North Korea fires short-range missiles off east coast

North Korea is reported to have fired three short-range missiles off its east coast Saturday,reports LA Times.

The South Korean Defense Ministry reported that it detected two launches in the morning and another in the afternoon. Its initial assessment was that the missiles were short-range surface-to-ship or surface-to-surface missiles capable of traveling up to 72 miles, rather than the new medium-range Musudan missile that analysts fear could threaten U.S. troops in Guam or Okinawa, Japan.

"All missiles launched fell into the sea," a South Korean Defense Ministry official was quoted as telling the country's official Yonhap news service. He also speculated that the launches, directed over water northeast of North Korea, were part of a military exercise.

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Russia reveals CIA's Moscow station chief identity

In what is being seen as a breach of diplomatic protocol, Russia has disclosed the name of the Moscow's CIA station chief identity.

It follows Moscow's decision to expel US diplomat Ryan Fogle, who was accused of trying to recruit a Russian intelligence officer as a spy.

Mr Fogle, a purported CIA agent, was arrested on Tuesday while wearing a blond wig and was briefly detained. Russia said Mr Fogle was caught while trying to recruit an FSB counter-terrorism agent in the Caucasus.

Russia says it warned the CIA Moscow station chief in 2011 to stop the "provocative" recruitment of spies.

Mr Fogle is said to have been a third secretary at the US embassy in Moscow. He has been declared "persona non grata" for what the Russian foreign ministry called "provocative actions in the spirit of the Cold War".

via BBC
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Complainant against Musharraf withdraws Judges' Detention Case in 'national interest'

It may come as a surprise to many but the breaking news for today is that Advocate Aslam Ghuman, the main complainant in judges’ detention case against General Pervez Musharraf (Retd), on Friday disassociated himself from the case.

“I have decided not to pursue this case as I feel it is in the better interest of the country”, said Advocate Ghuman in a hurried press conference on Friday night.

However, when asked by a reporter how exactly would the country benefit from this move, Ghuman failed to reply.

The case was based on First Information Report (FIR) which was registered against Musharraf on August 11, 2009 by the Secretariat police for detaining over 60 judges including Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

The case had been opened on Advocate Ghuman’s application, submitted at a local police station.

via Express Tribune
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US President Obama breaks rules by asking U.S. Marine to hold an umbrella while in uniform

Well US president is a strong man and is also the commander in chief - but despite his power and appointment he cannot ask a marine in uniform to hold an umbrella for him unless explicit permission from the marines' commandant is sought.

But despite this, Obama asked the marines on duty to hold umbrella for him and for the visiting Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Rose Garden of the White House - much to the chagrin of a put-upon U.S. Marine.

Scroll down for video

It may be added that the Marine Corp Manual, which is the bible for all soldiers serving, specifically states that a soldier's uniform dress code does not allow the carrying of an umbrella and 'no officer or official shall issue instructions which conflict with, alter, or amend any provision without the approval of the Commandant of the Marine Corps.'

While male members are explicitly told NOT to carry an umbrella, female Marines 'may carry an all-black, plain standard or collapsible umbrella at their option during inclement weather with the service and dress uniforms. It will be carried in the left hand so that the hand salute can be properly rendered.'

Watch the video below:

Read more about it at: Mail Online
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Jewels worth $1m Stolen Loaned for Cannes film festival

It has been reported that jewels worth more than $1m (£650,000; 777,000 euros) have been stolen from a hotel in Cannes.

The jewels were to be loaned to celebrities who have arrived on the French Riviera for the famous annual film festival.

The jewels were stolen from a safe in the Novotel Hotel room of an employee of exclusive Swiss jewellers Chopard.

The theft happened on the same day that the festival was shown The Bling Ring, a new film by director Sofia Coppola about some high-school students who find out when celebrities are attending red carpet events in order to break into their homes and steal their designer clothes, bags, and shoes.

via BBC News
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French economy in recession once again

Bad news for the French as recession hits French economy for the second time in less than four years.

