Andy Williams mourned at star-studded tribute
Fans and celebrities have paid tribute to singer Andy Williams at a memorial in his adopted home-town of Branson, Missouri.
The Osmonds, Bob Newhart and Williams' wife Debbie were among those who spoke at the star's Moon River Theater.
Others sent video tributes, including comedian Bill Cosby and Ethel Kennedy, who recalled swooning as she once danced with the singer.
Williams, known for songs such as Music To Watch Girls Go By, died last month.
The 84-year-old's health had failed him after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2011.
He started out in showbusiness with his three brothers as The Williams Quartet, and sang backing vocals on Bing Cosby's Wishing On A Star in 1944.
His solo career received a boost in 1956, when the swing song Canadian Sunset reached number seven in the US singles chart.
In 1962, he started The Andy Williams Show, which was broadcast around the world and went on to win three Emmys. His annual Christmas specials, featuring Williams dressed in colourful sweaters singing festive favourites, were a staple of US television schedules.
"Christmas is never going to be the same to me," said entertainer Bob Newhart, who choked up with emotion at Sunday's memorial.
Tapestry
Attended by more than 1,000 people, the tribute started as an invitation-only event but tickets were released to the public after popular demand.
"He just had a way of connecting to folks," Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley told local news channel KY3. "He was a part of their weddings and celebrations. They watched him on TV for so many years and then watched him here. Everyone has their own personal memory. That's why they are here."
The service began with an extended video montage from The Andy Williams show, before The Lennon Sisters shared their memories of the singer and sang The Lord's Prayer.
They were followed by Anthony Gigliotti, who spoke as a representative of Williams' fan club.
"For his fans, his music is the tapestry of our lives - it can soothe life's difficult moments, help to celebrate the glorious ones," he said.
Music was the cornerstone of the service, with The Gatlin Brothers singing Heaven's Jubilee and Greatly Blessed, while Williams' brother Dick performed Goodbye Old Friend, drawing a standing ovation.
The Osmonds, who were given their big break by Williams, appeared to share their memories of their time on his TV show, before singing their tear-jerker Remember Me, with the refrain: "Anytime it feels like you can't make it through, remember me and I'll be with you".
Williams' widow Debbie shared a video she had made about the couple's life together. She recalled the day they met and discovered there was "such a thing as love at first sight."
The ceremony ended as it began, with Williams on a video screen singing May Each Day, with the closing lines: "May each day of your life be a good day. And good night."
As the video faded, the theatre lights were extinguished and the audience applauded.
A programme for the service said: "Thank you for being a part of the 'Celebration of Life' for our husband, father, friend and consummate entertainer. Andy Williams memory and talent will live forever in our hearts."
Petronas bid for Progress Energy Resources blocked
Canada has blocked a $5.2bn(£3.3bn) takeover bid from Malaysia's Petronas, saying it would not benefit the country.
Petronas had wanted to buy Canadian oil and gas firm Progress Energy Resources. It now has 30 days to adjust its offer.
Analysts said the move raises questions about Canada's appetite for foreign investment in key industries.
The decision also casts doubt over a $15.1bn (£9.3bn) bid for Canada's Nexen by Chinese state-owned Cnooc.
"If they can reject Petronas it doesn't look good for Cnooc," said Laban Yu, energy analyst at Jefferies in Hong Kong.
International investment
The offer from Petronas for Progress Energy Resources, worth 5.18bn Canadian dollar, was agreed by the companies in June.
However, in a statement on Friday the Canadian industry minister said the deal was not of "net benefit" to Canada.
A takeover would give Petronas access to shale gas reserves in the Montney region of British Columbia and Alberta, a resource many firms are keen to develop.
Chief executive of Progress Energy Resources, Michael Culbert, expressed the company's disappointment at the decision.
"Progress will be working over the next 30 days to determine the nature of the issues and the potential remedies," he said.
