Barack Obama At Tense Asean Talks In Cambodia

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

Barack Obama leaves Cambodia today at the end of a three-day, three-country tour of Asia - his first foreign trip since being re-elected as US President.

After the symbolism of his historic visit to Burma, Mr Obama's 24 hours in Cambodia had a geo-political focus when he was a guest at the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian nations (Asean).

The issues discussed included free trade pacts, human rights records in the region and also the ongoing series of disputes over territory in the East and South China Seas.

China claims a huge U-shaped stretch of water including areas also claimed by Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

As well as attending a gala dinner at Phnom Penh's Diamond Island Convention Centre, Mr Obama has held one-on-one meetings with a number of the region's key players.

He met the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshishiko Noda and had what could have been a tricky meeting with the outgoing Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea were among items discussed

The two men posed for a short photo-call and ignored reporters' questions about the territorial disputes.

Mr Obama, who was congratulated by Mr Wen on his re-election, said the world's two largest economies had a "special responsibility" to work together to ensure sustained and balanced growth.

In a reference to China's habit of undercutting American and other Western manufacturers which some believe involves "currency manipulation", Mr Obama said there was a need to establish "clear rules of the road" on trade.

Mr Wen, who is essentially a lame duck, given that he leaves office in March, said the two countries would strive to tackle "the difficulties we have and resolve the differences and disagreements between us".

The territorial dispute between Japan, a close ally of the US, and China over a series of islands in the East China Sea has caused significant tension and a rise in nationalistic sentiment in both countries. 

Western diplomats have warned that the increased naval presence from both countries in the contested region could spark a military accident which, in turn, could escalate the dispute.

The last time the Asean nations met in July, the region's territorial disputes were not discussed.

China was accused of pressurising the host country, Cambodia, to take the issue off the agenda.

President Obama is pivoting America's geo-political focus towards Asia in an attempt to counter China's increasing dominance across the region.

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Pakistan Blasphemy Case Is Quashed By Court

A Pakistan court has thrown out all charges against a Christian girl accused of blasphemy.

Rimsha Masih, 14, spent three weeks on remand in an adult prison after she was arrested in August for allegedly burning pages from the Koran.

She was released on bail in September and police have since told the courts she was not guilty and that a cleric who allegedly framed her should face trial instead.

Paul Bhatti, the only Christian member of Pakistan's federal cabinet, confirmed the case had been thrown out by the high court in the capital Islamabad.

"I welcome this order. Justice has been done and the law of the land has been upheld by the court," he said.

"It will send out a positive image of Pakistan in the international community that there is justice for all and that society has risen up for justice and tolerance."

Rimsha's lawyer Akmal Bhatti said: "The court has quashed the case, declaring Rimsha innocent."

An official medical report classified Rimsha as "uneducated" with a mental age younger than her years. Some reports have also claimed that she has Down's Syndrome.

Under Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws, burning a sacred text is punishable with life imprisonment.

Blasphemy is a very sensitive subject in Pakistan, where 97% of the 180 million population are Muslims and allegations of insulting Islam or the prophet Mohammed often prompt a furious public reaction.

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Oz Collar Bomb Attacker Paul Peters Jailed

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

An investment banker who attached a fake bomb around the neck of a schoolgirl in an attempt to extort money from her wealthy family has been jailed for at least 10 years.

Paul Peters, 52, had already pleaded guilty to breaking into the home of the Pulver family in August 2011 and putting the device around the neck of teenager Madeleine Pulver, telling her that if she moved it would detonate.

It took a bomb squad 10 hours to remove the device, which contained no explosives.

Peters, who had been wearing a ski mask and carrying a baseball bat when he entered the multimillion-dollar mansion, was eventually tracked down to the US and extradited back to Australia.

He pleaded guilty to aggravated breaking and entering, and detaining the teenager for advantage.

"The offender intended to place the very young victim in fear that she would be killed," Judge Peter Zahra said in court.

"The terror instilled can only be described as unimaginable."

Miss Pulver hugged relatives after the sentence was read. Her father, Bill Pulver, wiped away tears. Peters remained stone-faced and said nothing.

"I'm pleased at today's outcome and that I can now look to a future without Paul Peters' name being linked to mine," she said outside court.

"For me, it was never about the sentencing, but to know that he will not reoffend. And it was good to hear the judge acknowledge the trauma he has put my family and me through."

