WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama plans to nominate San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Janet Yellen, a respected policy dove, to be vice chairman of the central bank, a source familiar with the process said on Thursday.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States should not make a political issue out of the yuan, a Chinese central banker said on Friday, as the two countries lurched toward a potentially serious clash about Beijing's currency regime.

DETROIT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Unprecedented discounts after a series of damaging recalls boosted Toyota Motor Corp's U.S. sales in early March, as U.S. regulators weighed new auto safety measures.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands of workers who suffered health problems after the September 11 attacks in 2001 have reached a settlement worth up to $657.5 million with an insurer representing the city of New York, city officials and lawyers said on Thursday.

AP - And then there were 12 on 'American Idol.'

Reuters - The United States should not make a political issue out of the yuan, a Chinese central banker said on Friday, as the two countries lurched toward a potentially serious clash about Beijing's currency regime.

Reuters - Thousands of workers who suffered health problems after the September 11 attacks in 2001 have reached a settlement worth up to $657.5 million with an insurer representing the city of New York, city officials and lawyers said on Thursday.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States should not make a political issue out of the yuan, a Chinese central banker said on Friday, as the two countries lurched toward a potential bust-up over Beijing's currency regime.

AP - Pakistan's navy successfully test-fired a series of missiles and torpedoes Friday in what it called a message to 'nefarious' forces — an apparent reference to longtime rival India.

AFP - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has ordered the army to seal off the West Bank for 48 hours until midnight on Saturday, an army spokesman said.

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's gross domestic product shrank slightly less than feared at the end of 2009 and unemployment eased, but the economy looked set to deteriorate as the government imposes major cutbacks.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China accused Washington of hypocrisy on Friday for its criticism of Beijing's restrictions on the Internet and dissent, blaming the United States for the financial crisis and saying its own rights record was terrible.

AP - Israel has sealed off the West Bank for 48 hours, preventing Palestinians from entering Israel because of fears of unrest.

AP - President Barack Obama's intense juggling of domestic issues reflects all the realities he faces: a vast agenda, a smaller window for results this year and a need to keep promises to constituencies that will have a huge say in the fall congressional elections.

Reuters - Greece's gross domestic product shrank slightly less than feared at the end of 2009 and unemployment eased, but the economy looked set to deteriorate as the government imposes major cutbacks.

Reuters - China accused Washington of hypocrisy on Friday for its criticism of Beijing's restrictions on the Internet and dissent, blaming the United States for the financial crisis and saying its own rights record was terrible.

AFP - A twin suicide attack targeting the Pakistani military in the city of Lahore on Friday killed 39 people and wounded 95, a senior police official said.

AFP - Israel sealed off the West Bank on Friday amid tension in Jerusalem over controversial plans to build new homes for Jewish settlers and fears of fresh violence at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had a modest lead over rival Shi'ites, partial results from Iraq's tight election race showed on Friday, but a secularist challenger remained far ahead among Iraqi Sunnis.

AP - A pair of suicide bombers targeting army vehicles detonated explosives within seconds of each other Friday, killing at least 39 people in this eastern city and wounding nearly 100, police said. It was the fourth major attack in Pakistan this week, indicating Islamist militants are stepping up violence after a period of relative calm.

AP - Too much cancer screening, too many heart tests, too many cesarean sections. A spate of recent reports suggest that too many Americans — maybe even President Barack Obama — are being overtreated.

Reuters - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had a modest lead over rival Shi'ites, partial results from Iraq's tight election race showed on Friday, but a secularist challenger remained far ahead among Iraqi Sunnis.

AFP - Twin suicide attacks seconds apart targeted the Pakistani military Friday, killing 39 people in the second attack to hit security forces in the country's cultural capital this week.

AFP - Pope Benedict XVI met Friday with the head of the German Catholic Church as paedophile priest scandals swept Germany, one coming close to the pontiff's brother Georg Ratzinger, a former choirmaster.

STAINES, England (Reuters) - A son of Ghanaian immigrants who was educated at Eton, Britain's most exclusive private school, parliamentary candidate Kwasi Kwarteng embodies both change and continuity in the Conservative Party.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The head of Germany's Catholic Church apologized to victims of child abuse by priests and said after meeting Pope Benedict Friday the pontiff encouraged him to press ahead with tackling the problem.

LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Suicide bombers targeting the Pakistani military killed at least 45 people in Lahore on Friday, officials said, in a challenge to government assertions that crackdowns have weakened Taliban insurgents.

AP - A pair of suicide bombers targeting army vehicles detonated explosives within seconds of each other Friday, killing at least 43 people in this eastern city and wounding about 100, police said. It was the fourth major attack in Pakistan this week, indicating Islamist militants are stepping up violence after a period of relative calm.

AP - An Iraqi Shiite religious alliance with ties to Iran is leading in one southern province according to the latest vote tallies released.

AP - Retail sales posted a surprising increase in February as consumers did not let major snowstorms stop them from storming the malls. The advance, the biggest since November, provided hope that the recovery from the Great Recession is gaining momentum.

AP - President Barack Obama is delaying his trip to Asia next week to focus on his big push on health care.

AP - A 91-year-old New York pharmacy cashier refused medical attention and went back to work after a thief punched her.

Reuters - A son of Ghanaian immigrants who was educated at Eton, Britain's most exclusive private school, parliamentary candidate Kwasi Kwarteng embodies both change and continuity in the Conservative Party.

Reuters - The head of Germany's Catholic Church apologized to victims of child abuse by priests and said after meeting Pope Benedict Friday the pontiff encouraged him to press ahead with tackling the problem.

Reuters - Suicide bombers targeting the Pakistani military killed at least 45 people in Lahore on Friday, officials said, in a challenge to government assertions that crackdowns have weakened Taliban insurgents.

AFP - Twin suicide attacks seconds apart targeted the Pakistani military Friday, killing up to 45 people in the second attack to hit security forces in the country's cultural capital this week.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is delaying his trip to Indonesia and Australia next week to stay home and focus on his final push for a healthcare overhaul, White House officials said on Friday.

AP - The Iraqi prime minister's bloc said Friday it has started laying the groundwork to form a coalition government, signaling growing confidence after preliminary election results showed it winning in at least three provinces in the southern Shiite heartland.

AP - Retail sales posted a surprising increase in February as consumers did not let major snowstorms stop them from storming the malls. The advance, the biggest since November, provided hope that the recovery from the Great Recession is gaining momentum.

AP - A federal court has upheld regulations that require cable TV companies to make channels they own available to satellite TV providers and other rivals on equal terms.

AP - Standing atop the mountain, Lindsey Vonn already knew she was the best skier in the world for the third year in a row.

Reuters - President Barack Obama is delaying his trip to Indonesia and Australia next week to stay home and focus on his final push for a healthcare overhaul, White House officials said on Friday.

Reuters - Unprecedented discounts after a series of damaging recalls boosted Toyota Motor Corp's U.S. sales in early March, as U.S. regulators weighed new auto safety measures.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had a narrow lead over rival Shi'ites, partial results in Iraq's tight election race showed on Friday, but a secularist challenger remained far ahead in minority Sunni areas.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli forces sealed off the West Bank and massed riot squads around Jerusalem's Old City and Arab neighborhoods during Muslim weekly prayers on Friday, facing down Palestinian anger over Jewish settlement expansion.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The head of Germany's Catholic Church apologized to victims of child abuse by priests on Friday and met Pope Benedict who encouraged him to press ahead with tough new measures.

LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers targeting the Pakistani military killed at least 45 people in Lahore on Friday, officials said, in a challenge to government assertions that crackdowns have weakened Taliban insurgents.

AP - A pair of suicide bombers targeting army vehicles detonated explosives within seconds of each other Friday, killing at least 43 people in this eastern city and wounding about 100, police said. It was the fourth major attack in Pakistan this week, indicating Islamist militants are stepping up violence after a period of relative calm.

AP - Retail sales posted a surprising increase in February as consumers did not let major snowstorms stop them from racking up purchases. The advance, the biggest since November, provided hope that the recovery from the Great Recession is gaining momentum.

