International Headlines

Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:02:07 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 21 August, 2010

> POLLS CLOSE IN AUSTRALIAN ELECTION 'CLIFF-HANGER'
Polls have closed after a day of voting in Australia's closely
fought election to decide if incumbent leader Julia Gillard
should stay or move aside for Liberal leader Tony Abbott.

> 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.

> SAUDI ARABIA SEEKS PARALYSIS PENALTY
Amnesty International on Friday urged Saudi Arabian authorities
not to paralyze a man as punishment for his having paralyzed
someone else, allegedly during a fight.

> JEAN REJECTED IN HAITI PRESIDENTIAL BID
Haitian election officials have rejected hip-hop singer Wyclef
Jean's bid to run for president of the Caribbean nation.

> PALESTINIANS, ISRAEL AGREE TO TALKS
The Palestinian Authority and Israel have agreed to hold direct
peace talks "without preconditions" beginning September 2 in
Washington -- the first such talks since 2008.

> NOKIA SIEMENS SUED IN IRAN CASE
Nokia Siemens Networks said Friday it rejects a lawsuit filed in
a U.S. court by a jailed Iranian journalist and his son, who
have accused the European telecommunications company of
providing the Iranian government the tools to spy on its own
citizens.

> DOZENS OF WHALES DIE ON NZ BEACH
New Zealand conservation officials are planning another attempt
to refloat at least 15 pilot whales that were part of a larger
group that beached themselves early Friday.

> ISRAEL: PLANNED FLOTILLA A 'PROVOCATION'
Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Friday a planned
Gaza-bound aid flotilla from Lebanon "has nothing to do with
humanitarian aid and is an act of hostile provocation."

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BUSINESS
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> 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.

> EMERGING ECONOMIES UPEND OIL DEMAND
Emerging economies have upended the long-standing pattern of
global oil consumption, according to the west's energy watchdog,
in a further sign of how countries such as China are
transforming commodities markets.

Breaking News

Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:39:09 -0400

Spain's most wanted terror suspect, alleged ETA member Luis Mara
Zengotitabengoa, arrested in Belgium, officials say.

Breaking News

Date: Sat, Aug 21, 2010 at 2:07 AM

 Iran announces the fueling of its first nuclear energy plant in the southern city of Bushehr.

Breaking News

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:39:05 -0400

Hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean is rejected from the list of candidates
approved to run in Haiti's presidential election.

Markets, Friday, 08/20/2010

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:32:04 -0400

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,213.62 down 57.59 | S & P : 1,071.69 down 3.94
|
| NASDAQ: 2,179.76 up 0.81 | Bond (10Y): 2.61% up 0.033
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Dow and S&P post 2nd week of losses
Week's dismal data raise fears about the possibility of a double-dip recession.

U.S. stocks decline as economic woes linger

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:00:54 -0400

U.S. STOCKS DECLINE AS ECONOMIC LINGER
U.S. stocks fall, paced by companies with strong international
exposure, as the euro sinks to a one-month low and the dollar surges.

POTASH REPORTEDLY SEEKS NEW OFFER TO COUNTER BHP
Canada's Potash is reportedly considering alliances with global
companies that could put together a competing offer to
Anglo-Australian miner BHP Billiton's hostile $38.6 billion bid for
the fertilizer giant.

KNOC LAUNCHES $2.9 BILLION HOSTILE BID FOR DANA
Korea National Oil Corp. goes hostile with its acquisition bid for the
U.K.'s Dana Petroleum, whose board rejected an earlier approach.

MCAFEE HAS WHAT INTEL WANTS: A RISING STOCK
Before you can fix something, you first have to recognize that it's
broken, writes Tomi Kilgore. That might be the best thing about Intel
Corp.'s bid to buy McAfee Inc.

TREASURY YIELDS FALL TO NEW LOWS ON SAFE-HAVEN BID
Treasury prices stake out fresh gains as yields shrink further,
playing off falling global stocks and U.S. equity futures as well as
selling in the euro against the dollar.

