Jurassic Park 4 Confirmed

Universal Pictures made an announcement that has had the movie world buzzing.

They let it be known that work is already underway on Jurassic Park 4, and will be out next summer.

Frank Marshall will be producing it and Steven Spielberg will be on his team, to some degree.

A script has already been written by Mark Protosevich.

Other than that, nothing has been released yet, we'll get back to you once there's more, especially once there is a trailer.

Jurassic Park 4 will hit theaters June 13, 2014.

White House Says: This Isn't the Petition Response You're Looking For

After a month of waiting, the White House has officially responded to one of it's petitions.

The Death Star petition had received enough votes to require a response from the government.

34,435 people signed the petition, asking the government to build a Death Star, for national defense.

Props must be given to the White House for their creative and informative response.

So, while we won't be getting a Death Star any time soon, at least they entertained us in their denying us one.

It follows here, in it's entirety.

 

This Isn't the Petition Response You're Looking For

By Paul Shawcross
The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:

• The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.
• The Administration does not support blowing up planets.
• Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?

However, look carefully (here's how) and you'll notice something already floating in the sky -- that's no Moon, it's a Space Station! Yes, we already have a giant, football field-sized International Space Station in orbit around the Earth that's helping us learn how humans can live and thrive in space for long durations. The Space Station has six astronauts -- American, Russian, and Canadian -- living in it right now, conducting research, learning how to live and work in space over long periods of time, routinely welcoming visiting spacecraft and repairing onboard garbage mashers, etc. We've also got two robot science labs -- one wielding a laser -- roving around Mars, looking at whether life ever existed on the Red Planet.
Keep in mind, space is no longer just government-only. Private American companies, through NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO), are ferrying cargo -- and soon, crew -- to space for NASA, and are pursuing human missions to the Moon this decade.
Even though the United States doesn't have anything that can do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, we've got two spacecraft leaving the Solar System and we're building a probe that will fly to the exterior layers of the Sun. We are discovering hundreds of new planets in other star systems and building a much more powerful successor to the Hubble Space Telescope that will see back to the early days of the universe.
We don't have a Death Star, but we do have floating robot assistants on the Space Station, a President who knows his way around a light saber and advanced (marshmallow) cannon, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is supporting research on building Luke's arm, floating droids, and quadruped walkers.
We are living in the future! Enjoy it. Or better yet, help build it by pursuing a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field. The President has held the first-ever White House science fairs and Astronomy Night on the South Lawn because he knows these domains are critical to our country's future, and to ensuring the United States continues leading the world in doing big things.
If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us! Remember, the Death Star's power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force.
Paul Shawcross is Chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget

French Special Forces: Lieutenant Damien Boiteux

French Lieutenant Damien Boiteux died from wounds sustained on January 11.

He was the first French casualty of Operation Serval, in Mali.

His helicopter came under fire during air operations over enemy territory.

Boiteux was assigned to the 4th Helicopter Regiment Special Forces, out of Pau, France.

US Army: Sergeant Aaron Wittman

US Army Sergeant Aaron Wittman, twenty-eight, of Chester, Virginia, died of wounds sustained on January 10.

He was the first US casualty of 2013.

His unit came under fire in Khogyani District, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.

It was his second deployment to Afghanistan.

Wittman was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Sergeant Wittman had previously been awarded a purple heart and a bronze star.

Thousands Protest in Bahrain

Thousands protested through the streets of Manama, Bahrain, on Saturday.

They were protesting the upholding of jail terms for thirteen people.

The thirteen were arrested in 2011, during protests against the government.

A military tribunal convicted them of plotting terrorism, and sentenced them to jail.

Some of them received terms of as low as five years, while others received life sentences.

A majority of the country feels that the thirteen were innocent of the terrorism charges.

Every appeal for their early release has been denied.

Riots Renew in Belfast

A peaceful protest march in Belfast turned into yet another riot, on Saturday.

The city had finally seen a couple days of peace, after riots last week.

Around a thousand loyalist Protestants were marching through town, protesting decisions to severely reduce the number of days that the British flag flies.

During their march, a mob of masked, hooded, Catholic teens and young adults attacked them.

The peaceful protest broke into a street battle, as more Catholics joined and the noise brought out more Protestants.

Riot police rushed to separate the two groups, using clubs, water cannons, shields, and plastic bullets.

Sixteen police officers were injured, no word on injuries to the two sides was released.

France Raises National Terrorism Warning Level

French President Francois Hollande announced, on Saturday, that the nation's terrorism warning level will be raised.

He made the announcement after sending troops into Mali, where Al Qaeda troops were taking over the country.

Troops were also involved against Al Shabaab forces, in a failed rescue attempt of a French hostage, in Somalia.

With French forces fighting Islamist forces, many believe that the terrorist organizations may attempt to retaliate, by hitting France itself.

France has warned it's citizens abroad to be alert, and ordered all of it's citizens, in Mali, to evacuate the country.

French Troops to The Rescue in Mali

French troops in Mali

French soldiers have come to the rescue of Mali.

Mali has been dealing with Al Qaeda troops taking over the northern part of the country.

France has made it clear that they will not allow Al Qaeda to go any further.

Air power is suddenly a factor, and the French air force has pounded rebel forces.

Sweeping into the country the French army has placed themselves on the front lines, right with the troops of Mali.

They've already held off Al Qaeda attacks, and begun pushing them back.

Their aid has not come without cost, already a French helicopter pilot has been killed.

Spurred on by the French action, West African nations are speeding up their own plans to send troops, to their neighbor's aid.

The European Union also plans to speed up it's sending of troops to train Malian forces.

France and Mali are both asking the US to aid by sharing intelligence assets and by deploying drones.

French Commandos Fail in Hostage Rescue Attempt

Denis Allex

French commandos attempted to rescue a French man who had been held hostage since 2009.

Denis Allex had been kidnapped on July 14, 2009, while in Mogadishu, Somalia.

On Saturday, French commandos went in, to rescue him.

When the troops arrived, Allex's captors killed him.

During a firefight two French commandos and seventeen Al Shabaab militants were killed.

Chinese and Japanese Jets Scrambled

Chinese J7 Fighters

Saturday began with a showdown between China and Japan.

Once again a Chinese plane violated Japanese airspace, causing Japan to launch F15s. But this time China didn't just back down.

They responded by launching J7 and J10 fighters. Japan scrambled more F15s and defense forces went on alert.

The aircraft met over islands, which Japan owns, but China claims. After eyeing each other for a bit, the Chinese planes left and headed back to China.

China responded to the incident by announcing several more squadrons will be moved to Shuimen Air Base, right by the Chinese coast, and the nearest point to the disputed islands.

Japan is now considering giving it's pilots permission to fire warning shots, of tracers, past Chinese planes that violate the airspace.

That would be an extremely dangerous move, as it would be one step closer to war between the two countries.