International Headlines

Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:02:07 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0800 HKT -- 17 July, 2010

> LIBYAN OIL OFFICIAL: LOCKERBIE WASN'T PART OF BP TALKS
A top Libyan oil official denied allegations of an agreement to
free the Lockerbie bomber in exchange for bolstered BP
commercial interests in the country.

> CONSON DOWNGRADED, HEADS TO VIETNAM
Tropical Storm Conson was downgraded from a typhoon early
Saturday, a day after the deadly storm roared into China, along
the southern tip of the island of Hainan.

> CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM AS BP PLUGS LEAK
For the first time in nearly three months, oil has stopped
flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, as BP proceeds with a highly
anticipated test designed to measure pressure within its
ruptured oil well.

> WIKILEAKS ADDS 'HIGH CALIBER' SOURCES
WikiLeaks.org, the website that released secret video of a U.S.
airstrike in Iraq that killed a dozen civilians, is "getting an
enormous quantity of whistleblower disclosures of high caliber,"
the site's founder Julian Assange said Friday in a rare public
appearance here.

> IRAN EXTREMISTS IN SUICIDE ATTACK CLAIM
An Iranian extremist group Friday claimed responsibility for a
pair of suicide bombings that killed at least 20 people and
wounded dozens more in the country's southeast.

> NATO: KEY TALIBAN COMMANDERS KILLED
A Taliban commander responsible for bringing foreign fighters
from Iran into Afghanistan was killed by local and international
troops, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said on
Friday.

> NETANYAHU, U.S. ENVOY MITCHELL MEET
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Middle East
envoy George Mitchell met on Friday to advance direct talks next
month with the Palestinians, the prime minister's office said.

> WORLD CUP GAMBLING BUST, 5,000 HELD
More than 5,000 people have been arrested and nearly $10 million
seized in an operation targeting alleged illegal soccer gambling
in Asia during the World Cup, Interpol reported on Friday.

BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~
> STOCKS SLIDE ON CORPORATE PROFIT WORRIES
Stocks tumble on U.S. markets as General Electric, Bank of
America and Citigroup report weaker quarterly revenue, sparking
worries about the strength of corporate profits.

> NO OIL LEAKING AS BP TESTS WELL CAP
BP's Kent Wells said that for the first time in months no oil
was flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. This was part of a test to
see how a cap on a ruptured well is holding.

> U.S. SENATE PASSES FINANCIAL REFORM
The U.S. Senate finally passes a landmark reform of Wall Street,
delivering President Barack Obama's second big legislative
victory and ushering in a raft of restrictions on banks.