by Associated Press BC-AP News Coverage Advisory Associated Press - 28 November 2014 10:37-05:00 Here's a look at how AP's general news coverage is shaping up today. Some plans are subject to change. HIGHLIGHTING: Among today's coverage highlights as we see them: -- BLACK FRIDAY (sent; developing; with RUNNING separate) -- SYRIA-KOBANI (VIDEO, with text) (one version sent; package upcoming) -- TURKEY-POPE (sent; developing) -- NIGERIA VIOLENCE (sent; developing) -- EBOLA-WEST AFRICA (sent; developing) -- RUSSIA-REBEL DOCTORS (sent) -- AUSTIN SHOOTING (sent; developing) -- FERGUSON-WHO WAS MICHAEL BROWN (upcoming) -- OIL PRICES-IMPACT (upcoming) TALKERS/READERS: -- BLACK FRIDAY (sent; developing; with RUNNING separate) -- FERGUSON-WHO WAS MICHAEL BROWN (upcoming) -- HONG KONG-STUDENT LEADER (sent) -- SYRIA-KOBANI (VIDEO; with text) (one version sent; another upcoming) -- AUSTRALIA-CHRISTMAS LIGHTS (sent) -- HOUDINI'S GRAVE (upcoming) -- RUSSIA-MICKEY ROURKE FIGHTS (upcoming) PHOTOS: BLACK FRIDAY coverage (sent; developing); GERMANY-CHRISTMAS TRADITION-PHOTO ESSAY (sent); BRAZIL-HOUSING SHORTAGE-PHOTO GALLERY (sent) VIDEO: BLACK FRIDAY coverage (sent; developing); SYRIA-KOBANI (one version sent; package upcoming); JAPAN VOLCANO (sent) Here are details of those stories, plus others we have in the works for today and notable pieces that we sent in the past 10 hours (all times GMT): BUSINESS /ECONOMY HOLIDAY SHOPPING-BLACK FRIDAY - Stores are welcoming a second wave of shoppers in what has become a two-day kickoff to the holiday shopping season. The big question: How much Thanksgiving shopping will hurt Black Friday, which is relinquishing its status as the start of the holiday shopping season? SENT: 560 words, photo. UPCOMING: Will be updated throughout day. - HOLIDAY SHOPPING-BLACK FRIDAY-RUNNING - NEW YORK — Millions of Americans are expected to head out in search of steep discounts today. Here's a live look at what's happening this Black Friday. SENT: 1,350 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: Will be updated with feeds from around the country throughout the day. BRITAIN-BLACK FRIDAY - The practice of offering bargain basement prices the day after Thanksgiving has spread across the Atlantic, with some British retailers opening overnight to lure shoppers. SENT: 200 words, photos. ON THE MONEY-HOLIDAYS ON CREDIT-TIPS - Relying on credit without a plan can easily cost you far more in the long run. Here are some tips for using credit cards during the holiday shopping season. UPCOMING: 700 words by noon. SWITZERLAND-SAVING THE GOLD - A campaign is on to protect the country's wealth by investing in gold — 1,650 tons of it. SENT: 800 words WORLD SYRIA-KOBANI - Blocks of low-rise buildings with hollow facades, shattered concrete, streets strewn with rubble and crumpled remains of vehicles. Such is the landscape left in Kobani by the more than two-month-old battle between Islamic State extremists and the Syrian town's Kurdish defenders. The AP is running a series of five exclusive reports with video, text and photos by a videojournalist who captured the fighting and daily life inside Kobani over several days. The second part will move on Monday, Dec. 1. SENT: first version of video, 520 words, photos. UPCOMING: Packaged video. TURKEY-POPE - Pope Francis condemned the Islamic State assault on Christians and other religions minorities in Iraq and Syria, as he arrived Friday in Turkey to encourage Muslim leaders to take a stronger stand against extremists who twist religion to justify terrorism. SENT: 720 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: Developing. RUSSIA-REBEL DOCTORS - At least 28 Moscow hospitals are to be closed and up to 10,000 medical staff fired in an overhaul that officials say is needed to modernize a decrepit Soviet-era health system. On Sunday, thousands of doctors and their patients are set to march against the reform. SENT: 1,030 words, photos. EBOLA-WEST AFRICA - French President Francois Hollande arrived in Guinea on Friday, where thousands of residents lined the roads while clapping, drumming, dancing and waving flags to catch a glimpse of the first Western leader to visit a country hard hit by Ebola. SENT: 730 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing. NIGERIA-VIOLENCE - A military official in Nigeria says scores of people are feared to have been killed and wounded in a bomb blast at a mosque. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Developing. SYRIA-SOUTHERN FRONT - Recent advances by rebels backed by the United States appear to be a rare visible success story from efforts by the U.S. and its allies to train and arm moderate rebel fighters. SENT: 900 words, photos. ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS - Israel's hard-line foreign minister says he supports paying Arab citizens to leave the country. SENT: 250 words, photo. OIL PRICES-ASIA - A renewed plunge in oil prices is a worrying sign of weakness in the global economy, and a a panacea as pump prices fall, giving individuals more disposable income and lowering costs for many businesses. SENT: 750 words, photos. RUSSIA-MANEUVERS - Russian warships have entered the English Channel to wait out a storm following a week of maneuvers in the North Sea, the latest in a string of Russian military exercises this year. SENT: 180 words. FRANCE-SARKOZY - Nicolas Sarkozy is back, almost certain to win leadership of his troubled conservative party in an election starting Friday - but the divisive, hard-edged Sarkozy will face a much tougher battle to regain the presidency. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Developing. EGYPT - Two senior Egyptian army officers were killed early Friday as security forces arrested more than 100 Islamists ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations. SENT: 360 words. UPCOMING: photos, video. AFGHANISTAN - An Afghan official says six Afghan soldiers have been killed in an attack on a military base in the southern Helmand province that lasted more than 14 hours. SENT: 130 words. HONG KONG-STUDENT LEADER - At 18, Joshua Wong's young, bespectacled face is perhaps the most recognized among leaders spearheading a mostly student-led protest movement. SENT: 980 words, photos. PRIVATE POLICING-VIGILANTE JUSTICE - Bands of citizen vigilantes have sprung up in Latin America over the past decade in response to an eroding criminal justice system and corruption-marred, ineffective police forces unable to offer even the most basic protections. SENT: 1,320 words, photos. Abridged version of 800 words. VENEZUELA-MUSICAL FIRESTORM - It has been praised the world over as a model for uplifting disadvantaged youth by connecting them with classical music. But a new book about Venezuela's network of youth orchestras portrays it as a "model of tyranny" characterized by brutal, marathon practice sessions. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos. GERMANY-ART TROVE - The Jewish Claims Conference said Friday it has already identified a painting stolen by the Nazis among a newly published inventory of hundreds of works that belonged to late German collector Cornelius Gurlitt. SENT: 300 words, photos. GERMANY-DOOMED VILLAGE - Coal is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany's effort to phase out nuclear energy. It's also the reason the village of Atterwasch is slated to be razed. SENT: 750 words, photos. AUSTRALIA-CLIMATE CHANGE - Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who rose to power in large part by opposing a tax on greenhouse gas emissions, is finding his country increasingly isolated on climate change. SENT: 1,130 words, photos. GREECE-MIGRANT SHIP - Authorities on southern Greek island give temporary shelter to 600 migrants from crippled ship. SENT: 130 words, photos. UPCOMING: developing. BRITAIN-IMMIGRATION - In a bid to placate immigration critics, Cameron says Britain will curb benefits for EU migrants. SENT: 130 words, photo. JAPAN-VOLCANO - Volcano in southern Japan blasting magma in first eruption in 22 years, disrupting flights. SENT: 130 words, photos, video. AUSTRALIA-CHRISTMAS LIGHTS - Australian sets world record by stringing up almost 1.2 million Christmas lights. SENT: 260 words, photo JAPAN-SEX SLAVES - Japan's biggest newspaper apologizes in print for using the term "sex slaves" in its English-language edition to describe Asian women forced into Japanese military-run brothels during World War II.. SENT: 400 words. CHINA-HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST - A leading rights activist who organized rallies for media freedom goes on trial. SENT: 360 words. CHINA-XINJIANG-VIOLENCE - Chinese authorities say they broke up 115 terrorist gangs in Xinjiang. But tallies of death tolls in the ethnically tense region