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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sly hints and outright guesses fostered speculation in the U.S. vice presidential sweepstakes on Tuesday as Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain neared their choices of a No. 2.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a sharp turnaround, Republican John McCain has opened a 5-point lead on Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race and is seen as a stronger manager of the economy, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

BOSTON (Reuters) - A former hedge fund manager was ordered to pay nearly $300 million for having cheated clients by sending out fake account statements, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran's attempt to launch a dummy satellite into orbit was a "dramatic failure" that fell far short of the country's assertions of success, a U.S. official said on Tuesday

WARSAW (Reuters) - The United States and Poland signed a deal on Wednesday to station elements of a U.S. missile defense shield on Polish soil, a move certain to aggravate Russia-Western tensions over Moscow's intervention in Georgia.

SHIMONOSEKI, Japan (AFP) - The double-decker Routemaster bus, a phased-out London icon, is gaining a second life in a Japanese city that believes the red road giant fits right in.

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Fay swept into Florida from the Gulf of Mexico and soaked the state on Tuesday while growing strong enough that forecasters said it could become a hurricane before smacking Florida a third time.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Something fishy is happening at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Put it all down to the stars.

SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - Women are their own workplace enemies when it comes to cracking the glass ceiling, with an international study finding they are less likely to promote themselves and network than their male counterparts.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas school district will let teachers bring guns to class this fall, the district's superintendent said on Friday, in what experts said appeared to be a first in the United States.

Washington - The American military has depended on private contractors since sutlers sold paper, bacon, sugar, and other small luxuries to Continental Army troops during the Revolutionary War.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - In the wake of setbacks suffered by Al Qaeda in Iraq, Afghanistan is becoming the preferred destination for Muslims, particularly from Arab nations, seeking to wage jihad against the West.

LONDON (AFP) - The country is likely to face a growing problem of "home alone" old men as the number of male over-60s living alone hits one million for the first time, according to research by the Help the Aged charity.

LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks edged higher on Wednesday after the previous day's tumble to their lowest level in almost two years attracted some buyers, while rebounding commodity prices helped resource shares.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Playing video games improves manual dexterity among surgeons, making them faster and less likely to make mistakes, US researchers have said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc is considering options, such as selling all or part of its asset management unit, with an aim of reaching a deal by the time it releases third quarter earnings, sources said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pentagon chief Robert Gates dismissed as "empty rhetoric" on Sunday Russian warnings that Moscow would target Poland for a possible military strike because Warsaw agreed to host part of a U.S. missile shield.

VERKHNY ZARAMAG, Russia (Reuters) - Russian military trucks crossed from Georgia back into Russia on Wednesday but there was no sign of the large-scale, rapid pullout demanded by the West.

BOSTON (Reuters) - A former hedge fund manager was ordered to pay nearly $300 million for having cheated clients by sending out fake account statements, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, Aug 20, 2008 (AFP) - Russia moved Wednesday towards recognising Georgian separatist regions as independent, raising tensions after blocking a UN demand that it withdraw forces from Georgia.