Front Page: Most Popular Stories from Reuters News

Here are the Top Stories from Reuters News.

Zika virus may spread to Europe in coming months, WHO warns
LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) – The Zika virus, an infectious disease linked to severe birth defects in babies, may spread into Europe as the weather gets warmer, although the risk is low, health officials said on Wednesday.

Microsoft to sell feature phone business to Foxconn subsidiary, HMD Global
(Reuters) – Microsoft Corp said it is selling its entry-level feature phone assets to FIH Mobile Ltd and HMD Global Oy for $350 million.

‘In’ camp extends lead ahead of UK’s Brexit vote: poll
LONDON (Reuters) – The campaign to keep Britain in the European Union has widened its lead over the “Out” camp, according to an opinion poll by YouGov conducted for The Times newspaper.

Suzuki says it used wrong mileage tests for Japan models; shares slide
TOKYO (Reuters) – Suzuki Motor Corp said it had used improper fuel economy tests for its cars in Japan but that proper testing subsequently had shown the mileage data did not need amending, in a widening of a scandal that has already engulfed Mitsubishi Motors .

Trains to New York’s Grand Central suspended after fire
NEW YORK CITY (Reuters) – Rail services in and out of New York City’s Grand Central Terminal will be suspended for the morning commute on Wednesday, a day after a fire under a section of elevated track in Manhattan interrupted the evening rush hour, officials said.

Tokyo 2020 bid to be investigated after report of payment
TOKYO (Reuters) – A Japanese official who led the successful bid for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics said on Wednesday the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) plans to investigate the bidding after questions were raised about payments by the bid committee.

Pascal Soriot’s big experiment: reinventing AstraZeneca
LONDON (Reuters) – AstraZeneca Chief Executive Pascal Soriot is a big believer in science, and the biggest experiment of his career is the reinvention of the drugmaker.

Silicon Valley mocks Trump over his tech bubble warning
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that a dangerous financial bubble has formed in the technology industry – and Silicon Valley responded with a collective eye roll.

South Carolina bans abortion after 19 weeks
CHARLESTON, SC (Reuters) – The South Carolina legislature on Tuesday passed a bill banning most abortions after 19 weeks of pregnancy unless the mother’s life was at risk, making it the 17th U.S. state to approve such a ban.

Mozilla bid to intervene in U.S. child porn case rejected
(Reuters) – A federal judge has rejected Mozilla Corp’s request to force the U.S. government to disclose a vulnerability related to its Firefox web browser that the company says was exploited by the FBI to investigate users of a large child pornography website.

Cosby accuser sues again, claiming Hugh Hefner conspired in assault
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A woman who has accused Bill Cosby of drugging and molesting her at a Playboy Mansion party in 2008, when she was a minor, has filed a second lawsuit accusing Playboy founder Hugh Hefner of conspiring in the assault.

Exclusive: Trump willing to meet North Korea’s Kim, wants to renegotiate Paris climate accord
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is willing to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to try to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear program, proposing a major shift in U.S. policy toward the isolated nation.

Muslim states block gay groups from U.N. AIDS meeting; U.S. protests
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – A group of 51 Muslim states has blocked 11 gay and transgender organizations from attending a high-level meeting at the United Nations next month on ending AIDS, sparking a protest by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

Senate passes bill allowing Sept. 11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that would allow victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to file lawsuits seeking damages from Saudi Arabia, setting up a potential showdown with the White House, which has threatened a veto.

U.S. eases sanctions on Myanmar in bid to promote growth, reforms
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States eased some sanctions on Myanmar on Tuesday to support political reforms and economic growth in the country but retained other measures to discourage human rights abuses and military trade with North Korea, U.S. officials said.

Brexit or not? Five weeks to go and pollsters ‘don’t know’
LONDON (Reuters) – Just over five weeks before a referendum on whether Britain should stay in the European Union, the message from opinion polls is simple: It is impossible to predict how Britons will vote on June 23.

Home Depot raises forecasts after strong start to the year
(Reuters) – Home Depot Inc boosted its sales and profit forecasts for the year after a stronger-than-expected first quarter, providing a rare dose of good news to a gloomy retail sector.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and supporters attacked
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and fellow anti-corruption activists were attacked, thrown to the ground and kicked by a group of men at an airport in southern Russia on Tuesday, according to video posted on social media.

Novartis splits drugs business into two, pharma chief to leave
ZURICH (Reuters) – Novartis is splitting its pharmaceuticals division into two business units, one focused on cancer medicines and the second on other drugs, it said on Tuesday.

Special Report: As oil boom goes bust, Oklahoma protects drillers and squeezes schools
NEWCASTLE, Okla. (Reuters) – After intense lobbying, Oklahoma’s oilmen scored a victory two years ago. State lawmakers voted to keep in place some of lowest taxes on oil and gas production in the United States – a break worth $470 million in fiscal year 2015 alone.