"I realise it is going to take quite some time to come to terms with what happened, but today was important because now the legal process is over," the teenager added.

The court heard Peters was suffering psychiatric problems after his marriage broke down and he lost custody of his children, with Mr Zahra saying he appeared to think he was an "avenging character" in a novel he was writing.

The judge, who said Peters would be eligible for parole in 10 years, described his bizarre crime as "heinous" and a "deliberate act of extortion" which had terrified Miss Pulver, now aged 19, who was home alone studying for exams.

"The offender entered a house armed and disguised. He found the young girl on her own and vulnerable," Mr Zahra said.

"At the time of placing the device he had prepared around the neck of the victim he would have appreciated the enormity of what he was doing and the terrible effect and consequence of his conduct upon the victim," he added.

Madeleine Pulver now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder

Mr Zahra said Peters "would have been aware that after he left the victim she would have experienced considerable trauma before it was determined that the device did not contain explosives".

"He would have understood, at the time, in the many hours that followed she was in fear she would be killed," he added.

"The terror instilled can only be described as unimaginable."

Mr Zahra said Miss Pulver had been in fear of her life for a "substantial period" and now struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.

"She presently experiences severe nightmares and suffers debilitating intrusive images while awake," the judge said.

Mr Zahra noted that Peters' expressions of remorse had been "qualified and guarded" and gave him "minimal" discount for his mental health problems, which included bipolar disorder, alcohol abuse and major depression.

Prosecutors had described the case as an act of "urban terrorism" fuelled by financial greed.

Defence lawyers argued that Peters was depressed, drinking heavily and exhibiting wild mood swings before committing the crime and had no memory of the attack.

He had recently split from his wife, was separated from his children and had become obsessed with a book he was writing about a villain out for revenge.

During an earlier hearing, prosecutor Margaret Cunneen said Miss Pulver was never the intended target of Peters' crime.

The investment banker was having financial problems and originally travelled to Mosman - the wealthy Sydney suburb where the Pulvers live - to hunt down the beneficiary of a multimillion-dollar trust fund he had learned about, she said. 

When he arrived there, he bumped into a neighbour of the Pulvers whom he had met while doing business in Hong Kong.

That man, who lived next door to the Pulvers, then became Peters' new target, Cunneen said.

But on the day of the attack, Peters walked into the wrong house. Miss Pulver was, in the end, just the unwitting victim of Peters' incompetence, the prosecutor said.

Miss Pulver now intends to put the experience behind her and begin studying at Sydney University in the new year.

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India: Deadly Stampede On River Ganges Bridge

At least 18 people have been killed and several others injured during a stampede on a bridge over the Ganges River in India.

The bridge collapsed under people returning home from a Hindu religious ceremony in Patna, in the eastern state of Bihar, Indian police said.

Worshippers had been offering a sunset prayer in celebration of the Chhath festival, dedicated to the Sun God Surya.

The temporary bridge, made from bamboo, collapsed due to the heavy rush of people - mainly devotees and their family members.

An injured victim is covered by a blanket before being rushed to hospital

The bodies of those killed - which included children - were transported to the Patna Medical College Hospital for post-mortems. Injured people were admitted for treatment in nearby hospitals.

A senior police official said the stampede had been triggered by the collapse of the bridge. He added that several people were still missing after falling into the river.

More than 400,000 people were present during the ceremony.

Stampedes occur occasionally in India, especially during religious ceremonies which tend to attract huge crowds.

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David Beckham To Play Last Game For LA Galaxy

David Beckham's Career Timeline

Updated: 8:06am UK, Tuesday 20 November 2012

David Beckham was born in Leytonstone in east London on May 2, 1975. Sixteen years later he joined Manchester United as a trainee.

1992: Makes debut against Brighton in the League Cup on September 23. Wins FA Youth Cup.

1993: Signs professional contract at Old Trafford.

1996: Helps United to Premier League and FA Cup double.

Scores goal of the season on opening day at Wimbledon, lobbing Neil Sullivan from the halfway line.
Makes his England debut in the 3-0 win in Moldova.

1997: Collects another championship winners' medal, voted PFA Young Player of the Year.

1998: Scores first England goal, a free-kick against Colombia in Lens on June26. Sent off in second-round penalty shoot-out defeat against Argentina.

1999: Helps United win the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup after comingfrom behind to beat Bayern Munich with two late goals.Runner-up in World Player of the Year awards, behind Rivaldo.

