Exclusive: Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice has begun a criminal investigation into Uber Technologies Inc's use of a software tool that helped its drivers evade local transportation regulators, two sources familiar with the situation said.

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Families of San Bernardino shooting sue Facebook, Google, Twitter

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Family members of three victims of the December 2015 shooting rampage in San Bernardino, California, have sued Facebook, Google and Twitter, claiming that the tech giants permitted Islamic State to flourish on social media.

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Reporter says Fox News fired her for using harassment hotline

(Reuters) - A Fox News radio correspondent filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming she was fired for complaining about sex discrimination, after the U.S. television network encouraged employees to report harassment amid a barrage of legal claims.

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Macron cements bid for French presidency after bitter TV debate

PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - Independent centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron appeared to cement his position as favorite for the French presidency on Thursday as the dust settled on a rancorous final televised debate with far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

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State Dept. seeks social media checks in tough new visa rules

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of State has proposed tougher questioning of visa applicants who it believes warrant extra scrutiny, according to a government document published Thursday, in a push toward the "extreme vetting" sought by President Donald Trump.

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Trump signs order to ease ban on political activity by churches

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order on religious liberties designed to ease a ban on political activity by churches and other tax-exempt institutions.

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Trump to wade into Middle East politics on first foreign trip

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to Saudi Arabia and Israel this month as part of his first foreign trip, wading directly into the tangled diplomacy of Middle Eastern politics, a senior administration official said on Thursday.

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U.S. coaxes Mexico into Trump plan to overhaul Central America

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The United States is plotting an ambitious attempt to shore up Central America, with the administration of President Donald Trump pressing Mexico to do more to stem the flow of migrants fleeing violence and poverty in the region, U.S. and Mexican officials say.

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U.S. jobless claims fall, continuing claims hit 17-year low

WASHINGTON - New applications for U.S. jobless benefits fell more than expected last week and the

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Macron, earnings hopes send European shares to 20-month high

LONDON (Reuters) - Signs that centrist Emmanuel Macron was heading for victory in France's presidential election and reassuring results from HSBC pushed European shares to a near two-year high on Thursday, despite some wary signals from China and commodity markets.

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After North Korea criticism, China says wants to be good neighbor

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Thursday it wants to be good neighbors with North Korea, after the isolated country's state news agency published a rare criticism of Chinese state media commentaries calling for tougher sanctions over the North's nuclear program.

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U.S. needs to balance foreign alliances: Tillerson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday outlined for his staff how an "America First" agenda translates into foreign policy, but did not address the Trump administration's proposed budget cuts, which worry many diplomats.

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Trump to sign order lifting ban on political activity by churches

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is expected to take executive action on Thursday to effectively lift a ban on political activity by churches and other tax-exempt institutions, a senior White House official said on Wednesday.

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No federal charges for Louisiana police in shooting of black man

BATON ROUGE, La. (Reuters) - Two white Louisiana police officers will not face federal charges for the fatal shooting of a black man that sparked nationwide protests last year, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, though the state is opening its own criminal investigation.

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French presidential rivals clash in crucial TV debate

PARIS (Reuters) - Far-right leader Marine Le Pen criticized Emmanuel Macron, her centrist rival for the French presidency, as a "smirking banker" representing globalization gone wild when the two met in a crucial pre-election TV debate on Wednesday.

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Two dead, including suspect in Dallas-area college shooting: police

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A gunman who opened fire on Wednesday on a college campus in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas, apparently killed one victim and committed suicide, local police said.

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Fed holds interest rates steady, downplays economic weakness

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday and downplayed weak first-quarter economic growth while emphasizing the strength of the labor market, in a sign it was still on track for two more rate rises this year.

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Trump: Israelis, Palestinians appear willing to make peace deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he believes Israelis and Palestinians are both willing to make a peace deal, adding that he does not think it will be as difficult as people thought.

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Trump courts moderates, scrambles to head off healthcare defeat

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump and his aides courted moderate Republican lawmakers on Wednesday on a proposal to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system as the White House struggled to avoid another embarrassing defeat on a top legislative priority.

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U.S. House nearing passage of bill to fund government, avoid shutdown

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday was poised to pass a $1.2 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September and avoid a shutdown of many federal agencies on Saturday when existing money is depleted.

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Tillerson: U.S. readying new sanctions against North Korea if needed

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States was working on more sanctions targeting North Korea if Pyongyang takes steps that merit a new response.

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FBI's Comey defends 2016 decision on Clinton email probe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey on Wednesday defended his decision to announce last year that the agency had reopened an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's emails, saying not doing so would have been "an act of concealment."

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Exclusive: U.S. senators seek sanctions, other ways to address Venezuela crisis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An influential group of Republican and Democratic U.S. senators will file sweeping legislation on Wednesday to address the crisis in Venezuela, including sanctioning individuals responsible for undermining democracy or involved in corruption, Senate aides said.

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More than 50 miners trapped in explosion in Iran, some feared dead

(Reuters) - More than 50 miners were trapped after a huge explosion in a coal mine in northern Iran on Wednesday, and some were feared to have died, state media reported.

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North Korea says American was detained for 'attempted subversion'

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Wednesday an American man it had detained in late April, the third U.S. citizen being held by the isolated country, was intercepted because he was attempting to commit "hostile acts".

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Macron and Le Pen to square off in French pre-election TV debate

PARIS (Reuters) - France's presidential rivals, centrist Emmanuel Macron and the far-right's Marine Le Pen, go head-to-head on Wednesday in a televised debate in which sparks are sure to fly as they fight their corner in a last encounter before Sunday's runoff vote.

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Louisiana officers in black man's shooting will not be charged: newspapers

BATON ROUGE, La. (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department will not charge two white police officers who fatally shot a black man at close range in Louisiana last year, sparking nationwide protests, the New York Times and Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

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Republicans still short of votes to pass U.S. healthcare overhaul

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives said on Tuesday they were closer to agreeing on a reworked bill to overhaul the nation's healthcare system but still lacked the votes to pass it, as President Donald Trump pressed lawmakers for a vote.

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Democrats dig in, delay against Dodd-Frank overhaul

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives opposed to Republican legislation that would repeal major sections of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law on Tuesday made multiple efforts to delay the bill.

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Apple posts surprise dip in iPhone sales, shares fall

(Reuters) - Apple Inc reported a surprise fall in iPhone sales for its second quarter on Tuesday, indicating that customers may have held back purchases in anticipation of the 10th-anniversary edition of the company's most important product later this year.

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Clinton says Comey's letter, Russian hackers cost her the election

(Reuters) - Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday she was on the path to victory in the 2016 presidential election until late interference by Russian hackers and FBI Director James Comey scared off some potential supporters.

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U.S., China talk firmer U.N. response to North Korea's missiles: diplomats

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States is negotiating with China on a possible stronger U.N. Security Council response - such as sanctions - to North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches, which the 15-member body normally condemns in a statement, diplomats said.

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House Republicans shy of votes to pass healthcare reform: lawmaker

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. House of Representatives Freedom Caucus said on Tuesday that Republicans still lack the votes to pass a reform bill to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system.

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Trump: Republican-led Senate should ease rules to pass bills

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Republicans should make it easier for the Senate to pass legislation, either by allowing bills to be approved by a simple majority vote or by winning a wider majority in the 2018 congressional election.

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United CEO takes responsibility for passenger incident

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - United Airlines Chief Executive Oscar Munoz will tell the U.S. Congress on Tuesday he is taking responsibility for a series of failures that led to the April 9 forced removal of a passenger from a Chicago airplane that prompted worldwide condemnation.

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Hollywood writers reach tentative deal with studios, averting strike

(Reuters) - Hollywood writers said they reached a tentative deal with representatives of movie and television studios on a new contract early on Tuesday, averting a strike that could have blacked out talk shows and soap operas.

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Strong earnings power global shares higher

LONDON (Reuters) - Stocks rose in Europe and Asia on Tuesday after technology industry shares hit record highs on Wall Street and investors focused on strong corporate earnings while shrugging off weaker-than-expected Chinese factory activity data.

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France's Le Pen lifts parts of rival's speech, aides brush off plagiarism accusations

PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen came under fire on social media on Tuesday for lifting sections of a speech from a conservative rival, in what Le Pen aides said was a "nod-and-a-wink" to his voters.

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Turkey's EU dream is over, for now, top official says

VALLETTA (Reuters) - Turkey under President Tayyip Erdogan has turned its back on joining the European Union, at least for now, the bloc's top official dealing with Ankara said, offering economic cooperation instead if both sides can restore friendly ties.

