Yahoo! News India

By Michael Martina BEIJING (Reuters) - A North Korean envoy held talks with Chinese officials on Wednesday that experts said were unlikely to yield concessions from Pyongyang on its nuclear programme but were more aimed at repairing ties with Beijing. First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, who has represented Pyongyang at previous international talks to get North Korea to halt its nuclear programme, was meeting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui in Beijing. ...

REUTERS - Netflix Inc will launch its TV and movie streaming service in The Netherlands later this year, expanding its reach further into Europe, the company said on Tuesday. Netflix boasts 29.2 million streaming subscribers in the United States and 7.1 million in international markets, delivering movies and television shows to Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia and parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. The company generates profits in the United States and Canada, but has lost money as it expanded into foreign markets. Netflix projects a profit of up to $149 million from its U.S. ...

By Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton BERLIN (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will unveil plans for a sharp reduction in nuclear warheads in a landmark speech at the Brandenburg Gate on Wednesday that comes 50 years after John F. Kennedy declared "Ich bin ein Berliner" in a defiant Cold War address. A senior U.S. administration official said Obama, on his first visit to the German capital as president, would signal his desire to cut deployed atomic weapons by up to one third below the level achieved in the last "New START" treaty with Russia. "The U.S. ...

By Dominic Lau TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average hit a one-week high on Wednesday, with traders citing the launch of a near $780 million investment trust as a driving factor, while SoftBank Corp rose as it looked likely to win the battle for Sprint Nextel. The Nikkei ended 1.8 percent higher at 13,245.22 points, its highest since June 12 and closing above the bottom of the Ichimoku cloud in a bullish sign. SoftBank , which is trying to take control of Sprint , was the top-weighted gainer in the Nikkei, up 4.2 percent after U.S. ...

By Michael Sin SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's soccer team celebrated with hundreds of fans at a victory party in Sydney on Wednesday after eking out a nervous win over Iraq that sealed their ticket to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. Their victory drew bleary-eyed fans young and old to Sydney's Customs House, all draped in green and gold, keen to meet the players, who were welcomed with wild cheers and applause and threw bright yellow soccer balls into the crowd. ...

Reuters Market Eye - The rupee rises on hopes of inflows related to debt limit auction, say dealers. The pair is at 58.70/71 after rising to 58.92, versus its record closing high of 58.77/78 on Tuesday and remains within touch of an all-time high of 58.98 hit on June 11. The capital market regulator will auction 420.22 billion rupees in unused limits on Thursday. However, the success of the auction will remain an issue as foreigners have been heavy sellers of Indian debt, pulling out $4.7 billion over 18 successive sessions. ...

By Stephanie Simon REUTERS - The International Monetary Fund will make its training sessions on financial policy and debt sustainability available online this year to government officials worldwide, allowing it to reach a bigger audience at lower cost, it said on Wednesday. IMF financial workshops are meant to help governments address economic dilemmas and are currently held in eight training centers worldwide, meaning officials must travel and remain onsite for weeks, said Sharmini Coorey, director of the IMF's Institute for Capacity Development. ...

By Simon Evans MIAMI (Reuters) - The Miami Heat forced an already absorbing NBA Finals to a deciding Game Seven after a thrilling 103-100 overtime victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday tied the series at 3-3. Miami trailed by 13 points in the third quarter but LeBron James, ditching his trademark headband, turned on the afterburners to spark a Heat fightback. San Antonio were not about to roll over under the weight of the onslaught, however, rallying to eke out a five-point lead with 28.2 seconds remaining as the championship ribbons were being prepared for them courtside. ...

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India will auction 420.22 billion rupees in unused government debt limits to foreign investors on June 20, a source with direct knowledge of the plans said on Wednesday. Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had earlier announced it would auction unused debt limits on Thursday, but had not disclosed the exact amount. These debt quotas give foreign investors the right to invest in debt up to the limit bought. Foreign investors have sold $4. ...

