena engaged in the manipulation between June and December 2009 and made up more than 70 percent of Nasdaq's total trading volume in the stocks involved in the final seconds of trading, the agency alleged.
	They were the first market-manipulation charges against a firm engaged in the super-fast electronic trading that now dominate the US securities markets.
	New York-based Athena neither admitted nor denied the allegations under the settlement with the SEC, but it did .

Firm paying USD 1M in SEC case on high-speed trading

Two American journalists were briefly detained in Russia and taken to court today for teaching an investigative journalism workshop.
	The two were found guilty of violating visa regulations, authorities said.
	The New England Center for Investigative Reporting said that its co-founder, Joe Bergantino, and University of South Carolina professor Randy Covington, were detained for several hours by immigration authorities as they began teaching their first workshop in St Petersburg.
	The group quoted Bergantino as saying that he and Covington were in Russia for a two-day training workshop with 14 Russian journalists.
	The Federal Migration Service in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, said in a statement the men were taken to court and were found guilty of "violating the visa regime" because their activities in Russia "did not correspond to the stated purpose of their visit."
	The district court couldn't be immediately reached today.
	Bergantino and Covington, who had tourist ..

2 US journalists detained over Russia workshop

Human rights organizations say a Bahraini activist who is eight months pregnant has been detained for "insulting" the king after she tore up his photograph in court.
	Human Rights Watch said today Zainab al-Khawaja appeared before a Bahraini court to face charges related to two previous incidents in which she tore up photographs of the king.
	Once in the courtroom yesterday, she pulled out and ripped up another photograph of the monarch. She was detained for seven days on charges of insulting the head of state.
	Amnesty International says al-Khawaja could face up to seven years in prison if convicted.
	Her father, prominent activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, is serving a life sentence for his role in the 2011 protests by majority Shiites demanding greater rights form the Sunni-led government.

Bahrain activist detained for 'insulting' the king

Rebels crept into houses and attacked civilians, killing at least 30 people around the town of Beni in eastern Congo, a local mayor said today.
	Members of the Allied Defense Forces attacked late Wednesday near the town which is about 400 kilometers from the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma, said mayor Nyonyi Bwana Kawa.
	"We have found 30 bodies and have at this point buried them. It was the Ugandan ADF rebels who attacked these peripheral neighborhoods of Beni," he said.
	Last week the rebel group had killed about nine people in Oicha in Congo's North Kivu Province.
	There has been a resurgence of rebel activity in northeast Congo, a hotbed of separatist rebels.
	The Maimai-Simba group attacked a remote village in the northeast last week abducting 40 women and seven boys, according to a UN peacekeeping mission spokesman Lt Col Felix Prosper Basse.
	The rebels pillaged the area causing many to flee the village, which is seven days walk from the regional center of Mambasa, he ...

Rebels kill 30 people in East Congo, official says

Federal health officials said today they still don't know how two nurses caught Ebola from a patient, as criticism increased from lawmakers who questioned whether the nation is prepared to stop the deadly virus from spreading in the US.
	The revelation that one of the hospital nurses was cleared to fly on a commercial airline the day before she was diagnosed raised new alarms about the American response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
	The death toll is expected to climb above 4,500 in Africa, all but a few within Liberia, Sierra Leone and New Guinea, the World Health Organisation said.
	The first nurse stricken in the US, Nina Pham, who contracted Ebola after treating a Liberian man in Dallas, was being flown to the National Institutes of Health outside Washington, while a second nurse has already been transferred to a biohazard infectious disease center at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
	The two nurses, Pham and Amber Joy Vinson, had been involved in providing care to ..

US health officials defend Ebola response

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says a trust fund he launched to fight Ebola has only USD 100,000 in the bank.
	Ban appealed urgently for contributions to the fund which is seeking USD 1 billion to tackle the disease.
	Ban told reporters today that the U.N. Fund has received about USD 20 million and the rest was spent to combat the escalating Ebola crisis.
	"Ebola is a huge and urgent global problem that demands a huge and urgent global response," he said.
	"I appeal to the international community to provide the $1 billion launch that will enable us to get ahead of the curve and meet our target of reducing the rate of transmission by December 1," he said.
	Ban said more doctors, nurses, equipment and treatment centers are also needed.

UN chief: Fund to fight Ebola has USD 100,000 in bank

The FBI director is warning against smartphone encryption.
	James Comey is talking about tech companies like Apple and Google that say their new operating systems will be encrypted, or protected by coding.
	Comey says encrypting smartphone data has serious consequences for law enforcement and national security agencies.
	Comey spoke today at the Brookings Institution. He says encryption is like a safe that can't be cracked or a closet that can't be opened. The Federal Bureau of Investigation director says justice may be denied because of a locked phone and that critical information routinely comes from smartphones, hard drives and online sources.
	Comey says while some people believe the government sweeps up all cellphone communications or has access to all communications at all times, that's not the case.

