BEIRUT | Fri Nov 2, 2012 7:06am EDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have withdrawn from their last base near the northern town of Saraqeb, further weakening his ability to fight rebels in the country's largest city Aleppo, a violence monitoring group said on Friday. Saraqeb straddles the junction of two main highways l...

By Kaori Kaneko TOKYO | Fri Nov 2, 2012 6:57am EDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan complained on Friday about a "deplorable" incident in which a U.S. serviceman is believed to have assaulted a teenaged boy on the southern island of Okinawa where opposition to U.S. military bases is running high. The U.S. ambassador to Japan, John Roos, was summoned to th...

SHENZHEN, China | Fri Nov 2, 2012 6:53am EDT SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - Louis Oosthuizen is in familiar territory after a record-breaking performance at the HSBC-WGC Champions Tournament put him in pole position after the first two days at Mission Hills. The 30-year-old from Mossel Bay holds a five-shot lead over Australia's Adam Scott and that is exact...

PRAGUE | Fri Nov 2, 2012 5:57am EDT PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas will seek to use his re-election as Civic Democrat (ODS) leader this weekend to quash a rebellion over tax hikes that threatens to bring down his government. Civic Democrat leaders are racing to sway a handful of rebel party deputies to support a tax bill that has been...

WASHINGTON | Fri Nov 2, 2012 5:55am EDT WASHINGTON Nov 2 (Reuters Point Carbon) - Climate change was catapulted to the forefront of the U.S. general election on Thursday after New York's independent mayor threw his weight behind Democratic President Barack Obama, citing his stance on climate change. After refusing to endorse any presidential candidate in...

By Njuwa Maina and Tosin Sulaiman KOGELO, Kenya/JOHANNESBURG | Fri Nov 2, 2012 5:24am EDT KOGELO, Kenya/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - In the tiny Kenyan village of Kogelo, U.S. President Barack Obama's ancestral homeland, some people talk of hurt feelings of the kind experienced when a favorite relative has failed to get in touch. Four years ago, Koge...

Fri Nov 2, 2012 1:36am EDT (Reuters) - San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers led the Chargers to a 31-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, easing the pressure on beleaguered head coach Norv Turner. Rivers became just the sixth player to complete 90 percent of his passes in a single game, connecting on 18 of 20 attempts for 220 yards and a pair of touchdo...

By Dan Levine SAN FRANCISCO | Fri Nov 2, 2012 1:07am EDT SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Two weeks before trial in a high-stakes lawsuit pitting Google's Motorola Mobility unit against Microsoft, Google made what has become a common request for a tech company fighting for billions of dollars: a public court proceeding conducted largely in secret. Googl...

By Vernell Hackett NASHVILLE, Tennessee | Fri Nov 2, 2012 12:15am EDT NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Blake Shelton dominated the Country Music Association awards on Thursday, taking home three trophies, including the coveted entertainer of the year prize, on country music's biggest night. Shelton, 36, whose popularity has rocketed since he beca...

By Patrick Johnston SINGAPORE | Fri Nov 2, 2012 12:02am EDT SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Tiger Woods said fatigue was the reason he skipped this week's World Golf Championship event in China. As Australian Adam Scott and South African Louis Oosthuizen grabbed the first-round lead at the $7 million event in Shenzhen on Thursday, the 36-year-old Woods was...

TOKYO | Thu Nov 1, 2012 9:58pm EDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Shares of Japan's Sharp Corp fell 3 percent on Friday, a day after the TV maker almost doubled its full-year net loss forecast to $5.6 billion and warned that it might not be able to survive on its own. Rival Sony Corp rose 3.5 percent, however, after posting a small operating profit in the July-Septem...

By Michael Erman and Phil Wahba NEW YORK | Thu Nov 1, 2012 9:55pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - A symbol of resilience, or tactless and ill-timed? New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to proceed with the world's largest marathon on Sunday is stirring up controversy in the storm-ravaged metropolis. As emergency workers wade through flooded homes...

By Jeff Mason GREEN BAY, Wisconsin | Thu Nov 1, 2012 9:34pm EDT GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney went back on the attack on Thursday, breaking a storm-induced campaign truce to hit the road and pound home their closing messages in the final stretch of a tight battle for the White House. With five ...

