MOSCOW (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Russia on Thursday for talks on advancing peace in the Middle East and to push for a preliminary agreement on a long-delayed nuclear arms reduction pact.

Reuters - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Russia on Thursday for talks on advancing peace in the Middle East and to push for a preliminary agreement on a long-delayed nuclear arms reduction pact.

AFP - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Russia Thursday for crucial talks on clinching a new nuclear disarmament treaty between the Cold War foes and smoothing tensions in the Middle East.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States kept up pressure on China on Thursday to let the yuan climb as Beijing disclosed it was sounding out exporters on whether they could cope with a stronger exchange rate.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Greece may seek financial aid from the International Monetary Fund next month because it is growing increasingly pessimistic about the prospect of help from the European Union, Dow Jones Newswires reported on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Russia on Thursday hoping to clear obstacles to a new treaty cutting arsenals of nuclear weapons and to win Moscow's backing for tougher sanctions against Iran.

AP - Whether she was seeking love or vengeance, or just an escape from her dreary, small-town existence, Colleen LaRose searched the Internet and found Muslim extremists eager to engage the unhappy American.

AP - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday opened two days of talks with Russian leaders on nuclear arms control and other security issues, and separately with top international diplomats on the outlook for bringing Israel and the Palestinians back to peace talks.

AP - After a rousing campaign rally for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine last summer, President Barack Obama flashed a broad smile to an aide as he boarded his helicopter back to the White House.

AP - Pushing toward a history-making vote, Democrats struggled to eliminate lingering complications standing in the way of House action this weekend on President Barack Obama's landmark health care overhaul.

AP - Before he could end a long day unlike any in his professional career, Ron Washington had to prepare for a game.

Reuters - The United States kept up pressure on China on Thursday to let the yuan climb as Beijing disclosed it was sounding out exporters on whether they could cope with a stronger exchange rate.

Reuters - Greece may seek financial aid from the International Monetary Fund next month because it is growing increasingly pessimistic about the prospect of help from the European Union, Dow Jones Newswires reported on Thursday.

Reuters - Australia urged China on Thursday to allow its diplomats full access to the trial of four Rio Tinto staff charged with commercial spying in a case that could hurt political and economic ties.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Greece's prime minister warned on Thursday that Athens would not be able to make planned deficit cuts unless it can borrow money more cheaply and said he would prefer not to have to turn to the IMF for help.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese companies have become far less gloomy about economic conditions than three months ago, a Reuters corporate survey showed, pointing to a big improvement in the Bank of Japan's closely watched tankan survey next month.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia urged China on Thursday to allow its diplomats full access to the trial of four Rio Tinto staff charged with commercial spying in a case that could hurt political and economic ties.

AP - Banks weren't the only ones giving big bonuses in the boom years before the worst financial crisis in generations. The government also was handing out millions of dollars to bank regulators, rewarding 'superior' work even as an avalanche of risky mortgages helped create the meltdown.

AP - A California Highway Patrol officer responding to a report of a runway Toyota Prius last week arrived to find a Border Patrol agent near the driver with emergency lights on.

AP - California lawmakers on Thursday will consider what is believed to be the nation's most far-reaching smoking ban in state parks as a way to get unsightly cigarette butts off the beach, eliminate second-hand smoke and reduce the threat of wildfires.

Reuters - Greece's prime minister warned on Thursday that Athens would not be able to make planned deficit cuts unless it can borrow money more cheaply and said he would prefer not to have to turn to the IMF for help.

Reuters - Japanese companies have become far less gloomy about economic conditions than three months ago, a Reuters corporate survey showed, pointing to a big improvement in the Bank of Japan's closely watched tankan survey next month.

AFP - One person was killed when a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a kibbutz in southern Israel on Thursday, Israeli army radio said.

AFP - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Russia Thursday in a bid to accelerate progress towards a new accord between the Cold War foes to drastically reduce their nuclear arsenals.

BRUSSELS/ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece raised the stakes on Thursday in its quest for EU help to tackle its debt crisis, warning it cannot achieve promised deficit cuts if its borrowing costs remain so high and may have to call in the IMF.

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian militants fired a rocket into Israel from the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing a Thai agricultural worker, while the European Union's foreign affairs chief was visiting the Hamas-controlled enclave.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has executed a ruling party official blamed for a botched currency reform, in a desperate attempt to quell public unrest and stem negative impact on Pyongyang's power succession, a news report said on Thursday.

