Will Beijing Respond to Clinton’s Wish List?

North Korea has a long history of communicating with the United States through provocation and brinksmanship, and it has played to type ahead of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s four-nation trip to Asia that began Sunday. In recent weeks, Pyongyang has annulled its maritime border with South Korea, renounced the nonaggression agreement between the two countries, and moved missiles and equipment around in ways that could signal preparations for a launch, according to U.S. officials.

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Virgin Atlantic passenger’s "culinary journey of hell"

A six-page rant to Virgin Atlantic’s Sir Richard Branson about a woeful in-flight meal attracted so much attention on the Internet that it was rumored to be a clever marketing stunt. The author was reported to be Oliver Beale, a 29 year old art director who works at a London advertising agency. Both he and Virgin have insisted the letter, described as possibly “the world’s best passenger complaint,” is authentic

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Dead rodents, excrement in peanut processor lead to recall

The Texas Department of State Health Services on Thursday ordered the recall of all products ever shipped from the Peanut Corporation of America’s plant in Plainview, Texas, after discovering dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in the plant. The order, which applies to products shipped since the plant opened nearly four years ago, came a day after the discovery of filth in a crawl space above a production area during a health services inspection, Texas Health Department Press Officer Doug McBride told CNN in a telephone interview. The plant’s ventilation system pulled debris “from the infested crawl space into production areas of the plant resulting in the adulteration of exposed food products,” a health department news release said.

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In-flight food: Heaven or hell on a tray?

The "crime scene cookies", "baaji custard" and "sponge shafts" depicted in Oliver Beale’s letter of complaint to Virgin Atlantic struck a chord worldwide. The missive he sent to Virgin chairman Sir Richard Branson about a meal he received on board a Virgin flight from Mumbai to London in December spread across the web and email with a vengeance. Not only was this a complaint letter par excellence, but it hit upon one of the most emotive subjects of long-haul air travel: the in-flight meal

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