WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will unveil on Wednesday his plans for reshaping U.S. financial regulation, with proposals to close one bank regulator and create new overseers for big-picture economic risk and consumer financial product safety.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA postponed the launch of space shuttle Endeavour on Wednesday due to a hydrogen gas leak that developed during fueling, a space agency official said.

AP - NASA has called off Wednesday's launch attempt for space shuttle Endeavour because of another hydrogen gas leak.

AP - North Korea warned Wednesday of a 'thousand-fold' military retaliation against the U.S. and its allies if provoked, the latest threat in a drumbeat of rhetoric in defense of its rogue nuclear program.

AP - Taylor Swift opened Tuesday's Country Music Television awards with a skit about living out her dreams. The 19-year-old country and pop sensation went a long way toward doing just that by winning video of the year and female video of the year for 'Love Story' and by performing with one of her favorite rock bands.

AP - Robinson Cano hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and matched a career high with four hits, leading CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the woeful Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Reuters - President Barack Obama will unveil on Wednesday his plans for reshaping U.S. financial regulation, with proposals to close one bank regulator and create new overseers for big-picture economic risk and consumer financial product safety.

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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA canceled the launch of space shuttle Endeavour on Wednesday for the second time after a potentially dangerous hydrogen gas leak surfaced while the ship was being fueled.

AP - Iran's most powerful military force is warning online media of a crackdown over their coverage of the country's election crisis.

AP - For the second time in less than a week, a potentially dangerous hydrogen gas leak early Wednesday forced NASA to delay shuttle Endeavour's launch to the international space station, this time until July at the earliest.

AP - Eye-popping new cost estimates for President Barack Obama's plan to overhaul the U.S. health care system are forcing majority Democrats to scale back their plans to subsidize coverage for the uninsured.

AP - President Barack Obama wants to strengthen the government's authority over financial institutions in a sweeping attempt to modernize a regulatory latticework that failed to detect early signs of a worldwide crisis.

AP - Congress is on its way to giving President Barack Obama what could be its final emergency war-spending bill, an annual budgetary sleight-of-hand that since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has cost the nation nearly $1 trillion.

AP - Sammy Sosa became the latest in a string of baseball stars implicated in the sport's steroids scandal of the past decade when The New York Times reported on its Web site that he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003.

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.

AFP - Iran's opposition movement called for a new public rally in Tehran as pressure was building on the Islamic regime over President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's fiercely-contested re-election.

(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.)

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's navy has seized more than a ton of cocaine stuffed inside frozen sharks, as drug gangs under military pressure go to greater lengths to conceal narcotics bound for the United States.

PARIS (Reuters) - French investigators have no further clues on what caused the crash of an Air France jetliner in the Atlantic two weeks ago, the head of France's investigation agency said on Wednesday.

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 - Iran's opposition announced a third day of street demonstrations Wednesday as the country's most powerful military force warned of a crackdown against online media in its first pronouncement on the deepening election crisis.

AP - For the second time in less than a week, a potentially dangerous hydrogen gas leak early Wednesday forced NASA to delay shuttle Endeavour's launch to the international space station, this time until July at the earliest.

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 - Mexico's navy has seized more than a ton of cocaine stuffed inside frozen sharks, as drug gangs under military pressure go to greater lengths to conceal narcotics bound for the United States.

Reuters - French investigators have no further clues on what caused the crash of an Air France jetliner in the Atlantic two weeks ago, the head of France's investigation agency said on Wednesday.

AFP - Iran's opposition movement called for a new public rally in Tehran as pressure was building on the Islamic regime over President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's fiercely-contested re-election.

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

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi urged supporters to stage protests or gather in mosques to mourn those killed after disputed elections that set off Iran's worst unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA canceled the launch of space shuttle Endeavour on Wednesday for the second time after a potentially dangerous hydrogen gas leak surfaced while the ship was being fueled for flight.

PARIS (Reuters) - France's chief air disaster investigator said on Wednesday he was unhappy that a French pathologist had not been allowed to take part in autopsies in Brazil of bodies recovered after an Air France plane crash.

