International Headlines

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:02:04 -0400
TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 31 July, 2010

> U.N. EXTENDS DARFUR PEACEKEEPING MISSION
The U.N. Security Council renews its mission in Darfur for a
year, days after hearing that fighting has stepped up between
rebels and the Sudanese government.

> THOUSANDS TO JOIN LOVE PARADE MEMORIAL
Thousands of people are expected to gather Saturday for a
memorial service a week after a stampede at a German music
festival left 21 people dead.

> WOMAN FACING STONING: I'M AFRAID TO DIE
In a letter to supporters, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, writes of
her fears of dying. Her stoning sentence was recently put on
hold, but Iran's judiciary may release their final decision in
the case next week.

> POLICE: CHINA TAX OFFICE BLAST PLANNED
A blast at a tax office that left four dead and 19 injured in
central China was a deliberate attack, state media reported
Saturday.

> BOY IN U.S. ADOPTION CASE IN ORPHANAGE
A boy sent back to Moscow by his adoptive mother in the United
States is in an orphanage, an attorney for the group that
arranged the adoption says.

> ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES HITS GAZA CITY
Israel launched an airstrike near a former presidential compound
in Gaza City late Friday, according to a CNN stringer at the
scene. The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately confirm the
strike.

> MORE THAN 400 DEAD IN PAKISTAN FLOODING
Flooding caused by monsoon rain has killed more than 400 people
across Pakistan, a provincial government official says.

> 3 CHARGED IN UGANDA BOMBINGS
Uganda has charged three people in connection with the bomb
blasts that erupted in an Ethiopian restaurant and a rugby
center in Kampala earlier this month, killing some 76 people, a
government official said Friday.

BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~
> STRIKES, ASH WIDEN QUARTERLY BA LOSS
British Airways on Friday announced a pre-tax loss of 164
million pounds ($256.5 million) for the three months ending June
30.

> SPAIN UNEMPLOYMENT OVER 20%
Spain's unemployment rate rose to 20.09 percent for the second
quarter of 2010, up from 20.05 percent from the previous
quarter, Spain's National Statistics Institute said Friday.

> CHAVEZ HURTS TOOTHPASTE, MAKEUP SALES
The world's largest toothpaste maker reported disappointing
sales Thursday, and who's to blame? None other than the country
of Venezuela, the company said.

Markets, Friday, 07/30/2010

Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:31:07 -0400
|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,465.94 down 1.22 | S & P : 1,101.60 up 0.07
|
| NASDAQ: 2,254.70 up 3.01 | Bond (10Y): 2.91% down 0.092
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Stocks: Best monthly gain in a year
Major indexes end flat Friday, but post the first monthly rise since April.

Stocks cap the best monthly gain in a year, with all three major indexes rising more than 7% in July.

Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:02:06 -0400

Stocks cap the best monthly gain in a year, with all three major
indexes rising more than 7% in July.

Breaking news: July 2010 the deadliest month of Afghan war

Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:59:53 -0600

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Associated Press is reporting that three
U.S. service members have been killed in Afghanistan, bringing the
toll for July to at least 63. That makes it the deadliest month for
American forces in the nearly 9-year-war.

U.S. stocks slump as growth figures disappoint

Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:00:58 -0400

U.S. STOCKS SLUMP AS GROWTH FIGURES DISAPPOINT
U.S. stocks fall Friday after government data showed economic growth
slowed in the second quarter, though they regain some lost ground
after better-than-expected reports on consumer confidence and
manufacturing.

MERCK'S PROFIT DROPS ON MERGER COSTS, REVAMP
Merck & Co. reports sharply lower second-quarter earnings, its bottom
line dragged down by costs associated with its recent takeover of
rival Schering-Plough Corp and a continuing restructuring program.

CHEVRON PROFIT TRIPLES AS REFINING RECOVERS
Chevron on Friday said its second-quarter net income tripled on higher
crude prices and a 3% rise in oil production, as the oil giant beat
Wall Street's profit target.

AEP'S QUARTERLY NET FALLS ON ONE-TIME COSTS
American Electric Power's second-quarter net earnings fall, but
adjusted profit comes in ahead of analysts' consensus forecast.

