Rafael Nadal battles to beat Mardy Fish in ATP Tour Finals
Rafael Nadal survived a stern examination of his title credentials to edge out the brilliant Mardy Fish in a late-night classic at the ATP World Tour Finals.
Nadal had not played a competitive match since 13 October and it was all-too apparent as eighth seed Fish fought back from losing the first set to threaten a massive upset.
The crowd at London's O2 Arena were treated to a titanic decider as the clock ticked and both men gave absolutely everything to secure an opening-day win.
Nadal eventually emerged triumphant at 2329 GMT, winning 6-2 3-6 7-6 (7-3) in two hours and 53 minutes of enthralling competition.
The event organisers could not have wished for a better start to the season-ending championship - with Roger Federer's victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also going the distance earlier on Sunday.
But the number of spectators in a capacity crowd that had to leave before the Nadal-Fish match drew to a close will raise questions about the decision to schedule the evening singles matches not before 2000 GMT.
Nonetheless, it made for a thrilling spectacle and Nadal, who required a bathroom break for a stomach problem late on, must now recover in time to play Federer on Tuesday, while Fish takes on Tsonga.
Federer and Andy Murray were among those to predict that Nadal, who took time off to rest after defeat by Florian Mayer in Shanghai, could show signs of rustiness and so it proved.
Fast indoor courts have always been the world number two's least-favourite surface and his preparations were further disrupted when he called the trainer to tape his fingers before play had even begun.
Fortunately for the Spaniard, he was facing a tournament debutant who looked nervous in his new surroundings and three poor errors saw Fish broken to 15 in the opening game.
Nadal was posting an unusually low first-serve percentage but dominating all baseline rallies, and he came out on top after a sensational exchange to move 4-2 ahead before striking again with a forehand winner in the following game.
When the left-hander comfortably served out the set with a nod in the direction of his uncle and coach Toni, it seemed he was heading for a carefree evening.
But if that was the script, nobody had told Fish and, by making greater use of his volleying skills to navigate his own service games, he was able to apply serious pressure on the Nadal delivery
Nadal went long and wide to put Fish 2-0 lead in the second set and he almost fell further behind in game six, scrambling all over the court to save two break points for 4-2.
Large sections of the crowd were now pulling for Fish and the American responded with some hugely aggressive tennis, surging to the net at every opportunity.
He forced another four break points in game eight - only for Nadal to hold for 3-5 - before rescuing one himself as he took the match to a third set.
Nadal had won seven of their eight meetings, and that looked certain to become eight of nine when the Spaniard went 2-0 up in the decider with a stunning forehand pass. It was at that point that he left the court for a short time.
However, Fish had nothing to lose and hit straight back with a delicious pick-up that died as it crossed the net, a hold to 15 and backhand winner to for 3-2.
With the remaining spectators routinely being brought to their feet, Nadal broke back to love with a forehand pass before both men held for 4-4.
Fish managed to save two match points in game 10 but showed only flashes of his previous brilliance in the tie-break, netting a backhand volley to end a memorable contest.
Chelsea 1 - 2 Liverpool
Glen Johnson's late winner gave Liverpool victory as Chelsea's indifferent run of form continued.
The Reds recorded a Premier League double over Chelsea last season - and secured three points again as Johnson produced a moment of individual brilliance to clinch victory with three minutes left.
The recalled Maxi Rodriguez crowned a sweeping passing move to give the visitors a half-time lead, but Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas looked to have changed the course of the game when substitute Daniel Sturridge equalised after the interval.
Johnson made his spectacular intervention against his former club just as the points looked set to be shared, taking Charlie Adam's pass in his stride before cutting through the hosts' defence to beat Petr Cech.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish celebrated wildly on the touchline, but it was total despair for Villas-Boas as Chelsea slumped to their third loss in four Premier League games.
And of great concern to Villas-Boas will be the fact that their high-profile meetings with Manchester United, Arsenal and now Liverpool have all ended in defeat.
The Londoners stand 12 points behind leaders Manchester City and on this evidence their hopes of winning the title may have already disappeared.
Chelsea officials insisted before kick-off that reports of the first cracks surfacing in the relationship between Villas-Boas and owner Roman Abramovich were "total nonsense", but there is no question their form has deteriorated after a competent rather than spectacular start to the season.
