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UK fighters escort Pakistan plane to airport; two arrested

LONDON - British fighter jets escorted a Pakistan International Airlines passenger plane to Stansted Airport near London on Friday, where police went on board and arrested two men on suspicion of endangering an aircraft.

Gold faces more pressure as inflation stays tame 8:14pm IST

LONDON - Gold prices are looking even more vulnerable after April's price crash, as rampant inflation expected from successive rounds of monetary easing fails to materialise.

A sculpture is pictured in front of a flag at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne March 18, 2008. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

IOC sets Sept 1 deadline for India elections

The International Olympic Committee has set India a September 1 deadline for a new election to facilitate the country's return to the Olympic fold.  Full Article 

Children run away after an explosion in Kabul May 24, 2013. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

Several blasts, shooting witnessed in Kabul

Several large explosions rocked a busy area in the centre of the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Friday with Reuters witnesses describing shooting in the area. There were at least four blasts interspersed by heavy shooting, a Reuters witness said.  Full Article 

A North Korean national flag is seen on the top of its embassy in Beijing December 12, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Lee/Files

N.Korea says will take "positive steps" for peace

A North Korean envoy told China's president on Friday that his reclusive country was willing to take "positive actions" to ensure peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, as China steps up diplomatic efforts to bring Pyongyang back to talks.  Full Article 

Flying car for the masses set for take-off
Science

Flying car for the masses set for take-off

New England aviation company Terrafugia has unveiled its latest conceptual version of a flying car. Unlike its current flying car, which is designed for pilots, the new design incorporates autonomous functionality, a move the company says will open up the skies to everybody. Terrafugia is already testing a flying car prototype called the Transition.  Video 

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Market Pulse

OPINION

James Saft

Revenge of the markets

For months, markets have been dancing to central bankers' tune, but that may now be changing. It must have been fun to be a central banker in the early part of 2013. That seems to have ended rather abruptly in the 24 hours beginning with the Bank of Japan's disappointing response to bond market volatility and including Ben Bernanke's anodyne but market-roiling comments on Wednesday on the possibility of a policy taper.  Full Article 

Anatole Kaletsky

The many interpretations of Ben Bernanke

The reaction to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's tediously familiar statement, and release of the equally repetitive minutes of the last Fed meeting, was some of the wildest gyrations seen in the world’s financial markets for months. Why did the financial world react in this manic-depressive way to a statement that was bland and predictable?  Commentary 

David Rohde

Prosperity without power

In Moscow, they are “non-Soviet Russians.” In New Delhi, they are a “political Goliath” that may soon awake. In Beijing and Sao Paolo, they are lawyers and other professionals who complain about glacial government bureaucracies and endemic graft. Across the BRIC nations, frustrated members of the middle class are demanding change, but traditional power holders remain entrenched.  Commentary 

Breakingviews

Andy Mukherjee

Blame Japan’s debt on companies, not the state

Japan’s government is up to its neck in debt. That, however, is not because the government has been overly profligate, but because Japanese companies have been deleveraging for a long time. If Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policies revive private investment, the government’s track record suggests it will tighten its belt.  Full Article 

Bollywood fashion at Cannes

Bollywood fashion at Cannes

Remember fashion’s golden rule: you are what you wear. The Bollywood brigade at this year's Cannes Film Festival may seem a bit like the contestants in the national costume round of a beauty pageant. Keeping their identity intact while representing their country on an international platform is praiseworthy, but is it making a fashion statement?  Blog 

Beckham's final 81st minute

Beckham's final 81st minute

In his last match as a professional footballer, Beckham did everything to be a key player on the pitch. Thanks to him his team was able to score. However, there was something different this time. You could see his desperation to score, a need to shine, and an attempt to make those final minutes on the pitch last as long as possible.  Full Article 

Decoding Assange