Losses steepen for U.S. stocks; Dow industrials slide 100 points at midday

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:49:09 -0400

Losses steepen for U.S. stocks; Dow industrials slide 100 points at midday
08/20/2010 11:47:17 AM EDT

Breaking News

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:24:04 -0400

Israel and Palestinian Authority to hold first direct peace talks
since 2008 in September, U.S. Secretary of State says.

International Headlines

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:02:06 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 20 August, 2010

> THAILAND TO HAND ARMS DEALER SUSPECT TO U.S.
A Thai court rules that suspected international arms dealer
Viktor Bout can be extradited to the U.S. to face charges
including illegally buying U.S. planes to move weapons.

> 'DEAD HEAT' ON EVE OF AUSTRALIAN ELECTION
On the last day of campaigning before voting begins in
Australia's national elections, a poll finds incumbent Prime
Minister Julia Gillard tied with challenger Tony Abbott.

> U.S. TO BOOST FLOOD AID FOR PAKISTAN
Washington announces additional aid as estimates for the number
of Pakistanis left homeless by massive flooding doubles to 4
million people.

> SECOND PLANE WITH ROMA TO LEAVE FRANCE
A second chartered flight carrying Roma, often referred as
Gypsies, is scheduled to leave France on Friday, a spokesman for
the nation's minister of immigration said.

> U.S. TROOP STRENGTH IN IRAQ DOWN TO 52K
The number of U.S. troops remaining in Iraq is about 52,000, the
U.S. military said Thursday.

> JEAN TO LEARN OF HAITI ELECTION ELIGIBILITY
Haiti's election commission said it will decide Friday whether
hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean is eligible to run for president.

> 12 INSURGENTS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN RAID
Afghan and coalition troops killed 12 Taliban insurgents,
including a commander, during a raid in Logar province, NATO's
International Security Assistance Force said Thursday.

> LEADING AL QAEDA MILITANT SURRENDERS
Hezam Mujalli, an al Qaeda leader in Yemen pictured here in
2004, has surrendered to authorities, Yemen's embassy in the
United States said Thursday.

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BUSINESS
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> 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.

> EMERGING ECONOMIES UPEND OIL DEMAND
Emerging economies have upended the long-standing pattern of
global oil consumption, according to the west's energy watchdog,
in a further sign of how countries such as China are
transforming commodities markets.

> 22-MILE HYDROCARBON PLUME IN GULF
Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution said they
have detected a plume of hydrocarbons that is at least 22 miles
long and more than 3,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of
Mexico, a residue of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Stocks open lower as investors digest strong tech earnings reports amid weak recovery. Dow dips 51 points.

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:34:04 -0400

Stocks open lower as investors digest strong tech earnings reports
amid weak recovery. Dow dips 51 points.

Markets, Thursday, 08/19/2010

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:31:04 -0400

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,271.21 down 144.33 | S & P : 1,075.63 down 18.53 |
| NASDAQ: 2,178.95 down 36.75 | Bond (10Y): 2.58% down 0.062
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Stocks socked by economic trifecta
Dow drops more than 144 points after weak reports, including a 9-month
high for jobless claims.

Stocks drop on a wave of bad economic news. Dow falls 144 points; Nasdaq, S&P each lose about 1.7%

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:01:04 -0400

Stocks drop on a wave of bad economic news. Dow falls 144 points;
Nasdaq, S&P each lose about 1.7%

U.S. stocks hit by dismal economic data

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:01:01 -0400

U.S.STOCKS HIT BY DISMAL ECONOMIC DATA
The latest batch of economic data cast a gloomy light on the strength
of the recovery, overshadowing Intel's deal for McAfee.

INTEL TO BUY MCAFEE FOR $7.7 BILLION
Intel will pay $48 a share in cash for McAfee, as the chip giant
targets security as a growth area.

