Top News: November 2016

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

OPEC in first joint oil cut with Russia since 2001, Saudis take "big hit"

VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC agreed on Wednesday its first oil output cuts since 2008 after Saudi Arabia accepted "a big hit" on its production and dropped its demand on arch-rival Iran to slash output.

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Ohio State attacker may have been inspired by overseas militants: FBI

(Reuters) - A Somali immigrant who injured 11 people in an attack at Ohio State University may have been inspired by Islamic State and the late al Qaeda-linked cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, an FBI official told a news conference on Wednesday.

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S&P, Dow hit record highs as oil, bank stocks gain

(Reuters) - The Dow and the S&P 500 hit record intraday highs on Wednesday, fueled by gains in energy and bank stocks.

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Trump says he will leave business to focus on running country

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to step back from running his business empire to avoid conflicts of interest, while turning to Wall Street for nominees for two key economic leadership posts who promised tax reform and a tougher approach to China.

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Rescue service say dozens killed in Aleppo attack

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rescue workers said more than 45 people had been killed in artillery bombardment of rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Wednesday, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 50,000 people had been displaced by the fighting.

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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Soccer crash survivors undergo operations in Colombia, probe begins

LA UNION, Colombia (Reuters) - Doctors treated traumatized survivors and an investigation was to get underway on Wednesday into an air crash that killed 71 people and wiped out Brazil's Chapecoense soccer team en route to a cup final in Colombia.

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Romney, potential U.S. secretary of state, hails Trump after dinner

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican Mitt Romney made an impassioned statement in support of President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to try to erase doubts about him among Trump's supporters and remain in contention for U.S. secretary of state.

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Scores arrested in first 'Fight for $15' protest since Trump win

LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Scores of demonstrators were arrested on Tuesday as U.S. fast-food and airport workers led nationwide protests for higher pay and union rights in their first major action since Donald Trump was elected president.

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Great Smoky Mountains fires leave 'scene of destruction'

(Reuters) - Officials said on Tuesday that "the worst is over" for two small Tennessee resort towns in the Great Smoky Mountains where wildfires destroyed or damaged some 150 homes and other structures, forced thousands to flee and threatened country music star Dolly Parton's theme park, Dollywood.

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Islamic State claims responsibility for Ohio University attack

CAIRO (Reuters) - The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for an attack at Ohio State University in which a man ran down pedestrians in a car and stabbed others with a butcher's knife.

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Trump taps Obamacare critic to revamp health system

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump named a vociferous critic of Obamacare and a health policy expert on Tuesday to help him repeal and replace President Barack Obama's signature healthcare program.

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North Dakota to block supplies from pipeline protesters' camp

(Reuters) - North Dakota law enforcement will begin to block supplies from reaching protesters at a camp near the construction site of an oil pipeline project in an effort to force demonstrators to vacate the area, officials said on Tuesday.

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U.S. third-quarter growth revised up to 3.2 percent

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - - The U.S. economy grew faster than initially thought in the third quarter, notching its best performance in two years, buoyed by strong consumer spending and a surge in soybean exports.

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U.N. humanitarian chief says 16,000 displaced in Syria's Aleppo

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Up to 16,000 people have been displaced in Syria's Aleppo by intense attacks on the rebel-held eastern part of the city, the United Nations humanitarian chief and relief coordinator Stephen O'Brien said on Tuesday, citing initial reports.

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Monday, November 28, 2016

Plane crashes in Colombia with 81 onboard, including Brazil footballers

BOGOTA (Reuters) - An aircraft with 81 people aboard, including a Brazilian football team, crashed in central Colombia, and rescuers are moving survivors from the site, the country's civil aviation association said on its website on Tuesday.

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South Korea's embattled president offers to relinquish power

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's embattled President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday asked parliament to come up with a way for her to relinquish power, including when she should step down from the presidency.

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Trump has chosen Representative Price for health secretary: New York Times

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican U.S. Representative Tom Price of Georgia to be secretary of health and human services, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing a transition team official.

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Iranian vessel made 'unsafe' action against US helicopter -officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard vessel pointed its weapons at a U.S. Navy helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, two U.S. defense officials told Reuters on Monday, an action they described as "unsafe and unprofessional."

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Philippines' Duterte calls Western threats of ICC indictment hypocritical

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday hit out at what he called "bullshit" Western threats to seek his indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his role in a bloody crackdown on drugs.

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At least 10 injured in Ohio State University attack

(Reuters) - At least 10 people were injured, one critically, at Ohio State University, in an attack that was carried out by an assailant who used a knife and a vehicle to attack people , local officials said.

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Trump vows to end U.S.-Cuba 'deal' unless Havana makes better one

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said in a tweet on Monday he would end the United States' "deal" with Cuba unless a better one was made, reflecting his campaign pledge to reverse President Barack Obama's moves to open relations with the Cold War adversary.

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Cubans to throng Revolution Square in mourning for Fidel Castro

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cubans will begin massing on Havana's Revolution Square from Monday to commemorate Fidel Castro, the communist guerrilla leader who led a revolution in 1959 and ruled the Caribbean island for half a century.

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Sunday, November 27, 2016

Oil tumbles as output cut looks elusive, shares slip

TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices tumbled on Monday on worries that producer countries may not be agree on a deal to cut output, pressuring U.S. stock futures and Asian shares.

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U.S. shoppers spend less over holiday weekend amid discounting

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Early holiday promotions and a belief that deals will always be available took a toll on consumer spending over the Thanksgiving weekend as shoppers spent an average of 3.5 percent less than a year ago, the National Retail Federation said on Sunday.

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Trump says he would have won U.S. popular vote if not for illegal voting

PALM BEACH, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that

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Castro's death casts pall over Cuba: even dissidents hold back

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's most prominent dissident group called off its weekly protest march for the first time in 13 years on Sunday following the death of its nemesis Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader whose passing has cast a pall over the island.

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With a cry of 'Viva Fidel!', Cubans begin mourning for Castro

HAVANA (Reuters) - Flag-waving Cuban students broke into a mass chant of "I am Fidel" to salute Fidel Castro as nine days of mourning began for the combative Cold War icon, who dominated the Communist island's political life for generations.

