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By Patrick Temple-West WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc's chief executive officer defended the company's tax record at a Tuesday Senate hearing where lawmakers said the maker of iPads, iPods and Mac computers kept billions of dollars in profits in Irish subsidiaries to avoid U.S. taxes. The hearing marked another foray by the Senate's most powerful investigative committee into corporate offshore tax avoidance, which is increasingly a target of many governments from the United States to Western Europe. ...

By Daniel Bases and Doug Palmer (Reuters)- NEW YORK/WASHINGTON - Europe and the United States both said on Tuesday they were not holding coordinated talks to negotiate an end to a trade dispute with China over the dumping of solar panels onto their respective markets. The European Union has until June 5 to decide whether to impose duties averaging 47 percent on Chinese manufactured solar panels. The United States has already imposed duties of about 30 percent on Chinese manufacturers. "We do not have a common battle plan. ...

By Larry Fine NEW YORK (Reuters) - The decision on Tuesday by golf's rule-makers to ban the anchoring of putters brought cheers and jeers from among prominent players and major golf organizations. The U.S. PGA Tour and the PGA of America, who both emphatically opposed the proposed rule, said they were still against a ban and would evaluate their positions now that the rule has been officially adopted to begin on January 1, 2016. The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), meanwhile, said it would follow the rules and adopt the ban. ...

REDMOND, Washington (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp gave the world the first look at its new game console on Tuesday, hoping the newly named Xbox One will build on a solid core of gamer fans and become a hub for living room entertainment. The third-generation Microsoft console, coming eight years after the Xbox 360, was unveiled by games unit chief Don Mattrick at an event at the software company's campus near Seattle. The Xbox One is an "ultimate all-in-one entertainment system," Mattrick said. ...

By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - European captain Paul McGinley was given a "little bit of wriggle room" after being granted an increase in wildcard selections from two to three players for next year's Ryder Cup match against United States. The Irishman asked the European Tour for the change to make sure all bases would be covered for the 2014 edition of the biennial event in Scotland. "We don't know what the weather is going to be like," McGinley told a news conference at the venue for this week's PGA Championship at Wentworth. ...

By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Sergio Garcia's feud with Tiger Woods will not stop him shaking hands with the world number one the next time they are drawn together in a tournament, the Spaniard said on Tuesday. Garcia blamed a roar from the crowd watching the 14-times major winner for an errant shot when the two men featured in the same group at the Players Championship in Florida two weeks ago. The gallery erupted during the Spaniard's backswing upon seeing Woods reach for his five-wood for a daring escape from a tee shot deep into the trees. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - David Beckham's eldest son Brooklyn has trained at the junior academy of London club Queens Park Rangers and bookmakers are already offering short odds that the 14-year-old will emulate his father by playing for England. QPR said on Twitter that he was training with them but had not officially joined their academy. Beckham senior, who began his career by joining Manchester United's academy also at the age of 14, retired from the game last week after helping Paris St Germain to the French league title but now has a home in London. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - West Ham United have signed Romania captain Razvan Rat on a free transfer, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. The left back joins on an extendable one-year deal after his contract at Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk came to an end. The 31-year-old has 88 caps for Romania and won seven Ukrainian titles as well as the UEFA Cup during his time in Donetsk. "I'm hugely happy that we've got a player of his experience and his character," West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said on the club website (www.whufc.com). ...

By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - The golfing world must unite behind the new ban on the anchoring of putters from 2016 and avoid any unseemly legal disputes, according to Royal & Ancient (R&A) chief executive Peter Dawson. The ban was announced by the game's rule makers, the R&A and the United States Golf Association, on Tuesday, and Dawson has implored the rest of the sport to fall in line behind the regulation. The U.S. PGA Tour and the PGA of America, who both emphatically oppose the rule, said they were against the ban and are planning to evaluate their positions. ...

By Alexandria Sage CANNES (Reuters) - Paolo Sorrentino's "The Great Beauty," a nostalgic, melancholic ode to the eternal city Rome, is one of several films that touch on the unraveling of contemporary Italy in official selection at the Cannes film festival this year. Also competing for the prestigious Palme d'Or award to be handed out on May 26 is "Un Chateau en Italie" ("A Castle in Italy") by Franco-Italian director Valeria Bruni Tedeschi about the demise of an aristocratic family. ...

By Chrispin Mvano GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Two days of clashes between Congo's army and rebel fighters near the eastern city of Goma have killed at least 19 people, threatening an uneasy six-month peace just days before a scheduled visit by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Government forces and the M23 insurgents began exchanging heavy weapons fire for a second day early on Tuesday, with explosions still being heard late into the afternoon. ...

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South African prosecutors dropped charges on Tuesday against one of the two men charged with raping, mutilating and killing a teenage girl in a crime that outraged a country hardened by some of the world's highest rates of sexual violence. Prosecution spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said the man had been released from custody because there was not enough evidence to take him to trial. ...

By Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Emergency workers pulled more than 100 survivors from the rubble of homes, schools and a hospital in an Oklahoma town hit by a powerful tornado, and officials lowered the death toll from the storm to 24, including nine children. The 2-mile (3-km) wide tornado tore through Moore outside Oklahoma City on Monday afternoon, trapping victims beneath the rubble, wiping out entire neighborhoods and tossing vehicles about as if they were toys. ...

Washington, May 21 (IANS) As rescuers searched for survivors of Monday's devastating tornado that pulverized a vast swath of the Oklahoma City suburbs, authorities revised the death toll down to 24 from 91. Nine of the fatalities are children.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Tuesday criticized the appointment of former defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma as the new Comptroller and Auditor General, accusing the United Progressive Alliance government of accusing of weakening constitutional institutions.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) On the eve of the fourth anniversary of UPA-II, opinion polls have not brought any cheer to the government, predicting slide in the ruling alliance's tally amid rising dissatisfaction among large sections of urban voters over its performance.

Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) Actor Ranbir Kapoor Tuesday said he was not aware of any plans for his father Rishi Kapoor and him to reprise his great-grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor and grandfather Raj Kapoor's roles in "Awara", saying one will have to get them and Nargis back to this world to make the film again.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday is likely to pronounce its verdict whether to prosecute Bollywood actor Shyan Munshi and 18 others on charges of perjury for turning hostile during their deposition in model Jessica Lall's murder trial.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) A 40-year-old Delhi Traffic Police constable was killed by a speeding truck here Tuesday morning, police said. The errant truck driver was arrested.

Kolkata, May 21 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced Tuesday that the government would ban online lottery "Online lotto".

Srinagar, May 21 (IANS) A self-styled "religious preacher" was arrested from Jammu and Kashmir's Badgam district for repeated sexual exploitation of four minor girls at an institute he ran, police said Tuesday.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) On the eve of the fourth anniversary of UPA-II, opinion polls have not brought any cheer to the government, predicting slide in the ruling alliance's tally amid dissatisfaction among large sections of urban voters over its performance.

Chennai, May 21 (IANS) India's atomic regulator and city based Anna University Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding to promote research in academic institutions in the areas of atomic energy regulation and safety.

Kolkata, May 21 (IANS) The West Bengal government is conducting a survey for gauging the extent of tribal land encroached upon in the state's northern part, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said here Tuesday.

Panaji, May 21 (IANS) A land record portal developed by the Goa government has won an international award for making e-governance concepts people-friendly and accessible, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said Tuesday.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) A Delhi court Tuesday extended by five days the police custody of cricketer S. Sreesanth, his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila and eight bookies for alleged spot fixing in the ongoing Indian Premier League.