Dozens of Syrians Killed in Car Bombing

Dozens were killed in Salmiyeh, Syria, on Monday, when a suicide car bomb exploded.

At least thirty of the dead were members of a pro-government militia.

The bomb blew right outside of their headquarters, in a crowded square.

Around a hundred people were injured in the blast.

Violence continued across the country, as the civil war goes on unabated.

An estimated sixty-two thousand people have been killed in the twenty-two month long conflict.

Russia Begins Evacuation From Syria

Russia has sent two planes to Beirut, Lebanon with the express purpose of evacuating Russians from Syria.

The first one hundred evacuees are expected to leave, on Tuesday.

It is the latest sign that Russia sees little hope for it's ally.

Moscow has been the main reason that no international effort was ever effective in intervening, in the civil war.

Anything that the international community attempted was vetoed by Russia, at the UN.

In December, Russian officials finally unofficially admitted that Assad could lose his fight, to stay in power.

Assad has been struggling to retain power, since March of 2011.

First it was against peaceful protests, then civil unrest, then riots, until it became open civil war.

An estimated sixty-two thousand people have been killed during the twenty-two month long conflict.

Algerians Raise Number of Dead Hostages to 38

Algeria is currently listing thirty-eight hostages, thirty-seven of them foreign, as having been killed either by their captors or in the attempts to rescue them.

Over seven hundred Algerians and one hundred foreigners survived the ordeal.

More hostages are still missing, and the Algerian military is searching for them.

Officials also say that they have the bodies of twenty-nine of the gas plant's attackers, including the leader.

Three more were arrested, after being captured.

It is coming out that the leader of the attack was a Canadian national, who went by the name Chedad.

Not much else is known about him, but international agencies are working to learn more.

Al Qaeda has widely bragged that the attack was an operation of theirs.

Pirates Strike in Abidjan

On Monday, officials confirmed that a tanker had been seized by pirates, in the Ivory Coast.

The Itri was captured on Thursday, while in the port of Abidjan.

Gunmen forced their way aboard and made off with her and her cargo, five thousand tons of fuel.

All sixteen of the Nigerian crew have been taken as hostages.

According to her owner's, the Itri's onboard tracking system has been disabled, so they do not know where she currently is.

This marks the first piracy of 2013.

During 2012, there were ten cases in the Gulf of Guinea.

International Effort in Mali Grows

Canadian C 17

The international effort to save Mali, from falling to Al Qaeda forces, continues to grow.

Aircraft from Canada, Denmark, the UK, and the US are helping bring French troops into Mali, from France.

US drones are expected to join the fight soon, as well.

African forces have also begun showing up, to join the more than two thousand French fighting alongside the Malian military.

Troops from Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo are now in Mali, preparing to join the fight.

International funding is beginning to come in as well, with the EU leading the way.

Already several towns have been retaken by French and Malian forces, and the hunt is on for the rebels.

NY to NJ Plane Veers Off Runway

A plane veered off a runway at Newark Liberty International Airport, Sunday night.

Four of it's tires blew when it came in for a landing, causing it to lose control.

Luckily none of the thirteen people, on board the United Express plane, were hurt.

The plane had flown from Rochester, New York to Newark, New Jersey.

Myanmar Ceasefire Lasts Only Hours

A ceasefire in Myanmar proved to be yet another facade by the government.

Fighting only stopped for a few hours, as government troops strengthened and moved up their positions.

Kachin rebels say that only the air force has followed the cease fire, which was announced on Friday.

The government said that their troops only reacted to defend themselves.

However, independent sources have confirmed the rebels accounts of the situation.

Myanmar's government has a history of announcing ceasefires, but not living up to them.

Austria Votes to Keep Mandatory Service

A definite majority voted to keep Austria's mandatory service, on Sunday.

59.8% voted for keeping things as they are.

Austrian law requires that all males serve six months in the military, once they are eighteen.

If they do not wish to serve in the military, they then have to serve nine months in civilian service or twelve months in a social service.

Civilian service consists of such things as driving ambulances, working with seniors, hospitals, and the like.

Social service includes work in the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service, the Austrian Social Service, the Austrian Peace Service, etc.

Much of Europe still utilizes compulsory service, though more and more often votes about it are coming up.

Bad Day for Al Qaeda in Yemen

At least six Al Qaeda fighters were killed, in Yemen, by US drone strikes, on Sunday.

Three more had been killed during a strike on Saturday.

Late Saturday night ten more were killed in an explosion, in al Bayda.

Authorities believe that they had been working on building bombs, when one went off.

The house was completely destroyed in the blast.

Despite Yemen regaining control of it's country, Al Qaeda is still very active in it.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is one of the most active wings of the terrorist organization.

Diabaly Liberated by Malian and French Troops

Malian troops retook the strategic town of Diabaly, on Sunday.

The people of Diabaly came out to cheer on their own and French troops as they drove through town.

It had lain in the hands of Al Qaeda backed rebels, since last Monday.

French ground and air power backed the Malian military, in the retaking of the town, and all along the front lines.

Some see this as a sign that the war has now taking a definitive turning point.

However Al Qaeda is promising to make France regret their interference, and may begin sending fighters from other countries, to aid their fight in Mali.