International Headline News

Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:02:07 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 1000 GMT -- 27 January, 2010

> STATE TV: SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT RE-ELECTED
Sri Lanka elects President Mahinda Rajapaksa to a second term
amid allegations of intimidation from the opposition
presidential candidate, state television says.

> N. KOREA: SHELLING NEAR SOUTH WAS DRILL
North Korea and South Korea exchanged artillery fire Wednesday
off waters near the inter-Korean maritime border, South Korean
state media reported.

> EX-PM: QUAKE-STRUCK HAITI 'NOT DOOMED'
Although Haiti's capital is in ruins and hundreds of thousands
are homeless, a former prime minister of the earthquake-ravaged
country vowed "this country is not doomed."

> FEARS FOR U.S. HIKERS HELD IN IRAN
Two Belgians recently detained in Iran said they had some
contact with three U.S. hikers imprisoned there and are
concerned about the Americans' well-being.

> FRENCH LAWMAKERS URGE FACE VEIL BAN
French lawmakers have called for a ban on burqas -- the full
Islamic veil worn by some Muslim women -- in hospitals, schools
and on public transport.

> MEDIA FREEDOM PROTESTS IN VENEZUELA
Protests over media freedom continued in Venezuela Tuesday, a
day after two student protesters were killed in separate
clashes.

> SEARCH GOES ON AFTER LEBANON JET CRASH
International search teams combed the Mediterranean Sea for
signs of life on Tuesday, a day after an Ethiopian Airlines
flight went down off Lebanon, authorities said.

> U.S. SUSPENDS AID TO KENYAN MINISTRY
America's top diplomat to Kenya has announced that the United
States has suspended a $7 million "capacity building" program
for the country's Ministry of Education, citing corruption.

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BUSINESS
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> APPLE VERSUS GOOGLE
Battle lines are being drawn between tech behemoths Apple and
Google. Once close allies, the pair are becoming fierce
competitors.

> RUSAL SHARES PLUNGE ON HK DEBUT
UC Rusal, the aluminium group controlled by Russian oligarch
Oleg Deripaska, on Wednesday fell sharply on its Hong Kong
trading debut following the company's long struggle to come to
market.

> $74 MILLION DUTCH DEAL SAVES SAAB
General Motor's Swedish Saab brand has been saved from certain
death thanks to a last-minute deal with Dutch exotic car builder
Spyker. Spyker has agreed to pay $74 million in cash and $326
million in preferred stock in a new Saab that will emerge from
this deal.