China's currency dream gets U.K. lift

China's bid to turn its currency into a global heavyweight got a boost Thursday with news that Britain will become the first Western nation to borrow money in yuan.

The U.K. government has appointed three banks -- Bank of China (BACHF), HSBC (HSBC) and Standard Chartered (SCBFF) -- to sell the first non-Chinese sovereign bond in the currency.

Proceeds from the sale will be added to the U.K.'s official foreign currency reserves, worth just over $100 billion. Borrowing to finance government spending is carried out exclusively in British pounds.
Most countries hold their reserves in U.S. dollars or euros. The U.K. is no exception, although it does have smaller amounts of Japanese yen and Canadian dollars.
Investors will be given more details about the U.K. bond on Monday.
The first sale is likely to be relatively small, raising perhaps the equivalent of just $300 million. But if other countries follow suit, the yuan will gain new stature in global currency markets.
Beijing has kept tight control of the yuan in the past, limiting money flows in and out of the country and holding down the exchange rate as a way to boost manufacturing and exports.
But it has taken several steps in recent years to relax these restrictions, agreeing to deals that allow the currency -- also known as the renminbi -- to trade directly against the U.S. dollar, pound, Australian dollar and the yen.

Missing Vietnamese oil tanker found raided by pirates

Almost one week after vanishing en route from Singapore to Vietnam, a Vietnamese oil tanker has been released by pirates who had taken control of the vessel.

Nguyen Nhat, director of Vietnam's Maritime Department, told CNN that the eight pirates who seized the ship absconded with part of the cargo -- 2,000 metric tons of a total 7,200 metric tons of oil.

The ship, called Sunrise 689, had returned to Vietnam with its 18 crew, arriving in port at 5 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET). The nationality of the pirates was unknown, he said.

Migrants accused of murder of British couple in Thailand recant confessions

The Burmese migrants accused of the murder of two British tourists on the Thai resort island of Koh Tao have retracted their confessions, according to Burmese media.

Following a visit from a consular lawyer, the two men, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, say that they made their statements admitting to killing David Miller and raping and murdering Hannah Witheridge, under duress.

The two men have been in police custody since October 1 and confessed shortly after that. The murder of the British tourists occurred on September 15.

The bodies were found partially undressed with severe injuries to their heads. A hoe with blood on it was found close by, police said.

Paula Patton makes it clear, files for divorce from Robin Thicke

It seems like Robin Thicke's desperate pleas, his sentimental stunts, his corny croons fell on deaf ears.

After separating eight months ago, his wife Paula Patton has filed for divorce.The papers were filed last week in Los Angeles, according court documents first posted by TMZ. She cited "irreconcilable differences."

CDC Chief: Ebola Is Biggest World Health Threat Since AIDS

A majority of Americans support banning all flights to the United States from countries experiencing an Ebola outbreak, an exclusive NBC News online survey reveals.

The survey, which was conducted by SurveyMonkey and then weighted for age, race, sex, education and region to match U.S. Census data, found that 58 percent of Americans want a ban on incoming flights from West African countries hardest hit by the virus, such as Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. Twenty percent of respondents opposed a travel ban, and the rest said they didn’t know. The survey was conducted a day before the first person diagnosed with Ebola inside the U.S. died Wednesday.

Prolific '90s Graffiti Vandal Arrested After Emerging From Hiatus: NYPD

A New York City graffiti "anti-artist" who became notorious in the 1990s for his ubiquitous "Cost" sticker posters has been arrested after emerging from a 16-year hiatus, the NYPD says. 

Police began investigating Adam Cole, a 45-year-old Queens native, after they spotted him walking away from scaffolding in the Meatpacking District that had a freshly affixed "Cost" poster with adhesive dripping from it early Sunday morning, police said.

U.S. F-15 crashes in United Kingdom, official says

A military aircraft crashed in eastern England on Wednesday, and the pilot ejected and survived with a minor injury, police in Lincolnshire said.

The plane was a U.S. Air Force F-15, a U.S. Defense Department official told CNN on condition of anonymity. Lincolnshire police didn't name the country to which the plane belonged or release the pilot's name or nationality.

The crash happened in Weston Hill, police said. A cordon was put in place around the fiery wreckage, and the public was advised to avoid the area because of concerns that the fumes may be hazardous, police said.

After the ejection, the pilot was taken away by helicopter, police said. Details about what led to the crash weren't immediately released.