BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European antitrust regulators will decide by June 24 whether to clear an $8.2 billion (5.4 billion pounds) takeover bid by IntercontinentalExchange Inc for New York Stock Exchange operator NYSE Euronext . ICE, a derivatives exchange and clearinghouse operator, is making its second bid to buy NYSE in a deal that will give it control of Liffe, Europe's second-largest derivatives market, and boost its presence in the interest-rate futures business. It would also strengthen the Atlanta-based company against U.S. ...

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese boat and 16 fishermen seized for ransom by armed North Koreans more than two weeks ago were released Tuesday, easing the latest irritant in relations between the neighboring allies.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The South African Reserve Bank's monthly leading business cycle indicator fell 1.1 percent in March from February, mainly due to a decrease in the export commodity price index, the bank said on Tuesday. The indicator collates data such as vehicle sales, job advertisements, business confidence and money supply to gauge the economic outlook. Indices: 2000 = 100 Jan Feb March Leading Indicator 103.0 103.0 101.9 12-mth percentage change 1.9 0.9 0.3 Coincident Indicator 112.2 111.7 -- 12-mth percentage change 3.1 2.3 -- Lagging Indicator 100.2 101. ...

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's CFC Stanbic Bank posted a 79.5 percent jump in pretax profit for the first quarter from a year ago to 1.46 billion shillings. Banks in east Africa's biggest economy have reported higher earnings for the first three months of this year, buoyed by the growth of lending on the back of a robust economy in the region. CFC Stanbic, which is controlled by South Africa's Standard Group, said on Tuesday its net interest income increased to 1.75 billion shillings as interest paid on deposits tumbled after policymakers cut lending rates. Earnings per share rose to 5. ...

Utah police say Powell's brother-in-law was "heavily involved" in getting rid of her body.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee hopes to nail down an elusive compromise on high-tech visas and may punt a controversy over gay marriage to the full Senate as it makes final drafting decisions on immigration legislation that grants a shot at citizenship to millions living in the country illegally.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Inflation in Egypt is expected to climb to 10.9 percent this year, the highest level since 2010, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday, more than it expected in April. "Inflation is expected to rise in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, reflecting recent and planned subsidy cuts and, in some cases, pressure from monetization of fiscal deficits and supply shortages," the IMF said in its regional outlook. The Fund expected Egypt's inflation of 8.2 percent in 2013 in its half-yearly analysis of the world economy published last month. ...

Commuters facing long delays after a train collision can look forward to easier traveling.

Twenty children are among the dead, and the toll is expected to rise.

The country's top court throws another curve into the genocide case of Efrain Rios Montt.

BANGKOK (AP) — The price of oil rose toward $97 per barrel Tuesday, but gains were checked as investors waited for the Federal Reserve's latest views on the U.S. economy.

Israeli troops shot at a target across the Syrian frontier on Tuesday.

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets fell Tuesday as investors waited for the U.S. Federal Reserve to telegraph what it plans to do next with its economic stimulus program.

By John Whitesides WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate panel will try on Tuesday to pry more details out of current and former officials of the Internal Revenue Service about the agency's targeting of conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they sought tax-exempt status. Lawmakers are also expected to demand answers about why officials did not earlier share with lawmakers evidence that IRS workers in Cincinnati, Ohio, had inappropriately focused on search criteria that included "Tea Party" and "patriots. ...

A child is pulled from the rubble of the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., and passed along to rescuers Monday, May 20, 2013. A tornado as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph) roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school.(AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

(Reuters) - The Justice Department on Monday asked a federal judge to deny Standard & Poor's motion to dismiss a government lawsuit against the ratings agency, saying its statements on certain financial products were fraudulent and not mere "puffery". In a $5 billion suit, the U.S. government has accused S&P, owned by McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, of issuing inflated ratings on faulty products to drum up business before the 2008 financial crisis, despite assurances that its judgments were objective. ...

By Fiona Lau and Elzio Barreto HONG KONG (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc raised $1.1 billion by selling its remaining shares in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, ending a seven-year old investment and handing the Wall Street firm a return of nearly four times its original stake. Goldman's relationship with ICBC was similar to that of other big global financial institutions that purchased stakes in Chinese banks and insurers. ...

One of Alaska's most active volcanoes has been belching ash since last week.

Conservative radio hosts buck tea party favorite Sen. Marco Rubio.

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets struggled to post gains Tuesday as investors waited for the U.S. Federal Reserve to telegraph what it plans to do next with its economic stimulus program.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House chief of staff Denis McDonough and other senior advisers knew in late April that an impending report was likely to say the IRS had inappropriately targeted conservative groups, President Barack Obama's spokesman disclosed Monday, expanding the circle of top officials who knew of the audit beyond those named earlier.

By Tetsushi Kajimoto TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's exports are expected to have risen in April from a year earlier for a second straight month led by U.S.-bound shipments of cars and Asian demand for electronics parts in a sign a weak yen and global recovery are helping the export-reliant economy. However, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) data due on Wednesday is also likely to highlight the costs associated with a weak currency, with the country expected to log its 10th straight month of trade deficits in April, as a higher import bill offsets export gains. The median forecast was for a 5. ...

