The joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea was a 'scheme for aggression to mount a preemptive nuclear attack' on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The joint military exercises aggravated the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the official news agency KCNA quoted the spokesman as saying. (DPRK-US-S.Korea) DAKAR -- Al-Qaida's North African wing claimed on a website on Tuesday responsibility for a suicide bombing near the French embassy in Mauritania early this month. The al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, a major terrorist group in North Africa, said the bomber, Abu Obeida Musa, joined the orgnization two years ago. (Mauritania-Al-Qaida-Bombing) BRUSSELS -- The European Commission said on Tuesday it had launched an investigation after a series of alleged cases of exploding iPhones and iPod music players. Commission spokeswoman Helen Kearns told reporters that the commission, which is responsible for safety of consumer products across the European Union (EU), had asked the U.S. manufacturer Apple for more information last week. (EU-iPhones- Probe) KUALA LUMPUR -- Nine seamen from Chinese mainland involved in a ship collision offshore Malaysia in the Malacca Straits were missing on Wednesday. Su Qiang, the Consular Counselor the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, said that the nine seamen were among 25 Chinese crew of an oil tanker, which collided with another bulk carrier in the Straits late Tuesday. (Malaysia-Chinese Seamen) 