International Headlines

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:02:08 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0800 HKT -- 24 March, 2010

> OBAMA SIGNS U.S. HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL
U.S. President Barack Obama has signed sweeping health care
reform legislation into law, as attorneys general from 13 states
file a lawsuit against the measure.

> NETANYAHU, OBAMA MEET AT WHITE HOUSE
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with
President Obama at the White House on Tuesday, as the allies
remain at odds over Israel's plan to build new housing on
disputed land in East Jerusalem.

> AFGHAN-IRANIAN WEAPONS ROUTE FOUND
At the Eslam Ghalah crossing on the Afghan-Iranian border,
millions of dollars have been spent by the international
community to try to ensure that all goods and human traffic
entering and leaving Afghanistan can be controlled and accounted
for.

> U.S.: TALIBAN FIGHTERS TRAINING IN IRAN
Iran is helping train Taliban fighters within its borders,
according to U.S. military and intelligence officials.

> CHINA: GOOGLE SPAT NO PROBLEM FOR U.S.
There's no reason China's row with Internet search giant Google
should hurt relations with the United States, China's foreign
ministry said Tuesday.

> UK: ISRAEL BEHIND PASSPORT FORGERIES
There are "compelling reasons" to believe Israel forged British
passports used in by suspects, pictured above, in a plot to kill
a Hamas leader, the UK foreign secretary says.

> BILL ADVANCES AIR PASSENGERS' RIGHTS
Passengers stuck on airplanes gain new rights and the nation's
air traffic control system gains new technology under a $34.5
billion bill the Senate passed Monday night.

> TEST FLIGHT BRINGS SPACE TRAVEL CLOSER
British billionaire Richard Branson's dream of space travel that
thousands of people can afford took a leap toward reality with
the maiden flight of the world's first commercial spacecraft
over California's Mojave Desert.

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

> GOOGLE-CHINA MOVE HURTS BUSINESS
Businesses and universities could be substantially affected by
the departure of Google from China.

> GOOGLE QUITS CENSORING SEARCH IN CHINA
Google says it has stopped censoring search results in China.
The announcement came amid speculation that the search giant
would pull out of China entirely and sets up a showdown with the
Communist leadership there.