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Trump adviser warns him not to pick Romney for Secretary of State

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An internal dispute among Donald Trump's advisers broke out into the open on Sunday when his campaign manager warned that the president-elect could face an intense backlash from supporters if he chose Mitt Romney to be his secretary of state.

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Cubans fret over life after Castro with Trump next door

HAVANA (Reuters) - From the Bay of Pigs invasion to a historic visit by President Barack Obama to Havana, Cubans have known for generations that whenever the United States turns its face to Cuba, Fidel Castro would be staring right back.

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One ticket has winning numbers in $421 million Powerball lottery

(Reuters) - A lottery ticket sold in Tennessee had the winning numbers for a $421 million Powerball jackpot, one of the biggest on record, officials said after Saturday's draw.

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Cuba's Fidel Castro made revolutionary mark on history

The son of a wealthy landowner, Fidel Castro turned his back on a life of privilege to lead a left-wing revolution in Cuba that endured for decades and was shaped by his political cunning, keen sense of destiny and boundless ego.

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Saturday, November 26, 2016

Thanksgiving, Black Friday store sales fall, online rises

(Reuters) - Sales and traffic at U.S. brick-and-mortar stores on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday declined from last year, as stores offered discounts well beyond the weekend and more customers shopped online.

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Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro dies aged 90

HAVANA (Reuters) - Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary who built a communist state on the doorstep of the United States and for five decades defied U.S. efforts to topple him, died on Friday. He was 90.

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Clinton team to take part in U.S. presidential recount in Wisconsin

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign will take part in a Wisconsin recount of votes cast in the U.S. presidential race won by Republican Donald Trump, a campaign official said on Saturday.

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Castro's death puts renewed focus on Trump's Cuba policy

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama offered a "hand of friendship" to Cubans on Saturday after the death of Fidel Castro, while his successor, Republican President-elect Donald Trump gave his first reaction on Twitter, declaring "Fidel Castro is dead!"

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Friday, November 25, 2016

Shootings outside U.S. stores on Black Friday leave two dead

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - A Good Samaritan who tried to stop a woman being assaulted was shot to death outside a Texas Walmart packed with shoppers on Black Friday while another man in New Jersey was also killed outside a mall, authorities said.

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U.N. close to sanctions deal to slash North Korea export earnings: diplomats

(Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council's five veto powers are close to approving new sanctions on North Korea to cut the isolated state's earnings from exports by more than a quarter, principally by targeting its coal exports to China, diplomats said on Friday.

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Green Party files for election recount in Wisconsin

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wisconsin's election commission said on Friday it had received petitions for a recount of votes in the presidential election from the Green Party campaign and another candidate and was planning to start the process.

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Trump names Washington lawyer McGahn White House Counsel

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump has named Washington attorney Donald McGahn as his White House Counsel, a senior transition official told Reuters on Friday.

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Trump will pursue 'regional hegemony' in South China Sea: Chinese academics

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Donald Trump presidency does not mean the United States will withdraw from the South China Sea, but rather will continue pursuing "regional hegemony", Chinese academics who drafted a report for an influential government think tank said on Friday.

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Iraq readies force to storm flashpoint town near Mosul

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq is readying a special force tasked with storming Tal Afar, a bastion of Islamic State west of Mosul, in a way that would avoid revenge killings against the town's Sunni population.

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Blue-collar Democrats to party: It's still the economy, stupid

The Democratic Party chairman in Youngstown, Ohio, wrote to Hillary Clinton's advisers in May warning she needed to put a jobs-focused message at the heart of her White House campaign or else watch blue-collar voters in states like Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania slip away to Republican Donald Trump.

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Thursday, November 24, 2016

Thanksgiving sales surge online as shoppers stay home for holiday

(Reuters) - Online spending by U.S. bargain hunters climbed to above $1 billion by Thanksgiving evening, according to Adobe Digital Index, surging almost 14 percent from a year ago and reflecting a broader trend away from brick-and-mortar shopping.

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Two passenger trains collide in Iran, several killed: TV

ANKARA (Reuters) - Two passenger trains collided in Iran's north-central province of Semnan on early Friday, killing several people and injuring unspecified number of others, Iran's state TV reported.

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Asian stocks steady as dollar pulls back from 13-1/2-year high

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian stocks steadied on Friday as the Thanksgiving break in the United States pegged the dollar's relentless surge that had sucked capital out of most emerging markets.

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Wells Fargo asks U.S. court to dismiss account scandal lawsuit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co has asked a U.S. court to order dozens of customers who are suing the bank over the opening of unauthorized accounts to resolve their disputes in private arbitrations instead of court, according to legal documents.

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Central Americans surge north, hoping to reach U.S. before Trump inauguration

TEGUCIGALPA/GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Central American countries warned on Thursday that large numbers of migrants have fled their poor, violent homes since Donald Trump's surprise election win, hoping to reach the United States before he takes office next year.

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U.S. soldier dies following IED blast in northern Syria: statement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. service member died on Thursday after being wounded in an improvised explosive device blast in northern Syria, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

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Two killed, four wounded in Louisville park shootings

(Reuters) - Two people were killed and four wounded when gunfire erupted on Thursday at a park crowded with people gathered for a football tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, a police spokesman told reporters.

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Business booms at Trump Tower, nearby retailers hit by security and crowds

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bailey White, 13, stood patiently in line with her little brother Keaton at the gift store inside the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, each clutching a stuffed terrier named Charlie that cost $35 per item.

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Magnitude 7 offshore quake shakes Central America as hurricane hits

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - A strong earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Central America shook the region on Thursday, and could prompt hazardous tsunami waves, U.S. monitoring agencies said, just as a hurricane barreled into the Caribbean coasts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

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California inmates rappel from jail in escape, two at large

(Reuters) - Four California inmates cut through the bars of a second-story jail window and rappelled down the building's side in an overnight escape bid, authorities and media reported on Thursday.

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Trump says 'making progress' to keep Carrier Corp in U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday said he was "making progress" to keep Carrier Corp's heating, air conditioning and refrigeration business in Indiana.

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Suicide truck bomb kills more than 80 in Iraq, most of them Iranian pilgrims

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide truck bomb killed more than 80 people, most of them Iranian Shi'ite pilgrims, at a petrol station in the city of Hilla 100 km (62 miles) south of Baghdad on Thursday, police and medical sources said.

