Attempted North Korea missile launch fails: South Korean official

SEOUL (Reuters) - A North Korean missile launch attempt early on Tuesday morning appears to have failed, a South Korean military official told Reuters.

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Sept. 11 suspects' treatment a focus in Guantanamo hearing

FORT MEADE, Md. (Reuters) - A pre-trial hearing for five Sept. 11 suspects began on Monday at Guantanamo Bay, with prisoners' treatment expected to be a focus of the U.S. military court sessions.

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Verizon, unions agree to pay raises, new jobs to end strike

(Reuters) - An agreement between Verizon Communications Inc and unions potentially ending a nearly seven-week strike includes 1,400 new jobs and pay raises topping 10 percent, the company and unions representing about 40,000 workers said on Monday.

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Drowned baby picture captures week of tragedy in Mediterranean

ROME (Reuters) - A photograph of a drowned migrant baby in the arms of a German rescuer was distributed on Monday by a humanitarian organization aiming to persuade European authorities to ensure safe passage to migrants, after hundreds are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean last week.

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White House placed on partial security lockdown: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The north side of the White House was placed on a security lockdown on Monday because of a suspicious package, a Secret Service official said.

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Japan puts military on alert for possible North Korea missile launch

TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - Japan put its military on alert on Monday for a possible North Korean ballistic missile firing, while South Korea also said it had detected evidence of launch preparations, officials from Japan and South Korea said.

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Somalia sentences two to life in prison for February airline blast

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A Somali military court sentenced 10 people it said were behind a bomb blast that blew a hole in the fuselage of a plane bound for Djibouti in February, a senior government official said on Monday.

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Alibaba tells vendors to halt drug sales online, cites government rule change

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has told vendors on its Tmall website to stop selling medicine, saying a local regulator has issued an "urgent" directive halting drug sales via third-party platforms.

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Hopes and fears for jobs as Afghan cement factory reopens

JABAL SARAJ, Afghanistan (Reuters) - After a break of 20 years, Afghanistan's first cement factory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln.

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Judge criticized by Trump unseals documents in Trump University case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A judge, called a "hater" by Donald Trump for his handling of a lawsuit related to the businessman's Trump University real estate school, has unsealed documents related to the case.

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Philippine Congress proclaims Duterte winner of presidential election

MANILA (Reuters) - Rodrigo Duterte became the 16th president of the Philippines on Monday when a joint session of Congress declared him winner of a May 9 election, succeeding Benigno Aquino who steps down next month after six years in office.

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Fed's Bullard says global markets seem well-prepared for summer rate hike

SEOUL (Reuters) - St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard said on Monday global markets appear to be "well-prepared" for a summer interest rate hike from the Fed, although he did not specify a date for the policy move.

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Rubio warms to Trump, but won't be his vice president

WASHINGTON - Former U.S. Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio on Sunday ruled out becoming Donald Trump's vice presidential running mate, but said he'd be "honored" to play some kind of a role in helping him win the White House.

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Two people, including one suspect, dead in Houston shooting: police

(Reuters) - One suspect was dead and a second was wounded in a shooting in Houston, while another person was found dead in a vehicle, police said on Sunday.

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Between 700-900 migrants may have died at sea this week: NGOs

ROME (Reuters) - The busiest week of migrant crossings from Libya toward Italy this year may have led to the deaths of at least 700 migrants at sea this past week, Medecins San Frontieres and the UN Refugee agency said on Sunday.

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Data analysis from Paris raid on Google will take months, possibly years: prosecutor

PARIS (Reuters) - Analysis of data seized by investigators in last week's raid of Google's Paris headquarters could possibly take years, French financial prosecutor Eliane Houlette said on Sunday.

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Turkey's new prime minister wins vote of confidence in parliament

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim's government on Sunday won a vote of confidence in parliament as well as approval for his legislative program, parliament speaker Ismail Kahraman said.

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U.S.-led coalition troops assisting Kurds in new offensive: spokesman

HASSAN SHAMI, Iraq (Reuters) - Servicemen from the U.S.-led coalition are assisting Kurdish Peshmerga forces in a new offensive in Iraq that aims to retake a handful of villages from Islamic State east of their Mosul stronghold, a coalition spokesman said.

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Venezuela government, opposition hold talks in Dominican Republic: local media

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition leaders and top government officials have held talks in the Dominican Republic to lay the groundwork for a potential dialogue to defuse a political standoff and a deepening economic crisis, local media reported on Saturday.

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NBA's Thunder targeted by deceased McClendon's creditors

NEW YORK (Reuters) - This weekend, the Oklahoma City Thunder stands one game away from clinching a surprising spot in the NBA finals.

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Putin says Romania, Poland may now be in Russia's cross-hairs

ATHENS (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned Romania and Poland they could find themselves in the sights of Russian rockets because they are hosting elements of a U.S. missile shield that Moscow considers a threat to its security.

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Trump pulls out of debate showdown with Sanders

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Friday he would not debate Democrat Bernie Sanders ahead of California's June 7 primary.

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Yellen may help pave way for higher rates on Friday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen has struck a largely cautious tone since engineering the U.S. central bank's rate hike last December, saying she was not convinced inflation had taken firm enough hold to justify a second move and that she was worried a weak global economy put the United States at some risk.

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U.S. first-quarter economic growth revised up to 0.8 percent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. economic growth slowed in the first quarter although not as sharply as initially thought, amid a surge in spending on home building and a steady increase in inventory investment by businesses.

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G7 vows growth efforts as Japan's Abe warns of global 'crisis'

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - The Group of Seven industrial powers pledged on Friday to seek strong global growth, while papering over differences on currencies and stimulus policies and expressing concern over North Korea, Russia and maritime disputes involving China.

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Trump vows to undo Obama's climate agenda in appeal to oil sector

BISMARCK, N.D. (Reuters) - Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, promised on Thursday to roll back some of America's most ambitious environmental policies, actions that he said would revive the ailing U.S. oil and coal industries and bolster national security.

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Obama to make history, stirs debate with Hiroshima visit

HIROSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Barack Obama on Friday becomes the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, site of the world's first atomic bombing, a gesture Washington and Tokyo hope will showcase their alliance and breathe life into stalled efforts to abolish nuclear arms.

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U.S. sees first case of bacteria resistant to all antibiotics

(Reuters) - U.S. health officials on Thursday reported the first case in the country of a patient with an infection resistant to all known antibiotics, and expressed grave concern that the superbug could pose serious danger for routine infections if it spreads.

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Trump, Sanders explore staging unusual presidential debate

BISMARCK, N.D. (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders on Thursday explored staging an unconventional U.S. presidential debate that would sideline Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and create a television spectacle that could attract huge ratings.

