By Andy Bruce LONDON | Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:16am EST LONDON (Reuters) - Any partisan squabbling over the United States' looming budget crisis will harm its economy, according to a strong majority of economists polled by Reuters after Tuesday's presidential election. While most said political leaders will avert by January 1 a "fiscal cliff" of autom...

By Crispian Balmer JERUSALEM | Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:10am EST JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Sporadic missile fire from the Gaza Strip hit southern Israel on Monday for a fourth straight day, with Egypt trying to secure a truce and Israel warning it would toughen its response if the violence continued. The Israeli military said Palestinian militants had fire...

Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:55am EST (Reuters) - Michael Schumacher could keep on competing in the annual Race of Champions, to be held in Bangkok in December, for at least a year after he retires from Formula One this month. The seven-times world champion has won the Nations Cup event in partnership with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, currently chasing his third successive...

By Axel Bugge and Daniel Alvarenga LISBON | Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:53am EST LISBON (Reuters) - Anti-austerity protesters draped Lisbon statues in black mourning sashes to greet Angela Merkel on Monday and a local business newspaper blamed the visiting German chancellor for "Frankenstein" policies driving Portugal into poverty. Merkel, who landed shor...

By Richard Hubbard LONDON | Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:14am EST LONDON (Reuters) - World shares edged down for a fourth day on Monday as concerns about a potential U.S. fiscal crisis and Greece's bailout dented optimism over global growth. Adding to the uncertainty, Japan reported that its economy shrank 0.9 percent in July-September from the previous qu...

Hong Kong | Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:13am EST Hong Kong (Reuters) - The head of Goldman Sachs Group Inc's (GS.N) Southeast Asian operations is set to step down and move to a new position as an advisory director for the bank at the end of the year, according to company memo obtained by Reuters. Goldman has not yet named a new Southeast Asia chairman to succeed ...

Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:11am EST (Reuters) - The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not intend to charge any JPMorgan Chase & Co executives in two investigations relating to the allegedly fraudulent sale of mortgage-backed securities, the Wall Street Journal reported. Last week, JPMorgan said it reached an agreement in principle with the SEC to resolve ...

By Simon Johnson and Veronica Ek STOCKHOLM | Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:10am EST STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Loss-making airline SAS will shed nearly 6,000 staff through cuts and asset sales to secure loans from banks and Nordic governments to help it survive a global downturn and fierce competition. SAS (SAS.ST), one of the European flag-carriers being squeez...

JOHANNESBURG | Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:07am EST JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - World no. 1 platinum producer Anglo American Platinum (AMSJ.J) (Amplats) said on Monday it was too early to tell whether South African miners on an illegal strike will return after the company told them to resume work or face sacking. "We will have an idea later in the morning," Amplats ...

By Laura L. Myers TACOMA | Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:03am EST TACOMA (Reuters) - A shooting rampage in March that left 16 Afghans dead in two villages was the work of more than one person, an Afghan police investigator testified on Sunday, contradicting the U.S. government's account. Military prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Army Staff Serg...

By Nicholas Vinocur and Mark John PARIS | Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:15am EST PARIS (Reuters) - In a cafe near the former site of Paris's Bastille prison, activists held a meeting last month to decide whether to join unions in protesting the French government's belt-tightening. Only five people turned up at Cafe Maldoror, a favored haunt of the radical l...

By Jennifer Saba Mon Nov 12, 2012 2:43am EST (Reuters) - The New York Times Co said it will proceed with its plan for Mark Thompson to take over as CEO on Monday, despite an intensifying scandal at the BBC that has raised questions about his tenure at Britain's flagship broadcasting company. "He is going to be CEO beginning November 12," a New York Times ...

ZURICH | Mon Nov 12, 2012 2:23am EST ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis said on Monday its Certican, an immune system drug also known under the names Afinitor and Votubia, showed positive outcomes in a two-year phase III study in liver transplantation. The study, which Novartis said was the largest liver transplant trial to date, co...

By Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Alexei Oreskovic CHICAGO/SAN FRANCISCO | Mon Nov 12, 2012 1:02am EST CHICAGO/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Groupon and its compatriots in the much-hyped daily deals business were supposed to change the very nature of small-business advertising. Instead, it is the daily deal vendors that are racing to change as evidence m...

By Rania El Gamal and Regan Doherty DOHA | Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:42pm EST DOHA (Reuters) - Syria's fractious opposition finally put aside fierce arguments to rally behind a new leader within a new coalition that its Western and Arab backers hope can topple Bashar al-Assad and take over the country. After days of wrangling in Qatar under constant caj...

By Simon Evans MIAMI | Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:41pm EST MIAMI (Reuters) - A week after owner Bud Adams gave a strongly worded warning to the Tennessee Titans, Mike Munchak's team responded in perfect fashion with an impressive 37-3 win at the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The defeat puts a severe dent in Miami's hopes of making the playoffs as they slip t...

By Michael Winfrey and Harry Papachristou ATHENS | Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:37pm EST ATHENS (Reuters) - The Greek parliament approved an austerity budget for next year on Sunday, allowing it to extend its international financial bailout and avoid bankruptcy. With backing from all three parties in conser...

By Mark Lamport-Stokes LOS ANGELES | Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:32pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - With their reserve players sparking play in the final quarter, the Los Angeles Clippers pulled away from the pesky Atlanta Hawks to end a tightly contested game with a flourish and an 89-76 win on Sunday. Back...

BUENOS AIRES | Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:30pm EST BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - World Boxing Council champion Sergio Martinez will defend his middleweight crown against unbeaten Briton Martin Murray in Argentina on April 17, according to Argentine media reports. The venue for the bout will be chosen from the Monumental st...

GUATEMALA CITY | Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:24pm EST GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A second strong earthquake in less than a week struck off the Pacific coast of Guatemala on Sunday, injuring one person, but there were no immediate reports of major damage. The epicenter of the 6.2 magnitude tremor was centered 24 kilometers (15 miles) west-southwest of Champerico, ...

By Noah Browning RAMALLAH, West Bank | Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:23pm EST RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday that he was intent on seeking a Palestinian upgrade at the United Nations despite American objections, a Palestinian official said. Abbas spoke to Obama in a phone conver...

By Victoria Bryan and Maria Sheahan FRANKFURT | Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:16pm EST FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber shared the spoils in Frankfurt on Sunday at the MTV Europe Music Awards, each scooping three prizes at one of the biggest nights in the pop calendar outside the United States. American country singer Swift, who left the...

Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:13pm EST (Reuters) - PGA Tour rookie Charlie Beljan claimed the Children's Miracle Network Classic in impressive fashion on Sunday, winning by two strokes in Florida to secure a PGA Tour card for the next two years just two days after a hospital stay. Beljan fired a three-under-par 69 to finish at 16-under-par for the season-ending tournament, ...

By Martyn Herman LONDON | Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:07pm EST LONDON (Reuters) - Roger Federer provided a glorious reminder that he will be chasing more major titles next year with a vintage display to outclass Britain's Andy Murray on Sunday and set up a season-ending showdown with Novak Djokovic. The Swiss 17-times grand slam champion, who will turn 32...

By Simon Evans Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:05pm EST (Reuters) - The Atlanta Falcons' unbeaten run was ended by the New Orleans Saints on Sunday with a 31-27 loss at the Superdome, while defending Super Bowl champions the New York Giants suffered a shock 31-13 loss at the Cincinnati Bengals. The Buffalo Bills came close to producing another upset against New Englan...

CONAKRY | Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:59pm EST CONAKRY (Reuters) - President Alpha Conde said on Sunday Guinea would go on fighting corruption despite the murder of the West African country's treasury director, a champion of the anti-graft movement. Aissatou Boiro was shot dead by unidentified attackers in military uniforms as she was returning home in the capita...

By Rania El Gamal and Regan Doherty DOHA | Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:50pm EST DOHA (Reuters) - Syria's fractious opposition finally put aside fierce arguments on Sunday to rally behind a new leader within a new coalition that its Western and Arab backers hope can topple Bashar al-Assad and take over the country. After days of wrangling in Qatar under co...

