Prosecutors, public defender squabble over status of accused NY bomber

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Prosecutors and New York's top federal public defender squabbled on Thursday over when the suspect in the series of weekend bombings around the city and New Jersey will get a lawyer.

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U.S. jobless claims drop to two-month low as labor market firms

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week to a two-month low, pointing to labor market strength that could pave the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by December.

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Trump vs Clinton: Debate will mark biggest moment of election

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton, suddenly vulnerable in the presidential race, is under pressure to deliver a strong performance against Republican Donald Trump in their first debate on Monday, a moment that could be the most consequential yet of the 2016 election.

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Trump praises 'stop-and-frisk' police tactic

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in remarks at an African-American church on Wednesday praised "stop-and-frisk" policing methods, which have aroused protests and successful legal challenges on grounds they single out minorities.

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Fed keeps rates steady, signals one hike by end of year

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday but strongly signaled it could still tighten monetary policy by the end of this year as the labor market improved further.

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Police in riot-hit Charlotte say shooting victim was armed

CHARLOTTE, N.C./TULSA,Okla. (Reuters) - A black man killed by police in a Charlotte, North Carolina, parking lot had ignored commands to drop a handgun that officers said he was holding, authorities said on Wednesday hours after 16 officers were injured in protests sparked by the shooting.

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Calm urged in Charlotte, North Carolina after 16 officers hurt in protests

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - The mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday called for calm and peace after 16 officers were hurt and police vehicles were damaged overnight during a demonstration against the police shooting of a black man at an apartment complex in the city.

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Wall Street higher as tech, energy gain; Fed in focus

(Reuters) - Wall Street was higher on Wednesday morning, boosted by gains in technology and energy stocks, ahead of the Federal Reserve's decision later in the day.

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Fighting further buries hopes for Syria truce

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels and pro-government forces battled each other on major frontlines near Aleppo and Hama, and air strikes reportedly killed a dozen people including four medical workers, as a ceasefire appeared to have completely unraveled.

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Oil climbs after surprise drop in U.S. crude inventories

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped 2 percent on Wednesday after a surprisingly large drop in U.S. crude inventories and as an oil services workers strike in Norway threatened to cut North Sea output.

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Protest erupts after police kill black man in North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Reuters) - Tensions flared in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday after police fatally shot a 43-year-old black man who they said was armed with a gun when officers approached him in the parking lot of an apartment complex.

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Japanese stocks lift Asia, yen falls as BOJ overhauls policy

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Japanese stocks rallied and lifted Asian equities on Wednesday, while the yen weakened after the Bank of Japan surprised markets by adopting a target for long-term interest rates in an overhaul of its massive monetary stimulus program.

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BOJ overhauls policy, sets yield curve target

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan on Wednesday decided to adopt a target for long-term interest rates in an overhaul of its massive stimulus program.

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Clinton calls national security team after attacks, as Trump challenges her credentials

WASHINGTON/HIGH POINT, N.C. (Reuters) - Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton consulted national security advisers on Tuesday after weekend bomb blasts renewed fears of domestic attacks, as Republican Donald Trump accused her of pushing policies that made the United States less safe.

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Senators push Wells Fargo CEO on pay clawbacks after bogus accounts

(Reuters) - U.S. Senate lawmakers excoriated Wells Fargo & Co's chief on Tuesday for his oversight of the bank as it opened 2 million bogus customer accounts, potentially laying the groundwork for new rules and reviving questions of whether banks are "too big to fail."

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Suspected U.S. bomber's father says he called FBI about son

ELIZABETH, N.J. (Reuters) - The father of the Afghan-born man arrested after weekend bombings in New York and New Jersey reported concerns about his son to the FBI in 2014, but officials took no action after reviewing the complaint, the father and law enforcement officials said on Tuesday.

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Financials boost Wall Street ahead of Fed meet

(Reuters) - Wall Street was trading higher on Tuesday, helped by financial stocks, as investors await the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates.

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U.N. suspends aid after convoy attack as Syria ceasefire collapses

GENEVA/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United Nations suspended all aid shipments into Syria on Tuesday after a deadly attack on a convoy carrying humanitarian supplies, as a week-old U.S.-Russian sponsored ceasefire collapsed in renewed violence.

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Red Cross postpones aid convoys after Aleppo attack

GENEVA (Reuters) - Aid convoys for four Syrian towns will be postponed as staff reassess security after a deadly attack on relief trucks and intensified violence, a senior official from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday.