"The long-term health of the natural gas industry in Canada and the development of a new liquefied natural gas export industry are dependent on international investments such as (the one by) Petronas."
Japanese exports to China fall amid territorial dispute
Japanese exports to China tumbled in September compared to the previous year, as a territorial dispute between the two countries weighed on the economy.
Exports from Japan declined at their sharpest pace since the aftermath of last year's earthquake and tsunami.
Overseas shipments fell 10.3%, compared to last year, the Finance Ministry said.
Relations between China and Japan have soured in recent weeks.
Islands dispute
Shipments to China fell 14.1% in September compared to the previous year. The month was marred by widespread protests in China against Japan over ownership of the islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
Both countries, as well as Taiwan, lay claim to the territory.
In some cases the protests turned violent with people directing their anger at Japanese brands, such as the automotive giants Honda and Toyota.
Since then Japanese car manufacturers have said they will cut output to China.
Analysts said along with the bleak global picture, especially in Europe, this was one of the main factors that led to the drop in exports.
The worsening of exports reflected both the global slowdown and anti-Japan protests in China," said Naoki Iizuka, from Citigroup Global Markets in Tokyo.
"Exports will likely fall even further and the trade deficit will grow in October as the impact from the boycotting of Japanese products will play out more clearly in October."
The sectors most impacted were cars, electronics and general machinery.
Recession
The bleak trade picture comes after warnings about the overall strength of the Japanese economy.
Masaaki Shirakawa, the governor of the Bank of Japan, has warned that the financial system is at risk of shocks from Europe's debt crisis.
Slowing demand in key markets, as well as a strong yen, has weighed on manufacturing and exports.
That has led some economists to forecast that growth will stall for the rest of the year and that Japan may slip back into recession.
Germany may see economy shrink in fourth quarter
Germany, the main funder of the eurozone's many bailouts, may see its economy shrink by the end of the year as the crisis bites, the central bank has warned.
Europe's largest economy will grow in the third quarter, but may experience a "slight contraction" in the last three months, the Bundesbank said.
Germany has so far continued to grow while many of its neighbours shrink.
Meanwhile, Greece's deficit last year was higher than previously expected.
Greece's deficit was 9.4% of output in 2011, the Hellenic Statistical Authority said. In April, it estimated that the public deficit stood at 9.1%.
That compares to -10.7% in 2010 and -15.6% in 2009.
Greece's debt stood at 170.6% of GDP, a large jump from 148.3% in 2010.
In Germany, the Bundesbank said: "There are increasing signs that, following a noticeable expansion in output in the third quarter, we might see stagnation or even a slight contraction in gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter."
Germany grew 0.5% in the first quarter and 0.3% in the second quarter.
Europe's largest economy is the main backer of the two eurozone rescue funds, which have been used to bail out Greece, Ireland, Portugal and, soon, Spain's banks.
Greece is already predicting its economy will shrink by much more than previously estimated this year and said that its economy will shrink for a sixth year in 2013.
US considers giving more Caribbean states more duty free access
Several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries could benefit as the United States considers whether to designate them eligible to receive benefits under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA).
Since 1983, the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) has granted unilateral duty-free treatment for imports of certain eligible articles from CBI beneficiary countries. Currently 17 countries and dependent territories receive benefits under the CBERA. Seven of these countries and dependent territories receive benefits under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA).
The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington, DC, said it is requesting comments no later than November 9 on the possible extension of trade preferences under CBERA, as amended by the CBTPA to countries not currently receiving them.
The USTR is considering whether to designate Aruba, The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis and St Vincent and the Grenadines as eligible to receive benefits under CBTPA.
It said while Congress identified The Bahamas, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent for benefits under CBERA in 1983 and CBTPA in 2000, these countries did not request benefits under CBTPA until 2012.
The CBTPA is currently authorised through September 30, 2020, and the USTR said that it is considering whether to designate Curacao, St Maarten, and the Turks and Caicos Islands as eligible to receive benefits under CBERA/CBTPA.