By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 1, 2012 9:27pm EDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by the one-time confidante of pop star Britney Spears, ruling there was insufficient evidence to go forward with the trial on allegations of defamation, assault and breach of contract. "I really thought long and hard...

By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 1, 2012 9:11pm EDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The chairman of the California Republican Party will not seek another term as leader of the organization in the country's most populous state, where rival Democrats increasingly dominate the state Legislature, a spokesman said on Thursday. Tom Del Beccaro, who to...

By Thomas Ferraro FENWICK ISLAND, Delaware | Thu Nov 1, 2012 9:00pm EDT FENWICK ISLAND, Delaware (Reuters) - The usually tranquil beachfront communities along the Delaware shore were prepared for the worst from Hurricane Sandy and as luck would have it, they got something less. The damage from flooding is limited, compared to what might have been...

By Ayesha Rascoe WASHINGTON | Thu Nov 1, 2012 8:52pm EDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Republican senators asked U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday for a thorough review of a Chinese company's plan to acquire bankrupt battery maker A123, saying military and taxpayer-funded technology must be protected. China's Wanxiang Group Corp i...

LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 1, 2012 8:44pm EDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B singer Chris Brown was given the go-ahead to carry out his European tour after a Los Angeles judge said on Thursday that the entertainer was "in compliance" with probation imposed for his 2009 assault on former girlfriend Rihanna. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg ha...

By Kevin Murphy KANSAS CITY, Missouri | Thu Nov 1, 2012 8:43pm EDT KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Todd Akin, the Republican candidate in the closely watched U.S. Senate race in Missouri, released a new advertisement on Thursday featuring a woman who says she was raped and had an abortion but supports Akin's anti-abortion stand. The TV commerci...

By Thuy Ong SYDNEY | Thu Nov 1, 2012 8:40pm EDT SYDNEY (Reuters) - Apple fans lined up in Sydney, Australia, to get their hands on the iPad mini on Friday, but the device, priced above rival gadgets from Google and Amazon.com, attracted smaller crowds than at the company's previous global rollouts. About 50 people waited for the Apple store to op...

By Julian Linden Thu Nov 1, 2012 8:39pm EDT (Reuters) - If sentiment plays any part, Game on Dude could be a sure bet to win Saturday's $5 million Breeders' Classic at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The five-year-old gelding came desperately close to winning America's richest horse race last year, only to be run down by Drosselmeyer in the shado...

Thu Nov 1, 2012 8:31pm EDT (Reuters) - Australian Olympic chief John Coates wants all athletes, coaches and officials to sign a declaration stating they have never used banned substances before they are allowed to go to a Games. Coates believes the measure is necessary to prevent the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) being tainted by doping in the same way cycli...

By Alexei Oreskovic Thu Nov 1, 2012 8:22pm EDT (Reuters) - Professional social network LinkedIn Corp topped Wall Street's third-quarter profit and revenue targets, as advertising rates increased and sales from its hiring services nearly doubled. Shares of LinkedIn gained nearly 8 percent to $115.15 in after-hours trading on Thursday, as the company extend...

By Simon Evans Thu Nov 1, 2012 8:18pm EDT (Reuters) - United States national team coach Juergen Klinsmann says he will meet with all-time leading goalscorer Landon Donovan after the forward said he was unsure about his future in the game. L.A. Galaxy forward Donovan has missed the bulk of his country's World Cup qualifying campaign so far due to injuries ...

By Julien Pretot PARIS | Thu Nov 1, 2012 8:02pm EDT PARIS (Reuters) - Andy Murray wasted a match point before being knocked out 5-7 7-6 6-2 by Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz following a sloppy display in the third round of the Paris Masters on Thursday. Britain's Murray lost focus as he served for the match in the second set and was then battere...

By Jilian Mincer NEW YORK | Thu Nov 1, 2012 7:55pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - Officials in New York, New Jersey and other states hit hard by the powerful storm Sandy are anxiously waiting to see when power will be restored in darkened areas and whether polling sites may need to be moved for next Tuesday's presidential election. "We're open for busi...

