Indonesia to add photo warnings to cigarette packs

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia has issued regulations that will require cigarette packets to bear graphic photographic warnings, a long-delayed measure in a country with one of the highest rates of smoking in the world.The regulations were watered down following opposition by tobacco farmers and cigarette companies, and fall far short of those in many Western countries and other Asian markets....

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Venezuela's sick Chavez misses own inauguration bash

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez remained on his sickbed in Cuba on Thursday while supporters planned to rally in his honor on the day he should have been sworn in for a new six-year term in the South American OPEC nation.The postponement of the inauguration, a first in Venezuelan history, has laid bare the gravity of Chavez's condition after complications from a fourth cancer...

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Censors kept busy as strike-hit Chinese paper hits newsstands

GUANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - A weekly Chinese newspaper at the centre of anti-censorship protests appeared on newsstands on Thursday as a newsroom strike ended amid fresh calls for the Communist Party leadership to loosen its grip on the media. The strike at the Southern Weekly in affluent Guangdong province came after censors watered down a page-two editorial in the New Year edition. Calls for China...

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Cricket-New Zealand (45 &) 232-5 v South Africa (347-8d) - lunch

CAPE TOWN, Jan 4 (Reuters) - New Zealand were 232 for five in their second innings at lunch on the third day of the first test against South Africa on Friday.Scores: New Zealand 45 (V. Philander 5-7, M. Morkel 3-14) and 232-5 (D. Brownlie 109, B. McCullum 51) v South Africa 347-8 declared (A. Petersen 106, A.B. de Villiers 67, H. Amla 66, J. Kallis 60) (Reporting by Michael Todt; Editing by John ...

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Cricket-Brownlie defies Proteas with maiden test century

CAPE TOWN, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Dean Brownlie struck a six to reach his maiden test century on Friday as New Zealand reduced the deficit with South Africa to 70 with five second innings remaining at lunch on the third day of the first test.Brownlie fell shortly before the interval for 109 after a fighting innings which helped restore some self-respect to the New Zealand team after they had been skittled...

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Australia rue run outs despite taking lead

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian blew the chance to take an iron grip on the third test against Sri Lanka on Friday and instead scrabbled to a 48-run first innings lead after reaching 342 for six at the close of the second day's play on Friday.Phil Hughes and David Warner got the hosts off at a canter on a glorious morning with half centuries in a partnership of 130 as Australia looked to build a big...

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Report: Israeli ex-spy chief criticizes PM on Iran

JERUSALEM (AP) — A recently retired Israeli spy chief says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acted irresponsibly regarding Iran's nuclear program and accuses him of prioritizing personal concerns over national interests.Yuval Diskin, chief of Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency from 2005 to 2011, has voiced similar criticisms before.Diskin says Netanyahu tried to convince him and his colleagues...

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Argentine court rejects intervention in media case

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's Supreme Court rejected a proposal by the government to use a new legal regulation to get the top court to intervene in the case of a law opposed by the country's top media group.The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a legal mechanism that allows the highest court to step into cases even when they're being handled by lower courts.The court also accepted an...

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Mexico City seeks beauty in public-space makeover

The plan is as big as this mammoth city: Turn a seedy metro hub into Mexico City's Times Square; clear swarms of feisty vendors and remodel the historic Alameda Central; illuminate the plazas and walkways of a park twice the size of New York's Central Park.Mexico City's government is trying to transform one of the world's largest cities by beautifying public spaces, parks and monuments buried beneath...

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Argentina's fight on defaulted debt takes new step

It's been a decade since Argentina tarnished its reputation worldwide and became an economic misfit by engaging in the biggest sovereign debt default in history, yet it is still haunted by the old bonds.Although Argentina's government restructured nearly all of the debt defaulted in the 2001 economic crisis, President Cristina Fernandez finds herself in a bitter U.S. court fight with holdout creditors...

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A former Argentine economy minister has been sentenced to four years in prison for corruption. Felisa Miceli was forced to quit in 2007 when a bag of money holding $32,000 was found in her office toilet. The unanimous ruling said Miceli was guilty of the "aggravated cover up" on an illegal financial maneuver and obstruction of justice for getting rid of a police report on the money bag. A local court also ruled Thursday that Miceli will be barred from holding any public office position for eight years. Miceli served under President CrVP reads message from ailing Chavez to military istina Fernandez's husband and predecessor, former President Nestor Kirchner.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — In a message read by his No. 2, President Hugo Chavez saluted Venezuela's military and acknowledged he was facing "complicated and difficult" times as he recovers from cancer surgery in Cuba.The message read by Vice President Nicolas Maduro during a military event in eastern Venezuela offered no details on Chavez's condition and it was unclear when the president composed...

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Former Argentine economy minister sentenced

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A former Argentine economy minister has been sentenced to four years in prison for corruption.Felisa Miceli was forced to quit in 2007 when a bag of money holding $32,000 was found in her office toilet.The unanimous ruling said Miceli was guilty of the "aggravated cover up" on an illegal financial maneuver and obstruction of justice for getting rid of a police report...

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Cricket-Tsotsobe ruled out of Twenty20 series

DURBAN, Dec 21 (Reuters) - South Africa left-arm pace bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been ruled out of the three-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand starting on Friday after suffering an ankle injury, Cricket South Africa said.Lonwabo, 28 was taken for a scan on Thursday after bowling 10 balls in the nets on the eve of the first international.His withdrawal follows the news that another pace bowler...

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Tsotsobe ruled out of Twenty20 series

DURBAN (Reuters) - South Africa left-arm pace bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been ruled out of the three-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand starting on Friday after suffering an ankle injury, Cricket South Africa said.Lonwabo, 28 was taken for a scan on Thursday after bowling 10 balls in the nets on the eve of the first international.His withdrawal follows the news that another pace bowler Vernon...

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Cricket-South Africa v New Zealand Twenty20 scoreboard

DURBAN, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Scoreboard from the firstTwenty20 International between South Africa and New Zealand atKingsmead Stadium on Friday.New ZealandR.Nicol c de Kock b Kleinveldt 3P.Fulton c Morris b Steyn 9B.McCullum c Steyn b Kleinveldt 6J.Franklin c de Kock b McLaren 0C.Munro c and b Morris 23C.Anderson c Levi b Morris 5N.McCullum b Peterson 1J.Neesham b Peterson 10D.Bracewell not out 21R.Hira...

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Tennis-Robson, Watson to warm up for Australian Open in Hobart

MELBOURNE, Dec 22 (Reuters) - British Olympic silver medallist Laura Robson and compatriot Heather Watson will warm up for the Australian Open at the Jan. 4-12 Hobart International, organisers said on Saturday.The 18-year-old Robson, who won mixed doubles silver with men's singles champion Andy Murray at the London Olympics, will make her first appearance at the Tasmanian tournament headlined by former...

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Robson, Watson to warm up for Australian Open in Hobart

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - British Olympic silver medalist Laura Robson and compatriot Heather Watson will warm up for the Australian Open at the January 4-12 Hobart International, organisers said on Saturday.The 18-year-old Robson, who won mixed doubles silver with men's singles champion Andy Murray at the London Olympics, will make her first appearance at the Tasmanian tournament headlined by former...

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