WASHINGTON/RIYADH (Reuters) - Gulf countries sharply improved their rankings in the World Bank's latest Doing Business report, while Latin American countries largely lagged in reforms and New Zealand took the top spot for the fourth year in a row.

WASHINGTON/RIYADH, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Gulf countries sharply improved their rankings in the World Bank's latest Doing Business report, while Latin American countries largely lagged in reforms and New Zealand took the top spot for the fourth year in a row.

NEW YORK/BOSTON (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's proposed $23 billion drug giveaway to settle thousands of U.S. opioid lawsuits will likely cost the company a fraction of that figure due to how it has valued those medicines, according to a Reuters review of pricing data and industry analysts.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Israeli businessman Samuel Ben-Avraham said on Wednesday he has submitted an offer for Barneys New York Inc, challenging a $271 million bid for the bankrupt luxury department store from brand developer Authentic Brands Group LLC.

MOSCOW/ANKARA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian military police started to deploy on Syria's northeast border on Wednesday under a deal with Turkey to drive out Kurdish fighters, marking Moscow's deepening influence in the region two weeks after the United States pulled out forces.

MOSCOW/ANKARA/WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Russian military police started to deploy on Syria's northeast border on Wednesday under a deal with Turkey to drive out Kurdish fighters, marking Moscow's deepening influence in the region two weeks after the United States pulled out forces.

WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Lebanese people are "rightfully angered" with their government over its refusal to tackle corruption and Washington supports their right to demonstrate peacefully, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Republican and Democratic U.S. senators asked the State Department on Wednesday to quickly provide a visa so that the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces could visit the United states to discuss the situation in the country.

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia appointed a prince with diplomatic experience in Western capitals as foreign minister on Wednesday in a partial cabinet reshuffle as the kingdom tries to mend its international image and prepares to take over the Group of 20 presidency.