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• GLOBAL MARKETS- Shares choppy, dollar steady as Fed meets Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 5:36 AM ET

  *Oil holds around $106 a barrel, gold flat. LONDON, June 19- European shares turned lower but major currencies and commodities stuck within recent ranges on Wednesday as investors awaited clarity on the U.S.

• FOREX-Dollar broadly steady as markets seek Fed policy clarity Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 5:02 AM ET

  LONDON, June 19- The dollar was broadly steady in subdued trading on Wednesday as markets awaited the outcome of the Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting for clues on the future course of U.S. monetary policy. Analysts said the dollar and riskier assets could benefit if Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke manages to pacify nervous markets.

• European shares turn red in jittery pre-Fed trade Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 3:38 AM ET

  LONDON, June 19- European shares reversed early gains on Wednesday to turn red, with traders saying investors were adjusting positions ahead of a U.S. The FTSEurofirst 300 was down 0.4 percent at 1,178.80 points by 0735 GMT, retreating from a session high of 1,186.52 points.

• GLOBAL MARKETS- Shares edge up, dollar steady as markets await Fed Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 3:22 AM ET

  *Oil holds around $106 a barrel, gold flat. LONDON, June 19- European shares edged higher and major currencies and commodities were little changed on Wednesday as investors awaited clarity on the U.S. There is a lot of slack in the economy and there is no inflation pressure, "said Ned Rumpeltin, head of G10 FX strategy at Standard Chartered Bank.

• European shares edge cautiously higher; focus on Fed Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 3:05 AM ET

  LONDON, June 19- European equities edged higher on Wednesday, with volatility expected to be high and volumes light as investors look to the U.S.

• UPDATE 1-AstraZeneca, Bristol diabetes drug disappoints in key test Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 2:55 AM ET

  *Onglyza fails to show cardiovascular benefit in study. *Positive results might have added $1 bln to peak sales. LONDON, June 19- AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb's diabetes drug Onglyza failed to reduce heart risks in a large clinical study, disappointing investors who had thought it might demonstrate an edge over rivals.

• AstraZeneca, Bristol diabetes drug fails to show heart benefit Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 2:15 AM ET

  LONDON, June 19- AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb's diabetes drug Onglyza failed to reduce heart risks in a large clinical study.

• Reuters World News Highlights at 0515 GMT, Jun 19 Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 1:57 AM ET

  WASHINGTON/ KABUL- The United States and the Taliban raised hopes for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan with commitments to meet this week after 12 years of bloody and costly war between American-led forces and the insurgents.

• ANALYSIS-French EU-wariness complicates life for Hollande Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 1:30 AM ET

  PARIS, June 19- A feeling in France that the European Union no longer works in its interest is fueling tensions between Paris and Brussels and adding pressure on President Francois Hollande to be more assertive in Europe.

• METALS-London copper languishes near 1-1/2 mth low, Fed in focus Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 9:46 PM ET

  *Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was almost flat at $7,005 a tonne by 0113 GMT, after falling on Tuesday to its lowest since May 3 at $6,965.

• Hong Kong Investigates HSBC for Manipulating Rates Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 7:55 PM ET

  

  Hong Kong's central bank said on Tuesday that its investigation into possible benchmark rate manipulation has been extended to include HSBC and a number of other banks.

• UK's Osborne to unveil future of state-controlled banks Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 7:05 PM ET

  LONDON, June 19- The fate of Britain's two state-controlled banks will become clearer on Wednesday, when finance minister George Osborne is likely to start the clock ticking for the sale of the government's stakes.

• UK lawmakers call for "reckless" bankers to face jail Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 7:01 PM ET

  LONDON, June 19- Britain should introduce laws making it possible to jail "reckless" bankers and claw back past bonus and pension awards, an influential panel of lawmakers said on Wednesday.

• COMMODITIES-Little changed, markets await Fed outcome Wednesday Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 5:50 PM ET

  Brent crude settled 55 cents higher at $106.02 per barrel after trading as high as $106.24. Front-month U.S. crude oil futures finished 67 cents higher at $98.44 per barrel, after reaching $98.61. The benchmark three-month futures contract in London ended at $7,005 a tonne, down from Monday's close of $7,082.

• UPDATE 3-Brazil mine bill would double top royalty rate Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 5:44 PM ET

  RIO DE JANEIRO, June 18- Brazil, a major producer of iron ore, gold, copper and other metals, unveiled a long-awaited bill to reform its 46- year-old mining code on Tuesday, proposing a doubling of the current top royalty rate and stricter rules for opening new mines.

• UPDATE 1-Angelina Jolie stunt double sues News Corp over hacking Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 4:58 PM ET

  June 18- A stunt double for Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie has sued News Corp over allegations its British newspapers hacked her phone, the first lawsuit in the United States against the company since the scandal broke two years ago.

• ANALYSIS-Optimism fading, Brazil protests put leaders on alert Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 4:41 PM ET

  RIO DE JANEIRO, June 18- When more than 200,000 protesters took to the streets across Brazil on Monday night, they demanded a dizzying array of improvements- from halting the fast rise of prices to cleaning up government corruption. Until recently, Brazil was one of the world's most envied economies. But vast economic differences still divide Brazil.

• UPDATE 5-Russia's Putin torpedoes G8 efforts to oust Assad Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 3:42 PM ET

  *Putin defiant, weighs arms sales to Syria. *Obama, Putin spar over Syria. ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland, June 18- Russia's Vladimir Putin derailed Barack Obama's efforts to win backing for the downfall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad at a G8 summit on Tuesday, warning the West that arms supplied to the rebels could be used for attacks on European soil.

• U.S. regulators see no need for enhanced insurer capital Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 3:35 PM ET

  LONDON, June 18- Insurers should not be forced to hold extra capital just because of their size, because the extra cost would simply be passed on to consumers, U.S. regulators said on Tuesday. The U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Council will publish its own list shortly of systemic U.S. insurers.

• Iraq excludes Kurds from ambitious 2014 oil output target Tuesday, 18 Jun 2013 | 1:38 PM ET

  LONDON, June 18- Iraq aims to ramp up oil production by nearly 45 percent by the end of next year- without any input from its autonomous Kurdistan region- which suggests a lasting compromise in their long-running oil feud may be a way off.