TOP STORIES FROM EUROPE AT 1200 GMT
UKRAINE-PROTESTS
KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine's president agrees to talks with three former presidents in an effort to defuse the crisis triggered by his decision to turn his back on a treaty with the EU. Meanwhile, dozens of riot police in full gear positioned themselves outside the Kiev city administration on Monday, the deadline a court has set for the protesters occupying the building to leave. By Jim Heintz and Yuras Karmanau. Developing. SENT: 130 words.
TURKEY-POLITICS
ANKARA, Turkey — After dominating Turkish politics for a decade, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is entering election season on uncertain footing — without the support of key groups that had powered his previous electoral wins and facing divisions within his own party. Erdogan, whom critics accuse of cutting an increasingly autocratic figure, faces municipal elections in March that are largely seen as a vote of confidence in his Islamic-based government. A poor result could weaken Erdogan just as he seeks to shift into the presidency in an August vote while still maintaining enough influence in his party to choose his successor as prime minister in parliamentary elections expected next year. By Suzan Fraser. SENT: 760 words, photo.
NSA-SURVEILLANCE-TECH
LONDON — Eight major technology companies have joined forces to call for tighter controls on government surveillance, issuing an open letter Monday to President Barack Obama arguing for reforms in the way the U.S. snoops on people. The companies, which include Google, Facebook and Twitter, said that while they sympathize with national security concerns, recent revelations make it clear that laws should be carefully tailored to balance them against individual rights. By Danica Kirka. SENT: 450 words.
FRANCE-HOPI-AUCTION
PARIS — A French auction house has ignored an urgent request by the U.S. Embassy to delay a sale of dozens of sacred Hopi masks. EVE auctioneers say Monday's sale of 32 artifacts, which the Hopis say represent their ancestors' spirits, will go ahead despite a plea from the Embassy on Saturday that the sale be delayed to give the concerned tribes time to travel and identify the artifacts. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 450 words by 1300 GMT.
RUSSIA-NEWS AGENCY
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin has appointed a controversial news anchor known for his ultraconservative views to head a newly restructured state news agency. A decree published on the Kremlin's website on Monday announced the appointment of Dmitry Kiselyov to be head of Russia Today, which will replace RIA Novosti in a major structural overhaul of the company. SENT: 130 words.
FRANCE-CHAMPAGNE-WIDOWS
REIMS, France — For Champagne to become the tipple it is today — popped at weddings, quaffed in casinos, sprayed by racing drivers and smashed against ships — a few men had to die. Not just any old men. Young ones married to clever young women. By Thomas Adamson. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.
BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL
EUROPE-FINANCIAL CRISIS
BRUSSELS — Finance ministers from the 17 eurozone countries try to agree on setting up a fund to pay for bank rescues in Europe. They will also discuss whether Greece needs to do more spending cuts. By John-Thor Dahlberg
130 words by 1400 GMT, 400 words by end of meeting
GERMANY-ECONOMY
BERLIN — Germany's trade surplus narrowed and industrial production lost further momentum in October, according to reports Monday that raise concern over the strength of Europe's largest economy.
130 words out, 330 words by 1230 GMT
EU-NOKIA
AMSTERDAM — Europe's top regulator has warned Nokia not to try to become a "patent troll" after the Finnish company sold most of its cellphone-making business to Microsoft Corp. this year but retained its patent portfolio. Joaquin Almunia said in a speech in Paris on Monday he had approved the $7.2 billion sale as not presenting problems on Microsoft's side, but there is a danger Nokia will now attempt to "extract higher returns" from its patent portfolio. "In other words...behave like a patent troll, or to use a more polite phrase, a patent assertion entity." SENT: 130 worlds. UPCOMING: 250 words by 1330 GMT.
EU--GOOGLE
AMSTERDAM — Europe's top regulator says he has asked Google not to discriminate against companies that don't want it to use their content in Google's specialized search results, such as price comparison for plane tickets or reviews of restaurants. Joaquin Almunia said during a speech in Paris Monday that the Internet search giant currently "creates a link" between sites that cooperate with the practice known as "scraping" and how the sites appear on Google's general search results. SENT: 130 words.
News Topics: General news, Embassies, Executive changes, Mobile phone manufacturing, Patents, Government surveillance, International relations, Government and politics, Corporate management, Corporate news, Business, Personnel, Mobile telecommunications equipment manufacturing, Telecommunications equipment manufacturing, Telecommunications, Industries, Consumer electronics manufacturing, Consumer product manufacturing, Consumer products and services, Intellectual property, Political issuesPeople, Places and Companies: Google, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Joaquin Almunia, France, Kiev, Europe, Turkey, Ukraine, Paris, Russia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East
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