INTEL'S $7.7 MCAFEE BUY LEADS WEAK TECH ACTION
Tech stocks were mixed in Thursday's trading action, as Intel Corp's
surprise $7.7 billion deal to acquire security-software company McAfee
Inc. highlighted the sector's action.

H-P CULTURE CRUMBLED FURTHER UNDER HURD
The drama surrounding Mark Hurd's abrupt departure as chief executive
of Hewlett-Packard Co. has shined an unflattering light on the
company, writes Therese Poletti.

GOLD ADDS TO ADVANCE AFTER PHILLY FED, INDICATORS
Gold futures touch the loftiest in seven weeks as initial claims for
jobless benefits hit a nine-month high last week and as two leading
indicators of economic activity reinforce expectations for a slowdown
in growth.

Stocks open lower after a surprise surge in jobless claims. Dow dips 35 points. Nasdaq slides 0.4%.

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:32:06 -0400

Stocks open lower after a surprise surge in jobless claims. Dow dips
35 points. Nasdaq slides 0.4%.

International Headlines

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:02:06 -0400

>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 19 August, 2010

> LAST U.S. COMBAT CONVOY LEAVES IRAQ
The last U.S. brigade combat team has left Iraq, leaving 56,000
U.S. troops there, the U.S. military said. In all, 50,000 U.S.
forces are to remain past the end of August.

> FLOOD AID ONLY TRICKLING INTO PAKISTAN
Pakistan is reeling from a natural disaster affecting 20 million
people, but aid relief organizations say donors have been
painfully slow in helping.

> INDIA: PAKISTAN VIOLATING CEASE-FIRE
The Indian army accused Pakistani troops of violating a major
cease-fire early Thursday by firing across the line of control
in Kashmir.

> N. KOREA SAYS IT DETAINED S. KOREAN BOAT
North Korean state media on Thursday confirmed the seizure of a
South Korean fishing boat earlier this month with seven crew
members aboard.

> OUTCRY OVER PHILIPPINES 'TORTURE TAPE'
Eleven police officers in Manila have been suspended after video
emerged of a naked detainee being beaten and tortured by one man while
others watched.

> U.S.: WIKILEAKS TALKS NEVER TOOK PLACE
The top lawyer for the Pentagon tried to talk to an attorney who
said he represented the WikiLeaks website on Sunday, August 15,
but the attorney never showed for the 10 a.m. telephone call,
according to a Defense Department spokesman.

> ABDUCTED MEXICAN MAYOR'S BODY FOUND
The body of Edelmiro Cavazos Leal, the mayor of the city of
Santiago in Nuevo Leon state, was found Wednesday, two days
after he was abducted, Mexico's interior ministry announced.

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BUSINESS
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> ASIAN LABOR MILITANCY RISES WITH PRICES
Bangladeshi garment workers, who make clothes for western brands such
as H&M, Gap and Marks & Spencer, greeted a recent 80
percent pay rise by rampaging angrily through the capital Dhaka.

> SHARP UPTURN IN SHIPPING CONTAINERS
The use of shipping containers, a barometer of the global
economy, has risen sharply this year, surpassing even the record
levels of 2008.

> WILL FACEBOOK JUMP INTO 'LOCATION WARS'?
Facebook is set to embrace location-based networking, allowing
users to tell friends exactly where they are -- using the GPS on
their phones -- in addition to what they are doing and thinking.

U.S. first-time jobless claims increase to 500,000, highest level since November 2009

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:34:23 -0400

U.S. first-time jobless claims increase to 500,000, highest level
since November 2009
08/19/2010 08:32:30 AM EDT

Stocks post gains for the second day as Target's outlook spurred some optimism. Dow gains 9 points; S&P, Nasdaq end slightly higher.

Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:03:04 -0400

Stocks post gains for the second day as Target's outlook spurred some
optimism. Dow gains 9 points; S&P, Nasdaq end slightly higher.

