Ships collide in North Sea, killing 4

The search for the missing crew members from a North Sea cargo ship collision has been called off Thursday afternoon, the Netherlands Coast Guard said in a statement.

The search will not be resuming and passing ships have been told to be on the lookout, the Netherlands Coast Guard said.

At least four people are dead and seven others missing after a container vessel collided with a car carrier Wednesday evening, the Netherlands Coast Guard said.

The carrier Baltic Ace began sinking immediately after it collided with the container vessel in a busy shipping lane, about 60 kilometers (32 miles) west of Rotterdam, according to Coast Guard spokesman Peter Verburg.

Thirteen crew members were rescued and taken to hospitals in Rotterdam and at the Koksijde Air Base near Ostend, Belgium.

Those rescued were suffering from hypothermia and minor injuries, the spokesman said.

The nationality of the crew was not immediately known.

The Baltic Ace had been en route from Zeebrugge, Belgium, to Kotka, Finland; the container vessel was en route from Grangemouth, Britain, to Antwerp, Belgium.

French ex-soldiers found guilty over Mahe killing

Three French ex-soldiers have been given suspended sentences for their role in the murder of Ivorian Firmin Mahe, while a fourth man was acquitted.

Mr Mahe, a suspected gang leader, was killed in the back of a military vehicle in Ivory Coast in 2005.

The former peacekeepers admitted to being involved in his murder but said they acted under orders.

France sent a 4,000-strong force to its former colony after it descended into a civil war in 2002.

Mr Mahe, whom the French accused of being a murderer and a rapist, was arrested near the western town of Bangolo in May 2005.

He was then suffocated with a plastic bag in the back of a military vehicle.

Col Eric Burgaud has been handed a suspended five-year jail sentence for ordering the murder, AFP news agency reports.

The court also gave suspended prison sentences to Sgt-Maj Guy Rauge and Corp Johannes Schnier, both found guilty of suffocating Mr Mahe to death with a plastic bag.

The vehicle's driver, Corp Lianrifou Ben Youssouf, has been acquitted.

'Exceptional situation'

Although the murder case "gravely violated the Republic's values", judges said they also had to take into account the mitigating circumstances of the "exceptional situation" faced by ex-peacekeepers in Ivory Coast at the time.

Cries of protest erupted in the Paris courtroom when the verdict was read out, with people shouting "shame on France", AFP reports.

Mr Mahe's family has always insisted that he was innocent, and has been campaigning for the former peacekeepers to stand trial for his murder.

On Thursday, prosecutors called for prison terms of between two and five years for the accused.

Clinton: Situation in Syria is 'accelerating'

The situation in Syria is accelerating, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday, amid reports that President Bashar al-Assad's government may be preparing to use chemical weapons.

"Events on the ground in Syria are accelerating, and we see that in many different ways. The pressure against the regime in and around Damascus seems to be increasing," Clinton said before meeting with Russia's foreign minister and the U.N. special envoy to Syria.

Chemical weapons were one topic on the table, said Clinton, who met with the leaders while she was in Dublin for an international security conference.

U.S. officials are "very concerned" that al-Assad's forces may use chemical weapons as rebels advance, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters in Washington Thursday.

"The intelligence that we have raises serious concerns that this is being considered," he said.

The defense secretary did not provide additional details about the intelligence information.Syrian forces battling rebels in fierce fighting had started combining chemicals that could be used to make deadly sarin gas for weapons. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad rejected the suggestion Thursday. "Syria would never use chemical weapons, even if it had them, against its own people," he told Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV.

He also warned that any foreign intervention against Syria would be "catastrophic" for the entire region.

In Dublin Thursday, U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said leaders were focused on a peace process to "get Syria back from the brink."

"We have agreed that the situation is bad and we have agreed that we must continue to work together to see how we can find creative ways of bringing this problem under control and hopefully starting to solve it," he told reporters after his meeting with Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Russia has blocked action against al-Assad at the United Nations, but some have speculated that Moscow may be considering a different approach.

On Thursday, a top Russian politician said the Syrian government "is not up to the task" of doing its job and cannot "fulfill its functions," the Interfax news agency reported. Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Vladimir Vasiliev said Russia wanted to create conditions where security forces inside Syria would take the situation under control, but Russia's "influence with the Syrian leadership has been limited."

