By Nobuhiro Kubo and Tim Kelly TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan may accelerate around $1 billion of planned spending to upgrade its ballistic missile defenses in the wake of rocket tests suggesting North Korea is close to fielding a more potent medium-range missile, three government sources told Reuters.

By Maher Chmaytelli and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday launched a battle to liberate the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State in its most ambitious campaign since U.S. forces left five years ago, and the United States predicted the militant group would suffer "a lasting defeat."

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will launch a two-man space mission, Shenzhou 11, on Monday, the state-owned Xinhua news agency said, taking the country closer to its ambition of setting up a permanent manned space station by 2022. President Xi Jinping has called for China to establish itself as a space power, and it has tested anti-satellite missiles, in addition to its civilian aims.

By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military detected a failed North Korean test launch of an intermediate ballistic missile, the Pentagon said on Saturday.

By Idrees Ali and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy destroyer was targeted on Saturday in a failed missile attack from territory in Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, the third such incident in the past week, U.S. officials said.

By Makini Brice LES CAYES (Reuters) - Haitians desperate for relief from hunger and sickness in the wake of Hurricane Matthew looted United Nations trucks on Saturday during a short visit to a hard-hit port town by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who promised more aid.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Two American prisoners held captive by Yemen Houthi rebels have been released and taken to neighboring Oman after Omani officials mediated their release, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday. Kerry, speaking to reporters in the Swiss city of Lausanne, also said that the United States was discussing a ceasefire in Yemen with Saudi officials.

By Marina Depetris and Alexander Winning LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will return to Syria talks on Saturday, three weeks after the failure of their painstakingly drafted ceasefire that many saw as the last hope for peace this year.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico expects to extradite captured drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States at the outset of 2017, a top government official said on Friday, despite ongoing appeals by lawyers to block his departure.

By Anastasia Moloney BOGOTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Less than five percent of cities are led by women and their lack of political participation is hampering progress in meeting international goals on making cities more sustainable and inclusive, a group of female mayors said on Friday.