International

Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:01:12 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 1000 GMT -- 13 January, 2009

HAMAS DEFIANT, ISRAEL TIGHTENS GRIP
The rumble of artillery fire and the roar of ensuing explosions
continued to roll through Gaza early Tuesday despite
pronouncements by an Israeli official earlier that the military
operation may be in its final days.

ISRAEL ACCUSED OF USING WHITE PHOSPHORUS
The international group Human Rights Watch is accusing Israel of
firing weapons containing white phosphorus into Gaza. The group
demands that the alleged practice cease.

RUSSIA RESTARTS EUROPE'S GAS SUPPLY
Russia has started pumping natural gas to Europe again through
Ukrainian pipelines, a week after the gas flow was interrupted.

SOURCES: OBAMA TO CLOSE GUANTANAMO QUICKLY
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama plans to close the U.S.
military prison at Guantanamo Bay as early as his first week in
office to show a break from the Bush administration's approach
to the war on terror, two officials close to the transition have
said.

JAPAN'S CURRENT ACCOUNT SURPLUS DIVES
Japan's current account surplus, a leading gauge of
international trade, dropped 66 percent in November from the
year before, a sharp decline reflecting the global economic
slump, the government announced Tuesday.

TOKYO'S NIKKEI SLUMPS NEARLY 5 PERCENT
Tokyo's Nikkei tumbled nearly 5 percent Tuesday after new
government figures showed a dramatic decline in Japan's
international trade amid a global financial slowdown and slow
demand for Japanese goods.

ASSETS FROZEN OF MAN ACCUSED OF FAKING DEATH
An Indiana judge Monday froze the assets of Marcus Schrenker, a
suburban Indianapolis financial manager authorities say tried to
fake his own death by crashing his private plane into a Florida
swamp.
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BUSINESS

OBAMA: GIVE ME THE MONEY
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama made his case to Congress for
the release of $350 billion in remaining federal bailout funds,
as lawmakers voice objections to how the first $350 billion was
used.

ALITALIA LANDS INTERNATIONAL PARTNER
The board of ailing Alitalia airline says it has accepted an
offer from Air France-KLM to buy 25 percent of the company and
become its international partner.