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By Ryan Vlastelica NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock markets around the world edged higher on Tuesday amid signs of improving growth, even though questions about monetary policy limited gains. The Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 ended at all-time highs, while the dollar rose and gold fell. The euro was slightly higher, though a slowdown in British inflation sent sterling to a 7-week low on the view it could give the Bank of England more leeway to support the economy. The yen lost ground after a Japanese minister rowed back on remarks suggesting the currency had weakened enough. ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday, with the Dow and the S&P 500 closing at new all-time highs as comments from Federal Reserve officials eased some concerns that the central bank could start reducing its stimulus program. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 52.30 points, or 0.35 percent, to end unofficially at a record 15,387.58. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 2.87 points, or 0.17 percent, to finish unofficially at a record 1,669.16. The Nasdaq Composite Index ose 5.69 points, or 0.16 percent, to close unofficially at 3,502.12. ...

By Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescuers went building to building in search of victims and thousands of survivors were homeless on Tuesday, a day after a massive tornado tore through a suburb of Oklahoma City, wiping out whole blocks of homes and killing at least 24 people. Nine children were among the dead, including seven who died at Plaza Towers Elementary School, which took a direct hit in the deadliest tornado to hit the United States in two years. ...

By Bill Rigby and Malathi Nayak REDMOND, Washington (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp gave the world a first look at its new Xbox One on Tuesday, announcing that its first gaming console in eight years will come with exclusive video and software content, including a "Halo" series produced by Steven Spielberg. The Xbox One, which will be available later this year at a price to be announced, will also be the first platform to release the next installment in Activision Blizzard Inc's blockbuster shooter franchise, "Call of Duty". ...

By Alistair Barr SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - PayPal, the online payment operation owned by eBay Inc , will increase marketing spending to support its push into physical stores, President David Marcus said on Tuesday. "You'll start seeing us amping marketing up later this year," Marcus said in an interview with Reuters. PayPal is trying to become a common way of paying in physical stores, a much larger market than its online roots. ...

By Richard Cowan and Rachelle Younglai WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate negotiators on Tuesday reached a tentative deal to ease restrictions on U.S. technology firms hiring highly skilled workers from abroad, potentially a big win for industry as efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year accelerated. Under the deal struck by Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch and New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer, the Senate would back a looser formula for issuing H-1B visas that technology companies say they need to hire qualified employees. ...

By Marcus George DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian authorities on Tuesday barred former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a relative moderate, from running in the June 14 election, along with a protege of the current president, leaving mainly hardliners left to contest the vote. Rafsanjani and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, a close aide to current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, failed to make it onto a list of candidates approved by the Guardian Council, state news agencies and television reported. ...

By Ryan Vlastelica NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock markets around the world edged higher on Tuesday amid signs of improving growth, even as uncertainties concerning monetary policy limited gains. The Dow and S&P 500 were at all-time highs while the dollar rose and gold fell. The euro was slightly higher, though a slowdown in British inflation sent sterling to a 7-week low on the view it could give the Bank of England more leeway to support the economy. The yen lost ground after a Japanese minister rowed back on remarks suggesting the currency had weakened enough. ...

By Noel Randewich SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp's new chief executive, Brian Krzanich, has launched a sweeping company reorganization and created a unit aimed at growing its market share in mobile technology. The shakeup, announced internally just days after the 30-year veteran took the helm, places most of the main product groups of the world's top chipmaker directly under the CEO's supervision and hands its sprawling global manufacturing operation to new president Renee James, said a source close to the company, who declined to be identified. ...

By Lucien Libert PARIS (Reuters) - An 78-year-old French far-right activist committed suicide at the altar of the Notre Dame cathedral on Tuesday by shooting himself in the mouth, three days after a law legalising same-sex marriage came into effect. Police evacuated the cathedral, one of Paris' biggest tourist draws, after Dominique Venner - a historian known for his hard-right political essays and a fierce opponent of gay marriage - shot himself, sending tourists fleeing in panic. Venner made no declaration as he shot himself around mid-afternoon, a police source said. ...

GROZNY, Russia (Reuters) - French actor Gerard Depardieu said on Tuesday the ethnic Chechen brothers accused of the Boston marathon bombing had been raised American and that residents of the volatile Russian region of Chechnya were not to blame. The actor, who accepted Russian citizenship after quitting France to avoid a planned 75 percent tax on millionaires, was echoing comments from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, with whom he has been filmed socialising. "I was in the United States when the terrorist act was carried out in Boston. ...

By Bernard Vaughan NEW YORK (Reuters) - The son-in-law of Osama bin Laden and former spokesman for al Qaeda, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to kill Americans, was warned on Tuesday that his three chosen lawyers may not get clearance to review classified evidence in the case. A federal judge in New York told Suleiman Abu Ghaith, one of the highest-ranking al Qaeda figures to face trial in the United States for crimes related to the September 11, 2001, attacks, that legal issues and, for one lawyer, a disability, could prevent them from getting the needed clearance. U.S. ...

By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain said on Tuesday it had asked the European Union to put Hezbollah's military arm on its list of terrorist organisations, urging Europe to respond robustly to evidence of the Islamist group's involvement in an attack that killed five Israelis. Britain's request came after Bulgaria accused the Lebanese militant movement in February of carrying out a bomb attack on a bus in the Black Sea city of Burgas that killed the Israelis and their Bulgarian driver in July last year. ...

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Blistering unbeaten knocks by David Hussey and Suresh Raina took two-time champions Chennai Super Kings to their fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) final in six seasons with a comprehensive 48-run win over Mumbai Indians in the first qualifier at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Tuesday.

Los Angeles, May 21 (IANS) Supermodel Miranda Kerr likes to wear her husband Orlando Bloom's clothes because it makes her feel closer to him.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Scoreboard of qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Tuesday.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Chennai Super Kings secured yet another final berth after a convincing 48-run win over Mumbai Indians in qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Tuesday.

Washington, May 21 (IANS) As rescuers searched for survivors of Monday's devastating tornado that pulverized a vast swath of the Oklahoma City suburbs, authorities revised the death toll down to 24 from 91. Nine of the fatalities are children.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Tuesday criticized the appointment of former defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma as the new Comptroller and Auditor General, accusing the United Progressive Alliance government of accusing of weakening constitutional institutions.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) On the eve of the fourth anniversary of UPA-II, opinion polls have not brought any cheer to the government, predicting slide in the ruling alliance's tally amid rising dissatisfaction among large sections of urban voters over its performance.

Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) Actor Ranbir Kapoor Tuesday said he was not aware of any plans for his father Rishi Kapoor and him to reprise his great-grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor and grandfather Raj Kapoor's roles in "Awara", saying one will have to get them and Nargis back to this world to make the film again.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday is likely to pronounce its verdict whether to prosecute Bollywood actor Shyan Munshi and 18 others on charges of perjury for turning hostile during their deposition in model Jessica Lall's murder trial.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) A 40-year-old Delhi Traffic Police constable was killed by a speeding truck here Tuesday morning, police said. The errant truck driver was arrested.

Kolkata, May 21 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced Tuesday that the government would ban online lottery "Online lotto".

Srinagar, May 21 (IANS) A self-styled "religious preacher" was arrested from Jammu and Kashmir's Badgam district for repeated sexual exploitation of four minor girls at an institute he ran, police said Tuesday.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) On the eve of the fourth anniversary of UPA-II, opinion polls have not brought any cheer to the government, predicting slide in the ruling alliance's tally amid dissatisfaction among large sections of urban voters over its performance.