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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are in the early stages of an antitrust probe into whether Google Inc , the top player in web display advertising, breaks antitrust law in how it handles some ad sales, a source told Reuters on Thursday. The source said that it was unlikely that the Federal Trade Commission had sent out civil investigative demands in relation to the probe, which would be the sign of a formal and more serious investigation. ...

REUTERS - Most Valuable Player LeBron James of the Miami Heat and veteran Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers headlined the list of players selected for the All-NBA team, the league said on Thursday. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers joined James and Bryant on the first team. James, who has won four of the last five league MVP awards, earned first team honors for a sixth consecutive season and seventh overall since entering the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2003. ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A first edition copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, "The Great Gatsby," will be up for sale next month and could fetch up to $150,000, Sotheby's said on Thursday. The book, which once belonged to the critic and author Malcolm Cowley, will go under the hammer along with a group of Fitzgerald's letters and an unpublished poem in the June 11 books and manuscript sale in New York. ...

By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK (Reuters) - For the past few months, the U.S. Federal Reserve has been squarely in the financial markets' corner, thanks to its massive dollops of monetary stimulus. But signs that the central bank is discussing reducing that support by purchasing fewer bonds mean that trading is likely to get bumpier in coming months. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Wolfsburg completed a surprise victory in the women's Champions League final on Thursday, beating twice defending champions Olympique Lyon 1-0 thanks to a second-half penalty from Martina Mueller. The German side became the first team to defeat the French champions in normal time in 120 games. Favourites Lyon, who were appearing in their fourth straight final, dominated for large parts of the match but were unable to find a breakthrough at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium. ...

GROZNY, Russia (Reuters) - The father of a Chechen immigrant killed during questioning over his links with one of the Boston Marathon bombings suspects said on Thursday he plans to travel to the United States where he thinks his son was tortured and killed. Ibragim Todashev, 27, was killed by a federal agent in his apartment complex when he became violent during questioning over his ties to Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older of two brothers suspected of planting two bombs at the marathon on April 15. ...

By Lisa Lambert and Jonathan Stempel WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. investment banker has agreed to a five-year securities industry ban and a record fine to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges that he broke rules against influence peddling to win bond underwriting business in Massachusetts. Without admitting or denying wrongdoing, Neil Morrison, 38, accepted what the SEC said was the first industry ban for violating "pay-to-play" rules governing the $3.7 trillion municipal bond market. ...

By Carole Vaporean NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gold rose sharply on Thursday as investors sought its safe-haven status after the dollar and equity markets were hit by a slew of weak manufacturing data that indicated stagnant global economic growth. Stock markets around the world fell, extending the previous day's sharp losses, on concerns about global economic growth and the timing of the ending of the U.S. Federal Reserve's stimulus program. ...

By Janeman Latul JAKARTA (Reuters) - As monsoon rains swept the stadium, the chanting grew louder. "Indonesia! Indonesia!" More than 60,000 people packed into Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on a recent Saturday night to see the national soccer team play. Another 100 million tuned in to television to watch the match, underlining the appeal of soccer in Indonesia where attendance rivals the top English and German soccer leagues. Among the fans are two of Indonesia's most powerful people - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and politically ambitious businessman Aburizal Bakrie. ...

By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) - All trades in American Electric Power Inc and NextEra Energy Inc in a crash that happened in the first minute of trading on Thursday will stand, the New York Stock Exchange said, following the latest in a flurry of unexplained sharp drops in the market. The stocks each dropped more than 50 percent in the first minute of trading, though ended just down slightly. The share drops were the latest such incidents for the market since the May 6, 2010, "flash crash," a computer-driven trading glitch that caused a sudden afternoon tumble in the major U.S. ...

By Angela Moon NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks slipped on Thursday but finished sharply off their session lows as a rally in Hewlett-Packard's shares offset worries about weak Chinese manufacturing data and the prospects of the Federal Reserve reducing its monetary stimulus. Trading was choppy as many traders were adjusting their positions ahead of the long holiday weekend. Markets will be closed on Monday for Memorial Day. Hewlett-Packard shares jumped more than 17 percent to a fresh 52-week high a day after the world's largest PC maker raised its outlook. ...

By Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday shifted the United States away from a "boundless global war on terror," restricting deadly U.S. drone strikes abroad and taking steps toward closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison. In a major policy speech, Obama defended his administration's drone war against al Qaeda and its allies but made clear he was narrowing the scope of targeted killings, a campaign that has faced growing condemnation at home and abroad. ...

CANNES (Reuters) - The Cannes film festival was hit by a second suspected jewellery heist on Thursday after a diamond necklace worth 2 million euros disappeared during a star-studded party, according to upmarket jeweller De Grisogono. Fawaz Gruosi, the founder of the Swiss firm, said the necklace was part of the company's 20th anniversary collection paraded by 20 models at the glitzy event at the Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes outside Cannes on Tuesday night. Sharon Stone and Paris Hilton were among the guests. ...

Moscow, May 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia's new reusable spacecraft being developed by the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation will be able to make up to five space flights, the rocket maker said.

Los Angeles, May 24 (IANS) For Comedian Ed Helms and actor Bradley Cooper, actors of the successful "The Hangover" films, the franchise is "over".

Moscow, May 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia's first light-class modification Angara 1.2PP carrier rocket is ready for its maiden launch, its manufacturer Khrunichev Center said.

Vilnius (Lithuania), May 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Lithuanian security services have arrested a Russian national at the request of the US Justice Department, which suspects him of smuggling export-restricted military equipment.

Rome, May 24 (IANS/AKI) The captain of the Costa Concordia cruise liner that hit rocks and sank off Tuscany last year, killing 32 people, will go on trial in July.

Los Angeles, May 24 (IANS) Actress Eva Longoria gladly flaunted a graduation gown after picking her Master's degree from the California State University.

London, May 24 (IANS) Actor-comedian Russell Brand was reportedly spotted kissing actress Sheridan Smith after a recent show here.

Washington, May 24 (IANS) Chandigarh-born Indian-American legal luminary Srikanth 'Sri' Srinivasan made history Thursday as the US Senate confirmed his nomination as a top US judge in a 97 to 0 vote.

Washington, May 24 (IANS) Making a shift from a boundless "global war on terror", US President Barack Obama Thursday announced a new counter-terrorism policy narrowing the use of drones that has put it at odds with key allies like Pakistan.

Abu Dhabi, May 24 (IANS/WAM) Emirates Post has issued a stamp to showcase the UAE's achievement in the field of science and technology, and to commemorate the "Y1A", the first multipurpose satellite by Yahsat.

Dubai, May 24 (IANS/WAM) Dubai Customs has foiled a bid to smuggle 259 pieces of ivory that arrived from Africa at its Jebel Ali Customs Centre.

Los Angeles, May 24 (IANS) Actress Amanda Seyfried feels she looked better with bigger breasts, but she says she had to lose a bit of overall weight for her Hollywood journey.

Los Angeles, May 24 (IANS) Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston is ready to perform a striptease act in her forthcoming film "We're The Millers".