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Wednesday, May 9, 2012 8:30 PM PDT

Today's Reuters World News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Eighteen people beheaded in Mexico, drug gang suspected Putin not attending Camp David G8, will send Medvedev Same-sex couples should be able to marry: Obama Gay-led Los Angeles parish breaks with Presbyterian Church Chinese travel agencies suspend trips to Philippines Factbox: Reaction to Obama's support of same-sex marriage Missiles kill eight militants in Yemen: residents Skepticism the main challenger in Algeria election Intelligence officials reviewing bomb plot leaks Search resumes in Indonesia for missing Russian plane Obama says same-sex couples should be able to marry U.S. study finds North Korea info controls weakening EFSF bailout fund approves Greek emergency payment University of Washington offers fellowship to blind China dissident Putin not attending Camp David G8, to send Medvedev FACTBOX-Reaction to Obama's support of same-sex marriage UK, Indonesian, Liberian leaders to head U.N. panel Greek socialist makes last-ditch attempt at government Fifteen people beheaded in Mexico, drug gang suspected Elusive growth overshadows UK plans for new laws Enbridge clings to Gateway plan despite opposition Spain takes over Bankia to fight crisis U.S. intelligence officials reviewing leaks about bomb plot Russian Sukhoi plane missing on test flight in Indonesia RIM gets U.S. DoD nod for new BlackBerry 7 smartphones Radical cleric Qatada loses European appeal bid South Sudan accuses Khartoum of more border attacks Twelve decapitated near Guadalajara, drug gang suspected Sudan says regained control of rebel-held Darfur town Greek leftist fails to form government, returns mandate Indian diplomat's daughter sues New York, claims false arrest Putin promises a strong Russia, opponents jailed U.S. drone attacks in Yemen cause political strain Syria rebels kill 7, bomb explodes near U.N. monitors South Sudan accuses Khartoum of more border attacks Without reforms, Greece gets no aid: German foreign minister Serbia's Democrats, Socialists agree new alliance Turkish PM turns critical of 1997 "coup" investigation Germans warns Greece: no cuts, no aid Analysis: Greek euro exit seen manageable, not catastrophic Eighteen people beheaded in Mexico, drug gang suspected Wed,9 May 2012 07:53 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Police found the decapitated and dismembered bodies of 18 people near Mexico's second-largest city, Guadalajara, on Wednesday, in what appeared to be the latest atrocity by the country's most brutal drug cartel. Thought to have been carried out by the Zetas gang, it was one of the biggest mass beheadings in the recent history of Mexico, where decapitations have become alarmingly common. ... Full Story Top Putin not attending Camp David G8, will send Medvedev Wed,9 May 2012 07:20 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has pulled out of this month's Group of Eight summit in Maryland and will send Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in his place, the White House said on Wednesday. Putin, who took the oath as Russia's president on Monday, informed President Barack Obama of his decision during a telephone call, citing the need to stay in Moscow to finalize appointments to his cabinet. Instead, the two leaders agreed to meet in Mexico in June. ... Full Story Top Same-sex couples should be able to marry: Obama Wed,9 May 2012 06:42 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After years of "evolving" on the issue, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he believes same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, a stance that is likely to please his political base and complicate efforts to attract some independent voters. "It is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married," Obama said in an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts. Obama's comments marked the first time a U.S. ... Full Story Top Gay-led Los Angeles parish breaks with Presbyterian Church Wed,9 May 2012 06:10 PM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - As throngs of religious conservatives break from the U.S. Presbyterian Church over the ordination of gay ministers, a small gay-led California parish is staging a schism of its own, saying the church has done too little to accept homosexuality. The West Hollywood Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles plans to formally join the ranks of the more liberal United Church of Christ on Saturday. "I can't wait" said the Reverend Dan Smith, a gay pastor who has led the congregation with 57 members since the 1980s. "It's like being released from an abusive relationship," he said. ... Full Story Top Chinese travel agencies suspend trips to Philippines Wed,9 May 2012 06:04 PM PDT Reuters - SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese travel agencies have suspended tourist packages to the Philippines and promised refunds to customers who have booked trips, Chinese state media reported Thursday, as tensions over disputed islands in the South China Sea escalated. Companies including Ctrip.com and Beijing International Travel Service have halted all tours to the Philippines and say they will not accept bookings until the situation improves, Chinese media reported. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Reaction to Obama's support of same-sex marriage Wed,9 May 2012 05:40 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he believes same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Here are some reactions to his shift on the divisive issue that is likely to play a role in the November 6 presidential election. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY "I have the same view on marriage that I had when I was governor and that I have expressed many times. I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. ... Full Story Top Missiles kill eight militants in Yemen: residents Wed,9 May 2012 05:08 PM PDT Reuters - ADEN (Reuters) - Missile strikes killed eight militants early on Thursday outside a town in southern Yemen which is a stronghold of al Qaeda-linked insurgents fighting government forces for more than a year, residents said. The strikes near the town of Jaar appeared to have been launched from the sea and some senior militants were believed to be among the dead, the residents told Reuters. Government officials could not be immediately reached. ... Full Story Top Skepticism the main challenger in Algeria election Wed,9 May 2012 05:07 PM PDT Reuters - ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria votes on Thursday in a parliamentary election its rulers hope will deflect pressure for change after the "Arab Spring" upheavals, but many people will show their skepticism by abstaining. Last year's revolts in the region left Algeria largely untouched, but it is now under pressure to reform and renew the ageing establishment that has ruled the country without interruption since independence from France half a century ago. ... Full Story Top Intelligence officials reviewing bomb plot leaks Wed,9 May 2012 05:05 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of a congressional intelligence panel said on Wednesday he was concerned that the Obama administration did not brief members of Congress earlier about the foiled underwear bomb plot and said it raised a whiff of election-year politics. The comments by Mike Rogers, chairman of the House of Representatives intelligence committee, came as a senior U.S. intelligence official said the intelligence community has begun an "internal review" into possible leaks of classified information about the "underwear bomb" operation. ... Full Story Top Search resumes in Indonesia for missing Russian plane Wed,9 May 2012 05:04 PM PDT Reuters - BOGOR, Indonesia (Reuters) - Rescuers resumed searching a mountain area south of the Indonesian capital at first light on Thursday for a Russian Sukhoi plane with 50 people on board that went missing during a demonstration flight and is presumed crashed. Radio contact with Russia's first all-new passenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union was lost at about 0800 GMT on Wednesday after it descended to 6,000 feet around Mount Salak, a volcano 7,254 feet above sea level, officials said. The Superjet 100 plane was carrying Indonesian businessmen, Russian embassy officials and journalists. ... Full Story Top Obama says same-sex couples should be able to marry Wed,9 May 2012 04:50 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After years of "evolving" on the issue, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he believes same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, a stance that is likely to please his political base and complicate efforts to attract some independent voters. "It is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married," Obama said in an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts. Obama's comments marked the first time a U.S. ... Full Story Top U.S. study finds North Korea info controls weakening Wed,9 May 2012 04:49 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More and more North Koreans are defying strict government controls on access to outside information that starkly contrasts with official propaganda, said a U.S. study released Wednesday. Avid consumption of South Korean movies and pop music as well as foreign radio and television broadcasts is changing North Korean views of its southern neighbor and even of the United States, a report by the InterMedia consultancy showed. ... Full Story Top EFSF bailout fund approves Greek emergency payment Wed,9 May 2012 04:27 PM PDT Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone governments kept Greece afloat on Wednesday after agreeing a payment of 5.2 billion euros from the region's bailout fund, despite opposition from some member states following the Greek election results. After a conference call, the board of the European Financial Stability Facility, the 700 billion euro bailout fund administered by the 17 countries that use the euro, agreed to make the scheduled payment, which will allow Greece to meet near-term bond redemptions and other obligations. An initial 4. ... Full Story Top University of Washington offers fellowship to blind China dissident Wed,9 May 2012 03:58 PM PDT Reuters - SEATTLE (Reuters) - The University of Washington has offered a fellowship to blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, who has said that he wants to study in the United States following his dramatic escape from house arrest. The move follows a similar invitation extended by New York University as Chen waits for approval to travel to the United States under a deal struck between the Obama administration and Beijing. The 40-year-old activist took refuge in the U.S. ... Full