TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranians planned more protests on Tuesday against a presidential election they say was rigged but the focus of their anger, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left the country to attend an international meeting.

TOKYO (Reuters) - The youngest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il secretly visited China last week and his hosts were told he had been appointed heir to the ruling family dynasty, Japan's Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan plans an immediate review of operations to ensure his troops are focused on safeguarding key population centers, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

AP - Iran's state radio says seven people died in clashes in Tehran after an 'unauthorized gathering' following a mass rally over alleged election fraud.

AP - Witnesses begin testifying Tuesday in the civil trial of American International Group Inc.'s former top executive, accused of plundering an AIG retirement program of billions of dollars.

AP - Pakistan's military chief denounced terrorists as enemies of the country and Islam, but warned his officers to avoid killing civilians as they widen their operations against the Taliban.

Reuters - Iranians planned more protests on Tuesday against a presidential election they say was rigged but the focus of their anger, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left the country to attend an international meeting.

Reuters - The youngest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il secretly visited China last week and his hosts were told he had been appointed heir to the ruling family dynasty, Japan's Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Reuters - The new commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan plans an immediate review of operations to ensure his troops are focused on safeguarding key population centers, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

AFP - Seven people have been killed after a massive opposition rally in the heart of Tehran against the re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad turned violent, state radio has said.

AFP - US President Barack Obama is set to meet with the leader of South Korea, who is seeking security guarantees as a standoff escalates with nuclear-armed North Korea.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Seven people were killed near a rally held by supporters of defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi, state television said on Tuesday, as they prepared for more protests against a poll they say was rigged.

AP - As North Korea threatens nuclear war, President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will be eager to show the North the unity of their alliance and a determination not to back down.

AP - Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, seeking to restore some shine to his tattered international image, agreed to take three detainees from Guantanamo Bay and praised President Barack Obama after a long meeting at the White House.

AP - As a slave laborer in Auschwitz, Meyer Hack was forced to sort through the tattered clothing stripped off inmates before they were sent to the gas chambers. He gathered valuable belongings hidden inside the clothes, stuffed them in a sock, hid them and later spirited them to freedom.

Reuters - Seven people were killed near a rally held by supporters of defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi, state television said on Tuesday, as they prepared for more protests against a poll they say was rigged.

AFP - Seven people were killed when a mass protest against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reelection turned violent, state media said on Tuesday, as the tense nation braced for more rival rallies.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's top legislative body said Tuesday it was ready to carry out a partial recount in a disputed presidential election that has prompted the biggest street protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - General Motors Europe said on Tuesday a preliminary agreement has been reached to sell the company's loss-making Swedish unit Saab to local sportscar maker Koenigsegg.

YEKATERINBURG, Russia (Reuters) - The world's biggest emerging market powers will seek to craft a united front on repairing the global financial system when they meet for the first formal BRIC summit on Tuesday.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's keynote speech on Middle East peace this week received massive support from the Israeli public but they do not think it will further its aim, a poll showed on Tuesday.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. economy will likely begin to recover in the third quarter and housing may hit its long-expected bottom in the following quarter, a UCLA Anderson Forecast report released on Tuesday said.

TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion is adding another smartphone to its BlackBerry lineup as it aims to win market share among both executives and mainstream consumers despite tough economic conditions.

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese waitress who killed a government official when he assaulted her was set free on Tuesday, ending a case that sparked online debate over widespread abuse of power.

AP - Iran's powerful Guardian Council is ready to recount specific ballot boxes in last week's disputed presidential elections, a council spokesman said Tuesday, another twist in an election that has touched off widespread protests.

AP - China and Russia sought greater international clout at a summit Tuesday, with China promising a $10 billion loan to Central Asian countries, while Russia challenged the dominance of the U.S. dollar as a global reserve currency.

Reuters - Iran's top legislative body said Tuesday it was ready to carry out a partial recount in a disputed presidential election that has prompted the biggest street protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Reuters - General Motors Europe said on Tuesday a preliminary agreement has been reached to sell the company's loss-making Swedish unit Saab to local sportscar maker Koenigsegg.

Reuters - The world's biggest emerging market powers will seek to craft a united front on repairing the global financial system when they meet for the first formal BRIC summit on Tuesday.

Reuters - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's keynote speech on Middle East peace this week received massive support from the Israeli public but they do not think it will further its aim, a poll showed on Tuesday.

AFP - Iran's election watchdog said on Tuesday it was ready for a recount in the hotly disputed presidential vote as the nation braced for further protests after seven people were killed in street battles.

