Germany, France want US to agree to curb spying

Posted: BRUSSELS (AP) - Indignant at reports of U.S. electronic espionage overseas, the leaders of Germany and France said Friday they will insist the Obama administration agree by year's end to limits that could put an end to alleged American eavesdropping on foreign leaders, businesses and innocent citizens.German spy chiefs will travel to Washington shortly to talk with U.S. officials about the spying allegations that have so angered European leaders, including whether Chancellor Angela Merkel's own cellphone was monitored by the National Security Agency.Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, at the final day of a European Union summit in Brussels, did not offer many specifics on what they want President Barack Obama and his intelligence chiefs to agree to.A former French counterintelligence agent, however, told The Associated Press the European allies will likely demand the Americans sign off on a code of good conduct for intelligence-gathering, and could use the espionage dispute as leverage against the United States in upcoming trade talks.I think France and Germany would want guidelines, said Claude Moniquet, who now directs the Brussels-based European Strategic and Intelligence Center. But he was dubious there would be much change in intelligence agencies' real-world behavior.Everyone swears on the Bible, Moniquet said. And after that it's business as usual.This week alone, there have been headlines in the European press about the U.S. scooping up millions of French telephone records and perhaps listening in on Merkel's calls. A British newspaper said it obtained a confidential memo indicating that the personal communications of up to 35 foreign leaders may have been subject to U.S snooping in 2006.On Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said in Brussels that he had instructed his foreign minister to summon the U.S. ambassador in Spain to obtain information on news reports that Spain has been a target of U.S. spying, but insisted that his government was unaware of any cases.In a front-page story, Spain's leading newspaper El Pais cited unidentified sources that saw documents obtained by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden as saying they showed the agency had tracked phone calls, text messages and emails of millions of Spaniards, and spied on members of the Spanish government and other politicians.Hollande, the French president, said his country and Germany decided to seek a framework of cooperation with the United States so that the surveillance practices end. We fixed a deadline by the end of the year.They (the Americans) told us it was in the past and now there's a will to organize things differently, Hollande told a post-summit gathering of reporters. Fine, let's do it.France's leader seemed to object especially to any use of state intelligence assets to spy on innocent people or to promote a nation's trade goals or companies.Protection of virtual life is not just the protection of leaders, who have cellphones just like everyone else. It's the protection of all citizens, Hollande said. The protection of personal information should be guaranteed in Europe and demanded of the intelligence services.Economic spying can affect markets, prices and mergers and acquisitions as well as affairs of state, Hollande said. It's there that the surveillance can have the most consequences. ... On innovation and research, there's also surveillance. That's why the major French enterprises, include tech companies, are in a program to give them protection.Merkel told a separate news conference that what we seek is a basis for the cooperation of our (intelligence) services, which we all need and from which we all have gotten very much information ... that is transparent and clear and that lives up to the character of a relationship of allies.The chancellor said intelligence chiefs from her country and France would hold separate one-on-one discussions with the Americans, but pool information.As a first step, the heads of Germany's foreign and domestic intelligence agencies will participate in talks with the White House and the NSA, said German government spokesman Georg Streiter.He did not give a specific date for the trip to Washington, saying it was being arranged on relatively short notice.What exactly is going to be regulated, how and in what form it will be negotiated and by whom, I cannot tell you right now, Streiter told reporters. But you will learn about it in the near future because we have created some pressure to do this speedily.The United States already has a written intelligence-sharing agreement with Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand known as Five Eyes. France and Germany may be interested in that program or a similar arrangement, but it is not clear the U.S. would agree to it.A White House National Security Council spokeswoman said Friday the Germans would be welcome in the U.S. capital, but did not address what concessions the Obama administration might make to tamp down a controversy that has soured relations with many European allies.German officials plan to travel to Washington in coming weeks and the U.S. government looks forward to meeting with them, said Caitlin Hayden, the spokeswoman. We expect a range of meetings with relevant officials across the U.S. interagency, but we do not have specific meetings to announce at this point.As they ended their Brussels summit, European leaders vowed to maintain a strong partnership with the U.S. despite the widespread shock and anger over the alleged spying.The main thing is that we look to the future. The trans-Atlantic partnership was and is important, said Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, whose nation holds the rotating presidency of the 28-country European Union.No European leader wants to see a breach with the United States, said British Prime Minister David Cameron, who unlike the leaders of Germany and France, has not objected publicly to the reported NSA actions.

