Human waste left by climbers on Mount Everest has become a problem that is causing pollution and threatening to spread disease on the world's highest peak, the chief of Nepal's mountaineering association said today.
	The more than 700 climbers and guides who spend nearly two months on Everest's slopes each climbing season leave large amounts of feces and urine, and the issue has not been addressed, Ang Tshering told reporters.
	He said Nepal's government needs to get the climbers to dispose of the waste properly so the mountain remains pristine.
	Hundreds of foreign climbers attempt to scale Everest during Nepal's mountaineering season, which began this week and runs through May. Last year's season was canceled after 16 local guides were killed in an avalanche in April.
	Climbers spend weeks acclimatizing around the four camps set up between the base camp at 5,300 meters (17,380 feet) and the 8,850-meter-high (29,035-foot-high) summit. The camps have tents and some essential equipment 

Nepal official says human waste on Everest a major problem

PTI Automatic

At 656,000 pounds fully loaded and the length of six school buses, the Boeing 777-200ER is hard to miss.
	Yet nearly one year ago, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished, taking the lives of 239 passengers and crew in one of aviation's greatest mysteries.
	Live satellite tracking might have led searchers to the plane but it wasn't turned on for that trip. The flight was supposed to remain mostly over land, well within the coverage area of ground-based radar stations.
	Airlines and regulators spent the past year debating how much flight tracking is necessary, balancing the economic costs against reassuring travelers another plane won't disappear. Now a plan is moving forward that would require airlines, by the end of 2016, to know their jets' positions every 15 minutes.
	It's not the constant measures first proposed by safety advocates after Flight 370 disappeared and it's questionable if they would prevent another such loss.
	But it could make for quicker recovery of a missing aircraft 

Airlines move to better track planes a year after Flight 370

A Filipino-British company says the Philippine government has ordered the suspension of all exploration at an offshore oil and gas field because of an ongoing territorial dispute with China.
	The oil and gas exploration and production company Forum Energy Plc says the Department of Energy has instructed it to halt all exploration work in its contracted area at Reed Bank in the South China Sea off the western Philippine province of Palawan.
	It said in a statement today that the area is subject to a UN arbitration case filed by the Philippines over China's rival claim to the territory.
	Forum is majority-owned by Philippine company Philex Petroleum Corp. Philex said last year that the project has not attracted other investors because of concerns about offending China.

Philippines suspends oil, gas exploration in disputed waters

Mourners and dignitaries filed past the white-lined coffin of slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov today, paying last respects to one of the most prominent figures of Russia's beleaguered opposition.
	Nemtsov was shot to death late Friday while walking on a bridge near the Kremlin with a companion. No suspects have been arrested.
	The killing has deeply shaken Russia's small and marginalized opposition movement. Many opposition supporters suspect the killing was ordered by the Kremlin in retaliation for his ardent criticism of President Vladimir Putin, while authorities have suggested several possible motives including a provocation aimed at tarnishing Putin's image.
	Nemtsov's body lay in a coffin in the Sakharov Center in central Moscow, named after the late Soviet-era dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov.
	Among those who viewed him were US Ambassador John Tefft and former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who has gone into opposition. Russian deputy prime ...

Mourners view body of slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov

Two young men who built a mysterious tunnel in Toronto had no criminal intent, police has said.
	They just wanted a man cave.
	Const Victor Kwong said yesterday tips from the public helped them identify the two men in their 20s responsible for building the underground chamber near a Pan Am Games venue.
	News of the tunnel's discovery set off a social media frenzy, with theories of its purpose ranging from zombie hide outs to affordable housing.
	Kwong said the two men just wanted to have fun and there was never any danger to public safety.
	"It was a place for them to hang out. They started out as goal to make a cool place and that's what they did," Kwong said.
	He said investigators checked out their explanation and the case is now closed. He said the men will not be charged, though they could face a fine.
	The bunker, discovered in January by a conservation officer in a densely wooded area, is located 25 meters from the fence of the Rexall Centre, which is to host tennis events for .