(Corrects U.S. crude price in paragraph 3 to $98.38) By Florence Tan SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude futures held above $106 a barrel on Wednesday as investors looked to a Federal Reserve meeting for clues on the outlook for a U.S. stimulus programme that has underpinned commodity prices. Global investors have been on edge since Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested the central bank could be looking to roll back monetary stimulus, and a statement at the end of the policy meeting on Wednesday may provide a timeline. Brent futures for August delivery had edged down 1 cent to $106. ...

Reuters Market Eye - The BSE Sensex falls 0.5 percent, while the broader Nifty is 0.4 percent lower, heading towards their second consecutive day of declines. The U.S. Federal Reserve is due to end a pivotal two-day meeting on Wednesday. Markets are keenly waiting for Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments on when and how the Fed will start reducing the third round of its bond-buying programme known as "quantitative easing". Banks fall on fears that an end to the Fed monetary stimulus could push the rupee lower, delaying any rate cuts from the Reserve Bank of India. Axis Bank is down 0. ...

By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - Attorneys for the former graduate student charged with shooting 12 moviegoers to death in a Denver-area theater last summer have renewed their bid for access to a videotape of their client at the hospital where he was undergoing psychiatric treatment. In a motion filed on Tuesday in Arapahoe County District Court, lawyers for James Holmes asked to be permitted to view footage of their client inside the facility where he was taken last November after jail officials deemed him a danger to himself. ...

By A. Ananthalakshmi SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Gold fell for a third straight session on Wednesday, hovering near the lowest level in four weeks, as a rally in stocks and investor caution over the Federal Reserve curbing its stimulus programme sapped support for bullion. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said last month the bank could scale back its $85 billion monthly bond purchases if the U.S. economy strengthens, but a lack of clarity on the timing has unsettled markets. A policy statement from the central bank will be released on Wednesday after its meeting. ...

Rio de Janeiro, June 19 (IANS) FIFA president Sepp Blatter denied that the Confederations Cup and World Cup are the causes for mass protests across Brazil.

Washington, June 19 (IANS) US researchers announced they have successfully used the three-dimensional (3D) printing technique to print lithium-ion microbatteries the size of a grain of sand.

Tokyo, June 19 (IANS) Japan registered 993.9 billion yen of goods trade deficit in May, the government said Wednesday.

Rio de Janeiro, June 19 (IANS) Brazil plans to produce vaccines against the influenza H1N1 virus, Health Minister Alexandre Padilha said.

Thiruvananthapuram, June 19 (IANS) Kerala Tourism Minister A.P. Anil Kumar Wednesday said that all stakeholders would be taken into confidence regarding the operations of a sea plane service in the state's picturesque backwaters.

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) Sonakshi Sinha says her father, veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha is very happy with the promotional trailer of her forthcoming film "Lootera", and that he is eager to watch the movie.

Jerusalem, June 19 (IANS) The US technology giant Cisco plans to open a new research and development center in Israel, the company's CEO John Chambers said during his meeting with Israel's Minister of Finance Yair Lapid.

Beijing, June 19 (IANS) The trial of a former official embroiled in a sex tape scandal opened Wednesday in a court in southwest China's Chongqing city.

Lucknow, June 19 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government Wednesday announced a Rs.25 crore ($4.2 million) financial aid to the rain ravaged Uttarakhand.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are to fly to Uttarakhand Wednesday to assess the damage caused by the torrential rains and flash floods in the temple town of Kedarnath.

Moscow, June 19 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered its forecast of Russian GDP growth in 2013 from 3.4 percent to 2.5 percent, head of the IMF mission said.

Kolkata, June 19 (IANS) Platters (thalis) of quintessential Bengali delights will wow foodies as the first restaurant in the city serving exclusive thali meals has opened it's doors here.

Beijing, June 19 (IANS) An official in central China's Henan province was executed Tuesday for raping 11 girls, sources said Wednesday.