Russia warships pass through English Channel

A squadron of Russian warships has passed through the English Channel in what the Royal Navy described as a "routine" movement.

Nato dismissed reports by Russian media saying the flotilla was there to conduct military exercises.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the ships had been escorted out of UK waters by Royal Navy warship HMS Tyne.
Nato has reported increased incursions by Russian military vehicles following months of tension over Ukraine.

In a statement released to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, the Russian Northern Fleet said that its vessels were led by the Severomorsk destroyer and were anchored in French waters waiting for a storm to pass.
The fleet is now north of the Normandy coast.
"While it is anchored the crew will perform a series of exercises on combating infiltrating submarine forces," it said.
But a Nato spokesman said the ships "are not exercising in the Channel, as some Russian headlines would have us believe".
"Our information indicates that the ships are transiting and have been delayed by weather conditions," spokesman Jay Janzen told the AFP news agency.
An MoD spokesman said "We are aware that four Russian naval ships have passed through the Dover Strait from the North Sea into the English Channel, which all ships have the right to do under international law."
Earlier in November, Nato's top military commander said that recent incursions into European airspace by Russian fighters and long-range bombers included larger, more complex formations of aircraft flying more "provocative" routes than usual.
General Philip Breedlove said that incursions were fairly common and safely handled.

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US Black Friday quieter as bargains spread over two days

The traditional scrum of sharp elbows was notably less intense on Black Friday in the US this year.

The crowds, gathering at the US's big shopping centres, appeared to have exhausted some of their shopping enthusiasm on Thursday.
As last year, many retailers had opened their doors early to try to pull shoppers in ahead of rivals.
"The consumer clearly enjoys shopping on Thanksgiving," said Target's chief executive, Brian Cornell.
And, when opening the New York Stock Exchange for Friday's shortened day of trading, he welcomed the way the holiday season "has moved from an event on Black Friday morning to a multi-day event."
Many shoppers headed straight to the shops whilst still digesting their Thanksgiving turkey on Thursday, forming queues outside Macy's by 6pm on what is becoming known as "grey Thursday".

Target boss Brian Cornell welcomed the shift towards earlier shopping when opening trading at the NYSE

Cyber shopping But if footfall was subdued, online sales came to the fore.
Wal-Mart said Thursday was its second-highest online sales day ever after last year's Cyber Monday, the first Monday in December when many people order items they'd like to arrive in time for Christmas.
BestBuy's website went offline after what the company said was "a concentrated spike in mobile traffic."
The hope for many retailers is that the slowly improving US economy, combined with lower petrol prices, could push consumers to buy more than they have in recent memory.
Black Friday has been the top sales day of the year since 2005, according to ShopperTrak which tracks data on stores globally, beating into second place the Saturday before Christmas when last-minute shoppers stock up on Christmas gifts.

As with last year, many stores chose to open a day earlier on what is now being called "grey Thursday"

However, that could change this year as Thanksgiving shopping and online sales eat into Black Friday's peak performance.
Shift to labour
The earlier start to holiday shopping has placed even more focus on the plight of workers who must often leave their families in order to help shops open on Thanksgiving.
Outside a Wal-Mart in northern New Jersey, nearly a hundred members of the OUR Wal-Mart campaign - a coalition of unions and Wal-Mart employees - protested what they said were unfair working conditions at the nation's largest retailer.

Labour organisers and Walmart workers staged protests at 1,600 locations on Friday

Surrounded by dozens of police officers in the brisk cold, they chanted slogans like "Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart you're no good, treat your workers like you should" and waved banners.
Inside the store, however, Wal-Mart representatives disputed their claims.

"They're really not representative of our associates at all. Our associates are in here working hard and they're excited to be here. This is the most fun day of all," a Wal-Mart spokesperson, Bill Wertz, told the BBC.

