BBC News - Syria security forces 'commit crimes against humanity', Nov 28, 2011

"Syria's security forces have committed systematic "crimes against humanity" in their crackdown on anti-government protesters, a UN report says.
The study by an independent panel says civilians - including children - have been murdered, tortured and sexually assaulted.
Syria says it is fighting armed gangs. More than 3,500 people have reportedly died in the violence since March.
Meanwhile, Syria condemned the Arab League's imposition of sanctions.
At a news conference, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem described the league's move on Sunday as a declaration of "economic war" on Damascus, and said the country had already withdrawn 95% of its assets from Arab countries
The sanctions include an asset freeze and an embargo on investments."

BBC News - Egypt election: Long queues in first post-Mubarak vote, Nov 28, 2011

"Large numbers of Egyptians have turned out to vote in the first elections since former President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February.
Voting was extended to cope with the high turnout and few security problems were reported.
There had been fears the vote might be delayed after deadly protests against the interim military rulers who replaced Mr Mubarak.
Protesters occupying Cairo's Tahrir Square have boycotted the vote.
The protesters fear the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, which is overseeing the transition to democracy after decades of authoritarian rule, is trying to retain power.
At least 41 demonstrators have been killed and more than 2,000 wounded in the past 10 days, as tensions have flared in the Arab world's most populous state."

FIJI LIVE - Voice of 7s Series rugby lauds ‘magical Fiji’, Nov 28, 2011

"By Lavenia Vuadreu
The man whose name is synonymous with World 7s Series rugby, Nigel Starmer-Smith, paid a flowing tribute to the Digicel Fiji 7s team on their remarkable return to form and the guile in which they returned to the style of Fiji 7s of old.
Starmer-Smith described them as magical Fiji in his column on the International Rugby Board website saying their performance in the final capped off a wonderful Gold Coast 7s tournament which will, like other tournaments in the World 7s Series, be a very a popular event for years to come.
“It was their (Fiji 7s) new style. They made a commitment about not wanting to go into contact and wanting to go back to the style of Fiji which is about continuous attack, running from everywhere, and that is exactly what they did,” Starmer-Smith said.
“All of their big men stood up, against a team who looked a little passive.”"

FIJI LIVE - AFL Fiji ready for Oceania Cup, Nov 28, 2011

"Source: AFL Fiji
With just over two weeks to go until the opening of the 2011 AFL Oceania Cup, the Fiji Junior Tribe will be looking forward to facing the rest of the Pacific when they arrive on December 12.
Teams from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Nauru and New Zealand will be up against the Junior Tribesman who will be looking to improve on their 3rd place finish this time last year in Tonga.
AFL Fiji development officer, Glen Butler revealed the Oceania Cup will not only decide who the champions of the Pacific will be but also select the Oceania Under-16s and South Pacific U18s squads to play in Australia next year.
“In 2011, seven Fijians represented these squads but we are hoping more will be involved in 2012,” Butler said.
“This is a great opportunity to test the talent pool in the pacific and the potential for future recruitment in the AFL,” Butler added.
The Australian Boomerangs; an U16 indigenous side will be here to compete against two Pacific representative selected sides."

EGYPTIAN ENIGMA Prophecy Fulfilled, Nov 28, 2011

CNN News - Egyptians head to the polls for first vote since historic revolt, Nov 28, 2011

"Cairo (CNN) -- Egyptians streamed into polling places Monday to vote in the first election since an improbable revolt toppled one of the world's longest-serving rulers.
Hundreds of people lined up on the streets of downtown Cairo, waiting patiently to cast their ballots in the first round of voting to decide who will sit in the upper and lower houses of Parliament. The lower house will be tasked with drafting Egypt's new constitution.
"This is the first time in 55 years that I (can) vote," said Sharif Shinawi, a 55-year-old businessman. "It was never in the history of Egypt, since Adam and Eve, that we've had this opportunity. I am willing to wait 10 hours, or until tomorrow morning if I have to, but I will vote."
In Cairo's el Manial neighborhood, Mohamed Rida'a Mohamed Abdulla beamed as he left a polling station."

THE GUARDIAN - Egypt elections, Nov 28, 2011

"There have been instances of vote buying and voter coercion, according to campaigner Hatem Rushdy, but the practice appears to be less widespread than in previous elections.
There's a lot going on. We've heard of vote selling, people paying for votes, people giving out hand outs for votes - sometimes money sometimes food stuffs. It seems like it still going on. We have also heard of a lot of coerced voting where the owners of large residential housing projects have asked employees to give in their national IDs so the vote can be done on mass on their behalf. [But] it is not as widespread as it was previously, at least not in Cairo.
When Hatem voted he said two of the 12 substations had no judges to observe the ballot. But he said the vote was going better than expected and the turnout could be the highest in Egyptian history."

PRAVDA - Russia's new radar to monitor all Europe including Britain, Nov 28, 2011

"The new radar station in the Kaliningrad enclave will be ready to monitor missile launches from the entire European continent already on Tuesday, Nov. 29. The new station plays a significant role in the complex of measures, which Russia takes in response to the growing power of the US missile defense system. The radar station in the Kaliningrad region will be put into service of the air defense system on November 29, Viktor Esin, the former chief of Russia's missile troops told Izvestia newspaper.
The over-the-horizon missile warning radar Voronezh-DM is situated in the settlement of Pionerskoye of the Kaliningrad region. According to Viktor Yesin, the station will monitor the western direction on the distance of up to 6,000 kilometers. "The radar virtually covers all of Europe, including Great Britain," the official said."

XINHUA NET- Dark clouds of war shrouding Syria, Nov 28, 2011

"By Li Hongmei
BEIJING, Nov. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- In response to the incumbent president Bashar al-Assad’s failure to halt a violent crackdown on eight-months of unrest against his rule, and in an unprecedented move against an Arab nation, the Arab League has voted to impose economic sanctions on Syria.
On Sunday, Damascus slammed the sanctions as a betrayal of Arab solidarity and insisted a foreign conspiracy was behind the revolt, all but alluding to more bloodshed could follow.
This has not only sent thousands of pro-government Syrians to street rallying against the sanctions which are interpreted as the clearest sign to leave Syria in the cold and more vulnerable to the outside assault, but has raised fears of civil war -- a worst-case scenario in a country that is a geographical and political keystone in the heart of the Middle East.
Syria borders five countries with whom it shares religious and ethnic minorities. And its web of allegiances extends to Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement and Iran's Shiite theocracy. Chaos in Syria could send unsettling ripples across the region."

INDIA Today - 2G trial: Delhi High Court grants bail to Kanimozhi, four others : In the Courts News, Nov 28, 2011

"The Delhi High Court on Monday granted bail to DMK MP Kanimozhi and four other accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.
Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables directors Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, Kalaignar TV chief Sharad Kumar and Cineyug founder Karim Morani were the others who were granted bail.
Former telecom secretary Sidharth Behura's bail application would be heard on Tuesday.
Kanimozhi was arrested on May 20 and she has been lodged in Tihar Jail since then.
This was the fifth time that Kanimozhi had applied for bail. Ever since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed the charge-sheet in the 2G spectrum case, Kanimozhi's lawyer has been arguing that there was no reason to keep her in jail.
The DMK reacted happily to the court decision saying it was a huge relief that Kanimozhi would now be out on bail.
Kanimozhi's hopes for bail had risen after the Supreme Court granted bail to five corporate honchos, who too were arrested in the 2G scam case, last week."