By Jonathon Burch CEYLANPINAR, Turkey | Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:49pm EST CEYLANPINAR, Turkey (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bombarded the Ras al-Ain area on the border with Turkey on Sunday, days after the town fell to rebels during an advance that has sent thousands of refugees fleeing for safety. Helicopters circled abo...

By Ben Blanchard and John Ruwitch BEIJING | Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:10pm EST BEIJING (Reuters) - As the senior Communist Party official in one of China's most prosperous regions, Wang Yang is often cast as an agent of change, a potential force for economic and even political reform should he gain promotion to the party's highest rung later this week. ...

By Martyn Herman LONDON | Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:52pm EST LONDON (Reuters) - Defending champion Roger Federer reached the final of the ATP World Tour Finals for the eighth time in 11 years on Sunday after a 7-6 6-2 win over Britain's Andy Murray. The Swiss was out-hit by Murray in the early exchanges but produced a classy response to overwhelm the U....

By Gopal Sharma and John Chalmers KATHMANDU | Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:46pm EST KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Apart from a small bust of Chairman Mao beside his armchair, Nepali Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai flaunts no trappings of his revolutionary past: these days he talks of foreign investment, infrastructure projects and double-digit growth. The trouble...

By Marcin Goettig and Rob Strybel WARSAW | Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:41pm EST WARSAW (Reuters) - Riot police in the Polish capital used truncheons and rubber bullets on Sunday to break up a crowd of right-wing extremists who pelted them with firecrackers and lumps of concrete at a parade to mark the national holiday. It was the second year independence ...

Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:39pm EST (Reuters) - Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson could be on the verge of returning to the Los Angeles Lakers for a third time. The Lakers have confirmed the 67-year-old Jackson and team officials met on Saturday to discuss the job left vacant by Friday's firing of Mike Brown.An answer could come as early as Monday with former NBA coaches M...

By Antoni Slodkowski OMIYA, Japan | Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:30pm EST OMIYA, Japan (Reuters) - The road to China's breakdown in relations with Japan began here - a sleepy Tokyo suburb that is home to the reclusive real-estate investor at the centre of the explosive property deal that enraged Beijing. Surrounded by concrete walls, security cameras and w...

LONDON | Sun Nov 11, 2012 2:29pm EST LONDON (Reuters) - Robbie Williams was the king of the British pop charts on Sunday after he secured both the UK single and album number ones, the Official Charts Company said, Williams's album "Take The Crown" beat a swathe of other new releases for the top spot, giving him his 10th number one album in 15 years as a ...

By Chris Michaud and Lisa Richwine Sun Nov 11, 2012 2:16pm EST (Reuters) - James Bond can don the tuxedo and break out the Dom Perignon after the super spy returned to theaters in record fashion at the weekend, blowing away box office rivals with $87.8 million in ticket sales for the U.S. and Canadian debut of new movie "Skyfall" for the biggest opening i...

By Martyn Herman LONDON | Sun Nov 11, 2012 2:12pm EST LONDON (Reuters) - Juan Martin del Potro believes he can muscle his way into the world's top four next year after returning to the kind of form that propelled him to the U.S. Open title three years ago. The 1.98 metres tall Argentine saw his bid to win the ATP World Tour Finals ended by world ...

By Alister Bull WASHINGTON | Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:52pm EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior Republican senator voiced confidence on Sunday that U.S. lawmakers would forge a deal on the year-end "fiscal cliff," while a top aide to President Barack Obama signaled a willingness to compromise over raising tax rates on the rich. Republican Senator Bob C...

By Will Dunham Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:19pm EST (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators launched a fresh move to put together a bipartisan immigration reform plan on Sunday, restarting talks on a proposal that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country. Since President Barack Obama was re-elected last week with overwhelming support fro...

ZURICH | Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:34am EST ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis' Ilaris helps reduce patients' symptoms and the frequency of attacks in two rare inflammatory diseases, mid-stage studies showed, as the Swiss drugmaker looks to expand the use of the medicine. Results of two separate studies on Sunday in patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) an...