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Trump questions why U.S. Civil War had to happen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump has shown a fascination with populist 19th-century U.S. president Andrew Jackson since he has occupied the Oval Office, hanging "Old Hickory's" portrait in the Oval Office, visiting his plantation in Tennessee and placing a wreath at his tomb.

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White House turns up pressure for vote on healthcare overhaul

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top aides to President Donald Trump on Monday said they expect the House of Representatives will vote this week to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, but it was unclear when a vote would be scheduled, and moderate Republican lawmakers remained skeptical.

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Hamas to soften stance on Israel, Muslim Brotherhood in policy document: Arab sources

DOHA (Reuters) - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas will drop its long-standing call for Israel's destruction as well as its association with the Muslim Brotherhood in a new policy document to be issued on Monday, Gulf Arab sources said.

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Asian nations pulled into China's orbit as Trump puts America first

MANILA (Reuters) - Across Asia, more and more countries are being pulled into Beijing's orbit, with the timid stance adopted by Southeast Asian nations on the South China Sea at a weekend summit a clear sign this fundamental geostrategic shift is gathering momentum.

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U.S.-backed militias oust Islamic State from Syria's Tabqa old city

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed militias said on Monday they had pushed Islamic State fighters out of the old quarters of Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria's largest dam, hemming the militants into the remaining modern district along the shore.

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U.S. congressional talks yield deal to fund government through September: source

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional negotiators have hammered out a bipartisan agreement on a spending package to keep the federal government funded through the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30, a senior congressional aide said on Sunday.

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Twenty-First Century Fox in talks with Blackstone to buy Tribune

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twenty-First Century Fox Inc is in talks with Blackstone Group LP about submitting an acquisition offer for Tribune Media Co, according to a source familiar with the matter.

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U.S. service member killed near Mosul identified as infantry officer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. service member who died when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was on patrol outside the northern Iraqi city of Mosul was identified on Sunday as 1st Lieutenant Weston Lee.

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Trump says China could have hacked Democratic emails

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said China may have hacked the emails of Democratic officials to meddle with the 2016 presidential election, countering the view of U.S. intelligence officials who have said Moscow orchestrated the hacks.

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Trump could target 'carried interest' tax loophole: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration's push to overhaul tax laws might soon target a loophole used by some financial managers to lower their tax rates, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said on Sunday.

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Pope calls for end to violence, respect for human rights, in Venezuela

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis called on Sunday for the respect of human rights and an end to violence in Venezuela, where nearly 30 people were killed in unrest this month.

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Five killed in Texas tornadoes; rains, winds lash US midsection: media

(Reuters) - Tornadoes killed five people east of Dallas in Texas, local media reported on Saturday, as heavy rains and damaging winds struck a broad swath of the U.S. heartland.

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South Korea says U.S. reaffirms it will pay THAAD costs; joint drills wrap up

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said Washington had reaffirmed it would shoulder the cost of deploying the THAAD anti-missile system, days after U.S. President Donald Trump said Seoul should pay for the $1-billion system designed to defend against nuclear-armed North Korea.

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Trump celebrates first 100 days as president, blasts media

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump hit the road on Saturday to celebrate his first 100 days in the White House with cheering supporters at a campaign-style rally, touting his initial achievements and lashing out at critics who have given his tenure poor marks.

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Environmental protesters return to Washington as Trump passes milestone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Protesters marched in Washington on a second consecutive Saturday to challenge President Donald Trump's stance on the environment and call on him to stand by policies to stop climate change championed by his predecessor.

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EU sets Britain tough divorce terms, slams budget veto

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders endorsed stiff divorce terms for Britain on Saturday and warned Britons to have "no illusions" about swiftly securing a new relationship to keep their access to EU markets.

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'Phased approach': How to read EU Brexit guidelines

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders approved on Saturday guidelines for their chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, setting priorities that the Union of 27 governments staying in the bloc wants to achieve in talks on Britain's withdrawal.

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French presidential hopeful Le Pen names nationalist as prime minister

PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen on Saturday chose defeated first-round candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan as her prime minister, a bid to attract his voters and help her to victory over centrist favorite Emmanuel Macron.

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Trump to order a study on abuses of U.S. trade agreements

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Saturday seeking to identify any problems caused by the nation's existing trade agreements, including an examination of U.S. involvement in the World Trade Organization, a top trade official said.

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In first 100 days, a reversal of fortune for Trump favorites on Wall Street

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A funny thing happened on Wall Street in Donald Trump's first 100 days in the White House: Shares of companies that got closest to the president lagged the market's march higher.

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North Korea test-fires ballistic missile, appears to have failed: South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on Saturday from a region north of its capital, but it appears to have failed, South Korea's military said, defying intense pressure from the United States and the reclusive state's main ally, China.

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U.S. says time to act on North Korea, China says not up to Beijing alone

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned on Friday that failure to curb North Korea's nuclear and missile development could lead to 'catastrophic consequences,' while China and Russia cautioned Washington against threatening military force.

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Exclusive: Trump says 'major, major' conflict with North Korea possible, but seeks diplomacy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute.

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U.S. first-quarter growth weakest in three years as consumer spending falters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy grew at its weakest pace in three years in the first quarter as consumer spending barely increased and businesses invested less on inventories, in a potential setback to President Donald Trump's promise to boost growth.

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Exclusive: Trump says he thought being president would be easier than his old life

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - He misses driving, feels as if he is in a cocoon, and is surprised how hard his new job is.

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Exclusive: Trump vows to fix or scrap Korea trade deal, wants missile system payment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters on Thursday he will either renegotiate or terminate what he called a "horrible" free trade deal with South Korea and said Seoul should pay for a U.S. anti-missile system that he priced at $1 billion.

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Exclusive: 'If there's a shutdown, there's a shutdown,' Trump says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump downplayed the severity of a potential government shutdown on Thursday, just two days shy of a deadline for Congress to reach a spending deal to avert temporary layoffs of federal workers.

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Pentagon probes Trump's ex-adviser Flynn over foreign payments

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon inspector general has launched an investigation into whether Michael Flynn, U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, accepted money from foreign entities without the required approval, according to a letter released by House Democrats on Thursday.

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U.S. Senate confirms Acosta to head Labor Department

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - R. Alexander Acosta was confirmed on Thursday by the U.S. Senate to head the Labor Department.

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U.S. House may vote within days on tighter North Korea sanctions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives could vote as soon as next week on legislation to toughen sanctions on North Korea by targeting its shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state, congressional aides said on Thursday.

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Number of U.S. visas to citizens of Trump travel ban nations drops

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States issued about 40 percent fewer temporary visas in March to citizens of seven countries covered by President Donald Trump's temporary travel bans than it did in an average month last year, according to a Reuters analysis of preliminary government data released on Thursday.

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U.S. FCC chief unveils plan to scrap Obama-era internet rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday released a 58-page draft plan to reverse the landmark 2015 "net neutrality" order and disclosed the agency may withdraw "bright line" rules barring internet companies from blocking, throttling or giving "fast lanes" to some websites.

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Exclusive: Taiwan president says phone call with Trump can take place again

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said a direct phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump could take place again and she urged the self-ruled island's political rival China to step up to its global responsibility to keep the peace as a large nation.

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Trump's plan to slash business taxes seen as 'guidepost' by congressional Republicans

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump unveiled a one-page plan on Wednesday proposing deep U.S. tax cuts, many for businesses, that would make the federal deficit balloon if enacted, drawing a cautious welcome from fiscal conservatives and financial markets.

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Israel strikes arms depot near Syrian capital's airport: sources

AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebel and intelligence sources said Israel struck an arms supply hub on Thursday operated by the Lebanese Hezbollah group near Damascus airport where weapons from Tehran are regularly sent by commercial and military cargo planes.

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South Korea, U.S. warn of punishment for North Korea; U.S. stresses sanctions

SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States agreed on Thursday on "swift punitive measures" against North Korea in the event of more provocation, although the United States signaled sanctions and diplomatic pressure were its priorities for now.

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U.S. chief justice alarmed at Trump administration immigration case stance

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts took issue on Wednesday with the Trump administration's stance in an immigration case, saying it could make it too easy for the government to strip people of citizenship for lying about minor infractions.

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U.S. House may consider bill to fund government for a week: source

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representative could move soon to consider a bill to fund the government for a week to avoid a shutdown at midnight on Friday and buy time to strike a deal for a long-term funding plan, a House Republican source said on Wednesday.