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Asia stocks wobble as investors nervously await Fed, BOJ

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares edged lower on Tuesday as investors nervously awaited the outcomes of Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan policy meetings that will both conclude on Wednesday.

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Fed again poised to cut longer-run interest rate forecast

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers are set this week to again cut their forecasts for how high interest rates will need to go in an economy where output, productivity and inflation are growing at a slower pace than in past decades.

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Aid trucks hit by air strikes as Syria says ceasefire over

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Air raids hit aid trucks near the city of Aleppo on Monday, a monitoring group reported, as the Syrian military declared that a week-long ceasefire was over.

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Trump says White House downplaying threat from Islamic State after bombings

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign accused the White House of downplaying the threat poised by Islamic State, seeking to lay blame following a series of weekend bomb and other incidents.

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For Yellen, a September Fed surprise could close confidence gap

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Market volatility is low, U.S. census data shows income gains have reached the middle class, and workers are clawing back a larger share of national income. For now, at least, no international risk stands out and inflation may even be picking up.

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Obama tells Clinton fundraiser U.S. still grapples with powerful women

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. society is uncomfortable with powerful women and that is why the United States has not yet elected a woman president, President Barack Obama said on Sunday.

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More kneeling players, raised fists, in anthem protests

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles Rams defensive end Robert Quinn raised his fist and San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick was among several players who knelt during performances of the U.S. national anthem on Sunday.

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Moscow says strikes on Syria army threaten U.S.-Russia ceasefire plan

MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Moscow stepped up its war of words with Washington on Sunday, saying air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition on the Syrian army threatened the implementation of a U.S.-Russian ceasefire plan for Syria and bordered on connivance with Islamic State.

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Kaine accuses Trump of inciting violence against Clinton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine on Sunday accused Donald Trump of inciting violence against Hillary Clinton after the Republican candidate said Clinton's security detail should be disarmed given her support for tighter gun rules.

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Islamic State supporter behind Minnesota stabbings: Amaq

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Islamic State supporter carried out the stabbing attack that wounded at least eight people at a mall in the U.S. state of Minnesota on Saturday, the militant group's Amaq news agency said.

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Man stabs eight at Minnesota mall, is shot to death by off-duty officer

(Reuters) - A man wearing a private security uniform and armed with at least one knife stabbed eight people on Saturday at a mall in central Minnesota before he was shot dead by an off-duty police officer, authorities said.

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Venezuela summit draws few leaders in blow to Maduro

MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela (Reuters) - Only a handful of leaders have traveled to a meeting of a large Cold War-era bloc in Venezuela this week, in an embarrassment for the crisis-hit socialist government.

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Pro-Putin party seen winning even greater sway in Russia's parliament

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The ruling United Russia party is expected to win even greater dominance over Russia's lower house in a parliamentary election on Sunday, showing that support for President Vladimir Putin is holding up despite sanctions and a deep economic slowdown.

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Bomb explodes in New Jersey along route of planned race: official

(Reuters) - A bomb exploded in Seaside Park, New Jersey, on Saturday along the route of a planned road race that was then canceled, a prosecutor and local media said.

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Trump proposes disarming Clinton guards: 'Let's see what happens to her'

MIAMI (Reuters) - Donald Trump on Friday called for disarming the bodyguards who protect his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, and mused about the consequences of such a move by saying "Let's see what happens to her."  

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French police operation in Paris ends with no sign of danger

PARIS (Reuters) - French police conducted a security operation on Saturday in a busy shopping district in central Paris and said it had ended with no sign of danger.

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Syria truce 'will not hold out' says senior rebel source

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's ceasefire "will not hold out", a senior rebel official in Aleppo warned on Saturday, as air strikes and shelling continued in some places and promised aid deliveries failed to come through.

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Florida expands Zika zone in Miami Beach after five new cases

(Reuters) - State officials in Florida on Friday tripled the active Zika transmission zone in the trendy seaside community of Miami Beach after five new cases of the mosquito-borne virus believed to cause a severe birth defect were identified in the area.

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Spotlight on Syria as world leaders gather at United Nations

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The spotlight will be on Syria when world leaders gather at the United Nations next week as the United States and Russia try to shore up a fragile truce deal and President Barack Obama pushes for a boost in global refugee aid.