USTR said that Congress had identified the Turks and Caicos as potentially eligible for benefits in 1983 but the country did not request beneficiary status until July 2012.
Separately, as a result of the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in October 2010, Curacao and St Maarten became successor political entities and have therefore requested the receipt of CBERA and CBTPA benefits.
Similarly, Aruba was designated as a CBERA beneficiary country as of January 1, 1986, upon becoming independent of the Netherlands Antilles but did not request CBTPA benefits until October 2012.
USTR said that interested parties should submit comments on whether these countries meet the appropriate eligibility criteria.
For CBERA, these include whether the country is communist, has nationalised ownership or control of property owned by a US citizen or corporation, fails to act in good faith in enforcing arbitral awards in favour of US citizens or corporations, and affords preferential treatment to the products of another developed country that could harm US commerce among other criteria.
It said that other measures include the country’s economic conditions, assurances of equitable and reasonable access to its markets and basic commodity resources, compliance with accepted rules of international trade, use of export subsidies, export performance requirements or local content requirements that distort international trade, contribution to regional revitalization through trade policies.
Eurozone Leaders Praise Greek Austerity Efforts
Eurozone leaders are praising the efforts of debt-ridden Greece to resolve its financial woes and resume its cost-cutting austerity.
Some of the 16 other countries in the euro currency bloc have often attacked Athens for its slow pace in adopting financial reforms, even as the Greek populace has grown increasingly angry at the demands of the country's lenders. But Friday, eurozone leaders gathered at the European Union summit in Brussels said they welcomed the determination of the Greek government and commended the "remarkable efforts by the Greek people."
The eurozone leaders also agreed in the coming months to appoint a new supervisor of banks throughout the currency union. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said support for the banking overseer and the statement on Greece are significant.
"We have made advances on the banking union because we have agreed to have regulation by the end of the year and to implement it in 2013," he said. "There have also been advances on fiscal union. Furthermore, there's been something really important, which is that there has been strong support given to Greece, and I hope that whenever we have the troika's report on Greece, all doubts and uncertainty will be over."
Despite the support for Greece, its leaders have been stymied in reaching an agreement with the EU, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund over a new $17 billion austerity plan. The three outside lenders have demanded more Greek spending cuts before releasing a new segment of Greece's second bailout that Athens says it needs to avoid running out of money next month.
Tens of thousands of Greek workers have struck twice this month in protest of the creditors' demands, with some of the protests turning into clashes with riot police. One pensioner, Antonis Dremetsikas, said the austerity and the rescue packages have not improved life for the country.
"The road Greece has taken is not towards progress," said Dremetsikas. "It's downhill. It's a shame to be going from installment to installment. They've brought us to the point of shame simply by saying, 'come get your installment.' And under this pressure they force you to take measures. These are not measures of development. They're measures of misery."
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
London Court Opens Trial of 3 British Islamists Accused of Bomb Plot
Three British Islamists are on trial in Britain, facing accusations of plotting terrorist attacks that could have been deadlier than the 2005 London transit bombings.
Prosecutor Brian Altman told a high-security London court Monday the three defendants planned to detonate up to eight rucksack bombs in a suicide attack or set off timber bombs in crowded areas. He said the plot was “on a scale potentially greater” than the July 7, 2005 bombings that killed 52 people on London's underground train and bus networks.
Defendants Irfan Naseer, Irfan Khalid and Ashik Ali have pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges. Authorities arrested the men in the city of Birmingham in September 2011.
Altman said the defendants were inspired to commit terrorism by the anti-Western sermons of U.S.-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, an al-Qaida loyalist killed by a U.S. drone strike in Yemen last year.
The prosecutor said the plot began with Naseer and Khalid traveling to Pakistan for training, learning how to make poison and bombs and producing martyrdom videos. After returning to Britain, he said they worked with Ali to recruit others to the plot and to raise money fraudulently by posing as fundraisers for Muslim charities.