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Green Party raises $2.5 million for presidential election recount in Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein on Thursday reached her goal to raise $2.5 million to request a recount in Wisconsin, one of three states where she plans to seek an audit of U.S. presidential election results, her campaign said.

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Wilbur Ross seen as Trump pick for Commerce Department: WSJ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump is expected to select Wilbur Ross Jr as secretary of the Commerce Department, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the deliberations.

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Kurds, Shi'ite fighters to coordinate after sealing off Mosul

ERBIL/BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi Kurdish and Shi'ite forces agreed to coordinate movements after cutting off Mosul from the rest of the territory held by Islamic State in western Iraq and Syria in support of a U.S-backed offensive to capture the city, U.S. and Iraqi officials said on Thursday.

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U.S. airports ease Thanksgiving rush with friendly dogs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. airports trotted out friendly companion dogs to calm jittery travelers and offered perks including free parking on Wednesday as throngs of people rushed toward their Thanksgiving holiday celebrations.

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Wednesday, November 23, 2016

China says it will promote trade deals regardless of TPP, RCEP direction

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said it will actively participate in bilateral and multilateral trade deals, with the goal of deepening reform and opening up its economy, regardless of the direction the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) or the China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) might take.

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Personal data for more than 130,000 sailors hacked: U.S. Navy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hackers gained access to sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, for 134,386 current and former U.S. sailors, the U.S. Navy said on Wednesday.

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Intelligence gaps may have helped Afghan Taliban breach NATO fortress

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (Reuters) - In the year before Qari Naib blew himself up on Nov. 12 inside a NATO base near Kabul killing four Americans, Afghan intelligence warned the U.S. military at least twice that a worker could be planning an attack, government and security officials said.

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Carson accepts Trump's offer to head Housing and Urban Development: WSJ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, a former presidential rival, on Wednesday accepted an offer from President-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a Carson spokesman.

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Trump taps Michigan Republican DeVos for education secretary: reports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has tapped wealthy Republican donor and school choice advocate Betsy DeVos to lead the U.S. Education Department, a post she has accepted, according to media reports on Wednesday.

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Fed policymakers confident of need for rate hikes on eve of Trump win

WASHINGTON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Federal Reserve policymakers appeared confident on the eve of the U.S. presidential election that the economy was strengthening enough to warrant interest rate increases soon, minutes from the Fed's Nov. 1-2 meeting showed.

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Trump chooses foreign policy novice as ambassador to U.N.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump named South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a former critic who has little foreign policy experience, to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday at a time of uncertainty over America's international role under his presidency.

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U.S. durable goods report hints at pickup in business spending

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New orders for U.S. manufactured capital goods rebounded in October, driven by rising demand for machinery and a range of other equipment, pointing to a tentative pickup in business investment.

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Trump won with lowest minority vote in decades, fueling divisions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency with less support from black and Hispanic voters than any president in at least 40 years, a Reuters review of polling data shows, highlighting deep national divisions that have fueled incidents of racial and political confrontation.

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As Trump disses TPP, China says to 'play role' in Asia-Pacific integration

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will "play its role" in promoting economic integration in the Asia-Pacific, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he would kill an ambitious regional trade pact.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Exclusive: Google nears tax settlement with Indonesian government - sources

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google is expected to reach a tax settlement with the Indonesian government in the next few weeks, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

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Petraeus indicates would serve Trump if asked: BBC interview

LONDON (Reuters) - Retired U.S. General David Petraeus indicated on Wednesday that he would say "yes" if President-elect Donald Trump asked him to serve in his administration, according to an interview on Britain's BBC Radio 4.

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In wake of Wells Fargo, U.S. regulator mulls tougher bank sanctions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. banking regulator is considering whether to harden sanctions against lenders that abuse their clients or violate banking laws, according to a draft plan, seen by Reuters, that was drawn up in the wake of a scandal at Wells Fargo.

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Judge blocks Obama rule extending overtime pay to 4.2 million workers

(Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday blocked an Obama administration rule to extend mandatory overtime pay to more than 4 million workers from taking effect, imperiling one of the outgoing president's signature achievements for boosting wages.

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North Carolina governor requests vote recount in tight race

(Reuters) - North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory announced on Tuesday he has officially requested a recount of votes from the Nov. 8 election with official results showing him trailing his Democratic challenger, Attorney General Roy Cooper, by one-tenth of a point.

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Exclusive: U.S. grants Airbus license to sell 106 planes to Iran

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has issued a license to France's Airbus for the sale of 106 commercial planes to Iran Air, Iran's flagship carrier, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

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Exclusive: Russian tankers defy EU ban to smuggle jet fuel to Syria - sources

LONDON (Reuters) - Russian tankers have smuggled jet fuel to Syria through EU waters, bolstering military supplies to a war-torn country where Moscow is carrying out air strikes in support of the government, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

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U.S. existing home sales hit more than 9-1/2-year high

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. home resales rose in October to their highest level in more than 9-1/2 years amid pent-up demand, offering more evidence of a pickup in economic growth early in the fourth quarter.

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Week of renewed Aleppo strikes kills 141 in east, 16 in west: Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 141 civilians, including 18 children, have been killed in a week of renewed bombardment on the rebel-held eastern half of Aleppo which has devastated its hospitals, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.

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Asia stocks at one-week highs on U.S. cues; oil jumps

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Asian stocks rose to one-week highs, helped by solid overnight gains on Wall Street, though investors were wary of chasing prices higher until President-elect Donald Trump picks his economic team. Oil extended gains.

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Monday, November 21, 2016

Trump foreign policies could hurt, help his business empire

LONDON (Reuters) - Any moves by Donald Trump to ban Muslims from entering the United States or bring back waterboarding to interrogate suspects could have repercussions for some of his sprawling foreign business interests -- from his golf course in Scotland to luxury resorts in Indonesia.

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Tennessee school bus crash kills at least six children

(Reuters) - A bus carrying elementary students home from school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, crashed on Monday afternoon, killing at least six children and sending nearly two dozen to a hospital with injuries, authorities said.

