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• NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 8:05 AM ET

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.-- NASA has eight new astronauts _ its first new batch in four years. In fact, four of the eight are women, the highest percentage of female astronaut candidates ever selected by NASA. They will report for duty in August at Johnson Space Center in Houston and join 49 astronauts currently at NASA.

• GRAINS-Wheat firm as slow harvest pace draws bargain buyers Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 7:50 AM ET

  *Soybeans firm as USDA confirms continued planting delays. PARIS/ SYDNEY, June 18- Chicago wheat futures rose on Tuesday as rain, which hampered harvesting and sowing in the United States, encouraged buyers to return after a two-month low at the end of last week.

• Syria peace conference unlikely to be before August after G8 clash Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 7:18 AM ET

  ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland, June 18- An international peace conference aimed at ending the conflict in Syria is unlikely to take place before August after G8 leaders clashed with Russia over the nature of a transitional government, a source familiar with the talks said on Tuesday.

• UPDATE 1-Putin faces isolation over Syria as G8 ratchets up pressure Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 6:16 AM ET

  *Obama, Putin disagreed over Syria in tense meeting. Syria was set to dominate the last day of the meeting in a secluded, heavily guarded golf resort in Northern Ireland, with Putin standing firm on his position that forcing out Assad would be disastrous for Syria and the region.

• G8 pushes to close gaps in opinions on Syria Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 5:41 AM ET

  

  The leaders of the world's richest countries will today try to patch over glaring differences on their approach to Syria, with a G8 declaration that stops short of demanding the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.

• Saudi prince eyes world's big cities for mile-high tower Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 2:58 AM ET

  DUBAI, June 18- Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal says he is looking at the world's largest cities, including Shanghai, Moscow, London and New York, as possible locations to build a mile-high skyscraper that would be the world's tallest building by far.

• UPDATE 1-Brent hovers near 10-week high, Fed meeting in focus Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 1:32 AM ET

  *Market keeps an eye on standoff over Syria. At 0446 GMT, Brent was up 5 cents at $105.52 a barrel. U.S. oil added 5 cents to $97.82 after hitting a nine-month high near $99 a barrel in the previous session.

• Brent hovers near 10-week high, Fed meeting in focus Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 10:38 PM ET

  *Market keeps an eye on standoff over Syria. SINGAPORE, June 18- Brent crude futures were barely changed around $105, holding not far off their strongest level in 10 weeks on mounting tensions in the Middle East, as investors remain cautious ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting.

• NYMEX-Oil inches up, but investors cautious ahead of Fed meeting Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 9:26 PM ET

  *NYMEX crude futures for July delivery had added 21 cents to $97.98 a barrel by 0030 GMT. *Production at Norway's Oseberg field and several adjunct fields in the North Sea was shut early on Monday and it was unclear when it would restart, its operator Statoil said on Monday.

• U.S. says it will buy Russian helicopters for Afghan military Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 7:46 PM ET

  WASHINGTON, June 17- The Pentagon said on Monday it will spend $572 million to buy 30 Russian-built military helicopters that will be used by Afghan security forces. The Pentagon said the work would be performed in Russia.

• Putin faces isolation over Syria as G8 ratchets up pressure Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 7:43 PM ET

  *Obama, Putin disagreed over Syria in tense meeting. ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland, June 18- Russian President Vladimir Putin faced further isolation on the second day of a G8 summit on Tuesday as world leaders lined up to pressure him into toning down his support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

• Reuters World News Highlights at 2045 GMT, Jun 17 Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 6:00 PM ET

  President Barack Obama sparred with Russia's Vladimir Putin over how to end the war in Syria on Monday during an icy encounter at a G8 summit where divisions over the conflict eclipsed the rest of the agenda.

• UPDATE 8-Putin, Obama face off over Syria at tense G8 summit meeting Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 5:53 PM ET

  *Obama, Putin square off over Syria. President Barack Obama sparred with Russia's Vladimir Putin over how to end the war in Syria on Monday during an icy encounter at a G8 summit where divisions over the conflict eclipsed the rest of the agenda.

• UK's Cameron wants Syria peace plan, with or without Russia Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 5:05 PM ET

  ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland, June 17- Prime Minister David Cameron wants Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign up to what he hopes will become an international peace plan to end the conflict in Syria but may have to press ahead without him, British officials said on Monday.

• COMMODITIES-Metals, oil down ahead of Fed meeting; natgas jumps Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 4:41 PM ET

  *Gold subdued by equities rally on Wall Street. NEW YORK, June 17- Copper closed a touch lower on Monday on concerns the United States may scale back its monetary stimulus program, and oil prices fell after initially rising on fears of a superpower standoff over Syria and possible disruptions to Middle East crude supplies.

• UPDATE 7-Putin, Obama disagree over Syria at tense G8 summit meeting Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 4:29 PM ET

  *Obama, Putin square off over Syria. President Barack Obama sparred with Russia's Vladimir Putin over how to end the war in Syria on Monday during an icy encounter at a G8 summit where divisions over the conflict eclipsed the rest of the agenda.

• UPDATE 7-Brent crude oil dips before U.S. Fed meeting Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 4:11 PM ET

  NEW YORK, June 17- Brent crude oil futures touched a 10- week high close to $107 a barrel on Monday as tensions in the Middle East rose, but prices finished slightly lower on the day after a late sell-off in U.S. gasoline futures. Brent's premium over U.S. crude ended at $7.70, on the narrow end of the $7.50 to $10 range in which it has traded since early May.

• Russia's Putin says disagrees with Obama on Syria Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 3:59 PM ET

  ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland, June 17- Russia and the United States disagree on how to end the conflict in Syria but want the bloodshed to stop and the warring parties brought to the negotiating table, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

• UPDATE 6-West rebukes Putin over Syria at G8 summit Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 12:54 PM ET

  *Obama, Putin likely to square off over Syria. ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland, June 17- Western leaders rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting Syria's Bashar al-Assad attempt to crush a two-year-old uprising, setting the stage for a tense G8 summit of the world's most powerful nations.

• Ford looks to ride emerging market mini-SUV boom in India Monday, 17 Jun 2013 | 12:18 PM ET

  CHENNAI, India, June 17- Ford Motor Co began shipping its locally-made EcoSport compact SUV on Monday, hoping to share in growing demand in India for mini-sport utility vehicles, which are popular due to heavy traffic, scarce parking and bumpy roads.