AFP - US President Barack Obama was on Tuesday to meet with the leader of South Korea, who is seeking security guarantees as a stand-off escalates with nuclear-armed North Korea.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's top legislative body on Tuesday ruled out annulling a disputed presidential poll that has prompted the biggest street protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution but said it was prepared for a partial recount.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to negotiate a deal with Washington under which Israeli building in existing Jewish settlements can go forward in certain cases, Israeli and Western officials said Tuesday.

AP - The leaders of India and Pakistan met Tuesday in Russia, their first interaction since the terrorist attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai last November, Russian officials said.

AP - The American Medical Association says there's no scientific proof to back up claims of anti-aging hormones.

AP - Investors remain cautious as they await reports on housing and inflation a day after a stock market slide.

AP - Germany confirmed Tuesday that two German nurses who were among nine foreigners missing in Yemen are presumed to have been killed.

AP - Sarah Palin says she accepts David Letterman's apology.

AP - China appeared to cave in to public pressure Tuesday by announcing that computer users are not required to install Internet-filtering software — though it will still come with all PCs sold on the mainland.

AP - Prince Fielder hit a go-ahead grand slam in Milwaukee's six-run eighth inning and the Brewers rallied to beat the Cleveland Indians 14-12 on Monday night.

Reuters - Iran's top legislative body on Tuesday ruled out annulling a disputed presidential poll that has prompted the biggest street protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution but said it was prepared for a partial recount.

Reuters - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to negotiate a deal with Washington under which Israeli building in existing Jewish settlements can go forward in certain cases, Israeli and Western officials said Tuesday.

AFP - US President Barack Obama was set Tuesday to meet with the leader of South Korea, who is seeking security guarantees as a standoff escalates with nuclear-armed North Korea.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters coverage is now subject to an Iranian ban on foreign media leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is negotiating a deal with Washington under which Israeli building in existing Jewish settlements could go forward in certain cases, Israeli and Western officials said on Tuesday.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - As the armored car carrying Westerners cut to the front of the line at a checkpoint into Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone, an enraged Iraqi leapt from his BMW and yelled at the occupants.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New U.S. housing starts and permits surged in May from record lows, while producer prices rose at a slower pace despite higher gasoline prices, boosting prospects for the economy's recovery from recession.

YEKATERINBURG, Russia (Reuters) - Leaders of emerging world powers discussed reducing their reliance on the United States, as well as boosting security and trade at two summits on Tuesday hosted by Russia but excluding the West.

AP - Wholesale prices rose less than expected in May as a drop in food costs helped keep overall prices down.

AP - China and Russia sought greater international clout at a summit Tuesday, with China promising $10 billion in loans to Central Asian countries and Russia challenging the U.S. dollar's dominance as a global reserve currency.

AP - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with Pakistan's president on Tuesday for the first time since last year's deadly terrorist attacks on Mumbai, and told him Pakistan must prevent its territory from being used to launch such attacks, officials and news reports said.

AP - Two American journalists sentenced by North Korea last week to 12 years of hard labor were caught shooting video for what the North said was a politically motivated 'smear campaign,' state-run media said Tuesday.

AP - Summer is going to be a lot shorter for hundreds of elementary school students in two Southern California communities.

Reuters - EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters coverage is now subject to an Iranian ban on foreign media leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

Reuters - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is negotiating a deal with Washington under which Israeli building in existing Jewish settlements could go forward in certain cases, Israeli and Western officials said on Tuesday.

Reuters - As the armored car carrying Westerners cut to the front of the line at a checkpoint into Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone, an enraged Iraqi leapt from his BMW and yelled at the occupants.

Reuters - New U.S. housing starts and permits surged in May from record lows, while producer prices rose at a slower pace despite higher gasoline prices, boosting prospects for the economy's recovery from recession.

Reuters - Leaders of emerging world powers discussed reducing their reliance on the United States, as well as boosting security and trade at two summits on Tuesday hosted by Russia but excluding the West.

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are being 'treated more like animals than human beings,' former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said on Tuesday.

AP - Thousands of people waving Iranian flags and pictures of the supreme leader massed Tuesday at a rally organized by Iran's clerical regime in an apparent attempt to reclaim the streets hours after saying it would recount disputed presidential ballots.

AP - President Barack Obama said Tuesday that a nuclear-armed North Korea poses a 'grave threat' to the world and vowed to end a cycle of allowing Pyongyang to create a crisis and then be rewarded with incentives to back down.

AP - Brazil, Russia, India and China on Tuesday called for a more diversified international monetary system, but wrapped up their first full-fledged summit by avoiding any explicit criticism of the world's dominant currency, the U.S. dollar.

AP - Covering the uninsured could take several years, even if Congress passes a bill and President Barack Obama signs it into law this fall, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday.

