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By Manuela Badawy NEW YORK (Reuters) - With the world's biggest central banks driving yields on safe assets to near zero, some investors are tossing caution to the wind and rushing to buy illiquid and previously overlooked bonds sold by countries with no capital markets track record. Even the biggest investors acknowledge that "frontier markets" like Vietnam and Romania aren't for the faint of heart because nobody knows whether these new debt market players will be able to make good on their obligations. ...

BEIJING (Reuters) - A section of a cross-country gas pipeline in China exploded on Sunday, injuring at least two people and halting gas supplies, local media said. The second west-east natural gas pipeline, which transports gas from central Asia to south China, exploded in an industrial zone in China's southeastern province of Jiangxi, state news agency Xinhua said. The pipeline has a capacity to transport 30 billion cubic metres of gas a year. Energy released from the explosion knocked over people hundreds of metres away, Xinhua said, without detailing the length of the exploded pipeline. ...

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Arab spring countries face rising social tensions that could thwart an early economic recovery from over two years of political turmoil that has worsened fiscal pressures and threatens macroeconomic stability, a senior IMF official said on Saturday. ...

REUTERS - The San Antonio Spurs are just one win away from the NBA Finals after coming back from an 18-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 104-93 in overtime in Memphis on Saturday. The Spurs lead the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals 3-0 after the victory and can sweep into the title series for the first time since 2007 with another win on Monday. The Grizzlies led 29-11 late in the first quarter but were worn down across the rest of the game, with the Spurs taking their first lead in the fourth quarter. ...

By Arshad Mohammed ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Egypt to act swiftly on economic reforms to secure a $4.8 billion International Monetary Fund loan, saying the measures were needed to get further aid from the U.S. Congress, an American official said. Kerry met Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi for about an hour on the sidelines of an African Union summit on Saturday, discussing Syria's civil war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, human rights in Egypt and the country's faltering economy, the official said. ...

By Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The biggest overhaul of U.S. immigration laws in a generation won bipartisan approval from a powerful U.S. Senate committee last week, but there is a strong chance that Republicans in the House of Representatives will end up killing it. The problem: House Republicans are far from convinced by arguments from party leaders that passage of the bill would help Republicans draw support from Hispanic voters. Many also believe any kind of amnesty for the estimated 11 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally is just plain wrong. ...

By Steve Keating INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - While Formula One flirts with the idea of a female driver, girl power is already as much a part of the Indianapolis 500 as turbo-charged engines and the winner chugging cold milk in Victory Lane. Swiss Simona de Silvestro, Brazilian Ana Beatriz and Britons Pippa Mann and Katherine Legge represent the four women who will take the command to start their engines alongside 29 men at the famed Brickyard for Sunday's race. ...

By Justin Palmer LEEDS (Reuters) - Joe Root hit a maiden test century on his home ground at Headingley and county colleague Jonny Bairstow chipped in with 64 to leave England on top at 337 for seven in the second test against New Zealand on Saturday. Root, in his sixth test, punched the air and gleefully hugged fellow Yorkshireman Bairstow after steering Doug Bracewell to the third-man boundary to bring up his hundred. "It was a fantastic moment. I lost it a bit... ...

CONAKRY (Reuters) - At least five people were killed on Saturday when security forces in Guinea opened fire on protesters in opposition strongholds in the capital, medical sources and witnesses said. The violence brings to 11 the number of people killed since Thursday in unrest that began over election preparations but has frequently degenerated into looting and clashes between ethnic groups. "According to our information, they (the five) all died after being shot," said Thierno Maadjou Sow, president of the OGDH human rights group. ...

By Pedro Fonseca RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's gifted World Cup hope Neymar is moving to Spanish champions Barcelona, the striker said on Saturday, and will sign a five-year contract on Monday. Neymar chose Barcelona over their Spanish arch-rivals Real Madrid after Santos ended three years of resisting offers for the 21-year-old forward and let him go before next year's tournament in Brazil. "On Monday I'm signing a contract with Barcelona," Neymar said on his Instagram page and Twitter account. Santos, on their Facebook page, and Barcelona on their website (www.fcbarcelona. ...

By Tim Bross ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - Two freight trains collided at a rail intersection in rural Missouri on Saturday, triggering the collapse of a highway overpass when at least a dozen rail cars derailed and struck a support pillar, authorities said. None of the seven people hurt in the fiery crash - two train workers and five occupants of two cars on the overpass - suffered life-threatening injuries, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said in a statement. ...

By Julian Linden NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former world champion Tyson Gay, free from injury for one of the few times in recent years, blitzed his rivals on Saturday to win the 100 metres at the Adidas Grand Prix. Kenya's Olympic champion David Rudisha also outclassed his opponents to easily win the 800m at the New York leg of the Diamond League series. Croatia's Blanka Vlasic, competing for the first time since 2011, won the women's high jump while veteran Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown showed a clean pair of heels to win the women's 200m dash. ...

By Justin Palmer LEEDS (Reuters) - Proud sons of Yorkshire have served England well with the bat in 136 years of test cricket and Headingley rose as one on Saturday to acclaim a new home-grown hero in centurion Joe Root. The likes of Herbert Sutcliffe, Leonard Hutton, Geoffrey Boycott and Michael Vaughan have batted with distinction for England. Sutcliffe and Hutton's run-scoring feats have never been forgotten by proud Yorkshire folk despite fading in the mists of time since they made hay in the first half of the 20th century. ...

Kabul, May 26 (IANS) As many as 19 militants were killed in eastern Afghan provinces during operations that started Saturday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said Sunday.

Thiruvananthapuram, May 26 (IANS) Two prominent Middle East-based businessmen who hail from Kerala appear to be caught in the factional feud of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Kerala.

Chennai, May 26 (IANS) A Mumbai Police team Sunday raided the house of Gurunath Meiyappan, the team principal of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and son-in-law of Indian cricket board's chief N.Srinivasan.

Kolkata, May 26 (IANS) The Indian cricket board has suspended Chennai Super Kings chief executive officer Gurunath Meiyappan, who has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the spot fixing scandal.

Oxford, May 26 (IANS) The Ashmolean Museum, one of the world's oldest public museums, has launched an exhibition of master drawings to mark its founding in 1683.

Ashgabat, May 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The Turkmen capital of Ashgabat has entered the Guinness World Records for the highest number of white marble buildings in the city.

Moscow, May 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The US plans to collaborate with Russia on missile issues and Afghanistan, but not planetary defence from space threats, a US diplomat said.

Rome, May 26 (IANS/AKI) A 58-year-old man from Frosinone town near Rome was arrested after his wife reported him to police for more than two decades of domestic violence.

Washington, May 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Ibragim Todashev, an affiliate of slain Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was himself killed by US security personnel, was an aspiring athlete who took no interests in politics or radical Islam, his widow said.

Moscow, May 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The Russian defence ministry has signed a contract with the Beriev Aircraft Company for the purchase of six Beriev Be-200 amphibious planes.

Dushanbe, May 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Tajikistan has blocked YouTube for the third time in less than a year without an official explanation, a representative of the country's internet industry said.

Los Angeles, May 26 (IANS) Actor-musician Kevin Jonas says his reality TV show "Married to Jonas" is like therapy for him because it allows him and his co-star wife Danielle Deleasa to review their points of view after a fight.

St. Petersburg, May 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) In a rare display of public humility, the head of police in Russia's St. Petersburg city publicly apologised to motorist rights activists after they were allegedly beaten up by policemen.