Monday, August 30, 2010
International Headlines
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 GMT -- 30 August, 2010
> DRILLING TO REACH TRAPPED CHILEAN MINERS SET TO BEGIN
Chilean officials plan to start drilling a rescue shaft Monday
as they begin a months-long operation to reach 33 miners trapped
underground since August 5.
> BP STARTS FINAL STEP TO KILL GULF OIL WELL
More than three weeks after plugging its ruptured oil well with
cement and mud from above, BP plans to start a procedure Monday
that will pave the way for a permanent fix for the well.
> 9 DIE IN RUSSIAN RETIREMENT HOME FIRE
A fire at a retirement home northwest of Moscow killed nine
people early Monday morning, Russian state media said.
> BANK OF JAPAN TAKES STIMULUS STEPS
The Bank of Japan moved to halt the rise of the yen and support
the country's faltering economy by expanding a special bank
lending programme by half to Y30,000bn.
> MAYOR KILLED IN MEXICAN BORDER STATE
The mayor of a city in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas
was killed and his 10-year-old daughter was injured Sunday,
officials said.
> OVER 30 AFGHAN INSURGENTS KILLED
Afghan and coalition soldiers killed more than 30 insurgents,
including 13 would-be suicide bombers, as they fought off
assaults on two military bases and government buildings in
eastern Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Sunday.
> ALLEGED CRICKET BETTING SCAM MAN BAILED
UK police interviewed four members of the Pakistani cricket team
over allegations that gamblers fixed part of a match against
England, the Pakistani team manager says.
> NETANYAHU: ISRAEL'S GOAL IS PEACE
Israel's goal is to "responsibly and seriously promote a peace
agreement" in the upcoming direct talks with Palestinians,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his weekly
Cabinet meeting Sunday.
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BUSINESS
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> GOOGLE PLANS PAY-PER-VIEW FILMS
Google's YouTube video site is in negotiations with Hollywood's
leading movie studios to launch a global pay-per-view video
service by the end of 2010, doing battle with Apple for digital
distribution.
> DOWNBEAT MOOD AT JACKSON HOLE
If the mood at Jackson Hole in 2008 was one of crisis, and 2009
sounded relief, the mood in 2010 was one of angst.
> THREE MEXICAN AIRLINES SHUT DOWN
Grupo Mexicana suspended operations at its three airlines
Saturday "until further notice," citing the financial problems
inherited when the group changed owners a week ago.