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Russia, U.S. seek to prolong Syria truce but aid blocked, violence spreads

BEIRUT/CILVEGOZU, Turkey (Reuters) - The United States and Russia said on Friday they wanted to extend the four-day-old ceasefire in Syria they have co-sponsored, although the agreement looked increasingly shaky, undermined by increasing violence and a failure to deliver aid.

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Trump finally backs off Obama birth claim, falsely says Clinton started it

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday abandoned his false claim that Barack Obama was not born in the United States after spending five years peddling conspiracy theories that the country's first African-American president started life as a foreigner.

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Pulitzer-winning playwright Edward Albee dies at 88 at his NY home: reports

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee, whose provocative and often brutal look at American life in works such as "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" earned him a reputation as one of the greatest American dramatists, died on Friday at his home in Montauk, New York, according to media reports. He was 88.

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Florida man found guilty of attempted murder of George Zimmerman: reports

ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - A Florida man was found guilty on Friday of attempted murder for shooting at George Zimmerman during a roadside confrontation with the ex-neighborhood watch captain widely known for killing unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, local media reported.

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Trump would undo Obama's Cuba moves unless religious freedom allowed

MIAMI (Reuters) - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said on Friday that if elected he would seek to reverse President Barack Obama's moves to open relations with Cuba unless the leaders there allowed religious freedoms and freed political prisoners.

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Clinton leads Trump as Americans shrug off her pneumonia scare: Reuters/Ipsos poll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton leads Republican rival Donald Trump by 4 percentage points, and her recent bout with pneumonia doesn't appear to have scared away her supporters, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll.  

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U.S. House committee to hold hearing on Wells Fargo sales practices

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House Financial Services Committee has opened a probe into Wells Fargo's sales practices and plans to call the company's chief executive before lawmakers at a hearing later in September, the committee chairman said on Friday.

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Exclusive: U.N. inquiry blames Syrian military for chlorine bomb attacks - source

THE HAGUE/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - An international inquiry has identified two Syrian Air Force helicopter squadrons and two other military units it holds responsible for chlorine gas attacks on civilians, a Western diplomat told Reuters.

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Polling places become battleground in U.S. voting rights fight

LINCOLN PARK, Ga. (Reuters) - Louis Brooks, 87, has walked to cast a vote at his neighborhood polling place in Georgia’s predominantly black Lincoln Park neighborhood for five decades. But not this year.

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Samsung to replace or refund 1 million U.S. Galaxy Note 7 phones

(Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd formally recalled 1 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold in the United States, replacing or refunding the flagship phones, whose susceptibility to catching fire has damaged the image of the Korean powerhouse.

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Clinton visits North Carolina in campaign trail return; Trump up in polls

GREENSBORO, N.C. (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton got back on the campaign trail on Thursday after taking three days off for pneumonia, and the Democratic presidential candidate faced a more challenging political landscape, with Republican rival Donald Trump rising in opinion polls.

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Snowden's leaks caused 'tremendous' damage to U.S. security: House panel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. House committee issued a scathing report on Thursday accusing National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden of lying about his background, feuding with co-workers and leaking secrets that "caused tremendous damage" to U.S. security.

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Syria ceasefire deal in balance as Aleppo aid plan stalls

BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) - Russia and a war monitor said the Syrian army had begun to withdraw from a road into Aleppo on Thursday, a prerequisite for pressing ahead with international peacemaking efforts as the government and rebels accused each other of violating a truce.

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Trump calls for 4 percent growth, pledges to create 25 million jobs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump on Thursday called for a U.S. goal of 4 percent annual economic growth, saying his plans to cut taxes, eliminate regulations and revamp U.S. trade policy would create 25 million new jobs over a decade.

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Weak U.S. retail sales, factory data dampen rate hike prospects

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales fell more than expected in August amid weak purchases of automobiles and a range of other goods, pointing to cooling domestic demand that further diminishes expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate increase next week.

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Pastor cuts Trump short during anti-Clinton speech in Flint

FLINT, Mich. (Reuters) - The pastor of a black church in Flint, Michigan, stopped Donald Trump on Wednesday in the midst of his remarks criticizing Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, and said the Republican presidential nominee was not invited to talk about politics.

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Apple says initial quantities of iPhone 7 Plus sold out

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Initial quantities of the iPhone 7 Plus have sold out globally as Apple Inc prepares to roll out its new gadget in stores, the company said Wednesday.