U.S. stocks off session lows; tech inches up

Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:00:51 -0400

U.S.STOCKS OFF SESSION LOWS; TECH INCHES UP
U.S. stocks pare losses as investors react tepidly to the latest
trickle of second-quarter earnings and developments on the deals
front.

TARGET PROFIT UP 14% ON CONTROLLED COSTS
Shares of the discounter trend lower, as investors nod to management's
ongoing efforts to controlling expenses in order to make up for signs
of softness in July-quarter sales.

DEERE PROFIT LEAPS 47% ON NORTH AMERICA DEMAND
The manufacturer says North American farmers bought more tractors at
higher prices and demand for construction and forestry equipment
rebounded from last year's slump.

BHP BILLITON TAKES BID TO POTASH SHAREHOLDERS
Miner BHP Billiton goes hostile with its bid for Potash Corp., and
vows to make the case for a $130-a-share offer directly to
stockholders of the fertilizer supplier.

A CONTRARIAN TAKE ON GOLD
Gold market enthusiasm has returned in force over the last couple of
weeks, as bullion reaches a six-week high.

International Headlines

Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 05:02:04 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 18 August, 2010

> FLOOD VICTIMS: 'SURVIVING IS VERY HARD'
A daughter dead, an infant barely alive, a great-grandfather
dragged through floodwaters to safety: One Pakistan family's
desperate bid to save itself.

> BP TO STOP HANDLING MOST GULF CLAIMS
BP has picked Wednesday as the deadline for accepting claims
from people and businesses affected by the Gulf oil disaster.

> JAKARTA SEEKS FRENCHMAN IN TERROR CASE
Indonesian anti-terror police are looking for a French man who
was allegedly involved in a terrorist plot foiled in May, a top
police official said Wednesday.

> ISRAEL HITS SUSPECTED WEAPONS SITE
The Israeli Air Force struck a suspected weapons manufacturing
site in central Gaza Wednesday, in response to two mortars that
were fired from the territory a day earlier, the military said.

> BUS CRASH IN PHILIPPINES KILLS 39
A minibus plunged into a 100-meter deep ravine in the
Philippines' Benguet province Wednesday morning, killing nine
passengers and seriously injuring eight others, official media
reported.

> COLOMBIA SURVIVORS RECALL PLANE BREAKUP
Aires Airlines Flight 8250 was seconds away from landing at San
Andres airport on a small island off the coast of Colombia early
Monday. The pilot had turned on the seat belt sign and told
passengers to stay in their seats. Passengers could see rain and
lightning outside their small cabin windows, but nothing was
amiss. Everything seemed calm. Normal. Routine.

> BLAGOJEVICH FOUND GUILTY OF LYING
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was found guilty on Tuesday
of making a false statement to the FBI. The jury said it was
hung on the other 23 counts against him.

> EMBASSY IN ISRAEL HIT BY HOSTAGE DRAMA
A shooting incident apparently took place at the Turkish Embassy
in Israel, prompting police and emergency crews to race to the
scene.

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BUSINESS
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> BUSINESS RESISTS 'CONFLICT MINERALS' LAW
U.S. manufacturers are mounting a lobbying campaign over a
provision slipped into the financial reform legislation
requiring companies to declare products containing minerals from
the Democratic Republic of Congo.

> BP TO STOP HANDLING MOST GULF CLAIMS
BP said on Tuesday it would stop processing claims of people and
businesses hurt by the Gulf oil disaster as a
government-appointed group will take over responsibility on
August 23.

> POTASH REJECTS $39B BID BY BHP
BHP Billiton, the biggest and most cash-rich mining company,
returned to frontline dealmaking on Tuesday with a $39bn
(£25bn) preliminary offer for PotashCorp, a fertiliser maker
whose board rejected the approach.

Dow dips 33 points. Nasdaq slips 0.3%.

Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:34:04 -0400

Stocks open lower as investors fret about latest earning reports. Dow
dips 33 points. Nasdaq slips 0.3%.

