International

Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 10:21:07 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 1000 GMT -- 09 January, 2009

SECURITY COUNCIL PASSES GAZA TRUCE RESOLUTION
The U.N. Security Council overwhelmingly approves a resolution
calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. All members of the
council vote in favor except the United States, which abstains.

HAMAS OFFICIAL SAYS FIGHTERS 'STILL STRONG'
A senior Hamas official who had crossed the border into Egypt
from Gaza said Thursday his fighters are "still strong" and
vowed to continue fighting despite a continuing ground and air
assault by Israel that has killed more than 700 people in the
Palestinian territory.

LEBANESE PM CONDEMNS ROCKET ATTACK ON ISRAEL
Four rockets fired from from Lebanon strike northern Israel,
wounding two people, Israeli police and emergency medical
services say. A statement from the Lebanese Army says the
rockets were launched by "an unknown group" and that the Israeli
retaliatory fire inflicted no casualties.

U.S. HOUSE TO VOTE ON ISRAEL RESOLUTION
The U.S. House of Representatives will vote Friday on a
resolution "recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against
attacks from Gaza," Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday.

BIDEN ARRIVES IN PAKISTAN FOR HIGH-LEVEL TALKS
Vice President-elect Joe Biden and Sen. Lindsay Graham arrived
in Islamabad Friday afternoon for scheduled talks with senior
Pakistani government officials on a variety of regional issues,
according to a U.S. Embassy spokesman.

U.S.: TOP AL QAEDA CHIEFS KILLED IN PAKISTAN
Two top al Qaeda terrorists have been killed in a U.S. missile
strike on a building in northern Pakistan on New Year's Day,
according to two senior U.S. officials.

RUSSIA, UKRAINE TO ALLOW GAS MONITORS
The heads of Russian energy giant Gazprom and Ukraine's
state-run gas company Naftogaz held brief talks overnight in
Moscow to discuss the impasse on natural gas deliveries, a
Gazprom spokeswoman said Thursday.

DEADLY QUAKE STRIKES COSTA RICA
Two girls died in a landslide Thursday triggered by a
6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck near Costa Rica's capital
of San Jose, the National Emergency Commission of Costa Rica
said.
-------------------------------------------
BUSINESS

OBAMA CALLS FOR 'DRAMATIC ACTION'
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said Congress must take
"dramatic action" on his economic aid package as soon as
possible, warning that a failure to do so would have devastating
long-term consequences for the nation.

SOUTH KOREA AUTOMAKER FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY
Ssangyong Motor Co., South Korea's fifth largest automaker,
filed for bankruptcy Friday, citing the company's worsening
finances.