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Storm Julia threatens flooding in coastal South Carolina

(Reuters) - Tropical Storm Julia dumped heavy rain on Georgia and threatened flooding in parts of South Carolina on Thursday as it meandered north along the U.S. Southeast coast, the National Hurricane Center said.

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Americans blame Washington gridlock for slow economic growth: study

BOSTON (Reuters) - Americans blame political gridlock in Washington for the country's declining economic competitiveness and hold both Democrats and Republicans responsible, a Harvard Business School study released on Wednesday found.

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Aligned with Russia in Syria, Pentagon awkwardly treads on new terrain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For Pentagon officers who cut their teeth during the Cold War, the prospect of U.S. battlefield cooperation with Russia in Syria is not only uncomfortable. It's also unprecedented.

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Asian stocks waver as policy uncertainty, weaker oil sap confidence

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian stocks wavered on Thursday as investors grappled with the seemingly diminishing ability of major central banks to stimulate growth, while a tumble in crude oil inflamed already heightened risk aversion.

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U.S. confirms two more freed Guantanamo inmates rejoined militant groups

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the first six months of 2016, two more militants released from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have returned to fighting, the U.S. government said on Wednesday.

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Bayer's Monsanto acquisition to face politically charged scrutiny

WASHINGTON D.C./NEW YORK (Reuters) - As the global agricultural sector races to consolidate, Bayer AG's $66 billion all-cash deal to acquire Monsanto Co will test growing political and consumer unease in the United States and abroad over the future of food production.

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iPhone optimism blasts Apple stock to 2016 high

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple's stock hit a 2016 high on Wednesday, with its market value peaking above $600 billion for the first time since April as Wall Street bet the technology company's newest iPhone would help shore up falling sales.

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Suu Kyi meets Obama in Washington for first time as Myanmar leader

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi met President Barack Obama at the White House on Wednesday on her first visit to the United States since her party won a sweeping victory in last year's election, capping a decades-long journey from political prisoner to national leader.

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Bayer signs deal worth close to $66 billion to buy Monsanto: source

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bayer won over Monsanto's management with a $128 per-share cash offer to acquire the global seed market leader, a person familiar with the matter said, in a move to command more than a quarter of the combined world market for seeds and pesticides.

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Top diplomats from U.S., Japan, South Korea to meet on North Korea

SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in New York on Sunday to discuss responses to North Korea's latest nuclear test, South Korea's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

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North Korea ramps up uranium enrichment, enough for six nuclear bombs a year: experts

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea will have enough material for about 20 nuclear bombs by the end of this year, with ramped-up uranium enrichment facilities and an existing stockpile of plutonium, according to new assessments by weapons experts.

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Icahn says Trump better for U.S. economy than Clinton

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn continued to throw his support behind the Republican U.S. presidential candidate on Tuesday, saying Donald Trump would reduce the regulation of U.S. companies.

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U.S. household income posts record surge in 2015, poverty falls

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. household income posted a record increase in 2015 after years of stagnation, suggesting the recovery from the Great Recession was finally lifting ordinary citizens who had been largely left behind.

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Syria truce largely holds, aid preparations underway

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A nationwide ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia was mostly holding across Syria on Tuesday and efforts to deliver badly needed aid to besieged areas including the northern city of Aleppo got cautiously underway.

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Record new U.S. military aid deal for Israel to be signed in days: sources

WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States and Israel have reached final agreement on a record new package of at least $38 billion in U.S. military aid and the 10-year pact is expected to be signed within days, sources close to the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

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North Carolina loses college sports championships over 'bathroom' law

(Reuters) - The governing board for U.S. college athletics said on Monday it will move seven championship sporting events out of North Carolina to protest a state law it deems discriminatory to transgender individuals.

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Fed looks unlikely to hike next week after Brainard warning

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve should avoid removing support for the U.S. economy too quickly, Fed Governor Lael Brainard said on Monday in comments that solidified the view the central bank would leave interest rates unchanged next week.

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U.S. bombers fly over South Korea in show of force after North Korea nuclear test

OSAN, South Korea (Reuters) - Two U.S. supersonic B-1 Lancer strategic bombers flew over South Korea on Tuesday morning in a show of force and solidarity with its ally amid heightened tension following North Korea's fifth nuclear test last week.