The official figures show that the French economy has shrunk by 0.2% in the first quarter of the year. It may be recalled that French economy shrank by the same amount in the last quarter of 2012.

President Francois Hollande has said he expects zero growth in 2013, lower than a 0.1% growth forecast by the French government.

Separate figures showed that the recession across the 17-nation eurozone has continued into a sixth quarter.

Elsewhere, annual figures from Germany also show the German economy has shrunk by 1.4% when compared with a year ago.

Read more about it at: BBC News
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Britain: Snowfall in Spring with gusting winds at 65 MPH

While after a very severe winters, the Britain had just started to enjoy the spring, the spring was over before it could commence. 

As of yesterday, Britain was once again receiving snowfall accompanied with gusting winds at 65 mph across the country.2-3 inch snow has been reported in many parts of Princetown, Devon, and Rhayader, Powys and high ground in Shropshire near Welsh border.

Mike Steedman, owner of the Anchor Inn in the hills above Newcastle-on-Clun, near the Welsh border, said. ‘It started at about 11 pm and it came in wet and heavy. It's beginning to go now.

The snowfall this late is sparking fears of flooding in the rest of the region, as two local rivers were given flood warnings.

Watch the video below:

via Mail Online
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Two-in-one drug hope for osteoporosis sufferers

For the elderly, osteoporosis is a deadly disease which leaves bones so brittle that even a small fall can result into a bone fracture. Every month, 1,150 die prematurely as a result of a hip fractures and half of patients do not regain their independence. At least 120,000 people a year suffer spinal fractures.

[Photo]

However, now there is good news.

Two drugs currently used to treat osteoporosis could produce better results if used in tandem, researchers say.

Using a combination of the drugs, already available on the NHS, resulted in an increase in bone density of up to 5 per cent in just a year, they found.

Most currently available osteoporosis drugs, including denosumab, stop the action of cells that break down bone during the normal process of bone formation. In contrast, teriparatide – also known as Forsteo – stimulates the creation of new bone.

Now a latest trial found women given combination therapy had greater improved bone density than those receiving denosumab alone.

In the study, a team from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston randomly assigned 94 post-menopausal women with osteoporosis to treatment with either teriparatide taken as a daily pill, or a six-monthly jab with denosumab, or both drugs for 12 months.

[Photo]

The researchers measured density changes in lumbar spine, hip bone, and femoral neck using low-dose x-rays and bone biomarkers.

Read more about it at: Mail Online
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US diplomat ordered to leave Russia on 'spy-hiring' charges

A U.S. diplomat was ordered Tuesday to leave the country after the Kremlin's security services said he tried to recruit a Russian agent, and they displayed tradecraft tools that seemed straight from a cheap spy thriller: wigs, packets of cash, a knife, map and compass, and a letter promising millions for "long-term cooperation."

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, identified the diplomat as Ryan Fogle, a third secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, detaining him briefly overnight.

It alleged that Fogle was a CIA officer trying to recruit a Russian counter-terrorism officer who specializes in the volatile Caucasus region in southern Russia, where the two Boston Marathon bombing suspects had their ethnic roots.

( via Chron )
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Air India Captain locked out of cockpit after toilet break

An interesting and somewhat dangerous situation developed mid air aboard Air India flight when the captain was locked out of the cockpit after returning from toilet-break.

Flight AI 403, which was travelling from Delhi to Bangalore, was diverted to Bhopal Airport on Monday.

"The captain left the cockpit for a short while to visit the toilet and on returning to the cockpit found the door locked. The door had got jammed and all efforts to open the door even from inside by the co-pilot failed," an Air India statement said.

"The co-pilot, after taking permission from ground control, diverted the flight to Bhopal and landed...at 1755 hrs."

It may be added that Air India has been plagued by financial difficulties in recent years, with its 787 Dreamliner jets grounded in January by safety concerns.

