Colombia unveils Farc plot to kill ex-president Uribe
The Colombian government says it has unveiled a plot by the country's largest rebel group, the Farc, to kill the former president, Alvaro Uribe.
Defence Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon said the assassination was due to be carried out by a rebel column operating in central Colombia.
Mr Pinzon said security around the former president had been reinforced.
Mr Uribe is an outspoken critic of the current peace process between the rebels and the government.
Mr Pinzon said he had met Mr Uribe, who is running for the Senate in next year's elections, to inform him of the threat.
The assassination was being plotted by the Farc's Teofilo Forero Mobile Column, under the command of a rebel known as Paisa, said Mr Pinzon.
Mr Uribe's father was killed by the Farc in 1983 in a failed kidnapping attempt.
During Mr Uribe's two terms in office, from 2002 to 20010, the Colombian army inflicted heavy defeats on the rebels.
The peace talks were launched a year ago in the Cuban capital, Havana.
They are aimed at ending five decades of bloody conflict, with the left-wing rebels agreeing to give up their armed struggle and join the legal political process.
Agreement has been reached so far on land reform and political participation - two of the six issues being discussed.
The other four items on the peace agenda are disarmament, illicit drugs, rights of the victims and peace deal implementation.
But fighting has carried on despite the talks. President Juan Manuel Santos's government has refused to agree to a ceasefire, as requested by the rebels, saying it would only help them regroup and rearm.
Five decades of internal conflict in Colombia have led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
A study by Colombia's National Centre for Historical Memory suggests 220,000 people have died in the violence.
Venezuelan President Maduro 'to expand price controls'
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says he plans to extend price controls to all consumer goods, if he is given powers to govern by decree.
In a televised address, Mr Maduro said that he wanted to set legal limits on businesses' profit margins.
His announcement followed the seizure on Saturday of shops accused of selling electronic goods at inflated prices.
The National Assembly is expected to vote this week on his request to govern temporarily by decree.
The president demanded there be "zero tolerance with speculators" in his speech broadcast on Sunday. "This is beyond usury, this is theft," he added.
On the weekend, soldiers occupied a chain of shops selling electronic goods which, according to Mr Maduro, had sold items at vastly inflated prices.
Hundreds of people flocked to the Daka stores after they were forced by the government to sell their goods at lower prices, some of them at a quarter of the price listed earlier in the week.
Chiefs' Dwayne Bowe arrested
Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was arrested early Sunday by police in Riverside, Mo., for possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) and speeding.
Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said on a Kansas City radio station Tuesday that he was aware of the incident but wouldn't comment further.
News of Bowe's arrest comes as the AFC West-leading Chiefs (9-0) are coming off their bye week and preparing to play the division rival Broncos (8-1) on Sunday night in Denver.
Bowe, who signed a five-year, $56 million contract with the Chiefs last offseason, is second on the team with 33 receptions and third with 369 receiving yards.
According to a statement released by police, Bowe was pulled over shortly before midnight on Saturday for doing 48 mph in a 35 mph zone. The officer detected the strong odor of marijuana coming from the car. After a subsequent search by a police K-9 dog, more than 10 grams of marijuana were found in two containers in Bowe's car.
The K-9 also found 4.2 grams of marijuana in a backpack in Bowe's car. A passenger, identified by police as George A. Thompson, told police the backpack belonged to him. Two hand-rolled cigarettes containing 2.2 grams of what police believe to be marijuana were found on Thompson, who was arrested for possession of a controlled substance.
A second passenger in the car was not arrested.
Lance Armstrong case 'done and dusted' says Wada president
Disgraced former cyclist Lance Armstrong needs "something close to a miracle" for his lifetime suspension to be lifted, says the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Armstrong, 42, was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and has admitted taking banned substances.
The American said he would co-operate with any doping inquiry but wants to be treated the same as other drug cheats.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's done and dusted," said Wada chief John Fahey.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) imposed Armstrong's ban in August last year, later accusing him of conducting "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme sport has ever seen".
Fahey says only Usada can reopen Armstrong's case and there would have to be an "enormously powerful reason" for it to do so.
The Australian said: "He did what he did. He did not co-operate, did not defend the charges. He was dealt with by proper process and the reasoned decision released by Usada was irrefutable.
"It would take something close to a miracle to see it change in his case."
Armstrong said on Monday he would testify with "100% transparency and honesty" at any inquiry into doping by the UCI, cycling's governing body, as long as his punishment is the same as other guilty parties.
