Greece Made To Sweat On Bailout Funds

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has rounded on the country's lenders over the latest failure to deliver bailout funds to Athens.

Twelve hours of emergency talks in Brussels among eurozone finance ministers and representatives of the troika of lenders ended without agreement.

But they pledged to meet again next Monday "for further technical work on some elements of the package".

Greece is sweating on 31.2 billion euros (£25bn) in aid - suspended in the summer over concerns it was not meeting the conditions of its bailout programme.

In reaction, Mr Samaras said on Wednesday: "Greece did what it had committed it would do . Our partners, together with the IMF, also have to do what they have taken on to do."

The statement continued: "Any technical difficulties in finding a technical solution do not justify any negligence or delays."

While the strict spending plans imposed on Athens are now seen as back on track, one of its lenders - the International Monetary Fund - has demanded no let up in the commitments agreed by the Greeks in return for aid.

A major bone of contention is whether to give Greece, which faces a sixth year in recession, an extra two years, until 2022, to arrive at a point where it can raise its own funds.

The Eurogroup statement released after the Brussels meeting said it had "made progress in identifying a consistent package of credible initiatives aimed at making a further substantial contribution to the sustainability of Greek government debt".

Head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde added: "It was progress but we have to do a little bit more."

The IMF, which along with the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Commission (EC) form the troika overseeing the Greek bailout, has argued that if Greek debt is to be sustainable in the long run, it must be reduced to 120% of GDP by 2020.

Greece's debt burden is currently nearly 180% of GDP.

Options being considered to help Athens include recycling ECB profits on Greek bonds and lowering the interest rate Greece has to pay.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said a buyback programme of Greek debt on the market "will be carried out."

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Mumbai Terrorist Mohammed Kasab Is Executed

The sole survivor of a militant squad that killed dozens of people during a massacre in Mumbai has been executed.

Some 166 people died in the three-day attack in India's financial capital in 2008.

Pakistan national Mohammad Ajmal Kasab was hanged at Yerwada prison in Pune, after India's President Pranab Mukherjee turned down a last-ditch mercy plea.

Pictures of Kasab wearing a black T-shirt and toting an AK-47 rifle as he strode through Mumbai's train station during the massacre were published around the world.

"This is a tribute to all innocent people and police officers who lost their lives in this heinous attack on our nation," said RR Patil, the home minister for the state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located.

The execution was the first time a capital sentence had been carried out in India since 2004.

The Taj Mahal Hotel during the attacks

There was relief on the streets of Mumbai as news of the gunman's death spread.

"When I heard the news of Kasab's execution today, I remembered those horrifying moments of the attack," said Vishnu Zende, who was working at the train station on the day of the attack. "My eyes were filled with tears."

A senior commander of Pakistan's Lashkar e Taiba (LeT) militant group, which India blames for the assault on Mumbai, called Kasab a hero and said he would inspire more attacks.

"To die like Kasab is the dream of every fighter," the commander told reporters by telephone from an undisclosed location.

A Pakistan Taliban spokesman said: "There is no doubt that it's very shocking news and a big loss that a Muslim has been hanged on Indian soil."

The killing spree started on November 26, 2008, after 10 militants arrived on the Mumbai coast in a dinghy.

Nearly 60 people were gunned down in the train station alone.

The militants, who had originally split up into four groups, held off elite commandos for up to 60 hours in two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre in the city.

India says Islamabad is failing to act against those behind the raids, including LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, who has a $10m US bounty on his head.

Pakistan admits the attacks were planned on its soil, but denies official involvement. It says seven suspected militants are being prosecuted for their role.

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Australia: Cops Seize £154m Worth Of Drugs

A cocaine and methamphetamine haul worth £154m has been seized by police in Australia following a sting operation.

The drugs, which were shipped from China in a consignment of heavy machinery, were discovered after a "complex and protracted" two-year investigation.

Police said they conducted a series of raids on five locations in Sydney over the weekend and recovered 235kg of methamphetamine and 115kg of cocaine stashed in a steamroller.

Two men, a 33-year-old American and a Canadian aged 34, were arrested.

The drugs were found stashed in a steam roller

"At one location police recovered the road roller as well as 13 sports bags inside it," said Australian federal police assistant commissioner David Sharpe.

"In the bags we recovered 350kg of controlled substances."

The Canadian was remanded in custody when he appeared in court on Tuesday charged with a range of offences related to the importation of drugs.

The American suspect was due in court later on similar charges.

