USA - The election of 2012 is proving to be the most corrupt election ever in the United States. Stories are coming in from all over the nation where the electronic machines check off [President] Obama when Romney’s name was chosen. Has the left finally been able to rig the machines so that no matter who is voted for their candidate gets the vote? I think so.

USA - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Friday that Congress should stop placing legal limits on the amount of money the government can borrow and effectively lift the debt limit to infinity. On Bloomberg TV, “Political Capital” host Al Hunt asked Geithner if he believes “we ought to just eliminate the debt ceiling.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Geithner said.

“You do? Will you propose that?” Hunt asked.

“Well, this is something only Congress can solve,” Geithner said.

Hunt then asked: “Is now the time to eliminate it?”

“It would have been time a long time ago to eliminate it,” Geithner said. “The sooner the better.”

BRUSSELS, EUROPE - Possible plans for a long-term European budget without Britain have been branded a "slap in the face" by UK MEPs. In a move that will be seen as increasing British isolationism in the EU, an 'alternative' budget is reportedly being considered in Brussels ahead of this week's crunch summit of EU leaders and heads of state.

INDIA - Ronnie Prabhu, Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops Council public relations office Director addressing the gathering said that people with broad-minded approach pioneered the institution of Mangalore Christian Council 50 years ago. "Many people took great lead in igniting the movement of ecumenism," he said, adding, "Unity is the desire of Jesus Christ."

VATICAN - The Pope met with members of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, which is led by Cardinal Kurt Koch. During the meeting they analyzed the role ecumenism plays in the New Evangelization. The Pope highlighted the importance of unity among Christians. He reminded them, that unity was also emphasized by the Second Vatican Council. When it comes to ecumenical dialogue, the Pope said the crisis of faith seen in many countries, cannot be ignored. He said spiritual poverty is also a challenge. He then added that division goes against the will of Jesus, who repeatedly prayed for unity, even among his own disciples.

ISRAEL - Israel has warned Hamas it will step up its offensive in the Gaza Strip in 36 hours if they do not cease rocket fire. Israel's Finance Minister told IDF radio the time left before Israel escalates its attacks can be measured in "hours, not days." "We are at a junction," said Minister Yuval Steinitz. "Either we go toward a calm or toward a meaningful widening of the operation… including a possible move to achieve complete military decision." Israel has demanded that Hamas cease firing rockets into Israel for a period of "several years" and that they stop the smuggling of weapons into Gaza. The conditions are part of a six-part proposal put forward by the Israeli government at negotiations with Hamas in Cairo.

ISRAEL - Israel's latest campaign in Gaza, which began on Wednesday with the killing of Hamas' military commander, Ahmed Jabari, and air strikes on the group's long-range rocket launchers, is a gamble - and one that Israel might lose. Its goal is to compel Hamas to stop shooting rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip and to crack down on other groups who are also doing so. Hamas, however, will find it hard to bend to Israeli pressure. In turn, it will be up to outside states, particularly Egypt, to foster a deal to end the fighting.

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - Hamas militants have launched a rocket on Jerusalem - the first time the holy city has been targeted in decades - and the first such attack from Gaza. The missile was aimed at the Israeli parliament but landed outside the city and there were no casualties. Israel has suggested it will intensify its strikes against Gaza targets, with more than 75,000 reservists reportedly put on stand-by. An Israeli military spokesman said 550 missiles had been fired into Israel since Wednesday - 184 had been intercepted by its radar-protective system, Iron Dome.

RUSSIA - Investment arm of Russia’s second largest bank – VTB Capital – will start issuing bonds tied to gold price. The new instrument enters Russia just when global downturn makes gold increasingly attractive. The new so–called ‘gold bonds’ provide for 3 fixed coupons – 0.1% each – with the yield to maturity depending on the gold price dynamics, Vedomosti daily reports. The gold price on November 26 – the day when the placement is set to kick off – will be taken as the base to calculate gold growth. Overall, the new bonds can create up to annualized 21.3% yield for investors.

FRANCE - More than 100,000 people rallied across France on Saturday to protest a government bill that would grant marriage and adoption rights to same-sex couples. Police used tear gas against activists who tried to stage a counter-protest. Paris protesters marched to the Invalides monument – the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte. The French leader created the country’s civil code, which states that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. The demonstrators held banners which read, “One child (equals) one father + one mother” and called the bill a “major and dangerous upheaval.”

UK - More than one in 10 shops are empty, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the highest since it began collecting data on occupancy levels of High Street premises. The BRC said the town centre vacancy rate of 11.3% was the worst figure since its nationwide survey began in July 2011. The figures come as the failed retailer Comet prepares to close stores. The BRC's director general, Stephen Robertson, said the new figures would set "alarm bells ringing".

UK - Britain is "sleepwalking" into leaving the EU, which would undermine the UK's economy and leave it "voiceless and powerless," Ed Miliband will say. The Labour leader will also tell business leaders pro-Europeans can no longer turn a "blind eye" to the EU's failings. A new approach should be based on "building alliances for change," he will tell the CBI conference. Prime Minister David Cameron is due to take part in EU budget talks this week. Tory MP David Davis will make a speech later calling for a referendum that would allow the government to forge a new, looser relationship with Brussels.

USA - When Superstorm Sandy slammed into the East Coast, it highlighted the sorry state of the nation’s infrastructure. Experts say President Obama needs to push through a grand plan to rebuild America’s bridges, roads and water facilities.

USA - In jewelry stores on 47th Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the important trust between merchants has been violated. A 10-ounce gold bar costing nearly $18,000 turned out to be a counterfeit. The bar was filled with tungsten, which weighs nearly the same as gold but costs just over a dollar an ounce.

ISRAEL - Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza have sparked global protests condemning the attack. Thousands of people across the Middle East, the West, and Europe have come out to show their disdain. Yet, some countries remain convinced of Israel’s right to attack. Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense – which began Wednesday and has taken the lives of 39 Palestinians and three Israelis so far, according to Palestinian local media – has divided the international world.