International Headline News

Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 20:02:04 -0500
>TOP STORIES as of 0900 HKT -- 10 March, 2010

> U.S. VICE PRESIDENT CONDEMNS NEW ISRAEL HOUSING UNITS
Joe Biden has criticized Israel's decision to build 1,600
housing units in a Jerusalem neighborhood, calling it "a step
that undermines the trust we now need."

> NIGERIA URGED TO PURSUE KILLING MOBS
Nigeria faces international calls to bring to justice killer
mobs armed with guns and knives who massacred hundreds of
villagers in the country's rural heartland.

> OBAMA MEETS GREEK PM ON DEBT CRISIS
Global financial reform is expected to top the agenda Tuesday as
President Obama huddles with Greek Prime Minister George
Papandreou, whose country is at the center of Europe's debt
crisis.

> U.S. APOLOGIZES FOR GADHAFI REMARK
The State Department spokesman apologized Tuesday for a joking
remark he made about Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi that
threatened to turn into a diplomatic incident between the two
countries.

> 7 ARRESTED IN 'PLOT TO KILL CARTOONIST'
Irish police arrested seven people Tuesday suspected of plotting
to commit a murder abroad, they announced.

> U.S.: TERROR CHARGES FOR 'JIHAD JANE'
A Pennsylvania woman has been indicted for conspiracy to provide
material support to terrorists and kill a person in a foreign
country, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

> DRIVER RECALLS 'RUNAWAY PRIUS' ORDEAL
The driver of a Toyota Prius says he was taken on a wild ride
after the car's accelerator became stuck, reaching speeds in
excess of 90mph (145kph).

> QUAKE MOVES CHILE CITY 'OVER 10 FEET'
The magnitude-8.8 earthquake that rocked the west coast of Chile
last month was violent enough to move the city of Concepcion at
least 10 feet to the west and the capital, Santiago, about 11
inches to the west-southwest, researchers said.

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

> AIG IN $15.5B UNIT SALE TO METLIFE
AIG agreed to sell its American Life Insurance Co. unit to
MetLife Inc. for $15.5 billion in cash and stock in beleaguered
AIG's second sale of an international unit in a week.

> NORTHROP: NO BID ON TANKER CONTRACT
Northrop Grumman Corp. said it will not bid on a
multi-billion-dollar contract to build a new air refueling
tanker for the U.S. Air Force because it believes the rules for
the contract favor its competitor, Boeing.

> ICELANDERS REJECT PLAN TO REPAY DEBT
Iceland's voters overwhelmingly reject a deal to pay billions of
dollars it owes to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the
Foreign Ministry has said.