AP - Michelle Wie has failed to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open. Wie shot a 74 in the second round of qualifying Monday, and missed by one shot.

Reuters - Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are being 'treated more like animals than human beings,' former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said on Tuesday.

AFP - Supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his defeated challenger staged rival rallies on Tuesday as the nation grappled with its worst crisis since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

AFP - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday met Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari for the first time since the Mumbai attacks, bluntly declaring that Pakistani soil must not be used for terrorism.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Thousands of supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi marched in Tehran on Tuesday following a disputed poll prompting the biggest street protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak presented a united front to North Korea on Tuesday, saying Pyongyang must abandon its nuclear weapons program and will not be rewarded for provoking a crisis.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Making individual NATO members responsible for specific provinces in Afghanistan has hindered international cooperation efforts, NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in a magazine interview.

AP - Thousands of protesters have rallied in Tehran in support of reformist opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, according to witnesses and video footage.

AP - President Barack Obama said Tuesday that a nuclear-armed North Korea poses a 'grave threat' to the world, and he vowed to end a cycle of allowing Pyongyang to create crises and then be rewarded with incentives to back down.

AP - The insurance lobby won't be able to block a public health plan because most Americans realize they would be better off if the industry had competition, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday as congressional committees worked to shape legislation.

AP - Suspended slugger Manny Ramirez has dropped to sixth among NL outfielders in latest fan voting for starting spots in the All-Star game.

Reuters - Thousands of supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi marched in Tehran on Tuesday following a disputed poll prompting the biggest street protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Reuters - U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak presented a united front to North Korea on Tuesday, saying Pyongyang must abandon its nuclear weapons program and will not be rewarded for provoking a crisis.

Reuters - The White House on Tuesday dashed hopes that the federal government would help California overcome a mammoth budget crisis that has brought the state dangerously close to an economic meltdown, saying California will have to solve the problem on its own.

Reuters - Making individual NATO members responsible for specific provinces in Afghanistan has hindered international cooperation efforts, NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in a magazine interview.

AFP - Supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his defeated challenger staged rival rallies on Tuesday as the nation grappled with its worst crisis since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

AFP - US President Barack Obama Tuesday vowed to defend South Korea and 'vigorously' press North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons as the communist state's nuclear belligerence escalates.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak presented a united front to North Korea on Tuesday, saying Pyongyang must abandon its nuclear weapons program and will not be rewarded for provoking a crisis.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Tuesday dashed hopes that the federal government would help California overcome a mammoth budget crisis that has brought the state dangerously close to an economic meltdown, saying the state will have to solve the problem on its own.

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Thousands of Iraqi refugees resettled in the United States are living in poverty and facing homelessness as they struggle to rebuild their lives amid the recession, a study by a humanitarian aid group found.

AP - Thousands of pro-reform protesters marched Tuesday in a second straight day of large street demonstrations in the Iranian capital, defying both their leader and the government after the clerical regime said it would recount some disputed ballots from the presidential election.

AP - Declaring North Korea a 'grave threat' to the world, President Barack Obama on Tuesday pledged the U.S. and its allies will aggressively enforce fresh international penalties against the nuclear-armed nation and stop rewarding its leaders for repeated provocations.

AP - Setting up a certain fight with big business, President Barack Obama is about to recommend creation of a regulatory agency to protect consumers in their credit, savings and other banking transactions.

AP - Pakistan's army launched airstrikes and ferried in tanks and artillery as it confirmed Tuesday that it was preparing a major offensive against insurgents in al-Qaida and the Taliban's safest haven along the Afghan border.

AP - Schoolchildren could be first in line for swine flu vaccine this fall — and schools are being put on notice that they might even be turned into shot clinics. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday she is urging school superintendents around the country to spend the summer preparing for that possibility, if the government goes ahead with mass vaccinations.

AP - The companies that own almost half the nation's nuclear reactors are not setting aside enough money to dismantle them, and many may sit idle for decades and pose safety and security risks as a result, an Associated Press investigation has found.

AP - Authorities said a naked intruder startled a woman in her home west of Denver, then fled in a sheet to another home where he was discovered wearing women's clothing. Jefferson County deputies said the first break-in occurred shortly before 7 a.m. Monday. The man fled when the woman screamed.

AP - Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth took full responsibility for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk in Florida and began serving a 30-day jail sentence Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter.

Reuters - U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak presented a united front to North Korea on Tuesday, saying Pyongyang must abandon its nuclear weapons program and will not be rewarded for provoking a crisis.

Reuters - The White House on Tuesday dashed hopes that the federal government would help California overcome a mammoth budget crisis that has brought the state dangerously close to an economic meltdown, saying the state will have to solve the problem on its own.

