RUSSELL CROWE SPLITS FROM WIFE – REPORT
SYDNEY: Hollywood star Russell Crowe and his wife Danielle Spencer have split up, a report said on Monday, with speculation that the Oscar-winning actor could face a US$25 million settlement.

SYRIA-TURKEY TENSIONS SOAR WITH FLIGHT BANS
DAMASCUS: Turkey has banned Syrian flights from its airspace in a tit-for-tat move, while Iran handed a “detailed proposal” to United Nations-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi aimed at ending the conflict between the Syrian Army and rebels.

EX-QADDAFI OPPONENT ELECTED LIBYAN PM
TRIPOLI: Libya’s General National Congress has elected Ali Zeidan, a long-time opponent of deposed dictator Muammar Qaddafi, as prime minister on Sunday, said Mohammed Megaryef, chief of the assembly.

NIGERIA MOSQUE MASSACRE NOT SECTARIAN – MILITARY
KADUNA, Nigeria: The Nigerian Army has said that an armed assault on a mosque in which 21 people died over the weekend was the result of a criminal feud and not sectarian violence.

‘ENDEAVOUR’ FINALLY REACHES RETIREMENT HOME
LOS ANGELES: The US space shuttle Endeavour finally reached its California retirement home on Sunday (Monday in Manila), after taking three days instead of two for its last-ever journey—12 miles (19 kilometers) across Los Angeles.

OBAMA, ROMNEY BUNKER DOWN AS DEBATE LOOMS
WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia: A different Barack Obama will show up at the next debate with Mitt Romney, aides said on Sunday (Monday in Manila), after the president held a post-mortem of his leaden debut clash with his Republican foe. AFP