International

Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:01:07 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 1000 GMT -- 11 January, 2009

CLASHES NEAR GAZA CITY, WITNESSES SAY
Clashes between Hamas militants and Israeli soldiers raged to
the north and east of densely populated Gaza City early Sunday,
the 16th day of an Israeli offensive, witnesses and medical
sources said.

COSTA RICA QUAKE TOLL JUMPS TO 34
The number of people killed from an earthquake in Costa Rica
rose to 34 on Saturday, a government official said.

THIRD PERSON ARRESTED IN SATYAM SCANDAL
The chief financial officer of India's Satyam Computer Services
Ltd. was arrested Saturday, the third person taken into custody
in a scandal that began when the company's chairman admitted
inflating profits with "fictitious" assets and non-existent
cash.

BUS TUMBLES INTO RAVINE IN PERU, KILLS 32
Thirty-two people were killed and 25 others injured when a bus
skidded off a rain-slicked mountain road and tumbled into a
ravine in northern Peru early Saturday, a transit police
spokesman told CNN.

MILITANTS ATTACK PAKISTAN TROOPS; DOZENS DEAD
Hundreds of militants, believed to be foreign fighters, launched
attacks on various military check posts in Pakistan's border
with Afghanistan Saturday night and early Sunday morning,
military officials said.

REPORT: EU, RUSSIA MOVE TOWARDS GAS DEAL
Russia and the European Union have agreed on how to control the
transit of natural gas through Ukraine to Europe, the Russian
news agency Interfax reported Saturday.

OBAMA FAMILY VISITS LINCOLN MEMORIAL
President-elect Barack Obama, who in 10 days will be sworn in
using the Bible of his political hero Abraham Lincoln, visited
the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Saturday night with his
family.

PRINCE HARRY APOLOGIZES FOR RACIST REMARKS
Videos purportedly shot by Britain's Prince Harry and including
offensive language prompted an official apology Saturday from
the prince and the royal family.
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BUSINESS

LLOYDS TSB IN U.S. SANCTIONS BREACH
British bank Lloyds TSB agrees to pay a $350 million penalty to
the U.S. authorities for illegal financial transfers that
violated sanctions.

INDIAN OIL WORKERS END CRIPPLING STRIKE
Facing intense government pressure, Indian oil workers agreed to
call off a three-day strike and go back to work, the Oil and
Petroleum Ministry announced.

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.