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Viacom CEO Dauman seeks trial by end-Sept over Redstone trust

(Reuters) - Viacom Inc Chief Executive Officer Philippe Dauman has asked a Massachusetts court to expedite a legal challenge to his removal from a trust that will determine the entertainment company's future after controlling shareholder Sumner Redstone dies or is deemed incapacitated.

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Airport screening made 70,000 miss American Airlines flights this year

(Reuters) - Airport screening delays have caused more than 70,000 American Airlines customers and 40,000 checked bags to miss their flights this year, an executive for the airline told a U.S. congressional subcommittee on Thursday.

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Mississippi governor to join suit against Obama transgender policy

(Reuters) - Mississippi's Republican governor said on Thursday he planned to join a lawsuit by officials from 11 states to overturn an Obama administration directive that tells schools to let transgender students use bathrooms matching their gender identity.

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China says it followed rules in U.S. aircraft intercept

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday its aircraft followed the rules after two Chinese fighter jets carried out what the United States said was an "unsafe" intercept of a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.

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U.S. pending home sales jump to highest level since early 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes surged far more than expected in April to the highest level in more than a decade, another sign the economy has gained steam during the second quarter.

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U.S. jobless claims fall more than expected last week

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, moving back to near cycle lows as the labor markets

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Atomic bomb survivors to attend Hiroshima event for Obama visit

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - At least three atomic bomb survivors will attend an event in Hiroshima on Friday when President Barack Obama becomes the first incumbent U.S. leader to visit the site of the world's first atomic bombing, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

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Japan's Abe points to 2008 crisis as G7 leaders debate global risk

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Group of Seven leaders voiced concern about emerging economies on Thursday as their host, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, made a pointed comparison to the global financial crisis eight years ago.

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Oil prices top $50, Asian shares struggle on China worries

TOKYO (Reuters) - Brent crude oil rose above $50 a barrel for the first time in nearly seven months on Thursday but Asian shares struggled to gain traction, with worries about U.S. interest rates and China's slowing economy keeping many investors on the sidelines.

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Brent oil pushes above $50 for first time in nearly seven months

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent oil futures climbed above $50 a barrel on Thursday for the first time in nearly seven months, boosted after U.S. government figures showed a sharper-than-expected drawdown in crude stocks last week.

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Naming of new Taliban chief seen dimming Obama's hopes for Afghan peace talks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The selection of a hard-line cleric as the new Taliban chief on Wednesday all but dashes U.S. President Barack Obama's hopes for opening peace talks before he leaves office, one of his top foreign policy goals, current and former U.S. defense and intelligence officials said.

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State officials sue U.S. government over transgender bathroom policy

(Reuters) - Officials from 11 U.S. states sued the Obama administration on Wednesday, seeking to overturn a directive from the federal government that public schools should allow transgender students to use the bathroom matching their gender identity.

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Police ready for protests at Trump California rally after New Mexico chaos

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Police in Anaheim, California, braced for protests at a Donald Trump rally on Wednesday, a day after violence broke out at an event for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in New Mexico.

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Japan PM protests Okinawa crime to Obama, who promises cooperation

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe protested to U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday about the killing of a young woman in Okinawa which has reignited resentment of the heavy U.S. military presence on the southern Japanese island.

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Clinton did not comply with policy on email records: reports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton did not comply with State Department policies on records in her use of private email while U.S. secretary of state and she declined to be interviewed for the inspector general's investigation, U.S. media outlets reported on Wednesday.

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Japan PM protests against Okinawa incident at summit with Obama

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday he lodged a stern protest with U.S. President Barack Obama following the arrest last week of a U.S. base worker in connection with the death of a Japanese woman in Okinawa, southern Japan.

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Tech billionaire Thiel backing wrestler Hogan's Gawker lawsuit: Forbes

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Peter Thiel is helping wrestler Hulk Hogan bankroll his lawsuit against Gawker Media, according to a report in Forbes.

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Afghan Taliban appoint new leader after Mansour's death

KABUL/PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - The Afghan Taliban named one of former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour's deputies to succeed him on Wednesday, after confirming Mansour's death in a U.S. drone strike at the weekend.

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Clinton knocks Trump for cheering housing bubble burst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton, seeking to dampen Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's growing appeal with working-class voters, on Tuesday accused him of having cheered on the 2008 housing market crash.

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Vietnamese dissident a reluctant tourist during Obama visit

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnamese dissident Nguyen Quang A spent much of Tuesday as a tourist with plainclothes cops - eating fish noodle soup, visiting a temple and a fortune teller – returning home just as President Barack Obama took off from Hanoi aboard Air Force One.

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Ten killed in suicide attack near Afghan capital

KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide attack on a bus carrying staff from an appeal court killed 10 people and wounded four on Wednesday west of the Afghan capital, Kabul, an interior ministry spokesman said.

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HP Enterprise to merge IT services unit with Computer Sciences

(Reuters) - Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co said it would spin off and merge its struggling IT services business with Computer Sciences Corp , allowing the company to focus on its cloud services business and other fast-growing units.

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DoubleLine's Gundlach says U.S. stock market is 'dead money'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jeffrey Gundlach, the chief executive officer of DoubleLine Capital, said on Tuesday that the rally in U.S. stocks, which began on Monday, feels like a short squeeze and characterized U.S. stocks as "dead money."

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Toyota, Uber latest to join forces in ride-sharing rush

San Francisco (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp and Uber said on Tuesday they would partner to explore ridesharing, including an investment by the Japanese automaker in the on-demand ride company, the latest in a wave of high-profile partnerships between carmakers and ride-sharing services.

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Monsanto to reject Bayer bid, seek higher price: sources

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Monsanto Co , the world's largest seed company, will reject Bayer AG's $62 billion acquisition bid and seek a higher price, two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

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Obama prods Vietnam on rights after activists stopped from meeting him

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama chided Vietnam on political freedoms on Tuesday after critics of the communist-run government were prevented from meeting him in Hanoi, a discordant note on a trip otherwise steeped in words of amity between the former foes.

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French investigators raid Google's Paris HQ over tax case: source

PARIS (Reuters) - French investigators raided Google's Paris headquarters on Tuesday as part of a probe over tax payments, a source close to the finance ministry told Reuters.

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Iraq forces shell Falluja for second day; U.N. concerned for civilians

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces shelled Islamic State targets in Falluja on Tuesday, the second day of an assault to retake the militant stronghold just west of Baghdad.

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EgyptAir remains point to blast, no explosives traces so far: forensics

CAIRO (Reuters) - Human remains retrieved from the crashed EgyptAir flight suggest that there was an explosion on board the plane, although no traces of explosives have been detected, an Egyptian forensics official and investigation sources said on Tuesday.