AP - Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi issued a direct challenge to the country's supreme leader and cleric-led system Wednesday, calling for a mass rally to protest disputed election results and violence against his followers.

AP - Eye-popping new cost estimates for President Barack Obama's plan to overhaul the U.S. health care system are forcing majority Democrats to scale back their plans to subsidize coverage for the uninsured.

AP - President Barack Obama, whose gay and lesbian supporters have grown frustrated with his slow movement on their priorities, is extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, a White House official said.

AP - President Barack Obama wants to strengthen the government's authority over financial institutions in a sweeping attempt to modernize a regulatory latticework that failed to detect early signs of a worldwide crisis.

AP - Investors are finding more reason for caution as questions linger over how quickly the economy can bounce back.

AP - Taylor Swift opened the Country Music Television awards with a skit about living out her dreams. The 19-year-old country and pop sensation went a long way toward doing just that by winning video of the year and female video of the year for 'Love Story' and by performing with one of her favorite rock bands.

Reuters - Defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi urged supporters to stage protests or gather in mosques to mourn those killed after disputed elections that set off Iran's worst unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Reuters - France's chief air disaster investigator said on Wednesday he was unhappy that a French pathologist had not been allowed to take part in autopsies in Brazil of bodies recovered after an Air France plane crash.

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.

AFP - Iran's opposition stepped up its challenge to the Islamic regime on Wednesday as the authorities intensified a crackdown on the media to try to contain the biggest crisis since the 1979 revolution.

AP - Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi issued a direct challenge Wednesday to the country's supreme leader and cleric-led system, calling for a mass rally to protest disputed election results and violence against his followers.

AP - Consumer prices rose less than expected in May, fresh evidence that the recession is keeping inflation in check.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian Reformist Mirhossein Mousavi called on Wednesday for a day of mourning for those killed in clashes set off by a disputed presidential election as tens of thousands protested for the fifth straight day.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will lay out on Wednesday his vision for reshaping U.S. financial regulation, aiming to tighten oversight of the largest firms whose excessive risk-taking triggered a global recession.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia hopes U.S. President Barack Obama will not pursue his predecessor's plan to deploy weapons in space but Moscow is ready to respond appropriately to any such moves, a senior Russian general said on Wednesday.

AP - President Barack Obama proposed new 'rules of the road' for the nation's financial system Wednesday, casting the changes as an essential response to the economic crisis and the greatest regulatory transformation since the Great Depression.

AP - Senate Democrats on Wednesday took the first major step toward sweeping overhaul of the nation's health care system in more than a decade, pushing legislation despite strenuous GOP opposition and uncertainty about its provisions and costs.

AP - JPMorgan Chase says it has repaid in full the $25 billion in government bailout funds it received last fall.

AP - Thousands of fans poured into the Coliseum early Wednesday to celebrate the Los Angeles Lakers' 15th NBA title with a parade and rally that the financially troubled city either badly needs or can't afford, depending on who you ask.

Reuters - Iranian Reformist Mirhossein Mousavi called on Wednesday for a day of mourning for those killed in clashes set off by a disputed presidential election as tens of thousands protested for the fifth straight day.

Reuters - Russia hopes U.S. President Barack Obama will not pursue his predecessor's plan to deploy weapons in space but Moscow is ready to respond appropriately to any such moves, a senior Russian general said on Wednesday.

AFP - Iran's opposition held another rally and stepped up its challenge to the Islamic regime on Wednesday as the authorities intensified a crackdown on the media to try to contain the biggest crisis since the 1979 revolution.

AFP - US President Barack Obama on Wednesday proposed what he said was the most sweeping overhaul of the financial regulatory system since reforms implemented after the 1930s Great Depression.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama laid out his vision for reshaping U.S. financial regulation on Wednesday, aiming to tighten oversight of large firms whose excessive risk-taking triggered a global economic slump.

AP - President Barack Obama proposed sweeping new 'rules of the road' for the nation's financial system Wednesday, casting the changes as a critically important response to the economic crisis and the greatest regulatory transformation since the Great Depression.

