SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka's military says a female suicide bomber killed 24 people,
setting off her explosives in a group of civilians fleeing the
country's northern war zone.
Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said the woman is a suspected
Tamil Tiger rebel. She set off her bomb outside a relief camp near
Vishvamadu today (Monday). At least 45 people, mostly women and children were wounded.
Nanayakkara said the women blew herself up while soldiers were searching her outside a refugee camp.
The rebels have not immediately commented on the incident.
PAKISTAN-VIOLENCE: Pakistani police say a suicide bomber crashed an explosives-laden car
into a police checkpoint killing at least three officers and wounding
17 others.
Officials say today's (Monday's) early morning attack occurred in northwest Pakistan, near the North Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
No one has claimed responsibility for the incident.
AUSTRALIA WILDFIRES: Australian police have designated some areas ravaged by deadly
wildfires as crime scenes as they look for evidence of arson in several
of the hundreds of fires that have devastated southeast Australia.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said of deaths in Victoria state that "there
are no words to describe it other than mass murder." So far, 130 people
have been confirmed dead.
Mr. Rudd says he is sending troops to help thousands of volunteer firefighters exhausted from battling the blazes.
U.S ECONOMY: U.S. President Barack Obama takes his case for a massive government
economic plan directly to the American public this week, with
campaign-style events and a national television appearance.
Mr. Obama travels later today (Monday) to Elkhart,
Indiana, for a town hall meeting. Later, the president will hold his
first prime-time news conference at the White House.
The U.S. Senate is expected to cut off debate today (Monday)
on the Obama administration's 800-billion-dollar spending and tax cut
plan, clearing the way for a final vote Tuesday. Senate leaders expect
the plan to pass with votes from majority Democrats and a handful of
Republicans.
JAPAN NISSAN: Japan's Nissan automaker said today (Monday) it will cut 20 thousand jobs, or eight-point-five percent of its workforce worldwide because of the global downturn.
The corporation also predicted a net loss of nearly three billion dollars in this fiscal year to March.
The company said it will also cancel bonuses for the board of directors
this year and reduce salaries for top management by 10 percent
beginning in March