Wal-Mart's Bill Wertz said the views of the protestors outside weren't indicative of most workers

And as for shoppers whose habits the protestors were hoping to influence?
"It does affect my shopping affect my shopping, I told myself I wasn't going to purchase too much," says Gary Philip, a shopper walking into the store.
"But," he added, "I couldn't resist on getting a tree for a better price."

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Pope Francis due in Turkey for historic visit

Pope Francis will arrive in Turkey shortly for what is billed as a historic trip to help interfaith dialogue in the country.

At the start of the three-day tour he is set to meet newly-elected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
He then plans to visit Istanbul for a meeting with the head of the Orthodox Christian church.
It will be only the fourth time in history that a pope has visited Muslim-majority Turkey.
During his trip Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Istanbul's Sultan Ahmed mosque, the 17th Century place of worship popularly known as the Blue Mosque.
He is also due to sign a joint declaration with Patriarch Bartholomew I, the leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians, on trying to bridge the divides between Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity.

The Pope (left) is due to meet Patriarch Bartholomew I (right) during his visit

The visit comes at a time of heightened political sensitivity in the region.
Turkey is now home to at least 1.6 million refugees from war-torn Syria, most of them living close to the border separating the two countries.
According to the BBC's Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen, there is a humanitarian angle to Pope Francis's trip.
Many expect him to touch on the plight of the region's refugees, he said.
In an interview on the eve of his visit, the Pope made his feelings on the Syrian conflict known.
He told an Israeli newspaper that the persecution of Christians in the region is "the worst" it has been since Christianity's earliest days.
Although most of Turkey's 80 million citizens are Muslims, there are around 120,000 Christians in the country - once the centre of the Orthodox Christian world.

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Phillip Hughes: Australian batsman dies, aged 25

Australia Test batsman Phillip Hughes has died aged 25, two days after being struck on the top of the neck by a ball during a domestic match in Sydney.

Australia team doctor Peter Brukner said he passed away in hospital, never regaining consciousness.
Hughes, who also played for Hampshire, Middlesex and Worcestershire, was hit by a delivery from bowler Sean Abbott.
"It's an understatement to say we're completely devastated," said Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland.
"The word tragedy gets used too often in sport, but this freak accident is a real life tragedy."
Australia captain Michael Clarke read out a statement on behalf of the Hughes family at a news conference held at St Vincent's Hospital, where the player, who would have been 26 on Sunday, was being treated.
Speaking on behalf of parents Greg and Virginia, sister Megan and brother Jason, he said: "We're devastated by the loss of our much-loved son and brother, Phillip. It's been a very difficult few days.
"We appreciate all the support we have received from family, friends, players, Cricket Australia and the general public.
"Cricket was Phillip's life and we as a family shared that love of the game with him. We would like to thank all the medical and nursing staff at St Vincent's Hospital and Cricket New South Wales medical staff for their great efforts with Phillip. We love you."
A clearly emotional Clarke then stood up and left the room.
Hughes, batting for South Australia, collapsed face first on the ground after being hit by a bouncer from 22-year-old Abbott during a Sheffield Shield game against New South Wales.
Hughes had been wearing a helmet but the ball struck him at the top of the neck, causing the injury.
He had CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at the ground before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital, where he had a 90-minute operation to relieve pressure on his brain.

Members of the Australian national team, including Clarke, visited Hughes in hospital.

But his death was confirmed in a statement on Thursday.
"It is my sad duty to inform you that a short time ago Phillip Hughes passed away," said Brukner.
"He never regained consciousness following his injury on Tuesday.
"He was not in pain before he passed and was surrounded by his family and close friends.
"As a cricket community, we mourn his loss and extend our deepest sympathies to Phillip's family and friends at this incredibly sad time.
"Cricket Australia kindly asks that the privacy of the Hughes family, players and staff be respected."
Speaking at the news conference, Brukner explained that Hughes had died as a result of "vertebral artery dissection". 
The Australian flag was lowered to half-mast over the Sydney Cricket Ground where Hughes suffered the horrific injury. Flags were also lowered at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott paid tribute to Hughes, describing him as "a young man living out his dreams".
"His death is a very sad day for cricket and a heartbreaking day for his family. What happened has touched millions of Australians," he said.
"For a young life to be cut short playing our national game seems a shocking aberration. He was loved, admired and respected by his team-mates and by legions of cricket fans."
Australia coach Darren Lehmann tweeted: "RIP you little champ, we are all going to miss you! Love, prayers to all the Hughes family."

