Reuters | Police spokesman said the blast was probably caused by gas.

timesofisrael.com | Republican and Democratic lawmakers are proposing to step up sanctions against North Korea by punishing companies, banks and governments.

Reuters | More than 160 people have been killed since Tuesday, when troops stormed a Sunni protest camp.

The Guardian | One nurse and two patients the only known survivors of blaze caused by short circuit at psychiatric facility, authorities say.

Daily Mail | Mother had allegedly approved of the cult sacrifice of her child.

BBC | Although there was no sign of state sponsorship, “officials” claim plot supported by al-Qaeda in Iran.

Reuters | There was no immediate claim of responsibility; AQIM, al Qaeda’s north African arm, however, is suspect.

theglobeandmail.com | Harper government is using the Boston Marathon bombing to expedite the passage of a relatively slow-moving bill.

bbc.co.uk | Said that if terrorists seized anti-aircraft and chemical weapons they could be “game changers” in the region.

Paul Joseph Watson | Media continues to cover-up separate images showing private security employees with black backpacks at scene of blast.

IndiaTimes.com | Chinese military today for the first time deployed naval ships to patrol islands disputed with Tokyo in the East China Sea.

Rajeh Saeed | Marks a remarkable development in the modus operandi of armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda.

Laura Smith-Spark | Security plans for the London Marathon this weekend are being reassessed.

edition.cnn.com | North Korea is raising the temperature on its neighbors.

military.com | Syrian forces battled rebels in the central province of Homs near the border with Lebanon on Friday.

AFP | Brazil’s northwestern state of Acre declared a “social emergency” yesterday.

London Telegraph | Helmut Kohl, Germany’s former chancellor, has admitted that he acted like a “dictator” to bring in the single currency to the country, otherwise he “would have lost” had he held a referendum.

The Telegraph | Police officers were injured and arrests were made as hundreds held parties “celebrating” the death of Margaret Thatcher.

rian.ru | Escalation of tension in the region could lead to a nuclear disaster far worse than the Chernobyl incident.

Sky News | Britain’s first and only female prime minister Margaret Thatcher dies peacefully at the Ritz at the age of 87.

Reuters | Presidential contender Henrique Capriles responds, “Anyone who threatens the people, who tells the people a curse can fall on them, has no right to govern this country.”

Daily Mail | Whitehall admitted waste from recycling bins is being shipped to countries including China, India and Indonesia, where much of it ends up in landfill.

Reuters | No immediate reports of damage.

TheAge.com.au | Hackers apparently broke into at least two of North Korea’s government-run websites on Thursday.

The Epoch Times | Death toll rises to five among 14 confirmed cases in China.

Sky News | At least 52 people have drowned in their homes and cars, or were electrocuted as floods swamped Buenos Aires.

rt.com | The holiest Jewish site in Syria – the 2,000-year-old Jobar Synagogue in Damascus – has been looted and burned.

nytimes.com | Kim Jong-un said his nuclear weapons were not a bargaining chip and called for expanding country’s nuclear arsenal.

Paul Joseph Watson | Henry Kissinger jokes about keeping people guessing location of secretive confab.

en.rian.ru | Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered snap drills on Thursday.

zerohedge.com | Anastasiades’ said that no one, including himself, will be exempt from the ongoing investigations.

London Guardian | Cypriot finance officials say initial losses will be 37.5%, but up to 22.5% more could be taken if bank needs further capitalisation.

Yves Smith | Economy will simply fail at even basic functions.

AFP | Sacked employees at a French greetings card company were told they would not get their dues.

The Guardian | Woman has been charged with murders of seven patients, but authorities warn that number of victims may be far higher.

The Peninsula Qatar | Raids follow Putin’s signature of law that labelled Russian political organisations with Western funding as “foreign agents.”

Daily Mail | State prosecutors agree to investigate official’s links to organized crime.

New York Post | Dramatic video posted online shows a man being swallowed by a sinkhole in real time.

FoxNews.com | Islamic hard-liners stormed a mosque in suburban Cairo, turning it into torture chamber for Christians.

PanArmenian.net | No explanation has been given of why the demand has been made.

CNS News | As of today, according to both a senior administration official and a State Department spokesperson, this U.S. citizen remains imprisoned in post-Qaddafi Libya.

BBC | Regional tension remains high after the North’s third nuclear test last month.

BBC | Although a handover ceremony took place last September, US forces remained at the prison pending a deal over the fate of certain prisoners.

Economic Collapse | If you still have money in European banks, you need to get it out.

Reuters | Riot police used tear gas to disperse street demonstrations by sympathizers trying to block the eviction.

Sky News | The body of the exiled critic of the Russian government is discovered in his bath amid reports that he killed himself.

The Independent | Putin: “We are working together, helping to shape a new, more just world order, ensure peace and security, defend basic principles of international law.”

stratrisks.com | Brotherhood and Jam’a al-Islamiya have announced their intention to set up a joint civilian police force with other Islamists.

Economic Collapse | It is now being reported that Cyprus Popular Bank only has “enough liquidity to cover the next few hours”.

Lew Rockwell Blog | The US government has taken it upon itself to choose a new leader for Syria.