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Asia stocks rise, dollar sags after Fed official's dovish comments

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian stocks rose early on Tuesday, boosted as Wall Street rallied overnight after Federal Reserve Board Governor Lael Brainard brought relief to risk asset markets by reducing prospects of a near-term interest rate hike.

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Pentagon confirms Islamic State leader was killed in Aug. 30 air strike

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon confirmed on Monday that Islamic State leader Abu Muhammad al-Adnani was killed in a U.S. air strike on Aug. 30 in Syria.

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Berkshire is accused in NY lawsuit of workers' comp 'siphoning'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Berkshire Hathaway Inc has been sued by a New York bicycle courier company over an alleged illegal scheme to cheat employers buying workers' compensation policies.

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Trump opens luxury hotel, just blocks from the White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was set to open the latest outpost in his real estate empire on Monday, a luxury hotel in a historic building five blocks from the White House that underwent a two-year, $200 million renovation.

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Mosque where Florida nightclub shooter worshiped set on fire

(Reuters) - The Florida mosque where Omar Mateen, who committed the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, prayed was badly damaged on Monday in an arson attack, investigators said.

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Syria ceasefire approaches with Assad emboldened, opposition wary

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An emboldened President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Monday to take back all of Syria, hours before the start of a ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia, which Assad's opponents described as stacked in his favor.

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Syria rebels guardedly agree on truce but battles persist

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Government troops and insurgents fought in several parts of Syria on Sunday, apparently seeking to strengthen their positions on the eve of a ceasefire that Free Syrian Army rebels said they would observe but with major reservations.

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North Korea ready for another nuclear test: Yonhap

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has completed preparations for another nuclear test, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Monday, citing South Korean government sources who said the North may use a previously unused tunnel at its mountainous test site.

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Clinton falls ill at 9/11 memorial, later says 'feeling great'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton fell ill on Sunday as she became "overheated" and had to leave early from a September 11 memorial ceremony in New York City.

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Trump closes in on Clinton's projected electoral lead: Reuters/Ipsos Poll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump appears to have carved out a wider path to the White House as a number of states including Florida and Ohio are no longer considered likely wins for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project released on Saturday.

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U.S. remembers victims 15 years after 9/11 attacks

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans prepared to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on Sunday with the recital of the names of the dead, tolling church bells and a tribute in lights at the site where New York City's twin towers tumbled.

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North Korea says Obama's push for sanctions laughable

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Sunday that the United States' push for sanctions following its fifth nuclear test was "laughable" and the country would continue to strengthen its nuclear power.

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U.S. envoy says North Korea could face unilateral sanctions

TOKYO (Reuters) - The United States may launch unilateral sanctions against North Korea, a U.S. special envoy for the isolated state said on Sunday, two days after it carried out its fifth and biggest nuclear test in defiance of U.N. sanctions.

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Native Americans celebrate pause of N. Dakota pipeline, vow to fight on

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - Native Americans protesting construction of a North Dakota oil pipeline near land they consider sacred on Saturday quietly celebrated the U.S. government's decision to pause construction on federally owned land, and vowed to press for a full halt to the project.

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U.S.-Russian Syria peace deal raises rebel doubts as fighting rages

AMMAN/GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States and Russia hailed a breakthrough deal early on Saturday to put Syria's peace process back on track, though the war-torn country's rebels said they doubted it would hold and violence raged on in Aleppo.

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Report details horror, heroism during San Bernardino shooting

(Reuters) - A report into last year's shooting rampage by a husband and wife in San Bernardino, California, reveals how three county workers battled to stop the shooters as they sprayed bullets into a conference room full of their colleagues.

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After protests, U.S. halts North Dakota pipeline near tribal lands

WASHINGTON/BISMARCK, North Dakota (Reuters) - The Obama administration stepped into a dispute on Friday over a planned oil pipeline in North Dakota that has angered Native Americans, appealing for calm while blocking construction on federal land and asking the company behind the project to suspend work nearby.

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Trump criticizes U.S. policy on Russian television

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has often praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, criticized U.S. policy in Iraq during an interview broadcast on a Kremlin-funded television network.

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Exclusive: Iranian oil output stagnates for third month amid OPEC bargaining

LONDON (Reuters) - Iran's steep oil output growth has stalled in the past three months, new data showed, suggesting Tehran might be struggling to fulfill its plans to raise production to new highs while demanding to be excluded from any OPEC deals on supply curbs.

