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Yahoo CEO: Expect Approval For Microsoft Deal In 1Q

SINGAPORE -(Dow Jones)- Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) expects to gain regulatory approval for its plan to enter a 10-year Internet search partnership with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and to complete the deal by the first quarter of next year, Yahoo Chief Executive Carol Bartz said Tuesday.

"There is no delay," Bartz told reporters at an event in Singapore. "We expect (the deal) in the first quarter."

Yahoo and Microsoft agreed on the deal in July in an effort to compete more aggressively with market leader Google Inc. (GOOG). The U.S. Justice Department in September said that the deal was entering a "second request" phase, which indicates that it requires more detailed scrutiny.

It remains unclear whether European Union regulators will launch a formal antitrust review of the deal, although they have been in discussions with Microsoft and Yahoo.

Bartz also said that the company aims to boost its operating margins to between 15% and 20% in the next two to three years.

-By Costas Paris, Dow Jones Newswires; +65 6415 4151; costas.paris@ dowjones.com

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