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• GLOBAL MARKETS-End to Fed stimulus, China slowdown spark world sell-off Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 6:54 AM ET

  *MSCI World drops 1.9 pct in biggest 1- day fall for 12 months. LONDON, June 20- The clear signal from the U.S. MSCI's benchmark index for emerging equities slumped by more than 3.3 percent and shares across the Asian Pacific region outside Japan recorded their biggest daily drop since late 2011..

• Ex-UBS trader Hayes appears in UK court on Libor fraud charges Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 5:49 AM ET

  LONDON, June 20- Former UBS trader Tom Hayes appeared in a London court on Thursday accused of conspiracy to defraud in connection with a global investigation into the Libor interest rate rigging scandal.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-End to Fed stimulus, China slowdown rattle swathe of world investments Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 5:31 AM ET

  LONDON, June 20- The U.S. Federal Reserve's explicit signal it will stop pumping money into the world economy and data showing China's economy slowing down swept across financial markets on Thursday, sinking bonds, shares and commodities alike.

• FOREX-Dollar rises as Fed signals stimulus scale-back Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 4:50 AM ET

  LONDON, June 20- The dollar rose on Thursday as global asset markets adjusted sharply after the Federal Reserve confirmed that it would begin reducing the pace of stimulus this year as the economic outlook improves.

• Black Sea wheat makes Asia comeback after 3 years Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 4:49 AM ET

  *Thailand, Philippines buy 200,000 T of Black Sea wheat. SINGAPORE, June 20- Wheat buyers in Asia are looking to replace Indian and Australian cargoes in the lower-end feed grain market with cheaper supplies from the Black Sea, which will be returning to the region after a three-year gap.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Bonds, shares slump as Fed signals end to stimulus Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 3:39 AM ET

  LONDON, June 20- Bonds, shares and commodities fell sharply around the world on Thursday and the dollar rose after the U.S. Federal Reserve explicitly signalled an end to easy money and data showed China's economy slowing down.

• Nikkei skids as weak China data, Fed exit plans chill sentiment Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 3:26 AM ET

  *China's weak flash PMI drags down China- related manufacturers. TOKYO, June 20- Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Thursday as weak China data further unsettled markets coming to grips with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's confirmation that the U.S. central bank could trim its bond-buying programme later this year.

• WRAPUP 1-Asian markets hammered on China fears, Fed exit plan Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 3:14 AM ET

  *MSCI Asia ex- Japan slides 3.5 pct in biggest drop since 2011. Among a host of unwanted milestones: Asian stocks outside Japan suffered their biggest daily loss since late 2011, key lending rates in China reached historic highs and India's currency carved out a record low.

• UPDATE 3-Sony CEO asks for patience as shareholders press on spinoff plan Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 2:57 AM ET

  *Hirai says Sony's board will consider Third Point's proposal carefully. TOKYO, June 20- Sony Corp shareholders pressed its chief executive for a response to hedge fund Third Point's proposal for a partial spinoff of its profitable entertainment arm but Kazuo Hirai pleaded for patience as management reviews the bold plan.

• FOREX-Dollar stands tall as Fed prepares ground to trim stimulus Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 2:24 AM ET

  TOKYO, June 20- The U.S. dollar rose broadly on Thursday as global asset markets underwent sharp adjustments in the wake of confirmation by the Federal Reserve that it would begin to dial down stimulus this year as the economic outlook improves.

• JGBs fall as U.S. Fed reveals plan to dial back bond-buying Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 2:16 AM ET

  TOKYO, June 20- Japanese government bond prices fell on Thursday, tracking weakness in U.S. However, it was a far cry from a record low of 0.315 percent reached the day after the Bank of Japan announced its plan on April 4 to inject $1.4 trillion into the economy in less than two years by buying JGBs across the yield curve to pull the country out of deflation.

• Nikkei sags as weak China data, prospect of less Fed stimulus weigh Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 2:06 AM ET

  TOKYO, June 20- Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Thursday as weak China data further unsettled markets coming to grips with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's confirmation that the U.S. central bank could trim its bond-buying programme later this year.

• Reuters World News Highlights at 0530 GMT, Jun 20 Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 1:54 AM ET

  KABUL/ WASHINGTON- Revived Afghan peace talks hit their first roadblock on Wednesday, a day after they were announced, as Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his government would not join U.S. talks with the Taliban and would halt negotiations with Washington on a post-2014 troop pact.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia assets hammered on China fears, Fed upset Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 1:16 AM ET

  TOKYO/ SYDNEY, June 20- Asian markets buckled badly on Thursday after the Federal Reserve heralded an eventual end to free money and China turned the screw on credit even as factory activity in the world's second largest economy hit a nine-month low.

• UPDATE 2-China factory activity hits 9-month low, policy action eyed Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 12:49 AM ET

  BEIJING, June 20- China's factory activity weakened to a nine-month low in June as demand faltered, a preliminary survey showed, heightening the risk of a sharper second quarter slowdown and increasing the heat on the central bank to loosen policy.

• FOREX-Dollar shines as Fed signals tapering of bond buying Thursday, 20 Jun 2013 | 12:04 AM ET

  TOKYO, June 20- The U.S. dollar rose broadly on Thursday after the Federal Reserve signaled it would begin to dial down stimulus this year as the economic outlook improves.

• Nikkei falls as weak China data, prospect of less Fed stimulus chill sentiment Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 11:14 PM ET

  *China's weak factory data drags down China- related manufacturers. *GS Yuasa soars on battery JV with Bosch.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks tumble on weak China PMI, Fed policy plan Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 10:44 PM ET

  *MSCI Asia ex- Japan slides 2.8 pct to 9- month low. "The Chinese data confirms views that the economy is vulnerable and could heighten the possibility of some policy action to ease investor jitters," said Hirokazu Yuihama, a senior strategist at Daiwa Securities in Tokyo.

• UPDATE 2-Sony pressed for response on spin-off plan at shareholder meet Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 10:34 PM ET

  *Hirai says Sony's board will consider Third Point's proposal carefully. TOKYO, June 20- Sony Corp shareholders pressed its chief executive on Thursday for a response to a proposal by hedge fund Third Point to spin off its profitable entertainment business, aiming to invigorate its struggling electronics business.

• JGBs slip, tracking U.S. Treasuries after Fed signals less bond buying Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 10:20 PM ET

  TOKYO, June 20- Japanese government bond prices eased slightly on Thursday, tracking weakness in U.S. However, it was a far cry from a record low of 0.315 percent reached the day after the Bank of Japan announced sweeping stimulus measures on April 4 to pull the country out of deflation.