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U.S. may need stronger defense against North Korea missiles: admiral

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States may need to strengthen its missile defenses, particularly in Hawaii, given the advancing threat from North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs, the top U.S. commander in the Pacific told Congress on Wednesday.

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White House readies order to quit NAFTA: administration official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A draft executive order to withdraw the United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement is under consideration, a senior Trump administration official said on Wednesday, confirming an earlier report from Politico.

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Exclusive: A New York hotel deal shows how some public pension funds help to enrich Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Public pension funds in at least seven U.S. states have invested millions of dollars in an investment fund that owns a New York hotel and pays one of President Donald Trump's companies to run it, according to a Reuters review of public records. That arrangement could put Trump at risk of violating an obscure constitutional clause, some legal experts say.

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Russia says U.S. missile strike on Syria was a threat to its forces

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu complained on Wednesday that a U.S. missile strike on a Syrian air base earlier this month had posed a threat to Russian troops and was forcing Moscow to take extra measures to protect them.

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Trump slams federal court ruling on funding for 'sanctuary cities'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked a federal judge's ruling that blocked his executive order seeking to withhold funds from "sanctuary cities" for illegal immigrants, vowing to appeal it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Trump tax plan slashing business rates to test support in Congress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will release a tax plan on Wednesday proposing some deep rate cuts, mostly for businesses, including a slashed corporate income tax rate and steeply discounted tax rate for overseas corporate profits brought into the United States, officials said.

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Congress moves closer to deal to avert U.S. government shutdown

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress was moving closer to crafting a deal to avoid shutting down at the stroke of midnight on Friday, but the details and even broad strokes of an agreement were still murky.

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Le Pen not an option as French far-left polls members on election round two

PARIS (Reuters) - Jean-Luc Melenchon, the far left candidate who came fourth in the first round of France's presidential election with nearly 20 percent of the vote, is polling core supporters on whether they will back centrist Emmanuel Macron in the second round.

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French intelligence report says Assad forces behind April 4 sarin attack

PARIS (Reuters) - French intelligence services have concluded that forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out a sarin nerve gas attack on April 4 in northern Syria and that Assad or his closest entourage ordered the strike, a declassified report showed.

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Trump tax plan will sharply slash corporate tax rates

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday will propose slashing corporate income tax rates and steeply discounting the tax rate on overseas corporate profits brought into the United States in a broad blueprint outlining his administration's tax principles, officials said.

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U.S. judge blocks Trump order to restrict funding for 'sanctuary cities'

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump's executive order that sought to withhold federal funds from so-called sanctuary cities, dealing another legal blow to the administration's efforts to toughen immigration enforcement.

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U.S. military begins moving THAAD missile defense to South Korea site: media

SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. military has started moving parts of the controversial THAAD anti-missile defense system into a planned deployment site in South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, amid high tensions over North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.

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U.S. FCC to launch 'comprehensive review' of media regulations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Tuesday said the top U.S. telecommunications regulator will launch a "comprehensive review" of regulations that restrict consolidation among media companies, potentially opening the door to a new wave of deals among broadcasters and newspapers.

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Wells Fargo board gets black eye in shareholder vote

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla./BOSTON (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co shareholders showed displeasure with the scandal-hit bank's board on Tuesday, offering scant support for a dozen directors, including Chairman Stephen Sanger, in a vote capping a contentious annual meeting.

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U.S. government shutdown threat recedes after Trump's wall concession

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The threat of a U.S. government shutdown this weekend appeared to recede on Tuesday after President Donald Trump backed away from a demand that Congress include funding for his planned border wall with Mexico in a spending bill.

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Trudeau vows to defend Canada interests as U.S. targets lumber

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to stand up for Canadian interests on Tuesday after the U.S. imposed new tariffs on softwood lumber and trade tensions between the two countries escalated, sending the Canadian dollar to a 14-month low.

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Le Pen's father criticizes her presidential campaign as she steps back from party

PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right veteran Jean-Marie Le Pen said on Tuesday his daughter Marine, who faces centrist Emmanuel Macron in a May 7 presidential runoff, should have campaigned more aggressively for Sunday's first round, following the example of Donald Trump.

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Government costs could rise $2.3 billion without Obamacare payments: study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government's costs could increase by $2.3 billion in 2018 if Congress and President Donald Trump decide not to fund Obamacare-related payments to health insurers, according to a study released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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U.S. judge temporarily halts second Arkansas execution

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - A U.S. judge temporarily halted the second of Arkansas' two planned executions late on Monday, approximately an hour after the first inmate was put to death.

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Trump tax push raises questions about scope of his 'reform'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's zeal to unveil a tax plan before his 100th day in office is raising questions about just how thorough his "tax reform" plans will be, amid signals that his focus for now is on slashing tax rates.

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U.S. sanctions hundreds of employees of Syrian research center

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday blacklisted 271 employees of a Syrian government agency it said was responsible for developing chemical weapons, weeks after a poison gas attack killed scores of people in a rebel-held province in Syria.

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Congress returns as Trump pressures Democrats ahead of funding deadline

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a deadline looming this week to avert a U.S. government shutdown, Congress returns to work on Monday as President Donald Trump leans on Democrats to include funding for his promised border wall with Mexico in spending legislation.

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Gloves off in French election as Le Pen aide calls Macron 'arrogant'

PARIS (Reuters) - Round two of the bitter fight for the French presidency got under way on Monday within hours of first round results with far-right leader Marine Le Pen's top aide launching a stinging attack on her centrist opponent Emmanuel Macron.

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Carrier group heads for Korean waters as Trump calls leaders

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Monday it was in talks about holding joint drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group, as U.S. President Donald Trump called the leaders of Japan and China amid fears North Korea could conduct another nuclear test.

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BD to acquire Bard in $24 billion medical tech deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Becton Dickinson and Co will acquire C R Bard Inc in a $24 billion deal that will give shareholders of the target about 15 percent of the combined entity, the two medical technology companies said on Sunday.

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Trump pressures Democrats on Obamacare to get border wall deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on congressional efforts to avoid a government shutdown, telling Democrats on Sunday that Obamacare will die without a cash infusion the White House has offered in exchange for their agreement to fund his border wall.

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Delays dog 'shovel ready' projects in Trump's infrastructure plan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump reassured manufacturers gathered in the White House Roosevelt room on March 31 that a massive infrastructure program was coming soon.

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Sweet home Chicago: Obama re-emerges in city where it all began

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday makes his first major appearance since leaving office, having chosen Chicago, the city where his political career started, to emerge from a three-month hiatus from the public eye.

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North Korea detains third U.S. citizen: Yonhap

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Friday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, bringing the total number of Americans held by the isolated country to three.

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Japanese ships join U.S. carrier for drills as it nears Korean waters

TOKYO (Reuters) - Two Japanese destroyers on Sunday began an exercise with the U.S. Carl Vinson carrier strike group in the Western Pacific as it approaches waters around the Korean peninsula, Japan's navy said.

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Trump's 'big announcement' on tax to be broad principles: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's promised "big announcement" next week on overhauling the U.S. tax code, a top campaign pledge, will consist of "broad principles and priorities," an administration official said on Saturday.

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March for Science draws big crowds across U.S.

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Thousands of people turned out in cities across the United States and beyond on Saturday for Earth Day events billed as a "celebration of science" to counter what organizers say is a growing disregard for evidence-based knowledge in Washington.

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IMF members set aside trade split as French vote rattles nerves

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund members on Saturday dropped a pledge to fight protectionism amid a split over trade policy and turned their attention to another looming threat to global economic integration: the first round of France's presidential election.

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Japan's Aso pushes back on U.S. call for scrutiny of currency moves

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Saturday trade imbalances cannot be fixed through exchange-rate adjustments alone, pushing back against Washington's calls to have more rigorous IMF scrutiny of currency moves.

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IMF members delete anti-protectionism pledge, keep currency commitments

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Member countries of the International Monetary Fund on Saturday pledged to work to reduce global imbalances but failed to repeat their past pledge to resist all forms of protectionism.

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Overseas voters kick off crucial French presidential election

PARIS/PAPEETE, French Polynesia (Reuters) - French overseas territories and French residents in the United States and Canada began voting on Saturday in France's presidential election, a day before the main first-round of a poll that could change the global political landscape.

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Mourning declared after scores of troops die in Afghan base attack

MAZAR-I-SHARIF/KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) - President Ashraf Ghani declared a national day of mourning after scores of soldiers were killed by Taliban fighters disguised as fellow soldiers, in the deadliest attack of its kind on an Afghan military base.

