PRESS DIGEST - Japan - May 21

Following are some of the leading stories in the Thursday morning editions of Japanese newspapers, as compiled by Kyodo news agency:

-- Sony Corp (6758.T) to halve the number of its parts suppliers to slash procurement costs by 500 billion yen (Nikkei)

-- Two high school students in Tokyo, Kawasaki who returned from New York found infected with new flu (Yomiuri)

-- Suicide rate among U.S. soldiers doubles from before Iraq war (Mainichi)