Thu Nov 1, 2012 7:37pm EDT (Reuters) - Nine more cases of deadly fungal meningitis were reported from an outbreak tied to steroid medications shipped by a Massachusetts company, bringing the national total to 377 cases, U.S. health officials said on Thursday. No new deaths were reported on Thursday and the Centers for Disea...

By Mark Lamport-Stokes LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 1, 2012 7:24pm EDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - For many, the most heavily anticipated duel at this week's Breeders' Cup will come in the $3 million Turf where last year's winner, Irish raider St Nicholas Abbey, vies with local hope Point of Entry. Point of Entry will break from the inside one spot as the 3...

By Bill Berkrot Thu Nov 1, 2012 7:20pm EDT (Reuters) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc reported a net loss for the third quarter on Thursday with results hurt by fast-declining sales of its Incivek hepatitis C drug, as the company turned its attention to developing a next generation of treatments for the serious liver disease. Vertex posted a net loss of $57.5...

Thu Nov 1, 2012 7:19pm EDT (Reuters) - U.S. health officials have found bacteria in lots of an injected steroid and a heart drug made by New England Compounding Center, the pharmacy linked to contaminated steroids that have claimed the lives of at least 28 people. The Food and Drug Administration said it identified different types of bacteria in three separate re...

LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 1, 2012 7:17pm EDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Double-Oscar winner Jodie Foster will receive a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes ceremony in January, recognizing her 40-year career as an actress, director and movie producer, organizers said on Thursday. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which organizes the an...

WASHINGTON | Thu Nov 1, 2012 7:04pm EDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Federal Trade Commission staff report has recommended that the government sue Google for violating U.S. antitrust law because it asked courts to stop the sale of some products that infringe its essential patents, a source told Reuters Thursday. The five-member commission is inclined to vote...

Thu Nov 1, 2012 6:54pm EDT (Reuters) - The season-opener between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, postponed because of the havoc caused by Hurricane Sandy, has been rescheduled for November 26, the National Basketball Association said on Thursday. The NBA had originally intended to play the game as scheduled on Thursday at the Barclays Center until New York...

By Tim Gaynor PHOENIX | Thu Nov 1, 2012 6:33pm EDT PHOENIX (Reuters) - Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio's hardline stance on illegal immigrants has given him a national profile. But a backlash from angry Latinos is turning his bid for re-election into the toughest of his long career. Republican Arpaio, who turned 80 this year, is seeking a sixth term i...

LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 1, 2012 6:32pm EDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mitch Lucker, the lead singer of extreme heavy metal band Suicide Silence, died on Thursday of injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident in Huntington Beach, California, police said. The band from Southern California was given the Golden Gods award for best new talent by Revolver magazine ...

NEW YORK | Thu Nov 1, 2012 6:27pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi will join Sting and other top music stars on Friday for a special television benefit concert on NBC to aid victims of Sandy, the giant storm that killed scores and devastated large sections of the U.S. Northeast. The Walt Disney Co meanwhile a...

By Nicola Leske NEW YORK | Thu Nov 1, 2012 6:14pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cable operator Cablevision Systems Corp said on Thursday about half of its 3.3 million customers in the New York, Connecticut and New Jersey area had lost power in the wake of superstorm Sandy, causing widespread disruptions to its service. Cablevision said in a statement ...

Thu Nov 1, 2012 5:54pm EDT (Advisory: Note expletives in paragraphs 1 and 4) By Bernie WoodallDETROIT (Reuters) - A Chrysler executive told Donald Trump in a Tweet on Thursday that the real estate executive and television personality was "full of shit" for repeating a notion that Chrysler is shipping U.S. Jeep production to China, which the automaker refutes.Ralp...

DOSWELL, Virginia | Thu Nov 1, 2012 5:49pm EDT DOSWELL, Virginia (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney plans to campaign in Pennsylvania on Sunday to take advantage of what aides see as the possibility of an upset win over President Barack Obama in the traditionally Democratic state. Campaign aides said the visit would likely take pla...

Thu Nov 1, 2012 5:41pm EDT (Reuters) - The New England Patriots acquired bad boy cornerback Aqib Talib from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday as the National Football League trade deadline passed quietly with only one deal. The trade was completed just prior to the 1600 ET deadline but no details were given about what New England was sending to Tampa Bay.Talib...