"We will allege that these are two significant figures in the syndicate and our inquiries are continuing in China, Canada, as well as our investigations continuing in Australia," Mr Sharpe added.

"But, let me tell you, these are significant players in an international crime syndicate that has targeted Australia."

The bust was the second major success for Australian police in a week.

They seized more than 200kg of cocaine from a yacht that washed up on a deserted island in the South Pacific with a badly decomposed body on board.

That case involved police in Tonga, the Cook Islands, Australia and the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

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Gaza: Ceasefire Delayed As Shelling Continues

A ceasefire between the Israelis and the Palestinians in Gaza has been delayed – but a diplomatic push is under way to try to stop the fighting.

On Tuesday night, Hamas official Ayman Taha said an Egyptian-brokered truce had been finalised and would take effect from 10pm.

But a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the announcement was premature.

The United States has now stepped in, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arriving in Cairo on Wednesday for talks with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

During her flight, however, a bomb ripped through a bus in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv injuring at least 21 people - clouding the prospects of a durable ceasefire.

:: Watch our live debate from Israel and Gaza on the crisis

Mrs Clinton vowed to work on a truce between the two sides.

She said: "In the days ahead, the United States will work with our partners here in Israel and across the region toward an outcome that bolsters security for the people of Israel, improves conditions for the people of Gaza and moves toward a comprehensive peace for all people of the region."

The remains of government building in Gaza City

She arrived from Israel where she earlier met with Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem, while also travelling to the West Bank city of Ramallah for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who told her "Egypt was the key to everything".

Hours later, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon arrived in the Egyptian capital for talks with Mr Morsi and said there were "many details to work out" before an agreement could be reached. to end the conflict.

"I am particularly concerned about the spiral of violence at the time of intense efforts to reach a ceasefire," he said.

"We all know there are many details to work out, but what that happens civilians continue to die," he added.

Mr Netanyahu told Mrs Clinton that he was ready to agree to a "long-term solution" as long as the rocket attacks from Gaza stopped.

A senior Hamas official told reporters that a key sticking point in the negotiations was the timing of when Israel would begin easing its six-year blockade of Gaza.

Earlier, Pope Benedict XVI also spoke of his concern of the escalating violence.

"Hatred and violence are not the solution," he said, adding that he encouraged "the initiatives and efforts of those who are trying to reach a ceasefire and promote negotiations".

A rocket fired from Gaza hit an apartment building near Tel Aviv

Meanwhile, Iran announced it was providing military and financial assistance to the Palestinians.

"We are proud to defend the people of Palestine and Hamas ... and that our assistance to them has been both financial and military," said Iran's parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani.

Israel continued its bombardment of Gaza striking more than 100 targets, killing six Palestinians. These included a two-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl, according to reports.

Some 30 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel. The Iron Dome system intercepted 14 of them..

Israel launched the offensive one week ago in an attempt to end months of rocket attacks out of the Hamas-run territory, which lies on Israel's southern flank.

After assassinating Hamas' military chief, it has carried out a campaign of airstrikes, targeting rocket launchers, storage sites and wanted militants.

The campaign has killed more than 140 Palestinians and wounded hundreds of others.

Five Israelis have been killed by rocket fire, including a soldier and a civilian contractor.

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San Francisco Politicians Outlaw Public Nudity

Officials in San Francisco have banned most public nudity - despite protests in the famously free and easy Californian city.

The 6-5 vote means going around fully naked will be prohibited in most public places including streets, pavements and public transport.

City supervisor Scott Wiener introduced the measure after a growing number of complaints about nudity in the city's predominantly gay Castro District.

The area is home to the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s, and is regarded as one of the most free-thinking neighbourhoods in the famously liberal city.

"Free expression in the abstract is really nice ... until it comes to your neighbourhood," Mr Wiener said. "I guarantee people would not have waited as long as we waited in the Castro."

A small group of protesters had gathered outside City Hall for the meeting and, within seconds of the law being approved, one of the women took her clothes off.

Protestor Gypsy Taub took her clothes off inside City Hall

Several other protesters followed her example, with some entering City Hall before coming back outside.

Mr Wiener had said beforehand he expected the measure be approved, while stressing nudity would still be allowed on San Francisco's beaches and at various festivals and parades.

The law will ban anyone over five years old from exposing his or her genitals in public, with fines starting at $100 (£62) for a first offence, but rising to $500 (£314) and a year in prison for a third offence.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, who will have to approve the measure for it to become law, said he backed the change.

"We're talking about much more than just First Amendment rights. People have gone overboard with their exhibitionism," he said.

