Rescuers have pulled a 2-week-old baby girl, together with her mother and grandmother, alive from the rubble of an apartment building in Turkey's quake-stricken town of Ercis.

The dramatic rescue comes some 48 hours after the 7.2-magnitude earthquake toppled some 2-thosuand buildings in eastern Turkey.

Earlier in the day, a pregnant woman and her two children were also pulled out of the rubble, reviving hopes for those still searching for loved ones.

So far nearly 460 people have been confirmed killed.

Nearly 14-hundred people are listed as injured.

Nearly 500 aftershocks have rattled the area, which is located along Turkey's eastern border with northern Iran.

 

 

Bangkok airport suspends airlines; city zoo evacuates animals

Bangkok's secondary airport has now suspended both outgoing and incoming flights, after floodwaters breached its northern perimeter.

Floodwaters are now threatening areas around the Don Muang airport, which sits in northern Bangkok, the worst hit area of the capital.

The city's international airport, which is on the outskirts of the city, is still operating.

Meantime, one of Bangkok's main zoos has been forced to evacuate several animals.

The country's worst flooding in half a century, brought about by heavy monsoon rains since July, has left more than 360 people dead.

 

 

Northern Italy hit by heavy storms, 5 missing

Five people are listed as missing, after massive flooding hit northern Italy on Tuesday.

An onslaught of torrential rains have overflowed rivers, stranding motorists and, in some cases, sweeping away vehicles.

The rains have also been causing severe property damage in northern Italy.

Heavy storms have already left two people dead in Italy in the past week.

Those deaths occurred in the central and southern parts of the country.

 

 

Joe the Plumber announces bid for Congress

The man who gained noteriety in the last US Presidental election as "Joe the Plumber" is now going make a run at a Congressional seat.

Sam Wurzelbacher is going to run as a Republican nominee in Toledo, Ohio.

Wurzelbacher gained national noteriety during the 2008 election campaign, when he openly challenged then Democratic Presidental nominee Barack Obama about his economic policies during a campaign stop.

Dubbed "Joe the Plumber" by the media, Wurzelbacher was then featured in a number of speeches by Obama's competition, Senator John McCain, in a bid to try to gain grass-roots electoral support.

Wurzelbacher later toured the country, making stops at many Tea Party rallies.

 

 

Canada's central bank keeps benchmark rate unchanged amid gloomy outlook

Canada's central bank has left its key interest rate unchanged at 1 percent.

The Bank of Canada is warning that the Europe Union is headed for a "brief recession" and the global economy is slowing down.

The bank is warning that it expects the global economic slowdown to last for at least the next three-quarters.

As far as its own economy is concerned, the Bank of Canada says despite a sharp spike in consumer prices in September, the weakening economy and a reduction in energy costs will likely ease the risk of substantial inflation in Canada.

The bank estimates that Canada's economy will expand by 2.1 percent this year, followed by 1.9 percent growth in 2012 and 2.9 percent in 2013.

 

 

S.Korea releases Chinese fishing boats

The South Korean Coast Guard has released two Chinese fishing boats detained over the weekend.

The boats are expected to leave for home today.

The two fishing boats, with 20 crew members on board, were seized on allegations of illegally operating in South Korea's exclusive economic zone.

The two fishing boats and all crew members have been released after paying a fine.

 

 

U.S. House Speaker reiterates opposition to passing China currency bill

US House speaker John Boehner is knocking the Chinese currency ball into US President Barack Obama's court.

Speaking to reporters in connection with the US Senate's controversial currency bill, Boehner says it should be up to Obama to take the lead on an issue connected to the value of the Renminbi.

Boehner has also told the news conference that he views the Senate-sponsored bill as a "very dangerous policy."

The bill, which has already passed through the Senate, would compel the US government to impose sanctions on countries that it feels artificially keeps its currency undervalued.

Boehner has already said he has no plans to bring the bill to a vote in the House, meaning it will likely never become law.

 

 

China limits amount of Entertainment TV Programs & asks increase in News Programming

China's television watchdog has now capped the amount of 'entertainment programs', including reality TV shows, that satellite channels can broadcast from the start of 2012.

Each of the country's 34 satellite channels will be limited to 2 such programs each week, according to a statement issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Under the new directive, a channel can also only broadcast a maximum of 90 minutes of 'Entertainment' content each day between - 7:30pm to 10pm

The decision is designed to help curb TV channels and shows of "excessive entertainment" and "low taste'

The new rules come into enforcement on January 1, 2012.