International

Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:02:03 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 1000 GMT -- 30 January, 2009

TURKISH PM CHEERED AFTER WALKOUT AT DAVOS
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has returned home to
a hero's welcome after storming offstage during an angry
exchange about the Gaza conflict with Israeli President Shimon
Peres. The row erupted as the two leaders participated in a
debate at the Word Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

KENYAN ANGER AFTER STORE FIRE LEAVES 47 MISSING
Rescue workers continue to pick through the smoldering rubble of
a supermarket in search of 47 people still missing after a
massive fire engulfed the building in downtown Nairobi.

IRAN: WE'RE READY TO WORK WITH OBAMA
Tehran stood ready to work with U.S. President Barack Obama to
establish better relations with Washington, Iranian Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a CNN-hosted panel at the World
Economic Forum.

HEZBOLLAH: BUSH TRIED TO CHANGE GAZA 'REALITIES'
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday that the Bush
administration worked with its Arab allies "in order to take
advantage of the short time of Bush's term and before (Barack)
Obama takes office in order to change the realities" in Gaza.

ILLINOIS GOVERNOR OUSTED IN ROW OVER OBAMA SEAT
The Illinois Senate has voted unanimously to oust Gov. Rod
Blagojevich and to bar him from ever holding political office in
the state again. Earlier, Blagojevich appeared before the
senators at his impeachment trial and made his case.

OBAMA ENVOY HITS GAZA PEACE TRAIL
President Barack Obama's top envoy to the Middle East spent
Thursday conferring with Palestinian and Israeli officials in an
attempt to maintain the Hamas-Israel cease-fire and regenerate a
static peace process. George Mitchell said: "Lasting peace is
our objective."

5 IRAQIS KILLED AHEAD OF PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS
Attackers in Iraq killed three Sunni Arab provincial election
candidates and two election workers Thursday in violence that
has startled an eager electorate in the run-up to the polls
Saturday.

BUSH SHOE-THROWER MONUMENT UNVEILED IN IRAQ
For the war-beaten orphans of the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit,
this big old shoe fits.
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BUSINESS

BLOOMBERG TO ANNOUNCE NEW YORK BUDGET CUTS
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday will lay out
details of a plan to cut an additional $1 billion from the city
budget and lay off as many as 23,000 city employees, according
to a press release from the Mayor's office.

FORD REPORTS $5.9 BILLION LOSS
Ford reports that its ongoing losses soared in the fourth
quarter, but the company reiterates it still does not need the
federal bailout already received by its two U.S. rivals. Ford
reported a net loss of $5.9 billion, or $2.46 a share, up from a
loss of $2.8 in the same quarter a year ago.

SONY PROFITS FALL 95 PERCENT
Sony blamed the global economic slowdown, increased competition
and an appreciating yen for a 95 percent drop in third-quarter
profits, as the company announced its results Thursday.