LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan tightened security in the eastern city of Lahore on Wednesday after three bomb attacks killed 33 people and wounded 171 and pressured the U.S.-backed government already overwhelmed by floods.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a diplomatic push from President Barack Obama, Israeli and Palestinian leaders start direct peace talks on Thursday overshadowed by skepticism on all sides and violence in the volatile West Bank.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Dismal conditions in flood-hit areas in southwest Pakistan could force thousands of Pakistanis and Afghan refugees to cross the border into Iran, the U.N. refugee agency warned Thursday.

HATTERAS ISLAND, North Carolina (Reuters) - Powerful Hurricane Earl bore down on the U.S. East Coast on Thursday on a path toward North Carolina's barrier islands, which it was expected to lash with dangerous winds and pounding surf.

SARATOV, Russia (Reuters) - President Dmitry Medvedev ordered law enforcement agencies on Thursday to prevent speculators driving up food prices after the worst harvest in years and pledged help to ensure affordable food staples.

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai strongly condemned an air strike by NATO-led forces which he said killed 10 campaign workers for this month's election, a sour note as U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived for talks.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Thursday he had gone public to deny rumors he was gay and in a relationship with an aide because he and his wife were fed up of the allegations.

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - Police shot and killed a man who took three people hostage, waving a gun and apparently fitted out with explosives, in the headquarters of the Discovery Channel near Washington Wednesday.

BBC Burmese marks 70 years of broadcasting

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick stumbled to a bad-tempered early exit from his home grand slam on Wednesday, the American losing 3-6 7-5 6-3 7-6 to unseeded Serb Janko Tipsarevic in the final match of the day.

The Philippines vows to probe claims that coffins of three of Hong Kong's eight victims of last week's hijacking in Manila were wrongly labelled.

Tajikistan's security chief is replaced following the escape of 25 prisoners, including several Islamic militants, from a Dushanbe jail.

One of four key independent lawmakers endorses Australian PM Julia Gillard, leaving her two seats short of the majority needed to form a government.

Three people die as Seoul is hit by its strongest typhoon in 15 years, while storms continue to cause heavy rain and landslides in China.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Automaker General Motors Co plans to begin courting investors for its initial public offering immediately after the November 2 U.S. midterm congressional elections, two sources familiar with the plans said on Wednesday.

Positive data eases concerns over the strength of the global economic recovery.

The EU urges China to curb smuggling to Europe, saying counterfeit cigarettes alone deprive the EU of 10bn euros (£8bn) in tax revenue annually.

Is North Korea's Kim poised to name his successor?

An ancient reef may provide scientists with clues about what will happen to coral when sea temperatures rise.

A Tasmanian Devil who experts hoped was immune to a facial cancer that threatens the marsupial species is euthanised after developing tumours.