Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:23am EDT (Reuters) - Still smarting from losing the Ryder Cup in extraordinary circumstances, Tiger Woods has his sights on more quick payback against world number one Rory McIlroy in China on October 29. The world's top two players will go head to head in an 18-hole medal match at Jinsha Lake in Zhengzhou, with Woods clearly fired up by his ri...

LOS ANGELES | Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:27am EDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dwight Howard saw his first action in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey Sunday, flashing signs of potential dominance to come during a pre-season loss to the Sacramento Kings. Howard, who the Lakers acquired from Orlando in a blockbuster off-season trade, registered 19 points, 12 rebounds and fo...

Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:16am EDT (Reuters) - The San Francisco Giants fought off elimination from the National League Championship Series yet again on Sunday, beating the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 to force a deciding Game Seven. Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong delivered seven stellar innings that included a career-high nine strikeouts to help tie the best-of-sev...

By Bill Rigby SEATTLE | Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:11am EDT SEATTLE (Reuters) - There was once a time when the launch of a new Windows operating system was a huge deal for the technology departments in many businesses. Not anymore. Microsoft Corp's release of Windows 8 on Friday is likely to be a non-event for most companies -- and some experts say many...

By Bill Rigby SEATTLE | Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:11am EDT SEATTLE (Reuters) - There was once a time when the launch of a new Windows operating system was a huge deal for the technology departments in many businesses. Not anymore. Microsoft Corp's release of Windows 8 on Friday is likely to be a non-event for most companies -- and some experts say many...

Sun Oct 21, 2012 11:25pm EDT (Reuters) - The San Francisco Giants fought off elimination from the National League Championship Series yet again on Sunday, beating the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 to force a deciding Game Seven. Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong delivered seven stellar innings that included a career-high nine strikeouts to help tie the best-of-sev...

LONDON | Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:25pm EDT LONDON (Reuters) - Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) is examining whether to ditch the concept of annual bonuses for senior staff and extend the timeframe of longer-term incentives to up to 10 years, the Financial Times reported on Monday. The idea is being put to investors as Lloyds seeks to avoid the conflict seen betwe...

LONDON | Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:15pm EDT LONDON (Reuters) - Japanese carmaker Nissan (7201.T) plans to offer a lower-priced version of its Leaf electric car, which has been selling well below the company's predictions, the Financial Times reported on Monday. Nissan sold fewer than 12,000 Leafs in the first half of this fiscal year, up 11 percent on last year...

SEOUL | Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:23pm EDT SEOUL (Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) is looking to gain close to complete control of its South Korean unit by buying a 17 percent stake held by the unit's second-biggest shareholder, a move that has renewed concerns it could be paving the way for restructuring steps. GM owns close to 77 percent of GM Korea but Ko...

SAO PAULO | Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:23pm EDT SAO PAULO (Reuters) - GM (GM.N) has no immediate plans to build cars with French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen (PEUP.PA) in Brazil, the company's South America chief Jaime Ardila said on Sunday. "So far the entire focus of the alliance has been Europe and I expect that t...

By Mariam Karouny and Angus MacSwan BEIRUT | Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:54pm EDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Gunmen exchanged fire in southern districts of Beirut overnight after the state funeral of an assassinated Lebanese intelligence chief ended in violence when angry mourners broke away and tried to storm the offices of Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Sunday's ...

By Chikako Mogi TOKYO | Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:30pm EDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares fell on Monday as risk sentiment was dented by lackluster earnings from leading U.S. companies, and a bigger than expected fall in exports from Japan, a key driver of the world's third-biggest economy. U.S. stocks ended on Friday with their worst day since late Jun...

By Ayesha Rascoe WASHINGTON | Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:10pm EDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Backers of liquefied natural gas will launch the first major campaign on Monday to press lawmakers to allow the sale of more U.S. gas abroad, as the industry push for exports intensifies. The effort by the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas will include a new web site ...