Magic mushroom ingredient may ease severe depression, study suggests
LONDON, May 17 (Reuters) – Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, may one day be an effective treatment for patients with severe depression who fail to recover using other therapies, scientists said on Tuesday.

North Korea’s new ad men try out pitches to new consumer class
PYONGYANG (Reuters) – “Pyongyang Spirit: A drink you won’t forget after drinking once”, reads the text of an ad for a clear, vodka-like North Korean alcohol.

EU’s Tusk calls Brexit advocate Boris Johnson’s Hitler comments ‘absurd’
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Boris Johnson, the leader of the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, showed “political amnesia” with his “absurd” comparison between the EU and Adolf Hitler’s plan to rule the continent, the EU’s Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.

Three bombings in Baghdad kill 63: police, medical sources
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Three bombings killed at least 63 people and wounded more than 100 in Baghdad on Tuesday, police and medical sources said, extending the deadliest spate of attacks in the Iraqi capital so far this year.

U.S. consumer prices post largest gain in three years; housing starts up
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. consumer prices recorded their biggest increase in more than three years in April as gasoline and rents rose, pointing to a steady inflation build-up that could give the Federal Reserve ammunition to raise interest rates later this year.

Pessimism pervades Syria talks aimed at salvaging peace process
VIENNA/AMMAN (Reuters) – Major powers sought at talks on Tuesday to reimpose a ceasefire in Syria and ensure aid reaches besieged areas, with Moscow and Washington deeply divided over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad and violence rumbling around the country.

Oregon and Kentucky contests put pressure on Clinton
WASHINGTON, 2016 – Hillary Clinton is under pressure to do well in Democratic nominating contests in Kentucky and Oregon on Tuesday so she can turn her attention to the general election and the mounting attacks on her by Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Syrian rebels fear assault on besieged Daraya as residents starve
AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) – Rebel fighters and officials in a besieged Syrian town on the outskirts of Damascus believe government forces are preparing an assault after they turned back an aid convoy last week.

UK foreign spy agency flies rainbow flag, says diversity gives it edge
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s foreign spy agency MI6 flew a rainbow flag outside its London headquarters to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on Tuesday, and to woo potential applicants from the gay community.

New police force finds old habits die hard in Ukraine
KIEV (Reuters) – The launch of Ukraine’s new police patrol force last year sparked an internet craze of citizens posting selfies with newly recruited officers.

Germany’s Steinmeier says Syria talks to focus on truce, aid
VIENNA (Reuters) – Major power talks on Syria aim to restore a truce across the country and get aid into besieged areas to encourage opposition groups to return to negotiations in Geneva, Germany’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Donald Trump to meet with Henry Kissinger: Washington Post
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing three people close to Trump.

As Brexit vote looms, U.S. banks review their European commitments
LONDON (Reuters) – If Britain votes to leave the European Union in June, some U.S. banks could give up parts of their business in the bloc altogether.

Sumner Redstone has power to remove Viacom CEO from his trust
(Reuters) – Sumner Redstone has the power to remove Viacom Inc Chief Executive Philippe Dauman, but not his daughter Shari, from the trust that will control his $40 billion media empire after his incapacitation or death, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Oil rally suggests supply worries wane, but for how long?
(Reuters) – A rally in U.S. crude oil prices recently has put the market on its firmest footing since the rout started in 2014, with the spread between prices for near-term delivery and future delivery narrowing, suggesting the worst of the supply glut may be over.

China must never repeat Cultural Revolution: People’s Daily
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China must learn from the tumultuous, decade-long Cultural Revolution and never allow such an event to happen again, the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily said on the movement’s anniversary.

Failed hack via SWIFT on Vietnam bank tried to send funds to Slovenia: central bank
HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam’s central bank said on Tuesday a failed hacking attempt on Tien Phong Bank (TPBank) using the SWIFT messaging system sought to fraudulently transfer 1.2 million euros ($1.36 million) to a Slovenian bank late last year in one transaction.

Hong Kong on high alert for Chinese visit as independence calls grow
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Authorities worried about increasingly strident calls for Hong Kong independence are taking no chances ahead of a rare visit from one of China’s top ranking officials, shutting down swathes of the city and reportedly gluing down pavers to quell the prospect of violent protests.

Cuba and United States draw up roadmap for talks to deepen detente
HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba and the United States aim to reach new agreements on cooperation in law enforcement, health and agriculture over the coming months, a senior Cuban official said on Monday, as part of the former Cold War foes’ drive to normalize ties.

Oil futures hold near six-month highs as supply concerns dominate
TOKYO (Reuters) – Crude oil futures held near six-month highs in early Asian trading as the market focused on supply disruptions that prompted long-time bear Goldman Sachs to issue a bullish assessment on near-term prices.