Reuters World News Highlights at 1700 GMT, Apr 04
April 4 (Reuters) - TOP STORIES
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SEOUL/WASHINGTON - The United States said it would soon send a missile defence system to Guam to defend it from North Korea, as the U.S. military adjusts to what Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called a "real and clear danger" from Pyongyang.
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HOMS PROVINCE, Syria - The Syrian government is sending members of its irregular militias for guerrilla combat training at a secret base in Iran, in a move to bolster its armed forces drained by two years of fighting and defections, fighters and activists said.
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NEW YORK - New York State Assemblyman Eric Stevenson and four others have been charged with corruption, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York said on Thursday, in the second graft case that office has brought against New York politicians this week.
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WASHINGTON - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits hit a four-month high last week, the latest suggestion the labor market recovery lost some momentum in March.
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ANABTA, West Bank - Thousands of mourners turned out on Thursday for the funerals of three Palestinians, including two teenagers killed by Israeli army gunfire in some of the worst violence in the occupied West Bank in years.
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ROME - Florence mayor Matteo Renzi launched a clear challenge to Italian centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani on Thursday, saying he must either agree a coalition with former premier Silvio Berlusconi or demand a new election.
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CAIRO - Egypt's planning minister said on Thursday the government expects to reach a final agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a $4.8 billion loan within two weeks, the state news agency MENA reported.