Pakistan to charge 3 over failed Times Square bomb (AP)

AP - Pakistan will soon bring terrorism charges against three men alleged to have helped the failed Times Square bomber meet up with militant leaders close to the Afghan border and send him money to carry out the attack, a senior police officer said Wednesday.

Cameron's father dies on holiday in France (AFP)

AFP - The father of Prime Minister David Cameron has died after suffering a stroke while on holiday in France, Downing Street said Wednesday.

Sinn Fein chief met priest involved in '72 bombing (AP)

AP - The senior Sinn Fein politician in Northern Ireland's government acknowledged Wednesday that he did meet a Catholic priest responsible for a 1972 triple car bombing that killed nine civilians but insisted they never discussed the IRA attack.

10 arrested in European raids on Internet piracy (AP)

AP - Belgian police say 10 people have been arrested in raids across Europe against hackers who put illegal copies of movies and television series on the Internet.

Govt takes over Bahrain human rights group (AP)

AP - The head of a Bahraini human rights organization says the government has taken over his group and removed him from his post.

2 panda cubs born in Spanish zoo (AP)

AP - Two newborn pandas are the latest additions to the Madrid Zoo.

Swaziland activists march, 2 leaders arrested (AP)

AP - Two leading activists in Swaziland were briefly detained Wednesday during a pro-democracy march in the capital of sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarchy, while supporters said a third leader also has been released.

Chicago mayor race wide open as Daley steps aside (AP)

AP - Suddenly, the race for Chicago mayor is on. Mayor Richard M. Daley has thrown the competition for the city's top job wide open by announcing he won't run for a seventh term, ending 21 years of token opposition and prompting speculation about who's next in line to lead the nation's third largest city.

ADWATCH: Ads attacking health plan miss some facts (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama's health care initiative is getting toxic on the campaign trail.

Winds push fires through dozens of Detroit homes (AP)

AP - Winds of up to 50 miles per hour fanned fires that tore through dozens of homes in three Detroit neighborhoods, officials said Wednesday.

BP report blames itself, others for oil spill (AP)

AP - In an internal report released Wednesday, BP blames itself, other companies' workers and a complex series of failures for the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the drilling rig explosion that preceded it.

Florida Senate Race: On Charlie Crist and Flip-Flopping (Time.com)

Time.com - Florida Senate candidate Charlie Crist fights flip-flopping charges as the GOP's Marco Rubio surges ahead in some polls and the Democrats' Kendrick Meek appeals to the left

Fla. minister: Sept. 11 Quran burn still planned (AP)

AP - The leader of a small Florida church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy said Wednesday he was determined to go through with his plan to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, despite pressure from the White House, religious leaders and others to call it off.

Obama to pitch trio of economic proposals in Ohio (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama is voicing unwavering opposition to extending Bush-era tax breaks for the nation's wealthiest families even for a year or two, drawing a sharp contrast with Republicans eight weeks before the November elections.

LAPD brass plead for calm; protesters egg station (AP)

AP - Police Chief Charlie Beck pleaded for calm and vowed his department would conduct an exhaustive investigation into a bicycle officer's fatal shooting of a drunken day laborer with a knife.

BP Investigator: 8 failures led to disaster (AP)

AP - The lead BP PLC investigator is saying that eight separate failures had to occur for the company's deepwater well to unleash the largest offshore oil spill in history.

Hermine's remnants head north after storm weakens (AP)

AP - Its power spent, what was left of Tropical Storm Hermine made its way north Wednesday, having drenched parts of northeastern Mexico and south Texas before weakening.

Obama may look inside for Rahm job (Politico)

Politico - Insiders say he is likely to choose a successor from within his orbit, should Rahm Emanuel leave.

Bank of Canada hikes rates, sees slower recovery (Reuters)

Reuters - The Bank of Canada raised its benchmark interest rate for a third consecutive time on Wednesday, nudging the rate up 25 basis points to 1 percent, but said a weak U.S. economy would hamper Canada's recovery.

Chicago mayor race wide open as Daley steps aside (AP)

AP - Suddenly, the race for Chicago mayor is on. Mayor Richard M. Daley has thrown the competition for the city's top job wide open by announcing he won't run for a seventh term, ending 21 years of token opposition and prompting speculation about who's next in line to lead the nation's third largest city.

East Timor deputy PM quits, coalition seen at risk (Reuters)

Reuters - One of East Timor's two deputy prime ministers resigned on Wednesday after he said Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao called him a liar, posing a risk to stability of the ruling coalition of the world's youngest countries.