Russia Arrests 2nd Opposition Activist, Punk Band Members Sent to Prison
Russian investigators say they have arrested a second opposition activist in a crackdown against opponents of President Vladimir Putin, after the activist turned himself in.
In a statement, Russia's Investigations Committee says Leonid Razvozzhayev, an assistant deputy of the opposition Just Russia party, admitted to involvement in organizing mass disturbances in Russia and taking part in May riots in Moscow.
But the activist's supporters say he was kidnapped in Ukraine, where he had gone to apply for refugee status. A video on the website LifeNews shows Razvozzhayev shouting to reporters after his arrest Sunday that he was “tortured” and “stolen” out of Ukraine.
Razvozzhayev is the second suspect arrested in a probe launched last week against Left Front party leader Sergei Udaltsov and party member Konstantin Lebedev, who is in police custody.
Meanwhile, a lawyer for the two convicted members of the anti-Kremlin all-female punk band Pussy Riot said they have been sent to prison camps far from Moscow.
Attorney Mark Feygin said Maria Alekhina was transferred to the Perm region in the Ural mountains and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova to the central province of Mordovia.
The two, along with a third band member, Yekaterina Samutsevich, were convicted in August of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for an unsanctioned protest at a Moscow cathedral.
Alekhina and Tolokonnikova lost their appeals earlier this month. A judge suspended Samutsevich's sentence, saying guards threw her out of the cathedral before she could take part in the performance.
The trio was arrested on the altar of Russia's most prominent Orthodox cathedral in January, after they called on the Virgin Mary to deliver them from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Samutsevich on Friday filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights, accusing Russia of violating her right to free speech and illegally detaining her in jail for six months.
The women have argued their impromptu performance was political in nature and not an attack on religion.
Self-Immolation at Famous Monastery in NW China
Another Tibetan has set himself on fire and died to protest Chinese policies in Tibet.
Rights groups say a 61-year-old farmer named Dhondup set himself ablaze Monday near the remote Labrang Monastery in China's northwestern Gansu province. Some witnesses said monks from the monastery surrounded the charred body to prevent Chinese officials from claiming the remains.
The groups say Dhondup left behind a wife and an adopted son.
The highly respected Labrang monastery was the scene of deadly protests against Chinese rule in 2008.
Monday's self-immolation is the second in three days. On Saturday, a man named Lhamo Kyab died after setting himself on fire outside the Bora monastery in Sangchu.
Since February of 2009, at least 57 Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese policy in Tibet. In 47 cases the protesters have died.
China has long-accused Tibetan exiles of self-immolating as part of a separatist struggle, denouncing them as terrorists.
Foreign Affairs the Focus at Third Obama-Romney Debate
U.S. President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, are set to debate for a third and final time Monday, this time on foreign affairs.
For months during the long campaign leading to the November 6 election, surveys showed voters giving the Democratic incumbent a strong foreign policy edge over Mr. Romney, especially for President Obama's approval of the 2011 raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
The Republican candidate's foreign affairs expertise has largely been limited to overseas business deals he helped negotiate during his long career as a venture capitalist.
However, newer surveys show that Mr. Romney has cut sharply into the president's perceived advantage on foreign affairs. Mr. Romney has pointedly criticized the White House's changing explanations about the September 11 raid on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya that killed four U.S. diplomats.
Aside from debating the Benghazi attack, the candidates are likely to discuss a variety of other foreign affairs issues. Among them are the bin Laden raid, China's role in the world economy, Mr. Obama's plan to end American military involvement in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan by late 2014, the deadly conflict in Syria, rising tensions between Israel and Iran over Tehran's nuclear development program, and relations with Russia.
Fifteen days ahead of the election, several surveys show the race virtually tied, with a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finding the race deadlocked at 47 percent each.
Monday's 90-minute debate is being held in the closely contested southern state of Florida and will be moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News.