Egyptian warplanes are bombing positions held by Islamist militias in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi as part of a large-scale operation to rid the city of militants who have held sway there for months, two Egyptian government officials said on today.
	The officials, who have firsthand knowledge of the operation, said the use of the aircraft was part of an Egyptian-led operation against the militiamen that would at a later stage involve Libyan ground troops recently trained by Egyptian forces.
	The operation, they said, had been requested by the internationally recognized Libyan administration based in the eastern city of Tobruk.
	That elected administration was thrown out of the capital, Tripoli, by rival militias allied with Islamic political factions.
	The officials said the operation also involves the use of an Egyptian navy vessel as a command center off the Mediterranean shore of Tobruk.
	Renegade Libyan general, Khalifa Hiftar, is not leading the operation, with Egypt ...

Officials: Egypt warplanes bombing Libyan militias

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Iran has for the first time provided public information about the structure of its secret services, saying Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi heads a coordination council overseeing 16 different agencies.
	The announcement today, in a magazine published by the Intelligence Ministry, comes on the 30th anniversary of a merger of several intelligence organisations to create the ministry.
	The ministry has its own website, and has set up a three-digit phone number for Iranians to call in tips. In recent years, it has published advertisements and set up billboards in many cities encouraging citizens to help the spy agency.
	Iran's intelligence apparatus was known as SAVAK until the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the pro-US Shah Mohammad Reza Pahalvi and installed clerics in power.

Iran tips hand about structure of secret services

Spacewalking astronauts replaced a failed electrical unit at the International Space Station today, restoring full power to the orbiting lab.
	The space station had been operating since spring with only seven of its eight solar-power channels. Today's work by Reid Wiseman and Butch Wilmore NASA's second spacewalk in two weeks brought the energy capability back up to 100 per cent.
	The spacewalkers encountered balky bolts but still managed to complete the job in the allotted time, with less than two minutes to spare.
	"Yoo-hoo!" they cheered as NASA declared victory.
	The voltage regulator shorted out in May but could not be replaced until now because of a yearlong hiatus in nonemergency spacewalks by NASA.
	The stoppage was caused by spacesuit problems, most notably a flooded helmet that nearly cost an astronaut's life in 2013.
	Wiseman took part in the October 7 spacewalk that jump-started NASA's outside maintenance, accompanied by a German. This time, Wiseman was joined by Wilmore, .

Success for 2nd station spacewalk in 2 weeks

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Is scaling back its growth in US stores next year, while investing more in e-commerce.
	The company also says it's conducting a major diagnostic review of its US Wal-Mart business and will update investors of plans early next year.
	The review comes as it aims to revive business at Wal-Mart discount stores, which have not recorded growth in revenue at locations opened at least a year for six straight quarters.
	Wal-Mart told investors on Wednesday that it's opening 60 to 70 super centers its next fiscal year, down from the expected 120 stores this year.
	The company also plans to add 180 to 200 Neighborhood Markets next year, from the 170 stores slated for this year. It's reducing its expansion growth of its smaller Wal-Mart Express stores.

Wal-Mart scales back US store growth

Chinese media said a rare Siberian tiger released into the wild by Russian President Vladimir Putin has attacked a henhouse in northeastern China, raising concerns that farmers may hunt it down.
	The official Xinhua News Agency said the animal known as Kuzya was believed to have eaten five chickens in a raid on a farm in Heilongjiang province's Luobei county over recent days.
	Xinhua didn't said how Kuzya was identified as the culprit, although she had been fitted with a tracking device that earlier alerted Russian experts of her crossing the border into China.
	The 19-month-old cub was one of three Siberian tigers released by Putin in a remote part of the Amur region in May.