2000: May - Collects fourth championship winner's medal as United win title by a record 18 points.

November - Named England captain for the November friendly with Italy in Turin by stand-in boss Peter Taylor.

2001: May - Collects another Premier League title with United.

October - Curls in a 25-yard last-minute free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford to earn England a 2-2 draw and send them into World Cup finals.

2002: May 11 - Signs new three-year contract reported to be worth between £90,000 and £100,000 a week.

2003: February - Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson accidentally kicks a boot into Beckham's face in frustration at United's FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.

June 14 - Awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to football.
June 17 - United announce they have accepted a £25m bid from Real Madrid for Beckham, who agrees personal terms.

2004: June 24 - Misses a penalty as England lose to Portugal in a shoot-out in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals in Lisbon.

2005: November: Captains England for 50th time in friendly against Argentina in Geneva.

July 2 - Stands down as England captain.
August 11 - Dropped from squad for friendly against Greece, Steve McClaren's first match as manager.

2007: January 11 - Beckham announces he will leave Real Madrid and join Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy on a five-year contract in August.

January 13 - Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello says Beckham will never play for the club again.
May 26 - McClaren hands Beckham a shock England recall for matches against Brazil and Estonia.
June - Wins the La Liga title with Madrid, having won back his place in the team.
August 16 - Beckham scores his first goal for Galaxy on his full debut in the SuperLiga semi-final meeting with DC United with a trademark free-kick.

2008: March 26 - Wins 100th cap in the friendly against France.

October 30 - Milan announce Beckham will join them on loan on January 7, 2009.

2009: January 11 - Makes shock first start for Milan in 2-2 Serie A draw at Roma.

March 9 - AC Milan announce that under a unique "timeshare" agreement,Beckham will stay with them in Italy until the end of the season, return to the Galaxy from July to October and then rejoin the Serie A club for the rest of the 2009-10 campaign.
March 28 - Comes on as a half-time substitute against Slovakia at Wembley towin his 109th cap and break Bobby Moore's record for an outfield player.
July 20, 27 - Twice confronts fans who gave him a hostile reception in his first home games after returning to the Galaxy.

2010: March 14 - Tears his Achilles tendon in AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo - an injury that rules him out of the World Cup.

August 11 - England career appears to be at an end when Capello tells ITV: "Probably he is a little bit old."

2011: November 20  - Wins the MLS Cup as the Galaxy beat Houston Dynamo 1-0 in the final.

December 31 - Five-year deal at the Galaxy expires.

2012: January 19 - Re-signs with the Galaxy.

June 28 - Announces he has not been included in Team GB's squad for the Olympic Games.
November 20 - Confirms he is to leave the Galaxy after MLS Cup on December 1.

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Croatia Jails Ivo Sanader For Corruption

A former Croatian prime minister has been sentenced to 10 years in prison - becoming the highest ranking official to be convicted of corruption in the country.

Ivo Sanader was found guilty of accepting a payment of 5m euros (£4m) in 2008 from Hungary's energy group MOL Nyrt in exchange for granting it full management rights over Croatia's state oil company INA.

He was also convicted of accepting 476,000 euros (£382,91£382,913) from Austrian bank Hypo Alpe Adria Group in 1995, when he was deputy foreign minister. Prosecutors described this action as "war profiteering".

After reading out the verdict, Judge Ivan Turudic speaking directly to Sanader, said: "Without a doubt, you have committed these criminal acts, abusing the powers of your office as prime minister and, earlier, as deputy foreign minister."

He is also facing a separate trial for allegedly using profits from state companies to fund his political party.

Sanader, 59, left the country in 2009 and was arrested shortly after in Austria where he was extradited back to Croatia in 2011 to face trial.

He was the leader of the Croatian Democratic Party, which has been in power for 17 of the 22 years since the end of communism in 1990.

Croatia is due to join the EU in July 2013 and Sanader's conviction is likely to be seen as proof it is cracking down on corruption.

EU officials are said to be taking a tough stance on the country's corruption problems before its joins alongside Romania and Bulgaria.

Sanader's hand-picked successor, Jadranka Kosor, launched an anti-corruption campaign which helped Zagreb complete EU entry talks in June 2011.

Sanader argued that the case against him was politically motivated. He has 15 days to appeal the verdict.

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Euro Crisis: French Credit Rating Cut

A second major credit ratings agency has stripped France of its 'triple-A' status in a move that risks stoking its borrowing costs and dragging it further into the eurozone debt crisis.

