SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Reading from a declassified section of the latest U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) revealed that North Korea may now have the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead on its ballistic missiles. Confirmation of the rogue nation's potential success in miniaturizing a nuclear device to fit on its rockets is an alarming and somewhat unexpected development. But more troubling, according to military experts, is Kim Jong-un's decision to use Apple Maps as the guidance system, making it virtually impossible for U.S., South Korean, and Japanese forces to predict the missiles' trajectories or destinations.

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- When it comes to the demise of public figures, popular mythology holds that their deaths happen in threes. Sometimes, less frequently, in fours. Such was the case these past few days, when the world lost sage film critic Roger Ebert, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, legendary Mouseketeer Annette Funicello and documentary filmmaker Les Blank. The outpouring of grief from millions of supporters underscores the lasting impressions these famous -- and sometimes infamous -- individuals left on the global community, while offering a poignant reminder of how precious one person's time on Earth can be. Four high profile deaths in about as many days can be a jarring reality check, psychologists say, bringing focus to the uncomfortable issue of mortality. For professional memorialists like Elton John, they can also mean a lot of unexpected work. Writing four new versions of "Candle in the Wind" will require burning that candle on both ends. But a rogue researcher from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed terrifying statistics on Monday, sure to rattle mourners overwhelmed by the celebrity obituaries that piled up this weekend: "More than four people died over the last few days. A lot more. And nobody's talking about it."

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- The premiere of "Iron Man 3" in Seoul could be this century's "shot heard round the world." South Korea's defense officials disclosed Thursday that North Korea has moved an arsenal of longer range missiles to its eastern shores in another bellicose overture toward the West. This action follows a series of blistering threats that Kim Jong-un has issued to the United States and its allies in recent weeks. Ironically, Pyongyang is now saying its actions are defensive and being undertaken to combat the "ever-escalating U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK [North Korea] and its reckless nuclear threat."

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Last spring, to the dismay of many, Google retired several of its underperforming services as part of an initiative called "spring cleaning," establishing a disturbing trend of axing services that thousands of users depend on. Among the shuttered features were iGoogle and Google Mini. Other victims have included Google Desktop, Google Notebook, Sidewiki, and Aardvark. The company came under fire last month when it announced the imminent demise of Google Reader, the RSS feed aggregator launched in 2005. It's also doing away with Building Maker and Cloud Connect. On Monday, Google continued its belligerent slash-and-burn campaign by announcing the end of YouTube and, just hours ago, its flagship product: Search.

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- This weekend brought scads of exciting news to fans of "Doctor Who," BBC's venerable, long-running science fiction franchise. Despite its inauspicious beginnings in 1963, when the premier of the series was overshadowed by the assassination of President Kennedy the day before, "Doctor Who" quickly captured the imagination of British viewers and built a global cult following. Now, as the show's Golden Anniversary approaches, executive producer and head writer Steven Moffat has given devout Whovians a lot more to celebrate with Monday's announcement of major developments. BBC executives promised that the groundbreaking news would be enough to make both hearts in a Time Lord's chest flutter. But if Moffat's leaks are to be believed, the answer to the 50-year-old question "Doctor Who?" might create a divisive and painful crisis of faith for religiously pious followers of the show.