International Headline News

Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:02:07 -0500
TOP STORIES as of 0900 HKT -- 18 February, 2010

> SOURCE: EIGHT IN HAITI KIDNAP CASE GO FREE
A Haitian judge frees eight of 10 Americans detained amid
allegations of child kidnapping and says they can leave the
country, a lawyer involved in the case siad.

> ISRAEL: NO REASON TO LINK US TO DUBAI HIT
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said that there
is "no reason to think" Israeli agents were involved in the
mysterious death in Dubai of a senior Hamas in his hotel last
month.

> SARKOZY PLEDGES $100M IN HAITI AID
French President Nicolas Sarkozy was visiting Haiti on
Wednesday, about five weeks after an earthquake killed at least
212,000 people in the former French colony.

> U.S. 'SPREADING LIES,' IRAN ALLEGES
Iran's supreme leader accused the United States of "spreading
lies" about the Islamic state Wednesday, Iranian media reported.

> OFFICIAL: ARREST WON'T AFFECT AFGHAN FIGHT
The arrest of a key Afghan Taliban leader represents a setback
for the militant group but won't directly affect the fighting in
Afghanistan, a senior U.S. military official said.

> WOMEN CANED IN MALAYSIA FOR ADULTERY
Malaysian authorities caned three Muslim women for adultery
under Islamic law, the first time such a punishment has been
meted out in the southeast Asian country, the Malaysian national
news agency Bernama said.

> TIGER WOODS TO SPEAK PUBLICLY ON FRIDAY
Golfer Tiger Woods will "apologize for his behavior" Friday when
he makes a statement at PGA headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach,
Florida, his agent said.

> UKRAINE ELECTION RESULTS PUT ON HOLD
A Ukranian court on Wednesday put on hold the results of
presidential elections that declared Viktor Yanukovych winner
pending an appeal from his rival, Prime Minister Yulia
Tymoshenko.

BUSINESS
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> TOYOTA PRESIDENT MEETS PRESS - AGAIN
Toyota President Akio Toyoda said Wednesday he has no plans to
appear before a U.S. Congressional committee next week.

> SOCCER STARS RETURN TO BOOMING BRAZIL
As befits a returning prodigal son, Robinho's entrance was
anything but understated.

> WALL STREET BEHIND GREEK CRISIS?
Greek and other European officials have been expressing growing
unease about the role played by western investment banks and
hedge funds.