Three men suspected of ties to al-Qaeda have been arrested in Spain along with explosive material. Three other men have been arrested in connection to the weapons and explosives discovered after an operation by Spanish police.
Spain’s Interior Minister said the men are believed to have been planning a major attack in Spain or Europe. Continue reading
Kofi Annan, who has championed peace plans and tried to bring a diplomatic solution to the civil war in Syria, has resigned as the UN and Arab League special envoy to the country.
The news comes as Syrian rebels in Aleppo are hammering a military airfield. The rebels have taken tanks and other heavy machinery from the military after battles and are now putting them toward their offensive. Continue reading
Nearly 220 counties in a dozen drought-stricken states were added Wednesday to the U.S. government’s list of natural disaster areas as the nation’s agriculture chief unveiled new help for frustrated, cash-strapped farmers and ranchers grappling with extreme dryness and heat.
Source: Yahoo! News – Half of US counties now considered disaster areas
Gay rights activists and some members of the national media delivered scathing attacks on Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, calling for homosexual activists to “infiltrate” and bully the family-owned company until they renounce their support of traditional marriage.
Source: FOX News – Media Launches Scathing Attacks, Threats Against Chick-fil-A
The US-based rights group Physicians for Human Rights is claiming the government of Bahrain is weaponizing tear gas in an attempt to quell protests in the nation.
Activists in Bahrain say 30 people have been killed as a result of the specialized tear gas. Many more have been injured, maimed or blinded by toxic chemicals inside the canisters. Continue reading
Over 325 people died in Iraq during the month of July marking the biggest monthly death toll in almost two years. Over 80 were police and soldiers with the remaining 241 civilians. Most were killed by al-Qaeda insurgents.
In addition to the deaths, almost 700 people were wounded in the attacks including 480 civilians. This is the highest monthly injury total in two years as well. Continue reading
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad praised his soldiers for taking on what he called “armed terrorist gangs” and said that the current battles between his forces and rebels will determine the fate of the country.
Al-Assad did not appear in public to deliver the statement himself but released a written declaration. Al-Assad has not appeared in public in two weeks. Continue reading
Despite an overwhelming majority of Representatives voting in favor, a bill to curtail abortions in the nation’s capital failed because special rules were demanded that forced a 2/3 vote to pass. The bill’s 220 votes were well short of 2/3 of the chamber.
The government offensive in Aleppo entered the fourth day with Syria’s state run TV stating the government has inflicted “heavy losses” on what they term as “terrorist groups.” The Free Syrian Army is denying the validity of the claims and the gains that the government has taken back neighborhoods within the city.
Rebels report that helicopter gunships have increased their assaults on the city and that heavy shelling is taking place in areas that contain civilians. Fighting also increased near the headquarters of the Air Force Intelligence agency. Continue reading
Over 600 million people are without power in India after three power grids completely collapsed a day after one of the three grids had individually failed.
The power failure is having wide-ranging impact beyond residents as business are closed and the transportation system has been paralyzed. Hundreds of trains are at a standstill. Hospitals are relying on backup generators. Continue reading