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Head of security for TSA removed from post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of security for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has been removed from his position, according to an internal TSA memo on Monday seen by Reuters, after the agency was criticized for long lines at airport security checkpoints.

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Democrats, seeking unity, give Sanders say in party platform

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Democratic Party said on Monday it would give U.S. presidential contender Bernie Sanders a prominent say in writing its platform this year, a gesture that could ease tensions between Sanders' camp and party leaders, whom Sanders has accused of favoring rival Hillary Clinton.

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North Korean envoy rejects Trump overture to meet leader

GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a "kind of propaganda or advertisement" in his election race, a senior North Korean official said on Monday.

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Baltimore police officer acquitted in Freddie Gray death

BALTIMORE (Reuters) - Baltimore police officer Edward Nero was acquitted on Monday of all charges in the 2015 death of black detainee Freddie Gray, the second setback for prosecutors in a case that triggered rioting and fueled the Black Lives Matter movement.

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Shake-up in Israeli politics prompts 'seeds of fascism' warning

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A military affairs commentator interrupts his broadcast to deliver a monologue: I'm alarmed by what's happening in Israel, he says, I think my children should leave.

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Blasts kill more than 100 in Syrian government coastal heartland: monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Bomb blasts killed more than 100 people in the Syrian coastal cities of Jableh and Tartous on Monday, monitors said, in a government-controlled area that host Russian forces.

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Bayer announces $62 billion cash offer for Monsanto

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German drugs and chemicals group Bayer AG said it had made an offer to buy U.S. seeds company Monsanto Co for $122 per share in cash, or a total value of $62 billion including debt, to create the world's biggest agricultural supplier.

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Exclusive: Tribune Publishing to reject Gannett offer, will share info - sources

(Reuters) - Tribune Publishing Co has decided to reject Gannett Co Inc's latest $864 million takeover proposal, but will agree to share confidential information with the U.S. newspaper company, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

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Oil prices dip on strong dollar, firm global supplies

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped in Asian trade on Monday, hit by a strong dollar and signs that global crude supply is holding up even as unplanned outages rise to at least a five-year high.

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Japan April exports suffer biggest drop in three months, bode ill for growth

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's exports fell in April at the fastest pace in three months as a stronger yen and weakness in China and other emerging markets take their toll on the country's shipments, boding ill for growth prospects for the current quarter.

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Erdogan ally takes over as Turkish PM, vowing stronger presidency

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan confirmed Binali Yildirim, a close ally for two decades and a co-founder of the ruling AK Party, as his new prime minister on Sunday, taking a big step toward the stronger presidential powers he has long sought.

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Egypt's Sisi says crash investigation will take time

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Sunday that an investigation into the cause of an EgyptAir plane crash could take a long time but the facts would be made public as soon as they were available.

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Obama, bound for Vietnam, seeks to turn old foe into new partner

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday headed for his first visit to Vietnam, a trip aimed at sealing the transformation of an old enemy into a new partner to help counter China’s growing assertiveness in the region.

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Islamic State calls for attacks on the West during Ramadan in audio message

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A new message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State calls on followers to launch attacks on the United States and Europe during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins in early June.

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U.S. air strike targets Afghan Taliban leader Mansour: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military carried out an air strike on Saturday targeting Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a remote area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, the Pentagon said.

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Viacom says its board has not had access to Redstone

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viacom Inc said on Saturday its board members have been unable to meet with controlling shareholder Sumner Redstone because his daughter Shari is blocking access to the media mogul.

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UK 'Remain' camp gains ground in EU poll, bookmakers lengthen Brexit odds

LONDON (Reuters) - The campaign to keep Britain in the European Union extended its lead over the "Out" campaign in an opinion poll published on Saturday, while two major bookmakers offered the shortest odds to date on a vote to remain.

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Trump rallies gun owners with fiery anti-Clinton speech

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump assured gun owners on Friday he would protect their constitutional right to bear arms and eliminate gun-free zones if elected, accusing Democrat Hillary Clinton of wanting to weaken gun rights.

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G7 united against Brexit but can only hope for an 'In' vote

SENDAI, Japan (Reuters) - Finance leaders of the Group of Seven industrial powers united over the weekend in wishing that Britain stays in the European Union, but acknowledged they could do little more than hope.

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Sumner Redstone removes Viacom CEO and board member from trust

(Reuters) - Media mogul Sumner Redstone has removed Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and Viacom board member George Abrams from the seven-person trust that will determine the fate of both Viacom and CBS in the event of his incapacitation or death, two people familiar with the situation told Reuters Friday.

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Secret Service shoots gun-wielding man near White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Secret Service agent shot a man who brandished a gun near the White House on Friday while President Barack Obama was out golfing, and the man was taken to a hospital in critical condition, officials said.

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New U.S. food label rules to require added sugars to be detailed

(Reuters) - The United States plans a major overhaul of the way packaged foods are labeled, the Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday. Serving sizes will be adjusted to reflect how much people actually eat, and for the first time labels will list added sugars.

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Egypt finds human remains and belongings from plane crash at sea

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt said on Friday that its navy had found human remains, wreckage and the personal belongings of passengers floating in the Mediterranean, confirmation that an EgyptAir jet had plunged into the sea with 66 people on board.

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Security forces fire on protesters in Baghdad's Green Zone

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Security forces fired tear gas and live bullets on Friday at protesters who stormed into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, according to a Reuters witness and live video.

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CDC says 157 pregnant women in U.S. test positive for Zika

(Reuters) - Some 157 pregnant women in the United States and another 122 in U.S. territories have tested positive for infection with the Zika virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.

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Russia proposes joint Syria airstrikes with U.S.-led coalition from May 25

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has proposed to the U.S.-led coalition that they stage joint airstrikes on Syrian rebels including Nusra Front who are not observing the ceasefire, starting on May 25, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday.

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Russian athletes likely to have tested positive for doping at Beijing Olympics: agency

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Some Russian athletes are likely to have tested positive for doping in the 2008 Olympic Games after their samples were re-examined, the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko as saying on Friday.

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Lawmakers vote down LGBT rights measure

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Shouts of "Shame, shame, shame," erupted in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday as Republican lawmakers narrowly defeated legislation to protect the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees of government contractors.

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Billionaire Steven Cohen wins dismissal of ex-wife's fraud case

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Steven A. Cohen on Thursday won the dismissal of a long-running lawsuit in which his former wife accused him of cheating her out of millions of dollars in their 1990 divorce.

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San Francisco police chief resigns under pressure after officer shooting

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - San Francisco's embattled police chief, Greg Suhr, resigned under pressure from the city's mayor on Thursday, just hours after an officer fatally shot a black woman, as the mayor indicated he had lost confidence in the chief

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Trump's Supreme Court list: all conservative, some provocative

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - William Pryor, in urging the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003 to uphold a Texas law banning gay sex, argued against the notion that the U.S. Constitution should safeguard a person's choice of partners.