Source
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Bangladesh prepares for cyclone 'Mahasen' impact

Bangladesh, which was already shattered by the Dacca factory fiasco, is all set to fae yet another calamaity - The Cyclonic Storm Mahasen.

It is reported by the Gulf News that Bangladesh on Tuesday ordered massive preparedness as the meteorological (Met) office said cyclonic storm Mahasen has started moving towards the southern coastlines after it was found stationary for hours at the Bay of Bengal.

The bulletin said the storm was likely to intensify further and move in a north-northeasterly direction.

However, the local met office does not foresee the cyclone hitting the Bangladesh coastline ahead of tomorrow [Wednesday] night or Thursday morning.

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Chinese Premier on first foreign trip from this week including Pakistan

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is to pay official visits to India, Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany next week, his first foreign trip as China's new head of government.

As an important diplomatic tour by the new Chinese leadership, the upcoming trip by Li spans the two continents of Asia and Europe and has sparked intense interests both at home and abroad.

While the visit to other countries a meaningful too, his visit to Pakistan after the May 11 elections assume significant importance as he will be meeting Mr Nawaz Sharif, the likely third time prime minister of Pakistan.

It may be added that China and Pakistan are called "all-weather" partners for their unusual friendship, which makes a solid foundation for an expansion of their decades-old cooperative ties.

"Rain or shine, China-Pakistan relations stand weatherproof," said Jin Yinan, a prominent Chinese military strategist with the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army.

Source
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7.0-magnitude quake strikes near Northern Mariana Islands

It hass been reported that a deep 7.0-magnitude quake struck near Northern Mariana Islands in the western Pacific on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The quake hit 42 kilometres (26 miles) west of Agrihan and 395 kilometres north of the main island Saipan, but it was at a depth of 603 kilometres and seismologists said it was too deep to cause any impact.

No damage is likely as there hardly is any population around the area. 

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Pakistan's Ex PM Sharif stages comeback in landmark election

The landmark elections held in Pakistan on 11 May 2013 brought back party of Pakistan's twice prime minister Nawaz Sharif as single dominating party at the centre and the province of Punjab.

Toppled in a 1999 coup, jailed and exiled, Nawaz Sharif is now heading for a third term as Pakistan's prime minister.

The wealthy steel magnate from the pivotal Punjab province held off a challenge from former cricket star Imran Khan who had hoped to break decades of dominance by Sharif and the Pakistan People's Party led by the Bhutto family.

With the count continuing into the night, Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) was leading in 119 of the 272 National Assembly seats that were contested.

Cricketing hero Khan in the end did not have the momentum needed to trip up Sharif despite his popularity among urban youths, many of whom were voting for the first time in an election that saw a robust turnout of 60 percent. 

However, Khan's Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) put up a strong fight against the PPP, with the count showing the two parties neck-and-neck with about 34 seats each. The PPP led the government for the past five years with 124 lawmakers in parliament.

( via Reuters )
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Pakistan Goes to Poll Today - 11 May 2013

11 May today is a big day in the history of Pakistan as this is first time in Pakistan's 65-year history that a civilian government has completed its full term and handed over power in democratic elections. Previous governments have been toppled by military coups or sacked by presidents allied with the powerful army.

There is much hype in Pakistan this time as cricketer turned politician Imran Khan of PTI has been successful mobilizing the youth of Pakistan, who have generally stayed away from elections in the past.

The major parties that are hot favourites include the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Imran Khan and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) of two time former prime minster Nawaz Sharif.

Generally speaking, Imran Khan is a new voice among the already tested corrupt and inept politicians of Pakistan who have brought country to almost a grinding halt due to inchoherent policies and lack of vision for the future.

Pakistan's people really do need a change as the out going government of mainstream PPP (Pakistan People's Party) has given nothing to the country and the miseries of the poor have surmounted beyond imagination.

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