18 April 2013 Last updated at 08:04 GMT
Michael Jansen
April 18, 2013 - 11:18AM
Young entrepreneurs converge for the West Bank's premier start-up conference.
A campaign to stamp out the spreading of rumours in Bayelsa, the home state of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, is now underway.
Many casualties in Texas Waco fertiliser plant blast
Scores of people are injured and an unknown number are dead after a huge explosion at a fertiliser plant near Waco in the US state of Texas.
Dozens of homes and buildings have been destroyed, and several are still on fire, after the West Fertilizer plant exploded at about 19:50 (00:50 GMT).
Some people are thought still to be trapped in buildings and a number of firefighters are reported missing.
Emergency services officials said ammonia may have caused the explosion.
It has been reported the company had 54,000lbs (20 tonnes) of anhydrous ammonia on site.
Cypriots believe German envy of their lifestyle may have driven ‘bail-in’ terms
Quality of life is a tricky concept. But household wealth is a waving red flag
Michael Jansen
Classically educated Greek Cypriots compare the European financial aid package to the Ides of March 44 BC murder of Julius Caesar by his former friends. Cypriots feel wounded and outraged and, at the same time, confused and disappointed. After all,Cyprus held the EU presidency – as Caesar occupied the consulship – just before being stabbed in the back.
Cypriots blame their politicians, notably clueless president Demetris Christofias and ministers of the former communist government, and greedy bankers, for exposing citizens to the loss of hard-saved deposits and predict the collapse of the economy.
But, above all, Cypriots accuse Eurogroup northerners of ambushing southern Cyprus with a regime that is more bail-in than bailout while imposing harsh austerity measures on a shrinking economy that needs stimulus rather than retrenchment.
NORTH KOREA
North Korea sets conditions for talks with US, South Korea
North Korea has laid out conditions for talks with the US and Seoul following weeks of escalating tensions. It’s demanded that all sanctions against it are dropped and the US and South Korea cease 'acts of aggression.'
North Korea aired its demands on Thursday in a statement carried by the nation's official KCNA news agency.
"If the United States and the puppet South have the slightest desire to avoid the sledge-hammer blow of our army and the people ... and truly wish dialogue and negotiations, they must make the resolute decision," the North's National Defense Commission said.
April 18, 2013 - 11:18AM
Daniela Berretta
Young entrepreneurs converge for the West Bank's premier start-up conference.
Palestinians are turning to their fledgling high-tech sector as they lay the groundwork for a future state, saying the unique hardships of life in the West Bank have fostered a creative spirit conducive to the world of start-ups.
Dozens of high-tech hopefuls recently competed for the honour of having the best business idea at the West Bank's premier start-up conference. Just a few kilometres away, Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli security forces at a military checkpoint on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
All you need is a brain, a computer and an internet connection.
Despite the unrest nearby, the scene at the conference was more reminiscent of Silicon Valley. Casually dressed young men and women in head scarves and skinny jeans gathered in groups to discuss ideas for innovative products and services.
Nigerian state launches anti-rumour campaign
A campaign to stamp out the spreading of rumours in Bayelsa, the home state of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, is now underway.
Billboards have been erected around town and a committee has been named. Current Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has opted for a 13-member committee, called the public information management committee.
While it may seem odd that the state, located in the country's oil-producing Niger Delta region and with an impoverished population, has decided to spend energy and resources on stopping rumours, there is precedent.
The previous Bayelsa governor had a special assistant on propaganda and rumour management, his spokesperson Doifie Ola said.
"That points to the fact that rumours were a problem," Tarinyo Akono, a member of the committee who also works for the state information ministry, said of the previous government's decision to have an adviser on rumours.
Are some Mexican cartels aiming for a more peaceful coexistence?
Violence has dropped overall in Mexico's Baja California state due to both government efforts and an uneasy peace between rival criminal organizations.
In one indication that the Sinaloa Cartel may be wary of attracting federal government attention back toTijuana, one of the cartel's top leaders reportedly told other criminal bosses to keep homicide levels low inBaja California state. The message seems to fit a pattern in which there may be a move towards a more peaceful coexistence in some traditionally critical hotspots.
According to a new report by Zeta magazine, one of the Sinaloa Cartel's top leaders, Ismael Zambada Garcia, alias "El Mayo," issued a warning to at least eight sub-commanders responsible for overseeing drug trafficking operations in Baja California to "stopheating up the plaza" – that is, clamp down on homicides that could be disrupting the international drug trade and attracting too much of the government's attention.
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