By Lauren Tara LaCapra NEW YORK | Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:02pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - The tell-all book that Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) former equity derivatives salesman Greg Smith has delivered may end up being remembered more for the marketing skills he picked up at the Wall Street bank than for any bombshell revelations. Smith created a furo...

By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA | Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:51pm EDT GAZA (Reuters) - The emir of pro-Western Qatar will become the first head of state to enter the blockaded Gaza Strip on Tuesday, in a high-profile visit breaking the isolation of the Iranian-backed Islamist movement Hamas that seized power in 2007. Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani is officia...

KABUL | Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:48pm EDT KABUL (Reuters) - The global attention bestowed on a Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban has sparked outcry amongst many Afghans dismayed by what they say is the unequal response to the plight of their women and children. Malala Yousufzai, shot by Taliban gunmen for advocating girls' education, was flown from Paki...

By Matt Spetalnick and Steve Holland WASHINGTON | Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:20pm EDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney face off on Monday in their third and final debate, it will be the Republican challenger's last best chance to recover from his botched "Libya moment" and exploit vulnerabilities in his opponent's foreig...

By Scott Haggett and Euan Rocha CALGARY/TORONTO | Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:10pm EDT CALGARY/TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian markets could face a bloody opening on Monday after the government blocked the C$5.17 billion ($5.22 billion) acquisition of Progress Energy Resources Corp (PRQ.TO) by Malaysian state oil company Petronas PETR.UL, raising questions a...

By Kim Palmer CLEVELAND | Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:52pm EDT CLEVELAND (Reuters) - More than 140 billboards in Ohio and Wisconsin warning of the criminal consequences of voter fraud will be taken down starting on Monday after the sponsor chose to remove them rather than reveal its identity, the billboard owner said. The billboards, which show a large ju...

By Ali Shuaib TRIPOLI | Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:50pm EDT TRIPOLI (Reuters) - About 500 protesters broke into the grounds of Libya's parliament building on Sunday to demand an end to violence in Bani Walid, a former stronghold of the late Muammar Gaddafi that is being shelled by militiamen from a rival town. Militias, many from Misrata and aligned with...

By Paul Taylor PARIS | Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:45pm EDT PARIS (Reuters) - European Union leaders face two months of tough bargaining on money, power and the future governance of the euro zone before they can boost confidence that the existential threat to the single currency has faded. The European Central Bank's pledge to buy the bonds of struggling ...

BEIRUT | Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:38pm EDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Gunmen armed with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades exchanged fire in southern districts of Lebanon's capital Beirut on Sunday night, security sources said, and residents could also hear the sound of ambulance sirens. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the clashes, which occurred ...

By Simon Evans Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:00pm EDT (Reuters) - The Houston Texans took control of the American Football Conference (AFC) after handing the Baltimore Ravens a convincing 43-13 defeat on Sunday while the Green Bay Packers offense fired again to win 30-20 at the St. Louis Rams. Eli Manning and Victor Cruz combined on a 77-yard touchdown to give the N...

By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES | Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:55pm EDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The fourth "Paranormal Activity" fright flick crept into the No. 1 spot at the weekend box office with $30.2 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales. Iran hostage thriller "Argo" earned $16.6 million and took second place, studio estimates released on Sunday show...

By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM | Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:43pm EDT JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he didn't know about any U.S. plans to talk bilaterally with Iran, saying tougher sanctions and a "credible military option" were the best ways to peacefully halt Tehran's nuclear program. The White House had earlier denied ...

By Steve Keating ORCHARD PARK, New York | Sun Oct 21, 2012 4:49pm EDT ORCHARD PARK, New York (Reuters) - Matt Hasselbeck fired a 15-yard touchdown strike to Nate Washington with 63 seconds to play, lifting the Tennessee Titans to a wild 35-34 comeback win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Running backs Chris Johnson and Jamie Harper both rushed f...

Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:38pm EDT (Reuters) - John Farrell's widely anticipated move to the Boston Red Sox as their new manager on a three-year contract was formally announced by the Major League Baseball (MLB) team on Sunday. Farrell, a pitching coach at the Red Sox from 2007-10, returns to Fenway Park after two seasons in charge of the Toronto Blue Jays, where he com...

