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By Jeffrey Jones NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - New Orleanians voted on Saturday in their battered city's first post-Katrina election, facing the tough choice of staying with Mayor Ray Nagin and his vision for rebuilding or opting for new blood. Polls was brisk in what many community leaders are calling the most important election in the nearly three-century history of the city known as the birthplace of jazz, which was devastated by the hurricane nearly eight months ago. At stake is the speed and s ...

By Lesley Wroughton and Sumeet Desai WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund won new powers to police the world economy after its 184 member countries endorsed a new framework to monitor how the economic policies of one country affects others. The countries, represented by finance ministers or central bank governors, also agreed that some emerging economies needed more say in IMF  ...

By Swaha Pattanaik WASHINGTON (Reuters) - France and Britain on Saturday urged the International Monetary Fund to take a more active role in monitoring the energy markets and their economic impact. Speaking on the sidelines of a semi-annual International Monetary Fund meeting at which oil prices' surge emerged as a key preoccupation, they called for more investment in refining capacity and bette ...

(CNN) -- Where will it end? Gas prices shot up an average of three cents a gallon Friday, to $2.855 for regular, according to AAA. The motorists' organization says the average is above $3 a gallon in California, Washington D.C., Hawaii and New York. CNN.com asked for readers' opinions on how rising gas prices affect their daily routines, how much gas costs in their area and how concerned they are about overall trends in energy pricing. Here is a sampling of responses, some of which have been ...

By Adam Entous and Mohammed Assadi RAMALLAH (Reuters) - Under U.S. pressure, regional and international banks are balking at transferring funds from donors to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, Western diplomats and Palestinian officials said on Saturday. U.S. officials said the Bush administration could take punitive action against banks that help provide money or services directly to the new ...

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) -- Nepali security opened fire on tens of thousands of protesters marching toward the royal palace Saturday in defiance of a curfew, as opposition leaders rejected the king's proposals for restoring democracy. Police fired rubber bullets and live ammunition, and beat people with bamboo batons. Red Cross officials said dozens of people were badly hurt in the clash, which occurred about 3 miles from the royal palace in the heart of this Himalayan nation. "Security for ...

A man is being questioned by police after a meat cleaver attack during a row over two dogs. A 39-year-old lost three fingers and had his left arm almost severed after arguing with two men about their dogs not being on leads. The attack happened in Shepherds Bush, west London, on Tuesday night. Police said a 23-year-old was arrested on Saturday and was being questioned over the incident which is ...

By Raju Gopalakrishnan KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepali police opened fire and used teargas on Saturday to confront more than 100,000 anti-monarchy protesters who defied a curfew and marched towards King Gyanendra's palace in the centre of the capital. The police opened fire in at least two places and fired teargas repeatedly to push back protesters just 500 metres (half a mile) from the palace, witnesses said. Political parties said about 150 people were wounded. About 100 were brought to one ho ...

Thierry Henry came off the bench to deny Tottenham victory in the last north London derby at Highbury. Spurs dominated the first half and took the lead on 66 minutes when Robbie Keane tapped in Edgar Davids' cross. Arsenal were outraged that Spurs did not stop play for an injury but Henry wiped out the disappointment with a stunning finish six minutes from time. Davids' second booking meant Spurs had to hang on for a draw which leaves the race for fourth still open. Before the game, Tottenha ...

By Rachel Sanderson ROME (Reuters) - Just three days after his election victory was confirmed, Italy's prime minister-in-waiting Romano Prodi faced a rupture in his coalition and an ally predicted the fall of his government. The prediction, by Piero Fassino, leader of Democrats of the Left (DS), came as Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's supporters continued to demand vote recounts even after a supreme court ruling on Wednesday confirmed Prodi's wafer-thin victory. Fassino's gloomy forecast s ...