International

Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2009 05:01:08 -0500

DOZENS KILLED IN RAGING AUSTRALIA BUSHFIRES
The death toll from bushfires in southeastern Australia rises to
76 as thousands of firefighters continued to battle the flames,
police say. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the
creation of a $6.5 million relief fund to help assist the more
than 600 families that have lost homes to the blaze.

EX-INDIAN PM 'STABLE,' REMAINS ON VENTILATOR
Former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who has been
on a ventilator since Friday, is responding to his treatment,
according to his doctors.

CREWS SEARCH FOR BRAZIL PLANE CRASH SURVIVORS
Brazilian rescue teams brave strong currents looking for
survivors of a plane that crashed a day earlier into a river in
the Amazon.

GERMAN BISHOPS: HOLOCAUST DENIER MUST GO
Germany's Catholic bishops are calling for the expulsion of a
former bishop, recently brought back into the church by Pope
Benedict XVI, after new reports that he denies the Holocaust.

23 DEAD IN MADAGASCAR PROTEST SHOOTINGS
At least 23 people died when a protest rally turned violent
outside Madagascar's Presidential Palace. Some media reports
blamed foreign mercenaries for the shootings; others said army
guards were responsible or that the army was firing at the
mercenaries to protect the crowd.

BIDEN VOWS 'NEW TONE' IN U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden emphasizes a "new tone" in
Washington and around the world as he gives his first major
speech in Germany. Biden told delegates at a security conference
that the United States will work "preventively, not
pre-emptively" whenever possible to avoid conflict, and at the
same time "vigorously defend" the nation's security.

ROADSIDE BOMB KILLS 2 IRAQI PILGRIMS
A roadside bomb targeting Shiite pilgrims headed to Karbala for
a religious holiday killed two and wounded 11 others Sunday, the
interior ministry said.

U.S. SENATORS TO TAKE UP STIMULUS DEBATE MONDAY
U.S. senators continue to debate the massive economic recovery
package after a group of lawmakers reached a compromise
agreement that trimmed billions in spending from an earlier
version.

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BUSINESS

U.S. JOB LOSSES WORST SINCE 1974
U.S. employers slashed another 598,000 jobs in January, pushing
the unemployment rate up to 7.6 percent, according to the U.S.
Labor Department -- the largest monthly loss since December
1974.

KBR CHARGED WITH BRIBING NIGERIAN OFFICIALS
The former Halliburton subsidiary KBR has been charged with
bribing Nigerian government officials with "tens of millions of
dollars" to obtain "billions of dollars in contracts," according
to court documents filed late Friday in Houston, Texas.

ITALY SPURS NEW CAR SALES
The Italian government approved a stimulus package Friday that
aims to encourage consumers to purchase durable goods,
especially cars and trucks, but also household appliances and
furniture.