Cardinal Sean O'Malley skipped Boston College's commencement to protest its decision.

By Paul Eckert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged the president of Myanmar on Monday to halt violence against a Muslim minority but praised economic and political reforms in the formerly pariah nation that is emerging as a U.S. ally in China's backyard. During the first visit to the White House in 47 years by a leader of the Southeast Asian nation, Obama called for an end to the killings of Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmar's Rakhine state. Reformist Myanmar President Thein Sein vowed to resolve ethnic conflicts and bring perpetrators to justice. ...

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average eased from a 5-1/2-year high on Tuesday as Wall Street ended flat and the dollar slipped against the yen on caution before U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony. The Nikkei fell 0.6 percent to 15,269.85, while the broader Topix index dipped 0.2 percent to 1,266.71. (Reporting by Dominic Lau; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

The founding member of 1960s rock group died after a battle with bile duct cancer.

NEW YORK (AP) — Small-company stocks were a bright spot in a subdued start to the week for Wall Street.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of Democratic lawmakers has been invited to the White House on Tuesday for a briefing about economic issues from two top advisers to President Barack Obama on Tuesday. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Alan Krueger, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, will talk to a small group of Democrats from the Senate and House of Representatives. A list of the invited lawmakers was not immediately available. A series of political controversies has overshadowed positive news about the housing and job markets and a better-than-expected outlook for the ...

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL: Small company stocks were a bright spot for the market in a subdued start to the week for Wall Street. The Russell 2000 index climbed above 1,000 points for the first time and ended ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, will travel to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania in late June and early July to reinforce U.S. ties with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the White House said on Monday. "The trip will underscore the president's commitment to broadening and deepening cooperation between the United States and the people of sub-Saharan Africa to advance regional and global peace and prosperity," the White House said in a statement. Obama will meet with leaders from government, business and civil society, the White House said. ...

By Angela Moon NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks ended little changed on Monday, with indexes hovering near record levels as concerns about a correction cut earlier gains that had been prompted by news about a flurry of acquisitions. The Dow and the S&P 500 briefly hit all-time intraday highs. Early in the session, investors' sentiment was brightened by a slew of deal news, including Yahoo Inc's acquisition of Tumblr. ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Small-company stocks were a bright spot in a slow and choppy start to the week for Wall Street.

By Herbert Lash NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global equity markets mostly rose on Monday, driven higher by a flurry of merger and acquisition activity, while a recent tumble in the yen against the dollar halted after Japan's economy minister suggested the currency might have weakened enough. Major American and European stock indices are up double digits - the U.S. benchmark S&P 500 index is almost 17 percent higher so far this year - and investors still see better returns ahead in equities, even as Wall Street closed slightly lower. Deals such as Yahoo's $1. ...

By Herbert Lash NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global equity markets mostly rose on Monday, driven higher by a flurry of merger and acquisition activity, while a recent tumble in the yen against the dollar halted after Japan's economy minister suggested the currency might have weakened enough. Major American and European stock indices are up double digits - the U.S. benchmark S&P 500 index is almost 17 percent higher so far this year - and investors still see better returns ahead in equities, even as Wall Street closed slightly lower. Deals such as Yahoo's $1. ...

By Herbert Lash NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global equity markets mostly rose on Monday, driven higher by a flurry of merger and acquisition activity, while a recent tumble in the yen against the dollar halted after Japan's economy minister suggested the currency might have weakened enough. Major American and European stock indices are up double digits - the U.S. benchmark S&P 500 index is almost 17 percent higher so far this year - and investors still see better returns ahead in equities, even as Wall Street closed slightly lower. Deals such as Yahoo's $1. ...

By Herbert Lash NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global equity markets mostly rose on Monday, driven higher by a flurry of merger and acquisition activity, while a recent tumble in the yen against the dollar halted after Japan's economy minister suggested the currency might have weakened enough. Major American and European stock indices are up double digits - the U.S. benchmark S&P 500 index is almost 17 percent higher so far this year - and investors still see better returns ahead in equities, even as Wall Street closed slightly lower. Deals such as Yahoo's $1. ...

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil rose Monday, taking its cue from the stock market and the dollar.

LONDON (AP) — The price of silver was the standout mover in financial markets Monday as it took a hammering for the second trading session in a row, even as stocks remained relatively solid amid hopes over the U.S. economy.

By Sudip Kar-Gupta LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's benchmark equity index rose on Monday to its best closing level since late 2000, helped by rising bank stocks, and analysts said there was little holding it back from its all-time highs. Interest rate cuts and injections of liquidity by central banks have hit returns on bonds, driving investors to seek the better returns on offer from equities, spurring a global stock market rally over the last year. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed up by 0.5 percent, or 32.57 points, at 6,755.63 points - its highest closing level since September 2000. ...

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil rose Monday, taking its cue from the stock market and the dollar.