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By Alister Bull and Pedro da Costa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday the U.S. economy is expanding strongly enough for the central bank to begin slowing the pace of its bond-buying stimulus later this year. Bernanke's confirmation that the Fed is getting closer to pulling back on its $85 billion in monthly asset purchases confirmed investor fears, sending stocks and bonds sharply lower and pushing benchmark Treasury yields to a 15-month high. ...

By Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday his government would not join U.S. peace talks with the Taliban and halted negotiations with Washington on a troop pact, underscoring the fragile nature of hopes for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan. The United States and the Taliban have said officials from both sides will meet in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on Thursday, in a step forward for a stuttering peace process after 12 years `,of bloody and costly war between U.S.-led forces and the insurgents. ...

REUTERS - Olympic bronze medallist Justin Gatlin is not willing to call his surprising 100 metres victory over world record holder Usain Bolt a fluke. The American sprinter prefers to think of last month's triumph as the opening act of journey that will bring him and Bolt together again on a much larger stage later this year, he said on Wednesday. "I would not consider it a fluke," the 2004 Olympic 100m gold medallist and London Games third-place finisher told a news conference ahead of Thursday's start of the U.S. championships in Des Moines, Iowa. ...

By Tatiana Ramil FORTALEZA, Brazil (Reuters) - Neymar, inspired by the protest movement which has swept Brazil in the last few days, gave possibly his best performance for his country in a 2-0 win over Mexico in the Confederations Cup on Wednesday. The Barcelona-bound 21-year-old, who has often struggled at international level despite his billing as the next great Brazilian player, set the hosts on their way with a stunning volley in the ninth minute, the second game in a row that he has got them off to a flying start. ...

By Andrea Shalal-Esa PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. aerospace companies, keen to benefit from billions of dollars in possible future orders for civilian drones, are mobilizing to assuage public concerns about privacy and safety. The Aerospace Industries Association, the U.S. industry's biggest lobbying group, released a new poll on Wednesday at the Paris Airshow, which showed that 54 percent of Americans favor use of drones for civilian purposes, including border patrol, weather prediction and disaster response. ...

By Brian Winter SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's blossoming protest movement is a coming-of-age for what had been one of Latin America's most politically disengaged youth populations, but does not appear to constitute a major threat to governability or established political parties. The protests, which gathered steam last week and saw some 200,000 Brazilians demonstrate in a dozen cities on Monday, are unlikely to go away anytime soon. ...

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday that users of its forthcoming Xbox One game console will be able to play games offline without establishing an Internet connection, and will be able to lend or sell used disc-based games. The announcement reverses the company's position when it unveiled the console in May, causing consternation among hardcore gamers. (Reporting by Bill Rigby)

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - The new Middle East coronavirus that has killed 38 people after emerging late last year is a serious risk in hospitals because it is easily transmitted in healthcare environments, infectious disease experts said on Wednesday. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers said the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)was not only easily transmitted from patient to patient, but also from the transfer of sick patients to other hospitals. ...

By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices came under pressure on Wednesday while gold and copper fell after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank could begin to scale back its stimulus measures for the U.S. economy later this year. Agricultural markets rose broadly. Wheat had its biggest rally since April on bargain buying and expectations the grain will be used as a livestock feed. The rally in farm futures helped the 19-commodity Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB index close up 0. ...

By Lefteris Papadimas and Renee Maltezou ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's ruling party leaders have signalled they are moving towards a compromise on the restart of state TV broadcasts and pledged to resolve a political standoff by Thursday. A court ruling on Monday ordered the public broadcaster ERT back on air, but its screens were still black or showing colour bars after Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's surprise decision a week ago to pull the plug at a few hours' notice to save money. ...

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The name "Larsson" was once again on a scoresheet in a Swedish soccer match as former international striker Henrik Larsson made a comeback but this time it was his 15-year-old son Jordan who netted the goal. "We didn't combine a whole lot but obviously I'm proud," Henrik Larsson told newspaper Expressen after seeing his son score in Hogaborg's 4-2 win over Tenhult in Sweden's Division Two (fourth tier). ...

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp recently talked with Nokia about buying the Finnish phone maker's devices unit, but the discussions faltered and are not likely to be revived, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday in its online edition. The Journal reported that "advanced discussions" on a deal happened as recently as this month, according to unnamed sources it said were familiar with the matter. Microsoft rejected a deal because of price and Nokia's loss of market share to rising Asian competitors, the report said. Representatives of both companies declined comment. ...

By Ryan Vlastelica NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell more than 1 percent on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank would start to reduce its stimulus measures later this year if the economy is strong enough. Equities have been closely tethered to ultra-loose monetary policy, which has been key to the S&P's climb of more than 14 percent so far this year. Benchmark 10-year U.S. bond yields jumped to a 15-month high on expectations the Fed will reduce its bond buying. ...

Kathmandu, June 20 (IANS) Twelve poachers of the one-horned rhinos have been sentenced to a jail term, ranging between 10 -15 years, and fined in Nepal.

Los Angeles, June 20 (IANS) Actress Liv Tyler will be seen on the small screen with Justin Theroux in an adaptation of the 2011 novel "The Leftovers".

Beijing, June 20 (IANS) The first summit between President Xi Jingping and his US counterpart Barack Obama held earlier this month proved very successful, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday.

London, June 20 (IANS) Pop star Rihanna left her fans upset after she reportedly turned up late by two hours for a gig in Birmingham. Her fans are said to have accused her of drugs.

Cardiff, June 19 (IANS) India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Wednesday that Sri Lanka were a dangerous side and it was not possible to focus only on their two frontline batsmen " Mahela Jayawardene or a Kumar Sangakkara" during the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy slated for Thursday.

Beijing, June 19 (IANS) A series of blasts ripped through a restaurant in China's Shanxi province Wednesday night, killing one person and injuring over 150 others, officials said.

Ljubljana (Slovenia), June 19 (IANS) In probably the first of its kind incident in Slovenia, a woman employee at a kindergarten was shot dead Wednesday by a man who later committed suicide, media reports said. No children were injured in the incident.

Beijing, June 19 (IANS) China and North Korea Wednesday held a "strategic dialogue" on denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula.

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) Producer-director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who is all set to release his film, "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", based on the life of former athlete Milkha Singh, said that the film was not based on sports and could have been on anybody in an endeavour to show the human spirit.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday, sought quick relief for stranded people, a party statement said.

London, June 19 (IANS) The following is the scoreboard of the Champions Trophy semi-final between England and South Africa at The Oval here Wednesday.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Celebrations by Delhi Congress workers and members of the Youth Congress marked the 43rd birthday celebrations of party vice president Rahul Gandhi, who wanted it to be a low key affair, party sources said Wednesday.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Newly-appointed Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge took charge of his portfolio Wednesday, a statement said.