Toronto Police: men built mystery tunnel to use as man cave

After more than seven months behind bars in an Iranian prison, detained Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian has for the first time been allowed to hire a defense lawyer, according to his family.
	It's just not the attorney Rezaian's family had hoped for. The Iranian-American journalist's family had been seeking to hire lawyer Masoud Shafiei, who has had experience dealing with sensitive cases involving foreigners and previously represented three American hikers arrested by Iran in 2009.
	Ali Rezaian, the reporter's brother, told The Associated Press in an interview last month that Shafiei had been prevented from dropping off paperwork that Rezaian must sign to enlist his services - effectively making him unable to formally defend him.
	The judge overseeing the case set today deadline to present a defense attorney, giving the family little choice but to hire someone new.
	The family said in a statement that Shafiei "worked tirelessly under pressure from the judiciary" to seek ..

Reporter jailed in Iran gets lawyer after more than 7 months

Eurozone nations are negotiating a third bailout worth as much as 50 billion euros (USD 56 billion) for Greece, Spain's economy minister said today.
	But in a sign of the state of uncertainty surrounding the efforts to stabilise Greece's finances, the eurozone's top financial official denied the claim.
	Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said at a conference in the northeastern city of Pamplona that a new bailout would provide between 30 billion euros and 50 billion euros. Its "central scenario for Greece is a deal on the basis of the current bailout, and new conditions to be set with flexibility."
	"Greece will not leave the eurozone," the minister said, according to comments distributed to media outlets by his ministry. "That would not be good for Greece and for the eurozone."
	Soon after those comments, the spokeswoman for the leader of the Eurogroup, the gathering of eurozone finance ministers of which de Guindos is a member, said she was unaware of talks for a third ...

Spain: 3rd bailout for Greece being mulled for up to USD 56B

Britain's GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Switzerland's Novartis AG have completed a three-part deal that will offer the British company's shareholders a 4 billion pound (USD 6.17 billion) windfall.
	Under the complex arrangement that closed today, Novartis agreed to buy GSK's cancer drug business for USD 14.5 billion, plus up to USD 1.5 billion more if certain milestones are met.
	GSK agreed to buy most of Novartis' vaccines business for USD 5.25 billion, plus royalties of up to 1.8 billion, giving GSK better market position in the meningitis B vaccine portfolio.
	The deals were the latest in a string of mergers and acquisitions that have swept the industry as major players adjust to competition from generic drugs.
	GSK and Novartis also formed a consumer health care business in a joint venture.

GSK completes transaction with Novartis

Iran's official IRNA news agency says the powerful Revolutionary Guard has massively monitored activities on Facebook accounts of Iranian members of the social network.
	Today's report quotes a statement by the Guard's cyber security division as saying it has tracked "likes" by 8 million Facebook users.
	It accuses Facebook of trying to attract users to "immoral pages" with "obscene content" through its suggestion system. It says Facebook openly supports pages that violate the Islamic dress code for women.
	The Guard also says authorities detained two Iranian users of who were active in managing porn and creating fake profiles.
	Iran occasionally makes these announcements. It banned Facebook and many other social networks following the 2009 disputed presidential election.
	Many Iranians have still access to the networks through proxies and VPNs.

Iran's Guard monitored 8 million Facebook users

Lost that charger again for your cellphone or tablet? Hate sorting heaps of wires to charge various devices?
	Swedish retailer IKEA might just have the answer - furniture with built-in charging spots, including in bedside tables, lamps and desks.
	The new collection will be available in Europe and North America from next month, followed by global distribution.
	Jeanette Skjelmose, manager of the lighting and wireless charging sector, said Monday Ikea aims to make life at home simpler because "we know that people hate cable mess."
	The new furniture uses the Qi wireless charging standard, found in some Windows and Android phones, including the new Samsung Galaxy S6 expected to be launched soon.
	Ikea said it will also provide special charging covers for iPhones and older Samsung Galaxies.