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Sorrow, selfies compete at New York's 9/11 memorial 15 years on

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The memorial in New York City at the site where the Twin Towers fell in the Sept. 11 attacks 15 years ago straddles two worlds: one of the living and one of the dead.

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Trump says he was against Iraq war despite Howard Stern interview

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday said he was against the Iraq war all along despite telling radio interviewer Howard Stern in 2002 that he favored it.

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North Korea suspected to have conducted fifth nuclear test

SEOUL (Reuters) - A seismic tremor was recorded in an area around North Korea's known nuclear site on Friday, and was suspected to be the fifth nuclear test by the isolated nation, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

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Wells Fargo will pay $190 million to settle customer fraud case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wells Fargo has long been the envy of the banking industry for its ability to sell multiple products to the same customer, but regulators on Thursday said those practices went too far in some instances.

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Iraq gears up for late-year push to retake Mosul from Islamic State

QAYYARA AIRBASE, Iraq (Reuters) - The U.S.-led war on Islamic State has depleted the group's funds, leadership and foreign fighters, but the biggest battle yet is expected later this year in Iraq's northern city of Mosul, where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his "caliphate" two years ago.

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Clinton calls Trump comment on security briefing 'undisciplined'

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton chastised Republican rival Donald Trump on Thursday for hinting about things he learned in classified intelligence briefings, calling it "totally inappropriate and undisciplined."

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Apple will not give first-weekend sales of iPhone 7

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc will not release first-weekend sales of the newly announced iPhone 7, the company said on Thursday, reducing analysts' early visibility into the product amid questions over whether its popularity has peaked.

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Syrian army and allies regain important Aleppo district: monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's army and its allies have regained control over the whole Ramousah district of Aleppo, a monitor and pro-government media reported on Thursday, building on an advance last week that reimposed a siege on rebel areas.

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Iraq militia fighters join battle for Syria's Aleppo

BEIRUT/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi Shi'ite militia said on Wednesday it had dispatched more than 1,000 fighters to the frontline in neighboring Syria, escalating foreign involvement in the battle for Aleppo, the biggest prize in five years of relentless civil war.

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Ferguson, Missouri, protest leader found shot dead in burning car: police

(Reuters) - Missouri detectives have not determined a motive or identified any witnesses in an investigation into the death of a man who led protests in the city of Ferguson following the fatal 2014 shooting of Michael Brown by a law enforcement officer, police said on Wednesday.

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Apple sets stage for iPhone 7, many already waiting for 8

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The iPhone 7 is expected to make its global debut on Wednesday, but many consumers and investors are already setting their sights on Apple Inc's 2017 version of the popular gadget, hoping for more significant advances.

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Trump and Clinton look to pass U.S. commander-in-chief test

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, pledging a major new military buildup, and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton get a chance on Wednesday to show how they would lead the U.S. armed forces as commander-in-chief.

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After insult, U.S. and Clinton call for Duterte to show respect

WASHINGTON/TAMPA (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Tuesday stressed the need for ties with the Philippines to be based on mutual respect, after Manila's new leader raised worries about the future of the key alliance by calling President Barack Obama a "son of a bitch."

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Invoking religion, a more disciplined Trump speaks of unity

GREENVILLE, N.C., Va./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump invoked religion, talked of unifying Americans and tried to raise doubts about whether Democratic rival Hillary Clinton can be trusted in a new campaign stump speech unveiled on Tuesday.

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Iranian vessel 'harasses', sails close to U.S. Navy ship in Gulf: U.S. officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy coastal patrol ship changed course after a fast-attack craft from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps came within 100 yards (91 meters) of it in the central Gulf on Sunday, two U.S. Defense Department officials told Reuters on Tuesday.

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Fox settles sexual harassment lawsuit for $20 million on Ailes' behalf

(Reuters) - Fox News will pay $20 million to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit by former anchor Gretchen Carlson against the network's ousted chief Roger Ailes, a source familiar with the agreement said on Tuesday.

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Cosby due back in Pennsylvania court for sexual assault case

(Reuters) - Comedian Bill Cosby is scheduled to return to a Pennsylvania state court on Tuesday, two months after a judge rejected his latest bid to have criminal sexual assault charges dismissed.