AP - Iran accused the United States on Wednesday of 'intolerable' meddling in its internal affairs, alleging for the first time that Washington has fueled a bitter postelection dispute. Opposition supporters marched in Tehran's streets for a third straight day to protest the outcome of the balloting.

AP - President Barack Obama, whose gay and lesbian supporters have grown frustrated with his slow movement on their priorities, is extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees but stopping short of a guarantee of full health insurance, a White House official said.

AP - Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada has stepped down from his leadership post one day after admitting he carried on a marital affair with a woman who was on his campaign staff.

AP - Scientists in California say they have cloned a dog that helped with search-and-rescue after the New York terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

AP - Comedy Central says 'Daily Show' correspondent Jason Jones is reporting from Iran with a week of dispatches taped during the past month.

Reuters - President Barack Obama laid out his vision for reshaping U.S. financial regulation on Wednesday, aiming to tighten oversight of large firms whose excessive risk-taking triggered a global economic slump.

Reuters - NASA canceled the launch of space shuttle Endeavour on Wednesday for the second time after a potentially dangerous hydrogen gas leak surfaced while the ship was being fueled for flight.

AFP - President Barack Obama Wednesday proposed the most 'sweeping' regulatory overhaul since the 1930s, vowing to stop future meltdowns in a financial system humbled by lax oversight, greed and huge debts.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States wants Israel to impose a moratorium on new tenders for building in Jewish settlements in the West Bank but is considering allowances that could permit some projects already under way to proceed, Western and Israeli officials said on Wednesday.

AP - Senate Democrats on Wednesday took the first major step toward a sweeping overhaul of the health care system in over a decade, pushing legislation despite strenuous GOP opposition and uncertainty about its provisions and costs. 'This is about as historic as it gets for all of us,' said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., who is overseeing the proceedings in place of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who is battling brain cancer.

AP - Sen. John Ensign of Nevada resigned his Republican leadership post Wednesday, one day after confessing marital infidelity. Aides refused to answer questions about records showing that a woman on his political payroll received a promotion and a pay raise around the time he said the affair began in late 2007. Nor would Ensign or aides respond to reports of an earlier affair, in 2002.

AP - Authorities said a woman obsessed with rabbits is in trouble again: In violation of probation terms, she was found holed up in a hotel room with more than a dozen rabbits. Officers said they had to break into the room Tuesday and found eight adults and half a dozen baby rabbits, one dead. The police say some were caged, some roaming.

AP - The Giants and Jets are willing to wait for the right price before selling the naming rights to their new $1.6 billion stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands.

Reuters - The United States wants Israel to impose a moratorium on new tenders for building in Jewish settlements in the West Bank but is considering allowances that could permit some projects already under way to proceed, Western and Israeli officials said on Wednesday.

AFP - Iran's opposition stepped up its challenge to the Islamic regime on Wednesday holding another rally even as the authorities intensified a crackdown on the media to try to contain the biggest crisis since the 1979 revolution.

PARIS/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - French investigators are getting closer to understanding the cause of an Air France crash that killed 228 people, but difficult search conditions in the Atlantic Ocean are hampering the process, France's chief air disaster investigator said on Wednesday.

AP - Hoping to make history, the Senate set off on its major overhaul of the nation's health care system Wednesday, but its first steps were quickly overtaken by fresh cost concerns and partisan anger.

AP - From simple home loans to Wall Street's most exotic schemes, the government would impose sweeping new 'rules of the road' for the nation's battered financial system under an overhaul proposed Wednesday by President Barack Obama.

AP - President Barack Obama has signed a measure that would extend some benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.

AP - A former campaign aide to Sen. John Ensign confirmed her involvement Wednesday in an extramarital affair with the conservative Republican, lamented his decision to 'air this very personal matter' and said she eventually would tell her side of the story.

AP - A Michigan man said Wednesday that pictures he found online led him to believe he could be the 2-year-old boy who vanished more than a half-century ago from a stroller outside a bakery on New York's Long Island.

AP - Billy Joel and wife Katie Lee are confirming a split. In a statement, the pair said that they remain 'caring friends with admiration and respect for each other.' They got married five years ago at Joel's mansion on New York's Long Island.