Ikea launches furniture with inbuilt wireless chargers

Tom Brokaw is sharing the news about his battle with cancer. The former NBC anchor has a memoir coming out May 12, Random House announced today. The book is called "A Lucky Life Interrupted," and will draw upon a journal that Brokaw began keeping in 2013 after learning he had multiple myeloma.
	Brokaw, 75, said in a statement issued through Random House that he hoped his book would "help others dealing with this unwelcome condition."
	Brokaw's previous books include the best-selling "The Greatest Generation" and "A Long Way From Home: Growing Up in the American Heartland in the Forties and Fifties.

Brokaw memoir about his battle with cancer coming in May

The latest video from Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamic extremist group shows the bodies of two beheaded men accused of spying, and copies some of the hallmarks of propaganda from the Islamic State group.
	The SITE intelligence group said the video called "Harvest of Spies" was posted Monday on Twitter by Boko Haram's new media arm. The video is much slicker than previous ones and SITE said it borrows certain elements from IS productions, such as the sound of a beating heart and heavy breathing immediately before the execution.
	Boko Haram has said in social media messages last month that it is considering swearing allegiance to IS.
	Today's video shows a man identified as Dawoud Muhammad of Baga city on his knees in the bush before several armed and masked fighters. In response to questions, Muhammad says a police officer paid him 5,000 naira to spy and promised to make him so rich he would never have to farm again. The other man is identified as Muhammad Awlu.
	The video does not show ...

Boko Haram video shows 2 beheaded men accused of spying

The head of the US diplomatic mission in Caracas had a rare meeting today with Venezuela's foreign minister amid rising tensions between the two countries.
	President Nicolas Maduro announced over the weekend that the government had detained American spies and would be taking steps to shrink the US Embassy staff.
	In its announcement of today's meeting with Foreign Relations Minister Delcy Rodriguez, the Venezuelan government twice misspelled the name of US Charge d'Affaires Lee McClenny as "Clenny."
	Maduro regularly rails against the US for meddling in his country's affairs, and has taken to leading weekly chants of "Gringo, go home." The US has not exchanged ambassadors with the socialist South American country since 2010.
	On Saturday, he laid out a series of measures against US diplomats and tourists, including a promise to limit the number of US diplomats and impose a tourist visa requirement.
	Meanwhile, four North Dakota missionaries detained and then deported from Venezuela ..

US, Venezuelan officials meet amid rising diplomatic tension

Turkey's state-run news agency says a journalist has been arrested pending trial for his alleged role in a conspiracy against military officers who were convicted in 2012 of plotting to overthrow the government.
	Anadolu Agency says a court today ordered Mehmet Baransu jailed as part of an investigation into allegations that the military officers were framed by followers of a US-based Muslim cleric, a former ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has now turned into a government foe.
	In 2010, Baransu's Taraf newspaper published what it said was evidence showing that officers plotted against the government in 2003. Baransu later provided a suitcase-load of documents to prosecutors, including CDs that purported to prove the coup plans.
	The officers had long claimed that the evidence was fabricated.

Turkish journalist arrested for 'framing' military officers

Two airplane catastrophes put Malaysia on the map in a bad way in 2014. But they didn't hurt the country's tourism, and the higher visibility may even have helped: visitor numbers had their strongest growth in years.
	For the past decade, Malaysia has run an elaborate campaign to market itself abroad as an ideal Asian destination, touting a multiethnic culture, lush rainforests and pristine beaches.
	Despite the effort to internationalise, its tourism industry still relies heavily on tightly-packed neighboring Singapore and in a renewed push the government had designated 2014 as "Visit Malaysia Year."
	So when Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing with 239 people on board en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, it put the global spotlight on Malaysia and seemingly dealt a blow to its tourism strategy.
	A double whammy came four months later when a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
	Tourism, however, grew 

Tourism thrives in Malaysia despite association with tragedy

A photojournalist who was arrested for mocking Myanmar's leaders on Facebook has been freed.
	Aung Nay Myo expressed relief after walking out of Monywa prison today, saying the charges against him were dropped and police returned his seized computer and phones.
	Police arrested the freelancer last week, saying he would be charged with the 1950 Emergency Provision Act which carries a maximum seven years in prison.
	The case involved a post on Facebook satirizing President Thein Sein, who has led the country's nominally civilian government for four years.
	At least nine journalists and several publishers and media owners are serving prison sentences from two to seven years and nearly a dozen others are facing charges, undermining modest advances in media freedoms in Myanmar since a half-century of military rule ended.

