International Headline News

Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:01:09 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 0900 HKT -- 31 January, 2010

> IRAN PUTS 16 PROTESTERS ON TRIAL
Two days after Iran executed two dissidents, 16 opposition
protesters went on trial on charges that they tried to overthrow
the government, state-run media said.

> 5.2 QUAKE RATTLES SOUTHERN HITS CHINA
A 5.2-magnitude quake struck eastern Sichuan province, China, on
Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

> REPORT: RUSSIA, LIBYA IN $1.8B ARMS DEAL
Russia signed a deal with Libya to provide nearly $2 billion in
arms to the North African nation, Russian state media reported
Saturday.

> 'FRIENDLY FIRE' INCIDENT KILLS 4 AFGHANS
Two U.S. service members and a U.S. employee were killed Friday
in eastern Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance
Force said.

> CHINA HALTS U.S. VISITS AFTER TAIWAN DEAL
China suspends military exchanges with the United States over
Washington's $6.4 billion arms deal with Taiwan, the territory
that Beijing claims as its own.

> UNKNOWN WWI SOLDIER BURIED IN FRANCE
An unknown World War I soldier was buried in Fromelles, France,
on Saturday, the first of some 250 bodies recovered from a
string of mass graves dating back to a bloody -- and largely
pointless -- battle that claimed thousands of lives in a single
night.

> DRINKING AID DOCTORS CAUSE UPROAR
A humanitarian mission to aid Haitian earthquake victims turned
into a major embarrassment in Puerto Rico on Friday when
pictures emerged of doctors drinking, mugging for the cameras
and brandishing firearms amid the victims' suffering.
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BUSINESS
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> TOYOTA PRESIDENT BREAKS SILENCE
Toyota's president apologized Friday for the gas pedal problems
that have forced the recall of millions of vehicles in the
United States and Europe, Japanese media reported.

> RECALL THREATENS TOYOTA'S POSITION
The way in which Toyota handles the recall of millions of
vehicles will determine whether it retains its position as the
world's biggest car manufacturer, industry experts warned
Friday.

> CHINA RECALL A BIG HEADACHE FOR TOYOTA
Toyota's vehicle recall in China pales in comparison to its U.S.
recall. But this is Toyota's fifth Chinese recall in 13 months
in a must-win market for global auto makers.