Reuters: Top Global and Breaking News

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(Reuters) - Concerns over Israeli access to BlackBerry data, and the use of the device by the United States to spy on the United Arab Emirates are behind the Gulf state's moves to curb the smartphone, Dubai's police chief said.

U.S. and Israel spying behind BlackBerry woe: Dubai police

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HOUSTON (Reuters) - BP Plc removed a failed blowout preventer from atop its ruptured Gulf of Mexico  on Friday afternoon, a company spokesman said.

BP says failed blowout preventer off Gulf well

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday he would outline new measures next week to boost the U.S. economy, but analysts were skeptical he would be able to deliver a big enough package to lift growth significantly.

Obama to address new economic ideas next Wednesday

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NEW YORK/DETROIT (Reuters) - The U.S. government is likely to take a loss on General Motors Co in the first offering of the automaker's stock, six people familiar with preparations for the landmark IPO said.

Taxpayers likely to face initial loss on GM IPO: sources

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KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan peace council to pursue talks with the Taliban has been set up, President Hamid Karzai said on Saturday, the latest step in a gradual move toward reconciliation with the Islamist insurgents.

Karzai announces "peace council" to push Taliban talks

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ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pro-Taliban Pakistani militants are trying to create a sectarian rift, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Saturday, as a new wave of violence piled pressure on a government already struggling with a flood crisis.

Minister says Pakistani militants stoking sectarian rift

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CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has approved a $690 million payment to French retailer Casino and other owners of a supermarket chain nationalized earlier this year, state media said on Saturday.

Venezuela OKs payment for French retailer Casino

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HOUSTON (Reuters) - BP Plc's ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well is secure with no threat of spewing crude again, the top U.S. official overseeing the spill response said

BP Gulf well "secured," awaiting final kill: U.S.

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NEW YORK/DETROIT (Reuters) - The U.S. government is likely to take a loss on General Motors Co in the first offering of the automaker's stock, six people familiar with preparations for the landmark IPO said.

Taxpayers may face initial loss on GM IPO: sources

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LONDON (Reuters) - Increasingly erratic rainfall patterns related to climate change pose a major threat to food security and economic growth, water experts said on Monday, arguing for greater investment in water storage.

Diverse water sources key to food security: report