Aaron's Daily WWW Newspaper

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korean strongman Kim Jong Il is officially back on center stage following a reported stroke, but has promoted a trusted in-law to the spotlight in the clearest sign yet he is making preparations for an eventual successor, analysts said Friday.

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso unveiled a new stimulus package Friday, calling for 15 trillion yen ($150 billion) in government spending to lift the world's second-largest economy from a painful recession.

WASHINGTON - Food stamps and child nutrition programs are expected to cost up to $900 million more this year because of increased ethanol use.

LOS ANGELES - People.com is reporting that "Charlie's Angels" star Farrah Fawcett has been released from a Los Angeles hospital after being treated for bleeding resulting from a medical procedure in Germany to treat her anal cancer.

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Larry Mize has teed off in the first group at Augusta National, quickly suffering a setback in his hopes of putting up another surprising score in the second round of the Masters.

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates holding an American on a drifting lifeboat vowed on Friday to fight any attack by U.S. naval forces and reportedly recaptured their hostage when he jumped overboard to escape.

(Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc is considering making a multibillion dollar share offering to investors as part of its efforts to repay a $10 billion government loan, the Wall Street Journal reported citing people familiar with the matter.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department is asking banks not to mention the regulatory "stress tests" as part of their first-quarter earnings results, according to a source familiar with government discussions.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy is set to emerge from recession in the second half of this year as consumer spending and the housing sector recover, but unemployment will rise well into 2010, according to a survey.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il put to rest this week any doubt about whom he sees as his second in command when he elevated his brother-in-law Jang Song-taek to a powerful military post, analysts said on Friday.

KABUL (Reuters) - The U.S. military has conceded that troops under its command in Afghanistan killed a group of civilians in an operation this week, not militants as earlier reported.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama plans to meet on Friday with top financial regulators to discuss the "stress tests" being conducted at the 19 biggest U.S. banks, a White House spokesman said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama asked the U.S. Congress on Thursday for an extra $83.4 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year, citing threats from al Qaeda and a resurgent Taliban.

ISFAHAN, Iran (AFP) - Iran declared on Thursday major advances in its controversial atomic drive as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad opened a nuclear fuel plant and announced the testing of two high capacity centrifuges.

MOMBASA, Kenya (AFP) - The US military on Thursday said it was sending in more ships to the scene of a stand-off with Somalia pirates holding an American hostage on a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean.

TBILISI (AFP) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Thursday faced the biggest protest against his rule since an August war with Russia as tens of thousands rallied in the capital to demand his ouster.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama has formally asked lawmakers for another 83.4 billion dollars to pay for the immediate needs of his revamped strategy for Afghanistan and for the war in Iraq.

PARIS (AFP) - Selective abortion in favour of males has left China with 32 million more boys than girls, creating an imbalance that will endure for decades, an investigation released on Friday warned.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US aerospace giant Boeing Thursday said it would slash production of its twin-aisle 777 aircraft to five planes per month from seven, citing "significant deterioration" in the airline industry.

BRIERES-LES-SCELLES, France (AFP) - A "bossnapping" incident in which workers angry at plans to restructure a factory southwest of Paris held three managers came to an end late Thursday, a union source told AFP.