ROSY SECOND-HALF OUTLOOK LIFTS ALCATEL-LUCENT
Shares of Alcatel-Lucent rise as much as 8% as the telecoms-equipment
giant reports in-line underlying earnings.

International Headlines

Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:02:04 -0400
TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 30 July, 2010

> PRIVATE SUSPECTED IN WIKILEAKS TRANSFERRED
An Army private suspected of leaking classified material,
including videos and other documents, has been moved from Kuwait
to a Marine Corps brig in Virginia.

> DAUGHTERS: MOM IN BABY CASE SECRETIVE
A French woman who admitted to giving birth to and smothering
eight babies over a 17-year period was secretive but always
supportive of her family, two of her daughters say in a local
newspaper report.

> BA POSTS PRE-TAX LOSS OF $256.5 MILLION
British Airways announces a pre-tax loss of 164 million pounds
($256.5 million) for the three months ending June 30.

> NEW BP BOSS TO DISCUSS GULF RECOVERY
Incoming BP CEO Bob Dudley is expected to discuss the oil
giant's long-term recovery efforts in the Gulf of Mexico during
a news conference in Mississippi on Friday.

> OFFICIALS: MAJOR DRUG TRAFFICKER SLAIN
Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel, a top leader of the Sinaloa drug
cartel, was killed during a military raid in Guadalajara,
Mexico, sources say.

> ISRAELI CITY HIT BY PALESTINIAN ROCKET
The Israeli city of Ashkelon was hit by a rocket fired by
Palestinian militants in Gaza early Friday, causing minor
damage, but no injuries, the Israel Defense Forces spokesman
said.

> GULF OIL CLEANUP CHIEF DETAILS PLANS
The man overseeing the federal response to the Gulf oil disaster
will meet New Orleans parish presidents Thursday to outline the
plans after the well is permanently sealed.

> U.N., N. KOREA BACK IN SHIP SINKING TALKS
The U.S.-led United Nations Command will meet again Friday with
North Korea to discuss the sinking of a South Korean warship,
according to the U.S. Forces Korea website.

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

> AT $139, IS THE NEW KINDLE 'CHEAP'?
Prices in consumer electronics tend to fluctuate wildly.

> DEATH TOLL UP IN CHINESE FACTORY BLAST
The death toll stands at 13 in Wednesday's blast at a factory in
the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, state-run Xinhua news
agency reported, citing remarks by authorities on Thursday.

> WHY IS OBAMA TAKING ON BIG BUSINESS?
Corporate chiefs may seem hardboiled, but they can be sensitive,
too. Take the ruckus they've been raising over what they
perceive to be rough treatment from the Obama White House.

U.S. economy grows at 2.4% annual rate in 2nd quarter, government says; 4th straight quarter of growth but below forecasts.

Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:31:04 -0400

U.S. economy grows at 2.4% annual rate in 2nd quarter, government
says; 4th straight quarter of growth but below forecasts.

Major U.S. indexes edge into positive territory; Dow, S&P 500 erase weekly losses

Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:48:24 -0400

Major U.S. indexes edge into positive territory; Dow, S&P 500 erase
weekly losses
07/30/2010 10:46:38 AM EDT

Stocks tumble at the open, with the Dow losing 91 points, after government reports pace of economic growth slowed in second quarter.

Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:33:04 -0400

Stocks tumble at the open, with the Dow losing 91 points, after
government reports pace of economic growth slowed in second quarter.

Markets, Thursday, 07/29/2010

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:31:04 -0400

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,467.16 down 30.72 | S & P : 1,101.53 down 4.60 |
| NASDAQ: 2,251.69 down 12.87 | Bond (10Y): 3.00% down 0.002
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Stocks edge lower
Markets bothered by comments from a Fed governor about deflation and
worries about GDP report.

Fwd: Stocks end mixed, with the Dow losing 31 points, as investors await GDP reading.

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:02:04 -0400

Stocks end mixed, with the Dow losing 31 points, as investors await GDP reading.
today.

