International Headlines

Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2010 20:02:03 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0800 HKT -- 08 July, 2010

> FAMILY: RUSSIA PREPARING SPY SWAP DEAL
A Russian researcher convicted of spying for U.S. intelligence
services could be exchanged for one of the suspects in the
recent Russian spy scandal in the United States, his relatives
said.

> PILGRIMS ATTACKED IN BAGHDAD; 33 KILLED
The relentless violence against Shiite pilgrims in Iraq
intensified Wednesday evening, with at least 33 people killed by
bomb attacks, officials said.

> ARREST IN 'GRIM SLEEPER' KILLER CASE
An arrest has been made in connection with the Grim Sleeper
serial killer case involving 11 deaths since 1985, police in Los
Angeles, California, say.

> 5 CHARGED AS AL QAEDA PLOTTERS
The Justice Department announced charges Wednesday against five
people who prosecutors say are members of an al Qaeda plot to
attack targets in the United States and the United Kingdom.

> SON URGES IRAN COURTS TO STOP STONING
The son of an Iranian woman who faces execution by stoning
appealed to Iran's courts Wednesday in hopes of sparing his
mother's life.

> EXPERT: UK SHOULD FEAR MORE ATTACKS
Five years on from the London 7/7 bombings, Britain's most
senior anti-terror policeman at the time tells CNN the risk of
another attack is "as high as it has ever been."

> 'CLIMATEGATE' REVIEW CLEARS SCIENTISTS
A report into the "Climategate" controversy, which fueled
skepticism about global warming, finds no evidence to question
the "rigor and honesty" of scientists involved.

> FRENCH COURT JAILS NORIEGA FOR 7 YEARS
A French court sentences former Panamanian dictator Manuel
Noriega to seven years in prison for money laundering.

BUSINESS
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> OBAMA TRUMPETS U.S. EXPORT BOOST
A series of steps aimed at bolstering U.S. exports brought a 17
percent increase in the first four months of 2010 over the same
period last year, President Barack Obama announced Wednesday.

> CHINA BANK READIES RECORD $22.1B IPO
Agricultural Bank of China is set to raise up to $22.1bn in the
world's biggest initial public offering, underscoring the
strength of investor faith in the growth of the Chinese economy.

> APPLE BANS APPS AFTER ITUNES BREACH
Apple has banned dozens of applications from its iTunes digital
store after bogus purchases from hundreds of compromised
customer accounts drove the apps to the top of the popularity
charts for paid electronic books.