Story Top Putin not attending Camp David G8, to send Medvedev Wed,9 May 2012 03:54 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Barack Obama on Wednesday that he would not be able to attend the Group of Eight summit in Maryland later this month, the White House said, and will send Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in his place. The May 18-19 gathering of the G8 at Camp David, the rustic presidential retreat in the Maryland countryside north of Washington, had been seen as an excellent chance for Obama and Putin to get to know each other. Instead, they will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the June 18-19, G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. ... Full Story Top FACTBOX-Reaction to Obama's support of same-sex marriage Wed,9 May 2012 03:41 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he believes same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Here are some reactions to his shift on the divisive issue that is likely to play a role in the November 6 presidential election. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY "I have the same view on marriage that I had when I was governor and that I have expressed many times. I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. ... Full Story Top UK, Indonesian, Liberian leaders to head U.N. panel Wed,9 May 2012 03:19 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will head a panel to advise the United Nations on global development beyond 2015, the world body said on Wednesday. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the panel would "advise on the post-2015 way forward" to build on progress made towards the Millennium Development Goals. The goals were targets adopted by world leaders at the United Nations in 2000 to slash poverty, hunger and disease in poor countries by 2015. ... Full Story Top Greek socialist makes last-ditch attempt at government Wed,9 May 2012 03:15 PM PDT Reuters - ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos will make a last- ditch attempt to form a government on Thursday and avoid a new election after voters rejected a bailout deal and pushed Greece into a political crisis. Chances are slim Venizelos can clinch a deal after both the conservatives and leftists tried and failed to cobble together a coalition in three days of talks following Sunday's election, when voters spurned big parties and their austerity policies. ... Full Story Top Fifteen people beheaded in Mexico, drug gang suspected Wed,9 May 2012 03:14 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Police found the decapitated and dismembered bodies of 15 people near Mexico's second city Guadalajara on Wednesday, in what appeared to be the latest atrocity by the country's most brutal drug cartel. Believed to have been carried out by the Zetas gang, it was one of the biggest mass beheadings in the recent history of Mexico, where decapitations have become alarmingly common. ... Full Story Top Elusive growth overshadows UK plans for new laws Wed,9 May 2012 02:56 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - A coalition of UK Conservatives and Liberal Democrats proposed to streamline employment laws and reform business regulation in new legislative plans on Wednesday, but critics said ministers were shrinking from taking bolder action to drag the economy out of recession. The broad parliamentary program, disclosed according to tradition by Queen Elizabeth, will also split banks into retail and investment arms, reform the upper house of parliament and the utility market and create a "green investment bank. ... Full Story Top Enbridge clings to Gateway plan despite opposition Wed,9 May 2012 02:54 PM PDT Reuters - TORONTO/CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc, Canada's No. 2 pipeline company, reported a 14 percent jump in quarterly earnings on Wednesday and said it remains committed to building the controversial C$5.5 billion ($5.5 billion) Northern Gateway pipeline despite fierce opposition from communities along the route. ... Full Story Top Spain takes over Bankia to fight crisis Wed,9 May 2012 02:44 PM PDT Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Spain took over Bankia, the country's fourth biggest lender, on Wednesday, trying to dispel concerns over the government's ability to clean up the financial sector four years after the banks were hit by a property market crash. In a deal that will give the state a 45 percent indirect stake in Bankia, the government will take control of its parent company BFA by converting into equity a 4.5 billion euro loan it had given the financial group previously, the central bank said. ... Full Story Top U.S. intelligence officials reviewing leaks about bomb plot Wed,9 May 2012 02:22 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House intelligence committee Chairman Mike Rogers on Wednesday said he was concerned that the Obama administration did not brief members of Congress earlier about the foiled underwear bomb plot and said it raised a whiff of election-year politics. His comments came as a senior U.S. intelligence official said the Intelligence community has begun an "internal review" into possible leaks of classified information about the "underwear bomb" operation. The review is not considered at this point to be an investigation which has criminal implications. ... Full Story Top Russian Sukhoi plane missing on test flight in Indonesia Wed,9 May 2012 