International

Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:02:08 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 1000 GMT -- 18 December, 2008

BAGOSORA GUILTY OF RWANDA GENOCIDE
A U.N. tribunal has found Theoneste Bagosora, a colonel in the
Rwandan army, guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and
war crimes. Bagosora, pictured, ordered Hutu militia to
slaughter rival Tutsis during a 100-day spree of violence in
1994.

REPORTS: CHINA SENDING SHIPS TO FIGHT PIRATES
China plans to send a fleet of ships to help patrol the
pirate-infested waters off the Horn of Africa, Chinese media
reported Thursday. The move would be rare for Beijing, which has
not sent military ships far from its shores in centuries.

15 ARRESTED FOR BAHRAIN 'TERROR PLOT'
Fifteen people were arrested in Bahrain on Wednesday for what
government officials said was a plot to detonate explosives
during a series of Shia Muslim observances.

BRITISH AIRWAYS, QANTAS END MERGER TALKS
British Airways and Qantas announced Thursday they have failed
to reach agreement on a potential merger.

FACE TRANSPLANT DOC: WE HOPE SHE SMILES AGAIN
Surgeons have successfully performed the first near-total face
transplant in the United States, doctors announced Wednesday.
The procedure replaced 80 percent of the face of a woman
disfigured by severe trauma. "Our hope is she should be able to
smile again," one doctor said.

'TALIBAN AMERICAN' ASKS BUSH FOR RELEASE
The man dubbed the "Taliban American" is asking the president to
commute the remaining years of his federal prison sentence,
according to a statement released by his attorneys Wednesday.

LAWMAKERS ARGUE OVER SHOE-THROWING JOURNALIST
In a chaotic session, Iraqi lawmakers have argued over the fate
of the man who threw a shoe at U.S. President George W. Bush.

BUSINESS

CHRYSLER SHUTS DOWN ALL PRODUCTION
Chrysler LLC announced it is stopping all vehicle production in
the United States after the last shift on Friday for at least a
month, citing "continued lack of consumer credit for the
American car buyer."

ASIAN MARKETS FLAT AHEAD OF BOJ DECISION
Asian and Pacific markets were mixed on Thursday, shaking off
modest losses on Wall Street.

EXXON MOBIL FINED OVER AIR POLLUTION
Federal officials have fined Exxon Mobil more than $6 million
after it violated a three-year-old agreement to decrease air
pollution at four of its refineries.