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Japan PM says TPP trade pact meaningless without U.S.

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would be meaningless without U.S. participation, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he would withdraw the United States from the pan-Pacific free trade deal.

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Trump says will quit Pacific trade deal on day one of presidency

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump released a video on Monday laying out actions he will take on his first day in office on Jan. 20, including withdrawing the United States from a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

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Tsunami of 60 cm reaches Fukushima coast after earthquake: NHK

TOKYO (Reuters) - A tsunami of 60 cm (2 feet) reached Onahama Port in Fukushima, the first tsunami waves to hit the coast after a powerful earthquake struck northern Japan on Tuesday, public broadcaster NHK reported.

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Tech worker visas face uncertain future under Trump, Sessions

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The main U.S. visa program for technology workers could face renewed scrutiny under President-elect Donald Trump and his proposed Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions, a long-time critic of the skilled-worker program.

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Texas manhunt seeks killer of policeman; four U.S. police shot on same day

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - Authorities hunted on Monday for a gunman who killed a San Antonio policeman in an ambush, one of four officers shot in the line of duty in Texas, Missouri and Florida on the same day.

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Trek to Trump Tower continues for Trump Cabinet hopefuls

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A steady stream of Cabinet hopefuls made their way across the opulent lobby of New York's Trump Tower to meet with President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, spurring continued speculation about the policies he will put in place when he takes office on Jan. 20.

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Kabul mosque attack death toll at 27: police

KABUL (Reuters) - The death toll from Monday's suicide attack at a Shia mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul rose to at least 27 people, with 35 wounded, police said.

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APEC leaders vow to fight protectionism, look to China on trade

LIMA (Reuters) - Pacific Rim leaders vowed on Sunday to fight protectionism and Chinese officials said more countries are looking to join a China-led trading bloc after Donald Trump's election victory raised fears the United States would scrap free trade deals.

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Sunday, November 20, 2016

Asia shares shaky as Trump bets keep emerging markets pressured

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares were on the defensive on Monday, undermined by fears that the strength in the U.S. dollar and rising U.S. bond yields since Donald Trump's election to president could accelerate fund outflows from emerging markets.

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South Korea's opposition parties move toward President Park impeachment

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's opposition People's Party will start collecting signatures for an impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye, while the main opposition Democratic Party will review the conditions for impeachment, party spokesmen said on Monday.

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New York's Cuomo unveils rights initiative, says election spawned 'social crisis'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday launched an initiative to combat hate crimes and protect civil rights, saying the divisive U.S. presidential campaign had prompted a wave of disturbing incidents across the state and the country.

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Pence not offended by comments to him at 'Hamilton' show

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President-elect Mike Pence said on Sunday he was not offended by pointed comments made to him by a cast member of "Hamilton" after he attended the hit Broadway show.

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Saturday, November 19, 2016

Protesters target gathering of white nationalists in Washington: reports

(Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters rallied in Washington, D.C., on Saturday to express outrage at a gathering of white nationalists celebrating U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's victory, according to media reports.

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As he shapes Cabinet, Trump meets former rival Romney and retired Gen. Mattis

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney set aside a fierce rivalry on Saturday and held talks likely to feed speculation that Romney could be in line to be the next U.S. secretary of state.

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French in centre-right primary to pick presidential candidate to face Le Pen

PARIS (Reuters) - Conservative presidential hopefuls in France face the judgment of voters in a primary race on Sunday and the victor looks likely to win the presidency in next spring's election against a resurgent far-right.

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South Korea prosecutors indict friend, former aides of President Park in corruption probe

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors said on Sunday they had formally indicted a friend of President Park Geun-hye and two former aides in a corruption scandal engulfing her administration.

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Merkel expected to say she will seek fourth term as German chancellor

BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel is set to announce on Sunday she will seek a fourth term as German chancellor in next year's election, ending months of speculation over whether one of the world's most powerful women wants to run again after 11 years in office.

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Senior U.S. officials recommend removal of NSA director: sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The heads of the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence community have recommended to President Barack Obama that the director of the National Security Agency, Admiral Michael Rogers, be removed from his position, sources familiar with the matter said on Saturday.

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All hospitals in eastern Aleppo out of action after bombardments: officials

BEIRUT (Reuters) - All hospitals in Syria's besieged rebel-held eastern Aleppo are out of service after days of heavy air strikes, its health directorate and the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, though a war monitor said some were still working.

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Trump demands apology from 'very rude' cast of Hamilton show

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday demanded an apology from the cast of the Broadway hit "Hamilton" for appealing from the stage to Vice President-elect Mike Pence to uphold American values as the conservative sat in the theater audience.

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Pro-business Sessions will not go easy on corporate crime: lawyers

(Reuters) - Jeff Sessions may be known as a pro-business conservative but as U.S. attorney general he is unlikely to shy away from indicting big companies and individuals for serious white-collar crimes, legal experts said, citing his record as a lawmaker.

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China state media warn Trump against renouncing free trade deals

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese state media warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday against flip-flopping on trade deals in Asia, as Asia-Pacific leaders gathered for a summit amid fears that growing protectionism will stunt global economic growth.

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Friday, November 18, 2016

Conservatives have concerns about Sessions as Trump's attorney general

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named his earliest and staunchest supporter in the Senate, conservative Republican Jeff Sessions, to become the next U.S. attorney general, triggering an outcry from civil rights groups as well as some conservatives outside Congress who are uneasy about Sessions' positions.

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Trump picks conservative loyalists for top security, law enforcement jobs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump picked three conservative loyalists to lead his national security and law enforcement teams on Friday, underscoring his campaign promise to take a hard line confronting Islamist militancy and curbing illegal immigration.

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Under pressure on U.S. jobs, Ford tries new gambit with Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co , one of Donald Trump's prime corporate targets on the campaign trail, offered the President-elect a chance to claim a victory late on Thursday by informing him it would not shift production of a Lincoln sport utility vehicle to Mexico from Kentucky.

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Trump nears settlement in Trump University lawsuit: CNBC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump is nearing a settlement in the Trump University fraud lawsuits in New York and California, CNBC reported on Friday, citing an unidentified source.

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NATO says 'absolutely confident' of Trump leadership in alliance

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday he was certain that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will lead the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and he is hoping to speak to Trump soon.