The comments from a close ally of President Vladimir Putin came at a time when diplomats say Moscow, which has insisted there should be no "regime change" in Syria, now increasingly doubts that al-Assad can survive in power.

Diplomatic efforts to help end the 21-month conflict, which opposition activists say has claimed more than 42,000 lives, have so far failed.

At least 89 people died Thursday, most of them in Damascus and Aleppo, according to the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria. 

Clinton and Lavrov previously worked out a plan to try to end the fighting, but that plan ultimately stalled.

That plan, negotiated in June in Geneva, proposed the creation of a transitional government along with al-Assad leaving office. But Russia later balked at any U.N. Security Council measure that would include sanctions or military action. Clinton insisted any U.N. resolution "have teeth."

The United States has also expressed concerns about the increasing radicalization of some armed factions of the opposition and is moving toward declaring al-Nusra Front a terrorist organization.

Such groups present a dilemma for the United States. Al-Nusra Front, officials say, has ruthless and effective fighters that are spearheading gains against al-Assad's weakening forces.But the stronger the radical groups become, the more the United States worries that the fighting -- not political efforts to find a solution -- will decide the outcome in Syria. As a result, Washington has been pushing the opposition to unite. That process is unfolding with the recent creation of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.

Early next week, Clinton will travel to Marrakesh, Morocco, for a meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People, a gathering of countries that support the political transition. The Obama administration, while providing, for now, non-lethal assistance, is expected to take the first steps toward officially recognizing the National Coalition at that meeting.

Clinton also reiterated Wednesday the strong U.S. position set out by President Barack Obama on Monday over any possible use by Syria of chemical weapons. She said the international community is sending a clear message to Damascus.

"Our concerns are that an increasingly desperate Assad regime might turn to chemical weapons or might lose control of them to one of the many groups that are now operating within Syria," she said.

"And so, as part of the absolute unity that we all have on this issue, we have sent an unmistakable message that this would cross a red line and those responsible would be held to account."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on a visit to Baghdad Thursday that he had expressed his "gravest concerns" to Syria's government over any use of chemical weapons and had written directly to al-Assad.

He warned that anyone responsible for the use of chemical weapons would face serious consequences.

Ban is to meet with the head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Baghdad to discuss how it can work with the United Nations on the issue.NATO foreign ministers agreed this week to a request by Turkey for Patriot missiles to be deployed along its border to bolster its air defenses against potential Syrian threats.

Errant Syrian artillery shells struck the Turkish border town of Akcakale and killed five Turkish civilians in October.

Early Thursday, the German Cabinet agreed to send Patriot missiles and up to 400 soldiers to Turkey to deter the Syrian civil war from spilling into the country. Germany's parliament will vote on the deployment next week, the foreign ministry said.

In addition to Germany, the United States and Netherlands, both of which have Patriot capabilities, have signaled they would be willing to contribute missiles.

"Any deployment will be defensive only. It will in no way support a no-fly zone or any offensive operation," the NATO statement said.

NATO's decision was made as the fears surfaced that the Assad regime might be preparing to use chemical weapons.

"The Syrian stockpiles of chemical weapons are a matter of great concern," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

"We know that Syria possesses missiles. We know they have chemical weapons and, of course, they also have to be included in our calculations," he said. "And this is also the reason why it is a matter of urgency to ensure effective defense and protection of our ally Turkey."

In the United States, Republican Sen. John McCain said Thursday that time may be running out.

"If true, these reports may mean that the United States and our allies are facing the prospect of an imminent use of weapons of mass destruction in Syria, and this may be the last warning we get," McCain said. "The time for talking about what to do may now be coming to a close and we may instead be left with an awful and very difficult decision."

Police arrest Sicilian mafia boss in Bali

Italian and Indonesian police have arrested a Sicilian mafia boss living in a luxury resort on the Indonesian island of Bali.

Antonino Messicati Vitale, 40, is believed to head the Villabate clan and is wanted on multiple charges.

Italian police discovered that he was living in Bali after bugging the telephones of friends and relatives.

Detectives tracked him down after they followed a group of his relatives who travelled from Italy to see him.

"The fugitive's residence was in a luxurious residence in a seaside resort in Bali," Italian police said in a statement.