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Clinton calls Trump too unsteady to be president

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton pivoted to a general election match-up against Republican candidate Donald Trump on Thursday, saying he is dangerously unpredictable and not qualified to be president.

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House panel delivers Puerto Rico crisis bill, debt looms

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers on Thursday began coalescing around revised bipartisan legislation to help address Puerto Rico's unpayable debt burden that now threatens a full-blown humanitarian crisis.

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Ex-Dean Foods chairman, gambler charged for insider trading; Mickelson settles

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Thursday charged a former chairman of Dean Foods Co and a professional Las Vegas gambler with engaging in an insider trading scheme that netted over $40 million and included a tip that benefited professional golfer Phil Mickelson.

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Golfer Mickelson says returning Dean Foods trading gains

(Reuters) - Professional golfer Phil Mickelson said on Thursday he has agreed to return gains he made in 2012 from trading in Dean Foods Co stock and said he felt "vindicated" that U.S. authorities have not charged him with violating securities laws.

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Drop in U.S. jobless claims boosts hopes of economic rebound

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment aid fell from a 14-month high last week, the latest sign that the economy was regaining speed after stumbling in the first quarter.

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Wal-Mart profit beats expectations; stock jumps

(Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc on Thursday reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as sales in the U.S. market rose, an improvement the retailer attributed in part to its increasing wages, and its shares jumped nearly 8 percent.

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Trump identifies 11 potential Supreme Court nominees

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Presumptive Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday unveiled the names of 11 judges - eight men and three women, all white and all conservative - he would consider, if elected, to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.

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Democrats chide Sanders after Nevada mutiny

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Infighting dogged the Democrats on Wednesday as Bernie Sanders' campaign accused party leaders of bias against him and many Democrats urged Sanders to keep his supporters in check.

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Chinese jets intercept U.S. military plane over South China Sea: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Chinese fighter jets carried out an "unsafe" intercept of a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, a further escalation of tensions in and around the contested waterway.

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Five banks sued in U.S. for rigging $9 trillion agency bond market

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Five major banks and four traders were sued on Wednesday in a private U.S. lawsuit claiming they conspired to rig prices worldwide in a more than $9 trillion market for bonds issued by government-linked organizations and agencies.

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Gun used to kill Trayvon Martin auctioned; is bid real?

(Reuters) - Online bidding for the gun used by George Zimmerman to kill unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012 ended on Wednesday, though it was not clear whether the final offer of $138,900 was legitimate.

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Android's 'n-word' poll sparks online jeers

(Reuters) - Google's Android ran afoul of social media users on Wednesday after encouraging people to nominate a word starting with the letter "N" for the latest version of its mobile operating platform.

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Fed signals interest rate hike firmly on the table for June

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates in June if economic data points to stronger second-quarter growth as well as firming inflation and

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Police kill man with knife in bustling New York theater district

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A knife-wielding man who fought with police was fatally shot at the height of the morning rush hour on Wednesday on a street in New York's bustling Broadway theater district, police said.

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Suzuki says it used wrong fuel economy tests in Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) - Suzuki Motor Corp used the wrong methods to test the fuel economy of its cars in Japan, it said on Wednesday, widening a testing scandal that has already rocked smaller rival Mitsubishi Motors Corp .

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Exclusive: Trump would talk to North Korea's Kim, wants to renegotiate climate accord

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is willing to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program, proposing a major shift in U.S. policy toward the isolated nation.

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South Carolina bans abortion after 19 weeks

CHARLESTON, SC (Reuters) - The South Carolina legislature on Tuesday passed a bill banning most abortions after 19 weeks of pregnancy unless the mother's life was at risk, making it the 17th U.S. state to approve such a ban.

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Special report: As oil boom goes bust, Oklahoma protects drillers and squeezes schools

NEWCASTLE, Okla. (Reuters) - After intense lobbying, Oklahoma’s oilmen scored a victory two years ago. State lawmakers voted to keep in place some of the lowest taxes on oil and gas production in the United States - a break worth $470 million in fiscal year 2015 alone.

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Novartis splits drugs business into two, pharma chief to leave

ZURICH/LONDON (Reuters) - Novartis is splitting its pharmaceuticals division into two business units, one focused on cancer and the second on other drugs, while switching out its current pharma head in the second high-profile management reshuffle this year.

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Senate passes bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that would allow families of Sept. 11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia's government for damages, setting up a potential showdown with the White House, which has threatened a veto.

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New police force finds old habits die hard in Ukraine

KIEV (Reuters) - The launch of Ukraine's new police patrol force last year sparked an internet craze of citizens posting selfies with newly recruited officers.

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Pessimism pervades Syria talks aimed at salvaging peace process

VIENNA/AMMAN (Reuters) - Major powers sought at talks on Tuesday to reimpose a ceasefire in Syria and ensure aid reaches besieged areas, with Moscow and Washington deeply divided over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad and violence rumbling around the country.

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Clinton faces pressure for win in Oregon and Kentucky contests

WASHINGTON, 2016 - Hillary Clinton is under pressure to do well in Democratic nominating contests in Kentucky and Oregon on Tuesday so she can turn her attention to the general election and the mounting attacks on her being waged by Republican candidate Donald Trump.

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Oil rally suggests supply worries wane, but for how long?

(Reuters) - A rally in U.S. crude oil prices recently has put the market on its firmest footing since the rout started in 2014, with the spread between prices for near-term delivery and future delivery narrowing, suggesting the worst of the supply glut may be over.

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Germany's Steinmeier says Syria talks to focus on truce, aid

VIENNA (Reuters) - Major power talks on Syria aim to restore a truce across the country and get aid into besieged areas to encourage opposition groups to return to negotiations in Geneva, Germany's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

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Donald Trump to meet with Henry Kissinger: Washington Post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing three people close to Trump.

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Sumner Redstone has power to remove Viacom CEO from his trust

(Reuters) - Sumner Redstone has the power to remove Viacom Inc Chief Executive Philippe Dauman, but not his daughter Shari, from the trust that will control his $40 billion media empire after his incapacitation or death, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

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Supreme Court dodges major decision on Obamacare birth control

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The ideologically deadlocked Supreme Court on Monday failed to resolve a major case involving the Obamacare law's mandatory birth control coverage, telling lower courts to reconsider the matter after tossing out their rulings favoring President Barack Obama.

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Oil futures hold near six-month highs as supply concerns dominate

TOKYO (Reuters) - Crude oil futures held near six-month highs in early Asian trading as the market focused on supply disruptions that prompted long-time bear Goldman Sachs to issue a bullish assessment on near-term prices.