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Trump offers Sessions attorney general post: CBS News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump has offered Republican Senator Jeff Sessions the job of U.S. Attorney General, CBS News and Bloomberg reported on Friday.

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With Trump victory, blunt U.S. general gets second chance

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On his way to the polls on election day, Michael Flynn pulled out his phone and took a video of himself saying his vote for Donald Trump was part of a larger fight against "the dishonesty and deceit of our government."

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Trump may discuss U.S. secretary of state job with critic Romney: source

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump planned a Saturday meeting with Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and fierce Trump critic, and may discuss whether he should be a candidate for secretary of state, a source familiar with the meeting said on Thursday.

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Japan's PM Abe meets Trump, says confident can build trust

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described Donald Trump as a "trustworthy leader" after meeting the U.S. president-elect on Thursday to get clarity on statements Trump had made while campaigning that had caused concern about the alliance.

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Thursday, November 17, 2016

Americans want Trump to focus on healthcare first: poll

NEW YORK - Healthcare is the top issue Americans want Donald Trump to address during his first 100 days in the White House, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday, an apparent rebuke of outgoing President Barack Obama's signature reform, Obamacare.

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Trump may discuss U.S. secretary of state job with critic Romney: source

Americans want Trump to focus on healthcare first: poll

Ohio congressman Ryan challenges Pelosi for House Democratic leader

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio said on Thursday he was challenging House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who has led the party in the chamber for 14 years, as Democrats question their strategy and leadership after a stinging general election defeat.

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Trump may discuss U.S. secretary of state job with critic Romney: source

Ohio congressman Ryan challenges Pelosi for House Democratic leader

Trump may discuss U.S. secretary of state job with critic Romney: source

U.S. spy chief to resign as Trump takes office

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Director of National Intelligence James Clapper announced his resignation on Thursday and said it "felt pretty good" to step down, ending a six-year tenure as the top U.S. spy that included a sometimes rocky relationship with Congress.

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Trump may discuss U.S. secretary of state job with critic Romney: source

U.S. spy chief to resign as Trump takes office

Trump may discuss secretary of state job with critic Romney: Reuters source

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump will meet on Sunday with Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate, and may discuss bringing him on to his team as secretary of state, a source familiar with the meeting said on Thursday.

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U.S. spy chief to resign as Trump takes office

Trump considering Mitt Romney for secretary of state: NBC News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is considering Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, for secretary of state, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

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Trump, Japan's Abe to hold hastily arranged talks in New York

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, rattled by Donald Trump's campaign rhetoric that cast doubt on longstanding U.S. alliances, meets the American president-elect on Thursday for talks whose details were arranged only at the last minute.

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Yellen says Fed could raise interest rates 'relatively soon'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The election of Donald Trump as U.S. president has done nothing to change the Federal Reserve's plans for a rate increase "relatively soon," Fed Chair Janet Yellen said on Thursday in Congressional testimony that included a pledge to serve out her term.

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U.S. inflation, labor market data bolster Fed December rate hike

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumer prices recorded their biggest increase in six months in October on rising gasoline costs and rents, suggesting a pickup in inflation that potentially clears the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in December.

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Japan's Abe, Trump set to meet; Abe seeking to build trust

NEW YORK/TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday he wants to build a relationship of trust when he meets U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, stressing that the two-way alliance is the core of Tokyo's diplomacy and security.

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U.S. inflation, labor market data bolster Fed December rate hike

Japan's Abe, Trump set to meet; Abe seeking to build trust

Dollar charge pauses as bond bashing relents

LONDON (Reuters) - Battered bonds and emerging market currencies enjoyed some respite on Thursday as the dollar took a breather from a post-U.S. election charge that has taken it to a 13-1/2 year high.

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Japan PM Abe to meet with Trump Thursday, seeks to build trust

WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday he wants to build a relationship of trust when he meets U.S. President-elect Donald Trump this week, stressing that the two-way alliance is the core of Tokyo's diplomacy and security.

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China sees THAAD deployment as 'weather vane' under Trump

BEIJING (Reuters) - Whether President-elect Donald Trump goes through with a deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system in South Korea will be a key indicator to how political ties unfold with China, sources with ties to the leadership in Beijing said.

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Dollar halts charge as bashed bonds steady

China sees THAAD deployment as 'weather vane' under Trump

Dollar halts charge as bashed bonds steady

China sees THAAD deployment as 'weather vane' under Trump

U.S. Treasury yields subside to take dollar off 13-and-a-half year peak, Asian stocks firm

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury yields eased on Thursday as a week-long surge that followed Donald Trump's shock election win subsided further, dragging the dollar off a 13-1/2 year peak set overnight and nudging Asian stocks a touch higher.

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China sees THAAD deployment as 'weather vane' under Trump

U.S. Treasury yields subside to take dollar off 13-and-a-half year peak, Asian stocks firm

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Clinton urges renewed 'fight for values'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defeated Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called on Wednesday for a renewed fight for a more-inclusive United States despite disappointment over an election loss that laid bare national divisions.

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U.S. Treasury yields subside to take dollar off 13-and-a-half year peak, Asian stocks firm

Defeated candidate Clinton says: 'Fight for our values'

U.S. Treasury yields subside, take dollar off 13-and-a-half year peak, Asian stocks steady

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury yields eased in Asian trade on Thursday as a week-long surge that followed Donald Trump's shock election win subsided further, helping Asian stocks gain and dragging the dollar off a more than 13-1/2 year peak set overnight.

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Defeated candidate Clinton says: 'Fight for our values'

U.S. Treasury yields subside, take dollar off 13-and-a-half year peak, Asian stocks steady

Top U.S. diplomat role an unlikely fit for 'tough guy' Giuliani

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is now the leading candidate to become President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of state, but even some Republicans say his tough-guy personality and global business ties may be at odds with international diplomacy.

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Dollar edges away from 13-year peak, Asian stocks slip

TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar edged away from a 13-year peak on Thursday, following an easing of the week-long surge in Treasury yields that was fueled by hopes for the Trump administration's economic policies, and Asian stocks slipped on Wall Street's overnight dip.