UN calls for greater Syria aid 'pressure' Posted: UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The United Nations humanitarian chief on Friday called on the UN Security Council to put sustained pressure on the Syrian government and rebel groups to let in desperately needed relief.Valerie Amos told the council the United Nations had been unable for nearly a year to reach more than 2.5 million civilians trapped in the worsening Syria conflict.She said on top of well over 100,000 war dead, diseases, including feared new cases of polio, are spreading quickly and many people are dying silently from cancer and diabetes because of lack of treatment. Malnutrition is also growing.Words, despite their ability to shock cannot really paint a picture of the grim and gruesome reality of Syria today, Amos, the UN chief humanitarian coordinator, told the 15-nation council.The council, largely divided over the 31-month-old conflict, agreed to a non-binding statement this month calling for unhindered humanitarian access.But Amos said appeals for local ceasefires have gone unheeded.The United Nations had made no major breakthrough since the statement in efforts with the Syrian government to get extra visas for aid workers and lift other bureaucratic obstacles.She told the council that with up to 2,000 armed groups operating in Syria, clashes amongst these groups are increasingly common and key humanitarian routes have been cut off by fighting.Kidnappings of aid workers and hijackings of aid trucks are increasingly common. Some drivers now refuse to join convoys as they fear for their lives, Amos said.Without real and sustained pressure from this council on the government of Syria and opposition groups on the ground, it will be impossible to make progress, Amos said.She said humanitarian workers now face a race against time and called on the council to exert influence and take the necessary action to stop this brutality and violence.Among the major powers, Russia has backed President Bashar al-Assad's government while the United States, Britain and France support the opposition.The Western nations say the council must take tougher action to ensure greater humanitarian access.

Car bomb at Syria mosque killed 40, including 7 children: NGO Posted: BEIRUT (AFP) - The toll from a car bomb explosion at a mosque in Suq Wadi Barada near Damascus Friday soared to at least 40, including seven children, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.The Syrian government and opposition exchanged blame for the carnage in the town.Suq Wadi Barada is under rebel control and ringed by troops loyal to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.The toll from a car bomb explosion that detonated after Friday prayers in Suq Wadi Barada has risen to 40, including seven children and a woman, said the Observatory.The number of dead is likely to rise because there are dozens of wounded, most of them in critical condition, it added.State news agency SANA had earlier reported the blast, blaming terrorists, the term the Assad regime uses for forces fighting to oust it.The opposition National Coalition meanwhile blamed the Assad regime for the massacre caused by what it said were two car bombs placed outside the Osama Bin Zeid mosque in Suq Wadi Barada.Bashar al-Assad's gangs detonated two car bombs at midday... that were planted in front of the Osama Bin Zeid mosque in Suq Wadi Barada, the Coalition said in a statement.The regime's constant commission of massacres makes it the duty of countries of the free world, the friends of the Syrian people, as well as international human rights and humanitarian organisations to fulfil their responsibilities towards civilians, it added.They must protect the lives of Syrians and uphold their rights.An activist on the ground told AFP via the Internet that there had only been one explosion.A second car bomb had been planted but it was discovered and defused before it exploded, he said.Amateur video shot after the explosion showed clouds of smoke rising above a burning car, while cries of men and women could be heard amid the chaos that followed the blast.The footage also showed people carrying away casualties.Car bombings have plagued Syria in recent months, killing scores across the country.

Officials: Bombings in central Iraq kill 13 people Posted: BAGHDAD (AP) - Bombings in central Iraq that targeted a market, a cafe and the homes of police officers killed 13 people Friday, officials said, the latest attacks in a wave of violence roiling the country.Police said the deadliest attack took place in Friday morning when a bomb went off inside a crowded outdoor market in the town of Youssifiyah, just south of Baghdad. The attack killed five shoppers and wounded 15 people, officials said.Earlier in the day, bombs exploded near several houses belonging to police officers in the central city of Baqouba, killing four people, including a woman, authorities said. The explosives appeared to have been planted just outside the homes. Ten people were wounded in that attack, officials said.Baqouba is a former al-Qaida stronghold some 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad.In Baghdad's eastern Basmaya district, officials said a bombing at a cafe Friday night killed four people and wounded 15.Hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures for the attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.Violence has spiked in Iraq since April, when the pace of killing reached levels unseen since 2008. At least 480 people have been killed in attacks across the country so far this month, according to Associated Press count.