FBI director warns against cellphone encryption

Sri Lanka has identified 85 school cricketers bowling with suspected illegal actions in its campaign to clean up the cradle of the sport in the country. The bowlers include 60 spinners and 25 seamers, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement on Thursday.
     Sri Lanka boasts of a strong schools cricket structure, with many players entering the national team direct from schools, with little or no first-class experience. The campaign to clean up bowling comes amid tough action by the International Cricket Council to eliminate illegal bowling on the international stage.
     Offspinners suspended in recent months include Pakistan star Saeed Ajmal, Sri Lanka's Sachithra Senanayake, New Zealand's Kane Williamson, Zimbabwe's Prosper Utseya, and Bangladesh's Sohag Gazi.

Sri Lanka: 85 school bowlers with suspect action

Russian President Vladimir Putin is mounting a diplomatic blitz on the sidelines of a summit of European and Asian leaders in a bid to escape Russia's worst crisis with the West since the Cold War.
	Putin tomorrow will discuss Ukraine over breakfast with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and key European leaders on the sidelines of the 10th ASEM summit in Milan. He may also meet privately with Poroshenko.
	The West has imposed a series of economic sanctions against Russia since its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in March and its support for a pro-Russia insurgency in eastern Ukraine.
	German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she expects to discuss a Ukraine cease-fire deal signed last month, which has reduced hostilities but failed to stop all fighting.
	"It is above all Russia's task to say clearly that the Minsk plan is really respected," Merkel said as she arrived for the summit. "Unfortunately, there are still very, very big shortcomings. But it is important to seek dialogue ..

Putin to meet with Western leaders on Ukraine

Militants unleashed a wave of attacks in Iraq today, mainly targeting Shiite areas in and around the capital of Baghdad, killing at least 47 people and wounding dozens, authorities said.
	The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the day's deadliest attack.
	The Sunni militant group has overrun vast areas in western and northern Iraq as well as parts of neighbouring Syria, and has vowed to destabilise and eventually take over Baghdad.
	In that strike, two parked car bombs exploded simultaneously in a commercial area in the northern Dolaie neighbourhood, killing 14 civilians and wounding 34 others, a police officer said.
	Angry residents in the neighbourhood threw stones at police checkpoints and police cars that arrived to respond to the blasts, prompting police to withdraw from the area.
	Senior Iraqi officials have tried to reassure residents that the capital is too well-protected for militants to capture, even as they struggle to stop frequent near daily deadly ...

Attacks in Baghdad kill at least 47 people

Villagers engaged in a dispute with a property developer detained several construction workers and burned four of them to death, local authorities said Thursday, in one of the most violent land conflicts in recent years to strike the country's vast rural hinterland.
	A statement issued by the municipal government of Kunming said eight people, including two villagers, died in the violence Tuesday in the southwestern province of Yunnan, confirming earlier reports circulating on the Internet along with photos of bound detainees and charred bodies.
	Other media reports said the dispute was over land compensation. It has become the chief cause of violent disputes in rural China, where villagers often resort to deadly confrontations.
	"If you call it a self-defense, it might be a bit radical, but what else can a villager do when he cannot resort to the law, gets no response from the local government and finds it useless to petition the higher authority?" rights advocate Huang Qi ...

China says villagers burned workers to death

John Spencer-Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough and a cousin and godson of British wartime leader Winston Churchill, has died. He was 88.
	Blenheim Palace said Spencer-Churchill died this morning.
	His son Jamie is expected to inherit his father's title and become the 12th Duke of Marlborough.
	Prime Minister David Cameron said Spencer-Churchill will be deeply missed and praised his community involvement.
	Spencer-Churchill had been married four times. He is survived by his wife and four children.

John Spencer-Churchill dies at 88

Militants unleashed a wave of attacks today targeting Shiite areas in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, killing at least 38 people and wounding dozens, officials said.
	The deadliest attack took place when two parked car-bombs exploded simultaneously in a commercial area in the northern Dolaie neighborhood, killing 14 civilians and wounding 34 others, a police officer said.
	In the eastern neighborhood of Talibiyah, a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a police check point, killing at least 12 people, another police officer said. The dead in that attack included seven policemen and five civilians, he added.
	At least 28 other people were wounded.
	Six other civilians were killed and 16 wounded in another car bomb explosion on a commercial street in the northern Hurriyah district, police said.
	And in the northern Shula neighborhood, six civilians were killed and 18 wounded when mortar rounds rained down on a residential area, police added.
	Medical officials confirmed the 

Attacks in Baghdad kill at least 38 people

The number of people seeking US unemployment aid dropped to the lowest level in 14 years last week, the latest signal that companies are cutting fewer workers and hiring could remain healthy.
	The Labor Department said today that weekly applications for unemployment aid fell 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 264,000, the lowest level since April 2000. Given that the US population has grown considerably since then, the proportion of the US workforce applying for benefits is even smaller. Applications are a proxy for layoffs.
	The figures come as concerns about slowing global economic growth have roiled financial markets for the past week. A drop in US retail sales, reported yesterday, intensified the volatility. The Dow plunged 460 points early yesterday before recovering, but still closed down 173 points. Futures tumbled sharply today about two hours before the opening bell.
	The four-week average of applications, a less volatile measure, dropped 4,250 to 283,500, the lowest level since 