China media say Putin's tiger attacked henhouse

NATO's top military commander said today that the alliance would welcome the withdrawal of Russian troops from a Russian region bordering Ukraine, but that it has seen no "major movement" so far.
	On Saturday Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered about 17,600 Russian troops to return to their bases from Rostov. The region in Russia borders east Ukraine, where pro-Russian insurgents have been battling government troops since April.
	"We would welcome withdrawal of troops on that border, and we are anxiously watching what is happening," US Air Force Gen Philip Breedlove, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a NATO conference in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki.
	"We have not seen major movements yet," he said. "Now we will watch to see if there is delivery on the promise."
	Russia has consistently denied Ukrainian and Western claims that it has supported the insurgency in eastern Ukraine with weapons, expertise and fighters, saying 

NATO chief: no big Russian withdrawal near Ukraine

A 6-foot-4-inch (1.93 metre) cow owned by a US woman was recently dubbed the world's tallest.
	Patty Hanson and Blosom the cow smiled for their official Guinness World Records photo shoot Monday.
	Hanson received an email in mid-August saying Blosom had been named the world's tallest cow. She sought the record after veterinarians and the cow's foot trimmer constantly noted the 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) animal's large size, Hanson said. At the end of May, family and friends began documenting Blosom's mass through photos and videos. Her official measurements were taken by a veterinarian.
	"When I put Blosom's halter on, she knows it's time to go to work greeting people, and one of the best things I love about this big cow is she makes people smile. But now when I get to tell them they are looking at the world's tallest cow, I can't wait to see their reaction," Hanson said.
	Hanson got Blosom when she was a calf and eventually decided to keep her as a pet. She turned 13 in July.
	"My ...

US pet dubbed world's tallest cow

When it comes to finding useful places for President Barack Obama to stump with a candidate for this year's midterm elections, the pickings are slim.
	Many of the most imperiled Democrats, particularly Senate incumbents, are running in typically Republican states where Obama is deeply unpopular. Few of those Democrats invoke the president's name except to distance themselves from him.
	So when Obama campaigns with Connecticut Gov Daniel Malloy today, it is an opportunity for Obama to also demonstrate he remains politically relevant.
	The November 4 vote is called a midterm election because it falls halfway through a president's four years in office. This year's election is especially important because the Republicans will almost certainly retain control of the House and need only six seats to gain control of the Senate, some that seems increasingly likely.
	Obama is planning a major campaign push in seven governor's races across the country, where Democrats' prospects are looking up, .

Obama plans push to help 7 Dem governor hopefuls

A car bombing during a local security force operation and an insurgent ambush killed 10 people across Afghanistan, officials said today.
	The deadliest attack, the car bombing, struck Afghan soldiers during an operation targeting the hideout of suspected suicide bombers in the eastern province of Khost late last night, according to a statement from the provincial governor's office.
	Soldiers killed three suspected suicide bombers, including a woman, during the assault, the statement said. After the assault, a car bomb in the compound exploded, killing eight soldiers and wounding five, it said. The statement did not say why or how the bomb exploded.
	Khost province is one of Afghanistan's eastern provinces bordering Pakistan where suicide bombers and other militants, including the Haqqani network, are active.
	In Helmand province last night, gunmen ambushed and killed Nad Ali district chief Mohammad Anwar Khan and his guard, said Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor. Zwak 

Insurgent attacks kill 10 across Afghanistan

Hong Kong police battling activists for control of an underpass in the dead of night today sparked public anger after officers were seen kicking a handcuffed protester in the worst violence since street demonstrations for greater democracy began more than two weeks ago.
	Officers armed with riot shields, batons and pepper spray knocked activists to the ground, dragging dozens away, and tore down barricades protesters used as roadblocks around the underpass outside the government's headquarters.
	Outrage over their aggressive tactics exploded after local TV showed half a dozen officers taking the protester around a dark corner and kicking him on the ground. It's unclear what provoked the attack. Local Now TV showed footage of him splashing water on officers beforehand.
	"Hong Kong police have gone insane today, carrying out their own punishment in private," said pro-democracy lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan. "Hong Kong's values and its rule of law really have been completely destroyed by police 

