AP - A combative President Barack Obama rolled out a long-term jobs program Monday that will exceed $50 billion to rebuild roads, railways and runways, and coupled it with a blunt campaign-season assault on Republicans for causing Americans' hard economic times.

Labour MPs demand the police investigation into alleged phone-hacking by News of the World reporters is reopened, at an urgent Commons session.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, scrambling to jump-start job creation in a sluggish U.S. economy, will announce on Monday a six-year plan to revamp aging roads, railways and airport runways with an initial $50 billion investment.

As a 15-year-old, Jefferson Thomas was one of nine African-American students who braved mobs to integrate an all-white school. Thomas died Sunday of cancer at age 67.