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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will consider allowing another 2 million tonnes of wheat exports at a cabinet meeting on Friday, Food Minister K.V. Thomas told Reuters on Wednesday. "We had allowed exports of 4.5 million tonnes and almost the entire quantity has been shipped out, and now we are considering allowing another 2 million tonnes with same floor price of $300 per tonne," Thomas said. The sales would be via state-run trading companies. ...

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian gold futures edged lower on Wednesday tracking cues from a weak overseas market and as traders eye the U.S. Federal Reserve for direction. * 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. * At 1:40 p.m., the most-actively traded gold for August delivery on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) was 0. ...

By Richard Hubbard LONDON (Reuters) - European shares edged higher and major currencies and commodities were little changed on Wednesday as investors awaited clarity on the U.S. Federal Reserve's next policy step. Recent mixed data on the health of the U.S. economic recovery is expected to encourage the Fed to leave its ultra-loose policy unchanged, but markets are on alert for any hints on when or how quickly it could wind back its bond buying. "Our view is they are going to stick with $85 billion a month (of bond buying) until the end of the year... ...

PARIS (Reuters) - An order for more than 100 Airbus passenger jets by UK low-cost carrier easyJet has re-ignited a long-running trade spat between the European planemaker and U.S. rival Boeing . EasyJet announced the $10 billion order for 100 A320neo medium-haul jets, together with 35 current-generation A320 aircraft worth $3 billion at list prices, on Tuesday, day two of the Paris Airshow. EasyJet began operation in 1995 with Boeing aircraft, but shifted to Airbus in 2002 with a 120-plane order that followed a bitter competition between the world's largest planemakers. ...

SEOUL (Reuters) - Hong Myung-bo, who coached South Korea's Olympic side to a bronze medal at the 2012 London Games, is one of the "strongest candidates" to replace Choi Kang-hee as national team coach, the Korean FA said on Wednesday. South Korea reached an eighth consecutive World Cup finals by finishing runners-up in Group A of Asian qualifying on Tuesday but only secured their place on goal difference after a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Iran. ...

By Alistair Barr and Sarah McBride SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Silicon Valley IPO has lost its cachet, and big investors need to pay attention. That's the view of two prominent startup chief executives awash in offers of private investment, who don't think the headache of going public is worth the effort. An IPO used to be the one mark of success for a new technology company, but as regulations have increased and more private investors have signaled interest in the sector, the prestige and financial necessity of an initial public offering has waned. ...

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un toured the impoverished country's east coast last month in a 95-foot luxury yacht, a boat that could be prohibited under U.N. sanctions, a website that tracks events in the reclusive state said. North Korea is banned from importing luxury goods under layers of U.N. sanctions imposed for its nuclear and missile tests. The NK News website said the yacht, a Princess 95MY made by British-based Princess Yachts, was possibly a recent purchase. The Washington-based website gave no evidence for when the boat was bought. ...

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. ...

New York, June 19 (IANS) A new media code proposed by the Sri Lankan government contains overbroad and vague language that could have a severe and chilling effect on free speech, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.

Shimla, June 19 (IANS) The country's largest hydropower plants in Himachal Pradesh remained shut for the fourth consecutive day Wednesday following a high silt level in the Sutlej river, triggering a power crisis in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

Montego Bay (Jamaica), June 19 (IANS/CMC) Olympic and World Champion Veronica Campbell-Brown has denied knowingly taking a banned substance Lasix, which also goes by the name Furosemide.

Manali, June 19 (IANS) Most taxis went off the roads here Wednesday to protest the government's decision not to allow chartered vehicles that are over four years old to ply to nearby tourist destination Rohtang Pass.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Over 62,000 pilgrims and tourists are still stranded in calamity-hit Uttarakhand while 11,000 have been rescued. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are to undertake an aerial survey of the extensive damage.

Chennai, June 19 (IANS) Except for a few scenes in school uniform, there is absolutely no similarity between "Raanjhanaa" and Tamil romantic-drama "3", clarifies Tamil actor Dhanush. He urges viewers not to compare the two movies.

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) Karan Johar is so impressed with director Anand Gandhi's "brilliant" work in "Ship of Theseus" that he feels "inferior" as a filmmaker and says he lacks the "talent and strength" to make such a film.

Bhubaneswar, June 19 (IANS) The demand for light emitting diode (LED) lighting in India is expected to grow by about 40 percent per annum over the next five years, lighting solutions manufacturer NTL Lemnis said Wednesday.

Chandigarh, June 19 (IANS) The Haryana government Wednesday announced a Rs.10-crore assistance to calamity-hit Uttarakhand.

Gulmarg, June 19 (IANS) Like a phoenix risen from the ashes, Kashmir has once again got a five-star luxury resort two decades after the only such property in the Valley closed down due to militancy-related issues. It's a sign of increasing normalcy in a state that has seen a bruising insurgency that only recently has shown signs of abating.

Chandigarh, June 19 (IANS) It could have been THE address, north of Chandigarh's upscale areas. However, even before the first brick for the controversial Tata Camelot housing project could be laid, the project is headed to becoming history with Punjab's influential politicians pulling out of it.

Jerusalem, June 19 (IANS) Spain retained the 2013 UEFA U-21 soccer championship beating Italy 4-2 here at the Teddy Stadium.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) A meeting between Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran L.K. Advani was called off Wednesday after the party leader reported "unwell", said party sources.