7.3-magnitude quake rocks Japan; no damage reports Posted: TOKYO (AP) - An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck early Saturday off Japan's east coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said, triggering small tsunamis but causing no apparent damage.Japan's meteorological agency said the quake was an aftershock of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck the same area in 2011, killing about 19,000 people and devastating the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant.Tsunamis of up to 40 centimeters (15 inches) were reported Saturday at four areas along the coast, but a tsunami advisory was lifted less than two hours after the quake.Japanese television images of harbors showed calm waters. The quake hit at 2:10 a.m. Tokyo time (1710 GMT) about 290 kilometers (170 miles) off Fukushima, and it was felt in Tokyo, some 300 miles (480 kilometers) away.It was fairly big, and rattled quite a bit, but nothing fell to the floor or broke. We've had quakes of this magnitude before, Satoshi Mizuno, an official with the Fukushima prefectural government's disaster management department, told The Associated Press by phone. Luckily, the quake's center was very far off the coast.Mizuno said the operator of the troubled Fukushima plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co., said no damage or abnormalities have been found.Japan's meteorological agency issued a 1-meter (3-foot) tsunami advisory for a long stretch of Japan's northeastern coast, and put the quake's magnitude at 7.1. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not post warnings for the rest of the Pacific.The agency reported tsunamis of 40 centimeters in Kuji city in Iwate prefecture and Soma city in Fukushima, as well as a 20-centimeter tsunami at Ofunato city in Iwate and a 30-centimeter tsunami at Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture.All of Japan's 50 nuclear reactors remain offline as the government decides whether they meet more stringent requirement enacted after the 2011 quake, which triggered multiple meltdowns and massive radiation leaks at the Fukushima plant about 250 kilometers (160 miles) northeast of Tokyo.A string of mishaps this year at the Fukushima plant has raised international concerns about the operator's ability to tackle the continuing crisis.Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shinichi Tanaka has scheduled a Monday meeting with Tokyo Electric's president to seek solutions to what he says appear to be fundamental problems.

Lethal Federer cuts down Dimitrov Posted: BASEL (AFP) - Roger Federer showed his lethal best when it mattered most as he beat Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) on Friday to reach the Swiss Indoors semi-finals.Federer, a five-time champion in the city of his birth, played a second-set tiebreaker to perfection against the 22-year-old.Seventeen-time major winner Federer also strengthened his position for a place in the eight-man World Tour Finals starting in London in 10 days.He stands provisional seventh as he heads into a Saturday semi-final with Canadian Vasek Pospisil, who beat Ivan Dodig 7-6 (13/11), 6-4.Federer could qualify for London if he wins a sixth title in Basel on Sunday, according to ATP calculations.The Swiss great improved his record to 18-1 against players born in the 1990s, with his only loss in that category coming in Hamburg against Argentine Federico Delbonis this year.Federer was pleased to be finding some consistent from after one of the poorest seasons of his career. He began with a wobble on Friday and was forced to save five break points in his opening service game against the Stockholm champion from last week.It was very important to win in two sets, said Federer.There were a lot of free gifts out there in some games.When I saved three set points (second set) I just told myself to play one point at a time and hope to get there. I broke him (for 5-5) and that made it difficult for him. I was able to come through well in the tiebreaker.It always feels good to win at home, added Federer, whose lone title so far came in the summer in Halle.Top seed Juan Martin del Potro won his 300th career match as he marched into the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Paul-Henri Mathieu.The top seed and defending champion crushed the French qualifier in 78 minutes and will next face a second French opponent after Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat Germany's Daniel Brands 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.I played a good match, said the South American, who sent down 11 aces and never faced a break point.I was solid from the baseline and served well. I've been working a lot of my serve, added the Tokyo tournament champion and Shanghai finalist from earlier this month.I'm playing better and better with each match.I did have a double-fault so I still have a little work to do. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and I'll have to lift my level even more.Del Potro, already qualified for the World Tour Finals, owns a record of 46 wins and 13 losses in 2013, winning three titles.Unseeded Canadian Pospisil reached his third semi-final of the season -- and the third of his career -- as he played after treatment for a stiff neck which had him doubting if he could take to the court.But the number 40 managed with physiotherapy and painkillers, beating Croatian Ivan Dodig 7-6 (13/11), 6-4.I honestly didn't know if I'd be able to play at all, said the Canadian.It was still bothering me on every single shot, especially the serve and forehand. But the trainer told me I couldn't make it worse so I gave everything I had.

