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REUTERS - Ever wondered what went through author J.K. Rowling's mind when she wrote the first "Harry Potter" novel? Fans of books about the boy wizard will have a chance to bid on a unique first edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," annotated by the author, at a charity auction this month, the English PEN organization said on Friday. The book contains Rowling's handwritten thoughts and commentary about the book and the film adaptation, as well as 22 hand-drawn illustrations including one of a sleeping baby Harry and another of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. ...

By Mark Felsenthal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday trimmed his funding request for the war in Afghanistan and other overseas operations by 10 percent, reflecting his plans to wind down the U.S. presence in that country. The president asked for $79.4 billion to fund so-called overseas contingency operations in fiscal 2014, which begins October 1, down from his original $88.5 billion request, a White House aide said. Obama made the request in a letter to Congress. The U.S. ...

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela on Friday released an opposition activist who had been jailed on accusations of inciting violence in the wake of President Nicolas Maduro's narrow election victory in April. Retired General Antonio Rivero, who government critics described as the first political prisoner of Maduro's government, told a local television station he had been released after nearly three weeks in jail. "Right now I'm just going to focus on my health," Rivero, who had been on hunger strike during part of his detention, told the Globovision station. ...

REUTERS - Former U.S. Open champion and television broadcaster Ken Venturi, a 14-times winner on the PGA Tour, died on Friday at the age of 82 following various health complications. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame just 11 days ago, Venturi had been in hospital for the last two months for a spinal infection, pneumonia and an intestinal infection, the PGA Tour said in a statement. Venturi's son, Matt, said his father had died in a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, where he had been living for several years. The highlight of Venturi's playing career came in the 1964 U.S. ...

REUTERS - Former champion Keegan Bradley maintained a three-shot lead in Friday's second round of the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas after grinding his way to a one-under-par 69 in increasingly tricky conditions. Three ahead of the chasing pack overnight after opening with a blistering course record 60, Bradley had to contend with strengthening winds and firming greens at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas en route to an 11-under total of 129. ...

REUTERS - David Beckham's longevity and his ability to reinvent himself were "absolutely incredible", retiring Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has said. Beckham and Ferguson, who were synonymously linked with Manchester United until the former England captain moved to Real Madrid, both announced in the past 10 days they would retire from soccer at the end of the current season. ...

By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - An automated telescope monitoring the moon has captured images of an 88-pound (40 kg) rock slamming into the lunar surface, creating a bright flash of light, NASA scientists said on Friday. The explosion on March 17 was the biggest seen since NASA began watching the moon for meteoroid impacts about eight years ago. So far, more than 300 strikes have been recorded. ...

By Angela Moon NEW YORK (Reuters) - With the broad S&P 500 Index gliding once again into uncharted territory and posting four straight weeks of gains, the talk of Wall Street's rally inevitably hitting a ceiling is starting to get old. Concerns about a technical correction have been a hot topic for weeks, especially as the rally accelerated in May - the S&P 500 is up 4.4 percent so far this month and up nearly 17 percent for the year. But as the three major U.S. stock indexes inch higher and higher to set record after record, many analysts are shrugging off the pullback worries. ...

By Alistair Barr SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Target Corp said on Friday it opened a new San Francisco office to track down technology companies that can help the second-largest U.S. retailer grow its online commerce business. Target's Technology Innovation Center is run by David Newman, an executive who spent six years at the online business of Wal-Mart Stores Inc , which has had a major presence in Silicon Valley for several years. "Partnership is in our DNA and early-stage companies can sense that and are proving to be very willing to partner and co-develop," said Newman. ...

By Iain Rogers MADRID (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid stunned city rivals Real to win their 10th King's Cup when Miranda's extra-time header secured a 2-1 comeback win in an action-packed and ill-tempered clash at the Bernabeu on Friday in which Real coach Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo were both sent off. ...

MADRID (Reuters) - A King's Cup final defeat against Atletico Madrid capped the worst season of Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho's career, the Portuguese said on Friday after the 2-1 loss left him without a major title this season. Widely expected to move on at the end of the campaign and linked with a return to Chelsea, a grim-faced Mourinho gave little away about his future but said Real, the world's richest club by income, had suffered a "disastrous" season, with only a Spanish Super Cup added to the trophy cabinet. ...

By Hugh Bronstein BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Jorge Rafael Videla, an austere former army commander who led Argentina during the bloodiest period of a "dirty war" dictatorship and was unrepentant about kidnappings and murders ordered by the state, died on Friday at age 87. Videla was the first president to head the military junta that "disappeared" thousands of suspected leftists from 1976 to 1983, and he spent his final years behind bars for human rights crimes including the systematic theft of babies born to political prisoners in secret torture centers. ...

By Joseph Menn WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The series of cyber attacks that repeatedly knocked major U.S. banking websites offline in the past nine months has been more powerful than the general public realizes, government officials and security experts told the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit. A self-described activist group, Cyber Fighters of Izz ad-din Al Qassam, has claimed credit for the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that took down the websites of more than a dozen U.S. banks for hours or even days at a time. ...

Bangalore, May 18 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Saturday inducted 28 members into his five-day-old ministry, the first Congress ministry in the state after nine years.

Hyderabad, May 18 (IANS) Sunrisers Hyderabad chief coach Tom Moody said the team was constantly looking to improve in all three departments of the game.

Thrissur (Kerala), May 18 (IANS) The festivities and fireworks at the Thrissur Pooram festival have stunned two US-based filmmakers who are making a movie on pyrotechnics across the globe. They have termed it as one of the most amazing display they have ever witnessed.

Lima, May 18 (IANS/EFE) Genrent do Brasil has been awarded a concession to build a 70 MW thermoelectric plant and temporarily supply electricity to the Peruvian Amazon city of Iquitos, authorities said.

Buenos Aires, May 18 (IANS/EFE) Gen. Rafael Videla, the emblematic figure of the military junta that ruled Argentina from 1976-83, died Friday inside the jail where he was serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity, prison officials confirmed. He was 87.

Los Angeles, May 18 (IANS/EFE) Colombian singer Shakira will leave NBC's "The Voice" and Christina Aguilera will return to take her place next season, the Web site E! News said.

Bhubaneswar, May 18 (IANS) A man has been arrested for raping a nine-year-old girl in an Odisha village, police said Saturday.

Moscow, May 18 (IANS/RIA Novosti) In a bid to track its wildlife and hunt down poachers, Russia is all set to test unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at a nature reserve on the country's Pacific coast this summer.

Geneva, May 18 (IANS) The number of Syrian refugees, who are either registered or awaiting registration, has surpassed 1.5 million, while the actual number is much higher, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Cairo, May 18 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirtaes (UAE) and Egypt have held talks over enhancing cooperation in the civil aviation sector.

New York, May 18 (IANS) Two passenger trains heading in opposite directions collided during rush hour in southwestern Connecticut, injuring 60 people, five of them critically, and closing the key corridor between New York and Boston.

Los Angeles, May 18 (IANS) Supermodel Miranda Kerr's valuable lingerie collection was once stolen by Bling Ring, a notorious gang of youngsters who steal celebrities' personal belongings.

Los Angeles, May 18 (IANS) Actors Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix will reportedly team up again for a crime thriller, to be directed by Paul Thomas.