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Top U.S. diplomat role an unlikely fit for 'tough guy' Giuliani

Dollar edges away from 13-year peak, Asian stocks slip

Schumer, McConnell elected top leaders in U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. senators elected Chuck Schumer of New York as minority leader on Wednesday, and he tapped former presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders to help Democrats woo blue-collar workers, many of whom voted for President-elect Donald Trump.

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Top U.S. diplomat role an unlikely fit for 'tough guy' Giuliani

Schumer, McConnell elected top leaders in U.S. Senate

Top U.S. diplomat role an unlikely fit for 'tough guy' Giuliani

Schumer, McConnell elected top leaders in U.S. Senate

Trump touts foreign contacts, says transition going 'so smoothly'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday denounced reports of disorganization in the team overseeing his transition to the White House in January, singling out the New York Times for saying world leaders have had trouble getting in touch with him.

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Le Pen says 'world peace' would gain from a Trump-Putin-Le Pen trio

PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right party leader Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday that her election as president next year would form a trio of world leaders with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin that "would be good for world peace."

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Schumer, McConnell elected top leaders in Senate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. senators elected Chuck Schumer as minority leader for the new Congress on Wednesday, and he tapped former presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders for a junior leadership role.

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Le Pen says 'world peace' would gain from a Trump-Putin-Le Pen trio

Schumer, McConnell elected top leaders in Senate

A post-Trump SEC could shake up current policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It will be a new day at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after President-elect Donald Trump installs his choice to run the agency.

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Special Report: Under siege in Mosul, Islamic State turns to executions and paranoia

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - A few weeks ago, a person inside Mosul began to send text messages to Iraqi military intelligence in Baghdad.

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A post-Trump SEC could shake up current policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It will be a new day at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after President-elect Donald Trump installs his choice to run the agency.

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Special Report: Under siege in Mosul, Islamic State turns to executions and paranoia

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - A few weeks ago, a person inside Mosul began to send text messages to Iraqi military intelligence in Baghdad.

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Immigration hardliner says Trump team preparing plans for wall, mulling Muslim registry

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An architect of anti-immigration efforts who says he is advising President-elect Donald Trump said the new administration could push ahead rapidly on construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall without seeking immediate congressional approval.

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Special Report: Under siege in Mosul, Islamic State turns to executions and paranoia

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - A few weeks ago, a person inside Mosul began to send text messages to Iraqi military intelligence in Baghdad.

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Immigration hardliner says Trump team preparing plans for wall, mulling Muslim registry

Special Report: Under siege in Mosul, Islamic State turns to executions and paranoia

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - A few weeks ago, a person inside Mosul began to send text messages to Iraqi military intelligence in Baghdad.

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A post-Trump SEC could shake up current policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It will be a new day at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after President-elect Donald Trump installs his choice to run the agency.

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Immigration hardliner says Trump team preparing plans for wall, mulling Muslim registry

Oil demand won't peak before 2040, despite Paris deal: IEA

LONDON (Reuters) - The International Energy Agency expects global oil consumption to peak no sooner than 2040, leaving its long-term forecasts for supply and demand unchanged despite the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement entering into force.

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Immigration hardliner says Trump team preparing plans for wall, mulling Muslim registry

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

A post-Trump SEC could shake up current policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It will be a new day at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after President-elect Donald Trump installs his choice to run the agency.

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Immigration hardliner says Trump team preparing plans for wall, mulling Muslim registry

House Speaker Paul Ryan renominated to top House post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives nominated Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday for re-election to his post next year, as lawmakers giddy with election success smoothed over their differences and pledged to unite behind Republican President-elect Donald Trump.

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Immigration hardliner says Trump team preparing plans for wall, mulling Muslim registry

House Speaker Paul Ryan renominated to top House post

Immigration hardliner says Trump team preparing plans for wall, mulling Muslim registry

House Speaker Paul Ryan renominated to top House post

Immigration hardliner says Trump team preparing plans for wall, mulling Muslim registry

U.S. says war crimes probe of U.S. forces in Afghanistan unwarranted

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An International Criminal Court investigation of possible war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan is not "warranted or appropriate," the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday after prosecutors in The Hague found initial grounds for such a probe.

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House Speaker Paul Ryan renominated to top House post

North Korea does not care who is president of United States

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - North Korea does not care who is president of the United States, a senior Pyongyang-based diplomat said during a visit to the United Nations on Tuesday following the election of Donald Trump to succeed President Barack Obama.

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House Speaker Paul Ryan renominated to top House post

North Korea does not care who is president of United States

Dow pauses after six-day rally; tech stocks rise

(Reuters) - The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were higher in early afternoon trading on Tuesday as tech stocks were back in demand after a post-election drubbing, while the Dow took a breather following a six-day rally.

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North Korea does not care who is president of United States

S&P, Nasdaq rise as tech stocks back in favor

(Reuters) - The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose on Tuesday as tech stocks were back in demand after a post-election drubbing, while the Dow took a breather following a six-day rally.

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UK government has no overall plan for Brexit, leaked memo cited by BBC says

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has no overall plan for Brexit and the strategy for leaving the European Union might not be agreed for six months due to divisions in Prime Minister Theresa May's government, according to a leaked memo seen by the BBC and The Times.

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Giuliani is a leading candidate to be Trump's secretary of state: source

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has emerged as a leading candidate to be U.S. secretary of state for President-elect Donald Trump, a source familiar with the situation said on Monday.

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Monday, November 14, 2016

Thousands of students carry protests against Trump into second week

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Demonstrations protesting the U.S. presidential election victory of Republican Donald Trump entered their second week on Monday, with thousands of students chanting phrases like "Not My President" after walking out of classes across the country.

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Asia stocks on back foot as dollar, Treasury yields rise

HONG KONG (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar scaled an eleven-month peak on Tuesday and Treasury yields extended their rise as investors braced for higher inflation in the United States amid expectations of fiscally expansionary polices under Donald Trump's presidency.

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Over 412 million adult-website credentials hacked: security firm

(Reuters) - Login credentials for over 412 million users of adult websites run by California-based FriendFinder Networks Inc. were compromised last month in the largest hack of 2016, according to breach notification website LeakedSource.com.

