Tobacco industry turns to top court over rules

India's tobacco industry has sought to delay strict new health warning rules by appealing to the country's highest court, a move anti-smoking activists said could backfire given that the court has ruled against cigarette makers in the past.

DPRK's attempt to launch ballistic missile 'a failure'

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Friday attempted to launch what is believed to have been a mobile ballistic missile into its eastern waters early in the morning, but the attempt appeared to have failed, the Republic of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Sniffer dogs only good at finding sausages, not drugs

A team of sniffer dogs set up at an airport the United Kingdom at a cost of $1.7 million have proved adept at discovering small amounts of cheese and sausages but not so good at finding smuggled drugs, a report said on Thursday.

IN BRIEF (Page 9)

Ruling party reels from shock of poll defeat

Electorate displeased with economy as relations with Pyongyang shows little influence

Zika confirmed as cause of birth defects

After several weeks of study and debate, US health officials concluded that infection with the Zika virus during pregnancy causes the birth defect microcephaly, a finding that experts hope will refocus attention on efforts to stop infections and prompt US lawmakers to fund emergency prevention efforts.

Russian jets' flyby near US warship stirs Washington

Russian aircraft that flew within meters of a US warship in international waters of the Baltic Sea was observing all required safety measures, Russia's defense ministry said on Thursday, expressing surprise at the "sore reaction" from Washington.

Delhi's street children on the beat with hard-hitting newspaper

As one of New Delhi's thousands of street children, Jyoti Kumari knows more than most about the goings on in the Indian capital's desperate and sometimes brutal underbelly.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Warriors now three wins from history

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors reached a milestone that only Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls have achieved in the history of the NBA.

Masterful show from 'flawless' Spieth

Jordan Spieth picked up where he left off 12 months ago with a flawless opening 66 on Thursday, boosting his hopes of becoming just the fourth man to successfully defend the Masters crown.

Baptism of fire for China's Jin

Chinese amateur Jin Cheng found his love affair with Augusta National sorely tested in Thursday's first round as he struggled to a 7-over 79.