For Liverpool, the joy at the final whistle was a world away from the jeers that greeted the goalless draw with Swansea at Anfield in their last league game.
Villas-Boas and Dalglish left £85m of striking talent on the bench as £50m Fernando Torres missed out on the chance to start against his former club and Andy Carroll was excluded from Liverpool's starting line-up.
They only made late appearances, with Torres introduced in a vain attempt to win the game for Chelsea and Carroll emerging as Liverpool tried to ensure they would hang on to their lead.
Chelsea's first-half display was lamentable but they did create an early opportunity when Juan Mata fired across the face of goal, while large sections of the Stamford Bridge crowd thought they had taken the lead when Didier Drogba's free-kick hit the side-netting.
Liverpool, in contrast, were composed and ordered with the movement of Luis Suarez and Craig Bellamy a constant threat, especially to the indisciplined David Luiz.
Chelsea were unable to pierce the visitors' midfield and the visitors went ahead after 33 minutes when Jon Obi Mikel conceded possession to Adam in dangerous territory. Suarez then found Bellamy, whose perfect pass was an open invitation for Maxi to sweep his finish past Cech.
Dalglish's side ended the opening 45 minutes in complete command - forcing Villas-Boas to respond by removing the labouring Mikel and sending on Sturridge.
The change was rewarded 10 minutes after the restart when Florent Malouda was allowed too much time and space to run into the area before crossing for Sturridge to tap in to an unguarded net.
As the momentum changed, Pepe Reina produced a brilliant save from Branislav Ivanovic's low header with Chelsea sensing the game was now turning in their favour.
Liverpool, for the first time, were in retreat and Malouda should have put Chelsea in front with 16 minutes left, only to scuff a finish across the face of goal with Reina exposed.
Chelsea introduced their two former Reds players, Torres and Raul Meireles, with six minutes left - but it was Dalglish's side that immediately had a chance to regain their advantage.
Substitute Jordan Henderson skipped past a succession of challenges to allow Downing to set up Dirk Kuyt who shot wastefully wide, much to Dalglish's obvious disgust.
Chelsea failed to heed the warning and Liverpool made no mistake when they created another opportunity with three minutes remaining.
Adam's raking pass found Johnson, who evaded Ashley Cole and Malouda to score with great composure and give Liverpool their latest Stamford Bridge win.
Japan's exports decline for first time in three months
Japan's exports have fallen for the first time in three months, reinforcing worries that the strong yen and global debt crisis are affecting the economy.
Shipments dropped 3.7% in October from a year earlier, said the Ministry of Finance.
This pushed the balance of trade into a deficit, as imports jumped on high fuel costs.
The Bank of Japan warned last week that the debt crisis in Europe was stifling demand and hurting Japanese exporters.
Hurting recovery
In September, the Japanese economy was looking like it was back on track following the devastating 11 March earthquake and tsunami.
Exports were up 2.3% in that month compared to last year, as carmakers' production levels were back up to pre-quake levels.
However today's figures have renewed concerns over the recovery. The drop in exports was steeper than expected, with analysts predicting a fall of 0.3%.
Analysts said that the fall in demand from countries facing their own economic crises was severe.
"Exports will likely continue to fall for the next few months as the global economy is expected to continue to have an adverse impact," said Takeshi Minami from Norinchukin Research Institute.
Safe yen
The other adverse effect of the European debt crisis has been a move by investors to buy the yen, generally considered a safe investment.
This has driven up the value of the currency, making Japanese good more expensive overseas. This, in turn, has hurt major exporters.
The strong yen is seen as a big threat to Japan's economy, and one the government is taking steps to combat.
Japan has intervened in foreign exchange markets three times this year, most recently on 31 October.
Carmakers are often the most affected by the strength of the yen, as they are major exporters.
Companies such as Toyota, Honda and Pioneer have also suffered recent supply chain disruptions due to the flooding in Thailand.
Toyota resumes Japan output after Thai flood disruption
Toyota Motor said it had restored vehicle output in Japan to "near-normal levels" on Monday, after severe flooding in Thailand disrupted supply chains.