DUBAI (Reuters) - A U.S.-born radical cleric linked to shootings at a U.S. army base and the failed bombing of a U.S. plane appeared to urge Muslims to conduct a jihad against the United States in an audiotape heard on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying a U.S. astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut from the International Space Station landed safely in Kazakhstan on Thursday.

AP - President Barack Obama is set to sign a jobs bill into law Thursday morning.

AP - The NCAA tournament is famous for the little guys shocking the marquee powerhouses and turning into the darlings of March.

Reuters - Greece raised the stakes on Thursday in its quest for EU help to tackle its debt crisis, warning it cannot achieve promised deficit cuts if its borrowing costs remain so high and may have to call in the IMF.

Reuters - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Russia on Thursday to clear obstacles to a new treaty cutting arsenals of nuclear weapons and to win Moscow's backing for tougher sanctions against Iran.

Reuters - Palestinian militants fired a rocket into Israel from the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing a Thai agricultural worker, while the European Union's foreign affairs chief was visiting the Hamas-controlled enclave.

Reuters - North Korea has executed a ruling party official blamed for a botched currency reform, in a desperate attempt to quell public unrest and stem negative impact on Pyongyang's power succession, a news report said on Thursday.

AFP - A flurry of Middle East diplomacy was marred on Thursday when a man in Israel was killed by a rocket fired from Gaza while the EU foreign policy chief visited the Palestinian enclave.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of workers filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell less than expected last week, while consumer prices were unchanged in February on lower energy prices.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Thursday that sweeping healthcare overhaul legislation was on track for passage by the U.S. House of Representatives and would cut the deficit by more than $100 billion in the first 10 years.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was set to announce on Thursday that it will begin to take a closer look at the environmental and human health impact of shale gas drilling, according to a U.S. congressman who wants to see more regulation of the practice.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday during her visit to Moscow, a U.S. official told reporters.

AP - House Democrats are on track for a Sunday vote on sweeping health care legislation that will expand coverage to millions of uninsured while also reducing the federal deficit, leaders said Thursday.

AP - The number of newly laid-off workers requesting jobless benefits fell slightly last week for the third straight time. But initial claims remain above levels that would signal net job gains.

AP - Sandra Bullock canceled her appearance at the London premiere of 'The Blind Side' days after Internet reports alleged she was having trouble in her marriage and that she had left the couple's Southern California home.

Reuters - The number of workers filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell less than expected last week, while consumer prices were unchanged in February on lower energy prices.

Reuters - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Thursday that sweeping healthcare overhaul legislation was on track for passage by the U.S. House of Representatives and would cut the deficit by more than $100 billion in the first 10 years.

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday during her visit to Moscow, a U.S. official told reporters.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New applications for U.S. jobless benefits fell last week and factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic region accelerated in March, suggesting the economy remained on a modest recovery path.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the House of Representatives on Thursday predicted weekend passage of a sweeping healthcare overhaul that budget analysts said would hit President Barack Obama's fiscal targets and cut the U.S. deficit over 10 years.

MANISTEE, Mich./WACO, Texas/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some Tea Partiers say they can pinpoint the precise moment when they made it clear to the Republican Party they had no intention of being its lapdog.

BRUSSELS/ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece raised the stakes on Thursday in its quest for EU help to tackle its debt crisis, saying it cannot achieve promised deficit cuts if its borrowing costs remain so high and may have to call in the IMF.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama signed into law a $17.6 billion jobs bill on Thursday and sounded an optimistic note about the U.S. economy, saying it may soon begin adding jobs instead of losing them.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it will begin to take a closer look at the environmental and human health impact of shale gas drilling, which could mean new regulations on a booming area of the energy sector.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday in a last-minute addition to her visit to Moscow, a U.S. official told reporters.

AP - President Barack Obama has signed into law a package of tax breaks and spending designed to give the nation a jobs boost.

AP - The Philadelphia-area woman authorities say dubbed herself 'Jihad Jane' online pleaded not guilty Thursday in federal court to a four-count indictment charging her in an overseas terrorist plot.