US jobless aid applications fall to 14-year low

Chrysler is recalling nearly 907,000 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep SUVs and cars for failing alternators and heated power mirrors that can cause minor fires.
	The largest of today's recalls covers nearly 470,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees, Chrysler 300s, and Dodge Chargers, Challengers and Durangos from 2011 through 2014. The alternators can fail, causing the 3.6-liter V6 engines to stall unexpectedly.
	Chrysler knows of one crash but no injuries or fires. It will replace alternators for free. Owners will be notified in November.
	The second recall covers nearly 437,000 Jeep Wranglers from 2011 through 2013. Water can enter the heated power mirror wiring and cause a short. Chrysler knows of no fires or injuries.
	Dealers will move the move the wiring and install a water shield starting in December.

Chrysler recalling nearly 907,000 cars, SUVs

The deadly Ebola virus has infected two people in what was the last untouched district in Sierra Leone, the government said today, a setback in efforts to turn back the disease in one of the hardest-hit countries.
	The Emergency Operations Center in its report covering yesterday noted two Ebola cases in the Koinadugu district, in Sierra Leone's far north, which since the outbreak early this year has remained untouched.
	Residents of the district had practiced strict safety precautions and limited contact with the rest of the country where the disease is rampant.
	According to the World Health Organization, there have been 425 new cases in the whole country just last week.
	The director of the US Agency for International Development, Rajiv Shah, visited Sierra Leone yesterday as part of a tour through the three hardest-hit countries where he announced an additional USD 142 million in projects and grants to battle the outbreak.
	International agencies and countries are trying to boost ..

Ebola comes to last safe district in Sierra Leone

Philip Morris International's third-quarter profit dropped 8 per cent as cigarette sales fell in the overseas markets that it serves and it was hurt by foreign exchange rates for the US dollar.
	The seller of Marlboro and other cigarette brands outside the United States earned USD 2.15 billion, or USD 1.38 per share, in the quarter, down from USD 2.34 billion, or USD 1.44 per share, a year ago.
	On an adjusted basis, it earned USD 1.39 per share, beating Wall Street estimates by 6 cents, according to Zacks Investment Research.
	Excluding excise taxes, revenue fell about 1 per cent to USD 7.86 billion. Analysts expected revenue of USD 7.74 billion.
	Cigarette shipments fell less than 1 percent to 222.3 billion cigarettes. Total Marlboro volumes fell 3.5 per cent to 72.6 billion cigarettes. Shipments fell 2 per cent in Latin America and Canada and 1.3 per cent in Asia.
	Shipments were up less than 1 per cent in the company's region that encompasses Eastern Europe, the Middle East and ...

Philip Morris Int'l 3Q profit falls 8 percent

Officials at airports in four American cities are scheduled to start taking the temperatures of passengers from three West African countries as part of a stepped up Ebola screening programme.
	Federal health officials say the entry screenings that start today add another layer of protection to halt the spread of the Ebola.
	Screeners will use no-touch thermometers to try to find passengers with fevers.
	The screenings started at New York's Kennedy International Airport on Saturday. Screenings will now be conducted at Washington Dulles, Chicago O'Hare, Newark's Liberty and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.
	Officials say about 150 people travel daily from or through Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea to the United States. Nearly 95 per cent of them land first at one of those five airports.

Stepped up Ebola screening starts at 4 US airports

Mattel's got girl problems and her name is Barbie. Sales of the iconic doll continue to slide and a surprising drop in sales of its American Girl toys could become another headache for the toy company as it heads into the crucial holiday season.
	Mattel Inc reported today that Barbie sales fell 21 per cent for the three months ended September 30, even sharper than the 15 per cent drop in the second quarter.
	And American Girl's third-quarter sales declined 7 per cent, compared with a 6 per cent rise in the second quarter.
	Heightening tensions even more, Mattel's rival Hasbro Inc recently landed the rights for dolls from the blockbuster Disney movie "Frozen," a coveted relationship for Mattel. The rights for the "Frozen" dolls will go to Hasbro in the spring of 2016.
	Dolls are traditionally a tough market to corner. There's a lot of competition and the affections of the target audience, little girls, can be fleeting.
	It's not all bad news for Mattel, however. It has recently ...

Barbie's star fades, dragging down Mattel in 3Q

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein drew comparisons between the Ebola outbreak and the Islamic State group today, labeling them "twin plagues" upon the world that were allowed to gain strength because of widespread neglect and misunderstanding.
	At his first news conference since becoming the UN's top human rights official last month, Zeid focused on the "two monumental crises" that he said would inevitably cost nations many billions to overcome.
	"The twin plagues of Ebola and ISIL," he told reporters, using an acronym for the group, "both fomented quietly, neglected by a world that knew they existed but misread their terrible potential before exploding into the global consciousness during the latter months of 2014."
	Zeid said the UN human rights office has begun drawing up guidelines for Ebola-hit nations to follow if they impose health quarantines on people, because such efforts can easily violate a wide range of human rights if imposed and enforced ...

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