NEW YORK | Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:30pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dish Network, the nation's third largest pay-TV provider, has settled its four-year old lawsuit filed by Cablevision and AMC Networks over a high-definition programming agreement, according to statements from the companies released on Sunday. As a result of the settlement, Dish will resume broad...

Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:23pm EDT (Reuters) - American Tommy Gainey clinched his first PGA Tour victory by one shot with a storming 10-under-par 60 in Sunday's final round of the McGladrey Classic at Sea Island, Georgia. A distant seven strokes off the pace going into the last day of the penultimate Fall Series event, Gainey flirted with golf's magical number of 59 as ...

By Larry Fine EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey | Sun Oct 21, 2012 4:37pm EDT EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) - A 77-yard bomb from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz with 73 seconds left helped the New York Giants claim a 27-23 win over the Washington Redskins in a thrilling see-saw battle on Sunday. The long connection to Cruz came just 19 seconds afte...

By Julien Toyer MADRID, Spain | Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:37pm EDT MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy secured backing for his austerity drive in a vote in his home region of Galicia on Sunday, but a clear win for nationalist parties in the Basque Country could soon prove a headache for the central government. According to exi...

By Dan Williams JERUSALEM | Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:30pm EDT JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel dropped its annual simulation of a missile attack and held its first major earthquake drill on Sunday instead, but officials insisted the country remained as ready as ever for the possibility of a war with arch-foe Iran. School children, civil servants and others...

AMMAN | Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:26pm EDT AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan foiled a major plot by an al Qaeda-linked cell to destabilize the key U.S. ally's security by bombing shopping centers and assassinating Western diplomats, state television said on Sunday. Security forces detained 11 suspects in connection with a plot going on since June to carry out attacks in...

By Marc Frank HAVANA | Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:21pm EDT HAVANA (Reuters) - Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is alive and well, according to Elias Jaua, a former Venezuelan vice president who says he met with Castro over the weekend. Squelching rumors that Castro was at death's door, Jaua, a key aide to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, on Sunday showe...

By Noah Browning RAMALLAH, West Bank | Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:16pm EDT RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Gains by splittists and a low turnout have dealt a blow to Fatah, the dominant party in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which had hoped to paper over internal squabbles and a lack of cash with a strong election showing. The long-delayed elections fo...

WASHINGTON | Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:12pm EDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate's number two Democrat and others in his party criticized a Republican House of Representatives committee chairman on Sunday for releasing government documents related to last month's violent attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi. Senator Richard Durbin charged that Darrell I...

By Steve Holland and Sam Youngman DELRAY BEACH, Florida | Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:12pm EDT DELRAY BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney were tied in a dead heat on Sunday with 16 days to go until the election, increasing the stakes for their third and final debate. A NBC/Wall Street Journal poll h...

SANAA | Sun Oct 21, 2012 2:02pm EDT SANAA (Reuters) - Three men thought to be al Qaeda militants were killed in an apparent U.S. drone attack on a car in Yemen on Sunday, tribal sources and local officials said. The men's car was driving through the south-eastern province of Maareb, a mostly desert region where militants have taken refuge after being dri...

By Mariam Karouny and Angus MacSwan BEIRUT | Sun Oct 21, 2012 1:51pm EDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - The state funeral in Beirut of an assassinated Lebanese intelligence chief ended in violence on Sunday as angry mourners broke away and tried to storm the offices of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, prompting security forces to shoot in the air and fire tear g...

By David Bailey Sun Oct 21, 2012 1:03pm EDT (Reuters) - Former U.S. Senator George McGovern, a liberal Democrat and fierce opponent of the Vietnam War whose 1972 presidential race against Richard Nixon led to one of the worst electoral defeats in U.S. history, died on Sunday at the age of 90, his family said. The McGovern family said he died Sunday mornin...