NPR 2012-05-14

 The CEO of JP Morgan Chase says he was dead wrong when dismissed concerns about the banks trading. Speaking on ABC's Meet the Press, Jamie Dimon played down the concerns in April as a tempest in a teapot. 

So first, I was dead wrong when I said that.  I obviously didn't know, I'd never have said that. And one of the reasons it became public was because we wanted to say, ‘You know what, we told you something that was completely wrong a mere 1 four weeks ago. And we took a $2 billion loss and we made it clear it could get worst before it gets better. 
Last week, the bank disclosed $2 billion in trading losses over the past six weeks. Dimon says he supports giving the government the authority to take down a failing big bank.
 
 
Effects to put together in coalition 2 government in Greece are starting to fall apart, if Greece's president fails to broker 3 a coalition. Greek voters will have to return to the polls. Last week's parliamentary elections produced no clear winner. The political uncertainty 4 has alarmed international creditors 5 who have given Greece billions of Euros and bailout loans over the past two years.
 
 
In Afghanistan, a gunman has assassinated 6 a member of that country's High Peace Council. NPR's Quil Lawrence says the former Taliban official was a key negotiator between the Afghan government and insurgents 7. 
Arsala Rahmani, had been a minister during the Taliban regime, but later became a key advisor 8 to the Afghan government on peace talks. Afghan authorities said Rahmani was stuck in traffic on his way to work when a man in the car beside him fired a single shot, killing 9 him instantly. Last September, another assassin killed the leader of Afghan's High Peace Council. While the council had made scant 10 progress toward negotiations 11. Both killings 12 threatened to what little trust exists between national and regional powers involved in the talks. The Taliban denied involvement in the killing, but in previous statements, the group has threatened members of the peace council. Quil Lawrence, NPR News, Kabul. 
 
 
Thirty-seven dismembered bodies have been found on a road near Mexico's industrial city of Monterrey. James Blears reports on the latest carnage in the country's intensifying 13 drug war now in its sixth year.
Police reached the scene of carnage following a tip-off. They found the body parts in plastic bags. The region's currently torn by few between the gulf 14 and the Zatus Drug Cartels. This latest massacre 15 follows another mid-week in which 18 decapitated corpses 16 were found near Mexico's second city, Guadalajara. Last August, the Casino fire in Monterrey started by  the Zatus when owners refused to pay production money, killed 53 people. The worst single atrocity 17 so far in Mexico's drug war. For NPR News, I'm James Blears, in Mexico City.
 
 
A drawing based on information from Iranian military site could be evidence that Iran has facilities for experimenting with a new clear explosion. The image obtained by the Associated Press, shows an explosives contain the chamber 18 of the type needed for nuclear arms-related tests. 
 
 
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The authorities in South California have launched a massive search for a missing FBI agent, who is believed to be suicidal. They say special agent, Steven Evens, is armed, but not a threat to others. He is described as an avid 19 runner and hiker. Dogs have tracked descent to the rugged 20 mountains, East of Burbank. The searchers have found out to look through Los Angeles County. 
 
 
Thousands of people have rallied across Australia as part of a national day support of same-sex marriage. As Stewart Colin reports from Sydney, President Obama's recent comments in support of gay marriage have been new debate across the region.
More than 4,000 people turned out in Melbourne as 1,100 took to the streets of Sydney as part of the rallies. While Australian ** same-sex couples move to the same benefits as heterosexual couples. Activists 21 want the Federal government to legalize same-sex marriage. Two separate bills are currently working their way through parliament. But Prime Minister Julia Gillard has steadfastly 22 refused to support gay marriage. Even after public pressure has increased in the wake of president Obama's comments. On Friday, New Zealand's prime minister came out in support of gay marriage, but said legalizing it isn't currently on his parliament's agenda. Meanwhile, the Australian Medical Association is working to distance itself from a prominent group of doctors who issued a statement calling same-sex marriage on healthy for children. For NPR News, I'm Stewart Colin in Sydney.
 
 
The latest number showed  the number of New York Police Department street stops jumped to more than 200,000 stops during the first three months of 2012. That's something just over 183 stops during the same quarter last year. The policy allows police to stop a person based on reasonable suspicion.
 
 
I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.