BP shifts U.S. oil spill blame onto contractors (Reuters)

Reuters - BP shifted much of the blame for a rig blast that led to the United States' worst-ever oil spill onto its contractors Transocean and Halliburton.

UK police charge man in 1999 suitcase murder (AP)

AP - The Metropolitan Police say they have charged a Lebanese man with murder in the case of a Canadian singer whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase at London's Heathrow Airport in 1999.

Special Report: The Tea Party goes to school (Reuters)

Reuters - Some Tea Partiers admit mistakes were made. Others are quick to describe the movement's recent efforts in the political arena as not quite ready for prime time.

BP shares gain after Gulf report (AP)

AP - Shares in BP PLC tracked slightly higher after the release of an internal report on the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that deflects much of the blame onto rig owner Transocean Ltd. and contractor Halliburton Co.

Obama pitches road spending, tax incentives in Ohio (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama will push billions of dollars in new business tax incentives and spending on big construction projects on Wednesday, as he tries to convince a balky Congress to pass measures intended to spur the economy and create jobs.

Smithfield reports 1st-quarter profit (AP)

AP - Smithfield Foods Inc. says higher selling prices for pork and improvement in hog market prices helped it return to a profit in its fiscal first-quarter.

Stock futures track Europe stocks up (Reuters)

Reuters - Stock index futures rose on Wednesday tracking a turnaround in European stocks and ahead of comments from the Federal Reserve on the state of the economy.

Talbots profit tops estimates, but sales miss (Reuters)

Reuters - Women's clothing retailer Talbots Inc posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as tighter inventory management boosted its margins, but its shares fell as sales missed Wall Street forecasts.

China's Hu calls for stable ties with US (AP)

AP - Trying to smooth over recently rocky relations before a visit to Washington, Chinese President Hu Jintao told American officials on Wednesday that he wants to see healthy and stable ties between the two countries.

HSBC faces thorny issues in hunt for new chairman (Reuters)

Reuters - For a bank that prides itself on smooth successions, HSBC is suddenly scrambling to pick its next chairman.

GOP proposes renewing tax cuts, freezing spending (AP)

AP - House Republican Leader John Boehner onWednesday proposed a two-year freeze on all tax rates and a cut in government spending to the levels of 2008, before a deep recession took hold of the economy.

Jackson Hewitt loss narrower than expected (Reuters)

Reuters - No. 2 U.S. tax-preparer Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc posted a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss, as a drop in total expenses offset the decline in revenue.

NRCC posts Dem staffers' addresses (Politico)

Politico - A spokesman is under fire for putting the info about campaign aides to Rep. Tom Perriello online.

Weeks of rains leave thousands homeless in Mexico (AP)

AP - Tens of thousands of people have abandoned their homes across southern Mexico to escape flooding from weeks of torrential rains, and forecasts are predicting even more rainfall.

Swisscom to delist troubled Italian unit Fastweb (AP)

AP - Swisscom AG announced Wednesday it will buy all outstanding shares in its Italian telecoms unit Fastweb SpA, which has been rocked by a money-laundering probe, for a total of euro256 million ($326 million).

The End of Chicago's Daley Dynasty (The Atlantic Wire)

The Atlantic Wire - For much of the past half century, the city of Chicago has been run by Daleys. First with Richard J. Daley from 1955 to 1975, then with his son Richard M. Daley from 1989 to 2011. On Tuesday, the end of the Daley dynasty came into view as Mayor Daley announced he won't run for reelection in 2011. "Simply put, it's time," said the 68-year-old mayor. "Time for me, it's time for Chicago to move on." While suspicions swirl that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel may look to succeed Daley, columnists and bloggers examine the impact the Daley dynasty has had on America's third largest city.

Former NM gov is little known but has big ideas (AP)

AP - Despite two terms as governor of New Mexico and recent visits to 26 states, most Americans have never heard of Gary Johnson.

Obama to propose $300 billion in tax breaks for business (McClatchy Newspapers)

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Wednesday will propose $300 billion in accelerated or expanded tax breaks for business, a jolt of cash that he says would jump-start hiring and help revive the nation's economy.

Foster's knocks back $2.5 billion offer for wine (Reuters)

Reuters - Foster's Group Ltd , Australia's largest brewer, rejected a private equity offer worth up to $2.5 billion for its wine business as too cheap, sending its shares up as much as 6 percent on hopes of higher bids.