The Associated Press said the flat was in the Legian neighbourhood, just north of the popular tourist area of Kuta.

A warrant for his arrest was issued in April. Italian police said he is wanted for involvement in murder, human trafficking and arms trading.

He is believed to have been living in Bali for several months.

According to Italian media reports, he did not resist his arrest.

He is now expected to be extradited to face trial in Italy.

"According to the red notice that we received, we have to follow up formally by extraditing him to Italy," said Yudi Sroja, of Indonesia's national crime bureau.

"However, there is no extradition treaty between Indonesia and Italy, so this will be processed through the ministry of justice and human rights."

Mr Vitale's father Pietro, a mafia boss, was shot dead in 1988.

Arrest over racial slur at Sebastien Bassong at Swansea stadium

A Swansea City fan has been arrested over allegations of racial abuse towards a Norwich player at the Liberty Stadium, the club has confirmed.

Norwich manager Chris Hughton said a racial gesture had been made towards defender Sebastien Bassong during Saturday's Premier League match.

Police confirmed a 23-year-old Swansea man had been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.

Swansea City lost the match 4-3.

The incident allegedly happened after Robert Snodgrass scored the visitors' fourth goal in the 77th minute.

Cameroon international Bassong indicated to referee Howard Webb that he had been the victim of a racist gesture as he celebrated the goal with his teammates.

Webb referred the complaint to the fourth official and a male fan was then arrested.

"There was an incident after Norwich's fourth goal. Sebastien Bassong made the referee aware there was a racist gesture towards him from a Swansea City fan," said a Swansea spokesperson.

"Within 10 minutes of the report, the stewards had got hold of the TV footage, replayed it, identified the alleged person in question and within that period, he was arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence.

"The matter is with the police, but from the club's point of view, we abhor racism and we have worked hard over the years to make this a family club.

"We will look into it and a further statement will follow in due course."

Speaking to reporters after the game, Norwich manager Chris Hughton said: "What I've been made aware of is that there was a gesture made towards Bassong.

"I have spoken to Seb and I know what the situation is, but Swansea dealt with it in the correct manner. It's now in the hands of the authorities."

Swansea manager Michael Laudrup said he had been unaware of the incident.

"I was concentrating on the game so I don't know anything," he said.

"I don't know anything about it but it's a thing we don't want in a game, not here and not anywhere."

A police spokesperson said: "South Wales Police can confirm that a 23 year old Swansea man was arrested during the Swansea v Norwich game at the Liberty Stadium today for a racially aggravated public order offence.

"He remains in police custody."

Terry Waite returns to Lebanon 25 years after kidnapping

Former hostage Terry Waite has returned to Lebanon, 25 years after he was kidnapped and tortured by a cell linked to the militant group Hezbollah.

Mr Waite returned to Beirut last week to hold "reconciliation" talks with senior Hezbollah figure Ammar Moussawi.

He told the Sunday Telegraph he asked the group to help Christians fleeing civil war in Syria.

In 1987, as the Archbishop of Canterbury's special envoy, he was seized and held hostage for 1,760-days.

Mr Waite, who had been attempting to negotiate the release of Western hostages, was kept in solitary confinement, chained to a radiator and often beaten.

The 73-year-old said the British people would think him "crazy" for going back, but added he wanted to consign his suffering to the past and forgive his captors.

'Past is the past'

Mr Waite spoke with Mr Moussawi for about two-hours in a secret meeting in a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut.

While he has been back to Lebanon since his release, Mr Waite did for the first time return to the spot where he was taken and to the Beirut's southern suburbs where he was held.

Suffolk-based Mr Waite, who was accompanied by a Sunday Telegraph reporter and photographer on the trip, told the newspaper that "the past is the past".

"I believe that reconciliation between larger groups, political groups, has to begin here with our own personal reconciliation."

His return to Beirut last week was said to be intended to highlight the plight of Syrian Christians, who have left the country after civil war erupted between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and anti-government protesters.

Despite the alliance between President Assad and Hezbollah's leaders, Mr Waite asked it to provide assistance and aid to Christian refugees in the run up to Christmas.

Germany's growth forecast cut by Bundesbank

Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, has cut its growth forecast for next year, saying the country's economy might be entering a recession.