Breaking News: Jury convicts Blagojevich of lying to federal agents

Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:44:34 -0600

CHICAGO (AP) - A federal jury has found ex-Illinois Gov. Rod
Blagojevich guilty of one count of lying to federal agents. The judge
in the case said he plans to call a mistrial on all remaining counts
in the corruption trial.

Markets, Tuesday, 08/17/2010

Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:31:04 -0400

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10,405.85 up 103.84 | S & P : 1,092.54 up 13.16
|
|NASDAQ: 2,209.44 up 27.57 | Bond (10Y): 2.64% up 0.070
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Stocks come off week-long slump
Investors put fears of a slower economic recovery on the back burner
for a day on regional Fed chief's comments and Wal-Mart, Home Depot
earnings.

U.S. stocks rise after upbeat retail earnings

Date: Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 12:00 PM

U.S. STOCKS RISE AFTER UPBEAT RETAIL EARNINGS
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--U.S. stocks climbed Tuesday as earnings from key retailers gave investors reason to focus on encouraging corporate reports rather than the latest round of mixed economic data. 

WAL-MART'S PROFIT RISES; FORECAST BOOSTED
The retail giant says demand from Mexico and overseas markets drove the company's growth, while sales in the U.S. remained flat.  

HOME DEPOT PROFIT HIGHER, SEES MORE TRANSACTIONS
The largest U.S. home-improvement retailer manages to control costs against the backdrop of a still-wobbling housing market. 

WAL-MART, HOME DEPOT LIFT RETAILER SHARES
Earnings reports from Wal-Mart Stores and Home Depot Inc. helped lift the retail sector in early trading Tuesday.

POTASH CORP. SOARS; $38.6 BILLION OFFER REJECTED
 Shares of Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan rally as investors anticipate a higher acquisition bid after the world's top fertilizer producer rejects a $38.6 billion unsolicited takeover offer from mining giant BHP Billiton. 

Stocks open higher on positive housing news. Dow rises 67 points; Nasdaq, S&P both gain 0.8%.

Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:33:03 -0400

Stocks open higher on positive housing news. Dow rises 67 points;
Nasdaq, S&P both gain 0.8%.

International Headlines

Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 05:02:04 -0400
TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 17 August, 2010

> DOZENS DEAD AS BOMBER ATTACKS IRAQ RECRUITMENT CENTER
At least 41 people are killed when a bomber attacks an army
recruitment center in Baghdad. The attack came as the U.S. works
to draw out 50,000 troops this month.

> GULF OIL SPREADING EAST ON SEA FLOOR
Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill may have settled to the
bottom of the Gulf of Mexico further east than previously
suspected and at levels toxic to marine life, researchers
reported Monday.

> KARZAI TO RULE ON PRIVATE SECURITY FIRMS
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is expected to issue an order
Tuesday demanding that all private security companies in
Afghanistan cease operation within four months.

> CALIFORNIA GAY MARRIAGES PUT ON HOLD
A federal appeals court in San Francisco, California, has
blocked same-sex marriages in that state from resuming
immediately, until a panel hears broader questions over the
constitutionality of such marriages.

> ASTRONAUTS REPAIR ISS COOLING SYSTEM
The repairs performed on the International Space Station's
cooling system during a seven-hour-and-20-minute spacewalk
Monday appear to be working, NASA said.

> UK AIRPORT OPERATOR, UNION AVERT STRIKE
Details will be released Tuesday of an agreement between British
airport operator BAA and the union that represents the
operator's employees.

> AMERICAN IN N. KOREA GETS OFFICIAL VISIT
An American sentenced to eight years of hard labor in North
Korea has received his first visit from U.S. officials in a
Pyongyang hospital, the State Department said.

> JETLINER BREAKS APART WHILE LANDING
A Boeing 737 carrying at least 127 people broke apart while
landing today in Colombia. One person was killed. There are
reports the plane was hit by lightning

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> PERMANENT FIX ON HOLD FOR GULF OIL WELL
The permanent stifling of the ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well
won't start until the latest potential problem is evaluated,
Thad Allen, the U.S. government's point man in the Gulf, said.