Kvitova joins Li in WTA Championships semi-finals Posted: ISTANBUL (AP) - Li Na swept past the ailing Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-1 to earn a place in the semifinals of the WTA Championships at the expense of the second-ranked Australian Open champion on Friday.The fourth-seeded Li will play 2011 champion Petra Kvitova, who came from behind to beat Angelique Kerber 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3.Azarenka's loss meant Jelena Jankovic advanced to the semis before she had to play Sara Errani later Friday. Errani won that match 6-4, 6-4.Jankovic will play defending champion Serena Williams. Williams swept her group on Thursday. Williams has a 7-4 career edge over Jankovic, while Li and Kvitova are tied 3-3.Azarenka hurt her back while serving in the sixth game of the first set and was clearly in pain for the rest of the match. She took a medical timeout and received treatment during several changeovers but stayed on court despite being hardly able to move and wincing in pain, at one moment coming to tears.I just wanted to try to do my best for the fans who came and watched our match, for respect for my opponent. It was just about trying to do the most you can out there, Azarenka said.She did win one game with some ferocious serving, but mostly stayed in the middle of the baseline and tried to hit quick winners if the ball came her way.You know, in the end of the day, it's my decision what I'm going to do, Azarenka said.Azarenka said her back suddenly seized up as she tried to serve hard but that the trainers told her there was no structural damage.The fifth-seeded Kvitova, a former Wimbledon champion, led 4-1 before Kerber battled back to level at 5-5. In the tiebreaker, Kerber kept up the pressure on Kvitova, who double-faulted to set up three set points for her opponent. Kerber converted the first with a service winner.In the second set, Kvitova broke for the second time in the seventh game by first playing a crisp volley winner and then hitting a powerful return.The beginning of the second set was really tough. She had a lot of chances, Kvitova said. I just tried to play my game, play some winners, and go for the net.There were three straight breaks at the start of the third, before Kvitova fought off two break points to go up 3-1. She sealed the win thanks to two straight errors by Kerber.Kerber was seeded eighth after the withdrawal of third-ranked Maria Sharapova because of a shoulder injury. Kvitova had to withdraw from last year's tournament with an injury after the first match.I gave everything I could today, Kerber said. Of course, I'm a little bit disappointed, but Petra was playing very well in the important moments. My serve was not really the best today, but yeah, I was just trying everything.Li, who lost to Azarenka in the final of the Australian Open and in both previous round-robin matches at the WTA Championships 2012 and 2011, said her toughest challenge Friday was mental.I mean, today the match is not about tennis, about fitness ... because I thought maybe after the first set she will give up or retire, but she still try to continue to play, Li said. I think it's tough because I have to focus, hope all time, because you never know what happen on the court.In the Australian Open final, it was Li who was in trouble. She twisted her ankle and hit her head in a stumble before losing in three sets.Next time we both have to be healthy on the court, Li said.Li won the group 3-0, while Azarenka finished 1-2. Azarenka's loss meant Jelena Jankovic advanced to the semis before she had to play Sara Errani late Friday.Jankovic will play defending champion Serena Williams in the semifinals. Williams swept her group on Thursday.Although she did not play, Williams did appear on court, to collect the award for finishing the year as No. 1 in the world. Williams has clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking for the third time in her career after 2002 and 2009.Li is through to her first semis in three appearances in the elite event that brings together the top eight women.Despite failing to reach the semis, Azarenka said she was pleased with her year.I'm No. 2 in the world. I had great results in the big tournaments and I had injuries, Azarenka said. So, it's that balance of good and unfortunate. I think I can learn a lot from these little things to prevent maybe some of the injuries.Kvitova finished 2-1 in her group and Kerber was 1-2.