Hong Kong police attack on activist sparks anger

The brother of a well-known Shiite cleric says the sheik has been sentenced to death by a court in Saudi Arabia.
	Sheik Nimr al-Nimr's brother, Mohammed al-Nimr, announced the verdict today on Twitter. He also wrote that the family would release a statement with more details.
	He had told The Associated Press earlier Wednesday that he would be in the courtroom for the verdict. He could not be immediately reached again for comment.
	Shiite activist Jaafar al-Shayeb in eastern Saudi Arabia says the verdict appears to have been handed down for criminal offenses over the "incitement" of Shiite protests in Saudi Arabia and neighboring Bahrain.
	He says there is concern that the death sentence of the revered 54-year-old cleric will spark anger and renewed protests by the kingdom's minority Shiites.

Saudi sentences iconic Shiite cleric to death

The first military talks between North and South Korea in more than three years ended with no agreement today, with the rivals failing to narrow their differences on how to ease animosities following two shooting incidents last week, South Korean officials said.
	The two countries traded gunfire Friday after South Korean activists floated balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border.
	Earlier last week, their navies exchanged warning shots along the nations' disputed sea boundary. There were no reports of casualties from either incident, but they served as a reminder of tensions running high on the divided Korean Peninsula.
	Today, following a proposal by the North, military generals from the two Koreas met at a border village in the countries' first military talks since February 2011, according to South Korea's Defense Ministry.
	During the closed-door meeting, North Korea repeated its demands that South Korea ban activists from dropping leaflets and media ..

Koreas' military talks end without agreement

A Thai property developer has announced plans to build a skyscraper in Bangkok that will be among the 10 tallest buildings in the world when it is completed in 2019.
	The 125-floor tower will rise 2,018 feet and include a luxury hotel, offices and an observation deck with panoramic views of the Thai capital, developer Grand Canal Land Public Company Ltd. Said in a statement.
	According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which maintains a database of the tallest skyscrapers, the Bangkok "Super Tower" will be the world's ninth tallest if it is built on schedule.
	The developer intends the tower as the center of a new business, shopping and residential district in Bangkok costing USD 3.1 billion.
	The ambitious plans, which were announced yesterday, are a vote of confidence in the Thai economy, which has lost much of its dynamism and struggled to grow during several years of political strife.
	The military seized power from the elected government on May 22, the 12th coup 

Thailand plans one of world's tallest skyscrapers

An official in Afghanistan says Taliban gunmen have killed a district chief and his security guard in the country's southern Helmand province.
	Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor of Helmand, says that an insurgent ambush yesterday night killed district chief Mohammad Anwar Khan and the guard.
	Zwak said today that the attack in the province's Nad Ali district also wounded six police officers.
	Nad Ali is one of the districts in Helmand in which Taliban have a strong presence and used as a base to launch attacks elsewhere in the province.
	No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killings, but Taliban insurgents have stepped up their attacks against Afghan government officials across the country ahead of most foreign troops withdrawing at the end of the year.

Taliban kills Afghan official in country's south

A Boston auction house was set to close an online auction on 13 negatives from John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's wedding in Newport, Rhode Island.
	The negatives feature images of the wedding party posing outside, the newlyweds leaving the church and the couple cutting the wedding cake. The Kennedys were married on Sept 12, 1953, at St. Mary's Church in the well-heeled summer resort located about 100 kilometers from Boston. RR Auction said the images are attributed to freelance photographer Frank Ataman.
	Four images are of the newlyweds, two show the entire wedding party, and the remainder show the cake, reception and wedding attendees. The negatives are in their original folder and accompanied by 12.5-centimeter x 10-centimeter printouts.
	Life magazine chronicled the high society wedding, which drew some 700 guests to the ceremony and 1,200 to its reception. At the time, Kennedy was less than a year into his first term as a US Senator from Massachusetts and more than 