suggest the violence has continued. SENT: 580 words. PHILIPPINES-TERROR CONVICTIONS - A Philippine court convicts an Indonesian militant and two Filipino extremists for their role in a 2002 mall bombing that killed at least 12. SENT: 350 words. SRI LANKA-WAR CRIMES - Sri Lanka's opposition presidential candidate vows not to support any international prosecution of incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa for alleged war crimes. SENT: 430 words. INDIA-IRAQ-KIDNAPPED WORKERS - The Indian government believes 39 workers abducted nearly six months ago by the Islamic State group in Iraq are alive despite claims by one who escaped that the others had been killed. SENT: 190 words. NEPAL-ANIMAL SACRIFICE - Tens of thousands of birds and other animals are being slaughtered at a festival in Nepal where devotees believe the sacrifices bring good luck and grant wishes. SENT: 160 words. WASHINGTON INDIAN TRIBE-INTERMARRIAGE BAN - Several members of the Congressional Black Caucus are urging the Obama administration to withhold federal recognition of a Virginia Indian tribe because of its history of banning intermarriage with blacks. SENT: 680 words, photo. US AUSTIN SHOOTING - Authorities shot and killed a man who they say opened fire on the Mexican Consulate, city police headquarters and other downtown buildings early Friday morning. SENT: 260 words. UPCOMING: Developing. FERGUSON-WHO WAS MICHAEL BROWN - For some Americans on opposite sides of a national debate, Michael Brown has become a symbol, epitomizing their polarized views on who bears the blame for the toll of young black men killed by police officers. Brown was a gentle giant, in one version. A defiant troublemaker, in another. SENT: 900 words, photos by 1700 GMT. FERGUSON - Dozens of people have interrupted holiday shopping at major retailers around the St. Louis area to speak out about a grand jury's decision not to indict the officer who fatally shot Michael Brown. SENT: 320 words, photo. UPCOMING: Developing; 400 words by 2000 GMT, photos. POLICE-CHOKEHOLD DEATH - A grand jury in New York City is quietly nearing its own conclusion about another combustible case involving the death of an unarmed man at the hands of police. UPCOMING: 600 words by 2000 GMT, photos. HOUDINI'S GRAVE — New effort afoot by magicians to restore and maintain Harry Houdini's grave in New York City. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. SPORTS RUSSIA-MICKEY ROURKE FIGHTS - Two decades after his last professional fight, actor Mickey Rourke steps back into the boxing ring in Moscow. At age 62, his prospects for winning might seem dim — although his 29-year-old opponent has only one victory in 10 pro bouts. UPCOMING: 300 words by 1800 GMT, photos. PHOTOGRAPHY GERMANY-CHRISTMAS TRADITION-PHOTO ESSAY - German craftsman makes traditional wooden masks as Christmas hobby. SENT: 130 words, photos. BRAZIL-HOUSING SHORTAGE-PHOTO GALLERY - There are simply not enough affordable housing to meet demand in this city of 12 million people. The result is swarms of squatters invading abandoned land and even buildings under construction. SENT: 410 words, photos. News Topics: General news, Christmas, War and unrest, Holiday spending, Protests and demonstrations, Holiday shopping, Bombings, Ebola virus, Crime, Access to health care, Government and politics, Volcanoes, Political activism, Holidays, Occasions, Lifestyle, Discretionary spending, Personal spending, Personal finance, Business, Political and civil unrest, Shopping, Hemorrhagic fever, Infectious diseases, Diseases and conditions, Health, Health issues, Environment and nature, Political issues People, Places and Companies: Michael Brown, Mickey Rourke, Pope Francis, Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Cornelius Gurlitt, Cornelius, Tony Abbott, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Egypt, Philippines, Syria, Japan, Germany, France, Afghanistan, Nepal, Nigeria, India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Russia, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, New York City, South Asia, Middle East, North Africa, Africa, Southeast Asia, Asia, East Asia, Western Europe, Europe, Central Asia, West Africa, Oceania, Eastern Europe, China, Greater China, New York, United States, North America Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. 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