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Wall Street down as tech drag offsets financial sector's rise

(Reuters) - U.S. stocks were slightly lower in afternoon trading on Monday and technology was the weakest sector, offsetting a steep rise in financial stocks as investors bet on higher interest rates.

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Syrian rebels battle each other north of Aleppo

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian insurgents clashed in a town near the Turkish border on Monday as inter-rebel tensions spilled over, playing to President Bashar al-Assad's advantage with the government tightening its grip on rebel-held eastern Aleppo.

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Trump shapes White House, hires establishment figure, firebrand

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump chose Washington insider Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff and firebrand conservative Stephen Bannon as chief strategist, showing a willingness to work with Congress and giving a nod to right-wing activists who helped sweep him into office.

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Election over, Congress pivots to lame-duck debate over spending

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a bitter election campaign finally over, the Congress will reconvene this week to try to set aside its partisan differences long enough to keep the government from closing.

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Sunday, November 13, 2016

Trump says 'certain areas' of border wall with Mexico could be fence

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview to air on Sunday that certain areas of his promised border wall with Mexico, a key part of his White House campaign platform, could be fence instead.

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Tsunami hits New Zealand after massive quake

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck central New Zealand just after midnight, the U.S. Geological Survey said, causing widespread damage and generating a tsunami.

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Obama officials work against time to wrap banking rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials are striving to put finishing touches on a slew of banking rules before President Barack Obama leaves office and hands regulatory power to Donald Trump who has vowed to rewrite the existing financial rule book.

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U.S. to push ahead on climate pact before Trump takes over: Kerry

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday the Obama administration would do everything it could to implement a global agreement to combat climate change before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

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Saturday, November 12, 2016

Clinton blames FBI's Comey for her defeat in call with donors

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton blamed FBI director James Comey for her stunning defeat in Tuesday's presidential election in a conference call with her top campaign funders on Saturday, according to two participants who were on the call.

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Protesters set to gather again in U.S. cities to oppose Trump

(Reuters) - Demonstrators are expected to gather again on Saturday in cities across the United States to protest at President-elect Donald Trump and his policies, which they say will hurt their civil and human rights, a day after a protester was shot in Portland, Oregon.

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Some Republicans see attacking Obamacare through regulation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Republicans are looking for the quickest ways to tear down Obamacare following Donald Trump's election as U.S. president, including rapidly confirming a new health secretary who could recast regulations while waiting for lawmakers to pass sweeping repeal legislation.

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Ex-U.S. ambassador to Moscow says banned from entering Russia

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has banned Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow under President Barack Obama, from entering the country, McFaul and Russian Foreign Ministry sources said.

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Trump packs transition team with loyalists and family

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump began laying the groundwork on Friday to take office on Jan. 20, 2017, gathering the most loyal advisers from his insurgent campaign and three of his children to plot his transition strategy.

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Friday, November 11, 2016

A discontented Michigan town: America should have seen Trump coming

ALGONAC, Mich. (Reuters) - Back in April, there were already early signs in this quiet Michigan town of the rural American discontent that helped propel Donald Trump to election victory, even if it was underestimated by the Washington establishment, pollsters and Hillary Clinton's campaign.

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Buffett says U.S. stock market to rise regardless of election outcome

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who strongly criticized Republican President-elect Donald Trump during his campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton, said the stock market is poised to rise long-term regardless of the U.S. election outcome.

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Trump win opens way for China to take climate leadership role

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The election of climate change skeptic Donald Trump as president is likely to end the U.S. leadership role in the international fight against global warming and may lead to the emergence of a new and unlikely champion: China.

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Iraqi special forces seize Mosul district in fresh push

KOKJALI/BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces said they pushed deeper into Mosul on Friday despite heavy resistance from Islamic State militants using civilians as cover, and were holding half a dozen city neighborhoods seized in the last 10 days.

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Islamic State executes scores, stockpiles chemicals: U.N.

GENEVA (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters have executed scores more people around Mosul this week and are reportedly stockpiling ammonia and sulfur in civilian areas, possibly for use as chemical weapons, U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday.

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History of music

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Leonard Cohen, rock music's poetic visionary, dies at age 82

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Leonard Cohen, rock music's man of letters whose songs fused religious imagery with themes of redemption and sexual desire, earning him critical and popular acclaim, has died at age 82, said a statement on his Facebook page.

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Trump's foreign policy approach almost same as that of Putin: Kremlin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's foreign policy approach was "phenomenally close" to that of President Vladimir Putin, giving Russia hope that tattered U.S.-Russia relations could gradually be improved.

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Judge rejects Trump bid to bar campaign statements from fraud trial

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday tentatively rejected a bid by Donald Trump to keep a wide range of statements from the presidential campaign out of an upcoming fraud trial over his Trump University venture.

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Russia says was in touch with Trump campaign during election

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian government was in touch with members of President-elect Donald Trump's campaign staff during the U.S. election campaign, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Interfax news agency on Thursday.

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Trump promised to repeal Obamacare. Now what?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican President-elect Donald Trump vowed on the campaign trail to repeal Obamacare, but making good on that promise may be easier said than done.

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Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Obama, Trump to set differences aside for awkward White House meeting

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will host an awkward meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday in their first public step toward a peaceful transition of power after the Republican businessman's surprise election victory.

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Five shot in downtown Seattle near scene of anti-Trump protests

(Reuters) - A gunman opened fire in downtown Seattle on Wednesday evening following an argument and wounded five people, one man critically, not far from protests against the surprise victory of Republican Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election.

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Thousands take to U.S. streets to protest Trump victory

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Demonstrators marched in cities across the United States on Wednesday to protest against Republican Donald Trump's surprise U.S. presidential election win, blasting his controversial campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and other groups.

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Fractured Republicans come together in face of Trump triumph

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - One immediate consequence of Donald Trump’s stunning victory in the U.S. presidential race is that the identity crisis that convulsed the Republican Party during his tumultuous candidacy has been resolved.

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How the polls, including ours, missed Trump's victory

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Two days ago, pollsters and statisticians gave Hillary Clinton odds of between 75 and 99 percent of winning the U.S. presidential election. How did so many get it so wrong?