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Republicans' Congress lull could impede a Clinton presidency

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in Congress are planning a light legislative agenda as they return from their long summer break on Tuesday, a strategy some say is designed in part to bog down Hillary Clinton if she becomes president.

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Turkish air strikes hit 12 targets in north Iraq: military

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes destroyed 12 targets in northern Iraq late on Monday, the military said, striking a region where Ankara says the leadership of Turkey's outlawed Kurdish militant group PKK is based.

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G20 a success for China, but hard issues kicked down the road

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is lauding its successful hosting of the G20 summit in scenic Hangzhou, with open confrontation largely avoided and broad consensus reached over the fragile state of the global economy and the need for a wide range of policies to fix it.

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Obama cancels meeting with Philippines' Duterte after insult

(Note: paragraphs 1,11 and 15 contain language that may offend some readers)

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G20 promises to coordinate on economy, but little in way of concrete steps

HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - Leaders from the world's top economies broadly agreed at a summit in China on Monday to coordinate macroeconomic policies, but few concrete proposals emerged to meet growing challenges to globalisation and free trade.

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Trump, Clinton battle for Ohio votes as campaigns rev up

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton set out on the final, frenzied two-month stretch of the U.S. presidential contest on Monday with a series of campaign stops in Ohio, a battleground state that has for decades sided with the White House winner.

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U.S., Russia work on Syria truce, as Islamic State blasts kill dozens

BEIRUT/HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - The United States and Russia will work in the next few days on a deal to curb fighting in Syria and build cooperation in the fight against terrorism, their leaders said on Monday, as blasts claimed by Islamic State killed dozens across the Arab nation.

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Taliban attack in Afghan capital Kabul kills at least 24

KABUL (Reuters) - A Taliban suicide attack in a busy area near the defence ministry in Kabul on Monday killed at least 24 people and wounded 91, the deadliest toll in the Afghan capital in weeks.

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U.S., Russia meeting on Syria ends without a deal

HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - A meeting between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ended on Monday without a deal on Syria and differences remain, a senior State Department Official said.

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North Korea fires three ballistic missiles into sea: South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired three ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on Monday, South Korea's Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

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Satellite owner says SpaceX owes it $50 million or a free flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla./JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Space Communication Ltd said on Sunday it could seek $50 million or a free flight from Elon Musk's SpaceX after a Spacecom communications satellite was destroyed last week by an explosion at SpaceX's Florida launch site.

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Clinton's classified email errors due to 'improper labeling': Kaine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine on Sunday defended Hillary Clinton against criticism over her handling of classified information as secretary of state, saying she was unaware of the sensitivity of some information she exchanged over email because it had been "improperly labeled."

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U.S., Russia labor over Syria truce deal but battles rage on

HANGZHOU, China/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday that the United States and Russia were struggling to reach a ceasefire agreement on Syria as the two sides planned to meet again on Monday.

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China, U.S. commit to refrain from competitive currency devaluations

HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - China and the United States on Sunday committed anew to refrain from competitive currency devaluations, and China said it would continue an orderly transition to a market-oriented exchange rate for the yuan <CNY=CFXS>.

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Pope Francis proclaims Teresa of Calcutta a saint

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis proclaimed Mother Teresa of Calcutta a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, 19 years after her death.

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Turkish tanks roll into Syria, opening new line of attack

ELBEYLI, Turkey/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkey and its rebel allies opened a new line of attack in northern Syria on Saturday, as Turkish tanks rolled across the border and Syrian fighters swept in from the west to take villages held by Islamic State.

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Hermine strengthens off North Carolina en route to Middle Atlantic

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A powerful Atlantic storm strengthened on Saturday afternoon after passing over North Carolina's Outer Banks en route to the U.S. Middle Atlantic coast, where it was expected to spoil the holiday weekend with high winds, soaking rains and surging seas.

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Political? Mais oui, of course, EU insiders say of Apple case

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission denies that its shock demand that Apple Inc. hand 13 billion euros in back taxes to Ireland is, in the pungent phrase of Apple CEO Tim Cook, "total political crap".

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Earthquake of magnitude 5.6 hits U.S. State of Oklahoma: USGS

(Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 hit the U.S. state of Oklahoma on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey reported.

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Trump to visit Detroit in outreach to black voters

(Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will continue an effort to peel away minority support from Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on Saturday, visiting a church and touring neighborhoods in the largely black city of Detroit.