Journalist jailed for online post freed from Myanmar prison

An Afghan official says two roadside bombings have killed at least eight civilians, including women and children, in the country's east.
	Hazrat Hussain Mashreqiwal, spokesman for the police chief in Nangarhar province, said at least six civilians, including two women and two children, were killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb that wounded another two civilians.
	He says two students were killed in a separate bombing that wounded a third civilian. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
	Taliban insurgents frequently target the army and police with roadside bombs, which have also taken a heavy toll on civilians.

Roadside bombs kill 8 civilians in Afghanistan

A NASA spacecraft is preparing to rendezvous with the largest object in the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter.
	The Dawn craft is on target to slip into orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres on Friday after a three-year journey. It'll be the second stop for Dawn, which earlier visited the asteroid Vesta.
	Dawn has been snapping pictures of Ceres as it nears the object. Sharper images are expected in the coming months as Dawn spirals closer to Ceres' surface.
	Launched in 2007 and powered by ion propulsion, Dawn is the first craft to target two space rocks to learn about the solar system's evolution.
	Dawn studied Vesta, the second massive object in the asteroid belt, from 2011 to 2012 and beamed back more than 30,000 images.

NASA spacecraft nearing its second stop _ dwarf planet Ceres

Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry says that its diplomat who was abducted by alleged al-Qaida militants in Yemen has been released after nearly three years in captivity.
	The ministry said in a statement today that efforts made by the kingdom's intelligence agency led to the release of Abdullah al-Khalidi, who is now at the Saudi consulate in Yemen's city of Aden. The statement said he will undergo medical tests and be reunited with his family soon.
	Saudi Arabia says the diplomat was abducted in Aden in March 2012 by al-Qaida militants. The statement did not disclose further details surrounding how al-Khalidi was released.

Saudi diplomat taken by al-Qaida in Yemen free after 3 years

More than 6,000 people have died in eastern Ukraine since the start of the conflict almost a year ago that has led to a "merciless devastation of civilian lives and infrastructure," the UN human rights office said today.
	Hundreds of civilians and military personnel have been killed in recent weeks alone after an upswing in fighting particularly near Donetsk airport and in the Debaltseve area, the Geneva-based body said in a report covering the period from December to February.
	The strategic railroad town of Debaltseve was captured from Ukrainian government forces last month by pro-Russian separatists.
	While Russia denies its troops are fighting in Ukraine, the UN cited "credible reports (that) indicate a continuing flow of heavy weaponry and foreign fighters" from Russia.
	"This has sustained and enhanced the capacity of armed groups of the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk people's republic' and 'Luhansk people's republic' to resist Government armed forces and to launch new offensives in ..

UN rights office: Death toll in eastern Ukraine passes 6,000

The Afghan army is waging its largest-ever solo offensive against the Taliban, hoping to strike a decisive blow ahead of the spring fighting season and prove it can rout the insurgents without the aid of US and NATO combat troops.
	Afghan troops have been slowly pushing up through a fertile river valley in the southern Helmand province, with special forces mounting nighttime helicopter raids into mud brick compounds and ground troops gradually advancing across the poppy fields that in past years have furnished the insurgents' main cash crop.
	US and British troops suffered some of their biggest losses of the decade-long war here, seizing territory that was later lost by ill-equipped and poorly trained Afghan forces.
	Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has vowed to break the grim cycle, and the latest offensive is widely seen as a test for his efforts to overhaul the army and police since taking office in September.
	Ghani was personally involved in planning the operation, which is ...

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