Phillip Hughes
Test Career		ODI career
* Hughes played in one Twenty20 game, scoring six runs
Tests played	26	ODI's played	25
Innings	49	Innings	24
Runs	1,535	Runs	826
Highest score	160	Highest score	138
Average	32.65	Average	35.91

The England team also released a statement on Twitter, writing: "Our deepest sympathies go out to Phil Hughes' family, friends and team-mates at this incredibly sad time.
"Phil was admired and respected by all he played with and against and will never be forgotten by the cricket community."
Giles Clarke, the England and Wales Cricket Board chairman, said Hughes was "an extremely popular and hugely respected cricketer in England and Wales" and "will be missed throughout the world of cricket".
Former England star Kevin Pietersen said Hughes was "growing and maturing into a magnificent cricketer".
"He was on course to do some really great things for Australia," he said. "He had a brilliant start to his career, it's just such a sad loss."
Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar, who played alongside Hughes in the Indian Premier League, added: "Shocked to hear about Phil. Sad day for cricket. Deepest condolences to family, friends and well wishers. RIP."
The International Cricket Council (ICC) issued a statement offered its "deepest condolences to the family and friends" of Hughes.
ICC chairman Mr Narayanaswami Srinivasan added: "We are all shocked and saddened with the news of Phillip's passing.
 

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Kenya bus attack: Military 'kills 100 Shabab militants

William Ruto said the armed forces had carried out two operations in Somalia, destroying equipment and a camp from which the bus attack was planned.
However, al-Shabab refuted this, and said that its fighters were safe.
In Saturday's attack, gunmen pulled non-Muslims passengers from a bus in northern Kenya, killing 28 of them.
Al-Shabab has carried out a series of attacks in Kenya since 2011, the year that Kenya sent troops into Somalia to help battle the Islamist group.
Mr Ruto gave details of the military operation after attending a Sunday service at a church in Nyahururu.

"I can assure you that those behind the attack did not even take their supper," he was quoted as saying by the Standard newspaper.
"They were killed by our officers who we sent out immediately after the attack. They did not find time to celebrate their heinous crime."
He said security officials were in "full control" and urged other leaders to co-operate with the government rather than criticise it.
Kenya's ministry of defence said in a statement that a total of 115 al-Shabab militants had been killed over the weekend, as ground troops and fighter jets attacked militants near the Kenyan-Somali border, and two al-Shabab camps in Somalia.
In a statement, al-Shabab called the government's words "absurd" and said that its fighters "didn't face any attack whatsoever".
In Saturday's bus attack in Mandera county, close to the Somali border, witnesses described how passengers were asked to recite passages from the Koran and those who failed were made to lie on the ground before being shot in the head.
Afterwards, at least one local official said that pleas for extra security in the area had gone unanswered.
On Sunday, Mandera Governor Ali Roba called on the government to "reshuffle" its entire security team in the region, saying that officers did not follow up on cases and that a state of insecurity was considered normal.
"Many suspects who are apprehended are released from cells under unknown circumstances, even when there is evidence of their involvement in crime," Mr Roba told Kenya's Daily Nation.
Somalia-based al-Shabab said it had carried out Saturday's attack in retaliation for a government crackdown on mosques in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa that were allegedly used by extremists. Security forces seized weapons during the raids.
Mr Ruto said such police operations would not stop.
"We will not allow our praying places to be used as armoury," he said. "This operation is going to happen no matter what."
He also called on Muslim religious leaders to help ensure that mosques were not taken over by extremists.

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