US
Obama to Ohio looking for health care votes Still seeking votes for his proposed health care overhaul, President Barack Obama appears ready to reverse his position and allow unpopular deal-sweetening measures in the hopes of finding Democratic support for legislation whose future will be decided in coming days.

CONTROVERSY
No explanation for Prius California claim, US Safety investigators have found no evidence so far to support or disprove a California motorist's claim his Toyota Motor Corp Prius sped out of control on its own, and cautioned the case may never be explained, US regulators said.

RIFTS BETWEEN ANC AND ITS ALLIES ENDANGER COALITION
S. Africa’s alliance under threat Deep divisions between South Africa’s ruling ANC and its labour and communist allies are threatening a decades-old alliance as rival factions battle for power and influence to shape policy.

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT NOMINATING CHINA AS NEXT SUPERPOWER COULD BE EMBARRASSINGLY WRONG
Goodbye US, Hello China? Think again For the growing number of US nationals who see China heading for inevitable global dominance, nudging aside the United States, a brief walk down memory lane helps put long-term predictions into perspective.

GLOBAL MARKETS
European stocks down 0.3%; Nikkei hits 7-week closing high Britain's top share index eased 0.3 percent early on, as monetary tightening fears weighed on the mining sector, offsetting gains in defensive issues and with BT Group boosted by a Citigroup upgrade. The Nikkei average inched up to a seven-week closing high, with some exporters climbing on a weaker yen, though profit-taking in recent gainers such as Advantest Corp tempered the market's rise.

COUNTRIES SUPPORT GREECE
EU to discuss Greek aid, no firm figures seen Euro zone finance ministers are expected to agree a way of providing Greece with financial aid to tackle its debts, but France warned not to expect any hard figures and there remained barriers to a deal.

SURVEY
US readers don't want to pay for news online Getting people to pay for news online at this point would be "like trying to force butterflies back into their cocoons," a new consumer survey suggests.

UNCLEAR WHO HAS BEHIND THE ATTACK
Grenade attack raises tension as Thais protest Grenade explosions that wounded two soldiers at a Thai military base raised tensions in Bangkok as tens of thousands of anti-government protesters massed at another barracks on the outskirts of the city.

WORSE THAN IN OTHER EMERGING ECONOMIES
Russia corruption 'may force Western firms to quit' Extortion by corrupt officials in Russia has got so bad that some Western multinationals are considering pulling out altogether, the head of a US anti-bribery group said in an interview. Alexandra Wrage, whose non-profit organization TRACE International advises firms on how to avoid bribery, said the "rampant endemic" corruption in Russia was much worse than in other big emerging economies.

MIDDLE EAST
Officials: US wants Israel to cancel building plan Israeli officials said that the US is pressing Israel to scrap a contentious east Jerusalem building project whose approval has touched off the most serious diplomatic feud with Washington in years.

AFTER PUBLIC CRITICISM
Senate financial reform bill boosts Fed: sources The Federal Reserve would gain new powers over non-bank financial firms and keep much of its authority over banks under a new bill to be unveiled by the Senate's architect of financial reform.