Growth in 2013 is now expected to be just 0.4%, compared with a forecast in June of 1.6%, but is expected to bounce back to 1.9% in 2014.

Meanwhile, industrial output fell a steeper-than-expected 2.6% in October.

It comes one day after European Central Bank president Mario Draghi cut his forecast for eurozone growth.

Mr Draghi blamed his move on a stagnation in core eurozone countries, including Germany, France and the Netherlands.

Southern European countries, such as Spain and Italy, have been in recession for more than a year, but the malaise has spread to the rest of the single currency zone via weak export demand and falling consumer and business confidence.

Rebound in 2014

Meanwhile, the ECB's German counterpart warned that Germany's economy may suffer a recession during the current quarter and the first three months of next year.

The Bundesbank has cut its growth forecast for the current year as a whole to 0.7%, from 1% previously, in light of what is seen to be a very poor performance since the autumn.Industrial production data released on Friday registered a 2.6% drop in output during October, meaning that output in the month was 3.7% lower than a year earlier, with construction activity and demand for investment goods particularly badly affected.

The Netherlands also reported a 1.7% drop in its industrial output versus a year ago.

The German central bank blamed its more pessimistic growth forecasts on the recessions in neighbouring eurozone countries, as well as on a general slowdown in the world economy.

"Given the difficult economic situation in some euro area countries and widespread uncertainty, economic growth will be lower than previously assumed," the Bundesbank said.

"The Bundesbank does not see a protracted slowdown, but instead anticipates a return to a growth path soon."

It noted that German businesses were cutting their investments and were taking on fewer new workers.

The Bundesbank's president Jens Weidmann is due to give a speech in the afternoon.

'Downswing territory'

Industrial orders and exports in Germany have fallen in recent months. However, while industrial output fell in October, orders saw a surprise bounce thanks to a surge in demand from outside the eurozone.

Despite that, David Kohl, chief economist at fund managers Julius Baer, said the economy was "moving slowly into downswing territory".The biggest drag on the economy has been trade, with soft demand from southern Europe weighing on exports.

A steady rise in German house prices in recent months - driven by record low interest rates - had been encouraging a pick-up in domestic spending, but with much of that spending leaking out of the country via imports.

However, that picture appears to have been changing since the summer, with negative economic news affecting sentiment.

"Domestic demand has been a bit disappointing in the third quarter and in the current quarter," said Mr Kohl. "Uncertainty tends to hit consumer confidence. It depresses private consumption - but it lasts just for a month or two, maybe a quarter."

German unemployment - which had been falling steadily to a 20-year low of 5.4% - is showing signs of rising again.

Recent data showed German wages rising 3.3% in the third quarter of the year compared with a year earlier.

Such German wage rises are seen as key to a rebalancing of the entire eurozone economy - by helping southern European workers gain their cost competitiveness, and by encouraging greater spending by German households, which should help eliminate Germany's perennial trade surplus.

'Reluctant' ECB

The weak German outlook comes a day after the ECB decided to keep interest rates on hold at 0.75%.

"The ECB had yesterday the chance to add stimulus, but seemed reluctant," noted Mr Kohl.

Many banks in the suffering southern European economies would directly benefit from a rate cut, as this would reduce the cost of the emergency loans they have received from the ECB.

The German government may also be minded to stimulate the economy, perhaps via tax cuts, as parliamentary elections are due in the second half of next year. However, any such cuts are unlikely to have an effect in time to head off the current downturn in the country's economy.

Economic data from elsewhere in Europe was similarly discouraging on Friday.

In the UK, manufacturing output fell a surprisingly sharp 1.3% in October from a month earlier, as the economy geared down from hosting the Summer Olympics.

Meanwhile, Portugal, Greece, the Czech Republic and Hungary all confirmed that their economies shrank during the third quarter of the year.

Portugal's slump was revised down from a contraction of 3.4% versus a year ago, to one of 3.5%, as exports to the rest of the eurozone suffered.

Greece's recession, by contrast, was not quite as astoundingly deep as originally feared, with the country's fall in output was revised to 6.9%, from a first estimate of 7.2%.

Outside the eurozone, the Czech economy shrank 1.3% in the third quarter, while the Hungarian economy did so by 1.5% and industrial production in the country fell 3.8% in October from a year earlier.