Tornado Kills 1 After Storms Tear Across Mississippi River Valley

In Kemper County, Mississippi one person was killed when a tornado struck, on Wednesday.

Dozens were injured as storms caused damage through Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Missouri.

Over a hundred homes and other buildings were damaged or destroyed by the high winds.

Only six tornadoes have been confirmed so far this year, about half the normal number.

A cooler March kept conditions from being right as often as is usual.

Texas Bus Crash Leaves 2 Dead, 36 Injured

Two people were killed when a bus crashed in Irving, Texas, on Thursday.

Another thirty-six were injured, three critically, when the bus went off the side of the road, struck a barrier, and careened across traffic to hit the median and land on it's side.

No other vehicles were involved.

The bus had been filled with senior citizens on their way to an Oklahoma casino.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the accident.

Uruguay Approves Homosexual Marriage

Uruguay's Congress approved homosexual marriage, on Thursday.

Seventy-one of the ninety-two members of the lower chamber voted to legalize the bill, which had already been approved by the upper, with a vote of twenty-three to eight.

President Jose Mujica, who has been throwing his full support behind the bill, is expected to sign it within the next weeks.

The bill also allowed for homosexual couples to decide on the order of surnames of children they adopt.

13 Killed in Clashes Between Egypt's Copts and Muslims

Copts and Muslims continue their clashes in Cario, and other cities in Egypt.

Security forces have continued to try and keep the two sides apart, but have not been completely successful.

The latest round of violence began on Sunday, and has seen thirteen killed.

Eight of them were killed in Cairo, while five died in Khosoos.

Over a hundred more have been injured in the violence.

This violence has been the worst non political sectarian violence, since Morsi became President.

Obama Proposes 94 Cent Tax Hike on Cigarettes

President Obama is back to suggesting tax increases.

His latest idea is to raise the tax on cigarettes.

The proposal would see an increase of ninety-four cents were pack of cigarettes.

According to the White House, the suggested increase would raise seventy-eight billion dollars, over the next decade.

Obama's suggestion would have to pass Congress.

Any tax increase should have trouble, as Republicans are pledging to not raise taxes.

Manchin and Toomey Announce Background Check Compromise

Manchin, left, Toomey, right

US Senators Manchin and Toomey have announced an agreement to increase gun background checks.

Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, and Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, are calling their plan the best compromise that the two party's can reach.

Under their proposal, background checks would be required at gun shows and for online sales.

Only sales between friends and family would be exempt from the "universal" background checks.

Similar bills have been recently passed in individual states.

USPS Gives up on Eliminating Saturday Service

The United States Postal Service is withdrawing it's plans to cut Saturday deliveries, as they have been unable to convince Congress of the necessity of doing so.

They had been hoping to cut Saturdays in order to get closer to within budget limits.

With Congress blocking the attempt to cut costs, by ending Saturday delivery, the USPS will now have to look at other options.

Congress suggested they renegotiate union contracts, but that is highly unlikely to succeed.

The option they may be forced to go with would be an increase in postal costs.

However, in the past that has backfired as it cost them customers and business.

Another 50,000 Tons of Meat Found to be Horse Not Beef

Europe's horse meat scandal has once again spread.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that more than fifty thousand more tons of meat were horse not beef.

The meat was supplied by two companies from the Netherlands.

Wiljo Import en Export BV and Vleesgroothandel Willy Selten are both owned by the same man, who has been investigated over health concerns, before.

Five hundred and two companies, across Europe, bought the meat from the suppliers.

Recall attempts are under way, but most of the meat has already been consumed, as it was all sold by February 15.

South Korea Raises Alert Status as North Fuels Missiles

South Korea raised it's alert status to the highest non war time level.

The government made the decision to go to "Vital Threat" over North Korea readying missiles, along the coast.

At least one Musudan mid range missile is fueled and ready for launch.

North Korea has yet to test the Musudan missile, and is banned from doing so, by a UN Security Resolution.

Japan, South Korea, and the US all believe that the North is ready to test the missile, which comes during an extremely tense time in the region, thanks to the North's barrage of recent threats.

Malaysia Sets Elections For May 5

Malaysia has changed the date for general elections to May 5.

Prime Minister Najib Razak dissolved the Malaysian parliament on April 3.

Nominations will begin on April 20, allowing for a two week campaign period.

Initially, the elections were set to be held on April 27, which only gave one week for campaigning.

Razak's National Front party has controlled parliament for fifty-six years, and this election will be their toughest.

Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim leads the opposition, which is very hopeful that it won't just have a good showing, but believes it might be able to take the majority for itself.