Partial production at three Toyota factories in Thailand itself has also resumed.
Last month the carmaker was forced to cut production around the world.
The flooding in Thailand, the worst the country has seen in decades, has resulted in more than 600 deaths.
It has also forced many businesses to shut down.
Factory closures and other disruptions resulting from weeks of flooding have contributed to an 18.5% fall in Toyota's second quarter profits.
The company has withdrawn its profit and vehicles sales forecasts due to continued uncertainty.
The output cancellations have come at a time when Toyota was starting to ramp up production to make up for lost output after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March.
Spokesman Dion Corbett estimates that 150,000 units of production have been lost globally since October due to the floods.
Northern Rock: Osborne to reveal EU deal over 2013 sale
Northern Rock had to be sold by 2013 under a deal signed by the former Labour government, Chancellor George Osborne is to reveal on Monday.
The bank, which was nationalised in 2008 following its near-collapse during the global credit crunch, was sold on Thursday to Virgin Money for £747m.
Mr Osborne will say the sale offered the "best possible deal" for taxpayers.
Labour said the chancellor had to start taking responsibility for his decisions.
Shadow Treasury minister Chris Leslie had sent a letter to Mr Osborne, raising concerns about the value and timing of the sale.
In a strongly-worded response, the chancellor will say that, under the deal negotiated by his predecessor Alistair Darling with the European Commission over state aid to banks, the government had to sell the majority of its stake by the end of 2013.
This deadline had never been made public.
Mr Osborne will also say the sale's valuation of Northern Rock's "price-to-book value ratio" - that is, its assets minus its liabilities - is higher than peers Barclays, Lloyds TSB or the Royal Bank of Scotland.
BBC business editor Robert Peston said as taxpayers had injected £1.4bn into Northern Rock in 2010, the sale would see a "paper" loss of somewhere between £400m and £650m.
But there is the potential for the Treasury to receive a further £280m over the next few years.
'Imperative'
That deal with European authorities "left the new government with a limited window to get Northern Rock Plc back into the private sector," Mr Osborne will say in his reply to Mr Leslie.
"Given we were advised Northern Rock plc would have been likely to remain loss-making at least well into 2012, which would have depleted taxpayer resources still further, agreeing a sale now was even more imperative."
Mr Leslie said: "It's time George Osborne started taking responsibility for the decisions he takes. He should be doing what's best for the British taxpayer, not hiding behind EU rules.
"Last week the chancellor claimed he had secured a good deal by selling off Northern Rock for a substantial loss. If he is now suggesting this was a bad deal for the taxpayer and he would rather have waited why did he not ask the European Commission for an extension?
"With the British economy flat-lining for over a year, bank shares in decline and a deepening crisis in the eurozone, he could have made the case that circumstances had changed."
The previous Labour government in 2010 split the bank into two, Northern Rock plc, and Northern Rock (Asset Management), into which was placed its bad debt.
The so-called "bad" bank was saddled with the cost of being bailed out and still owes the Treasury £21bn.
The government has said it had no plans to sell Northern Rock (Asset Management).
The sale of Northern Rock plc is expected to be completed on 1 January 2012.
Egypt protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square for third day
Protesters against Egypt's military rulers remain camped in Cairo's Tahrir Square for a third day, after the deaths of at least 13 people in violence over the weekend.
Security forces launched a major assault to clear the square on Sunday, but protesters returned within an hour.
The unrest casts a shadow over elections due to start next week.
It is the longest continuous protest since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February.
Demonstrators say they fear Egypt's governing Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) are trying to retain their grip on power.
The council, led by Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, is charged with overseeing the country's transition to democracy after three decades of autocratic rule under Mr Mubarak.
'Worst violence in months'
Clashes were reported late into the night, with the injured being taken to makeshift clinics on the streets.
Demonstrators on Sunday were seen throwing stones and petrol bombs at armoured personnel carriers and police. Security forces responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Witnesses reported scenes of panic when hundreds of soldiers and police beat protesters on their heads as they chased them out of Tahrir Square.
Protesters - some of them brandishing spent bullet casings - accuse security forces of also using live fire, a claim denied by police.
Violence has also taken place in other cities including Alexandria, Suez and Aswan.
