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By Alister Bull and Pedro da Costa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday the U.S. central bank expects to slow the pace of its bond purchases later this year and bring them to a halt around mid-2014, comments that weighed on stocks and pushed bond yields to a 15-month high. The Fed expects moderate growth to lead to continuing healing in the job market as headwinds facing the economy ease, Bernanke said. He also said policymakers expect inflation to move back up toward their long-term 2 percent goal. ...

REUTERS - The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday said it would keep buying $85 billion in bonds per month and gave no explicit indication that it was close to scaling back the program, despite intense market speculation it could soon start drawing it to a close. KEY POINTS: * Describing the economy as expanding moderately, Fed officials cited further improvement in labor market conditions, and noted inflation had been running below the Fed's 2 percent long term goal. ...

By Leah Schnurr NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bond prices and equities fell while the dollar rose on Wednesday after Ben Bernanke laid out a blueprint for how the Federal Reserve could wind down its bond purchase program. Bernanke said the Fed's policy-setting committee sees a likely reduction in the pace of purchases this year if the economic forecast comes in as expected. Purchases could end by the middle of next year. U.S. ...

By Ryan Vlastelica NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell 1 percent in a volatile session on Wednesday, with losses accelerating after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said a reduction in the rate of stimulus could occur this year if the economy continues to improve. Shortly before Bernanke spoke at a news conference, stocks fell modestly after Fed policymakers said in a statement the Fed would keep buying $85 billion in bonds per month and gave no explicit indication that it was close to scaling back the stimulus program. ...

(Reuters) - Fab has raised $150 million from several investors, including Tencent Holdings , that values the online retailer at $1 billion. As part of the funding round Tencent, China's largest online gaming and social networking company, will get to appoint a director to Fab's board, said Jason Goldberg, Fab's chief executive and founder, in a post on his personal blog on Wednesday. "We specifically sought out a strategic partner like Tencent because we are intent on bringing Fab to many new markets," Goldberg said. ...

By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Vince Flynn, the best-selling author of the Mitch Rapp series of political thrillers that includes "American Assassin" and "The Last Man," died on Wednesday at age 47 after a battle with prostate cancer, his representatives said. Flynn, who turned to writing as a way of fighting his dyslexia, died at a hospital in his hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota, said David Brown, spokesman for Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster that publishes the author's novels. Flynn's most recently published book was "The Last Man" in 2012. ...

By Patricia Reaney and Tim Ghianni NEW YORK/NASHVILLE (Reuters) - Legendary country singer and songwriter Slim Whitman, known for his smooth falsetto and high-pitched yodeling talent, died in Florida on Wednesday at the age of 90, his son-in-law said. Roy Beagle, who is married to Whitman's daughter Sharon, said the singer-songwriter who was born Ottis Dewey Whitman Jr. was admitted to hospital on Tuesday. "He died last night at the Orange Park hospital at about 12:45 this morning of heart failure," Beagle told Reuters. ...

By Alister Bull and Pedro da Costa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Wednesday said risks to the outlook for the U.S. economy and job market had eased since last fall, but it said it would keep buying $85 billion in bonds per month given the still-high level of unemployment. Describing the economy as expanding moderately, Fed officials cited further improvement in the labor market and the housing sector, even as they noted that inflation was running below their 2 percent long-term goal. ...

By Mark Meadows LONDON (Reuters) - Choke is a word which has haunted South African cricket for three decades but rather than shy away from it, departing coach Gary Kirsten has embraced the term in a bid to end their semi-final hoodoo. Wednesday's heavy Champions Trophy semi-final defeat by England at The Oval, where the Proteas could only score 175 all out in a seven-wicket defeat, was an eighth last-four loss out of nine played in major tournaments. ...

TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry shares fell nearly 4 percent on Tuesday after a Bernstein Research analyst cut his rating on the stock to "underperform" ahead of the company's quarterly earnings release next week. While Bernstein's Pierre Ferragu said he expected disappointing results from the smartphone maker, other analysts have bullish expectations, pointing to an even more volatile run for a generally volatile stock. ...

By Andrea Shalal-Esa PARIS (Reuters) - Increased cyber espionage by China and recent leaks by a contractor working at the National Security Agency have put a sharp focus on cybersecurity for aerospace and defence companies showing off their wares at this year's Paris Airshow. "We, like others, are constantly being bombarded by people who are trying to get into our systems," said Mark DeYoung, chief executive of U.S. rocket engine and ammunition maker Alliant Techsystems (ATK) . ...

By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Among the Iranian pilgrims, foreign executives and tourists in the departure lounge at Baghdad airport, a group of young Iraqis prepare to wage religious war in Syria - not for the rebels trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad but against them. Dressed in jeans, their hair cropped short, the 12 men awaiting their flight are Iraqi Shi'ites, among hundreds heading for what they see as a struggle to defend fellow Syrian Shi'ites and their holy sites from the mainly Sunni Muslim rebels. ...

By Kevin Lim and Eveline Danubrata SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's air quality deteriorated to "hazardous" levels late on Wednesday as smoke from slash-and-burn land clearing in Indonesia enveloped the city-state, inflaming tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbours. Singapore, a major financial centre, will send a delegation to Jakarta on Thursday to discuss the smog that has turned its usually clear skies grey, Environment Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told a news conference. ...

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.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) A man drowned in the Yamuna river while bathing near its bank, while 5,000 people were evacuated from inundated low-lying areas along the banks Wednesday as water rose to an unprecedented 207.20 metres, the highest since 1978, a Delhi government official said.

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" director-producer Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Wednesday rubbished rumours of the film being banned in Pakistan, saying on the contrary, they had got three different offers from there and also an invite to the entire cast and crew.

Washington, June 19 (IANS) US President Barack Obama, currently on an official visit to Berlin, Wednesday proposed plans for America and Russia to further cut their strategic nuclear warheads.

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday announced Rs. 10 crore for those affected in the devastating floods in Uttarakhand.

London, June 19 (IANS) England entered their second Champions Trophy final steam-rolling South Africa in the tournament's first semifinal match at the Kennington Oval here Wednesday.