UNITED STATES

U.S. oil refiners could cut output by as much as 25 percent and the nation's reliance on imported refined products could double in the next two decades if the House version of a climate bill becomes law, the American Petroleum Institute said on Monday.

Oil prices rallied to a 10-month high near $75 a barrel on Monday, part of a broad global rally in commodities and equities markets propelled by expectations for an economic recovery.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - The U.S. units of media company Reader's Digest Association Inc filed for bankruptcy, marking a new chapter for the 87-year-old magazine as it carries out a plan to cut its debt and transfer ownership to a group of lenders.

Online social networking site Facebook is looking to expand its staff by as much as 50 percent this year, its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told Bloomberg news agency in an interview dated August 20.

Stocks rose to 10-month highs on Monday, extending last week's gains as investors became even more optimistic about signs that major world economies were emerging from recession.

Nouriel Roubini, one of the few economists who accurately predicted the magnitude of the world's recent financial troubles, sees a big risk of a double-dip recession, according to an opinion piece posted on the Financial Times' website on Sunday.

Stocks rose to 10-month highs on Monday, extending last week's gains as investors became even more optimistic about signs that major world economies were emerging from recession.

The German government sought to calm a growing transatlantic row over the fate of carmaker Opel on Monday as unions threatened

A reality TV star wanted for the brutal murder of his bikini model ex-wife in California has been found dead in a motel near Vancouver, Canadian police said on Sunday.

Volkswagen AG (VOWG.DE) agreed on Saturday to give workers at its plant in Mexico a small raise, clearing the way to end a strike in an industry already hurt by the U.S. recession.

Iran will continue to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday, apparently confirming Tehran had given inspectors access to a reactor under construction after barring visits for a year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expects no breakthroughs at a meeting this week with a U.S. peace envoy, but hopes talks with the Palestinians can resume within two months, a spokesman said on Monday.

A U.S. official charged with enforcing U.N. sanctions on North Korea sought South Korea's continued support during talks on Monday even as Pyongyang makes conciliatory moves after months of military grandstanding.

The United Nations special envoy to Afghanistan urged candidates and voters on Monday to remain patient while complaints surrounding last week's disputed presidential election are being considered.

Toyota Motor Corp will recall 688,314 Camry and other sedans made at its two China joint ventures from Tuesday, its largest recall in the country, to fix a faulty electric switch to the window.

Honda Motor Co Ltd (7267.T) plans to develop an electric car to debut in the U.S. market by around 2015 as tighter environmental regulations push demand for zero-emission vehicles, the Nikkei newspaper said on Saturday.

TV reality star Ryan Alexander Jenkins, 32 who was charged with the murder of his ex-wife Jasmine Fiore was found hanging in a motel on Sunday in an apparent suicide, CNN reported.

U.S. President Barack Obama hammered away at

Calls to poison control centers for U.S. teenagers who have overdosed on attention deficit drugs rose 76 percent over eight years, researchers reported on Monday.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Monday, with stocks looking to extend last week's gains on signs that major world economies were emerging from recession.

People who stay even moderately fit as they age may live longer than those who are out-of-shape, a new study suggests.