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Trump due in court before Oval Office

(Reuters) - Within a few weeks of winning the White House, President-elect Donald Trump could face another group of U.S. citizens, a federal jury in California, courtesy of a lawsuit by former students of his now-defunct Trump University who claim they were defrauded by a series of real-estate seminars.

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Russia revels in Trump victory, looks to sanctions relief

MOSCOW (Reuters) - For all their mutual praise, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump are likely to disagree on many things.

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Trump win leaves dollar, global stocks, Mexican peso reeling

LONDON/SYDNEY (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar, Mexican peso and world stocks began to steady in the European morning on Wednesday, having been hammered overnight as Donald Trump swept to victory in the U.S. presidential election.

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World in shock as Trump surges to victory in U.S.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Governments from Asia to Europe reacted with stunned disbelief on Wednesday to the victory of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election, while populists hailed the result as a triumph of the people over a failed political establishment.

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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

U.S. voters want leader to end advantage of rich and powerful: Reuters/Ipsos

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Americans who had cast their votes for the next president early on Tuesday appeared to be worried about the direction of the country, and were looking for a "strong leader who can take the country back from the rich and powerful," according to an early reading from the Reuters/Ipsos national Election Day poll.

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Trump campaign sues in Nevada over Las Vegas polling place

(Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sued the registrar of voters in Clark County, Nevada, over a polling place in Las Vegas that had been allowed to remain open late last week to accommodate people who were lined up to vote.

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Long lines, raised voices, one Trump lawsuit on U.S. election day

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Voters reported long lines, malfunctioning equipment, and isolated cases of harassment at polling places in Tuesday's U.S. presidential election as fears of bigger problems did not appear to be materializing.

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Gun control measures expected to win in four states

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gun control-related ballot measures in four states are expected to pass on Tuesday, opinion polls show, after gun safety advocates poured a massive amount of money into backing the initiatives.

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Islamic State abducts over 200 near Mosul, retreats with thousands: U.N.

GENEVA (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters have abducted 295 former Iraqi Security Forces members near Mosul and forced 1,500 families to retreat with them from the town of Hammam al Alil toward Mosul airport, U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Tuesday.

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Syrian government battles rebels for key Aleppo district

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces were battling rebels for control of a strategically significant district of Aleppo on Tuesday, in what could be the most important advance in the divided city by Damascus and its allies in several weeks.

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Monday, November 7, 2016

Asian shares, dollar, ride high as Clinton looks more likely to win election

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian shares rose in early Asian trade on Tuesday ahead of the U.S. presidential election, with investor sentiment buoyed by improving prospects for Democrat Hillary Clinton to win.

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Clinton has 90 percent chance of winning: Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With hours to go before Americans vote, Democrat Hillary Clinton has about a 90 percent chance of defeating Republican Donald Trump in the race for the White House, according to the final Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project.

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Justice Department to monitor Tuesday's election in 28 states

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Personnel from the U.S. Justice Department's civil rights division will be deployed to polling sites in 28 states to monitor Tuesday's election, five more than it monitored in the 2012 election, the department said on Monday.

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Hate speech seeps into U.S. mainstream amid bitter campaign

(Note: paragraph 2 contains language that may offend some readers)

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Clinton and Trump chase last-minute support on U.S. election eve

PITTSBURGH/SARASOTA (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump crisscrossed the United States on Monday, racing to sway undecided voters and to get their supporters to vote in a tight presidential contest that opinion polls show narrowly favoring Clinton.

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Republicans, Democrats vie for control of Congress on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A furious fight for control of the U.S. Congress being waged alongside the White House race between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump ends on Tuesday with elections that will help shape the country's policy decisions for the next two years.

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Janet Reno, first U.S. woman attorney general, dies aged 78: reports

(Reuters) - Janet Reno, the first woman U.S. attorney general who served eight tumultuous years with President Bill Clinton, has died aged 78, according to media reports.

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Iraq peshmerga attack Islamic State town as army battles in Mosul

BASHIQA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces attacked an Islamic State-held town northeast of Mosul on Monday, trying to clear a pocket of militants outside the city while Iraqi troops wage a fierce urban war with the jihadists in its eastern neighborhoods.

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Sunday, November 6, 2016

Betting sites see record wagering on U.S. presidential election

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The raucous, passionate and unpredictable 2016 U.S. presidential election is on track to notch another distinction: the most wagered-upon political event ever.

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Obama unlikely to see assault on Islamic State's Syria stronghold

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S.-backed assault on Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria, is unlikely to pierce the city itself before President Barack Obama leaves office in January, denying him the chance to claim the end of the group's "caliphate" as part of his legacy.

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Stocks, dollar, peso jump in relief rally after FBI clears Clinton

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Stocks rose and the dollar rallied against its major rivals on Monday after the FBI said it stood by its earlier recommendation that no criminal charges were warranted against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

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Amid scandal, bluster and insults, Trump closes in on White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supercharging the bluster, hyperbole and media mastery that made him one of the world's best-known businessmen, Donald Trump upended U.S. democratic traditions on a 17-month quest he hopes will lead to the White House.

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FBI tells Congress it has not changed conclusion on Clinton emails

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI Director James Comey told Congress on Sunday a recent review of newly discovered emails did not change the agency's conclusion that no charges were warranted in the case of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.

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Fending off foes, Clinton blazes a trail with White House in sight

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton has one of the strongest resumes of anyone ever to run for U.S. president, with stints as first lady, senator and secretary of state, but she is also a polarizing figure and a Washington insider with decades of political baggage.

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U.S.-backed forces announce operation to seize Raqqa in coordination with U.S.

AMMAN (Reuters) - The U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Sunday the start of a campaign to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa, the militant Islamic State group's de facto capital, would begin within hours, with U.S. forces providing air cover.

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South Carolina man who kept woman chained in container killed seven

(Reuters) - South Carolina authorities said on Saturday that Todd Kohlepp, the suspect they arrested before discovering the body of a man whose girlfriend was found chained alive in a storage container, had confessed to killing six other people.

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Fate of Obama legacy initiatives in hands of courts, successor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When President Barack Obama leaves office on Jan. 20 after eight years, several of his major initiatives will still hang in the legal balance, meaning the U.S. courts and his successor will play a major role in shaping his legacy.

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