International Headlines

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:02:07 -0400

> DAY OF MOURNING HELD FOR CRASH VICTIMS IN PAKISTAN
Pakistan is observing a day of mourning for the 152 people who
died when a passenger plane went down in the outskirts of the
capital Islamabad the day before.

> S. KOREAN PM OFFERS SECOND RESIGNATION
South Korea's prime minister has offered to resign for a second
time, the prime minister's office said Thursday, after failure
to win parliamentary approval to stop relocation of government
offices out of the capital, Seoul.

> POLICE: 8 DEAD BABIES FOUND IN FRANCE
French police have detained a couple after the bodies of eight
newborn babies were found in northern France, some in a home and
others in the garden of another home.

> MILITARY PLANE CRASHES IN ALASKA
An Air Force C-17 cargo plane crashed on a local training
mission near the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska on
Wednesday, a captain at the base said.

> CHINA FLOODS PUSH CHEMICALS INTO RIVER
Rising waters from flooding in northeastern China hit a chemical
plant and washed thousands of containers filled with explosive
chemicals into a river, state media said Thursday.

> BP OPTIMISTIC WELL WILL BE SEALED SOON
One hundred days after an oil well operated by BP ruptured in
the Gulf of Mexico, the man overseeing the federal response is
optimistic it will soon be permanently sealed.

> JUDGE BLOCKS ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW
A U.S. judge has blocked one of the most controversial parts of
an Arizona immigration law, preventing police from questioning
people about their immigration status.

> PENTAGON HAS 'MAIN SUSPECT' IN LEAK
The Pentagon is focusing on jailed U.S. soldier Bradley Manning
as the main suspect behind the leak of thousands of secret
Afghan war papers, a senior official says.

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

> SPECTER OF ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW SLOWLY DRAINS ECONOMY
Jairo Tellez's seafood distribution business is a family affair.
In the industrial warehouse that houses J and V Mariscos on the
west side of Phoenix, his wife, Vicki, and four of his seven
children load trucks, take phone calls, enter data and help care
for his infant grandson, who has a crib in Tellez's office.

> ARCELORMITTAL WARNS ON PACE OF UPTURN
Lakshmi Mittal sounded a warning note over the pace of the world
recovery after ArcelorMittal announced a 146 per cent rise in
underlying profits in the second quarter, compared with the same
period last year.

> SPAT HITS VENEZUELA-COLOMBIA TRADE
After the Colombian government accused Venezuela of harboring
terrorists last week, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez broke off
relations with his neighbor, the latest in a financially-costly
series of spats.

Number of people filing for first-time unemployment benefits fell 11,000 in the latest week to 457,000.

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:34:03 -0400

Number of people filing for first-time unemployment benefits fell
11,000 in the latest week to 457,000.

.U.S. stocks slip into negative territory; consumer-staples sector is hardest hit

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:26:01 -0400

U.S. stocks slip into negative territory; consumer-staples sector is hardest hit
07/29/2010 11:24:05 AM EDT

Stocks open higher, with the Dow getting an early 70-point boost from strong Exxon earnings. Nasdaq, S&P 500 also rise.

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:36:03 -0400

Stocks open higher, with the Dow getting an early 70-point boost from
strong Exxon earnings. Nasdaq, S&P 500 also rise.

Markets, Wednesday, 07/28/2010

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:32:07 -0400

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,497.88 down 39.81 | S & P : 1,106.13 down 7.71 |
| NASDAQ: 2,264.56 down 23.69 | Bond (10Y): 3.00% down 0.046
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Stocks fall on economic fears
Market slides after weaker durable goods orders report adds to worries
about growth.

Breaking News: Judge blocks parts of Ariz. immigration law

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:51:22 -0700 (PDT)

A judge has blocked the most controversial sections of Arizona's new
immigration law from taking effect Thursday, handing a major legal
victory to opponents of the crackdown.

Stocks finish lower, with the Dow shedding 39 points, after a surprisingly weak durable goods report spooks investors.

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:02:03 -0400

Stocks finish lower, with the Dow shedding 39 points, after a
surprisingly weak durable goods report spooks investors.

