International Headlines

Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 20:02:08 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0800 HKT -- 25 May, 2010

> U.S., SOUTH KOREA TO CONDUCT JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES
The U.S. military will conduct joint exercises with the South
Korean military after a probe found that North Korea was behind
the sinking of one of its warships.

> JAMAICA UNREST SPREADS OVER EXTRADITION
Violence in Jamaica continues over U.S. efforts to extradite a
suspected drug kingpin, with shots fired at police officers and
residents barricading streets in Kingston.

> BP EXECUTIVE DEFENDS OIL SPILL RESPONSE
Two top Obama administration officials head to Louisiana on
Monday to assess the response to the massive oil spill as the
administration sends mixed messages about BP's effort to cap the
gusher.

> BA FIVE-DAY STRIKE BEGINS
BA passengers face disruption as cabin crew begin a five-day
strike after talks with the airline over pay and working
conditions failed over the weekend.

> FLIGHT CHAOS VOLCANO STOPS SPEWING ASH
The Icelandic volcano that has been disrupting thousands of
flights with its ash plume has significantly reduced in
activity, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

> INVESTIGATORS SEARCH PLANE CRASH RUBBLE
Searchers continued sifting through twisted metal, charred
debris and tattered clothing in a ravine in southern India
Monday, looking for the missing piece investigators hope will
explain what went wrong in a deadly plane crash.

> U.S. DESTROYER SHADOWS PIRATE-HELD SHIP
A U.S. destroyer rescued a ship off the coast of Somalia after
it was taken over by 50 pirates, authorities said.

> PRINCE: NO IDEA OF FERGIE'S ALLEGED DEAL
Britain's Prince Andrew Monday "categorically denied" knowing
anything about his ex-wife's alleged offer to sell access to him
after a British tabloid newspaper released what it says is a
video of her doing so.

BUSINESS
~~~~~~~~~~~
> GERMANY SET FOR DRASTIC $13B YEARLY CUTS
The German government is to begin a budget austerity programme
next year to comply with a "debt guillotine" written into the
German constitution.

> PARTY OVER FOR BEIJING'S GOOGLE SET
While all eyes of the tech world were on Google's annual
developer's conference in San Francisco last week, a recent
gathering of the intelligentsia in the world's largest Internet
market went unnoticed.

> U.S., CHINA TALKS FOCUS ON ECONOMY, NORTH KOREA
China and the United States kicked off two days of high-level
talks Monday -- with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
asking Beijing to support sanctions against North Korea, and
Chinese President Hu Jintao showing a willingness to reform the
yuan but offering no timetable.