MOSCOW - Russian investigators charged an outspoken opponent of President Vladimir Putin with plotting riots in a case rights activists say is designed to suppress dissent. The federal Investigative Committee formally charged Sergei Udaltsov after questioning him about allegations based on hidden-camera footage broadcast by a pro-Kremlin channel that said it showed him conspiring with a Georgian politician. Udaltsov, who was released after being charged, but faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted, denied the allegations. Reuters
MIAMI - Hurricane Sandy lashed the Bahamas with heavy rains and high waves on its path to pound the northeastern US as a powerful "Frankenstorm," after leaving 31 dead in the Caribbean. Forecasters warned the massive hurricane could collide with a seasonal "nor'easter" weather system as it churns northwards parallel to the East Coast before swerving into the mid-Atlantic just east of Washington on Tuesday. The combination of adverse weather conditions could affect the area through Halloween, earning it the ghoulish nickname. Most of Florida was under a tropical storm warning. AFP