NOKOR - NUCLEAR: South Korea's Yonhap news agency says North Korea has fired a
short-range missile off its east coast, the sixth time it has fired
missiles since Monday's nuclear test.
The move comes hours after Pyongyang vowed to take further
"self-defense measures" if provoked by the United Nations Security
Council. A statement released by the Foreign Ministry says "any hostile
action" by the Security Council will amount to a cancellation of the
1953 armistice that ended the Korean War.
SOUTH KOREA - ROH: Tens of thousands of mourners Friday paid their last respects at the funeral of former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun [PRON: NO MOO HYUHN], six days after he leaped to his death while being investigated in a corruption probe. Hundreds of prominent South Koreans, dressed in black, gathered for his multi-faith funeral at ancient Gyeongbok Palace, where Catholic nuns and Buddhist monks chanted prayers. Mr. Roh's former prime minister, Han Myung-sook, apologized for not protecting the late leader.
SRI LANKA: British newspaper The Times is reporting more than 20,000 civilians
were killed in the final push to end the rebellion in Sri Lanka.
Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Tamils were trapped in the war zone as
rebel Tamil Tigers and government forces battled around them. The Times
says its independent investigation, including aerial
photographs, official documents, witness accounts and expert testimony,
show more than 20,000 of these civilians were killed, mostly by
government forces.
AFGHANISTAN: The U.S. military said late Thursday joint U.S. and Afghan security
forces in Afghanistan killed 35 militants and wounded 13 others.
The military statement says an Afghan-led patrol in Zabul province was ambushed by militants early Thursday morning.
The soldiers returned fire and called in air strikes until the unhurt
militants retreated. The statement says the soldiers then gave medical
treatment to the wounded and took them into custody.
No coalition troops or civilians were reported to be hurt in the clash.
IRAN BLAST: Iran's official news agency says a suicide attack killed 19 people and
wounded 125 others at a Shi'ite mosque in Zahedan, the capital of
Sistan-Baluchistan province near Iran's border with Pakistan.
Provincial governor Ali-Mohammed Azad told the IRNA news agency the
bombing Thursday was a terrorist act, and that the government has
already arrested the perpetrators.
Azad said the bombers had been planning additional attacks. He said the
attacks were meant to destabilize the province as it prepares for June
12 presidential elections.
US - CYBERSPACE: U.S. President Barack Obama will unveil Friday his strategy to protect the nation's public and private computer networks from attacks. A major part of Mr. Obama's strategy will be the creation of a "cyber czar, " a senior White House official who will coordinate cybersecurity efforts with both the National Security Council and National Economic Council. The president is not expected to name the new cyber czar on Friday. Mr. Obama ordered a comprehensive 60-day review of the government's cybersecurity efforts shortly after taking office in January.
RUSSIA - US - WEAPONS: A massive plant designed to destroy two million chemical weapons opened Friday in Siberia. The plant, funded with more than a billion dollars from the U.S, is seen as a milestone in cooperation between Washington and Moscow in disarmament. U.S. Senator Richard Lugar says peace and prosperity for the U.S. and Russia depend on the two countries ensuring their weapons stockpiles are not used and do not fall into the wrong hands.
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