Friday, December 12, 2008
International News
TOP STORIES as of 1000 GMT -- 12 December, 2008
STOCKS PLUNGE AS U.S. AUTO BAILOUT FAILS
Asian and European markets fell sharply on Friday after
Washington's automaker bailout plan floundered on Republican
opposition. More bleak economic data from the U.S. and news of
35,000 job cuts at Bank of America added to the gloom.
TAIWAN'S EX-PRESIDENT CHEN INDICTED
Former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian was indicted Friday on
several corruption charges, including embezzlement and accepting
bribes.
JAPAN EXTENDS NAVAL REFUELING MISSION
Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean has been extended
for another year by the country's parliament.
FEMALE 'AL QAEDA LEGEND' SEIZED IN BELGIUM
Belgian police Thursday arrested a woman they called an "al
Qaeda living legend" as part of an operation to thwart a terror
attack being planned to coincide with an EU summit in Brussels. : Report.
NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR DEAL MAY ELUDE BUSH
The Bush administration signaled Thursday that it may not be
able to reach an agreement with North Korea on its nuclear
program before President Bush leaves office next month but said
it will continue to try.
PAKISTAN DETAINS TERROR GROUP FOUNDER
The founder of the terrorist group India blames for last month's
Mumbai attacks has been placed under house arrest.The move comes after the
Pakistani government banned his group, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a charity
affiliated with Lashkar-e-Tayyiba that India says is behind the
deadly siege.
U.S. ENDANGERED SPECIES RULES RELAXED
The Bush administration cleared the way Thursday for federal
agencies to skip consultations with government scientists when
embarking on projects that could impact endangered wildlife, the
interior secretary said.
MASSIVE INAUGURAL TURNOUT PLANNED FOR OBAMA
Federal and local officials are bracing for an expected massive
turnout for the January inauguration of President-elect Barack
Obama, but say predictions of 4 or 5 million visitors to
Washington are too high.
BUSINESS
FORMER NASDAQ CHAIRMAN CHARGED WITH FRAUD
Former Nasdaq chairman Bernard Madoff was arrested Thursday and
charged with a single count of securities fraud for allegedly
operating a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme from his investment
advisory business, federal authorities said.
U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS AT 26-YEAR HIGH
The number of Americans filing new unemployment insurance claims
jumped last week to a 26-year high, surpassing economists' worst
expectations. The U.S. economy has lost 1.9 million jobs so far
this year.