AP - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has urged Russia to delay launching Iran's nuclear plant until Tehran proves that it's not pursuing atomic weapons.

AP - The picture of an economy growing modestly without producing inflation yet struggling to create jobs emerged from government reports Thursday.

AP - Norway's Opera said Thursday that downloads of its browser more than doubled after Microsoft Corp. was forced to give European users a choice of Web software to settle European Union antitrust charges.

Reuters - New applications for U.S. jobless benefits fell last week and factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic region accelerated in March, suggesting the economy remained on a modest recovery path.

Reuters - Democrats in the House of Representatives on Thursday predicted weekend passage of a sweeping healthcare overhaul that budget analysts said would hit President Barack Obama's fiscal targets and cut the U.S. deficit over 10 years.

Reuters - Some Tea Partiers say they can pinpoint the precise moment when they made it clear to the Republican Party they had no intention of being its lapdog.

Reuters - Greece raised the stakes on Thursday in its quest for EU help to tackle its debt crisis, saying it cannot achieve promised deficit cuts if its borrowing costs remain so high and may have to call in the IMF.

Reuters - President Barack Obama signed into law a $17.6 billion jobs bill on Thursday and sounded an optimistic note about the U.S. economy, saying it may soon begin adding jobs instead of losing them.

Reuters - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it will begin to take a closer look at the environmental and human health impact of shale gas drilling, which could mean new regulations on a booming area of the energy sector.

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday in a last-minute addition to her visit to Moscow, a U.S. official told reporters.

AFP - The UN body overseeing commerce in endangered wildlife on Thursday rejected a proposal to outlaw international trade in eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna, a sushi mainstay in Japan.

AFP - A flurry of Middle East diplomacy was marred on Thursday as a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip killed a civilian in Israel as the EU foreign policy chief was visiting the Palestinian enclave.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The economy is on a moderate growth path and inflation pressures are contained, data showed Thursday, backing up the Federal Reserve's vow to keep benchmark interest rates ultra-low for some time.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday scrapped his trip to Indonesia and Australia scheduled for next week to focus on the final push for a U.S. healthcare overhaul, the White House said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The changing face of U.S. homegrown extremism has officials and analysts worried as a growing number of unlikely militants in small-town America radicalize themselves using the Internet and plot attacks at home and abroad.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it will begin to take a closer look at the environmental and human health impact of shale gas drilling, which could mean new regulations on a booming area of the energy sector.

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania woman who called herself 'Jihad Jane' pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of providing material support to terrorists and conspiring to kill in a foreign country.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday criticized Russia's plans to start up a nuclear power station in Iran, describing them as premature.

AP - A Pennsylvania woman accused of trolling the Internet as 'Jihad Jane' while she cared for her boyfriend's father denied in court Thursday that she sought to kill a Swedish artist targeted by radical Muslims or agreed to marry a terrorism suspect to help him get travel documents.

AP - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described a rift with Israel over a Jerusalem construction project as a challenge, avoiding criticism of Tel Aviv.

AP - President Barack Obama has postponed his trip to Asia until June so he can stay in Washington for a possible Sunday vote on his health care overhaul plan.

AP - YouTube co-founder Steve Chen once warned fellow co-founder Jawed Karim to stop posting pirated videos on their Web site, according to court documents unsealed Thursday as part of a 3-year-old copyright lawsuit.

AP - BYU, the nation's top free-throw shooting team, missed its first two of the game then made 12 in a row. Jimmer Fredette is 4 of 4 and has made 37 in a row. Teammate Tyler Haws hit his only two free throws earlier in the game to break Fredette's school record of 39 straight.

Reuters - The economy is on a moderate growth path and inflation pressures are contained, data showed Thursday, backing up the Federal Reserve's vow to keep benchmark interest rates ultra-low for some time.

Reuters - President Barack Obama on Thursday scrapped his trip to Indonesia and Australia scheduled for next week to focus on the final push for a U.S. healthcare overhaul, the White House said.

Reuters - The changing face of U.S. homegrown extremism has officials and analysts worried as a growing number of unlikely militants in small-town America radicalize themselves using the Internet and plot attacks at home and abroad.

AFP - A flurry of Middle East diplomacy was marred on Thursday as a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip killed a civilian in Israel as the EU foreign policy chief was visiting the Palestinian enclave.