Source-BBC
Fifa will use Swiss laboratory to test samples for 2014 World Cup
Fifa has decided to use an accredited laboratory in Switzerland to analyse player blood and urine samples for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Brazil, which hosts the World Cup next summer, does not have a functioning anti-doping laboratory.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) revoked the status of the current lab in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year.
As the lab cannot be re-accredited in time for next summer, samples will be flown to Lausanne.
Fifa said in a statement: "For next year's World Cup, Fifa and Wada will ensure the best possible analysis of urine and blood samples and the proper implementation of the new strategy in the fight against doping by means of the steroid module of the athlete biological passport.
"Fifa is now taking the necessary logistical steps for the shipment of samples overseas."
Jamaica lost way on doping - Wada chief John Fahey
The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) says Jamaica has "lost its way" on drug testing for athletes.
His comments come after the country's senior drug tester said recent failed tests might be the "tip of an iceberg".
Wada president John Fahey was also critical of the attitude towards drug testing in Kenya, which has also had a number of recent failed tests.
But he admitted: "There is no power whatsoever for Wada under our code to compel anyone to do certain things."
Concerns over Jamaica's drugs testing regime were raised after former Jadco (the country's anti-doping commission) executive director Renee Anne Shirley said the agency had conducted only one out-of-competition test in the six months leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Her revelation followed a series of positive tests for Jamaican athletes and resulted in Wada visiting the country at the end of October to assess its doping policies.
Former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell, three-time Olympic gold medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown and Olympic relay gold medallist Sherone Simpson are among six Jamaicans who have tested positive this year.
Wada officials are due to discuss their visit to Jamaica at an executive board meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday and they could make a series of recommendations to improve the Caribbean island's anti-doping policies.
Source-BBC
Kevin Durant Scores 33, Thunder Clip Wizards In OT
Kevin Durant scored 33 points, including a game-levelling three-pointer late in regulation and the go-ahead foul shots in overtime to send the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Washington Wizards 106-105 on Sunday.
John Wall missed a driving layup attempt at the buzzer for Washington, who were seeking their third straight win. Bradley Beal scored a career-high 34 points for the Wizards.
Oklahoma City trailed 92-82 with 3:26 left with the fourth quarter, but went on a 14-4 run. Durant capped the burst with a straightaway three-pointer with 13.6 seconds left.
Minnesota's Kevin Martin scored 27 points and Kevin Love had 18 of his 25 points during a 47-point first quarter as the Timberwolves ended a 22-game losing streak against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 113-90 win.
Ricky Rubio had 12 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who hadn't beaten the Lakers since March 6, 2007. Minnesota took a 28-point lead during the highest-scoring quarter in franchise history and maintained a healthy advantage all night in their first win over the Lakers at Staples Center since December 2, 2005.
Steve Blake scored 19 points with five three-pointers and Jodie Meeks added 16 for the Lakers, who have lost five of seven.
At Phoenix, Eric Bledsoe scored 24 points and Markieff Morris came off the bench to score 23 as the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 101-94.
Morris shot nine of 12 and has gone 30 for 38 from the field over his past three games while averaging 24.7 points in that span.
Gerald Green scored 15 points and Goran Dragic added 12 for the Suns, who have won four of five.
Suns coach Jeff Hornacek became the first coach in club history to win his first four home games.
Jason Smith scored 22 points, while Jrue Holiday and Anthony Morrow each had 16 for the Pelicans.
Danny Green had 24 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for San Antonio as the Spurs pounded the New York Knicks 120-89 for their fourth straight victory.
Kawhi Leonard scored 18 points and Tony Parker had 17 in a game that was close for about three minutes. San Antonio scored the first 10 points, led by as many as 37 and were in complete control in between.
Tim Duncan took just four shots, but finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds as San Antonio shot 54 percent.
Carmelo Anthony and Andrea Bargnani both scored 16 for the Knicks.
Source-AP
Cuban leaders eye new port as economic lifeline
Life still moves slowly in this small, dusty town, where kids play freely in narrow streets nearly devoid of traffic and many people carry parasols to ward off the pounding tropical sun.
But that's all about to change. The town best known as the launch point of a mass maritime exodus to the US in 1980 is being transformed into a huge, modern, US$900 million port and special commercial zone.
The island nation's Communist authorities expect Mariel to become a centre for foreign investment. It could also position Cuba to take advantage of a trade boom if the US ever lifts its 51-year embargo and starts sending container ships south — something investors have been waiting for, in vain, for years. Others suspect the port's impact on Cuba may be more modest, reflecting the country's long-stagnant economy.