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Cuba and United States draw up roadmap for talks to deepen detente

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba and the United States aim to reach new agreements on cooperation in law enforcement, health and agriculture over the coming months, a senior Cuban official said on Monday, as part of the former Cold War foes' drive to normalize ties.

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Zimmerman to try again to sell gun used to kill teenager Martin

(Reuters) - George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot and killed the unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012, will try again this week to sell the handgun he had used in the incident, after an earlier online auction was hijacked by fake buyers.

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Anger, fear sweeps Turkish border town under attack from Islamic State

KILIS, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish shopkeeper Mehmet Baykal knew he had less than 10 seconds to dive under his desk when he heard another rocket being fired from Islamic State-held territory across the border in Syria.

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Oil hits six-month highs on supply outages, Goldman forecast

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices hit six-month highs on Monday on worries about supply outages in Nigeria and Venezuela and as long-time bear Goldman Sachs sounded more positive on the market, although a stockpile build at the U.S. storage hub for crude futures pared gains.

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Buffett's Berkshire invested $1 billion in Apple

(Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc on Monday revealed a new stake in Apple Inc , in a bet that the stock's price could rebound after iPhone sales fell for the first time.

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China needs the private sector to step up

BEIJING (Reuters) - Xia Xiaokang and Bruno Chen, who both run private-sector companies, are the sort of businessmen that Chinese leaders are increasingly concerned about as economic growth slows.

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Pfizer to buy Anacor Pharma in $5.2 billion deal

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc will buy Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc in a deal valued at $5.2 billion, net of cash, for access to Anacor's non-steroidal topical gel to treat eczema.

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Apple's Cook visits Beijing after China woes, Didi deal

BEIJING (Reuters) - Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook visited Beijing on Monday, days after announcing a $1 billion deal with ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing, and as the U.S. firm tries to reinvigorate sales in China, its second-largest market after the United States.

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Donald Trump says unlikely to have a good relationship with British PM Cameron

LONDON (Reuters) - Donald Trump said that if he wins power in the U.S. presidential election he is unlikely to have a good relationship with David Cameron because of the British prime minister's criticism of him.

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Trump aide dismisses audio tape as Democrats raise character issue

WASHINGTON, 2016 - A top aide to Donald Trump said on Sunday he did not believe the Republican presidential front-runner posed as his own spokesman to brag about his personal life, a controversy that came as Democrats sharpen their attacks on the billionaire's character.

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Facebook's Zuckerberg to meet conservatives on political bias flap

(Reuters) - Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg will meet this week with prominent conservatives in the media, a spokesman said on Sunday, to address allegations of political bias at the popular social networking site.

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Suspect explosive device at Manchester United stadium 'not viable:' police

LONDON (Reuters) - A suspect package which was subject to a controlled explosion at soccer club Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium on Sunday was an "incredibly lifelike explosive device" which was found not to be viable, police said.

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Google faces record 3 billion euro EU antitrust fine: Telegraph

LONDON (Reuters) - Google faces a record antitrust fine of around 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) from the European Commission in the coming weeks, British newspaper The Sunday Telegraph said.

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Kerry meets Saudi king to discuss Syria before Vienna talks

JEDDAH (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi Arabia's King Salman in Jeddah on Sunday to discuss the fragile truce in Syria, before broader talks with Russia, Iran and other countries in Vienna on Tuesday.

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Trump has a history of questionable behavior with women: NY Times

(Reuters) - Interviews with dozens of women who have worked for Donald Trump or interacted with him socially reveal a pattern of often unsettling personal behavior by the Republican presidential candidate, The New York Times reported on Saturday.

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Beijing blasts Pentagon report on Chinese military as damaging trust

BEIJING (Reuters) - China condemned the U.S. Defense Department's annual report on the Chinese military on Sunday, calling it deliberate distortion that has "severely damaged" mutual trust.

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Can Buffett-backed bid unlock Yahoo growth where others failed?

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Warren Buffett struck media gold with a 2012 investment in debt-laden Media General Inc. Now the famed investor may try to reprise that success by supporting a bid for Yahoo Inc's Internet assets.

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Syrian forces retake Deir al-Zor hospital after 'major' Islamic State offensive

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces retook a hospital in Deir al-Zor after Islamic State attacked it on Saturday following a dawn offensive by the militants on the besieged eastern Syrian city, a war monitor and state media said.

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UK's Cameron struggles to make Britons believe his EU message: poll

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron is struggling to convince voters he is telling the truth about why Britain should stay in the European Union and his main "Out" rival Boris Johnson is doing a better job, an opinion poll found.

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Venezuela president declares emergency, cites U.S., domestic 'threats'

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared a 60-day state of emergency on Friday due to what he called plots from within the OPEC country and the United States to topple his leftist government.

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German government plans to spend 93.6 billion euros on refugees by end 2020: Spiegel

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's government expects to spend around 93.6 billion euros by the end of 2020 on costs related to the refugee crisis, a magazine said on Saturday, citing a draft from the federal finance ministry for negotiations with the country's 16 states.

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Hezbollah blames insurgent shelling for death of top commander in Syria

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim militant group Hezbollah said on Saturday its top military commander Mustafa Badreddine was killed by artillery shells fired by insurgents near Syria's Damascus airport.

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U.S. sees China boosting military presence after island-building spree

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China is expected to add substantial military infrastructure, including surveillance systems, to artificial islands in the South China Sea this year, giving it long-term "civil-military bases" in the contested waters, the Pentagon said on Friday.

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Air Force general becomes first woman to lead combatant command

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Air Force General Lori Robinson took charge of the U.S. military’s Northern Command on Friday, becoming the first woman to head a U.S. combatant command.

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Russia will act to neutralize U.S. missile shield threat: Putin

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - A ballistic missile defense shield which the United States has activated in Europe is a step to a new arms race, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, vowing to adjust budget spending to neutralize "emerging threats" to Russia.

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Bids soar for gun used to kill Trayvon Martin, with some likely bogus

(Reuters) - +Bidding in an online auction for the pistol George Zimmerman used in the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin topped $65 million on Friday, though the amount appeared to be inflated by fake buyers with names such as "Racist McShootFace."

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Trump says his tax rate is 'None of your business'

WASHINGTON - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pushed back on Friday against renewed calls for him to release his tax returns before the election, saying the rate that he pays is "none of your business."

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U.S. April retail sales post largest gain in a year

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales in April recorded their biggest increase in a year as Americans stepped up purchases of automobiles and a range of other goods,

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Top Hezbollah commander killed in Syria

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Top Hezbollah commander Mustafa Badreddine has been killed in an attack in Syria, the Lebanese Shi'ite group said on Friday, the biggest blow to the Iranian-backed organization since its military chief was killed in 2008.