AFP - Thailand's rural underclass, vying to revive flagging momentum after a week of colourful protests, appealed Thursday for a popular uprising against the well-entrenched political and aristocratic elite.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the House of Representatives on Thursday predicted weekend passage of a sweeping healthcare overhaul that budget analysts said would cut the U.S. deficit over 10 years and dramatically expand health coverage.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former political fundraiser for leading Democratic Party politicians, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, pleaded guilty on Thursday to defrauding three major banks out of $292.2 million in loan transactions.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A Chicago man pleaded guilty in court on Thursday to scouting targets for the 2008 assault on Mumbai that killed more than 160 people, including six Americans.

AP - President Barack Obama has said he wants to focus laser-like on the public's top concern: jobs. But the ongoing effort to remake the nation's health care system keeps getting in the way.

AP - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and her Russian counterpart clashed openly Thursday over the planned launch this summer of Iran's first, Russian-built nuclear power plant, highlighting a split in views over how to steer Iran away from nuclear weapons.

AP - A rocket fired by Gaza militants smashed into a greenhouse in an Israeli border village Thursday, killing a Thai worker in the first such death since Israel's massive offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza more than a year ago.

AP - A cruise liner hit by an outbreak of intestinal illness for a third straight trip from South Carolina returned a day early Thursday as operator Celebrity Cruises brought in extra crew to scrub the ship down for three days.

AP - From Grimm's fairy tales to Harry Potter, the cloak of invisibility has played a major role in fiction. Now scientists have taken a small but important new step toward making it reality.

AP - Jesse James says he's sorry for the pain and embarrassment he's caused his wife Sandra Bullock and his three children from previous relationships.

AP - Actor Fess Parker, who became every baby boomer's idol in the 1950s and launched a craze for coonskin caps as television's Davy Crockett, died Thursday of natural causes. He was 85.

AP - Jacob Pullen started to heat up after slow start, scoring all 11 of his points over the past 9 minutes as Kansas State took a 35-21 lead over North Texas late in the first half.

Reuters - Democrats in the House of Representatives on Thursday predicted weekend passage of a sweeping healthcare overhaul that budget analysts said would cut the U.S. deficit over 10 years and dramatically expand health coverage.

Reuters - U.S. investigators looking into the claim of a runaway Toyota Motor Corp Prius in New York last week said on Thursday no brakes had been applied before the vehicle hit a wall.

Reuters - A Pennsylvania woman who called herself 'Jihad Jane' pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of providing material support to terrorists and conspiring to kill in a foreign country.

Reuters - A former political fundraiser for leading Democratic Party politicians, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, pleaded guilty on Thursday to defrauding three major banks out of $292.2 million in loan transactions.

AFP - The latest round of Middle East diplomacy was marred on Thursday as a rocket fired from Gaza killed a civilian in Israel while the EU foreign policy chief was visiting the Palestinian enclave.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional budget analysts said on Thursday a broad healthcare overhaul would cut the U.S. deficit over 10 years and sharply expand insurance coverage, boosting the momentum for final passage in the House of Representatives.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed possible confidence-building measures with Palestinians in a telephone conversation on Thursday with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a spokesman said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bowing to political pressure at home, President Barack Obama on Thursday scrapped his trip to Indonesia and Australia next week to stay in Washington for a final push for a healthcare overhaul.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. investigators looking into the claim of a runaway Toyota Motor Corp Prius in New York last week said on Thursday no brakes had been applied before the vehicle hit a wall.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The changing face of U.S. homegrown extremism has officials and analysts worried as a growing number of unlikely militants in small-town America radicalize themselves using the Internet and plot attacks at home and abroad.

AP - Historic health care change in the balance, Democrats plowed fresh billions into insurance subsidies for consumers on Thursday and added a $250 rebate for seniors facing high prescription drugs, last-minute sweeteners to sweeping $940 billion legislation headed for a climactic weekend vote.

AP - Freshman Rep. Steve Driehaus is getting it from all sides on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The Ohio Democrat opened his local newspaper, The Cincinnati Enquirer, on Wednesday to find a giant ad urging him to vote against the bill — featuring a photo of him with his two young daughters. Tea party protesters stormed his office and berated his staff.

