International Headlines

Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 05:02:07 -0400
TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 22 August, 2010

> REPORT: IRAN TO UNVEIL DEFENSE PROJECT
The Iranian defense minister said the country's military plans
to unveil an important project Sunday, state media reported.

> 'TOO CLOSE TO CALL' IN AUSTRALIA POLL
Australia's political future hung in the balance after no clear
winner emerged in the cliff-hanger election, and a final outcome
remained days away.

> FLOODWATERS THREATEN PAKISTANI CITY
Shahdadkot's half a million people frantically tried to flee
their homes Saturday as a wall of water threatened to burst mud
berms and drown the entire city in Pakistan's Sindh province.

> CHINA: 50,000 EVACUATED AFTER FLOODS
Officials in northeastern China have evacuated more than 50,000
people as floodwaters collapse houses and cut off transportation
in some areas, state media reported Saturday.

> ARREST WARRANT FOR ASSANGE REVOKED
Swedish authorities say they have revoked an arrest warrant
alleging rape against Julian Assange, founder and editor of the
whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks.

> BOMB ATTEMPTS KILL SOMALI MILITANTS
Two failed bomb attempts by the Somali Islamist group,
Al-Shabaab, killed 11 militants around Mogadishu, Somalia's
transitional government said Saturday.

> SUSPECTS IN VAN GOGH THEFT ARRESTED
Egyptian authorities have recovered a stolen painting created by
Vincent Van Gogh, nabbing the suspected thieves just moments
before they were to board a plane and flee the country,
according to Egypt's official news agency, MENA.

> VENEZUELA DEFENDS FLIGHTS TO IRAN, SYRIA
Venezuela's ambassador to the United States is defending his
country's controversial airline service to the capitals of Syria
and Iran -- both countries that are designated by the U.S. as
state sponsors of terrorism.

~~~~~~~~~~~
BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~

NOKIA SIEMENS SUED IN IRAN CASE
Nokia Siemens Networks rejected a lawsuit filed in a U.S. court
by a jailed Iranian journalist and his son, who allege that the
European telecommunications company provided Iran's government

U.S. WARNS ON FROZEN MAMEY FRUIT PULP
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers on Friday not
to eat frozen mamey fruit pulp -- sold under the La Nuestra and Goya
brands -- after at least nine people in California and
Nevada fell ill with typhoid fever.

RIO VOWS TO PUSH AHEAD WITH BHP VENTURE
Tom Albanese, chief executive of Rio Tinto, insisted on Friday
the miner would push ahead with its controversial Australian
iron ore joint venture with BHP Billiton, denying a report that
the deal was facing collapse.