JFK wedding negatives being auctioned in Boston

Last year's runner-up Robin Haase of the Netherlands defeated Dominic Thiem 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in front of the Austrian's home crowd at the Erste Bank Open yesterday.
     The 72nd-ranked Haase, who has won both his career titles in Austria, lost serve in the opening game but had two breaks to take the first set.
     The eighth-seeded Thiem, whose breakthrough season has seen him rise to No. 38, leveled the score with one break in the second but failed to recover from dropping 4-1 behind in the final set.
     "I was just too weak today," the 38th-ranked Thiem said. "It's bitter to lose in front of your home crowd but Robin played very solid. He hasn't got the fastest serve but I couldn't read them and missed a lot of returns."
     Haase, who was beaten for the title by Tommy Haas last year, next takes on Benjamin Becker of Germany, who rallied to defeat Victor Hanescu of Romania 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.
     Two-time former champion Jurgen Melzer came from a set and a service break down to defeat 

Haase defeats 8th-seeded Thiem in 3 sets in Vienna

The UN human rights has chief warned that civil society, bloggers and professionals in Libya face a "climate of fear" created by warring militias whose clashes left 17 dead in western region.
	Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein says his agency has received numerous reports of assaults targeting rights advocates in Libya including murder, abduction and death threats. Many have fled or suspended their work.
	The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights yesterday said in a statement that the attacks amount to "war crimes." He said perpetrators benefit from "total impunity" for such attacks and threaten Libya's few independent voices.
	In one incident last month, two well-known activists were among 10 people killed in eastern Benghazi.
	Violence and rivalries have deeply split Libya, which has fallen into chaos since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
	Militias mostly from the coastal city of Misrata and allied to Islamist political factions took control of the capital ..

UN rights chief: Libyan civil society under threat

About a dozen imams from mosques in all five of New York City's boroughs have gathered to denounce violent extremist acts around the world.
	At a press conference today on the steps of City Hall, the president of the Islamic Leadership Council of Metropolitan New York said that Islamic law forbids violent terrorist acts.
	Imam Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid also said that his group would start an initiative to combat extremist thinking. That effort will include online posts countering propaganda and partnerships with groups that balance public safety with respect for constitutional rights.
	Abdur-Rashid also said that on Friday, mosques throughout New York will hold simultaneous sermons denouncing extremism. He also said next month his group will sponsor open houses at various mosques citywide.

Imams in NYC denounce violent extremism

An Egyptian court has sentenced seven Islamic militants all but one in absentia to death over the killing of 25 soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula last year.
	Today's decision focused on chief suspect Adel Habarra. The decision is to be reviewed by the country's grand Mufti, whose opinion is consultative.
	A final ruling is scheduled to be issued on December 6.
	The attack last year saw Islamic militants ambush two minibuses carrying off-duty policemen in a broad daylight near the border town of Rafah, days after security forces killed nearly 1,000 people in a crackdown on sprawling protest camps in Cairo by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
	A month earlier, the military overthrew Morsi after mass demonstrations demanding his resignation.

Egypt condemns 7 to death over soldiers' killing

Chrysler is recalling 184,215 SUVs worldwide because a wiring problem could disable their air bags and seat belt pretensioners.
	The recall involves the 2014 model year Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Most are in the US, but 57,443 SUVs are in Canada, Mexico and elsewhere.
	Chrysler says a short circuit in the restraint control module could cause the air bag warning lamps to illuminate. If that happens, the air bags and seat belt pretensioners may not work. Pretensioners tighten belts during a crash to hold occupants in place.
	Chrysler says it's unaware of any injuries related to the problem.
	Ford recalled 850,000 vehicles last month for the same issue. Both companies used restraint control modules made by auto supplier Bosch.
	Chrysler dealers will replace the modules for free.

Chrysler recalls 184,215 SUVs for air bag defect

An Iraqi police official says a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a security checkpoint in northern Baghdad, killing at least 19 people, including civilians.
	The attack happened today in Baghdad's Shiite-majority Khazimiyah district. The official says at least six police officers were among the dead. Another 35 people were wounded. Hospital officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke anonymously as they are not authorized to brief the media.
	A series of attacks on Shiite-majority neighborhoods in Baghdad on yesterday killed 44 people.

AP

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