> JAPANESE ECONOMY SLOWS UNEXPECTEDLY
The strength of Japan's economic recovery came under question on
Monday, as second-quarter growth figures came in sharply below
economists' expectations.

> INDIA FEARS GAMES EMBARRASSMENT
With less than 50 days to go before the opening ceremony for the
Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, concerns about India's lack of
preparedness have reached a fever pitch.

Markets, Monday, 08/16/2010

Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:31:05 -0400

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| Dow : 10,302.01 down 1.14 | S & P : 1,079.38 up 0.13
|
| NASDAQ: 2,181.87 up 8.39 | Bond (10Y): 2.58% down 0.113
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

MARKETS:
Tech stocks gain in choppy session
Blue-chip issues end little changed as investors remain cautious after
last week's losses.

Tech stocks finish higher on Intel, Dell deal announcements. Nasdaq gains 0.4%; Dow and S&P end little changed.

Date: Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 4:01 PM

Tech stocks finish higher on Intel, Dell deal announcements. Nasdaq gains 0.4%; Dow and S&P end little changed.

Tam, Lan deal triggers buying across airlines

Date: Monday, August 16, 2010

TAM, LAN DEAL TRIGGERS BUYING ACROSS AIRLINES
Brazilian air carrier Tam's shares rally on a preliminary merger
agreement with Chile's Lan Airlines, acting as a catalyst for the
broader airline sector..

JAPANESE SHARES SLIP AS GDP DATA DISAPPOINT
Japanese shares underperform mostly sluggish regional markets after
government data suggest the country's economic recovery is far more
fragile than many had believed.

HOME-BUILDERS INDEX SLUMPS TO 17-MONTH LOW
In another indicator of a tentative housing market, the National
Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index posted
its worst reading since March 2009.

CUT EVERYONE'S PAY 10% TO CREATE JOBS
If everybody -- from the president down to the chambermaid -- took a
10% cut in pay, the freed-up money could be used to employ 12 million
people, solving the unemployment problem at once, writes Ken Mayland.

U.S. STOCKS TRY TO HALT LOSING STREAK AT 4 DAYS
U.S. stocks edge into positive terrain on Monday, halting a losing
streak at four days, as commodity producers and technology firms
advanced and helped the broader market clear a decline that came amid
worries about the global economy.

Stocks open lower as investors continue to fret about global economic concerns. Dow drops 60 points.

Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:32:06 -0400

Stocks open lower as investors continue to fret about global economic
concerns. Dow drops 60 points.

International Headlines

Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 05:02:03 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 16 August, 2010

> U.S., S. KOREA BEGIN MILITARY EXERCISE
The United States and South Korea begin their annual joint
military exercise, which North Korea has warned will be met with
"the severest punishment."

> U.N., PAKISTAN ASKS WORLD FOR FLOOD HELP
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has met with
Pakistan's president to issue a joint appeal to the
international community to help desperate flood victims.

> KHMER ROUGE SENTENCE APPEALED
Prosecutors in Cambodia on Monday appealed the 30-year sentence
handed down to a man who ran a notorious torture prison in the
Southeast Asian nation where more than 14,000 people died under
the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime.

> JAPANESE ECONOMY SLOWS UNEXPECTEDLY
The strength of Japan's economic recovery came under question on
Monday as second-quarter growth figures came in sharply below
economists' expectations.

> ISLAMIC CLERIC TO REMAIN IN CUSTODY
An Islamic cleric detained last week in Indonesia has been
formally arrested, accused of helping fund and establish a
terror cell and military training camp.

> AL QAEDA NO. 2 SPEAKS ON FLOTILLA INCIDENT
In an audio message released Sunday, a speaker identified as al
Qaeda's second-in-command offers condolences to the Turkish
people on the loss of nine activists in a May 31 Israeli raid on
an aid flotilla headed for Gaza.