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American Airlines' employee suspended after row with passengers

(Reuters) - American Airlines has suspended an employee after a video showed an altercation on one of its planes involving crew, several passengers and a crying woman carrying a young child.

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Hundreds more join Mosul exodus as Iraqi forces retake two more western districts

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Pushing carts loaded with bags, babies and the elderly, hundreds of people fled Mosul on Saturday after Iraqi forces retook two more districts in the west of the city from Islamic State.

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U.S. spacecraft to take slingshot dive inside Saturn’s rings

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - NASA's Cassini spacecraft soared past Saturn's biggest moon for the last time on Saturday, tapping its gravity to slingshot into a series of exploratory dives inside the planet's rings, followed by a final fatal plunge into the gas giant.

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Trump warming to EU trade deal with Britain behind in queue: Times

LONDON (Reuters) - The United States could strike a free-trade agreement with the European Union after President Donald Trump warmed to a deal with the bloc, the Times reported on Saturday, quoting sources from both sides of the discussion.

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Peaceful outcome for Korean peninsula still possible: Pence

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula can still be achieved peacefully because of Washington's new engagement with China, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday, despite growing fears North Korea could soon conduct a new nuclear test.

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U.S. states realign in legal battle over Trump's travel ban

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's travel ban on citizens of six Muslim-majority nations faces its second challenge at a U.S. appeals court next month, and this time more Republican states are backing the measure, while one Democratic state attorney general dropped out of the legal fight this week.

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Uphill battle looms as Trump seeks revamped healthcare plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, striving to make good on a top campaign promise, is pushing his fellow Republicans who control Congress to pass revamped healthcare legislation but the same intraparty squabbling that torpedoed it last month could do it again.

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Power restored to most San Francisco customers: PG&E

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Fewer that 3,000 customers remained without electricity in San Francisco on Friday after a fire in a utility substation earlier in the day knocked out power for much of the city, according to PG&E.

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San Francisco power outage hits 90,000, business district affected

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A power outage hit about 90,000 people on Friday morning in San Francisco, closing shops and snarling traffic in the city's technology and finance center as a large swath of the financial district lost electricity.

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U.S. forces kill Islamic State militant linked to Turkey nightclub attack

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States disclosed on Friday a secret military ground operation that killed an Islamic State operative seen as a close associate of leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and linked to an attack on a Turkish nightclub that left 39 people dead.

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U.S. Treasury says it will not issue drilling waivers to Russia sanctions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury will not give permission to U.S. companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp, to drill in areas prohibited by U.S. sanctions on Russia, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday.

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Ex-NFL star Hernandez's family wants death scene evidence preserved

(Reuters) - The family of former National Football League star Aaron Hernandez will ask a judge on Friday to order prison officials to preserve evidence collected after he was found dead in his cell on Wednesday from an apparent suicide.

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Attack overshadows last campaign day in French election first round

PARIS (Reuters) - The killing overnight of a policeman in an Islamist militant attack overshadowed the last day of France's unpredictable presidential election campaign on Friday as centrist Emmanuel Macron held onto his status as frontrunner in the polls.

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U.S. judicial panel finds Texas hurt Latino vote with redrawn boundaries

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - A special federal judicial panel ruled for the second time in two months on Thursday that the Republican-led Texas Legislature deliberately redrew political boundaries so as to unfairly diminish voter clout of the state's growing Latino population.

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South Korea on heightened alert as isolated North readies for army celebration

SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) - South Korea said on Friday it was on heightened alert ahead of another important anniversary in North Korea, with a large concentration of military hardware amassed on both sides of the border amid concerns about a new nuclear test by Pyongyang.

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Chaffetz may not finish term, Utah prepares special election: WSJ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the House oversight committee, said on Thursday he has not ruled out leaving before his term finishes, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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Trump launches trade probe targeting Chinese steel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump launched an investigation on Thursday to determine whether Chinese and other foreign-made steel threatens U.S. national security, raising the possibility of new tariffs and triggering a rally in U.S. steel stocks.

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General Motors says Venezuela illegally seizes auto plant

CARACAS (Reuters) - General Motors said on Wednesday that Venezuelan authorities had illegally seized its plant in the industrial hub of Valencia and vowed to "take all legal actions" to defend its rights.

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Trump to attend three Asian summits in November: Pence

JAKARTA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will attend three summits in Asia in November, Vice President Mike Pence said in Jakarta during a visit to the headquarters of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday.

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Exclusive: Buffett likely voted shares to back Wells Fargo board

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett supports Wells Fargo & Co's management and board of directors, and has likely already voted shares owned by him and his conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway Inc , in line with the bank's official suggestions, a representative told Reuters.

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North Korea says 'don't mess with us' as U.S. plans next move

SEOUL (Reuters) - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States was looking at ways to pressure North Korea over its nuclear program as North Korean state media warned the Americans of a "super-mighty preemptive strike" and said don't "mess with us".

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Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 U.S. election - documents

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.

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Tillerson accuses Iran of 'alarming provocations' as U.S. reviews policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday accused Iran of 'alarming ongoing provocations' to destabilize countries in the Middle East as the Trump administration launched a review of its policy toward Tehran.

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Bill O'Reilly out at Fox following harassment allegations

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twenty-First Century Fox Inc has parted ways with star cable news host Bill O'Reilly following allegations of sexual harassment, the company said on Wednesday.

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U.S. must keep military options open on North Korea: House speaker Ryan

LONDON (Reuters) - The United States must keep military options on the table when it comes to North Korea, but it does not want to use them unless it has to, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said during a visit to Britain on Wednesday.

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Former NFL star Hernandez hangs self in jail cell: officials

BOSTON (Reuters) - Former New England Patriots football star Aaron Hernandez hanged himself in the jail cell where he was serving a life sentence for murder, just days after being acquitted of a second murder charge, state prison officials said on Wednesday.

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As Trump warned North Korea, his 'armada' was headed toward Australia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When U.S. President Donald Trump boasted early last week that he had sent an "armada" as a warning to North Korea, the aircraft carrier strike group he spoke of was still far from the Korean peninsula, and headed in the opposite direction.

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Trump orders review of lifting sanctions against Iran: Tillerson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered an inter-agency review of whether the lifting of sanctions against Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal was in the United States' national security interests, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday.

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Democrats hope to strike blow at Trump in Georgia congressional race

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Reuters) - U.S. Democrats hope frustration with President Donald Trump will give them a surprise victory on Tuesday in an election to fill a vacant congressional seat in suburban Atlanta that has been held by Republicans for decades.

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Three killed in Fresno, California, shooting spree, suspect arrested

(Reuters) - A gunman with an apparent dislike of white people and government killed three people in downtown Fresno, California, on Tuesday, before he was taken into custody while shouting "Allahu Akhbar," police said.

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Exclusive: Asylum applications in Mexico surge after Trump election win

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The number of people applying for asylum in Mexico has soared by more than 150 percent since Donald Trump was elected U.S. president, according to Mexican data, as more Central American migrants seek to stay rather than take their chances in the United States.

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British PM May calls for early election to strengthen Brexit hand

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May called on Tuesday for an early election on June 8, saying she needed to strengthen her hand in divorce talks with the European Union by bolstering support for her Brexit plan.

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Pence reassures Japan of U.S. resolve on North Korea, to work with China

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence reassured Japan of American commitment to reining in North Korea's nuclear and missile ambitions on Tuesday, after warning that U.S. strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed the strength of its resolve.

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Facebook murder suspect remains at large as police ask public for help

(Reuters) - A murder suspect who police said posted a video of himself on Facebook shooting an elderly man in Cleveland remained on the loose on Tuesday as authorities appealed to the public for help in the case.

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U.S. business group urges Washington to 'use every arrow' against China

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States should "use every arrow" in its quiver to ensure a level commercial playing field in China, a U.S. business lobby said on Tuesday, warning that 2017 could be the toughest year in decades for American firms in the country.

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Pence to seek market access, investment, in Japan talks

SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will meet Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday, kicking off talks in Tokyo the White House hopes will open doors for U.S.-made products and attract Japanese infrastructure investment in the United States.

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Pence says South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement to be reviewed, reformed

SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence told business leaders in Seoul on Tuesday that the Trump administration will review and reform the five-year-old free trade agreement between the two countries.

