International Headline News

Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:02:08 -0500
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 HKT -- 06 March, 2010

> PIRATES SEIZED IN INDIAN OCEAN
Twenty-eight suspected pirates were taken into custody Friday by
the European Union Naval Force after a handful of failed attacks
on fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean, the EU mission said.

> U.S. MAY BACKTRACK ON 9/11 TRIAL
White House advisers are considering recommending against a
civilian trial for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khaled Sheikh
Mohammed, a senior administration official confirms.

> U.N. CHIEF PRAISES CHILEANS' COURAGE
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will meet with Chilean
President Michele Bachelet and her successor on Friday, to
reassure the earthquake-battered nation of the international
commitment to aid.

> UK PM: WAR IN IRAQ 'RIGHT DECISION'
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown tells the Iraq War Inquiry
Friday the decision to go to war in Iraq "was the right decision
and it was for the right reasons."

> TOP TALIBAN LEADER ARRESTED IN PAKISTAN
A top Taliban leader has been arrested in the southern Pakistani
port city of Karachi, a senior Pakistani military official said.

> STRONG EARTHQUAKE HITS OFF SUMATRA
A strong earthquake with magnitude 6.5 struck Friday night
southwest of Sumatra in Indonesia, the U.S. Geological Survey
said.

> PENTAGON SHOOTER DIES FROM INJURIES
A 36-year-old man shot by police after he opened fire on two
Pentagon police officers died early Friday from his injuries,
authorities said.

BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~

> TOYOTA CHIEF: WE MUST RESTART
The head of Toyota Motor Corp. told his employees on Friday that
the company must begin again if it is to regain its legacy of
quality that helped make it the world's largest automotive
company.

> ECONOMY TOPS CHINA'S AGENDA
China's parliament opens its annual session on Friday as
policy-makers seek answers to some Western sounding problems.

> CHINA TO COOL RISING DEFENSE SPENDING
China on Thursday announced a sharp slowdown in the growth of
its official defence budget, a move expected to help Beijing
argue that fears of the country as a military threat are
overstated.