Old Ironsides sets sail for the second time since 1881 »
On Sunday, the ship many people call “Old Ironsides” set sail out of Boston Harbor to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the victory over a British ship during the War of 1812. The USS Constitution sailed for nearly 20 minutes on its own until it was attached to tugboats and taken to a memorial ceremony ...
Increase in insider attacks may change NATO exit plan in Afghanistan »
The recent onslaught of insider attacks in Afghanistan may change NATO’s plan to leave the country to Afghan security forces by 2014. Insider attacks caused 32 percent of American fatalities in Afghanistan this month. In August alone, 10 American soldiers were killed by Afghan militants posing as allies. Since these shootings became more common, NATO commander, ...
Missouri Rep. Todd Akin’s controversial ‘legitimate rape’ comment could hurt his Senate bid »
Republican Rep. Todd Akin made a controversial statement claiming that pregnancy after a rape is rare since the female body has ways of shutting “that whole thing down” and preventing pregnancy when it senses it is being violated. According to the New York Times, the male representative has taken a strong stance against the right ...
Army general accused of spending taxpayer money on spa trips for his wife »
Army Lt. Gen. William E. Kip Ward, former head of the U.S. Africa Command, is being investigated for spending hundreds of thousands of government dollars on personal expenses. In a 99-page report, Gen. Ward’s unnecessary spending is detailed. He spent government money on expensive hotels and his wife’s spa and shopping trips. Ward also accepted ...
Taliban leader Mullah Omar boasts of infiltrating the ranks of Afghan security forces »
There has been a dramatic increase in attacks on NATO troops serving in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Warlord and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar has said that militants are infiltrating the ranks of the Afghan security forces that are meant to cooperate with NATO in the rebuilding of the country. According to CNN, ...
Nobel Peace laureate Lakhdar Brahimi set to become next Syrian mediator »
The U.N. has named former Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi as the new mediator for Syria. Brahimi’s official title will be Joint Special Representative for Syria. Brahimi will step into the shoes of former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who resigned from his post as the Syria Envoy last week. Annan cited a divided Security Council ...
Suicide numbers among U.S. troops is at an all-time high »
As the war in Afghanistan draws to a close, the aftereffects of a decade-plus of violence for American troops is becoming evident in the rising suicide rate among soldiers. According to the Christian Science Monitor, an average of 950 veterans who were receiving care from the Department of Veterans Affairs attempted suicide every month between ...
Air France flight makes an unplanned refueling stop in war-torn Syria »
On Wednesday, a flight from France to Lebanon was rerouted to Syria because of unsafe conditions at the airport in Beirut. Beirut, Lebanon’s capital city, is experiencing violence as a result of the civil war in neighboring Syria. Syria’s capital, Damascus, provided the nearest airport for Air France Flight 562 to land at due to ...
Federal court rejects ‘discriminatory’ voting changes in five Florida counties »
A U.S. federal court rules that a 2011 Florida law that permits counties to limit early voting period is discriminatory and burdensome to minorities. The Florida rule is prevented from taking effect in five counties as the federal government invokes the 1965 Voting Rights Act. However, in the remaining 62 counties in Florida, the early ...
Mutant Butterflies are found near Fukushima »
A group of Japanese researchers discovered that butterflies in the Fukushima area have high rates of mutation. The researchers found a wide range of abnormalities in some butterflies. Time reports that the mutant butterflies have stunted wings, altered color patterns and problems with legs, eyes, etc. The mutant butterflies were linked to the Fukushima nuclear ...
