UNITED STATES

The U.N. drugs watchdog chief voiced dismay and serious concern in talks with an Iranian envoy Tuesday over claims by the Islamic Republic's vice president that Jews were behind global narcotics trafficking.

Thanks to unofficial ROMs, the newest version of the Android operating system is already available for latest high-end smartphones like the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3. And now, the Samsung Galaxy S2 has also apparently got the taste of the latest Android desert.

Renesas Electronics Corp (TYO: 6723), a leading Japanese semiconductor manufacturer, said that it is letting go 5000 employees in an effort to restructure the organization and bring the company back to black.

Pro-regime forces Monday continued attack on Douma, a city in the Damascus province, using helicopters which left dead bodies scattered on the streets.

The wait is finally over for people in the U.S. who were looking forward to Samsung's latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S3. Sprint made the handset available for in-store purchases from July 1, while AT&T announced that it would be selling the phone in its stores from July 6. But if a recent note by one industry analyst is to be believed, it won't be an easy road for this successor of the S2.

Duke Energy, Infosys, Seadrill Ltd, Barclays, Microsoft, Royal Bank of Scotland, Silvercorp Metals and Kraft Foods are among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Tuesday.

Border tensions are running high between Pakistan and Afghanistan as both nations accuse each other of cross-border missile attacks and territory breaches.

The U.S. labor market has lost a step since spring and the trend of lackluster job growth will likely continue into June.

Sun-drenched Arizona became a poster child for the overdevelopment excesses of the boom, but it's recently become a leader in the U.S.'s long-awaited housing recovery.

U.S. stock index futures point to a mixed opening Tuesday amid hopes that the Federal Reserve will announce stimulus measures to tackle the faltering economy and revive growth.

Barclays chief executive officer Bob Diamond Tuesday quit his post over the London Inter Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) fixing scandal, in which the bank was fined £290 million ($450m) by the U.S. and UK regulators last week.

Crude oil futures advanced Tuesday on fears that growing tensions between Iran and the West may threaten crude supplies from the Middle East.

Asian markets rose Tuesday as investor confidence was boosted by expectation for stimulus measures from central banks globally.

US women's soccer team midfielder Megan Rapinoe has publicly announced that she is a lesbian for the first time on Monday, less than a month before the London Games.

The leaders of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., voted Monday to approve a bankruptcy filing for the ski resort town, just days after Stockton, Calif., became the most populous U.S. city to turn to bankruptcy court for protection from its creditors.

Eighty-five Syrian soldiers, including one general and at least 14 other officers, fled into southern Turkey?s Hatay Province Monday, Turkish news agencies reported. It was one of the largest mass military defections since the Syrian conflict began 16 months ago.

Asian shares inched up on Tuesday as manufacturing data around the world highlighted the drag on growth from the protracted euro zone debt crisis, raising expectations for the Federal Reserve to take further steps to underpin the fragile economy.

A new study found that in a group of nearly 46,000 women, those infected with a primarily cat-borne parasite were one and a half times more likely to attempt suicide compared to uninfected women, irrespective of a previous mental illness diagnosis.

Jeneba Tarmoh had opted to concede the final Olympic Spot in the 100 meter run rather face Allyson Felix in a runoff after the two women tied in a previous race.

This time, the paparazzi is to blame.

Laws making it easier for citizens to use deadly force in perceived defense of self or property may not be working to reduce crime, a study shows. They may be just getting a lot more people killed.