Syrian Rebels Take Border Crossings

Syrian rebels have seized border crossings along the Turkish and Iraqi borders.

Members of the Free Syrian Army forced their way into, and took the outposts over.

So far they've only taken two of the border points with Turkey, but others are under assault.

Along the border with Iraq they have reportedly taken every single one.

Iraqi troops have confirmed that several of the border crossing now fly the flag of the Free Syrian Army, rather than the national flag.

Ford Recalls More 2013 Escapes

Just three days after Ford announced a recall of over ten thousand 2013 Escapes, they've had to recall nearly twelve thousand more.

Even worse for the company, the recalls are for two different problems.

The earlier recall was due to an error in manufacturing led to extra carpet padding that can get in the way of the brake pedal.

This new one is being made due to the possibility of the engine catching on fire.

2013 Escapes that have the 1.6 liter four cylinder engine, have fuel lines that can crack and spill gasoline, which causes the fire danger.

So far three such incidents have happened, luckily no one has been hurt.

If you've one of the recalled Escapes, dealers will bring a loaner car for during the time whilst yours is being fixed, at no charge.

The Escapes in this new recall were built at the company's Louisville, Kentucky plant between April and July 11, and distributed throughout the US and Canada.

Teen Dies After 40 Hours of Diablo III

An eighteen year old in Taiwan, has reportedly died after he played Diablo III for forty straight hours.

The teen booked a private room in an internet cafe on July 13, and went on to play the game for forty straight hours, without a break.

On July 15, a worker at the cafe checked on him, finding him asleep.

The cafe worker woke him, the teen then stood up, stretched, took a few steps, and then collapsed.

He was reported dead at the hospital, due to a blood clot which formed due to his lack of movement.

Deaths due to prolonged video game playing have been reported before, and it is something gamers need to watch out for.

Diablo III's developer, Blizzard, released the following statement:

We're saddened to hear this news, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time. We don't feel it would be appropriate for us to comment further without knowing all of the circumstances involved. While we recognise that it's ultimately up to each individual or their parent or guardian to determine playing habits, we feel that moderation is clearly important, and that a person's day-to-day life should take precedence over any form of entertainment.

Six Alarm Fire in Bronx Injures Twenty-Seven Fire Fighters

A six alarm fire severely burned an apartment building in the Bronx, in the early hours of Wednesday.

Around two hundred fire fighters took part in battling the flames.

Twenty-seven fire fighters and five residents were injured the over night blaze.

Fire officials estimate that about a third of the one hundred and eighty apartments were damaged by flame, smoke, and or water.

The flames spread so fast, that many residents only escaped with what they were wearing, some were unable to get pets out.

Residents in non damaged units were allowed back in by the afternoon, but for many nothing was saved.

Seven Killed in Bus Explosion

A bus explosion, at the airport, in Burgas, Bulgaria killed seven, and injured thirty.

It also damaged two other buses, next to it.

The buses were three of four filled with Israeli tourists, who had just flown in.

Bulgaria is a popular vacation spot for Israelis.

Israel was quick to place the blame for the attack on Iran, pointing at a chain of other attacks, in other countries.

Officials in Bulgaria has promised to investigate the explosion, and does consider terrorism a possibility.

Witnesses have said that the explosion seemed to come from beneath the bus.

Russia Passes Foreign Agent Bill

Russia's upper house passed the "foreign agent" bill, on Wednesday, with only one member voting against, and one other abstaining.

Last week the lower house passed it, in a move that was heavily criticized by the US and EU.

The controversial bill lists any NGO as a "foreign agent", it they take any funding from foreign sources.

NGOs that do, will be required to print "foreign agent" on anything they publish.

If they don't do so they could face fines, suspension, and even jail time.

Opposition groups state that the term is an attempt to harm their image and mark them as outcasts.

Human rights and environmental groups fear that once they are marked as such, many Russians will consider them to be traitors.

Girl Falls 3 Stories, Caught by Bus Driver

Stephen St. Bernard is clearly a hero, after his actions Monday afternoon.

The New York city bus driver was on his way home when he saw a seven year old girl on top of an air conditioner unit, outside of a third story window.

He made his way beneath the window, calling to the girl to go back inside, but she slipped and fell.

St. Bernard caught her before she hit the ground, saving her life.

He suffered a torn tendon in his shoulder, but is otherwise ok, and the girl suffered only minor injuries from her thirty foot fall.

The girl was autistic, and her mother was busy dealing with a sibling when the incident occurred.

Police do not expect to be pressing charges.

St. Louis Heat Wave Kills 17

St. Louis has confirmed that seventeen people have now died due to heat related problems.

All of the deaths have occurred since June 24.

Most of the victims have been over sixty.

They city has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create a national heat death reporting system, which they say would allow different jurisdictions to learn from each other.

Health officials warn that once the interior temperature reaches eighty-five degrees that people are in danger.

International Space Station Has Three More Occupants

The International Space Station has three more occupants.

Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, and US astronaut Sunita Williams are scheduled to stay on the ISS for four months.

They joined US astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin.

Over the next few weeks the space station will be a busy place, as several spacecraft are scheduled to visit and bring supplies.

Japan's HTV3 cargo ship will be the first.

Since the US retired it's fleet of space shuttles, all personnel have been brought up via Russian Soyuz space craft, and supplies have been sent from various countries.

Six Foot Lizard Loose in Colorado

A six foot long Nile Monitor Lizard is missing in the Woodland Park area, near Colorado Springs.

Dino weighs about twenty-five pounds, and escaped from his owner, on Monday.

The lizard is quite capable of making off with a cat or small dog, but people are being cautioned that if it gets hungry enough it could attack a child.

Pet owners and parents have been warned to keep an eye on pets and children when they're outdoors.

Police and animal control are searching for Dino, but it is a difficult job, the lizard could find many places to hide.