A total of 11 people were reportedly killed on Sunday and two on Saturday, according to medical sources. Health officials say as many as 900 have been injured, including at least 40 security personnel.
A statement from the cabinet said elections, due to begin in a week, would go ahead, and praised the "restraint" of interior ministry forces against protesters.
The military council, in a statement read out on state television, said it "regretted" what was happening, AFP news agency reports.
In recent weeks, protesters - mostly Islamists and young activists - have been holding demonstrations against a draft constitution that they say would allow the military to retain too much power after a new civilian government is elected.
They have repeatedly tried to regain a foothold in Tahrir Square - the focal point of the protests against Mr Mubarak - but until this weekend they had always been removed quickly by the police.
The latest violence is some of the worst in months between the Egyptian authorities and demonstrators.
Parliamentary elections are scheduled to begin on 28 November. In all, the election process will take three months to complete.
Earlier this month, the military council produced a draft document setting out principles for a new constitution.
Under those guidelines, the military would be exempted from civilian oversight, as would its budget.
This has angered protesters who fear the gains they have made during the uprising could yet slip away as the military tries to retain some grip on power.
BBC
Spain election: Rajoy's Popular Party declares victory
Spain's centre-right Popular Party (PP) has won a resounding victory in a parliamentary election dominated by the country's deep debt crisis.
With almost all the votes counted, the PP, led by Mariano Rajoy, is assured of a clear majority in the lower chamber.
The Socialist Party, which has governed Spain since 2004, has admitted defeat.
Mr Rajoy, who is expected to tackle the country's debts amid slow growth and high unemployment, said he was aware of the "magnitude of the task ahead".
He told supporters there would be "no miracle" to restore Spain to financial health, and that the country must unite to win back respect in Europe.
"Forty-six million Spaniards are going to wage a battle against the crisis," said the 56-year-old PP leader.
The PP won about 44% of the votes and the Socialists 29% in Sunday's election, according to near-complete official results.
The PP is expected to take about 186 of the 350 seats in the lower house.
As the results were announced, jubilant, flag-waving supporters danced outside party headquarters in central Madrid.
Socialist Party spokesman Jose Blanco congratulated the PP on its victory.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Madrid says the right is headed for its biggest win since the end of the Franco dictatorship in 1975.
Parliament is expected to meet next month to confirm Mr Rajoy as the new prime minister.
'Sacrifices ahead'
The new government will have little time to show results and people are bracing themselves for a new wave of spending cuts, our correspondent adds.
Over the past week, borrowing rates have risen to the 7% level which is regarded as unsustainable. Unemployment stands at five million.
Miguel Arias, the Popular Party's campaign co-ordinator, said Spain was "going to make all the sacrifices".
"We have been living as a very rich country," he told BBC News.
"People are used to a very high level of public services and it takes time to them to acknowledge the realisation that we now are a poor country, that we have lots of debts and in order to pay them back we must reduce public expenditure and then we must recover the confidence of the markets."
Outgoing Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was not standing again at this election.
His successor as party leader, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, has accused Mr Rajoy of planning severe cuts to health and education.
"Spain is at a historic crossroads," he told reporters in Madrid.
Correspondents say many are angry with the Socialists for allowing the economy to deteriorate and then for introducing tough austerity measures.
Spain's is the third Eurozone government in as many weeks whose fall has been attributed to the debt crisis.
The socialists in Greece and Silvio Berlusconi's Italian conservatives have also been swept from power.
Earlier this year, the governments of debt-stricken Ireland and Portugal also fell.
Gaddafi's spy chief Abdullah al-Sanussi 'captured'
Col Gaddafi's fugitive spy chief Abdullah al-Sanussi has been captured, Libya's interim government says.
He was seized by fighters in the south of the country, officials say.
Mr Sanussi, who has not yet been seen in custody, was one of the last senior figures from the Gaddafi regime still on the run.
Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam was seized on Saturday. Both he and Mr Sanussi are wanted for alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Mr Sanussi, a brother-in-law of Col Gaddafi, is said to have been arrested at his sister's home in the southern town of Sabha on Sunday.
He was regarded as the late leader's right-hand man - and one of the regime's most-feared figures.
