International

Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2009 05:01:08 -0500

TOP STORIES as of 1000 GMT -- 01 February, 2009
IRAQIS LAUDED FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS
Iraqis won praise from U.S. President Barack Obama for voting in
peaceful provincial elections, which contrasted with the
violence, intimidation and apathy that marked the balloting in
2005. It is truly a proud moment," Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister
Barham Saleh said.

GAZA MILITANTS FIRE ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL
Palestinian militants fired four rockets that landed in southern
Israel Sunday, the Israeli military said.

KENYA PETROL TANKER EXPLOSION KILLS 100
A petrol tanker exploded in Kenya's Rift Valley early Sunday,
killing at least 91 people and wounding more than 117, police
said.

MADAGASCAR OPPOSITION LEADER CLAIMS POWER
The head of the opposition to Madagascar's government took to
the streets Saturday, declaring himself the nation's leader
after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 83
people and wounded more than 300.

INDIA PM SINGH DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was discharged from a
hospital Sunday, a week after he underwent a heart bypass
surgery.

DEATHS RISE IN RUSSIA NURSING HOME FIRE
The death toll in a nursing home fire in northwestern Russia
rose to 23 Sunday, as rescue workers discovered more bodies in
the ruins, officials said.

CHINA NIGHTCLUB FIRE KILLS 15
A group celebrating a birthday shot off fireworks at their table
and set fire to a bar in China's Fujian province, leading to the
deaths of 15 people, China's state-run Xinhua news agency
reported.

VENEZUELA SYNAGOGUE VANDALIZED
Armed men forced their way into a Caracas synagogue, defacing
its administrative offices with anti-Semitic graffiti and
vandalizing an interior room where the Torah is kept, officials
said.

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BUSINESS

JAPAN UNVEILS $17B ASIAN AID PACKAGE
Japan will hand out $17 billion in development aid to other
Asian countries to help them face the global financial crisis,
Prime Minister Taro Aso said at the World Economic Forum.

U.S. JOB CUTS TOP 100,000 FOR WEEK
In a brutal week for the job market, an assortment of companies
across various industries announced more than 100,000 job cuts.
Two of the biggest announcements came Monday. Drugmaker Pfizer
and heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar each said they
would cut 20,000 jobs.

WORST JANUARY EVER FOR WALL STREET
The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500
finished their worst January ever, as investors eyed abysmal
reports on economic growth and quarterly earnings.