International

Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2009 05:02:08 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 1000 GMT -- 06 February, 2009

BONG PHOTO COSTS PHELPS A SPONSOR
Olympic hero Michael Phelps is suspended from competitive
swimming for three months-- just hours after one of his sponsors
announced it would not renew his contract after a photo surfaced
of him smoking from a bong.

CLINTON: KYRGYZSTAN BASE CLOSURE 'REGRETTABLE'
Kyrgyzstan's decision to close a strategic U.S. military base is
"regrettable," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said
Thursday, but added it wouldn't affect the U.S. military effort
in nearby Afghanistan. The United States uses the base as a
route for troops and supplies for Afghanistan.

U.S. DIPLOMAT IN ETHIOPIA FOUND DEAD
Brian Adkins, a newly assigned American diplomat in Ethiopia,
was found dead last weekend at his home in the Ethiopian
capital, Addis Ababa, an embassy spokesman and a senior State
Department official said.

ZIMBABWE'S PARLIAMENT PASSES UNITY BILL
In a move that may signal the beginning of the end of the
political crisis that has gripped Zimbabwe for months, the
parliament has unanimously passed a resolution to form a unity
government with President Robert Mugabe and the opposition.

SRI LANKA MILITARY: REBEL NAVAL BASE CAPTURED
The Sri Lankan military claimed it has struck a decisive blow
against Tamil rebels in the taking of a rebel naval base at
Chalai.

CHILD WORKERS RESCUED IN FACTORY RAID
Indian labor authorities rescued 18 child workers in raids at
metal-embroidery units in the western state of Gujarat,
officials said Friday.

TOYOTA REVENUE FALLS 28 PERCENT
Toyota announced Friday that its third-quarter revenues fell
about 28 percent from a year ago, which means the auto giant
will face an operating loss for the fiscal year. That news came
a day after the automaker halted all but one of its Japanese
assembly lines, a move that idled tens of thousands of workers
across the country.

OBAMA FIRES UP PARTY ON STIMULUS BILL VOTE
President Barack Obama said Thursday that "the scale and the
scope" of his economic plan is right, turning up the heat on
critics he said were hawking "phony arguments" and "false
theories of the past" to chip away at the bill's programs.

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BUSINESS

U.S. SENATE ADJOURNS WITHOUT STIMULUS DEAL
The U.S. Senate wrapped up Thursday night after hours of
sometimes acrimonious work without voting on a massive economic
recovery plan championed by President Barack Obama.

SSANGYONG WINS BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION
Ssangyong Motor Company bought itself time to attempt a
turnaround on Friday, receiving court approval for bankruptcy
protection.

SCANDAL-HIT INDIAN FIRM NAMES NEW CEO
Scandal-hit Satyam Computer Services has appointed a senior
executive as its new chief operating officer.