Ferrer to play Almagro in semis at Valencia Posted: VALENCIA (AP) - Defending champion David Ferrer will play former winner Nicolas Almagro in the semifinals of the Valencia Open after both Spaniards won on Friday.The top-seeded Ferrer beat Jerzy Janowicz of Poland 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, while the third-seeded Almagro bounced back from a poor start to down Fabio Fognini 7-6 (6), 6-2.Ferrer used his speed and ground game to overcome Janowicz's powerful serve with key breaks to finish the first set and then start the third.Ferrer and Almagro have won a combined five titles at this tournament. Besides last year, Ferrer won the event in 2010 and beat Almagro in the 2008 final, ending the latter's two-year title run.Also, Mikhail Youzhny outlasted Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4 in 2 hours, 21 minutes to set up an all-Russian semifinal with Dmitry Tursunov.Tursunov ousted Jeremy Chardy of France 6-3, 6-3.Janowicz hit 10 aces with speeds reaching 238 kph (148 mph) on the indoor hard court, but his serve also betrayed him. Two of his four double-faults helped cost him two service games, and on match point he twice served into the net.Ferrer, ranked No. 3, kept scrambling to keep the ball in play until he wore Janowicz down, with one long rally even sending Janowicz crashing into a flower stand.Ferrer also defeated Janowicz in their only previous meeting in the final of the Paris Masters last year when he claimed his first Masters title.I knew that today was going to be a different match, Ferrer said. It was a tough one. He served very well and it was difficult to counter that. It was too bad to drop the second set, but I quickly forgot about it.Fognini had a bright start up 3-0 and a chance to serve out the first set before Almagro saved a set point in the tiebreaker en route to finally going up 1-0.Almagro converted four of five break points to put away the Italian.

Vettel fastest in Friday's practice at Indian GP Posted: GREATER NOIDA (AP) - Sebastian Vettel drove 35 flawless laps in the second practice session Friday to edge Red Bull teammate Mark Webber for the quickest time ahead of Sunday's Indian Grand Prix.Vettel recorded 1 minute, 25.722 seconds on soft tires for his best lap on the Buddh International Circuit, .289 faster than Webber and almost a second quicker than his time of 1:26.683 in the first session.Vettel, who has won both previous Indian GP races from pole, can win his fourth straight world title by placing fifth or better on Sunday.In-form Lotus driver Romain Grosjean was third fastest with a time of 1:26.220, ahead of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in 1:26.399.I'm hopeful of another solid day tomorrow which should give us another strong qualifying position if the evidence of today is anything to go by, Grosjean said. We'll do everything we can to take the fight to Red Bull.Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso overcame gearbox problems in the morning session to finish the day fifth fastest, ahead of Nico Rosberg's Mercedes and teammate Felipe Massa.The second session was marred by handling problems as most drivers came to terms with the smooth, warming track and the softer compound Pirelli tires.Kimi Raikkonen, who finished 17th in the morning session, appeared to be fighting a losing battle for control of his Lotus and had difficulties taking the tighter turns. He improved to eighth fastest, but looked far from comfortable ahead of Friday's qualifying.Pastor Maldonado had wheel problems again. The Williams driver who lost a wheel in practice for this month's Japanese GP was forced to park at the entrance to pit lane Friday when he lost a wheel nut and eventually punctured his front right tire after 23 laps of the second session.Weather at the track was hot and dry, with similar conditions forecast for Sunday.It's hard to say how we will go tomorrow and Sunday, but hopefully we have the pace and can control the race, Webber said. The car is very consistent, but we need to work on the tires and make sure we get the most out of them.Tire supplier Pirelli has dropped the more durable hard compound tires for the Indian surface, instead opting for soft and medium options. While the soft tires proved to be considerably faster, drivers complained of a lack of durability.The soft tire is not lasting so long here, but it's Friday and the track is still rubbering in, Vettel said. It's normally improving for Saturday, plus we haven't used this compound for a long time, so tomorrow it should be better.Alonso had a frustrating start to the first practice, completing only six laps before being forced into the pits with a gearbox issue and ending the morning with the 12th-fastest time. Ferrari repaired the problem in time for the second session, without the need to replace the gearbox.