Plans to overhaul the Port of Mariel began in 2009 when officials determined the country's main harbour in Havana is too shallow for bigger, deeper-draft "post-Panamax" vessels, which starting in 2015 will begin crossing through an expanded Panama Canal and carry an increasing share of regional cargo. An automobile tunnel that traverses the mouth of Havana's bay makes it impossible to make the waterway deeper.
Even with the US embargo, the ability of Mariel to take in deeper-draft ships will let Cuba keep pace with global shipping innovations and accommodate more cargo. Hopes are equally high for the adjacent, 180-square-mile (465-square-kilometre) industrial park and special development zone, which officially launched November 1.
Source-AP
Iran Offers More Access to UN Nuclear Watchdog
Iranian officials say Inspectors from the United Nations could be allowed inside Iran's new heavy water nuclear reactor within weeks.
The spokesman for Iran's nuclear department tells the official IRNA news agency Tehran is willing to grant the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency access to its Arak reactor before the next round of talks with the agency on December 11.
But Behrouz Kamalvandi also says details of such an inspection still need to be worked out.
Iran and the IAEA signed an agreement that will allow expanded inspections of Iran's nuclear sites.
In Vienna, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said the agreement represents a good start.
"We have agreed to further cooperate with respect to the verification to be undertaken by the IAEA to resolve all present and past issues."
Amano also said he still wants Iran to answer questions about its alleged nuclear weapons program, though the issue is not specifically outlined in the deal.
Iran insists its nuclear program has always been designed for peaceful purposes.
Meanwhile, Iran's top nuclear negotiator is back home, touting progress in the most recent round of talks with Western powers over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sounded upbeat tone about the Geneva talks during an Iranian television talk show Monday.
"Everybody felt that considerable progress had been made. Everybody believed that there were grounds for reaching a mutual understanding and a solution, and grounds did exist. I still believe that fairly good progress was made. Let's say if we had wanted to progress by 90 percent, we did actually progress by 70 or 75 percent."
Zarif blamed the lack of a deal on divisions among the P5+1, the group that includes the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says Western powers were united in their proposal and that it was Iran, which was not ready to accept the deal.
On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the key point is that negotiations are going to resume next week.
"Fault is immaterial. They didn't agree to an agreement. They're going to come back next week and continue the discussions and continue the negotiations. We've narrowed the gaps. There are still issues that remain. And that's where things stand."
US Carrier Group to Arrive in Philippines Wednesday
The U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington is speeding toward a relief mission in the Philippines, where hundreds of thousands are displaced and thousands more are feared dead from Typhoon Haiyan.
Pentagon spokesman George Little says the carrier and several other U.S. Navy ships will arrive in the area sometime Wednesday.
"The Philippines is a treaty ally and the United States stands by its friends and allies in times of crisis.”
The aircraft carrier, with 5,000 sailors and 80 aircraft on board, will help the U.S. provide food, water, medical supplies, shelter and hygiene products. The Pentagon notes the ship can produce more than 400,000 gallons of fresh water each day.
The official death toll reached 1,774 on Tuesday, with many fearing the final tally could top 10,000, a number given by local Philippine officials over the weekend. But President Benigno Aquino told the CNN in an interview the number was too high and a final accounting will probably be about 2,000 to 2,500 dead.
On Tuesday in Manila, U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos appealed for $301 million in relief aid for the Philippines. Amos said the international response has been strong, but more needs to be done.
The U.N. says 660,000 people were displaced by Typhoon Haiyan, which plowed through the remote region late last week with historically powerful winds and tsunami-like waves.
Four days later, many have no access to food, water or medicine. Some of the most remote areas remained unreached. In the worst-hit city, Tacloban, widespread looting has been reported and dozens of rotting corpses lie in the streets.
Though aid distribution has been slow, international relief efforts have begun to pick up.
The Philippines has already sent troops to the fishing village of Tacloban. But as of Tuesday, aid distribution was slow, since soldiers there mainly worked to prevent looting and restore calm.
Photographs and video circulating showed hundreds of people returning from the hills around Tacloban, only to find mounds of wreckage where their homes had stood in the once-thriving city of 220,000 residents.
Other amateur footage showed streets that still are strewn with decomposing bodies, and dazed residents slogging through flattened neighborhoods looking for signs of life.
Elizabeth Tromans with Catholic Relief Services says there is "total devastation" in Tacloban, located on the eastern side of the island of Leyte. But she told VOA that is just the beginning.
"We're just starting to hear more and more about the devastation outside of the city. The devastation is also really widespread even on the western side of the island."
Tromans says many residents prepared emergency goods and took shelter ahead of the storm. But she said the storm was so powerful that even many of the most well-prepared are now left with nothing.
Sources-VOA