U.S. stocks mildly lower after data disappoint

Date: Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 12:00 PM

U.S. STOCKS MILDLY LOWER AFTER DATE DISAPPOINT
U.S. stocks fall as another piece of disappointing economic data threatens to snap a four-day win streak for Wall Street.

BP TAKING $10 BILLION TAX CREDIT FROM SPILL
Outgoing CEO Tony Hayward says the company has followed IRS regulations as they're currently written.

BP APPOINTS ROBERT DUDLEY AS NEW CEO
BP's new chief executive, Robert Dudley, is an industry veteran with wide-ranging qualifications, but it was his American passport as much as his in-depth knowledge of Russia and his green credentials that sealed the deal for the board. 

SURPRISE DROP IN JUNE U.S. DURABLE-GOODS ORDERS
Weakness in many categories of built-to-last products drive orders for new U.S.-made durable goods down by 1.0% in June, the second straight monthly decline and the biggest drop in 10 months, Commerce Department data show.

Markets open lower after a report shows a decline in manufacturing. Dow dips 12 points.

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:31:04 -0400

Markets open lower after a report shows a decline in manufacturing.
Dow dips 12 points.

Breaking News

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:00:07 -0400

Pentagon official says jailed U.S. soldier Bradley Manning is main
suspect in case of leaked Afghanistan war documents.

U.S. orders for durable goods unexpectedly weaken, down 1% for June

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:33:55 -0400

U.S. orders for durable goods unexpectedly weaken, down 1% for June
07/28/2010 08:31:59 AM EDT

Breaking News

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:32:06 -0400

No survivors on board Pakistani Airblue plane that crashed outside
Islamabad, official says, confirming 152 people dead.

International Headlines

Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:02:04 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 28 July, 2010

> EIGHT PULLED ALIVE FROM PAKISTANI PLANE CRASH
Eight survivors have been pulled from the wreckage of a
Pakistani Airblue passenger plane carrying 152 people which
crashed into hills outside Islamabad.

> AU RELUCTANT TO CHANGE ROLE IN SOMALIA
The African Union summit ended Tuesday without a resolution to
change the mandate of its mission in Somalia from peacekeeping
to peace enforcing, despite calls from some African leaders to
do so.

> REPORT: BILLIONS FOR IRAQ UNACCOUNTED
A federal audit of $9.1 billion targeted for reconstruction in
Iraq cannot account for more than 95 percent of it, a federal
report said Tuesday.

> S. KOREA-U.S. DRILLS ENTER FOURTH DAY
The United States and South Korea on Wednesday plan to end their
joint military exercises aimed at warning North Korea to stop
acts of aggression.

> CHINA: EXPLOSION AT FACTORY KILLS SIX
A plastics factory in eastern China exploded Wednesday, killing
at least three people and sending hundreds more to the hospital,
state media reported.

> U.S.: LEAKED REPORTS NOT TOP-SECRET
American officials from U.S. President Barack Obama down are
trying to downplay the leak of tens of thousands of documents
about the war in Afghanistan.

> IRAN 'READY TO RESOLVE NUCLEAR DISPUTE'
Iran is ready for "effective cooperation" to resolve the dispute
over its nuclear program, the nation's president, Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, said in an interview with state media.

> BLIX: U.S. WAS 'HIGH ON MILITARY' OVER IRAQ
The man who led the effort to find Iraq's suspected nuclear,
chemical, and biological weapons programs, criticizes the U.S.
and Britain for launching the war without evidence.

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

> STARCRAFT: S. KOREA'S `NATIONAL SPORT'?
In South Korea, the launch of "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty"
is more than just a follow-up to one of the PC industry's
top-selling games -- it could shake up what many see as the
North Asian country's national sport.

> BUSINESS SCHOOLS TEACHING HAYWARD DISASTER LESSONS
BP's chief Tony Hayward is getting a lot of attention at
colleges across the country. His actions during the Gulf oil
spill are being studied as an example of how NOT to handle a
disaster.

> NEXT BP BOSS VOWS TO LEARN FROM SPILL
BP documents sent to the U.S. Coast Guard this month provide the
"smoking gun" -- showing the extent of oil spewed from the oil
giant's crippled well into the Gulf of Mexico, the head of the
House Energy and Environment Subcommittee said Tuesday.