Rallying: Hat-trick of stage wins for Ogier in Spain Posted: MADRID (AFP) - Newly-crowned world champion Sebastien Ogier took control of the Rally of Spain on Friday with a hat-trick of stage wins on day one of the race.The Frenchman leads Finnish Volkswagen teammate Jari-Matti Latvala by nearly nine seconds with Spaniard Dani Sordo 12.6 seconds back in third.Ogier, who sealed his maiden world title last time out in Strasbourg, showed no signs of easing off the gas in the dark of Catalonia as he led home Sordo and Latvala respectively in the first two stages.Latvala then moved up into second for the final stage of the day with Norway's Andreas Mikkelsen taking third.That was okay, but it's not easy to start in the dark, Ogier told WRC.comI haven't got the confidence to push hard yet, it'll take me a bit to adapt to the set-up, but okay, no mistakes.However, it was a frustrating day for Belgian Thierry Neuville, who currently lies second in the championship standings, but is 19.1 seconds behind Ogier.It's not working at all. I struggled in the dark and struggled with the settings. I couldn't do more, he said.

Oil posts gain, but still finishes week with loss Posted: NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil rose Friday after a positive U.S. economic report, but finished with a loss for the week as supplies remain plentiful while demand is unspectacular.Benchmark U.S. crude for December delivery gained 74 cents to close at $97.85 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Still, oil ended the week down $2.96 a barrel, or 2.9 percent, largely due to concerns among traders that the market is oversupplied.On Friday, a jump in demand for commercial airplanes boosted orders for long-lasting U.S. factory goods by 3.7 percent in September.But reports from the Energy Information Administration this week showed that U.S. oil inventories rose by 9.2 million barrels in the two weeks ended Oct. 18, a possible symptom of subdued demand and overproduction.Demand isn't looking great and it's not anything to do with fuel efficiency in today's cars. It's the fact that there's high unemployment, weak job creation, said Carl Larry of Oil Outlooks and Opinions.Brent crude, a benchmark for international crude also used by U.S. refineries, fell 6 cents to $106.90 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Dollar under pressure as Fed looks set to keep stimulus Posted: NEW YORK CITY (AFP) - The dollar was under pressure Friday as disappointing US economic data reaffirmed views that the Federal Reserve will keep its foot on the stimulus pedal into next year.The euro bought $1.3805 around 2200 GMT, up from $1.3798 Thursday.The dollar rose to 97.43 yen from 97.29 yen, while the euro also gained against the Japanese currency, climbing to 134.50 yen from 134.26 yen.Investors sold US dollars this week on the growing belief that the Federal Reserve will pass on reducing asset purchases this year, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.Since the US government was shut down at the beginning of the month, more investors started to adjust their positions in currencies in favor of tapering in 2014 versus 2013, but the selling accelerated when nonfarm payrolls missed expectations.The September jobs report, delayed due to the 16-day shutdown and published Tuesday, showed anemic job growth even before a fierce Washington budget battle forced the October 1 shutdown, furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal workers.The government reported Friday a 3.7 percent jump in US durable goods orders, but excluding transportation equipment orders, which can be erratic month-over-month, orders fell 0.1 percent, and core capital goods orders, a sign of future business investment, fell 1.1 percent.Traders awaited the Federal Reserve's two-day monetary policy meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee that opens Tuesday to gauge the prospects of when the central bank may begin cutting back its $85 billion a month in asset purchases.The FOMC statement should provide clues on whether a move in December is still possible. We believe that it is unlikely given the economic impact of the US government shutdown and the reliably of October data, Lien said.Therefore if the statement contains more skepticism or hesitation, the dollar could resume its slide, pushing many of the major currency pairs to new highs.The dollar edged up to 0.8925 Swiss franc from 0.8924 franc Thursday.The pound fell to $1.6168 from $1.6198.