AP - John Danks pitched seven shutout innings, Alexei Ramirez homered in the first and the White Sox played some NL-style baseball Wednesday to beat the Cubs 4-1. The White Sox, backed by a large and vocal following at Wrigley Field, now lead the spirited and closely contested interleague series that began in 1997, 34-33.

Reuters - French investigators are getting closer to understanding the cause of an Air France crash that killed 228 people, but difficult search conditions in the Atlantic Ocean are hampering the process, France's chief air disaster investigator said on Wednesday.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi prepared to heed his rallying call for a national day of mourning on Thursday for those killed in post-election clashes.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday extended limited job benefits to gay partners of U.S. government workers in what he called a first step to end discrimination against gays and lesbians.

AP - Hoping to make history, the Senate set off on its major overhaul of the nation's health care system Wednesday, but its first steps were quickly overtaken by fresh cost concerns and partisan anger. An ambitious timetable that called for completing committee action in early summer seemed in danger of slipping away.

AP - Iran directly accused the United States of meddling in the deepening crisis over a disputed presidential election and broadened its media clampdown Wednesday to include blogs and news Web sites. But protesters took to the streets in growing defiance of the country's Islamic rulers.

AP - President Barack Obama signaled to gay-rights activists Wednesday that he's listening to their desire for greater equality in 'a more perfect union.' But he didn't give them even close to everything they want, bringing to the surface an anger that's been growing against the president.

AP - For much of his public career, Sen. John Ensign has appeared a model of the religious right. By this week, he had become just another politician diminished by scandal. Rattled, humbled and alone at the podium, Ensign acknowledged to reporters an extramarital affair, the sort of moral failing he's criticized in the past.

AP - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday that this is the last time Congress will go through the ordeal of passing an off-the-books, expensive bill to fund two wars. It may also be one of the more difficult.

AP - Irene Prusik has been dead for six years. But in April, someone showed up at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Brooklyn to renew her driver's license. The explanation given by prosecutors rivals the Hitchcock classic 'Psycho': It was her son, in drag.

AP - Former major league outfielder Mel Hall was sentenced to 45 years in prison Wednesday after being convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl he coached on an elite basketball team. Hall was convicted on three counts of aggravated sexual assault and two counts of indecency with a child. Among his accusers during sentencing Wednesday were others who said he carried on inappropriate relationships with them.

Reuters - Supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi prepared to heed his rallying call for a national day of mourning on Thursday for those killed in post-election clashes.

Reuters - President Barack Obama on Wednesday extended limited job benefits to gay partners of U.S. government workers in what he called a first step to end discrimination against gays and lesbians.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama faces growing concerns among voters over government spending, the auto industry bailout and other economic policies, according to two opinion polls released on Wednesday.

HAVANA (Reuters) - Elvis Presley croons 'All Shook Up' from the CD player as Florentino Marin wipes down his 1955 Buick Century sedan on a central Havana street.

Reuters - President Barack Obama faces growing concerns among voters over government spending, the auto industry bailout and other economic policies, according to two opinion polls released on Wednesday.

AFP - The Obama administration stuck to demands for Israel to freeze settlements before it holds new talks in Paris next week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about his plans for peace with the Palestinians.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has several thousand tonnes of chemical weapons it can mount on missiles that could be used on a rapid strike against the South, said a report released on Thursday by the International Crisis Group (ICG).

DETROIT (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp's Bing search engine won more market share from rivals last week, according to new industry data released on Wednesday, but still trails Google Inc and Yahoo Inc.

Reuters - North Korea has several thousand tonnes of chemical weapons it can mount on missiles that could be used on a rapid strike against the South, said a report released on Thursday by the International Crisis Group (ICG).

Reuters - Microsoft Corp's Bing search engine won more market share from rivals last week, according to new industry data released on Wednesday, but still trails Google Inc and Yahoo Inc.

AFP - Iran's opposition is set to hold marches and a day of mourning for slain protesters as they keep up pressure on the authorities over the disputed presidential election in the country's biggest crisis since the 1979 revolution.