> VENEZUELA NEWSPAPER PROBE SLAMMED
Members of Venezuela's opposition lashed out Sunday against the
government's decision to investigate a newspaper that published
an explicit photograph of bodies at a morgue.

> STRONG QUAKE HITS PAPUA NEW GUINEA
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck a remote area of Papua New
Guinea early Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

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BUSINESS
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> EXPORTS DRIVE GERMAN GROWTH SPURT
A surprise surge in Germany's second quarter economic growth has
been put down to an increase in exports. But can the good times
in the typically pessimistic nation last?

> EAST INDIA CO. REBORN AS LUXURY BRAND
It was the world's first multinational company, a trading giant
during the colonial rule of the Indian subcontinent. This week,
The East India Company is being reborn as a luxury brand --
under Indian ownership.

> INDIA IMPOSES DEADLINE ON BLACKBERRY
India is expected to make a major decision Thursday regarding
BlackBerry, which is under serious scrutiny because the highly
encrypted messages in the device make it impossible for
intelligence agencies to monitor.

Petraeus: No qujick fixes in Afghanistan

8/15/2010 1:58:00 PM ET

Progress in the war in Afghanistan remains slow with no quick fix in
sight, the U.S. commander said Sunday.

BP preparing for permanent kill of leaky well

Date: 15 AUG 2010 18:28:34 GMT

BP PLC and the U.S. government may decide as early as Monday to move
ahead with a four-day process to permanently plug the source of the
worst maritime oil leak in U.S. history through a so-called bottom
kill of the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico.

International Headlines

Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 05:02:04 -0400
TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 15 August, 2010

> U.N. CHIEF CALLS FOR FASTER AID TO FLOOD-HIT PAKISTAN
On a tour of flood-hit Pakistan, United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges the international community
to do more to help the country -- and fast.

> RACE CAR PLOWS INTO CROWD, 6 DEAD
At least six people were killed when an off-road race car plowed
into a crowd in southern California on Saturday night,
authorities said.

> S. KOREA PRESENTS REUNIFICATION PLAN
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has proposed a plan to
reunite his country with North Korea, including a tax to cover
expected costs, state media said Sunday.

> SATELLITE SHOWS SCOPE OF RUSSIAN FIRES
Satellite photographs on NASA's website show hundreds of hot
spots generated by Russian wildfires.

> CHINA MOURNS AS DEATH TOLL RISES
Flags will be lowered to half-staff across China and its
consulates Sunday to mourn the 1,156 victims of deadly mudslides
in the country's Gansu provice.

> OBAMA ADDS TO MOSQUE COMMENTS
President Obama on Saturday told CNN that in defending the right
of Muslims to build a community center and mosque near ground
zero, he was "not commenting on the wisdom" of the project.

> AFRICAN MIGRANTS KILLED AT ISRAELI BORDER
As many as four African migrants from Ethiopia and Eritrea
trying to cross into Israel from Egypt's Sinai desert were shot
dead by smugglers and 10 others were wounded, according to state
media.

> BOMB INJURES 3 CHILDREN IN N. IRELAND
Police in Northern Ireland said "it was an absolute miracle"
that three children were not seriously injured Saturday in a
bomb explosion in County Armagh.

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BUSINESS
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> TIME TO WORRY LIKE IT'S 2003?
Last week the Federal Reserve's open market committee startled
financial markets by raising its terror alert level over the
economy and declaring it would keep buying bonds to maintain its
loose-money stance.

> EXPORTS DRIVE GERMAN GROWTH SPURT
A surprise surge in Germany's second quarter economic growth has
been put down to an increase in exports. But can the good times
in the typically pessimistic nation last?

> EAST INDIA CO. REBORN AS LUXURY BRAND
It was the world's first multinational company, a trading giant
during the colonial rule of the Indian subcontinent. This week,
The East India Company is being reborn as a luxury brand --
under Indian ownership.