MONACO (Reuters) - Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton gave Mercedes a dream start to the Monaco Grand Prix weekend with the fastest times in practice for Formula One's most glamorous race on Thursday.

POLSA, Italy (Reuters) - Italy's Vincenzo Nibali took a major step towards overall victory in the Giro d'Italia on Thursday after powering to his first stage win during this year's race in an individual uphill time trial.

MONACO (Reuters) - Formula One tire supplier Pirelli warned teams on Thursday that they will quit the sport at the end of the season if a new contract from 2014 is not agreed soon.

(Reuters) - Mike Krzyzewski said on Thursday he is returning for another term as the U.S. men's national basketball team coach with the aim of leading the squad to a third successive Olympic title at the 2016 Games in Rio.

VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - European Tour chief executive George O'Grady has apologized for giving an inappropriate reaction to this week's Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia racism row.

PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona jury, weighing whether Jodi Arias should be sentenced to death or life in prison for the murder of an ex-boyfriend five years ago, resumed deliberations Thursday, a day after the panel said it was unable to reach a consensus on her fate.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Hundreds of people gathered in stormy weather on Thursday to mourn a 9-year-old girl who loved to sing, dance and paint, as funerals began for 24 victims of a massive tornado that obliterated whole sections of Moore, Oklahoma.

GRAPEVINE, Texas (Reuters) - The Boy Scouts of America will vote on Thursday on a proposal to remove its ban on openly gay scouts that has been in place throughout the organization's 103-year history.

DENVER (Reuters) - Public defenders representing James Holmes, accused of killing 12 moviegoers in Colorado last summer, will return to court on Thursday to challenge the state's insanity defense law in a bid to try to avoid the death penalty for their client.

DENVER (Reuters) - Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper granted a reprieve on Wednesday to the state's longest-serving death row inmate, ordering his execution blocked indefinitely in a move that infuriated prosecutors and victims' families.