Markets, Tuesday, 07/27/2010

Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:31:04 -0400

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,537.69 up 12.26 | S & P : 1,113.84 down 1.17
|
| NASDAQ: 2,288.25 down 8.18 | Bond (10Y): 3.05% up 0.053
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Stocks: Earnings help, economy hurts
Markets end mixed as strong quarterly results from DuPont and others
compete with a weaker-than-expected report on consumer sentiment.

Stocks end mixed, with the Dow gaining 13 points, after strong corporate earnings overshadowed a gloomy consumer confidence report.

Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:03:04 -0400

Stocks end mixed, with the Dow gaining 13 points, after strong
corporate earnings overshadowed a gloomy consumer confidence report.

GM sets $41,000 price for Chevrolet Volt electric car.

Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:07:03 -0400

GM sets $41,000 price for Chevrolet Volt electric car.

U.S. stocks torn between corporate results, data

Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:01:09 -0400

U.S. STOCKS TORN BETWEEN CORPORATE RESULTS, DATA
U.S. stocks climb Tuesday following a rise in U.S. home prices for May
along with another round of strong earnings.

BP REPORTS $17.2 BLN LOSS, APPOINTS DUDLEY CEO
Embattled U.K. oil giant BP PLC names Robert Dudley its new chief
executive, replacing Tony Hayward, as it reports a $17.2 billion
quarterly loss and takes $32.2 billion in charges linked to its
response to the Gulf of Mexico spill.

BP TAKING $10 BILLION TAX CREDIT FROM SPILL
Oil giant BP PLC will reduce its contribution to U.S. coffers by
roughly $10 billion due to a tax credit the company is claiming it
incurred from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

BP APPOINTS ROBERT DUDLEY AS NEW CEO
BP's new chief executive, Robert Dudley, is an industry veteran with
wide-ranging qualifications, but it was his American passport as much
as his in-depth knowledge of Russia and his green credentials that
sealed the deal for the board.

CONTROVERSIAL CLEANUP: BP'S FRAUGHT QUARTER
Gallery of pictures and charts illustrating the oil major's tough three months.

Consumer-confidence index falls in July to lowest level since February: Conference Board

Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:07:10 -0400

Consumer-confidence index falls in July to lowest level since
February: Conference Board
07/27/2010 10:04:26 AM EDT

Stocks open higher after more positive earnings reports. Dow climbs 41 points.

Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:32:03 -0400

Stocks open higher after more positive earnings reports. Dow climbs 41 points.

House prices up 1.3% in May from April in 20 U.S. metro areas, S&P/Case-Shiller data show

Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:08:18 -0400

House prices up 1.3% in May from April in 20 U.S. metro areas,
S&P/Case-Shiller data show
07/27/2010 09:06:28 AM EDT

Breaking news: BP CEO Hayward to step down Oct. 1

Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:18:18 -0600

LONDON -- BP says CEO Tony Hayward will step down on Oct. 1. He will
be succeeded by American Robert Dudley.

International Headlines

Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:02:06 -0400
TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 27 July, 2010

> HAYWARD OUT AS BP POSTS MASSIVE $17 BILLION LOSS
BP announces beleagured boss Tony Hayward is to step down in
October, as the oil firm details the financial fallout of the
biggest oil spill in U.S. history.

> GREENPEACE TARGETS LONDON BP STATIONS
Greenpeace protesters shut down 10 to 15 BP stations in London
on Tuesday, after the oil company announced its second-quarter
results, BP said.

> BOSNIAN LEADER FACES EXTRADITION RULING
A judge is expected to decide Tuesday whether former Bosnian
leader Ejup Ganic should be extradited to Belgrade.

> AU COMMISSION: SOMALIA NEGLECTED
The lack of a global response to the Somali crisis has created
fertile ground for threats to regional peace in Eastern Africa
and the rest of the continent, the president of the African
Union Commission said Monday.

> LEAKED REPORTS DESCRIBE HORROR OF WAR
What appear to be U.S. reports leaked by a whistleblower website
chronicle in detail the twists, turns and horror of Operating
Enduring Freedom.

