Bolivian President Evo Morales says the government is taking over the Spanish-owned power company and he ordered the army to seize control of the electricity grid.

Mr. Morales said Tuesday Spain's Red Electrica company's investment in Bolivia was inadequate. He also said the government should be responsible for generating electricity.

Mr. Morales did not say how the Bolivian government would compensate the Spanish company. Its Bolivian assets were responsible for less than 3 percent of its 2011 revenue.

For several years, the greatest desire in my professional life has been to put my boots on the ground in Afghanistan. I have been a reader of SOF magazine for more than 30 years. During that time, there have been innumerable stories about Afghanistan and the various adventures of hearty men who have traversed its mountain passes. I always wanted to see it for myself.

Two German analysts say ballistic missiles unveiled in a North Korean military parade earlier this month were clumsy fakes.

In a paper titled, "A Dog And Pony Show," Markus Schiller and Robert Schmucker of Germany's Schmucker Technologie wrote that the six intercontinental ballistic missiles carried on mobile launchers in the April 15 parade were all bad mock-ups.

West African heads of state and government are scheduled to hold an extraordinary summit Thursday, aimed at finding solutions to the crises in Guinea Bissau and Mali.

Sonny Ugoh, the communications director for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said the leaders will review strategies to best respond to what he called the recent unfortunate situations in both Mali and Guinea Bissau.

The leaders will meet in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, Abidjan.

Pakistan's military said it successfully test-fired an upgraded Shaheen-1 missile Wednesday. The Shaheen-1 is capable of hitting targets in India with a nuclear weapon, and this upgraded version is thought to have an even longer reach.

The missile test comes less than a week after India claimed it successfully test-fired a new missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead as far as Beijing. Indian officials said that test launch showed it had joined the ranks of the world's missile powers.

North Korea's army marked its 80th anniversary Wednesday with a vow to retaliate against what its chief of staff terms the traitors in the South. The remarks are the latest in a series of harsh threats directed at Seoul in recent weeks.

North Korea's provocations

North Korea is boasting of “powerful, modern weapons” that can defeat in a single blow the United States, which it accuses of plotting a war against it.

Chief of general staff, Ri Yong Ho, gave no further details about the weaponry in his speech to mark the North Korean army's 80th anniversary.

The African Union on Tuesday gave Sudan and South Sudan 90 days to settle their disputes over oil, citizenship and boundary issues or face binding international arbitration. But, the ultimatum came amid more talk of war and an increase in border hostilities.

A ministerial-level session of the AU Peace and Security Council threatened to abandon its high-level Sudan mediation process unless the talks begin to show results.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir says the actions of neighboring Sudan amount to a declaration of war.

His remarks Tuesday came during talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing. Mr. Kiir is in China on a five-day trip that will include opening a new embassy for South Sudan.

The U.S., China and other world powers have called on Sudan and South Sudan to stop fighting and resume peace talks.

Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, said Monday there will be no further talks and that the south only understands the language of “guns and ammunition.”

South Korea appears to be taking seriously the latest attack threat from North Korea.

Police say they have increased patrols around headquarters of nine conservative media outlets in Seoul after North Korea vowed to soon carry out a "special military action" on them by "unprecedented means and methods."

South Korea's government says it is concerned about Pyongyang's threat to reduce to ashes, in several minutes, the support base for the country's president, including several broadcasters and a leading daily newspaper, the Dong-a Ilbo.