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Asia shares slip, yen weak on stimulus expectations

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares got off on the back foot on Friday, while the yen nursed losses as traders wagered the Bank of Japan will add to its massive stimulus before too long.

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Apple invests $1 billion in Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing

(Reuters) - Apple Inc said on Thursday it has invested $1 billion in Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing, a move that Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said would help the company better understand the critical Chinese market.

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SWIFT says second bank hit by malware attack

(Reuters) - SWIFT, the global financial messaging network that banks use to move billions of dollars every day, warned on Thursday of a second malware attack similar to the one that led to February's $81 million cyber heist at the Bangladesh central bank.

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U.S. to issue decree on transgender access to school restrooms: NYT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is planning to issue a sweeping decree telling every public school district in the country to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

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Republicans win Obamacare legal challenge, add to insurer concerns

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday handed a victory to congressional Republicans who challenged President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, ruling that his administration overstepped its constitutional powers relating to government spending.

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U.S. Navy fires commander of sailors held by Iran

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said on Thursday it has fired the commander of the 10 American sailors who wandered into Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf in January and were briefly captured by Iran.

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Exclusive: U.S. plans new wave of immigrant deportation raids

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. immigration officials are planning a month-long series of raids in May and June to deport hundreds of Central American mothers and children found to have entered the country illegally, according to sources and an internal document seen by Reuters.

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U.S. jobless claims rise to more than one-year high

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, touching the highest level in more than a year, which could raise concerns about labor market health in the wake of the slowdown in job gains in April.

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Trump, Ryan to meet in search for Republican unity

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will hold an unusual tete-a-tete on Thursday with Paul Ryan, the country's top elected Republican, to see if they can begin healing fissures in the party created by Trump's insurgent candidacy.

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Suicide attacks kill two west of Baghdad following bloody day

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers attacked a police station west of Baghdad on Thursday, leaving two security personnel dead and eight others wounded, police and medics said.

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Trump draws even with Clinton in national White House poll

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump pulled even with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Wednesday, in a dramatic early sign that the Nov. 8 presidential election might be more hotly contested than first thought.

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Gingrich doesn't rule out Trump VP role

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican veteran Newt Gingrich did not rule out on Wednesday the possibility that he could be persuaded to serve as presumptive nominee Donald Trump's vice presidential running mate, but said Trump has plenty of other talent to consider.

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House passes bill to aid children born into opioid dependency

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed legislation to improve safety planning for children who are born dependent on opioid drugs. 

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U.S. House blocks Google-hosted apps, Yahoo Mail over security fears

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives' information technology team has blocked the congressional chamber from accessing software applications hosted on a Google cloud service in an attempt to prevent possible hacking campaigns against lawmakers and their staff, according to two congressional sources.

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Accused Planned Parenthood clinic gunman ruled mentally incompetent

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) - The man accused of killing three people and wounding nine others in a shooting rampage last year at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado was declared incompetent to stand trial at a court hearing on his mental state on Wednesday.

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Quietly, Vietnam hosts arms gathering attended by U.S. companies

HANOI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vietnam hosts a defense symposium this week attended by top American arms manufacturers, ahead of a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama and as Washington weighs whether to lift an arms embargo on its former enemy.

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Temporary housing first step as wildfire-ravaged Fort McMurray recovers

FORT MCMURRAY/LAC LA BICHE, Alberta (Reuters) - Reconstructing Fort McMurray will be easier than first feared since much of the city’s critical infrastructure remains intact but the once booming oil town will be smaller than before, according to its mayor.

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Exclusive: Security bug SAP patched years ago draws U.S. government alert

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Europe’s biggest software company, SAP , is the subject of a U.S. security alert over a vulnerability the firm disabled six years ago that can still give outside attackers remote control over older SAP systems if the software is not properly patched.

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Two more car bombs in Baghdad kill 22, sources say

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two car bombs targeting civilians in separate Baghdad neighborhoods killed at least 22 people on Wednesday, police source said, following a blast in Sadr City that left at least 52 people dead.

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Dollar dips from two-week high, stocks in the red

LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar fell on Wednesday, succumbing to a bout of profit-taking after hitting a two-week high the previous day, while European stocks also put a positive start to the week behind them to trade in the red.

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Mitsubishi Motors says improper data may have been used for more models

TOKYO (Reuters) - Mitsubishi Motors Corp said on Wednesday that improper data for mileage calculations might have been used for other models in addition to those it has already disclosed.

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Brazil Senate set to vote on Rousseff impeachment

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Senate will vote on Wednesday on whether to put President Dilma Rousseff on trial for breaking budget rules, amid expectations she will become the country's first leader in more than two decades to be removed from office.

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Medical records search warrant carried out in Prince case

(Reuters) - A search warrant affidavit obtained by the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday revealed that a doctor who saw the late pop star Prince twice just weeks before his death and was at the musician's home when Prince's body was found had prescribed him medication.

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Suspect shot after four stabbed at Massachusetts mall, home

(Reuters) - Two people were stabbed at a shopping mall outside Boston on Tuesday evening by an assailant who crashed a car into the front of a store after two other people were stabbed at a nearby residence, state police said.

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Brazil's Rousseff makes final survival bid as Senate poised to oust her

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff took her battle to survive impeachment to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, in a last-ditch attempt to stay in office a day before the Senate will likely vote to try her for breaking budget laws.

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U.S. will not seek death penalty against Benghazi attack suspect

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in the case against Abu Khatallah, the man charged in the 2012 attacks on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

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China scrambles fighters as U.S. sails warship near Chinese-claimed reef

BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) - China scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday as a U.S. navy ship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea, a patrol China denounced as an illegal threat to peace which only went to show its defense installations in the area were necessary.

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Exclusive: Say goodbye to OPEC, powerful Putin pal predicts

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Internal differences are killing OPEC and its ability to influence the markets has all but evaporated, top Russian oil executive Igor Sechin told Reuters in some of his harshest remarks ever about the oil cartel.

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Obama to visit Hiroshima, won't apologize for World War Two bombing

WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - Barack Obama will become the first U.S. president to visit Hiroshima in Japan later this month, but he will not apologize for the United States' dropping of an atomic bomb on the city at the end of World War Two, the White House said on Tuesday.

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Clinton and Sanders face off in West Virginia as Trump looks on

(Reuters) - Bernie Sanders has another chance on Tuesday to slow Hillary Clinton's march to the Democratic presidential nomination as West Virginians vote in their state's primary, a week after Donald Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee.

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Man knifes rail passengers at Munich train station, one killed, three injured

MUNICH (Reuters) - A man knifed passengers at a train station in the Munich area early on Tuesday, killing one man and injuring three, media reported, and police said they were investigating whether there was an Islamist motive to the attack.