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Trump to seek changes in visa program to encourage hiring Americans

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday will sign an executive order directing federal agencies to recommend changes to a temporary visa program used to bring foreign workers to the United States to fill high-skilled jobs.

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Arkansas court halts two executions; U.S. court OKs others

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - Arkansas' Supreme Court halted two executions hours before they were scheduled to take place on Monday, while a federal appeals court allowed a plan by the state that originally called for a record eight executions over 11 days in April.

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Triumphant Erdogan swats away Western criticism of referendum

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A defiant Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan denounced the West's "crusader mentality" on Monday after European monitors criticized a referendum in which he won sweeping new powers.

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U.S. Defense Secretary Mattis to talk Islamic State, Syria in Middle East

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On his first trip as U.S defense secretary to parts of the Middle East and Africa, Jim Mattis will focus on the fight against Islamic State and articulating President Donald Trump's policy toward Syria, officials and experts say.His trip may give clarity to adversaries and allies alike about the Trump administration's tactics in the fight against Islamic State militants and its willingness to use military power more liberally than former President Barack Obama did.

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Mnuchin warns of tax reform delay following healthcare setback: FT

(Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Trump administration's timetable for tax reform is set to falter following setbacks in negotiations with Congress over healthcare, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

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Syrian envoy slams U.S. airfield attack 'message' to North Korea

PYONGYANG (Reuters) - Syria's ambassador to North Korea denounced what he called U.S. aggression and its "history of interventions" on Monday and said that it sending a "message" to North Korea with an attack on a Syrian airfield was irresponsible.

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China first-quarter GDP grows faster than expected 6.9 percent, steel output hits record

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's economy grew 6.9 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, slightly faster than expected, supported by a government infrastructure spending spree and a frenzied housing market that is showing signs of overheating.

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Cleveland police seek man they say broadcast killing on Facebook

(Reuters) - Cleveland police urged a suspect who they said broadcast video of himself on Facebook killing an elderly man on Sunday to turn himself in to authorities.

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Pence arrives at U.S. base in South Korea next to DMZ border with North

CAMP BONIFAS, South Korea (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived by helicopter on Monday at a U.S. military base in South Korea next to the highly fortified DMZ border with North Korea, a day after the North launched a missile that blew up almost immediately.

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Wall Street banker Cohn moving Trump toward moderate policies

WASHINGTON/BOSTON (Reuters) - In a White House marked by infighting, top economic aide Gary Cohn, a Democrat and former Goldman Sachs banker, is muscling aside some of President Donald Trump's hard-right advisers to push more moderate, business-friendly economic policies.

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Exclusive: Anbang's Fidelity & Guaranty acquisition set to fall through - sources

(Reuters) - China's Anbang Insurance Group will let its agreement to acquire U.S. annuities and life insurer Fidelity & Guaranty Life (FGL) for $1.6 billion lapse, after failing to secure all the necessary regulatory approvals, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

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In Afghanistan, Trump aide promises coordinated response to enemies

KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser met Afghan officials in Kabul on Sunday and said the new administration was weighing diplomatic, military and economic responses to its Taliban and Islamic State enemies in Afghanistan.

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U.S., allies weigh options after North Korea's missile test: adviser

WASHINGTON/PYONGYANG (Reuters) - The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest attempted ballistic missile test, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

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Hacker documents show NSA tools for breaching global money transfer system

HONG KONG/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Documents and computer files released by hackers provide a blueprint for how the U.S. National Security Agency likely used weaknesses in commercially available software to gain access to the global system for transferring money between banks, a review of the data showed.

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Right, left-wing protesters clash in Berkeley, California park

BERKELEY, Calif. (Reuters) - Right and left-wing protesters clashed on Saturday at a park in downtown Berkeley, California, exchanging blows and throwing bottles and cans as police in riot gear sought to separate the two camps, using explosive devices at one point.

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Protesters to take to streets to demand Trump release tax returns

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets across the United States and beyond on Saturday to press President Donald Trump to release his tax returns and to dispute his claim that the public does not care about the issue.

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Erdogan makes final push before vote on presidential powers

ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan appealed for support from Turkish voters in final campaign rallies on Saturday, the eve of a referendum which could tighten his grip over a country bridging the European Union and a conflict-strewn Middle East.

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Blast hits Syrian bus convoy near Aleppo: state media, monitors

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An explosion near a bus convoy waiting to enter the Syrian city of Aleppo killed or wounded several people on Saturday, pro-government media outlets, pro-opposition activists and a monitor reported.

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Arkansas encounters two new legal hurdles in execution plans

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - The state of Arkansas on Friday ran into a pair of new legal obstacles to its plan to carry out lethal injections on seven murderers in an unprecedented series of executions before the end of the month.

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'Right time' to use huge bomb in Afghanistan: U.S. general

ACHIN, Afghanistan/KABUL (Reuters) - The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said on Friday that the decision to deploy one of the largest conventional bombs ever used in combat was purely tactical, and made as part of the campaign against Islamic State-linked fighters.

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Apple receives permit in California to test self-driving cars: DMV

(Reuters) - Apple Inc has secured a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California, the state Department of Motor Vehicles said on Friday.

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Rain in Pyongyang as North Koreans prepare for 'Day of the Sun'

PYONGYANG (Reuters) - North Koreans placed flower baskets and bouquets below portraits of founder president Kim Il Sung on Friday, showing little sign of tension despite fears the reclusive nation may conduct a nuclear test and the United States would retaliate.

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U.S. business wary of skin-deep results from Trump-Xi trade talks

BEIJING (Reuters) - The 100-day trade talks announced after a Sino-American presidential summit last week will aim to deal with decades of thorny trade issues, leaving some U.S. business leaders wary that the short timeline might yield superficial results.

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Trump administration issues final rule on stricter Obamacare enrollment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Thursday issued a final rule that will shorten the Obamacare enrollment period and give insurers more of what they say they need in the individual insurance market, likely making it harder for some consumers to purchase insurance, healthcare experts said.

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Four shot at Atlanta rail station, suspect held: transit authority

(Reuters) - Four people were shot on Thursday at an Atlanta rail station and a suspect was in custody, the city's transit authority said.

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Detroit doctor charged with female genital mutilation of seven-year-olds

(Reuters) - U.S. authorities have charged a Detroit doctor with performing genital mutilation on 7-year-old girls in what is believed to be the first case brought under a law prohibiting the procedure.

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Trump signs resolution allowing U.S. states to block family planning funds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a resolution that will allow U.S. states to restrict how federal funds for contraception and reproductive health are spent, a move cheered by anti-abortion campaigners.

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Separate mothers and children: How a Trump threat deterred illegal migrants

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has won the first major battle in his war on illegal immigration, and he did it without building his wall.

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Ballooning bills: More U.S. hospitals pushing patients to pay before care

(Reuters) - Last year, the Henry County Health Center in Iowa started providing patients with a cost estimate along with pre-surgery medical advice.

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Improperly stored raw meat among violations found at Trump's Mar-a-Lago

(Reuters) - Restaurant inspectors found 13 violations at Mar-a-Lago, the exclusive Florida resort owned by President Donald Trump, the Miami Herald reported.

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U.S.-led coalition mistakenly kills 18 militia allies in Syria, says Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S.-led air strike mistakenly killed 18 members of a Kurdish and Arab militia backed by Washington south of the Syrian city of Tabqa, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

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Wells Fargo's profit flat, mortgage banking revenue down

(Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co, which has been mired in litigations stemming from a sales scandal, posted a nearly flat first-quarter profit, hurt by lower mortgage banking revenue and higher expenses.

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Citi profit beats estimates as fixed-income trading jumps

(Reuters) - Citigroup Inc reported a better-than-expected 17 percent jump in quarterly profit, boosted by strong fixed-income trading as clients adjusted their positions following rate hikes by the Federal Reserve and changes in the forex and credit markets.

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In abrupt shift, Trump warms to China and NATO, sours on Russia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After less than three months in office, President Donald Trump has abruptly shifted his stance on an array of foreign policy issues from the U.S. relationship with Russia and China to the value of the NATO alliance.

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Foreign journalists in North Korea gather for 'big event' amid tensions

PYONGYANG (Reuters) - Foreign journalists visiting North Korea gathered in Pyongyang for "a big and important event" on Thursday with tensions high over the possibility of a new weapons test by the isolated state and as a U.S. carrier group sails towards the Korean peninsula.

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Russia blocks U.N. Security Council condemnation of Syria attack

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia blocked a Western-led effort at the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to condemn last week's deadly gas attack in Syria and push Moscow's ally President Bashar al-Assad to cooperate with international inquiries into the incident.