01:27 PM PDT Reuters - JAKARTA (Reuters) - A Russian Sukhoi passenger plane with 50 people on board, including businessmen and Russian envoys, went missing during a demonstration flight near a volcano on Indonesia's Java island on Wednesday, officials said. Indonesia's search and rescue agency said radio contact with the plane was lost at about 0800 GMT after the jet descended to 6,000 feet around Mount Salak, a volcano 7,254 feet above sea level, south of the capital Jakarta. ... Full Story Top RIM gets U.S. DoD nod for new BlackBerry 7 smartphones Wed,9 May 2012 12:31 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Research in Motion said the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) approved six models of the company's BlackBerry 7 smartphones for use on its networks. The approval means RIM's single largest customer can upgrade to the Canadian smartphone maker's latest devices. RIM's BlackBerry phones have long been used by army and other defense department personnel, but each new version of the device must be tested before it can be approved for use in sensitive roles where a data breach could endanger national security. Last year, the U.S. ... Full Story Top Radical cleric Qatada loses European appeal bid Wed,9 May 2012 12:28 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - A radical preacher accused of giving spiritual inspiration to one of the 9/11 hijackers lost a legal bid in the European courts on Wednesday to challenge Britain's long-running attempts to deport him to Jordan to stand trial on terrorism charges. The European Court of Human Rights rejected Abu Qatada's request to refer his case to its most senior panel of appeal judges, the latest stage in a legal battle that has dogged British governments for a decade. ... Full Story Top South Sudan accuses Khartoum of more border attacks Wed,9 May 2012 12:04 PM PDT Reuters - JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan accused Sudan on Wednesday of bombing and shelling seven areas on the southern side of their disputed border in the last 48 hours, calling the acts a violation of a U.N.-backed ceasefire that should have begun on Saturday. The latest allegations indicated that continuing tensions between the two old civil war foes, which erupted into border fighting last month, could hamper international efforts to push them to resume negotiations on various outstanding disputes. ... Full Story Top Twelve decapitated near Guadalajara, drug gang suspected Wed,9 May 2012 12:03 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Police found the decapitated and dismembered bodies of at least 12 people dumped near Mexico's second largest city, Guadalajara, in what appeared to be the latest atrocity by the country's most brutal drug cartel, a local officer said Wednesday. The bodies stuffed into two vehicles abandoned on the side of a highway had been so badly mutilated officers could not tell if they were male or female, said a policeman in the small town of Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, where the corpses were found. ... Full Story Top Sudan says regained control of rebel-held Darfur town Wed,9 May 2012 11:48 AM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese army troops have pushed out rebels who had seized control of a town in the western Darfur region, a state-linked media website said on Wednesday, the latest violent incident in the troubled area. The two Darfur rebel factions -- the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) factions led by Minni Minnawi and Abdelwahid Nour -- had captured Girayda in southern Darfur on Tuesday as part of their campaign to topple President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's government. ... Full Story Top Greek leftist fails to form government, returns mandate Wed,9 May 2012 11:40 AM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Greek leftist Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday failed to form a government opposed to the country's international bailout and handed his mandate back to the president. "Our proposal enjoyed wide support in society but a weak one in parliament. We won't be able to realize our dream for a left government," Tsipras told his parliamentary group, Greece's second-biggest after May 6 elections. "Tomorrow morning I will return the mandate." His failure deepens Greece's political turmoil and pushes the country towards the second election in a few weeks. ... Full Story Top Indian diplomat's daughter sues New York, claims false arrest Wed,9 May 2012 11:37 AM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - The teenage daughter of an Indian diplomat who says she was wrongfully arrested for sending threatening emails to two of her New York City teachers has sued the city for $1.5 million, claiming civil rights violations. Krittika Biswas, the daughter of the vice-consul in the Consulate General of India in New York, was arrested and imprisoned for a night last year after gym and calculus teachers at her Queens high school accused her of sending lewd and violent emails. ... Full Story Top Putin promises a strong Russia, opponents jailed Wed,9 May 2012 11:27 AM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin promised to project Russia's might on the world stage in a rallying speech on Wednesday to troops and war veterans celebrating victory over Nazi Germany at a military parade bristling with weapons on Red Square. Two days after starting