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AP International NewsBrief at 12:15 p.m. EST
(AP Online Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) World stocks drop as US jobless rate hits 7.2 pctLONDON (AP) _ Stock markets dropped Friday as investors fretted over the outlook for the U.S. economy after an unexpectedly large increase in the unemployment rate and confirmation that more jobs were lost in 2008 than in any year since World War Two. An early relief rally following the news that payrolls in the world's largest economy declined by a smaller than anticipated 524,000 in December soon dissipated as investors focused on the rise in the unemployment rate to a 16-year high of 7.2 percent from 6.8 percent in the previous month. Analysts had expected unemployment to hit 7 percent in December.
Israel, Hamas defy UN call for cease-fireJERUSALEM (AP) _ Israeli jets and helicopters bombarded Gaza Friday and Hamas responded with a barrage of rockets on at least two cities as both sides defied a U.N. call for an immediate cease-fire. One Israeli airstrike killed two Hamas militants and another unidentified man, while another flattened a five-story building in northern Gaza, killing at least seven people, including an infant, Hamas officials said. Israeli aircraft struck more than 30 targets before dawn, and there were constant explosions after first light.
Somali pirates reportedly release Saudi tankerMOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) _ Somali pirates released an oil-laden Saudi supertanker after receiving a $3 million ransom, a negotiator for the bandits said Friday. The ship owner did not confirm it. The MV Sirius Star, a brand new tanker with a 25-member crew, was seized in the Indian Ocean Nov. 15 in a dramatic escalation of high seas crime.
Gazprom may resume gas shipments to Europe FridayKIEV, Ukraine (AP) _ Russia's Gazprom said it could restart gas shipments to Europe on Friday if an agreement can be signed allowing an EU-led monitoring mission to track gas flows through Ukrainian pipelines. European Union monitors began working Friday in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, but Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said a final agreement on their deployment has yet to be signed. Russia wants monitors in place to prevent what it described as Ukraine's theft of supplies meant for Europe _ a charge Kiev hotly denies.
Afghan held for sister's alleged ad hoc abortionKABUL, Afghanistan (AP) _ The mother and brother of a 14-year-old girl who was raped are facing prosecution for allegedly performing an abortion on her in a cattle shed in central Afghanistan, officials said. The brother, who has been arrested by police, has confessed to cutting her stomach open with a razor blade and removing and burying the fetus. He has said he acted alone. The mother has not yet been detained because she lives in a remote area, several hours' drive from the provincial capital, Provincial Police Chief Ewaz Khan said.
Pakistan PM hands information to India on MumbaiISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) _ Pakistan's main spy agency has given India information about the Mumbai terror attacks, the prime minister said Friday, while denying media speculation of a rift between him and the president. The comments came as U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived in Pakistan for talks with the country's top leaders, including the prime minister and president. The U.S. Embassy confirmed the visit but gave few details, and press access was severely restricted.
US abstains from UN vote on Gaza cease-fireUNITED NATIONS (AP) _ The United States says it supports a U.N. resolution that calls for a cease-fire in Gaza but abstained from the Security Council vote because it is awaiting the outcome of Egyptian-mediated talks with Hamas and Israel. Thursday's 14-0 vote came on the 13th day of an Israeli air and ground offensive against the Islamic group Hamas which rules Gaza and has been launching rockets and mortars into southern Israel for years. It followed three days of intense negotiations between ministers from key Arab nations and the council's veto-wielding Western powers _ the U.S., Britain and France.
Afghan governor says 6 killed by suicide bomberKANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) _ A suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body inside a produce shop in southern Afghanistan on Friday, killing six people, the provincial governor said. The bomber was apparently targeting a police official who was inside the shop, said Ghulam Dastagir Azad, the governor of Nimroz province. The explosion in the provincial capital killed the official and five civilians, he said.
Analysis: Syria deals with Gaza, eyeing own peaceDAMASCUS, Syria (AP) _ Syria has responded to Israel's Gaza offensive with harsh words for the Israelis and expressions of firm support for Hamas. But it's unlikely to do much more. With its nemesis President George W. Bush just days from leaving office, Syria does not want to do anything to deepen its diplomatic isolation from the United States or to anger President-elect Barack Obama. Rather, Obama's election has filled many here with hope for better U.S.-Syrian relations.
Copyright ? 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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