House showdown looms over indefinite detention »

A showdown looms in the House over whether to end the indefinite detention without trial of terrorist suspects, even U.S. citizens seized within the nation's borders.

Early political spats suggest nothing off-limits »

The early border skirmishes of Campaign 2012 are reviving questions about one candidate's former pastor and shining a spotlight on the other's high school hijinks. Can a fresh round of questions about President Barack Obama's birth certificate be far behind?

Romney releases first general election TV ad »

Mitt Romney's first general-election TV commercial promises he would introduce tax cuts and approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Day One of his presidency.

FAA to reopen fatigue rules for cargo pilots »

The Federal Aviation Administration says it made "errors" by exempting cargo airlines from rules to prevent pilot fatigue and will revisit the issue.

Analysis: In India, muddled leadership leaves economy adrift »

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - "Dear God," wrote economist Rajeev Malik as he called on the Almighty to help India's "rudderless" government in a biting critique that underscored a growing frustration at home and abroad with the stewardship of Asia's third-largest economy. Writing in India's Business Standard newspaper, the well-respected Malik echoed the exasperation of Indian and foreign business groups pressing for the government to swiftly implement major economic reforms and formulate a coherent strategy to deal with its mounting problems. ...

Small-town don makes awkward ally for Serb liberals »

JAGODINA, Serbia (Reuters) - There's a fluffy toy tiger in the office of Jagodina's mayor, another cast in gold on his desk, and at least one more in his trophy cabinet. When Dragan Markovic, known by his nickname Palma (palm tree), opened a zoo five years ago in the central Serbian town he runs, he called it Tiger Zoo, a bit like his kick-boxing club, Palma's Tigers. ...

Veep Beat: Rubio's Family Life, Pawlenty Hush-Hush »

‘MEET THE RUBIOS’ In her first extended interview, Jeanette Rubio joined her husband Marco Rubio to discuss their family life with Politico and said that she is prepared for whatever scrutiny the couple may undergo as his national profile begins to rise.  “I’m prepared for...

Presidential penis portrait riles S.Africa's ANC »

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling ANC threatened to take legal action against a Johannesburg gallery for displaying art which lampoons President Jacob Zuma and accuses the party of corruption. The African National Congress wants the Goodman Gallery to remove a painting of Zuma called "The Spear", which depicts the president with his genitals exposed, and another work that has a "For Sale" sign superimposed over the party logo. The picture of Zuma is a facsimile of a famous poster of communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin. ...

Key witness in baseball's Clemens trial in last day on stand »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The key witness in ex-baseball pitching ace Roger Clemens' federal perjury trial faces a last day of marathon testimony on Friday, with the defense likely to hammer anew on his shifting story.

ECB says won't speculate on Greek euro exit »

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank said on Friday it would not participate in any speculation regarding a Greek euro exit, adding that its strong preference is for the country to remain in the common currency bloc. The ECB statement came after EU trade commissioner Karel de Gucht said the European Commission and the ECB were working on scenarios in case Greece had to leave the euro zone. "We do not engage in any speculation about any emergency plans or possible scenarios and therefore do not comment on Commissioner de Gucht's statement," an ECB spokesman said. ...

Baghdad market bombs kill at least four »

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three roadside bombs ripped through a Baghdad marketplace on Friday, killing at least four people and injuring at least 30 more near one of the capital's main Shi'ite neighborhoods, police and hospital sources said. The almost simultaneous blasts in Ma'amil, near the Sadr City district in eastern Baghdad, occurred in the early morning when there were few people attending the outdoor market that sells birds, witnesses said. "The three bombs exploded almost at the same time. ...

Census shows whites lose US majority among babies »

For the first time, racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half the children born in the U.S., capping decades of heady immigration growth that is now slowing.

U.N. chief calls for end to fighting in Myanmar »

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon called for an end to attacks by all parties in Myanmar on Thursday after receiving a letter from a rebel independence group in the country's Kachin State asking the United Nations to help end its conflict with the government. Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said the secretary-general had received a letter from the Kachin Independence Organization, the political wing of the Kachin Independence Army. The Kachin conflict resurfaced in June 2011, scuttling a 16-year truce and displacing an estimated 50,000 people. ...

Exclusive: Drugmakers weigh emergency supply plan for Greece »

LONDON (Reuters) - International drugmakers are working with European authorities on emergency plans to keep medicines flowing into Greece if the country crashes out of the euro. Discussions have intensified in recent days, according to industry sources, and manufacturers are looking closely at the experience of Argentina's collapse in 2002, when some firms agreed to continue to supply medicines without payment for a period of time. ...

Defining Moment (The Note) »

By MICHAEL FALCONE (@michaelpfalcone) and AMY WALTER (@amyewalter) NOTABLES:  DEFINE OR BE DEFINED: With Democrats trashing Mitt Romney’s business record at Bain Capital, the presumptive Republican nominee is attempting to wage the presidential campaign on his terms. He released his first general election television ad...

EU, ECB working on Greece exit contingency: trade commissioner »

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission and the European Central Bank are working on scenarios in case Greece has to leave the euro zone, EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht has said. Speculation about such planning has been rife, but the comments in a newspaper interview, confirmed by a person close to De Gucht, appear to be the first time an EU official has acknowledged the existence of contingency plans being drawn up in case Greece has to drop out of the currency bloc. ...

Poll shows Greece electing pro-bailout government »

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek voters are returning to the establishment parties that negotiated its bailout, a poll showed on Thursday, offering potential salvation for European leaders who say a snap Greek election next month will decide whether it must quit the euro. The poll, the first conducted since talks to form a government collapsed and a new election was called for June 17, showed the conservative New Democracy party in first place, several points ahead of the radical leftist SYRIZA which has pledged to tear up the bailout. ...

Putin gives top job to tank factory worker »

President Vladimir Putin on Friday gave a senior government post to a tank factory worker who had offered to come to Moscow with fellow laborers to disperse opposition protests.

Romney releases first general election TV ad »

Mitt Romney's first general-election TV commercial promises he would introduce tax cuts and approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Day One of his presidency.

Italy to keep debt profile outside riskier area »

MILAN (Reuters) - The average lifespan of Italian debt, which has fallen during the euro zone crisis as investors favor safer short-term issues, should still be close to the current level of 6.8 years at the end of 2012, a top Italian debt official said. As the average maturity of a country's debts falls, the amount of bonds it has to sell each year rises. This makes it more exposed to a worsening in market sentiment that could push borrowing costs higher, even to unaffordable levels. ...