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Trump won't rule out second Yellen term, signaling drift to the mainstream

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump signaled on Wednesday he could be moving closer to the mainstream on monetary policy, saying he had not ruled out reappointment of Janet Yellen to a new four-year term as Fed chair as he considers his choices for the central bank.

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U.S. tax reform debate moves away from Ryan blueprint

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan's tax reform blueprint appears to be losing its status as the likely framework for the first major tax overhaul since 1986, with rival approaches emerging from the White House, Senate and other quarters in Congress.

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Trump says dollar 'getting too strong': Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the dollar was "getting too strong" and would eventually hurt the U.S. economy, even as he said he would like to see interest rates stay low, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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United won't use police to remove overbooked passengers - CEO

NEW YORK (Reuters) - United Airlines will no longer use law enforcement officers to remove passengers from overbooked flights after global outrage erupted over a video showing a passenger dragged from one of its planes in Chicago.

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Putin says trust erodes under Trump, Moscow icily receives Tillerson

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday trust had eroded between the United States and Russia under President Donald Trump, as Moscow delivered an unusually hostile reception to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a face-off over Syria.

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Putin says U.S.-Russia ties worse since Trump took office

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Levels of trust between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday.

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Israeli cabinet minister welcomes Spicer's apology over Hitler remarks

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A senior member of Israel's government welcomed on Wednesday White House spokesman Sean Spicer's apology for saying Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons, comments that overlooked the killing of millions of Jews in Nazi gas chambers.

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Oil prices rise on potential extension of output cuts

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Wednesday, putting crude futures on track for their longest streak of gains since August 2016, as Saudi Arabia was reported to be lobbying OPEC and other producers to extend a production cut beyond the first half of 2017.

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China's Xi calls for peaceful resolution of North Korea tensions in call with Trump

BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a peaceful resolution of rising tensions on the Korean peninsula in a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, as a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group steams towards the region.

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White House accuses Russia of Syria chemical attack 'cover up'

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration accused Russia on Tuesday of trying to shield Syria's government from blame for a deadly gas attack, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson brought a Western message to Moscow condemning its support for President Bashar al-Assad.

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North Korea warns of nuclear strike if provoked; Trump 'armada' steams on

PYONGYANG/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korean state media warned on Tuesday of a nuclear attack on the United States at any sign of American aggression, as a U.S. Navy strike group steamed toward the western Pacific - a force U.S. President Donald Trump described as an "armada".

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Democrats face uphill fight if Trump gets second U.S. high court pick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If Democrats thought it was hard to stop President Donald Trump's first U.S. Supreme Court nominee, it promises to be even tougher for them if he gets to fill another vacancy, potentially to replace the most influential justice, Anthony Kennedy.

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U.S.-Russia tensions over Syria will not 'spiral out of control': Mattis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tensions between the United States and Russia will not "spiral out of control" following last week's U.S. cruise missile strikes on a Syrian air base, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday, describing it as a one-off response to Syria's use of banned chemical weapons.

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Trump spokesman sparks outcry by comparing Assad to Hitler

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House spokesman Sean Spicer triggered an uproar on social media on Tuesday by saying Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons, which critics said overlooked the fact that millions of Jews were killed in Nazi gas chambers.

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Sessions visits U.S.-Mexico border to push migrant crackdown

Nogales, Ariz. (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday to make his case for increased prosecutions of illegal immigrants.

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Exclusive: OPEC figures show oil output cuts exceed pledge in March - sources

DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC states cut oil output in March by more than they pledged under supply curbs, according to figures the exporter group uses to monitor its supply, extending a record of higher-than-expected adherence to its first production cut in eight years.

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China will get better U.S. trade deal if it solves North Korea problem: Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he had told China's President Xi Jinping at a summit last week that Beijing would get a better trade deal with Washington if it helped solve the U.S. problem with North Korea.

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Monitor says Syrian forces use barrel bombs despite U.S. warning, Syria denies

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian government warplanes dropped barrel bombs on rebel-held areas of Hama province on Tuesday, a day after the United States said their use could lead to further U.S. strikes in Syria.

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Main suspect in Stockholm truck attack admits to terrorist crime - lawyer

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Rakhmat Akilov, the main suspect in the truck attack in Stockholm that killed four people and injured 15, has admitted to committing a terrorist crime, his lawyer told a court on Tuesday.

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Alabama governor, facing possible impeachment, to resign: lawmaker

(Reuters) - Alabama Governor Robert Bentley will resign later on Monday, as a state legislative committee began hearings that could have led to his impeachment on allegations stemming from his relationship with a former adviser, a state representative said.

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U.S. bolsters protection of forces in Syria as tensions climb

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has made slight adjustments to its military activities in Syria to strengthen protection of American forces following cruise missile strikes last week on a Syrian air base that heightened tensions, U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday.

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At least four people shot at California elementary school: police

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - At least four people were hit by gunfire in a classroom shooting on Monday at a Southern California elementary school, police and fire officials said, and a local NBC News television affiliate reported two fatalities.

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Russia's Foreign Ministry says U.S. strike on Syria an aggressive act

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that the missile strike on Syria carried out by the United States was a aggressive act against a sovereign state and violated international law.

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Families gather after Egypt church attack, state of emergency approved

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Families of victims of Sunday's bombing at Alexandria's Coptic cathedral gathered at the Monastery of Saint Mina under heavy security on Monday as Egypt's cabinet approved a three-month state of emergency ahead of a scheduled trip by Pope Francis.

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Trump considers trade order that could lead to duties: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is considering an executive order to launch a trade investigation that could lead to supplemental duties in certain product categories, a Trump administration official told Reuters.

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Exclusive - 'Dollars and euros': How a Malaysian firm helped fund North Korea's leadership

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Over the past two decades, North Korean-born Han Hun Il, the founding chief executive of a Malaysian conglomerate, funneled money to the leadership in Pyongyang, a North Korean defector, speaking out for the first time, told Reuters.

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Palm Sunday bombings of Egyptian Coptic churches kill 44

TANTA,Egypt/CAIRO (Reuters) - At least 44 people were killed in Egypt in bomb attacks at the cathedral of the Coptic Pope and another church on Palm Sunday, prompting anger and fear among Christians and leading to troop deployments and the declaration of a three-month state of emergency.

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U.S. officials say Russian inaction enabled Syria chemical attack

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Trump administration officials on Sunday blamed Russian inaction for enabling a deadly poison gas attack against Syrian civilians last week as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson prepared to explain to Moscow a U.S. retaliatory missile strike.

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Russia's Lavrov and U.S. Tillerson spoke by phone about situation in Syria

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke by phone on Saturday about the situation in Syria after the U.S. strikes on a Syrian air base, the Russian ministry said in a statement.

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Tillerson cites Russian inaction as helping to fuel Syrian poison gas attack

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday blamed Russia's inaction for helping fuel a deadly poison gas attack against Syrian civilians last week, saying Moscow failed to carry out a 2013 agreement to secure and destroy chemical weapons in Syria.

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Iran's Rouhani calls Assad to stress backing for Syrian state

BEIRUT (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani stressed Iran's support for the Syrian state in "its war against terrorism" during a call with his counterpart Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, condemning a U.S. missile strike on Syria as a violation of its sovereignty.

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In Georgia, a Democrat's 'Make Trump Furious' campaign rattles Republicans

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Reuters) - After the crushing electoral losses that swept Donald Trump into the White House and sealed Republican control of the U.S. Congress, the Democrats' road to recovery winds through the leafy, well-heeled suburbs of north Atlanta.

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U.S. Navy strike group to move toward Korean peninsula: U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy strike group will be moving toward the western Pacific Ocean near the Korean peninsula as a show of force, a U.S. official told Reuters on Saturday, as concerns grow about North Korea's advancing weapons program.

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Trump's U.N. envoy says ouster of al-Assad is a priority of U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in an interview that she sees regime change in Syria as one of the Trump administration's priorities in the country wracked by civil war.

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Feuding Trump aides meet and agree to end 'palace intrigue': source

PALM BEACH, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top White House aides Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner met and agreed to "bury the hatchet" over their differences, a senior administration official said on Saturday, in a bid to stop infighting that has distracted from President Donald Trump's message.

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North Korea calls U.S. strikes on Syria 'unforgivable'

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday U.S. missile strikes against a Syrian airfield on Friday were "an unforgivable act of aggression" that showed its decision to develop nuclear weapons was "the right choice a million times over".