> KARZAI: NATO CAUSED 52 CIVILIAN DEATHS
Afghani President Hamid Karzai has slammed a NATO strike that he
said caused 52 civilian deaths. NATO says there is no evidence
of casualties beyond insurgents.

> OBJECTS FLOAT AWAY FROM SPACE STATION
The spacewalk Tuesday was meant to replace a video camera and
update cable connections to a module of the International Space
Station.

> ISRAELI HELICOPTER CRASHES IN ROMANIA
Seven people, including six Israelis, are feared dead after an
Israeli helicopter crashed in Romania on Monday during a joint
military exercise, the Romanian Defense Ministry said.

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

> APPLE'S IPAD GOES TO COLLEGE
The iPad is about to have its academic chops put to the test
this fall in a number of programs around the country.

> EU GREEN LIGHT FOR ICELAND ENTRY TALKS
European Union foreign ministers have formally given a green
light for negotiations to begin over Iceland's bid for
membership of the 27-country bloc.

> U.S. LAW TARGETS 'CONFLICT MINERALS' IN CONGO
A new U.S. law aims to ensure that the smart phone glued to your
ear is not helping fund wars in Congo and neighboring countries.

Markets, Monday, 07/26/2010

Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:32:07 -0400

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,525.43 up 100.81 | S & P : 1,115.01 up 12.35
|
| NASDAQ: 2,296.43 up 26.96 | Bond (10Y): 2.99% up 0.000
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Stocks rally on housing, FedEx
Market gains as investors welcome delivery firm's improved outlook and
a rise in new home sales. Dow ends in positive territory for 2010.

:Dow snags triple-digit gain, closing 100 points higher, after housing report calms investors; Nasdaq and S&P 500 gain 1%.

Date: Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 4:06 PM

Dow snags triple-digit gain, closing 100 points higher, after housing report calms investors; Nasdaq and S&P 500 gain 1%.

BP board to rule on fate of CEO Hayward Monday

Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:01:00 -0400

BP BOARD TO RULE ON FATE CEO HAYWARD MONDAY
BP will debate the fate of embattled Chief Executive Tony Hayward at a
board meeting this evening but stressed that no final decision has
been made.

U.S. STOCK GAINS HAVE DOW ERASING 2010 LOSSES
U.S. stocks climb for a third session, lifting the Dow industrials
back into positive territory for 2010 after the government reports
new-home sales rose in June and shipper FedEx Corp. hikes its outlook.

S&P 500 ETF MAY BE SENDING BEARISH SIGNAL
Investors are hoping a summer rally will revive their battered stock
portfolios, but the recent action in a key exchange-traded fund
tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Index suggests a troubling lack of
buyer conviction.

BANKS DRIVE GAINS IN EUROPEAN STOCK MARKETS
Investors take their first chance to react to news that only a handful
of lenders failed the European stress tests.

New home sales rise 23.6% in June to 330,000 annual rate, second-lowest rate since recordkeeping began, government says.

Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:04:05 -0400

New home sales rise 23.6% in June to 330,000 annual rate,
second-lowest rate since recordkeeping began, government says.

International Headlines

Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:02:07 -0400
TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 26 July, 2010

> KHMER ROUGE PRISON CHIEF GUILTY OF GENOCIDE
The Cambodian war crimes tribunal sentences Kaing Guek Eav,
alias Duch, to 35 years in prison for running a notorious
torture prison under the Khmer Rouge.

> LEAKED DOCUMENTS 'SHOCK' AFGHANISTAN
The Afghan government said Monday it was "shocked" as it sifted
through tens of thousands of leaked U.S. military and diplomatic
reports on the war in Afghanistan that a whistleblower website
posted a day earlier.

> IRAQ: SUICIDE BOMBER TARGETS AL-ARABIYA
A suicide car bomb targeted the bureau of al-Arabiya TV in
central Baghdad on Monday, Iraq's interior ministry said.

> BP: NO DECISIONS MADE ON CEO CHANGE
BP said Monday morning that no final decision had been made
regarding changes to the company's management.

