International Headlines

Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2010 20:02:04 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0800 HKT -- 02 June, 2010

> ISRAEL RELEASES SOME ACTIVISTS AS AID CARGO ARRIVES IN GAZA
Israel begins releasing activists and aid seized during a deadly
raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla as Turkey's Prime Minister accuses
the country of a "bloody massacre."

> U.S. OPENS CRIMINAL OIL SPILL PROBE
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday that the Justice
Department has launched a criminal investigation into the
massive oil spill spreading through the Gulf of Mexico.

> ITALY: KNOX FACES SLANDER CHARGES
American Amanda Knox, serving a 26-year sentence in an Italian
prison for the 2007 murder of her British roommate, appeared in
court briefly Tuesday to face slander charges for claiming
Italian police beat her during an interrogation, said her
attorney, Luciano Ghirga.

> STORM CREATES GIANT GUATEMALA SINKHOLE
The death toll from Tropical Storm Agatha is growing, with 123
reported killed in Guatemala, 14 in Honduras and nine in El
Salvador.

> POLAND RELEASES PLANE CRASH TRANSCRIPT
Pilots were warned of potential danger at least eight times in
about 30 seconds before a Polish jet crashed in Russia in April,
killing President Lech Kaczynski and about 100 others.

> RARE PHOTO SHOWS MONROE WITH JFK, RFK
Marilyn Monroe's sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" sung for
President John F. Kennedy's 45th birthday celebration marked the
actress's last major public appearance before her mysterious
death in August 1962.

> ENGLAND AXE WALCOTT FROM CUP SQUAD
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is the surprise omission from
England coach Fabio Capello's World Cup squad but there is a
place for injury-threatened Gareth Barry.

> FEDERER HUMBLED AT FRENCH OPEN
Sweden's Robin Soderling ended world number one Roger Federer's
defense of his French Open crown after a rain-affected four-set
victory at Roland Garros.

BUSINESS

> INSIDE CHINA FACTORY HIT BY SUICIDES
More than 300,000 people sleep, eat and work at Foxconn's
factory complex in Shenzhen, building products for companies
including Apple, Dell and Sony. But a spate of suicides has
raised concerns about working conditions.

> CHINA BUBBLE RISK WORSE THAN U.S.?
The problems in China's housing market are more severe than the
US before the financial crisis because they combine a potential
bubble with the risk of social discontent, said an adviser to
the Chinese central bank.

> AIG, PRUDENTIAL FAIL TO AGREE ASIAN DEAL
American International Group on Tuesday rejected a revised
$30.4bn cash and shares offer from Prudential for its Asian life
insurance assets, dealing a major blow to the UK group's attempt
to clinch the take over of the unit.