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Lawsuit accuses Flint mayor of trying to redirect water crisis donors to campaign fund

(Reuters) - A former administrator in Flint, Michigan, charged in a federal lawsuit on Monday that she was fired for seeking a probe into allegations the mayor tried to redirect donations to her personal campaign fund from a charity meant to help families hurt by the city's water crisis.

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London's mayor an exception to proposed ban on Muslims: Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States, suggested on Monday he would make an exception for London's newly elected Muslim mayor, the New York Times reported.

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Aleppo fighting rages as U.S. and Russia try to revive Syria truce

BEIRUT/PARIS (Reuters) - Syrian government forces and their allies fought insurgents near Aleppo on Monday and jets carried out raids around a nearby town seized by Islamist rebels, a monitoring group said, despite international efforts to reduce the violence.

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Alberta officials to tour town ravaged by Canadian wildfire

LAC LA BICHE, Alberta (Reuters) - Canadian officials on Monday were hoping to take their first look at the town ravaged by the nation's most destructive wildfire in recent memory as firefighters hoped cooler, possibly rainy weather would help them battle the blaze.

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Trump seeks to clarify remarks about taxes on wealthy Americans

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sought to clarify his remarks on raising taxes on Monday, saying he would not raise taxes on wealthy Americans but in any negotiations with Democrats in Congress, this group would most likely pay a higher rate than the one he has proposed.

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North Korea leader Kim says will not use nuclear arms unless threatened: KCNA

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country will not use nuclear weapons unless its sovereignty is infringed on by others with nuclear arms and it is willing to normalize ties with states that had been hostile towards it, state media reported on Sunday.

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'This is not a reality show,' Obama tells Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama warned on Friday that occupying the Oval Office "is not a reality show," in a swipe at outspoken Republican candidate Donald Trump who is vying to replace him in the White House.

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Mexican drug boss 'Chapo' moved to jail on U.S. border

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican drug boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was moved on Saturday from a jail in central Mexico to a prison in Ciudad Juarez, a northern city on the U.S. border, in a move that appears to bring him closer to extradition to the United States.

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Evacuees begin exodus through fire-ravaged Fort McMurray

CONKLIN/LAC LA BICHE (Reuters) - Exhausted evacuees stranded north of the fire-ravaged Canadian oil town of Fort McMurray sped through the only route out on Friday, escorted by police, after the out-of-control blaze destroyed entire neighborhoods and forced 88,000 to flee.

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U.S. employment gains hit seven-month low, labor force shrinks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy added the fewest number of jobs in seven months in April and Americans dropped out of the labor force in droves, signs of weakness that cast doubts on whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates before the end of the year.

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Exclusive: Top reason Americans will vote for Trump: 'To stop Clinton' - poll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. presidential election may turn out to be one of the world's biggest un-popularity contests.

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FBI likely to interview Clinton soon in emails probe: CNN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation is likely to interview Hillary Clinton in the next few weeks about her use of a private email server while she was U.S. secretary of state and have already interviewed some of her aides, CNN reported on Thursday.

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U.S. regulators ban e-cigarette, cigar sales to minors

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday banned sales of e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco to people under age 18, in line with cigarette rules, a move aimed at preventing a new generation from becoming addicted to nicotine.

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Truce takes hold in Aleppo but fighting goes on elsewhere in Syria

AMMAN (Reuters) - A cessation of hostilities agreement brokered by Russia and the United States brought a measure of relief to the battered Syrian city of Aleppo on Thursday but President Bashar al-Assad said he still sought a total, crushing victory over rebel forces.

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U.S. jobless claims rise; planned layoffs surge

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, posting the biggest gain in more than a year, but the underlying trend continued to point to a strengthening labor market.

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Abortion provider Planned Parenthood sues Kansas over plan to cut funding

(Reuters) - Planned Parenthood, a U.S. women's healthcare and abortion provider, has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Kansas over a plan to strip it of government healthcare funding, court records showed.

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Alibaba's revenue rises 39 percent as more shoppers buy online

(Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, China's biggest e-commerce company, said fourth-quarter revenue rose 39 percent, helped by growth in gross merchandise volume.

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U.S. judge says Clinton may have to testify in email lawsuit

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge in Washington on Wednesday ordered that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton may have to testify in a lawsuit related to the private email server she used while secretary of state.

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North Carolina transgender law violates civil rights law: U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Department of Justice told North Carolina's governor on Wednesday that a new state law limiting restroom access for transgender people violates the U.S. Civil Rights Act.

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U.S., Takata confirm recall of 35 million-40 million Takata air bag inflators

(Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department and Takata Corp confirmed on Wednesday that automakers will recall another 35 million to 40 million U.S. air bag inflators assembled by the Japanese manufacturer by 2019.

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Brazil Senate report recommends Rousseff impeachment trial

BRASILIA (Reuters) - The senator charged with studying President Rousseff's impeachment recommended on Wednesday that she be put on trial for breaking budget laws, bringing the embattled leftist leader one step closer to suspension from office.

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Two Tesla production chiefs to leave: Bloomberg

(Reuters) - Two top manufacturing executives are leaving Tesla Motors Inc at a time when the electric-car maker is working to launch its first mass-market car, the Model 3, Bloomberg reported.

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EU proposes scheme to share out asylum seekers

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission proposed a system to distribute asylum seekers across the EU on Wednesday that aims to ease the load on states like Greece and Italy but drew immediate condemnation from governments in Eastern Europe.

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Dozens killed in Aleppo battle

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Dozens of people were killed in a day-long battle between Syrian rebels and government forces in western Aleppo that was still going on intermittently on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and combatant sources on both sides said.

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Islamic State seeks news blackout in Mosul as Iraqi army nears

MAKHMOUR, Iraq (Reuters) - For Iraqis living in the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, news is dwindling about the U.S.-backed army massing to the south for an assault on the city that could begin this year.

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Obama visits Flint as questions linger on EPA role in water crisis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday will visit Flint, Michigan, a city struggling with the effects of lead-poisoned drinking water, as questions linger over whether his environmental regulators could have acted more urgently to address the crisis.

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How 'Stop Trump' failed to halt the Republican front-runner

(Reuters) - Republican John Hammond III had made no secret of his distaste for Donald Trump and his desire to halt his march to the party's presidential nomination, telling the Indianapolis Star newspaper in March that the mogul was "unfit" to lead the country.

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Exclusive: Target gets tough with vendors to speed up supply chain

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Discount retailer Target Corp is cracking down on suppliers as part of a multi-billion dollar overhaul to speed up its supply chain and better compete with rivals including Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Amazon.com Inc .

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Wildfire in Canada's Fort Mac energy heartland forces evacuation

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - An uncontrolled wildfire burning near Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, the heart of Canada's oil sands region, has forced the evacuation of nearly all the city's 80,000 residents, local authorities said on Tuesday.

