International Headlines

Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:02:07 -0400
>TOP STORIES as of 0800 HKT -- 12 June, 2010

> SOUTH AFRICA HELD AS WORLD CUP PARTY KICKS OFF
South Africa's Siphiwe Tshabalala scores the first goal of the
2010 World Cup, as the hosts are held to a 1-1 draw by Mexico in
the opening match of the tournament.

> ISRAEL TO OK INTERNATIONAL ROLE IN PROBE
Israeli officials said Friday they will accept international
participation in their investigation into the deadly boarding of
the Turkish flotilla ship destined for Gaza.

> THIRD HEADLESS BODY FOUND IN GUATEMALA
Authorities found a headless body in Guatemala on Friday, one
day after the discovery of four severed heads and two
decapitated corpses in different parts of the nation's capital,
officials said.

> BRITAIN'S CAMERON, OBAMA TO DISCUSS BP
British Prime Minister David Cameron will discuss BP when he
speaks by phone with U.S. President Barack Obama this weekend,
Cameron's office at Downing Street said Friday.

> OBAMA ATTACKED OVER BP COMMENTS
British media have leapt to the defense of beleaguered BP
following attacks by the White House over its handling of the
Gulf Coast disaster.

> $140M BILL SO FAR FOR OIL CLEANUP
A delegation of U.S. senators head to the heart of coastal
Louisiana Friday to assess the damage caused by the nearly
two-month-long BP oil disaster.

> VAN DER SLOOT CHARGED IN PERU MURDER
Joran van der Sloot told investigators during an interrogation
that he knows the location of Natalee Holloway's body, but he
would neither identify the location nor say what happened to her
the night of her disappearance, a Peruvian police official said.

> POPE ADDRESSES PRIEST ABUSE SCANDAL
Pope Benedict XVI said Friday the church must promise "to do
everything possible" to ensure that the sexual abuse of children
by Catholic priests "will never occur again."

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

> IS THERE A WORLD CUP ECONOMIC BOUNCE?
Does hosting the World Cup lead to long-term economic gains?
Depends where you look.

> CHINA EXPORT SURGE STIRS U.S. ANGER
A surge in Chinese exports and rising anger in the US Congress
will put renewed pressure on China to allow its currency to rise
against the US dollar.

> UK PM STEPS INTO FRAY TO DEFEND BP
David Cameron, the British prime minister, has leapt to BP's
defence, emphasising the "economic value" the oil company brings
to the UK and US, in a clear signal of British concerns over the
rhetoric about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.