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Korean women scrap meeting Japanese mayor over brothel remarks
OSAKA, Japan (Reuters) - Two elderly South Korean women forced to work in Japanese war-time military brothels canceled a meeting on Friday with the mayor of the city of Osaka after he refused to withdraw remarks asserting the brothels were "necessary" at the time.

Futures slip, Wall Street set for weekly decline
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock futures fell on Friday, setting up Wall Street for its first weekly decline since mid April, amid concern the central bank may scale back its support to the economy.

Kerry says Israelis, Palestinians must make tough decisions
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian leaders are nearing crunch time, when they must decide whether to revive long-dormant peace negotiations to end their decades-old conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday.

U.S.casts doubt on credibility of Iranian election
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - The United States on Friday called into question the credibility of Iran's presidential election next month, criticizing the disqualification of candidates and accusing the government of disrupting Internet access.

Nadal, Djokovic on semi-final collision course in Paris
PARIS (Reuters) - Defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal was drawn in the same half as world number one Novak Djokovic on Friday as the Spanish claycourt machine chases a record eighth title at Roland Garros.

North Korea says will take 'positive steps' for peace
BEIJING (Reuters) - A North Korean envoy told China's president on Friday that his reclusive country was willing to take "positive actions" to ensure peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, as China steps up diplomatic efforts to bring Pyongyang back to talks.

Wikileaks documentary spotlights complexity of Julian Assange
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Wikileaks founder Julian Assange may claim to be a champion of transparency, but when an Oscar-winning filmmaker wanted to shine a light on his rise to fame after publishing secret U.S. diplomatic cables on his website, Assange was none too pleased.

Tornado insured losses estimated at $2 billion-$5 billion
(Reuters) - Tornadoes that struck the United States from May 18 to May 20 caused anywhere from $2 billion to $5 billion in insured losses, disaster modeling company Eqecat said.

New P&G CEO to get base salary of $2 million
(Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co will pay A.G. Lafley, the former chief executive it brought back on Thursday to run the world's largest household products maker, a base salary of $2 million a year, it said in a regulatory filing on Friday.

Novo obesity drug could launch in U.S. end 2014
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk said it could launch obesity treatment liraglutide in the United States by the end of next year and rejected some analysts' doubts over the medicine's commercial potential.

New bird flu strain may be capable of spreading from human to human - study
HONG KONG (Reuters) - The H7N9 bird flu virus may be capable of spreading from human to human and can be transmitted not only through direct contact but also through airborne exposure, researchers at the University of Hong Kong have found.

Tornado insured losses estimated at $2-$5 billion: modeling firm
(Reuters) - Tornadoes that struck the United States from May 18 to May 20 caused anywhere from $2 billion to $5 billion in insured losses, disaster modeling company Eqecat said.

Jockey Ahern lodges appeal against 10-year ban
LONDON (Reuters) - Jockey Eddie Ahern has lodged an appeal against his 10-year ban for corruption, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said on Friday.

Giro stage called off after heavy snow overnight
PONTE DI LEGNO, Italy (Reuters) - Heavy snow has forced Giro d'Italia organizers to call off Friday's mountainous stage 19 from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello.

Global shares steady but stimulus fears still present
LONDON (Reuters) - World share markets looked vulnerable to further falls on Friday, with better economic news from Europe doing little to encourage investors who are worried that central bank stimulus may curtailed.

Russia's leading social network banned by "mistake"
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's leading online social network was briefly banned on Friday, in a move dismissed as a "mistake" but which follows intensifying official pressure on the company as President Vladimir Putin consolidates his power.

Kerry says talks with Israel, Palestinians 'very productive'
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that his shuttle talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on prospects for reviving direct negotiations had been "very productive".

HSBC urges acceleration of banking reform
LONDON (Reuters) - HSBC's Chairman Douglas Flint said on Friday the pace of reform in the banking industry must be accelerated to avoid investor confidence in the sector being undermined.

StanChart's Sands says Muddy Waters' debt bet misplaced
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Standard Chartered PLC's chief executive Peter Sands denied U.S. activist investor Muddy Waters' claim that the bank has taken on too much risk, saying its loan book was in a good condition and there is no change in risk appetite for lending.

New bird flu strain may be capable of spreading from human to human: study
HONG KONG (Reuters) - The H7N9 bird flu virus may be capable of spreading from human to human and can be transmitted not only through direct contact but also through airborne exposure, researchers at the University of Hong Kong have found.