Aug 5, Thursday, News headlines

From Yahoo News, 10:18am eastern time

--BP to pump cement into blown-out Gulf oil well (AP)
AP - BP planned to start pumping cement into its blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, following up on a key development in the effort to kill the well when mud that was shoved in successfully held back the flow of crude.
--US Army begins relief missions in Pakistan (AP)
--Senate to confirm Kagan as court's 4th-ever woman (AP)
--Appeal of ruling could delay gay weddings in CA (AP)
--New claims for jobless benefits rise to 479K (AP)
--SKorea launches drills despite NKorean threats (AP)

Buzz
--Fall camp gallery practice no. 2 | 136 Votes
--State of School Grants for Legal Immigrants | 164 Votes
--VW self-censors to appease pressure groups | 144 Votes
--12 Examples of “Mental Accounting” (And How To Avoid Them) | 121 Votes
--MySpace Getting All Sexy for Possible Reboot | 82 Votes
--Tantaros: Michelle Obama is modern-day Marie Antoinette on glitzy Spanish vacation | 29 Votes

Local News
--The rocky path from skid row to redemption (Los Angeles Times)
--Excerpts from the judge's ruling overturning Prop. 8 (Los Angeles Times)
--Keith Richman remembered as 'champion of reform' (Los Angeles Daily News)
--LAX officials tout security measures in spite of concerns (Los Angeles Daily News) --Judge Overturns Calif. Gay Marriage Ban (CBS 2 Los Angeles)
--Cabin Smell Diverts L.A.-Bound Flight To N.M. (CBS 2 Los Angeles)

Entertainment
--Furniture, jewelry, tea: 'EPL' merch is boundless (AP)
AP - Eat, pray, love, shop?
--Lythgoe returning as executive producer of `Idol' (AP)
--Box Office Preview: 'Other Guys' set to take over (AP)
--Naomi Campbell tells war-crimes court: Not clear gift was diamonds (AP)
--Kyra Sedgwick, Bryan Cranston celebrate Emmy nods (AP)
--'Smile': Lily Allen announces she is pregnant (AP)

Sports
--A-Rod youngest to hit 600 home runs (AP)
--Vikings' Favre plans to play if healthy (AP)
--Ryan wins Rangers auction, outbids Cuban (AP)
--Celtics sign Shaquille O'Neal for 2 yrs. (AP)
--Goodell wants blood testing for HGH (AP)
--Twins top Rays on Young's single in 13th (AP)

World
--Naomi Campbell tells war-crimes court: Not clear gift was diamonds (AP)
AP - Naomi Campbell testified before a war crimes tribunal Thursday that she had received some "dirty-looking stones" after a 1997 dinner party with former Liberian ruler Charles Taylor. Still, the supermodel said she didn't know if the stones were actually diamonds or if the gift came from Taylor himself.
--US Army begins relief missions in Pakistan (AP)
--Russian fires toll hits 50, animal home in danger (AP)
--Chinese missile could shift Pacific power balance (AP)
--Polish court orders alleged Israeli spy extradited (AP)
--Death Match: Grand Theft Auto vs. the British Treasury (Time.com)