Mr Sanussi, 62, is being sought by the ICC in connection with the repression of protests against Gaddafi's rule earlier this year.
He has also been accused of human rights abuses, including his implication in the massacre in 1996 of more than 1,000 inmates at the Abu Salim prison in Tripoli.
'Fair trial'
Mr Sanussi was a close adviser to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, according to leaked US embassy documents.
Saif al-Islam is due to be interrogated by prosecutors at a secret location in the western city of Zintan, where he was taken by militiamen who seized him in Libya's southern desert.
The commander of the Zintan militia told the BBC their prisoner was being well-treated at a private house, and had seen a doctor on Sunday about a wound to his hand.
The commander also gave details of the capture on Saturday. He said Saif al-Islam had asked to be shot dead but the militias refused.
The interim government has indicated it wants to try him in Libya, and interim Prime Minister Abdurrahim al-Keib said he would receive a fair trial.
Concerns have been raised about the possibility of ill-treatment, after what happened to Gaddafi following his capture in Sirte last month.
ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo is to visit Libya to discuss the handling of the case of Saif al-Islam. He is expected to request his extradition to the Hague.
Mr Ocampo has said that while national governments had the first right to try their own citizens for war crimes, his primary goal was to ensure a fair trial.
BBC Middle East correspondent Jon Leyne says allowing Saif al-Islam to be taken out of Libya would be hugely unpopular there and, quite possibly, his Zintan captors would refuse to hand him over.
New York man arrested suspected of bomb plot
A resident of New York has been arrested on suspicion of planning to bomb targets including police cars and postal offices, the city's mayor said.
Jose Pimentel, 27, was charged with terrorism-related offences, Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference in New York.
Mr Pimentel was described as a "lone wolf" who also allegedly planned to target US troops returning from abroad.
He was inspired by al-Qaeda, Mr Bloomberg said.
Mr Bloomberg was speaking at a briefing along with New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, the chief prosecutor for Manhattan.
'Acted alone'
Mr Pimentel allegedly got instructions on how to build a pipe bomb from al-Qaeda's Inspire magazine, published by radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed by a US drone attack in Yemen in September.
One of the articles was entitled "How to make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom", according to Mr Kelly.
Mr Pimentel spoke about "killing US servicemen returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly US army and marine corps personnel", Mr Kelly said.
"He talked about bombing post offices in and around Washington Heights and police cars in New York City, as well as a police station in New Jersey," the police chief added.
But officials said Mr Pimentel was "not part of a larger conspiracy".
The mayor said police had constructed a duplicate of an explosive device he alleged the suspect had built, before showed a videotape of it blowing up an unidentified car.
Mr Pimentel, who had been monitored since May 2009, was charged with three terrorism-related counts and two other counts.
According to court documents cited by AP news agency, Mr Pimentel told police he "took active steps to build the bomb, including shaving the match heads and drilling holes in the pipes" and was "one hour away from completing it".
Syrian Baath Party in Damascus 'hit by rockets'
At least two rocket-propelled grenades have hit a building of Syria's governing Baath Party in the capital Damascus, residents and activists say.
One witness said security forces had blocked off the square, while smoke was seen rising from the building.
If confirmed, it would be the first such attack reported inside the capital since the uprising began in March.
A BBC Arabic reporter at the scene saw no signs of damage but said residents reported an exchange of fire overnight.
The reports come amid growing fears of civil war in Syria, after months of unrest.
Foreign journalists are unable to move around Syria freely, making it difficult to verify reports.
The opposition Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC) said "several" RPG rockets were shot at the Baath Party building in the Mazraa neighbourhood and that two fire brigades have been dispatched to the area.
'Message to the regime'
An unnamed witness told the Reuters news agency the attack happened before dawn and said the building was mostly empty.
"Security police blocked off the square where the Baath's Damascus branch is located. But I saw smoke rising from the building and fire trucks around it," he told Reuters
"It seems to have been intended as a message to the regime," he added.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to continue his crackdown on opposition groups despite mounting international condemnation.
"The conflict will continue and the pressure to subjugate Syria will continue," he told Britain's Sunday Times newspaper.
"However, I assure you that Syria will not bow down and that it will continue to resist the pressure being imposed on it," he added.
BBC