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A Big Battle Over A Tiny Isle In The Nile

Credit Nasser Nasser / AP

An Egyptian farmer drinks tea near his home on Qursaya island, in the Nile River, next to Cairo, in January. The Egyptian military says it is the registered owner of the island's land, a claim disputed by the farmers and fishermen who live there.

Credit Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters /Landov

The 70 acres of Qursaya island are largely agricultural. Residents are now fighting the government, which has sold the land to an investor for a tourism project.

By Merrit Kennedy

Originally published on Sat March 9, 2013 8:18 am

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It's not easy to get to Qursaya island, a tiny bit of land in the middle of the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt's capital. You have to take a boat from the riverbank. There are no cars on the island, and it's only had running water for a few years.

It's a quiet 70-acre patch of agricultural land amid a megacity, where mooing cows provide the soundtrack, and farmers and fishermen have lived for generations.

But not all is as bucolic as it seems: The island is at the heart of a yearslong legal battle between those farmers and the government.

5:39 am

Sat March 9, 2013

How Credible Are North Korea's Threats?

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Credit Pedro Ugarte / AFP/Getty Images

North Korea's rhetoric has been particularly aggressive recently, but analysts say it remains difficult to gauge the country's intentions and its military capabilities.

Credit STR / STR/AFP/Getty Images

A North Korean missile unit takes part in a 2007 military parade.

By Scott Neuman

Originally published on Wed March 13, 2013 8:18 am

When it comes to talking a big game, no one does it better than the North Koreans.

Just this week, Pyongyang vowed to turn Seoul, the capital of archrival South Korea, into a "sea of fire," promised to launch a "pre-emptive strike on the headquarters of the aggressors" (read: the United States) and called on its army to "annihilate the enemy."

5:02 am

Sat March 9, 2013

With Hagel In Afghanistan, Explosion Hits Near Defense Ministry

Credit Massoud Hossaini / AFP/Getty Images

Afghanistan National Army soldiers and security personnel walk at the site of a suicide attack next to the Ministry of Defense main gate in Kabul on Saturday.

By Dana Farrington

Originally published on Sat March 9, 2013 2:38 pm

A bomb exploded near the Defense Ministry in Kabul on Saturday morning as U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was visiting in Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility, calling it a message to the new Pentagon chief.

Update At 10:49 a.m. ET: Hagel Not Surprised

Hagel was nowhere near the attack, but the AP reports he heard the blast:

6:14 pm

Fri March 8, 2013

French Mother On Trial For Sending Her Son, Jihad, To School With 'Bomb' Shirt

Credit Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP/Getty Images

Bouchra Bagour, left, leaves a court house with her lawyer Gaelle Genoun.

By Eyder Peralta

A French mother was in court Wednesday for what she says was a simple birthday celebration but what the government alleges is a clear provocation, an allusion to terrorism.

The BBC reports that Bouchra Bagour, 35, has been charged with "glorifying crime" after she sent her three-year-old son — named Jihad — to school wearing a T-shirt that read "I am a bomb" and "Born on 11 September."

The BBC adds:

6:07 pm

Fri March 8, 2013

'World's Best Restaurant' Blamed For 67 Diners' Illnesses

Credit Keld Navntoft / AFP/Getty Images

The famed Noma restaurant in Copenhagen has been blamed for more than 60 of its diners falling ill. Investigators say an illness spread from the staff to the customers.

By Bill Chappell

Originally published on Tue March 12, 2013 12:12 pm

Noma, the Danish eatery that has won fans with its innovative approach to Nordic cuisine, and won Restaurant magazine's "World's Best Restaurant" title the past three years, is getting some unwelcome press, after dozens of people who ate at the Copenhagen restaurant fell sick.

Update: Monday, March 11

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