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Ex-Boxing Champ Hector Camacho Shot In Face

Three-times boxing world champion Hector "Macho" Camacho could be left paralysed after he was shot in the face while sitting in a car.

Another man died in the attack after at least one gunman opened fire on the vehicle in the Puerto Rican city of Bayamon, according to a statement from police.

Camacho, 50, was taken to San Juan's Centro Medico trauma centre, where he was in critical but stable condition and expected to survive, said Dr Ernesto Torres.

The bullet apparently struck him in the jaw, but exited his head and lodged in his right shoulder, fracturing two vertebrae.

Dr Torres said Camacho, who was plagued by drug and alcohol problems during his career, could be paralysed after the shooting.

He said: "Camacho's condition is extremely delicate. His physical condition will help him, but we will see."

No arrests have been made in the shooting.

Camacho (L) with son Hector Jr, who is also a professional boxer

Camacho's spokesman Steve Tannenbaum said he was told by friends at the hospital that the boxer would make it.

He said: "This guy is a cat with nine lives. He's been through so much - if anybody can pull through, it will be him."

The fighter's last title bout came against then-welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya in 1997, when he lost on a unanimous decision.

Mr Tannenbaum said Camacho was going to fight two years ago in Denmark until his opponent pulled out - but they were looking at a possible bout in 2013.

"We were talking comeback even though he is 50 - I felt he was capable of it."

Camacho was born in Bayamon, one of the cities that make up the San Juan metropolitan area. He won super lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight world titles in the 1980s.

Camacho's last title fight ended with defeat by Oscar de la Hoya in 1997

He fought high-profile bouts in his career against Felix Trinidad, Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard, whose career he ended with a 1997 knockout.

Camacho had a career record of 79-5-3, with his most recent fight coming in 2009.

He has battled drug, alcohol and other problems since the prime of his boxing career and was sentenced in 2007 to seven years in prison for the burglary of a computer store in Mississippi.

While arresting him on the burglary charge in January 2005, police also found the drug ecstasy.

A judge eventually suspended all but one year of the sentence and gave Camacho probation. He served two weeks in jail after violating his probation conditions.

His wife filed domestic abuse complaints against him twice and filed for divorce several years ago.

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Ten Die In Yemeni Military Plane Crash

All 10 people on board a Yemeni military transport plane have been killed in a crash near Sana'a airport.

The plane came down in an abandoned market in the Hasaba district near the Yemeni capital after a problem was reported, an official said.

"The plane tried to land in an empty space in Hasaba, but because of a technical problem it crashed and 10 of the crew died," the official said.

Crowds gathered as ambulances raced to the scene.

Witnesses said that the Antonov plane was completely burnt out and that thick black smoke surrounded the area.

In October last year, a Yemeni military plane crash-landed at an air base in the south of the country, killing nine passengers including eight Syrian engineers.

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Obama Asked To Skip Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon

President Barack Obama is due to pardon the national Thanksgiving turkey later today, despite a request from Peta to skip the tradition.

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says the annual event is "sorely outdated".

In a letter to the White House, Peta president Ingrid Newkirk wrote: "Turkeys do not need to be 'pardoned' - they are not guilty of anything other than being born into a world of prejudice.

"They are innocents who should be respected for who they are: good mothers, smart birds, and interesting animals."

The group suggested a vegetarian alternative for the Obama family's Thanksgiving meal.

Cobbler and Gobbler meet the press at an event on Tuesday

"This year, we encourage you to forgo this event, which so many Americans find offensive, and choose a delicious, healthy Tofurky roast for your family's holiday table," Ms Newkirk added.

The annual White House ceremony takes place in the Rose Garden.

This year, for the first time, the American public had a say in which of two birds will be the national Thanksgiving turkey by voting on the White House Facebook page.

The decision was between Cobbler and Gobbler, who were born on the same day on a farm in Rockingham County in Virginia.

President Obama pardoned both turkeys last year.

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Israel: Explosion On Tel Aviv Bus Hurts 21

At least 21 people have been injured in a bomb blast on a bus in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

The explosion took place across from the military headquarters - on the eighth day of an Israeli offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza - jeopardising frantic diplomatic negotiations to secure a truce.

Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, immediately condemned the explosion as a "terrorist attack".

Israeli deputy prime minister Silvan Shalom, who heard the explosion from his Tel Aviv office, called it "an escalation".

"What does it say about the future of the (truce) talks? I leave it to (the senior officials). but this doesn't add anything," Yitzhak Aharonovich, Israel's minister of internal security, told Israeli Army Radio.