his six-year term, Putin, flanked by military chiefs and his defense and prime ministers, used the address to reinforce appeals for national unity as he tries to reassert his authority, shaken by months of protests. ... Full Story Top U.S. drone attacks in Yemen cause political strain Wed,9 May 2012 07:02 AM PDT Reuters - SANAA (Reuters) - As Yemen struggles to shake off ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh's legacy, the United States has intensified drone strikes on al Qaeda-linked militants, although some Yemeni officials fear this may only fuel instability. This week alone, U.S. officials said they had seized a bomb that was to have been used by Yemen-based militants to attack an airliner, two al Qaeda men were killed in an apparently related drone strike, and Islamist fighters killed at least 32 Yemeni soldiers when they assaulted an army post in the south. ... Full Story Top Syria rebels kill 7, bomb explodes near U.N. monitors Wed,9 May 2012 06:50 AM PDT Reuters - AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebels killed at least seven pro-government militiamen in a Damascus suburb on Wednesday, activists said, and an explosion wounded eight soldiers escorting U.N. ceasefire observers in the southern province of Deraa. The Damascus attack with rocket-propelled grenades on a bus carrying the fighters through the suburb of Irbin prompted the army to seal off the area and respond with shelling, activist Mohammad Saeed said. ... Full Story Top South Sudan accuses Khartoum of more border attacks Wed,9 May 2012 06:32 AM PDT Reuters - JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan accused Sudan on Wednesday of bombing and shelling seven areas on the southern side of their disputed border in the last 48 hours, calling the acts a violation of a U.N.-backed ceasefire which should have begun on Saturday. The latest allegations indicated that continuing tensions between the two old civil war foes, which erupted into border fighting last month, could hamper international efforts to push them to resume negotiations on various outstanding disputes. ... Full Story Top Without reforms, Greece gets no aid: German foreign minister Wed,9 May 2012 06:26 AM PDT Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Greece will not receive any further tranches of aid under the planned bailout program unless it continues with reforms, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in Brussels on Wednesday. "Germany would like to keep Greece in the euro zone but whether Greece actually does remain in the euro zone or not lies in its own hands," he said. Greece looked to be moving closer to a second snap election as bickering politicians struggled to form a government. (Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach; Writing by Alexandra Hudson) Full Story Top Serbia's Democrats, Socialists agree new alliance Wed,9 May 2012 06:15 AM PDT Reuters - BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's reformist Democratic Party and the resurgent Socialists of late strongman Slobodan Milosevic agreed on Wednesday to renew a governing coalition that would keep the country edging towards the European Union. The alliance locks out the opposition Serbian Progressive Party, which narrowly won a parliamentary election on Sunday, but it will need the support of another junior partner to secure a majority in the 250-seat parliament. "They share our values," Democratic Party deputy leader Dragan Sutanovac told a news conference, referring to the Socialists. ... Full Story Top Turkish PM turns critical of 1997 "coup" investigation Wed,9 May 2012 06:08 AM PDT Reuters - ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was drowning in waves of arrests of military officers accused of coup conspiracies and called for the investigations, which his government has backed, to be wrapped up more quickly. Around 50 retired and serving officers, some very senior, have been held over the last month in raids linked to the 1997 toppling of Turkey's first Islamist-led government. The arrests run parallel to trials of hundreds of officers, businessmen and academics accused of involvement in other alleged coup plots. ... Full Story Top Germans warns Greece: no cuts, no aid Wed,9 May 2012 05:42 AM PDT Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Leading German politicians warned Greece on Tuesday that the country would not receive a cent more aid unless it fulfills all the conditions of its international bailout. An election on Sunday in Greece failed to deliver a parliamentary majority for the two big pro-bailout parties, plunging the country into political limbo and increasing the risk that another vote may be required to resolve the impasse. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Greek euro exit seen manageable, not catastrophic Wed,9 May 2012 05:42 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Greek voters' rejection of pro-bailout political parties in Sunday's election has raised the chances of Greece leaving the euro but this unprecedented step is seen as manageable rather than catastrophic for the currency bloc. Some banks have raised estimates of the likelihood of Athens quitting the euro. But after a year of investors shedding bonds issued by highly indebted euro zone countries and big injections of central bank cash, they said the damage could be contained. ... Full Story Top

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