In the famously opaque world of North Korean politics, the ongoing leadership transition is in some ways proving more dagger than cloak with reports of executions and purges of top military officials in recent days.
Danish-Agent-Awlaki
Morten Storm, a Danish double agent who says he worked with the CIA and Danish intelligence to track down American-born al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, says the Danish intelligence agency PET tried to buy his silence after he stopped working for them earlier this year.
Nigeria-Facebook-murder-Cynthia-Osokogu
Cynthia Osokogu had it all: Beauty -- she was a former model -- intelligence and business savvy. She also modeled herself on her idol, Tyra Banks, and was emerging as a successful businesswoman. On July 21 this year, Osokogu traveled to Lagos from the country's capital Abuja, ostensibly, to meet with retailers whom she thought might be able to offer her better prices on clothes and accessories for her fashion boutique. After landing, she called her mother to tell her that she had arrived safely. But Cynthia never made it to the meetings because there weren't any. She was found strangled to death in her hotel room the next morning.
Wikileaks-Assange
Four months holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London has been "a little like living in a space station" but beats prison, fugitive WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Thursday.
US-Libya-Benghazi (also see COMMENTARY-Maller-CIA-Benghazi)
The often fiercely political debate over who knew what -- and when -- about the September 11 assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi has taken another turn with the disclosure of a series of e-mails sent from the State Department on the night of the attack.
UK-Pakistan-Teen-Activist (also see COMMENTARY-Sheppard-malala-schools)
Hospitalized and at times unconscious and breathing through a tube, Pakistani teen activist Malala Yousufzai has been without her parents for days. On Thursday, that's expected to change when she's reunited with her father and mother at a British hospital.
Sweden-US-Royal-Engagement
Sweden's royals will soon be welcoming an American into the family, after the royal court announced Thursday the engagement of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill, a wealthy New York financier.
China-Air-Quality-Disclosure
Several Chinese cities have shown improvements with air quality information -- a politically-sensitive issue in China -- but improvements are still needed, according to a Beijing-based non-profit environmental group.
China-Sensata-Bain-Jobs
At Chinese factory run by Bain subsidiary, workers favor economics over politics.
Myanmar-Unrest
More than 1,000 homes have been set ablaze amid sectarian clashes between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's volatile west as security forces struggle to bring some semblance of order to the countryside.
Olympic-medals-theft-london
Police have arrested a man over the theft of two Olympic bronze medals from a London nightclub, which occurred shortly after the athletes attended a reception with Britain's queen.
SPORT-Tennis-Azarenka-Serena-Nadal
She might be the hottest female player on the planet but Victoria Azarenka seemed powerless to arrest her miserable run of form against Serena Williams at the WTA Championships in Turkey.
SPORT-Football-Europa-Liverpool-Inter
A goal from Liverpool's forgotten man Stewart Downing helped Brendan Rodgers' side beat Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala in the Europa League and go top of Group A.
SPORT-Cycling-Armstrong-Doping-LeMond
Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond has told International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid to resign, accusing the Irishman of "abusing his power."
SPORT-chandhok-indian-grand-prix-f1motorsport
India may have hosted its first Formula One grand prix in 2011, but the sport's future on the sub-continent could be bleak according to one senior official.
SPORT-woods-mcilroy-china-golf
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods warmed up for their much-anticipated showdown in China next week by carding five-under-par opening rounds of 65 in separate Asian events on Thursday.
U.S.A.
New-York-Officer-Cannibalism
A New York City police officer accused of conspiring to kidnap, rape, torture and cook a number of women and eat their body parts has been arrested and charged in the case, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan said Thursday.
New-York-Douglas-Kennedy-Case
Timothy Haydock, an emergency room physician and Kennedy family friend, took the stand Thursday in the trial of the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy.
Colorado-Ridgeway-Suspect
His stare stayed with them for days.The cold, harsh way he looked at them. The unease they just couldn't shake off when he did. So, when Austin Reed Sigg was arrested Tuesday night, accused of strangling 10 -year-old Jessica Ridgeway, dismembering her and placing her body parts under the two-story home where he lived, many of the girls in that Denver suburb weren't shocked.
Texas-Chemical-Leak
A toxic cloud that formed after 300 gallons of hydrochloric acid leaked at a southeast Texas storage facility sent nine people to the hospital and forced thousands of residents indoors, an emergency management official said Thursday.