Moody's Investors Service announced it was cutting France's sovereign rating by one notch to Aa1 from Aaa, citing the country's uncertain fiscal outlook as a result of "deteriorating economic prospects".

Moody's also said it was maintaining a negative outlook on France due to structural challenges and a "sustained loss of competitiveness" in the country. The downgrade follows that of Standard & Poor's in January.

The loss of the Aaa rating from two agencies poses a problem for France, as investment funds often require their best assets to have a minimum of two top-notch ratings in order to remain in their portfolios.

Moody's said it was becoming increasingly difficult to predict how resilient France would be to future euro-area shocks but analysts suggested the downgrade was not a consequence of new information from the market.

Because of that there was little movement in its 10-year debt yield, the cost to France of servicing its debts, rising only slightly on Tuesday morning though the CAC 40 lost 0.6% on opening in Paris.

Pierre Moscovici, the French finance minister, blamed the downgrade on the policies of previous governments that had failed to restore the competitiveness of the nation's economy.

"French debt still remains among the most liquid and safest of the eurozone," he said.

"The French economy is large and diversified and the government has shown proof of its serious plan to implement structural reforms and restore public finances."

Mr Moscovici is due to join his euro area counterparts in Brussels to give tentative approval for the next tranche of loans to Greece.

However, the money is unlikely to be paid until December as talks continue on debt reduction and Greek efforts to keep to tough spending targets.

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde, who has become the most vocal critic of easing pressure on Athens, is expected to attend the meeting.

She could yet move to ensure that the IMF, which has covered about a third of loans to Greece, gets its money back in a previously agreed timescale.

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HP Hit By 'False Accounting' At Autonomy

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has accused Autonomy of lying about its finances, as it announced a write-down of $8.8bn (£5.5bn) relating to its purchase of the company.

The Silicon Valley computing firm said the majority of this charge was because of "serious accounting improprieties" at the Cambridge-based software company.

HP bought Autonomy for £7.1bn last summer, but said it now believes it was "substantially overvalued" at the time of the sale.

Nine months after the deal, the chief executive of Autonomy, Mike Lynch - who founded the company in 1996 and made more than £500m from the deal - stepped down.

Mike Lynch founded Autonomy in 1996

Following HP's announcement, Dr Lynch's spokeswoman said he "flatly rejects" the allegations, describing them as "false".

A statement said: "The former management team of Autonomy was shocked to see this statement today, and flatly rejects these allegations, which are false.

"HP's due diligence review was intensive, overseen on behalf of HP by KPMG, Barclays and Perella Weinberg. HP's
senior management has also been closely involved with running Autonomy for the past year."

An internal investigation into Autonomy's finances was launched by HP after a whistleblower came forward, alleging suspect accounting and business practices at the firm.

These "mislead investors and potential buyers", HP said, adding that it had referred the case to the Serious Fraud Office and the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

"HP is extremely disappointed to find that some former members of Autonomy's management team used accounting improprieties, misrepresentations and disclosure failures to inflate the underlying financial metrics of the company, prior to Autonomy's acquisition by HP," the company said in a statement.

"These efforts appear to have been a willful effort to mislead investors and potential buyers, and severely impacted HP management's ability to fairly value Autonomy at the time of the deal."

This one-off charge pushed HP to a $6.9bn (£4.3bn) loss in the fourth quarter - compared with a $200m (£125m) profit in the same quarter last year.

The company's share of the personal computer and printer markets also shrunk, and revenues fell 6.7% to $29.9bn (£18.8bn).

Earlier this year, the struggling firm warned of cuts to its UK operations as part of a restructuring resulting in 27,000 job cuts globally.

HP shares fell by 12% in early trading in the US.

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DR Congo Rebels Seize Strategic Goma

A rebel group created just seven months ago has seized Goma and its international airport in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to witnesses.

Explosions and machine-gun fire rocked the lakeside city, which has a population of more than one million people, as M23 rebels pushed towards the centre.

By early afternoon the gunfire stopped and the fighters, believed to be backed by neighbouring Rwanda, marched through the main streets while their commanders paraded in all-terrain vehicles.

Rwanda has been accused of equipping them with sophisticated weaponry, including night vision goggles and 120mm mortars.

The UN has around 1,400 peacekeepers in and around Goma but they did nothing to prevent the M23 advancing because they do not have a mandate to engage the rebels.

