Sunday, December 21, 2008
International
TOP STORIES as of 0900 HKT -- 22 December, 2008
DIPLOMAT: U.S. RULES OUT ZIMBABWE POLITICAL DEAL
The United States no longer supports a power-sharing deal
between Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and the country's
main opposition because a viable unity government is not
possible with Mugabe in power, a top U.S. diplomat has said.
LOCKERBIE MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOMBING
Events commemorating the bombing of an American airliner over
the Scottish town of Lockerbie are taking place Sunday in both
the UK and the U.S. to mark the 20th anniversary of the attack
which killed 270 people.
COLOMBIAN REBEL GROUP TO RELEASE 6 HOSTAGES
A Colombian rebel group announced plans to release 6 hostages,
including former Gov. Alan Jara and former legislator Sigifredo
Lopez Tobon, according to a statement from the group on Sunday.
TERROR-DEVASTATED MUMBAI HOTELS REOPEN
The first guests checked back into the Taj Mahal Palace and the
Oberoi-Trident hotels Sunday, marking the reopening of the two
luxury venues damaged by terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month.
BAGHDAD CELEBRATES FIRST PUBLIC CHRISTMAS
From a distance, it looks like an apparition: a huge
multi-colored hot-air balloon floating in the Baghdad sky,
bearing a large poster of Jesus Christ. Below it, an Iraqi flag.
UK SEEKING WAYS TO KEEP TROOPS IN IRAQ
British government lawyers are studying "all possible options"
to legally extend the presence of British troops in Iraq beyond
New Year's Day.
CLINTON CAMPAIGN DEBT NOW AT $6.4 MILLION
Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton had $6.4 million in
presidential campaign debt at the end of November, according to
a report filed Saturday with the Federal Election Commission.
PASSENGERS HOSPITALIZED AS PLANE CRASH PROBED
At least seven passengers were still hospitalized Sunday, a day
after Continental Airlines Flight 1404 veered off the runway at
Denver International Airport, skidded into a ravine and caught
fire.
BUSINESS
CANADIAN AUTO INDUSTRY GETS BAILOUT TOO
Canada will provide roughly $3.3 billion in aid to its
automotive sector, honoring a previous pledge to provide 20
percent of what the U.S. government offered automakers,
officials announce.
OBAMA RAISES NEW JOBS GOAL TO 3 MILLION
President-elect Barack Obama has decided to increase his goal
for creating new jobs after receiving economic forecasts that
suggest the economy is in worse shape than had been predicted,
two Democratic officials told CNN.
BANKING GROUP HYPO SLASHES WORKFORCE
German financial giant Hypo Real Estate said Saturday it planned
to halve its 1,800 strong workforce by 2013 as part of
cost-cutting measures. The banking group received €50 billion
($70 billion) in emergency government funding in October.