Reuters - Thousands of Iraqi refugees resettled in the United States are living in poverty and facing homelessness as they struggle to rebuild their lives amid the recession, a study by a humanitarian aid group found.

AP - Confronting cost estimates as high as $1.6 trillion, Senate Democrats agreed Tuesday to scale back planned subsidies for the uninsured and sought concessions totaling hundreds of billions of dollars from private industry to defray the cost of sweeping health care legislation. At the same time, key Democrats disagreed openly among themselves over a proposed tax on health insurance benefits to pay for expanding coverage to the uninsured.

AP - President Barack Obama expressed 'deep concerns' Tuesday about the legitimacy of Iran's presidential elections and post-voting crackdowns but declined to term hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election a fraud. His spokesman said the U.S. offers to talk with Iran's government over its suspected nuclear weapons program would not change regardless of the victor.

AP - California authorities slapped an online site Tuesday with four child-labor law violations for videotaping two of Nadya Suleman's octuplets without safeguards to protect their health and welfare.

AP - A judge took possible threats made by the man accused of killing abortion provider George Tiller seriously enough that he raised his bond to $20 million from $5 million, according to a transcript released Tuesday.

AP - Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada admitted Tuesday he had an extramarital affair with a former member of his campaign staff. Ensign told The Associated Press in a statement, 'I deeply regret and am very sorry for my actions.'

AP - Former slugger Sammy Sosa reportedly tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003. The New York Times reported the failed test Tuesday on its Web site, citing lawyers familiar with the case. The newspaper did not identify the drug. Sosa is sixth on baseball's career home run list with 609. He has not played in the majors since 2007.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi aim to keep pressure up with new protests on Wednesday over a disputed poll which has led to the biggest upheaval since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator John Ensign, who had been seen as a potential 2012 presidential contender, has told colleagues he had an extramarital affair, a party aide said on Wednesday.

AP - Officials said a two-pound, eight-week-old kitten was dropped in a public mailbox in Boston and later found unharmed among envelopes and packages. According to the MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center, the kitten they're calling 'Postina' likely was stuffed Friday through a small opening of the mailbox and dropped several feet below.

Reuters - Supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi aim to keep pressure up with new protests on Wednesday over a disputed poll which has led to the biggest upheaval since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Reuters - Republican U.S. Senator John Ensign, who had been seen as a potential 2012 presidential contender, has told colleagues he had an extramarital affair, a party aide said on Wednesday.

AFP - US President Barack Obama warned Tuesday nuclear North Korea was a 'grave threat' and said he would not tolerate the Stalinist state's strategy of extracting rewards with belligerent behavior.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator John Ensign, a social conservative who had been seen as a potential 2012 presidential contender, admitted on Wednesday that he had an extramarital affair with a female aide.

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Reuters) - A Florida tent city for hundreds of homeless people lies at the end of a dead-end street, but residents say they have not given up hope of a better life despite the U.S. economic downturn.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Self-described lazy environmentalist Josh Dorfman has a plan to save the planet that is a little unorthodox -- he tells people to stop feeling bad about taking long showers and driving fast cars.

AP - President Barack Obama, under growing criticism for not seeking to end the ban on openly gay men and women in the military, is extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. Obama plans to announce his decision on Wednesday in the Oval Office, a White House official said Tuesday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the president hadn't yet signed the presidential memorandum.

AP - A Web site's exclusive deal to document the lives of Nadya Suleman and her fragile octuplets came with a hidden risk:

Reuters - Republican U.S. Senator John Ensign, a social conservative who had been seen as a potential 2012 presidential contender, admitted on Wednesday that he had an extramarital affair with a female aide.

Reuters - A Florida tent city for hundreds of homeless people lies at the end of a dead-end street, but residents say they have not given up hope of a better life despite the U.S. economic downturn.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration plans to streamline U.S. bank oversight and put the Federal Reserve in charge of monitoring big-picture economic risks in a sweeping regulatory overhaul to be formally unveiled on Wednesday, a senior administration official said.

SEOUL (Reuters) - The leaders of South Korea and the United States told North Korea to drop its atomic ambitions and stop threatening the region while media reports on Wednesday said Pyongyang was moving ahead with plans to launch a long-range missile.

AP - Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, a conservative Republican with evident presidential ambitions, abruptly announced Tuesday he carried on an extramarital affair for much of last year with a woman on his campaign staff, a confession that jarred his scandal-weary state as well as his party.

Reuters - The leaders of South Korea and the United States told North Korea to drop its atomic ambitions and stop threatening the region while media reports on Wednesday said Pyongyang was moving ahead with plans to launch a long-range missile.