President Barack Obama on Thursday demanded North Korea cease provocations on the divided peninsula, but held out the prospect of economic aid and respect if it abandons its nuclear arms program. Obama also urged Chinese President Hu Jintao to use his influence over Pyongyang to convince the reclusive state to refrain from provocative acts against the South. Tensions... 

Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki flew to Nigeria on Thursday to discuss an arms shipment seized in the West African state last month which diplomats have said could put Tehran in breach of United Nations sanctions. Nigerian Foreign Minister Odein Ajumogobia said his Iranian counterpart had pledged Tehran’s cooperation with investigations into the... 

Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi Iranian defense minister has played down Russia’s refusal to deliver S-300 defense systems to the country, adding that production of long-range anti-air missile systems is in progress. Speaking on the sidelines of Iran’s fifth International Air Show at Persian Gulf island of Kish, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi blasted... 

Tough day for Obama: Trade deal unfinished, backlash on money policy, president tested anew. Humbled by elections at home, President Barack Obama on Thursday endured a sobering test of his power abroad as well, unable to close a trade deal with South Korea and thrown on the defensive about America’s approach to global economic worries. From halfway around the world,... 

The government of Iceland is investigating whether the U.S. Embassy is spying on Icelandic citizens. The Icelandic Ministry of Justice and Human Rights has launched an inquiry after other Nordic countries said they were investigating the practice in their countries. U.S. Embassy officials in Iceland have said no espionage is taking place but have confirmed that the embassy... 

Uninvited guest: A Chinese Song Class submarine, like the one that surfaced by the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk When the U.S. Navy deploys a battle fleet on exercises, it takes the security of its aircraft carriers very seriously indeed. At least a dozen warships provide a physical guard while the technical wizardry of the world’s only military superpower offers an invisible... 

Secret documents have leaked from inside Kopassus, Indonesia's red berets, which say that Indonesia's US-backed security forces engage in "murder and abduction" Secret Files Show Kopassus, Indonesia’s Special Forces, Targets Papuan Churches, Civilians. Secret documents have leaked from inside Kopassus, Indonesia’s red berets, which say that... 

Senator Richard G. Lugar and a Pentagon delegation are on a tour of East Africa to assess American security concerns. The laboratories of Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animals, Industry and Fisheries sit on the top of a quiet hill on a turnoff near the airport, behind an eroded fence. At the end of a hallway is a room with an unlocked refrigerator. That is where... 

Georgia is experiencing a boom of plastic surgery. Women rushed to fix their noses, breasts and remove excess fat. Rhinoplasty is popular among men as well. European integration is strongly felt here: everyone wants to keep up with Western models of beauty. Yet, there are well-founded historical reasons why plastic surgery in Georgia is booming. After the collapse of... 

A remote weather station. Scientists have signed up to two new initiatives that aim to provide the media with accurate climate science information. Two initiatives will provide information for journalists as elections bring strong sceptic presence to new Congress. Hundreds of scientists have signed up to two new campaigns that seek to regain control of the message about... 

US team to inspect Kenya’s germ labs. Concerned about the threat of biological terrorism, a powerful US senator will lead a team of high-level Pentagon officials on an inspection tour of Kenyan germ laboratories next week. Richard Lugar, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will be accompanied by the director of the US Defence Department’s... 

Kushchevskaya Unidentified attackers armed with knives killed 12 people, including three children and a newborn, who had gathered Friday for a celebration at a home in a Russian village, authorities said. The attackers then tried to burn the bodies. The motive for the brazen killings in Kushchevskaya, a farming village of about 100 homes in the southern Krasnodar region,... 

Inspired: The Roman army pen knife, a precursor to today's popular Swiss Army accessory The world’s first Swiss Army knife’ has been revealed – made 1,800 years before its modern counterpart. An intricately designed Roman implement, which dates back to 200AD, it is made from silver but has an iron blade. It features a spoon, fork as well as a retractable... 

A survey to determine the number of unidentified corpses found by authorities in Colombia has returned a count of 10,084 so far, with more than half of the country’s municipalities yet to report their figures, reports El Espectador. The survey, which is being conducted by the Justice and Peace tribunal with the Prosecutor General’s Office, was distributed... 

Even the most law-abiding driver might feel a shiver down the spine when spotting this speed camera at the roadside. For as well as detecting speeding, it is packed with gizmos that check number plates to make sure insurance and tax are up to date. It also measures the distance between vehicles to spot tailgating and takes pictures of the inside of the car – to make...