Congress Republicans wary of Obama economy plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in Congress showed little willingness to help President Barack Obama approve billions of dollars in measures to boost the economy with midterm elections less than two months away.

U.S. says not considering NATO Afghan troop request

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States does not plan to contribute to a NATO request for 2,000 troops for the Afghan war, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, even as the head of the alliance held out the possibility of U.S. participation.

Car bomb kills 20 in Pakistan after Taliban threat

KOHAT, Pakistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber rammed his car into a police residential complex in Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 20 people, officials said, in another blow for a country grappling with devastating floods.

U.S. judge refuses to lift ban on govt stem cell funds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge refused on Tuesday to lift a ban on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research despite Obama administration warnings it would set back key research and cost more than a thousand jobs.

Report: BP probe to spread blame for spill

HOUSTON (Reuters) - BP Plc's internal probe of the deadly April 20 blowout that unleashed the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill will assign blame to BP as well as other companies involved in the well's operations, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

U.S. religious leaders condemn "anti-Muslim" frenzy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. religious leaders on Tuesday condemned an "anti-Muslim frenzy" in the United States, including plans by a Florida church to burn a Koran on September 11, an act a top general said could endanger American troops abroad.

U.S. team to discuss N.Korea in Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. government team will travel to Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing next week to discuss North Korea but has no plans to visit the poor, isolated state or meet its officials, the State Department said Tuesday.

Pressure mounts in U.S. against Koran-burning plan

MIAMI (Reuters) - Civil and military leaders stepped up calls on Tuesday for an obscure U.S. pastor to drop his plans to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, as fears grew it would fan religious hatred.

Half a year on, little progress in Iraq government talks

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Six months after Iraq held an election many hoped would usher in greater stability and peace, voters like Naseer Challoub are running out of patience with politicians, and also out of faith in democracy.

Hermine lashes south Texas, 3 other storms possible

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Hermine barely maintained its tropical storm status on Tuesday as 40 mile per hour winds kept lashing south Texas and the storm moved further inland about 15 miles south-southeast of San Antonio, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said.

Factbox: Obama proposes $50 billion for road, rail, airways

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - President Barack Obama would spend $50 billion on revamping highways, rails and airport runways to create jobs in the near term and improve the long-term U.S. transportation network.

Q+A: What options does Obama have to boost hiring?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is considering a number of options to try to jump-start job creation, the top priority for recession-weary Americans as the country heads toward congressional elections in November.

Obama to propose plant, equipment tax write-off

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will propose on Wednesday that businesses be allowed to write off all their new investments in plant and equipment through 2011, an administration official said on Monday.

Religious leaders condemn 'anti-Muslim' frenzy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. religious leaders on Tuesday condemned an "anti-Muslim frenzy" in the United States, including plans by a Florida church to burn a Koran on September 11, an act a top general said could endanger American troops abroad.

Women hopefuls face particular risks in Afghan poll

KABUL (Reuters) - Nima Suratgar had only just entered her name on a list of candidates for Afghanistan's September 18 parliamentary election when the first of scores of abusive and threatening emails arrived in her inbox.

Religious leaders condemn "anti-Muslim" frenzy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. religious leaders joined on Tuesday to condemn an "anti-Muslim frenzy" in the United States, and the head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan warned that a Florida church's plan for a Koran-burning could endanger American troops abroad.

Blast rips through Mexico oil refinery, kills one

CADEREYTA, Mexico (Reuters) - An explosion ripped through a major Mexican refinery on Tuesday, killing one worker and pushing gasoline and diesel prices higher on worries state oil monopoly Pemex will have to import more fuel.

Factbox: Energy disasters in the Americas 2010

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Energy production and distribution is a dangerous business, in spite of strict safety regulations in most countries in North and South America for oil and natural gas producers and processors.

Mexican refinery blast may help U.S. fuel exporters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The explosion of a hydroprocessing unit at the northern Mexican Cadereyta refinery may bring export opportunities for U.S. refiners along the Gulf Coast and boost U.S. refined products prices, requiring Mexico to import more light fuels such as gasoline or diesel after the blast.

French unions test Sarkozy in pensions strike

PARIS (Reuters) - French trade unions said 2.5 million people took to the streets Tuesday to protest over pension reforms that President Nicolas Sarkozy says he is determined to implement on the way to elections in 2012.