International

Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:02:07 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 0900 HKT -- 15 January, 2009

PALESTINIANS: GAZA DEATH TOLL PASSES 1,000
Palestinian medical sources have said the death toll in Gaza has
risen to 1,010, while a further 4,700 Palestinians have been
wounded in the conflict which began on December 27. The news
came as Israeli warplanes and artillery pounded the territory
for a 19th day.

RUSSIAN NAVY THWARTS PIRATE ATTACK
A Russian naval ship rescued a Dutch container vessel under
attack by suspected Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the head
of the International Maritime Bureau said Wednesday.

MAFIA SUSPECT SEIZED AFTER SEWER CHASE
Police Wednesday arrested the suspected head of an Italian mafia
murder squad following a two-day manhunt after he eluded police
by crawling through sewer pipes, according to Italian media
reports.

PENTAGON: IRAQ SAFER, IRAN A THREAT
Iran poses a significant threat to Iraq, but security has
greatly improved in the war-ravaged country, according to a
Pentagon report.

SECRETARY FOR IRANIAN RIGHTS GROUPS 'ARRESTED'
Iranian authorities arrested a woman Wednesday who worked as a
secretary for two human rights groups funded by Nobel peace
laureate Shirin Ebadi.

BUSH: TERROR THREAT IS OBAMA'S TOP PRIORITY
U.S. President George W. Bush says the biggest priority his
successor Barack Obama will face is protecting the U.S. from a
9/11-style terrorist attack. In an interview with Larry King,
Bush said his administration had "decimated" al Qaeda's
leadership and brushed off low opinion poll ratings as
"yesterday's news."

EUROPEANS FREEZE THROUGH GAS DISPUTE
Silvia Todorova has been heating water in a cooking pot so she
can bathe her eight-month-old son Daniel.
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BUSINESS

BARCLAYS CONFIRMS WORLDWIDE JOB CUTS
Barclays says it will cut 2,100 jobs from its UK retail and
commercial banking businesses and Barclays Wealth, which is
likely to take job cuts at the bank past 4,000 this week.

EU LEADERS SLAM 'BRUTAL' GAS BLOCKADE
Frustrated European Union leaders lashed out Wednesday at the
Russian and Ukrainian energy companies whose dispute over
natural gas has stopped supplies to Europe for the past week.

FARMERS: PESTICIDE BAN MEANS DEARER FOOD
Farmers have warned that the cost of food could rise after the
European Parliament voted to restrict the use of many pesticides
on crops.