Reuters: Top Global and Breaking News

[emirate]

LONDON (Reuters) - BP Plc's incoming Chief Executive Bob Dudley has ousted the oil group's exploration and production chief following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and promised to restructure the company to boost safety.

BP ousts exploration chief, vows to boost safety

[emirate]

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people marched through Brussels on Wednesday in a day of protests across Europe against government austerity measures, which unions say will slow economic recovery and punish the poor.

Europeans protest, strike against austerity moves

[emirate]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's massive recall of faulty medicines, including a quiet buyback of its Motrin painkiller, has angered U.S. lawmakers who will question the company's chief executive and a senior health regulator on Thursday.

J&J CEO faces U.S. lawmakers over string of recalls

[emirate]

BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Thursday warned that a House of Represenatives bill to penalize it for not letting the yuan rise faster could seriously affect bilateral ties.

China says U.S. yuan bill could harm ties

[emirate]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Elizabeth Warren, the Obama administration's new consumer financial czar, offered an olive branch to the largest U.S. banks on Wednesday, saying she wanted their help in developing a principles-based approach to rulemaking.

Consumer czar Warren says wants banks' help on rules

[emirate]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, one of President Barack Obama's most powerful aides, plans to step down on Friday to pursue a run for Chicago mayor, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Obama aide Emanuel to run for Chicago mayor

[emirate]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. envoy George Mitchell was shuttling between Israel and the Palestinians for a second day on Friday to save Middle East peace talks threatened with collapse after only four weeks of direct negotiation.

Obama envoy in shuttle to save Middle East talks

[emirate]

DUBAI (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden criticized relief efforts in Pakistan and called for action against climate change in what appeared to be a new audio tape from the al Qaeda leader issued on Friday in an Islamist forum.

Bin Laden criticizes Pakistan relief, urges climate action

[emirate]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama turned to low-key insider Pete Rouse on Friday to replace high-profile chief of staff Rahm Emanuel in a prelude to a wider staff shake-up expected at the White House.

Obama names low-key insider Pete Rouse as chief of staff

[emirate]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's $814 billion economic stimulus plan is meeting its targets for spending and job creation, White House officials said on Friday, however unpopular it may be with the public.

White House defends economic stimulus plan