AP - President Barack Obama has delayed his visit to Asia, his first international trip of the year, to focus on the push to salvage health care legislation after a year of contentious debate.

AP - Women who took the birth control pill beginning in the late 1960s lived longer than those never on the pill, a new study says.

AP - Apple is accepting pre-orders for the iPad, its new touch-screen gadget for reading books, watching video and surfing the Web.

Reuters - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had a narrow lead over rival Shi'ites, partial results in Iraq's tight election race showed on Friday, but a secularist challenger remained far ahead in minority Sunni areas.

Reuters - Israeli forces sealed off the West Bank and massed riot squads around Jerusalem's Old City and Arab neighborhoods during Muslim weekly prayers on Friday, facing down Palestinian anger over Jewish settlement expansion.

Reuters - The head of Germany's Catholic Church apologized to victims of child abuse by priests on Friday and met Pope Benedict who encouraged him to press ahead with tough new measures.

AFP - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki took a slender lead over his rivals on Friday, preliminary results from the country's general election showed, as opposition blocs alleged blatant fraud.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - San Francisco Federal Reserve President Janet Yellen is a leading contender to be nominated as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Friday.

LOS ANGELES/DETROIT (Reuters) - In the latest blow to Toyota Motor Corp, a Southern California prosecutor filed the first consumer protection lawsuit against the automaker, claiming it had engaged in 'fraud' by hiding evidence of dangerous vehicle defects.

AP - President Barack Obama delayed next week's Asian trip on Friday to seize on suddenly improved prospects for his sweeping health care legislation, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi forecast final passage of the overhaul in days.

AP - Two suicide bombers killed 43 people in near-simultaneous blasts Friday, the fourth major attack in Pakistan this week and a clear sign that militants have the power to strike targets despite months of army offensives and U.S. missile strikes.

AP - Seizing on an early lead in Iraq's election, the prime minister's political coalition began reaching out to rivals Friday as partial results signaled a tight race that was unlikely to produce a clear-cut winner.

AP - Women who took the birth control pill beginning in the late 1960s lived longer than those never on the pill, a new study says.

AP - The NBA has signed off on Michael Jordan's bid to buy the Charlotte Bobcats, and commissioner David Stern expects the league's board of governors to approve the $275 million purchase by the end of next week.

Reuters - San Francisco Federal Reserve President Janet Yellen is a leading contender to be nominated as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Friday.

Reuters - In the latest blow to Toyota Motor Corp, a Southern California prosecutor filed the first consumer protection lawsuit against the automaker, claiming it had engaged in 'fraud' by hiding evidence of dangerous vehicle defects.

AFP - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki took a slender lead over his rivals on Friday, preliminary results from the country's general election showed, as opposition blocs alleged blatant fraud.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday delayed an overseas trip to focus on a final push to pass healthcare reform as the House of Representatives prepared to take up a final version of the bill next week.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday that his government sent a 'deeply negative signal' by taking steps which undermined renewed Middle East peace talks.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's stalled bid to overhaul the federal student loan program by cutting subsidies to private lenders and increasing aid to students received a boost on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Janet Yellen, a monetary policy dove, tops President Barack Obama's list to be No. 2 at U.S. central bank, the White House said on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vaccines that contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal cannot cause autism on their own, a special U.S. court ruled on Friday, dealing one more blow to parents seeking to blame vaccines for their children's illness.

LONDON (Reuters) - One of the world's largest studies of the contraceptive pill has found that women who have taken it can expect longer lives and are less likely to die from any cause, including cancer and heart disease.

AP - Under White House pressure to act swiftly, House and Senate Democratic leaders reached for agreement Friday on President Barack Obama's health care bill, sweetened suddenly by fresh billions for student aid and a sense that breakthroughs are at hand.

AP - Germany's sex abuse scandal has now reached Pope Benedict XVI: His former archdiocese acknowledged it transferred a suspected pedophile priest while Benedict was in charge and criticism is mounting over a 2001 Vatican directive he penned instructing bishops to keep abuse cases secret.

AP - Trash and sewage are piling up at the squalid tent camps that hundreds of thousands have called home since Haiti's devastating earthquake — and with torrential rains expected any day, authorities are not even close to providing the shelters they promised.