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Iran's Rouhani wants chemical attack in Syria investigated

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for an impartial probe of this week's suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria and warned that U.S. missile strikes in response risked escalating extremism in the region.

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Three killed by truck driven into crowd in Swedish capital: police

STOCKHOLM(Reuters) - A truck drove into a crowd on a shopping street and crashed into a department store in central Stockholm on Friday, killing three people and wounding eight in what the prime minister said appeared to be a terrorist attack.

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In big win for Trump, Senate approves his conservative court pick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-led Senate on Friday gave Donald Trump the biggest triumph of his young presidency, confirming his Supreme Court nominee over stout Democratic opposition and restoring a conservative majority on the highest U.S. judicial body.

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U.S. job growth slows sharply, unemployment rate falls to 4.5 percent

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - U.S. employers added the fewest number of workers in 10 months in March, but a drop in the unemployment rate to a near 10-year low of 4.5 percent pointed to a labor market that continues to tighten.

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In abrupt shift on Syria, Trump turns to military advisers

WASHINGTON/PALM BEACH (Reuters) - Hours after a poison gas attack in Syria killed dozens of civilians on Tuesday, President Donald Trump's intelligence advisers provided evidence Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was behind the atrocity, officials said.

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Trump, China's Xi dine ahead of talks on security, trade

PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sat down together to dine on pan-seared Dover sole and New York strip steak on Thursday, spending some social time before digging into thorny bilateral security and trade issues.

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Stocks skid, safe-haven assets jump as U.S. missiles strike Syria

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Safe-haven bonds and the yen jumped in Asia on Friday, while stocks fell after the United States launched cruise missiles against an air base in Syria, raising the risk of confrontation with Syrian backers Russia and Iran.

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Trump says 'something should happen' with Assad as U.S. weighs military options

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that "something should happen" with President Bashar al-Assad after a deadly poison gas attack in Syria, as the Pentagon and the White House launched detailed discussions on military options.

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Is the sky blue? Depends on what Donald Trump says

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans generally agree that politicians should not enrich themselves while running the country. Yet most think it is okay for President Donald Trump to do so.

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Senate fails to end Democratic blockade of Trump high court pick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans failed on Thursday to end a Democratic bid to block a U.S. Senate confirmation vote on President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nomination but were poised to quickly resort to a rule change dubbed the "nuclear option" to allow approval of Neil Gorsuch a day later.

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Nunes temporarily steps down from House probe on Russia: statement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chairman of the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes, said on Thursday that he was temporarily stepping down as head of the panel's investigation into Russia, citing what he said were "entirely false" accusations filed against him with the Office Of Congressional Ethics.

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House Freedom Caucus signals support for healthcare bill with changes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The majority of House Freedom Caucus members will vote for a Republican healthcare bill if changes offered by the White House are included in the legislation, the head of the conservative group of House Republicans said on Thursday.

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Russian police find explosives similar to device used by suicide bomber

ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - Russian authorities raided a residential building in St Petersburg on Thursday and found explosives similar to those used by a suicide bomber who this week blew up a metro carriage killing 14 people, two security sources said.

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'Nuclear option' fallout? More extreme U.S. justices, experts say

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican-backed Senate rule change expected on Thursday could make it more likely that presidents will pick ideologically extreme U.S. Supreme Court nominees with little incentive to choose centrist justices, experts said.

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Is North Korea putting nuclear-tipped bargaining chip on table

SEOUL (Reuters) - As the leaders of China and the United States sit down for a summit on Thursday, North Korea has made sure it also has something on the negotiating table: A nuclear-tipped bargaining chip.

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Australian regulator sues Apple alleging iPhone 'bricking'

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's consumer watchdog has sued Apple Inc alleging it used a software update to disable iPhones which had cracked screens fixed by third parties.

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House will not reach healthcare deal before two-week break

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deep divisions cut short Republican hopes for a quick revival of Obamacare replacement legislation on Wednesday, as Congress prepared to leave town for a two-week recess without a deal to end party infighting.

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Trump drops Steve Bannon from National Security Council

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump removed his chief strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council on Wednesday, reversing his controversial decision early this year to give a political adviser an unprecedented role in security discussions.

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U.S. companies hire most workers in over two years: ADP

(Reuters) - U.S. companies added 263,000 workers in March, the most since December 2014, suggesting further tightening of the labor market, payrolls processor ADP said on Wednesday.

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EU lawmakers adopt Brexit resolution, reject pro-Gibraltar hint

STRASBOURG (Reuters) - European Union lawmakers adopted a resolution on Wednesday setting their red lines for the two-year divorce talks with Britain and rejected attempts by British MEPs to recognize Gibraltar's pro-EU stance in the Brexit referendum.

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U.S. court rules 1964 civil rights law protects LGBT workers from bias

(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court, for the first time ever, on Tuesday ruled that federal civil rights law protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees from discrimination in the workplace.

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Islamic State kills 31 in Iraq's Tikrit: security sources, medics

TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - At least 31 people were killed, including 14 police officers, and more than 40 wounded in attacks overnight by Islamic State militants in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, security and medical sources said on Wednesday.

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Russia denies Assad to blame for chemical attack, on course for collision with Trump

MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia suggested on Wednesday it would publicly stand by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad despite outrage over a chemical weapons attack, setting Donald Trump's new U.S. administration on course for a head-on diplomatic collision with Moscow.

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Window closing for Republican stealth assault on U.S. regulations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The clock began running out this week on a strategy that has provided U.S. Republicans in Congress with their only notable legislative successes this year: aggressive use of an obscure U.S. law known as the Congressional Review Act (CRA).

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U.S., France, Britain propose U.N. resolution on Syria gas attack

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and France on Tuesday proposed a United Nations Security Council resolution to condemn a suspected deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria, which diplomats said would likely be put to a vote on Wednesday.

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Blast in Pakistani city of Lahore kills at least six

LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on army personnel that killed at least six people and wounded 18 in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday.

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Warplanes mount fresh airstrikes in Idlib area: Syrian Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Warplanes mounted five air strikes on Wednesday in a rebel-held area of northwestern Syria where dozens of people were killed the day before in a suspected chemical attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

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Fed's Lacker leaves U.S. central bank over role in Medley leak

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker left the U.S. central bank on Tuesday after saying a conversation he had with a Wall Street analyst in 2012 may have disclosed confidential information about Fed policy options.

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House Speaker Ryan says healthcare talks at 'conceptual stage'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Tuesday Republican lawmakers are having productive talks on a new healthcare reform bill, but it was too soon to say if and when a new proposal would be put forth.

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Senate battle over Trump Supreme Court pick gathers steam

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate fight over President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, begins moving on Tuesday to its decisive phase as Democrats seek to block a final vote and Republicans vow to ensure the conservative judge's confirmation.

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Suspected gas attack on Syria's rebel-held Idlib kills at least 35: Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A suspected gas attack by Syrian government or Russian jets killed at least 35 people, including nine children, in the northwestern province of Idlib on Tuesday, a British-based war monitoring group said.

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St. Petersburg metro blast suspect likely born in central Asia

BISHKEK/ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - A blast in a St Petersburg train carriage on Monday that killed 11 people and wounded 45 was probably carried out by a Russian citizen born in Kyrgyzstan, authorities from the predominantly Muslim central Asian state said on Tuesday.

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Likely suspect in St. Petersburg blast is Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen

BISHKEK (Reuters) - The likely suspect in a deadly blast in the Russian city of St. Petersburg is a Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen, Kyrgyzstan's security service said on Tuesday.

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'Not natural friends': Trump, Xi will be 'odd couple' at first summit

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - When U.S. President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, their summit will be marked not only by deep policy divisions but a clash of personalities between America’s brash “tweeter-in-chief” and Beijing’s cautious, calculating leader.

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U.S. Homeland Security announces steps against H1B visa fraud

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced steps on Monday to prevent the fraudulent use of H1B visas, used by employers to bring in specialized foreign workers temporarily, which appeared to fall short of President Donald Trump's campaign promises to overhaul the program.

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New York, other states take on Trump over energy efficiency

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A coalition of U.S. states has mounted a broad legal challenge over what it called the Trump administration's illegal suspension of energy efficiency rules for ceiling fans, portable air conditioners and other products.

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Trump tells al-Sisi U.S., Egypt will fight terrorism together

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday that he strongly backs Sisi's leadership and that they would work together to fight Islamic militants.

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Panel expected to back Trump high court pick, set up Senate showdown

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee was expected on Monday to approve President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, for a full Senate vote later in the week, setting up a political showdown as Democrats work to block his confirmation.

