DRC Fighting Renews

At least seventy people have been killed over the last few days in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Some reports suggest that it is more than triple that number.

Military forces and rebel groups have renewed their fighting for control of the country.

Most of the current round of violence has been between the APCLS and government forces.

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed and thousands of people have fled the fighting.

Larayedh Forms New Tunisian Government

Ali Larayedh has successfully formed a new government.

The new Tunisian Prime Minister took eleven days to decide who would fill the positions of his ministers.

For the most part he kept things as they had been, but bowed to demands placed upon his predecessor in regards to the defense and foreign ministries.

The opposition had demanded that they be filled by people who weren't members of Ennahda or other Islamist parties.

Last week, Ennahda agreed to such a concession, as long as both were filled by independents, who weren't part of the opposition.

As this was agreeable to all involved, Larayedh has selected two independents for the posts.

Venezuela Admits Chavez is in Critical Condition

Hugo Chavez is extremely ill, and Venezuela's government has officially acknowledged that.

While in the midst of cancer treatments, Chavez apparently came down with a severe respiratory infection.

This is causing him difficulties in breathing and keeping him in critical condition.

The news was met with mourning by his supporters.

Key political allies and the heads of the military are meeting at the presidential palace.

Venezuelans are facing the reality that soon they may be without Chavez.

This brings many questions into play, especially who will follow him.

A new election would legally be required, but the courts have already shown a willingness to bend the laws to keep Chavez in power, so they likely would for his chosen successor.

Malaysian Military Removing Intruders With Full Force

Military massing at Felda Sahabat

Felda Sahabat has been turned into a temporary military base, as Malaysian forces mass to eliminate the invaders.

It began last month when at least two hundred armed Filipinos boated over to Malaysian controlled Borneo.

Claiming to be descendants of the former Sulu sultanate, which controlled the area from 1457-1917, they demanded an increase in the money Malaysia pays the displaced descendants of the sultanate.

For two weeks the standoff lasted, until the two sides starting shoot at each other, last week.

Since then, twenty-seven people have been killed, on both sides.

On Tuesday, the Malaysian government began not just using ground troops, but helicopters and jets as well, against the intruders.

It now looks like the battle will continue until the Filipinos surrender, or are eliminated.

Sangster's Thoughts: Defining The Second Amendment

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Those words are holy writ, for Americans. They are part of our basic rights, as citizens of the United States of America. Lately, we've been forced to watch as our government attempts to violate and alter the second amendment.

For those who are confused by what the second amendment means, I went to the dictionary and word by word noted down the definitions for you. (Please note I presumed that all readers already know what the words 'a', 'to', 'the', 'of', 'and', & 'be' mean.)

• "Well": in a good or satisfactory manner.
• "Regulated": to adjust so as to ensure accuracy of operation.
• "Militia": a body of citizen soldiers.
• "Being": the fact of existing.
• "Necessary": being essential, indispensable, or requisite.
• "Security": freedom from danger, risk, etc.; safety.
• "Free": enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery.
• "State": a unified people occupying a definite territory.
• "Right": a moral, ethical, or legal principle considered as an underlying cause of truth, justice, morality, or ethics.
• "People": persons, whether men, women, or children, considered as numerable individuals forming a group. 
• "Keep": to hold or retain in one's possession; hold as one's own. 
• "Bear": to have and be entitled to; to carry; to hold.
• "Arms": weapons, especially firearms.
• "Shall": must.
• "Not": negation, refusal, or prohibition.
• "Infringed": violated, transgressed, encroached, broken, or disobeyed.

So let's put it all back together, but spread it out a bit to try and help with full comprehension.

A group of citizen soldiers, trained to operate in a satisfactory manner, is essential for the existence and safety of a unified people, who do not wish to be slaves. Therefore, each individual is justified and within their legal rights to not only own and carry weapons, but they are entitled to them to such a degree that any attempt to encroach on that right is prohibited.

Please carefully note that the second amendment puts no limits upon which weapons we can own. It does not say only blunt objects, bladed weapons, or small capacity non concealable firearms. We have no limit to the weapons we are allowed. Whether it be federal, state, or local government if they are part of the United States they do not have the legal, moral, or ethical standing to take guns from any citizen. Doing so violates the Bill of Rights to the core. Any legislation which limits guns is unconstitutional.

My fellow citizens, our rights are directly under attack. We live under a government which openly seeks to violate the Constitution. No longer are they just seeking ways around it, but this government now attempts to blatantly break and disobey our founding laws. The government is supposed to be bound by the laws of the Constitution, just as we as citizens are. If the government refuses to recognize that is subject to the laws, then the government waives it's right to command the citizens of the country.

Time is coming for the citizens to decide if they are under the law or slaves to a government which does not recognize the ultimate laws. For if the government violates the laws which it is based upon then it ceases to be legitimate. At that time it is necessary for the citizens to form a new government, one which recognizes the law.

"That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government...when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government."

Saskatchewan Storm Turns Deadly

As much as eight inches of snow hit Saskatchewan, during Monday morning.

Combined with winds, the storm has made travel rather difficult.

The RCMP reported over one hundred and fifty storm related accidents, by noon.

In Stockholm, one person was killed in an accident, while two more people were hospitalized.

Sections of the Trans Canada Highway were closed as accidents blocked the way.

The highway had been closed over night, but was reopened at day light.

Despite the hazardous weather, schools stayed open.

3 New Sites of Ash Die Back Found in Wales

Britain's ash die back continues to spread.

Three new cases have been found so far in 2013.

All three locations are newly planted areas in Wales.

The die back is being caused by a fungus known as chalara fraxinea.

It was first discovered, in the UK, on March 7, 2012.

Since then, it has spread to hundreds of sites all over England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Chalara fraxinea was brought over by infected wood from the Netherlands, and since has been declared a national emergency.

Concern, over the spread of the fungus, is such that there's even an app to map locations where it has spread to.

The same fungus has killed over ninety percent of the ash population in Denmark.

Syrian Soldiers Killed in Iraq

Forty-eight Syrian soldiers as well as nine Iraqi quards were killed, on Monday.

They were in the Anbar Province of Iraq, when their buses were attacked.

On Saturday, the Syrians had crossed the border to escape rebel forces.

Iraq was transporting them back to Syria.

The Defense Ministry of Iraq called it, "an attack against the sovereignty of Iraq, its land, and its dignity, and a clear violation of human rights".

It is becoming more difficult to contain Syria's civil war, within the borders of Syria.

Doctors Claim to Cure HIV in Toddler

Doctors in Mississippi claim to have cured HIV, in a toddler.

The child was born in July 2010, and within thirty hours put on an aggressive HIV therapy.

According to doctors, the little girl is now completely HIV free, and therefore considered cured.

Normally it takes up to six weeks to diagnose for HIV, but doctors considered the newborn to be at such a high risk that they began the treatments as soon as possible.

As the infection was confirmed, doctors continued the treatments until no sign of the virus was findable.

Raqqa Falls to Syrian Rebels

Raqqa fell to the Syrian rebels, on Monday.

The strategic city, along the Euphrates River, is the first provincial capital to fall to rebel forces.

If rebels can hold the town it would be further proof that the Assad regime is declining faster.

With fighting become more intense in Damascus and other cities, the government seems to have allowed some cities to fall, in order to preserve ones deemed of utmost importance.

The increased fighting has also caused the death toll to grow even faster.

An estimated seventy-three thousand people have been killed in the nearly two year conflict.