AP - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's wife underwent surgery Friday to stabilize serious injuries suffered when a tractor-trailer rear-ended the minivan she and their daughter were riding in on an interstate highway.

AP - A police tow truck removed a minivan parked outside a New York City funeral home, giving its dearly departed passenger an unexpected side trip. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said there was 'nothing to indicate it was more than just an illegally parked car.' Redden's Funeral Home director Paul DeNigris said a windshield placard had fallen flat. The van's tinted windows helped obscure the white cardboard box that held the remains.

Reuters - President Barack Obama on Friday delayed an overseas trip to focus on a final push to pass healthcare reform as the House of Representatives prepared to take up a final version of the bill next week.

Reuters - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday that his government sent a 'deeply negative signal' by taking steps which undermined renewed Middle East peace talks.

Reuters - Two suicide bombers targeting the Pakistani military killed at least 45 people in Lahore on Friday, officials said, in a challenge to government assertions that crackdowns have weakened Taliban insurgents.

Reuters - President Barack Obama's stalled bid to overhaul the federal student loan program by cutting subsidies to private lenders and increasing aid to students received a boost on Friday.

Reuters - San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Janet Yellen, a monetary policy dove, tops President Barack Obama's list to be No. 2 at U.S. central bank, the White House said on Friday.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday he must work to repair relations with Washington after a debacle over Jewish settlements that has undermined U.S. efforts to mediate new peace talks with the Palestinians.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vaccines that contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal cannot cause autism on their own, a special U.S. court ruled on Friday, dealing one more blow to parents seeking to blame vaccines for their children's illness.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Haiti on Sunday to meet the country's leaders and people left homeless by a January earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands, Ban's spokesman said.

SANAA/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yemen said on Friday it was holding a U.S. citizen suspected of being an al Qaeda militant who killed a hospital guard last week, and a U.S. firm said the suspect had worked at nuclear reactors in New Jersey.

AP - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday delivered a stinging rebuke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his government's announcement this week of new Jewish housing in east Jerusalem, calling it 'a deeply negative signal' for the Mideast peace process and ties with the U.S.

AP - A far-right faction of the Texas State Board of Education succeeded Friday in injecting conservative ideals into social studies, history and economics lessons that will be taught to millions of students for the next decade.

AP - Authorities say actor Corey Haim had a fraudulent prescription when he died that was linked to a major drug ring.

Reuters - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday he must work to repair relations with Washington after a debacle over Jewish settlements that has undermined U.S. efforts to mediate new peace talks with the Palestinians.

Reuters - Vaccines that contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal cannot cause autism on their own, a special U.S. court ruled on Friday, dealing one more blow to parents seeking to blame vaccines for their children's illness.

Reuters - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Haiti on Sunday to meet the country's leaders and people left homeless by a January earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands, Ban's spokesman said.

AP - Authorities said a 30-year-old-man showed up so drunk for his sentencing for drunken driving that he missed his hearing and now faces even more time behind bars. Authorities said Jason Botos was driven to the Papillion courthouse on Thursday by his father, who needed help from deputies to get his son out of the vehicle.

AFP - The Middle East diplomatic Quartet condemned Israel's plans to build new settler homes and said unilateral actions would not be recognized by the international community.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Authorities in Ireland are investigating whether a second American woman was involved in a suspected international plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist for mocking the Prophet Mohammad, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

AP - The name of the late actor Corey Haim was found on a fraudulent prescription for a powerful painkiller that authorities said Friday was obtained through a major drug ring.

Reuters - Authorities in Ireland are investigating whether a second American woman was involved in a suspected international plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist for mocking the Prophet Mohammad, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Reuters - Yemen said on Friday it was holding a U.S. citizen suspected of being an al Qaeda militant who killed a hospital guard last week, and a U.S. firm said the suspect had worked at nuclear reactors in New Jersey.

AFP - In a rare sharp rebuke, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chided Israel for plans to build new settler homes, saying it sent a 'deeply negative signal' about Israel's ties to its top ally.