> U.S., S. KOREA BEGIN MILITARY DRILLS
Amid heightened tensions with North Korea, the United States and
South Korea on Sunday began joint military exercises.

> FESTIVAL CANCELED AFTER DEATH STAMPEDE
The death toll from the stampede at a German music festival is
now at 19, police in Duisburg, Germany, said Sunday. The number
of people injured when chaos broke out at Saturday's "Love
Parade 2010" has also risen -- to 400, police said.

> SUSPECT IN MEXICO CAR ATTACK ARRESTED
A man who police say was responsible for a fatal car bombing in
Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, that killed three people is in custody,
municipal police said.

> 1 KILLED, 10 WOUNDED IN BANGKOK BLAST
A bomb exploded Sunday in front of a busy shopping area in
Bangkok, Thailand, killing at least one man, authorities said.

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

> U.S. LAW TARGETS 'CONFLICT MINERALS' IN CONGO
A new U.S. law aims to ensure that the smart phone glued to your
ear is not helping fund wars in Congo and neighboring countries.

> SEVEN OUT OF 91 BANKS FAIL EU STRESS TESTS
Seven out of 91 European banks have failed an EU-wide test to
determine if they have enough capital to withstand future
potential economic shocks.

Stocks open higher. FedEx jumps 5% on improved outlook; BP gains 3% on talk of CEO Tony Hayward departing.

Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:33:04 -0400

Stocks open higher. FedEx jumps 5% on improved outlook; BP gains 3% on
talk of CEO Tony Hayward departing.

Breaking News

Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:15:04 -0400

A Cambodian court has sentenced Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, to 35
years in prison for crimes against humanity.

International Headlines

Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:02:07 -0400
TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 25 July, 2010

> U.S., SOUTH KOREA BEGIN MILITARY EXERCISES
Amid rising tensions with North Korea, the U.S. and South Korea
begin joint military exercises off South Korea's coast, says a
spokesman for U.S. Forces Korea.

> 19 KILLED IN STAMPEDE AT GERMAN FESTIVAL
The death toll from the stampede at a German music festival is
at 19, police in Duisburg, Germany, said Sunday.

> PUTIN MEETS EXPELLED RUSSIAN AGENTS
During a recent meeting, Russia's prime minister provided
encouragement and sang patriotic songs with 10 agents who were
expelled from the United States this month after they were
accused of spying, state media reported.

> SEARCH OF MASS GRAVES IN MEXICO ENDS
Authorities in the Mexican border state of Nuevo Leon have
finished excavating and are trying to identify 51 bodies they
found in nine hidden mass graves, state media said.

> SHIPS RETURN TO OIL SPILL SITE IN GULF
As ships start returning to secure a blown-out oil well in the
Gulf of Mexico after a tropical storm weakens, officials expect
the hurricane season to get only busier.

> RESIDENTS FLEE AFTER U.S. LAKE DAM FAILS
A dam on an eastern Iowa lake failed Saturday, sending a massive
amount of water into nearby communities and forcing residents to
flee.

> 2 U.S. TROOPS MISSING IN AFGHANISTAN
Two NATO-led service members are missing after leaving their
compound in Kabul, NATO's International Security Assistance
Force said today. An Afghan intelliigence source said the two
are Americans who were abducted.

> FIDEL CASTRO MAKES PUBLIC APPEARANCE
Fidel Castro appeared publicly in his trademark olive green
shirt on Saturday for the first time since he fell ill and
renounced power four years ago, according to a state-run
website.

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

> SEVEN OUT OF 91 BANKS FAIL EU STRESS TESTS
Seven out of 91 European banks have failed an EU-wide test to
determine if they have enough capital to withstand future
potential economic shocks.

> FOR ALL ITS MIGHT, GOOGLE IS NO 'PRODUCT-KILLER'
Google has invested billions of dollars building dozens of
different products across a wide swath of the technology
industry, from productivity tools to mobile phones to
e-commerce.

> AVIATION BOOM AS FARNBOROUGH DEALS HIT $47 BILLION
A total of $47 billion worth of deals were struck this year at
Farnborough Airshow, the event's organizers announced Friday.