AB de Villiers: We don't cheat Posted: DUBAI (AP) - After South Africa was penalized five runs for ball tampering against Pakistan in the second cricket test on Friday, AB de Villiers insisted the Proteas were not cheats.Umpires Ian Gould and Rod Tucker punished the Proteas after tea on the third day when they found a change in the condition of the ball. Television replays showed Faf du Plessis was rubbing the ball over a zip on his thigh.Honestly, we're not the team that scratches the ball, de Villiers said.We don't cheat, it's as simple as that. I know Faffy very well, he's the last man to try anything like that.De Villiers said du Plessis, South Africa's captain in Twenty20s, was responsible for looking after the condition of the ball and keeping the shine on.It's not an easy job, I thought he did it very well, de Villiers said.But the umpires summoned captain Graeme Smith after the 30th over, changed the ball, and Gould signaled five penalty runs added to Pakistan's total as extras.De Villiers said he had no idea how the umpires discovered the ball's condition had changed.There was no talk about it, no warnings and nothing, it was just out of nowhere, he said.Pakistan was 67-3 at the time in its second innings, trying to score 418 to avoid an innings defeat. Pakistan finished the day at 132-4, needing 286 runs to avoid an innings defeat.Pakistan was at the receiving end during the Oval test in 2006, the last and only time a team was penalised five runs for ball tampering in a test match.Then Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq reacted strongly and decided not to continue the test in protest. Australia umpire Darrell Hair reacted by awarding the game to England the only forfeit in the history of test cricket.This month, the ICC amended its laws regarding the condition of balls, saying if a player responsible can be identified the ball will be changed, a five-run penalty will be awarded, and the player responsible will be reported.It's expected the umpires will lay a charge against du Plessis to match referee David Boon, and a hearing was held late Friday, but the decision is not expected to be announced until Saturday.ICC refused to comment on the issue.Du Plessis faces a range of penalties; a 50 to 100 percent fine of his match fees, a suspension from one test and two one-day internationals or two Twenty20s, whichever is played first.

SA official: Du Plessis attends hearing Posted: DUBAI (AP) - Faf du Plessis was summoned by the match referee for a hearing into alleged ball tampering after South Africa was penalized five runs for changing the condition of the ball against Pakistan in the second cricket test, a team official said Friday.South Africa media officer Lerato Malekutu told The Associated Press in an email that du Plessis was called by match referee David Boon from Australia and the ruling will be announced tomorrow (Saturday).Umpires Ian Gould and Rod Tucker punished the Proteas after tea on the third day when they found a change in the condition of the ball. Television replays showed du Plessis rubbing the ball over a zip on his thigh.Du Plessis faces a range of penalties; a 50 to 100 percent fine of his match fees, a suspension from one test and two one-day internationals or two Twenty20s, whichever is played first.South Africa vice-captain and wicketkeeper AB de Villiers insisted the Proteas ranked No.1 in the world were not cheats.Honestly, we're not the team that scratches the ball, de Villiers said. We don't cheat, it's as simple as that. I know Faffy very well, he's the last man to try anything like that.De Villiers said du Plessis, South Africa's captain in Twenty20s, was responsible for looking after the condition of the ball and keeping the shine on.It's not an easy job, I thought he did it very well, de Villiers said.But the umpires summoned captain Graeme Smith after the 30th over, changed the ball, and Gould signaled five penalty runs added to Pakistan's total as extras.De Villiers said he had no idea how the umpires discovered the ball's condition had changed.There was no talk about it, no warnings and nothing, it was just out of nowhere, he said.Pakistan was 67-3 at the time in its second innings, trying to score 418 to avoid an innings defeat. Pakistan finished the day at 132-4, needing 286 runs to avoid an innings defeat.Pakistan was at the receiving end during the Oval test in 2006, the last and only time a team was penalized five runs for ball tampering in a test match.Then Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq reacted strongly and decided not to continue the test in protest. Australia umpire Darrell Hair reacted by awarding the game to England the only forfeit in the history of test cricket.This month, the ICC amended its laws regarding the condition of balls, saying if a player responsible can be identified the ball will be changed, a five-run penalty will be awarded, and the player responsible will be reported.

New Zealand pull McCullum, Taylor out of Sri Lanka tour Posted: WELLINGTON (AFP) - Senior New Zealand cricketers Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor will sit out next month's tour of Sri Lanka so they can prepare for the upcoming home Test series against the West Indies, chief selector Bruce Edgar said Saturday.The pair will return home after the current tour of Bangladesh with 23-year-old Kane Williamson replacing McCullum as captain in Sri Lanka where New Zealand will play three ODIs and two Twenty20s.Ross and Brendon need red ball preparation to be at their best for the summer, Edgar said.Both players are vital to our success and fine tuning their red ball skills before the West Indies series starting in early December is paramount.As Taylor and McCullum play all three formats of the game, Edgar said it was important to manage their playing loads as New Zealand face 37 home days of cricket against the West Indies and then India.McCullum and Taylor are expected to play domestic cricket in New Zealand before the first Test against the West Indies starting in Dunedin on December 3.Wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi and pace bowler Ian Butler will join the New Zealand side in Sr Lanka.New Zealand squad for Sri Lanka: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Ian Butler, Anton Devcich, Grant Elliott, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Hamish Rutherford.