224 Rescued From Runaway Ice Floes

Two ice floes in the Gulf of Riga came loose, on Friday morning.

Two hundred and twenty-four people became stranded on the ice.

One hundred and eighty-one were rescued by boat, from the larger floe.

A helicopter rescued forty-two from the other, while one man refused to be rescued by the helicopter.

Eventually a boat was able to rescue him, as well.

For Latvians going to the beach, even in the winter, is not an oddity.

Some were ice fishers, others out for a walk on the sunny day.

5 Shi'ite Mosques Targeted With Car Bombs

At least twenty-three people have been killed in a series of car bombings, in Iraq.

Five car bombs struck Shi'ite mosques in Baghdad and Kirkuk.

Over one hundred and thirty people were injured by the blasts, which struck just after Friday prayers.

Al Qaeda is being blamed for the attacks, due to their focus on Shi'ites.

12 Story Building Collapses in Tanzania

A twelve story building in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania came crashing down, on Friday.

The building, which was under construction, fell down onto itself, into neighboring streets, and onto a nearby soccer game.

At least two people were killed and seventeen injured.

Hundreds of rescuers rushed to the scene and spent hours digging through the rubble for survivors.

Tanzania has been experiencing a construction boom, as construction time speed up, there has been a growing concern over their safety.

UN Announces Combat Force For Democratic Republic of Congo

For the first time the UN is authorizing an offensive stance for it's troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Currently, twenty thousand UN troops are in the country, though they are seen as having been of little use during their presence, which has lasted over a decade.

Twenty-five hundred of them will now be put in a special brigade which will have the specific goal of seeking out and neutralizing the rebel threat.

UN soldiers from Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania are expected to form the new brigade.

Expectations are for the brigade to begin it's work in July, leaving three months for the rebels to prepare for them.