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Obama says will have candid talks in China

HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday that they would be having candid talks on issues like human rights and maritime issues.

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Exclusive: Ahead of Suu Kyi visit, Obama weighs Myanmar sanctions relief - sources

By Patricia Zengerle, Matt Spetalnick, David Brunnstrom and Antoni Slodkowski

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Row on tarmac an awkward G20 start for U.S., China

HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - A Chinese official confronted U.S. President Barack Obama's national security adviser on the tarmac on Saturday prompting the Secret Service to intervene, an unusual altercation as China implements strict controls ahead of a big summit.

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U.S., Russia said nearing deal on Aleppo truce, aid access

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Russia are nearing a deal that would set a 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo, allow U.N. humanitarian access and limit Syrian government aircraft flights, diplomatic sources said on Friday.

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Explosion in Philippine president's home city kills 10-president spokesman

MANILA (Reuters) - An explosion at a market in the home city of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte killed at least 10 people on Friday and wounded dozens more, his spokesman said, adding the cause of the blast was unknown.

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Hurricane Hermine hammers Florida, barrels north toward Atlantic Coast

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - Wind and rain from Hurricane Hermine toppled trees and power lines along Florida's northern Gulf Coast, inundating coastal areas with storm surges before it weakened to a tropical storm over land and plowed toward the Atlantic Coast on Friday.

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One secret of Trump's low-cost campaign: free labor

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has run an unusually cheap campaign in part by not paying at least 10 top staffers, consultants and advisers, some of whom are no longer with the campaign, according to a review of federal campaign finance filings.

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Directed from Raqqa, Islamic State cell 'wages war' in Turkey

GAZIANTEP, Turkey (Reuters) - As U.S.-led coalition jets from a Turkish air base began to pound Islamic State targets in Syria in the summer of 2015, Ilhami Bali passed on what appeared to be an order from the militant group's leadership in Raqqa: unleash war on Turkey.

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Stanford swimmer convicted of sex assault set for release from jail

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Reuters) - A former Stanford University swimmer, whose six-month jail sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in 2015 was widely decried as too lenient, is set to be released from a San Francisco-area jail on Friday.

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At least 12 killed, 52 wounded in attack on Pakistan court: rescue official

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - At least 12 people were killed and 52 wounded when two bomb blasts were detonated outside a district court in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, a rescue official said.

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U.S. fights Zika mosquitoes with limited arsenal

(Reuters) - Over Wynwood, the Miami neighborhood where Zika gained a foothold in the continental United States, low flying planes have been spraying naled, a tightly controlled pesticide often used as a last resort. It appears to be working, killing at least 90 percent of the target mosquitoes.

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Solid U.S. employment gains expected in August; jobless rate seen falling

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employment growth likely moderated in August after two straight months of hefty gains, but was probably still strong enough to push the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates later this year.

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Florida finds first local mosquitoes with Zika virus

(Reuters) - Florida officials on Thursday said they have trapped the first mosquitoes that tested positive for the Zika virus in the Miami area, further confirming reports of local U.S. transmission of the illness that can cause severe birth defects.

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Rocket explodes on launch pad in blow to Elon Musk's SpaceX

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - An explosion destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket belonging to Elon Musk's SpaceX and its cargo during preparations for a routine test firing at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Thursday, two days before it had been due to blast off and place a satellite in orbit.

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Wal-Mart to cut 7,000 U.S. store back-office jobs: WSJ

(Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc , the largest private employer in the United States, plans to cut 7,000 back-office jobs in its U.S. stores, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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Some Hispanic Trump backers pull support after immigration speech

CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Some Hispanic backers of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pulled their support after he stood by his hardline immigration stance and said anyone in the United States illegally would be subject to deportation if he were president.

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Trump returns to hardline position on illegal immigration

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday that anyone who is in the United States illegally would be subject to deportation if he is elected, sticking with his hardline position after flirting with a softer approach.

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U.S. second-quarter labor costs revised sharply higher

WASHINGTON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - U.S. labor costs grew much faster than initially thought in the second quarter while worker productivity slumped, which could pressure corporate profits and business spending.

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Heavy air strikes target rebel-held areas in western Syria

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Heavy air strikes targeted areas of Hama province captured by Syrian insurgents from government forces in recent days, as Damascus counter-attacked on Thursday in an area of strategic importance to President Bashar al-Assad.

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