International

Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:02:09 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 0900 HKT -- 30 December, 2008

ISRAEL VOWS 'ALL-OUT WAR' AGAINST HAMAS
Israel is now in a state of "all-out war" with Palestinian
militants Hamas, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday as
Israeli forces bombarded Gaza for a third day. Calling for an
immediate cease-fire, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
condemned Hamas rocket attacks and Israel's "excessive use of
force."

GAZA ASSAULT SPARKS PROTESTS WORLDWIDE
Israeli attacks on suspected Hamas strongholds in Gaza have
triggered protests in more than a dozen countries.
.
OBAMA COULD INHERIT GAZA CRISIS
As the violence rages in Gaza, President Bush is putting the
blame squarely on Hamas, while President-elect Barack Obama is
keeping a low profile and sticking by his belief that "there is
only one president at a time."

ZIMBABWE CHOLERA DEATHS PASS 1,500
The number of cholera deaths in Zimbabwe continues to increase,
a World Health Organization spokesman said Monday.

RIVERS HIGH IN HEAVY METALS AFTER SLUDGE SPILL
The head of the largest public power company in the nation has
pledged to clean up the massive spill that has dumped more than
a billion gallons of coal waste in central Tennessee.

STOCKS FALTER AT START OF FINAL WEEK FOR 2008
Stocks fell Monday, closing lower on one of the final trading
days of a dismal year, amid global tensions and downbeat
corporate news.

BODIES OF 6 SNOWMOBILERS FOUND IN CANADA
Eight snowmobilers remain unaccounted for after two avalanches
in British Columbia, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
Three others survived the incident, which occurred south of the
town of Fernie. The 11 had been in Harvey Pass, a popular

backcountry snowmobile destination.
FOUR DEAD IN AFGHAN BOMB ATTACKS
Bombings at a governor's compound and a bazaar in Afghanistan on
Monday killed four civilians and wounded a few dozen others, the
NATO command in the country said.

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BUSINESS

KUWAIT SCRAPS $17B CHEMICAL DEAL
Kuwait decides to cancel a deal to form a $17.4 billion
petrochemical joint venture with U.S. company Dow Chemical. The
move may put Dow's plan to use the money to repay a large part
of its $13 billion debt in peril.

JAPAN'S INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT SEES RECORD FALL
Japan's industrial output took the largest drop in history in
November over October, tumbling 8.1 percent -- nearly double the
previous high of 4.3 percent in January 2001, according to a
report from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

CHINA DAIRIES TO COMPENSATE VICTIMS
Victims of tainted baby formula, which caused hundreds of
thousands of infants to become sick, six of whom died, are
expected to be compensated by 22 Chinese dairy producers that
made the milk.