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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.

Group linked to Algeria gas plant attack claims Niger raids
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - An al Qaeda-linked group that carried out the raid on the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria in January has claimed to have participated in Thursday's attacks in Niger.

Africa backs Kenya call for Hague court to drop Kenyatta case
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - African nations have backed a request by Kenya for charges of crimes against humanity by its president to be referred back to the east African country, African Union documents show.

Exclusive: Malaysia tycoon plans IPO of football club Cardiff City - sources
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian billionaire Vincent Tan is exploring an IPO of British soccer team Cardiff City for as early as this year, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, in a deal that would follow the team's recent promotion to the Premier League.

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.

British security services in spotlight after soldier murder
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's security services faced questions on Friday over whether they could have done more to prevent the murder of a soldier hacked to death in a busy London street after it emerged that his suspected killers were known to intelligence officers.

Ugandan leader removes army chief named in succession plot claim
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has removed his head of the military Aronda Nyakairima, and moved him to a civilian position as the minister for internal affairs, a statement from the military said on Friday.

Bank of England's Fisher says does not want U.S.-style QE pledge
CARDIFF (Reuters) - A Bank of England policymaker said on Friday he favored small additional amounts of bond purchases over time, but not a hard-to-manage commitment to longer-term stimulus like that of the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Three mainland Chinese charged in HK mercantile exchange probe
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Three men were charged on Friday in a Hong Kong court with possessing false documents including a check for $460 million in connection with an investigation into the city's shuttered Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange.

Academics back BP's fight to cap oil spill payouts
LONDON (Reuters) - A group of accountancy professors is backing BP's fight to cap the U.S. oil spill compensation payouts it has to fund as the cash outflow threatens to add billions of dollars to its bill for the disaster.

Syria opposition struggles to forge transition plan before talks
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Syria's divided opposition leaders have failed to back a plan by their outgoing leader for President Bashar al-Assad to cede power gradually to end the country's civil war, highlighting the obstacles to international peace talks expected next month.

Suspect in Czech family killings arrested in Washington -police
PRAGUE (Reuters) - U.S. authorities have arrested a man wanted for murdering four members of a family in the Czech Republic, Czech police said on Friday.