Velayat 91 Underway in Iran

Velayat 91, Iran's latest war games, began on Friday, and will continue through Wednesday.

Taking place in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and northern parts of the Indian Ocean the games will be Iran's largest ever, geographically.

Guardianship 91, as it would be in English, is set to involve almost all of Iran's navy, amphibious forces, and land to sea missile batteries, as well as some of their air power.

During the games, Iran will once again show the world how easy it would be for Iran to close off the Strait of Hormuz, through which forty percent of the world's oil travels.

Iran did so last December as well, prompting US and allied forces to hold their own war games there, in August, to test how they would fight to keep it open.

Infant Recliners Being Recalled

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission ordered a recall, on Thursday.

One hundred and fifty thousand Nap Nanny Generations One and Two and Chill infant recliners are being recalled.

Five infants have died and ninety-two been injured, while using the recliners, made by Baby Matters.

The commission noted that Baby Matters refused to participate in the recall.

Baby Matters says that as long as the recliners are properly used, no injures will occur.

President George H W Bush's Statement on The Death of General Schwarzkopf

Schwarzkopf, left, Bush, right

From his hospital bed at Methodist Hospital in Houston, former President George H. W. Bush released a statement regarding the death of retired General H. Norman Schwarzkopf.

"Barbara and I mourn the loss of a true American patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation. A distinguished member of that Long Gray Line hailing from West Point, General Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great Nation through our most trying international crises. More than that, he was a good and decent man, and a dear friend. Barbara and I send our condolences to his wife Brenda and his wonderful family."

General Norman Schwarzkopf, Dead at 78

Retired General Norman Schwarzkopf died on Thursday, at the age of seventy-eight, in Tampa, Florida.

Born in Trenton, New Jersey, August 22, 1934, H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. grew up to the army life. In 1956, he graduated from West Point and his first tour saw him in Berlin before the Wall was built. He then came back to the states and went to USC where he received his masters in mechanical engineering, graduating in 1964. Following that he taught at West Point, for one year, before applying to be sent to Vietnam, where he served, before coming back to teach two more years.

It was in Vietnam that his reputation to risk his own life for his soldiers came into place, it was also where he became known as Stormin Norman, due to his temper when other units refused to help his. Schwarzkopf rose through the ranks, serving in various locations and commands, until making full general in 1988.

As Commander in Chief of the US Central Command he designed a war game in which Iraq invaded Kuwait, and other nations, in order to take over oil fields, and how they should be defended. The games took place in July of 1990, less than a month before Iraq actually did invade Kuwait, for oil. He was put in charge of a coalition to removed Iraq from Kuwait. His plan was used and because of it, the US ground war only lasted four days.

Stormin Norman retired from the military in August of 1991, after which he became an analyst for NBC. After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, in 1993, he began promoting awareness of it. He continued to work with various charities, after beating cancer, and sat on multiple boards for high profile corporations.

Greenwood Village Woman Shot to Death, Suspect Later Found Dead

Around 07:15, a woman was shot to death Thursday morning, in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

She was found on a ramp between the third and fourth floors of the Promenade Place Apartments' parking garage. According to police, she had been shot twice and there were clear signs of a struggle.

A few blocks away, at the I25 and Belleview light rail station, police found a green Jeep Cherokee that they believed was connected to the case. After talking to it's owner they later released it.

Police announced that they had two people of interest, in the case. They brought one of them in for questioning, the woman's current boyfriend.

The other is a former coworker, of the woman's, who had been fired for harassing her. SWAT had surrounded the man's apartment, and spent four hours negotiating to get him to come out peacefully. Eventually, they forced entry only to find that he had shot and killed himself.

Marcellus Scott, Dead at 22

Aurora, Colorado Police have identified the body found near Peoria and Iliff, on Wednesday.

He was twenty-two year old Marcellus Xavier Scott. 

On Thursday, the coroner announced that he died from Hypothermia.

Police had initially treated the discovery of his body as a crime scene, and called the death suspicious.

They have since back down from that statement, and now say they're waiting to see if tests show Scott was intoxicated.

Marcellus loved film, it had become his passion, and he was looking forward to making a career behind the camera.

"Chimp", as he was known to his friends, will be remembered as a good kid and great friend, who will greatly be missed.

Chinese Man Drives Car Into Crowd of Middle Schoolers

Forty-eight year old Yin Tiejun was arrested in Fengning, Hebei, China, on Monday after he drove his car into a group of children.

Twenty-three students were standing outside of Fengning Number 1 Middle School, thirteen of whom were injured.

Yin then attempted to light his car on fire.

Luckily police were able to stop him before he could so, as they found a tank full of gas and firecrackers in the trunk.

According to authorities, Yin has been angry for three years, ever since a court did not give the death penalty to four men found guilty of killing his daughter.

It is unclear why he attacked this group of children.

They, nor the school, had any connection to his daughter.

Russia's Upper House Passes US Adoption Ban

On Wednesday, Russia's upper house, the Federation Council, passed the Yakovlev Initiative, unanimously.

The initiative is a bill than bans Americans from adopting Russian children.

When it was proposed, law makers cited nineteen cases of Russian adoptees dying, in the US, including Dima Yakovlev.

President Putin is expected to sign it into law, as last week he spoke in support of the initiative.

It is the second part of Russia's strike back at the US for the Magnitsky Act.

Under the Magnitsky Act a visa ban was implaced on Russian officials, believed to be responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky, it also placed a freeze on their financial assets.

Last Friday, Russia's lower house, the Duma, passed the anti-Magnitsky Act, which blocked certain US citizens from entering Russia or adopting Russian children.

Over a hundred thousand Russians signed a petition against the passage of the anti-Magnitsky Act.

The passage of the Yakovleve Initiative has already, and will continue to, received backlash from the international community.

Wales and England Drenched Yet Again

Wales and England continue to be drenched by rain causing major flooding in some areas.

Flood warnings and alerts blanket much of the area from Wales to the West Central Plain.

After a couple of landslides, warnings are now in place for Wales and southeast England.

Power has been knocked out in some areas.

The rain is expected to continue, through at least Friday.

2012 will finish as one of the top ten wettest years, since record keeping began in 1910.

Further north, in Scotland and northern England, icy roads and snow have conquered much of the country side.

Firework Factory Explodes in Nigeria

At least one person was killed and thirty were injured when a firework factory exploded, on Wednesday.

The explosion happened in Lagos, Nigeria, and many feared it was another terrorist bombing.

Flames quickly spread to neighboring buildings, burning at least nine of them.

Hundreds came and watched the fire, causing firefighters to be delayed in reaching the scene.

Their efforts were then hampered further by a lack of water and further explosions.