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Seven big banks settle U.S. rate-rigging lawsuit for $324 million

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Seven of the world's biggest banks have agreed to pay $324 million to settle a private U.S. lawsuit accusing them of rigging an interest rate benchmark used in the $553 trillion derivatives market.

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Political ads and Super Bowl boost CBS in first quarter

(Reuters) - CBS Corp, the owner of the most-watched U.S. TV network, reported a 10 percent rise in quarterly revenue, beating Wall Street estimates, as the U.S. presidential campaign and Super Bowl broadcast boosted spending on advertising.

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Seven big banks settle U.S. rate-rigging lawsuit for $324 million

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Seven of the world's biggest banks have agreed to pay $324 million to settle a private U.S. lawsuit accusing them of rigging an interest rate benchmark used in the $553 trillion derivatives market.

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Wall Street values Tesla Motors at $620,000 per car

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Company founder and CEO Elon Musk may not mention Tesla Motors Inc's stock price when his electric car company gives its latest financial update on Wednesday, but it will be front and center for investors divided over its seemingly rich valuation.

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Losing ground, Republican Cruz slams Trump as 'pathological liar'

BEDFORD, Ind. (Reuters) - On a day when his U.S. presidential bid could suffer a mortal blow, Ted Cruz became embroiled in a name-calling contest on Tuesday with Republican front-runner Donald Trump whom he described as "a pathological liar" in one of the most bitter exchanges in the White House campaign.

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U.S. prosecutors consider more charges against ex-CEO Shkreli

(Reuters) - Former drug executive Martin Shkreli, who last year became a lightning rod for outrage over soaring prescription drug prices, may face additional U.S. charges of securities fraud, a federal prosecutor said on Tuesday.

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Islamic State forces kill U.S. armed forces member in Iraq

STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters killed a member of the U.S. armed forces in northern Iraq on Tuesday, when they pushed through a forward line of Iraqi Kurdish forces, officials said.

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Rockets kill three women in Aleppo hospital: Iikhbariya TV

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Three woman were killed and 17 people wounded in a hospital hit by rebel rocket fire in a government-held part of the Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday, state-run Syrian news channel Ikhbariya said.

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Clashes near Damascus despite truce there, five killed in Aleppo

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Fighting and government shelling erupted east of Damascus overnight on Tuesday despite a temporary truce announced by the Syrian army in that area, a war monitor said.

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North Korea capital gears up for congress; South fears nuclear test

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has started welcoming delegates from around the country to its first ruling party congress in 36 years, state media reported on Tuesday, as rival South Korea expressed concern that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test before or during the event.

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NATO weighs four battalions in Eastern states to deter Russia: U.S.

STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - The NATO alliance is weighing rotating four battalions of troops through Eastern member states, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday, in the latest proposal by allies to guard against aggressive behavior by Russia.

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Supreme Court rejects challenge to Seattle minimum wage law

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge by business groups to Seattle's law raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour, a move echoed by other locales, in a case focusing on how the ordinance affected local franchises like McDonald's.

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Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $55 million in talc-powder trial

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a U.S. jury on Monday to pay $55 million to a woman who said that using the company’s talc-powder products for feminine hygiene caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

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Ackman defends Valeant, hints at more changes

BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire investor William Ackman on Monday mounted a vigorous defense of Valeant Pharmaceuticals , ruling out any sale of the drug company's "crown jewel" assets but saying price cuts and even a new name may be in its future.

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Clinton courts Appalachian voters to counter Trump on trade

WASHINGTON/CARMEL, Ind. (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton met with coal and steel workers in the Appalachian region on Monday in an effort to win over blue-collar voters in a part of the country with strong support for Republican Donald Trump.

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Puerto Rico government bank misses payment, talking with creditors

SAN JUAN/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Puerto Rico’s Government Development Bank said it reached a tentative debt restructuring framework with some of its major creditors, just hours after declaring it will skip making a $422 million bond payment due on Monday.

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Twitter lawsuit partly dismissed over U.S. information requests

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Monday partly dismissed a lawsuit filed by Twitter Inc in which the social media company argued it should be allowed to publicly disclose more details about requests for information it receives from the U.S. government.

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Baker Hughes to buy back stock, debt after Halliburton deal fails

(Reuters) - Baker Hughes Inc said it planned to buy back $1.5 billion of shares and $1 billion of debt, using the breakup fee it will receive following the collapse of its proposed buyout by fellow oilfield services provider Halliburton Inc .

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Conservatives in Congress urge shutdown of tax-collecting IRS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It's a U.S. taxpayer's dream: make the Internal Revenue Service go away, and the largest conservative group in Congress is endorsing just that.

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Drones, Turkish artillery hit Islamic State in Syria, 34 dead: military

ANKARA (Reuters) - Shelling by Turkish artillery and drones which took off from southern Turkey struck Islamic State targets in Syria on Sunday, killing 34 militants, the Turkish military said.

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Five Seattle police injured, nine people arrested after May Day marches

(Reuters) - Five Seattle police officers were injured and at least nine people arrested on Sunday night, after unruly demonstrators hurled projectiles and Molotov cocktails and broke windows, authorities said.

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As oil plows through $45 a barrel, U.S. producers rush to lock in prices

HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. oil producers pounced on this month's 20 percent rally in crude futures to the highest level since November, locking in better prices for their oil by selling future output and securing an additional lifeline for the years-long downturn.

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Halliburton and Baker Hughes scrap $28 billion merger

(Reuters) - Oilfield services provider Halliburton Co and smaller rival Baker Hughes Inc announced the termination of their $28 billion merger deal on Sunday after opposition from U.S. and European antitrust regulators.

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Islamic State boosts attacks in response to territorial losses: IHS

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State attacks have increased this year, particularly in Iraq and Syria as the group responds to substantial territorial losses, a U.S.-based analysis firm IHS said on Sunday.

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Donald Trump says Republican race all but over if he wins Indiana

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Front-runner Donald Trump said on Sunday that he will have essentially sealed the Republican U.S. presidential nomination if he wins Tuesday's contest in Indiana, where he now holds a big lead over chief rival Ted Cruz.

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Police officers killed, dozens wounded in attacks near Turkey's southeast border

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Two police officers were killed and 23 people wounded in a car bomb attack on police headquarters in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep, the provincial governor and police sources said, in one of two attacks on security forces on Sunday.

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Buffett says Berkshire 'fine' with Trump or Clinton

OMAHA, Neb. (Reuters) - Warren Buffett said on Saturday that Berkshire Hathaway Inc is poised to do well no matter who wins the White House in November, and the billionaire investor defended the performance and tactics of the conglomerate's several large investments.

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