China's October factory growth unexpectedly hits five-month low: official PMI

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's factory activity unexpectedly fell to a five-month low in October as firms fought slowing orders and rising costs in the cooling economy, reinforcing views that the country's growth outlook is hazy at best.

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Congo crowd kills man, eats him after militant massacres: witnesses

BENI Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - A crowd stoned to death a young man in northeast Congo on Friday before burning and eating his corpse, witnesses said, in apparent revenge for a series of attacks by Ugandan rebels.

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India considers ban on e-cigarettes, sale of single smokes

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is considering a ban on electronic cigarettes over the risks to public health that they may cause, a senior Health Ministry official told Reuters.

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Sony reports narrower second-quarter loss than estimated on strong PlayStation 4 sales

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Sony Corp reported a second-quarter operating loss on Friday that was narrower than analysts had estimated, as blockbuster sales of its PlayStation 4 games console reduced the impact of a sluggish smartphone division.



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UPDATE 1-Sony reports narrower Q2 loss than estimated on strong PlayStation 4 sales

* Says loses 3 billion yen each time currency falls one yen (Adds details on gaming unit, mobile, CFO comments on weaker yen)



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Italy - Factors to watch on October 31

The following factors could affect Italian markets on Friday.



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Starbucks Americas sales disappoint on softer traffic

(Reuters) - Starbucks Corp's early re-launch of its popular Pumpkin Spice latte drink failed to heat up business at its U.S. cafes, disappointing Wall Street and sending the company's shares down almost 5 percent.

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GLOBAL MARKETS-Japan shares soar, yen skids after BOJ stuns with new easing steps

* Asian shares extend gains made after U.S. GDP data lifts Wall Street

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BRIEF-Pros Holdings launches squeeze-out for outstanding Cameleon Software shares

* Says Pros Holdings launches squeeze-out for outstanding Cameleon Software shares

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Indonesia's new energy chief seeks to shore up regulator

JAKARTA, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Appointing a permanent leadership at Indonesia's graft-tainted energy regulator will be a top priority for the new government of Southeast Asia's largest oil producer, the energy and mineral resources minister said on Friday.

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