The UN Group of Experts is expected to release a report detailing the role Rwanda has played in the recruitment, financing and arms of the new rebel movement.

Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende said Rwandan soldiers had crossed into Goma, hiking over footpaths across a volcano between the two countries.

Speaking from the capital Kinshasa, he said: "Goma is in the process of being occupied by Rwanda.

"We have people who saw the Rwandan army traverse our frontier at the Nyamuragira volcano. They have occupied the airport and they are shooting inside the town.

"Our army is trying to riposte but this poses an enormous problem for them - this is an urban centre where hundreds of thousands of people live."

The claim that some of the fighters are Rwandan soldiers has not been verified.

Goma was threatened by rebels in 2008 when fighters from the now-defunct National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) stopped just outside the city.

A peace deal was reached the following year, but it collapsed in April when up to 700 soldiers - most former CNDP members - defected from the army.

Analysts say the uprising is fuelled by Congo's vast mineral riches, many of which are located in North Kivu province where Goma is located.

The rebel fighters are thought to be moving from Goma southwards towards nearby Bukavu, another provincial capital.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Rwandan President Paul Kagame to contact the M23 leaders and halt their advance.

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Israel 'Willing Partner' In Gaza Ceasefire

Israel's prime minister has said his country would be a "willing partner" in a ceasefire, as the UN secretary general urged strong caution against a ground offensive.

Speaking ahead of talks in Jerusalem, Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that his country will not tolerate rocket attacks on its cities and people but said he wanted to work towards a diplomatic resolution.

At least 118 people have been killed in Gaza and four Israelis are also dead as the conflict continues.

Israeli homeowners inspect damage after a rocket attack in Beersheba

Ban Ki-Moon said his "paramount concern" is for all civilians, both in Israel and Gaza.

"Further escalation would be dangerous and tragic for the entire region," he added.

Six Palestinian men accused of being spies for Israel have been executed at an intersection in Gaza, just hours after the UN boss called for a halt to the conflict during talks in Cairo with the Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby.

Gaza residents flee their homes on November 20

Witnesses said the six men were dragged out of a van and forced to lie down in the street before they were shot by masked gunmen.

Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, reporting from Gaza, said: "We understand six men were taken into a square ... and were executed in front of crowds."

It has been reported that five of the bodies lay in a pile as a mob stomped and spit on them. A sixth body was tied to a motorcycle and dragged through the streets as people screamed, "Spy! Spy!"

A bus in southern Israel damaged by a rocket attack from Gaza

The Hamas military wing has claimed responsibility for the executions.

Earlier Israel's air force dropped leaflets across areas of Gaza City urging people to evacuate their homes "immediately".

"For your own safety, you are required to immediately evacuate your homes and move toward Gaza City centre," the one-page Arabic-language leaflet said.

Sky's Sam Kiley said the leaflet drop could be part of a propaganda exercise to show Hamas that Israel is seriously considering an imminent ground invasion.

Elsewhere Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi has said that talks with both sides of the conflict will have "positive results" in the coming hours.

Israeli troops near the Gaza border prepare weapons ahead of any invasion

Meanwhile a man identified as the most elusive top Hamas commander. and a founder of its military wing, has urged the group's fighters to keep up attacks on Israel.

Mohammed Deif, seriously wounded in an Israeli airstrike in 2003, reportedly said on Hamas-run radio that fighters "must invest all resources to uproot this aggressor from our land".

Palestinian militants fired a rocket toward Jerusalem on Tuesday, causing an explosion moments after air raid sirens sounded across the city.

Foreign Secretary William Hague told the Commons: "We have made clear that Hamas must bear primary responsibility for the start of the current crisis but also that all side have responsibilities."

"We quickly called on Israel to seek every opportunity to deescalate their military response and to observe international humanitarian law and avoid civilian casualties."

The US has confirmed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will fly from Asia to meet key officials in Jerusalem, Ramallah and then Cairo, as it emerged that Barack Obama has not asked Israel to hold off a ground invasion.

Egyptian officials have held talks with an Israeli envoy and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, but Hamas has insisted on the lifting of a six-year blockade of the Gaza Strip by the opposing side.

Militants said they fired 16 missiles at the southern Israeli city of Beersheba after Israel's military targeted roughly 100 sites in Gaza overnight, including ammunition stores and the Gaza headquarters of the Hamas-backed National Islamic Bank.

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