AP - A woman accused of trolling the Internet as Jihad Jane and agreeing to marry a terrorist suspect and kill a Swedish artist targeted by radical Muslims cooperated with authorities, a congressman said.

AP - President Barack Obama is backing an immigration bill outline drafted by two senators that says illegal immigrants must admit they broke the law to become citizens.

AP - Computer data from a Toyota Prius that crashed in suburban New York City show that at the time of the accident the throttle was open and the driver was not applying the brakes, U.S. safety officials said Thursday.

AP - When Alana Sanders gave birth to her fourth child, the people on hand to towel off the baby and tie its umbilical cord weren't the usual team of doctors or nurses. They were her 11-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son.

AP - Fess Parker, a baby-boomer idol in the 1950s who launched a craze for coonskin caps as television's Davy Crockett, died Thursday of natural causes. He was 85.

AP - A nudist in Boulder who was threatened with eviction last spring for gardening outside wearing only pasties and a thong has caused another stir by gardening topless. At least four callers told police 52-year-old Catharine Pierce was in her yard topless on Wednesday. State law prohibits exposed genitals, but Pierce was wearing a thong and gardening gloves.

AP - Derrick Caracter had six points in UTEP's 9-3 run to close the half and the Miners held a 33-27 lead over fifth-seeded Butler, which entered the tournament on a 20-game winning streak.

Reuters - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed possible confidence-building measures with Palestinians in a telephone conversation on Thursday with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a spokesman said.

Reuters - A Chicago man pleaded guilty in court on Thursday to scouting targets for the 2008 assault on Mumbai that killed more than 160 people, including six Americans.

AFP - A Middle East diplomatic flurry was given a sense of urgency after a rocket fired from Gaza killed a farmworker in Israel on Thursday while the EU foreign policy chief visited the Palestinian enclave.

JERUSALEM/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed 'confidence-building steps' with Palestinians in a telephone call on Thursday with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, after a dispute over settlements.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. safety officials believe driver error may be behind the crash in New York of a Toyota Motor Corp Prius that has been investigated as a possible case of unintended acceleration, federal investigators said on Thursday.

AP - President Barack Obama, facing criticism from advocates of immigration reform, pledged Thursday 'to do everything in my power' to get immigration legislation moving in Congress this year.

AP - Elston Turner's 3-pointer brought Washington into a 20-20 tie with Marquette midway through the first half.

Reuters - Congressional budget analysts said on Thursday a broad healthcare overhaul would cut the U.S. deficit over 10 years and sharply expand insurance coverage, boosting the momentum for final passage in the House of Representatives.

Reuters - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed 'confidence-building steps' with Palestinians in a telephone call on Thursday with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, after a dispute over settlements.

Reuters - President Barack Obama, under pressure to keep a campaign promise to revamp U.S. immigration policy, embraced a 'promising, bipartisan framework' on Thursday offered by two senior senators.

Reuters - U.S. safety officials believe driver error may be behind the crash in New York of a Toyota Motor Corp Prius that has been investigated as a possible case of unintended acceleration, federal investigators said on Thursday.

JERUSALEM/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Israel tried to defuse a dispute with the United States on Friday over plans to expand settlements, saying it would propose 'confidence-building' steps to the Palestinians to encourage a renewal of peace talks.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, under pressure to keep a campaign promise to revamp U.S. immigration policy, embraced a 'promising, bipartisan framework' on Thursday offered by two senior senators.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour was named on Thursday to anchor the ABC News' Sunday morning program 'This Week' starting in August, after 27 years as an international correspondent for CNN.

AP - Kansas came out its early timeout with a 7-0 run to get within 12-11 of Lehigh.

Reuters - Israel tried to defuse a dispute with the United States on Friday over plans to expand settlements, saying it would propose 'confidence-building' steps to the Palestinians to encourage a renewal of peace talks.

AP - Washington's remarkable late-season run has extended right into the NCAA tournament, thanks to a big shot by the Huskies' senior leader.

AP - Texas scored the first six points of overtime to take a 74-68 lead over Wake Forest.

AFP - International talks on the Middle East set for Friday took on new urgency after Israeli warplanes targeted the Gaza Strip in response to a fatal rocket attack.

AFP - US President Barack Obama dramatically postponed his trip to Indonesia and Australia until June, so he can battle for a historic health reform bill that could shape his legacy.