10 things you need to know today: June 10, 2012

1. SYRIAN GOVERNMENT FORCES KILL 35 IN HOMS

In attempts to regain control of the province of Homs — the epicenter of the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's regime — government forces have dropped at least 500 rockets and shells on the town since Saturday, killing 35 activists. Free Syrian Army rebels had been intensifying attacks on army patrols, roadblocks, and missile batteries in the area, the Syrian Network for Human Rights said. Abu Qassem, an activist in Rastan, which is 15 miles north of Homs, said, "The Free Syrian Army is far outgunned, but it is responding by mounting guerrilla attacks while trying to avoid direct exchange of fire." [Reuters]

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2. FRENCH VOTE IN LEGISLATIVE ELECTION

French voters headed to polling stations Sunday in the first round of a legislative election that will reveal how much power newly elected Socialist President Francois Hollande can depend on to push through his agenda. Opinion polls before the vote forecast the Socialist Party would not see a landslide victory. [Wall Street Journal]

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3. EGYPT'S MUBARAK IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak is slipping in and out of consciousness eight days after he was sent to prison to begin serving a life sentence, a security official said on Sunday. Authorities granted his wife, former first lady Suzanne Mubarak, and the couple's two daughters-in-law special permission to visit him. Since his wife's visit, Mubarak has suffered from an irregular heartbeat and required assistance in breathing. The official told The Associated Press that the former president now lives only on liquids and yogurt. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. [Associated Press]

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4. MIAMI 'CANNIBAL' HAD NO FLESH IN STOMACH

Rudy Eugene, 31, the man who was shot and killed by police in May after allegedly eating another man's face, had no human flesh in his stomach. The post-death examination did reveal a number of undigested pills in his stomach, but investigators have not identified them yet, a law-enforcement source told The Miami Herald. Eugene's autopsy records have not been released to the public, and will likely not become available until Miami-Dade prosecutors finish their review of the shooting. [Miami Herald]

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5. BRADLEY DEFEATS PACQUIAO IN SPLIT DECISION

Timothy Bradley defeated Manny Pacquiao in a split decision on Saturday, winning enough rounds in the boxing match to take the narrow decision for the welterweight title. The decision ended Pacquiao's seven-year unbeaten run. Bradley won 115-113 on the scorecards of judges Duane Ford and C.J. Ross, while losing on Jerry Roth's scorecard by the same margin. Some analysts criticized the judges because statistics showed that Pacquiao landed more punches in 10 of the 12 rounds. [Associated Press]

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6. NIGERIA CHURCH ATTACKS KILL AT LEAST 3

In two separate incidents on Sunday, at least three people were killed in attacks on churches in Nigeria. A suicide bomber drove his car toward a church in central Nigeria, while gunmen opened fire on a church in the northeast. The assaults were the latest in a series targeting churches in Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer, with many of the previous attacks claimed by Islamist group Boko Haram. [AFP]

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7. CHINA ANNOUNCES MANNED SPACE FLIGHT

At some point in the middle of June, China will carry out a manned space flight, the country announced. A rocket carrying the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft has been moved to a launch pad in northwest China. According to state news agency Xinhua, it will carry three astronauts to the Tiangong 1 space station module. This will be China's fourth manned space flight and its first since 2008. [BBC]

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8. AGGRESSIVE APPROACH COULD SAVE PRE-DIABETICS

According to a new study published in the journal Lancet, an "early and aggressive" approach to addressing the blood sugar levels of people on the cusp of developing Type 2 diabetes can work to reduce cases of the disease. In the study, restoring the normal sugar levels of patients more than halved the number of them who went on to develop Type 2 diabetes. It is thought that 79 million people in the U.S. have pre-diabetes and 7 million people in the UK. Some measures, such as weight loss and more exercise, can reverse pre-diabetes. [BBC]

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9. MIAMI HEAT ADVANCE TO NBA FINALS

The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 101-88 in Game 7 to advance to the NBA finals. The Heat had to fight for their win: By halftime, the Celtics had built up a seven-point lead. But the Heat evened things out by the third quarter. In the final quarter the Heat's LeBron James "took over the game, demoralizing the Celtics with some spectacular dunks." [Yahoo Sports]

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10. MCCONAUGHEY MARRIES LONGTIME GIRLFRIEND

Actor Matthew McConaughey married his longtime girlfriend, model Camila Alves, on Saturday at their home in Austin. The couple has two children together. [E Online]