Emergency services tend to the injured as crowds gather after the blast

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri praised the bombing, but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

"Hamas blesses the attack in Tel Aviv and sees it as a natural response to the Israeli massacres ... in Gaza," he said.

"Palestinian factions will resort to all means in order to protect our Palestinian civilians in the absence of a world effort to stop the Israeli aggression," he added.

:: Watch our live debate from Israel and Gaza on the crisis

Police said it was not a suicide attack and suggested an explosive may have been planted on the No. 142 bus as forensic teams took away  bomb fragments for analysis.

Israeli Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Sky News: "We have heightened security all around the Tel Aviv area in order to also see if there are any suspects that fled the area."

Israeli medics wheel a wounded woman away from the scene

Unconfirmed reports from Israel said police were holding a man caught running away from the scene moments before the bombing, and were looking for a woman who was on the bus earlier.

The driver, who escaped largely unscathed, told reporters he had not seen anyone suspicious get on board. "I felt the explosion ... smoke was everywhere, you couldn't see a thing," he said.

Passenger Yehuda Samarano, 59, who suffered shrapnel wounds to his chest and leg, said from his hospital bed: "I flew from my seat. Everything became white and my ears are still ringing now."

The blast happened at around noon in one of the coastal city's busiest areas, near the Tel Aviv Museum, business hub, diamond district and an entrance to the Kirya, Israel's national defence headquarters.

Television footage showed pictures of a smoke-filled bus, charred inside with its windows blown out.

Leor Sinai, a resident who visited the scene after the explosion, said there was "chaos, mayhem".

He told Sky News: "Thankfully, there's a hospital around the corner so the people were brought right to the hospital. They were, from what I hear, hit with nails, that the bomb was filled with nails and little sort of marbles that kind of flew in all different directions."

Israeli police officers comb the bus and its surroundings for evidence

Medics said three of the wounded were in a moderate-to-serious condition. Some reports suggested up to 17 or 21 people had been injured in the blast.

Israel has been locked in a deadly week-long confrontation with Palestinian militants in Gaza after an Egypt-brokered truce fell through.

Diplomats, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are in the region for talks to try to broker a ceasefire amid the latest conflict during which more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the bus explosion was of "deep concern".

"Terrorists must not be allowed to set the agenda," he said.

"This shocking violence further underlines the urgent need for an immediate de-escalation of violence and a full ceasefire."

The White House also condemned the attack as an "outrageous" assault on "innocent Israeli civilians".

The UK and United States' sentiments were echoed by France and Russia who renewed calls for a halt to the violence.

Hamas militants have fired at least four rockets at Tel Aviv in the past week, but none have resulted in direct hits or any casualties.

The last time the city was hit by a serious bomb blast was in April 2006, when a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 11 people at a sandwich stand near the city's old central bus station.

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China To Build Tallest Skyscraper In 90 Days

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

A company in China is preparing to build the world's tallest skyscraper in just 90 days.

From the foundations upwards, the whole construction will be erected within three months at a rate of five floors a day.

Work will start at the end of this month and it should all be finished by the end of February.

It is a challenge only China could attempt to take on and it will be built in a city most people will have never heard of - Changsha in Hunan Province.

The building will be called Sky City and its statistics are quite remarkable. It will be 838 metres high, with 220 floors and a construction area of one million square metres.

To achieve that, 200,000 tons of steel will be used.

There will be space for 31,000 people inside, who will be able to move up and down with the help of 104 high speed lifts.

Some 83% of the building will be for residential use, with room for 17,400 people.

It will be taller than Dubai's Burj Khalifa

It will also contain a hotel with a capacity for 1,000.

There will be schools educating up to 4,600 children and a hospital which will treat 1,400 patients.

Only 3% of the building will be for office use. Any remaining space will be shops and restaurants.

The building will be just a few metres taller than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai but will be constructed at a fraction of the cost.

The company behind it, Broad Sustainable Building (BSB), specialises in prefabricated modular technology which allows them to cut costs significantly.

The Burj in Dubai cost £9,500 per square metre, whereas Sky City will cost just £950 per square metre.

Some of the same team who built the Burj will work on this new project.

It is not the first seemingly impossible, fast construction project by the company. In January, they built a 30-story hotel in just 15 days and it is still standing.

Any concerns that the speed of construction will seriously jeopardise the safety of Sky City have been refuted by the company.

BSB claim that the building will be state-of-the-art in every respect. It will be resistant to fire for up to 15 minutes and will, they claim, even be able to withstand magnitude nine earthquakes.

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