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Blasts in St. Petersburg metro stations kill 10: authorities

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed in explosions in two train carriages at metro stations in St. Petersburg on Monday, Russian authorities said.

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Trump's son-in-law, Kushner, flies into Iraq with top U.S. general

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, flew into Iraq on Monday with the top U.S. military officer to get a first-hand assessment of the battle against Islamic State from U.S. commanders on the ground and to meet Iraqi officials.

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Trump presses China on North Korea ahead of Xi talks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump held out the possibility on Sunday of using trade as a lever to secure Chinese cooperation against North Korea and suggested Washington might deal with Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs on its own if need be.

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Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner visits Iraq: U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, is visiting Iraq with Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior Trump administration official said on Sunday.

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Rescuers, locals dig for Colombia flood victims, 254 die

MOCOA, Colombia (Reuters) - Families and rescuers searched desperately on Sunday through mud-plastered rubble for victims of flooding and landslides in Colombia that have killed 254 people, injured hundreds and devastated entire neighborhoods.

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Top Senate Democrat says unlikely Trump court pick can clear procedural hurdle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat in the U.S. Senate said on Sunday it was unlikely that Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch would be able to clear a procedural hurdle to a final vote, even as a third Senate Democrat threw support behind the pick.

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Flynn did not disclose income from Russian companies: White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, failed to disclose payments from a Russian television network and a second firm linked to Russia in a February financial disclosure form, according to documents released by the White House on Saturday.

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Schiff says Trump wants us to follow the tweets, not the Russia probe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee accused President Donald Trump on Sunday of trying to divert Congress from its investigations of Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. election and any links between Moscow and the Trump campaign.

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U.S.-backed forces repel Islamic State attack near Syrian dam

AMMAN (Reuters) - U.S. backed Syrian forces repelled a major counter-attack by Islamic State militants holding out at the country's largest dam and in the nearby town of Tabqa, the group and activists said on Sunday.

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Twenty tortured, then murdered in Pakistan Sufi shrine: police

LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Twenty people were tortured and then murdered with clubs and knives at a Pakistani Sufi shrine, the police said on Sunday, in an attack purportedly carried out by the shrine's custodian and several accomplices.

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Iraqi state-run TV says Islamic State's second-in-command killed in airstrike

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Ayad al-Jumaili, the man believed to be the deputy of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has been killed in an air strike, Iraqi State TV said on Saturday, citing Iraq's military intelligence.

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Philippines' Duterte invites EU critics, wants to 'slap them'

(Editors' note: Language in paragraph 6 may offend some readers)

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Trump lacks team and clear plan for quick tax reform

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has neither a clear White House tax plan nor adequate staff yet to see through a planned tax reform, according to interviews with people in the administration, in Congress and among U.S. tax experts.

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U.S. signals policy decision soon on Russian arms treaty allegations

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis signaled on Friday Washington might soon decide how to respond to what it says are Russian violations of a Cold War-era arms control agreement, saying the United States was conferring with allies.

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Germany balks at Tillerson call for more European NATO spending

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany said on Friday that NATO's agreed target spend of two percent of members' yearly economic output was neither "reachable nor desirable" countering a call by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for all allies to comply and quickly.

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Protests begin, foreign pressure mounts on Venezuela's Maduro

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition protests began and foreign pressure mounted on Friday over a court takeover of Congress that many viewed as a lurch into dictatorship by a leftist government grappling with a plunge in popularity.

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EU offers Brexit trade talks, sets tough transition terms

VALLETTA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union offered Britain talks this year on a future free trade pact but made clear in negotiating guidelines issued on Friday that London must first agree to EU demands on the terms of Brexit.

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Trump says former adviser Flynn should seek immunity

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday supported the decision of his former national security adviser to seek immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony in congressional probes of possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

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China downplays tensions with U.S. as Xi prepares to meet Trump

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Beijing sought to play down tensions with the United States and put on a positive face on Friday, as the U.S. administration slammed China on a range of business issues ahead of President Xi Jinping's first meeting with President Donald Trump.

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Republican disarray deepens as Trump attacks rebel conservatives

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out on Thursday at Republican conservatives who helped torpedo healthcare legislation he backed, escalating a feud within his party that jeopardizes the new administration's legislative agenda.

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Ex-Trump adviser Flynn talking to Congress about testifying in Russia probe: lawyer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, has offered to testify before congressional committees probing potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia but wants protection against "unfair prosecution," his lawyer said on Thursday.

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Trump to order trade abuses study, improve import duty collection

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will sign executive orders on Friday aimed at identifying abuses that are causing massive U.S. trade deficits and clamping down on non-payment of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on imports, his top trade officials said.

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Ousted South Korean leader behind bars after arrest on bribery charges

SEOUL (Reuters) - Ousted South Korean leader Park Geun-hye was behind bars in the Seoul Detention Centre on Friday after her arrest, on charges including bribery, in a corruption scandal that has brought low some of the country's business and political elite.

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Senate kills family-planning rule; Pence breaks tie

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Mike Pence took the rare step of breaking a tie in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, casting the deciding vote to roll back protections for reproductive health funds.

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Senate kills rule meant to protect family planning funds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For the second time on Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence took the rare step of breaking a tie in the U.S. Senate, as he cast the deciding vote in rolling back protections for federal funds for family planning and reproductive health.

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Venezuela's Maduro decried as 'dictator' after Congress annulled

CARACAS (Reuters) - Opposition leaders branded Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro a "dictator" on Thursday after the Supreme Court took over the functions of Congress and pushed a lengthy political standoff to new heights.

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High court pick could help decide fate of Trump's climate policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee could help decide the fate of his moves to undo climate-related U.S. regulations, but legal experts said Neil Gorsuch's judicial record makes it hard to predict whether as a justice he would back a sweeping rollback.

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Green groups sue Trump administration for approving Keystone pipeline

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Thursday to challenge its decision to approve construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

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North Carolina Senate passes repeal of transgender bathroom law

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - North Carolina's Senate on Thursday approved a bill to retool a law prohibiting transgender people from using restrooms in accordance with their gender identities, a measure that had triggered boycotts by companies and sports leagues.

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Trump administration seeks mainly modest changes to NAFTA: WSJ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is seeking mainly limited changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing an administrative draft proposal circulated in Congress by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

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Federal judge in Hawaii extends court order blocking Trump travel ban

HONOLULU (Reuters) - A federal judge in Hawaii indefinitely extended on Wednesday an order blocking enforcement of President Donald Trump's revised ban on travel to the United States from six predominantly Muslim countries.

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Ryan opposes Trump working with Democrats on healthcare

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, the top Republican in Congress, said he does not want President Donald Trump to work with Democrats on new legislation for revamping the country's health insurance system, commonly called Obamacare.

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North Carolina lawmakers reach deal to repeal transgender bathroom law

(Reuters) - North Carolina Republican lawmakers said late on Wednesday they had reached a deal to repeal the state's controversial law prohibiting transgender people from using restrooms in accordance with their gender identities.

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Exclusive: Republicans mostly blame Congress for healthcare reform failure - Reuters/Ipsos poll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republicans mostly blame the U.S. Congress, and not President Donald Trump or party leaders, for failing to pass their party's healthcare overhaul, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Wednesday.

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Trump, conservatives try to put aside bitterness to cut tax deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Raw feelings and mistrust could pose an obstacle to President Donald Trump and hard-line conservative lawmakers in his Republican Party as they seek to rebound from defeat on healthcare legislation by launching into an overhaul of the U.S. tax code.

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'No turning back': PM May triggers 'historic' Brexit

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May formally began Britain's divorce from the European Union on Wednesday, declaring there was no turning back and ushering in a tortuous exit process that will test the bloc's cohesion and pitch her country into the unknown.

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State Department employee to face charges in FBI probe: officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. State Department employee is expected to appear in federal court in Washington on Wednesday to face charges in a FBI counterintelligence investigation, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

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Russia probe should focus on Trump financial ties: senator

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate investigation into Russia's meddling during the U.S. election should include a thorough review of any financial ties between Russia and President Donald Trump and his associates, Democratic senator Ron Wyden said Wednesday.

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A scramble at Cisco exposes uncomfortable truths about U.S. cyber defense

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - When WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange disclosed earlier this month that his anti-secrecy group had obtained CIA tools for hacking into technology products made by U.S. companies, security engineers at Cisco Systems swung into action.

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