Iraqis Head to Polls Amidst Bombings and Mortars

Al Qaeda bombs and mortars didn't keep some Iraqis from going to vote, for the first time since US troops left.

Polling stations were the target for several bombings and mortar strikes, on Saturday.

Four people were injured in the attacks, which for a day in Iraq is quite light.

Voter turnout was rather low, coming in at about fifty percent, though it is unclear if that was due to worries of safety or just apathy about the election.

Anbar and Nineweh provinces delayed their elections, as they felt they could not provide adequate security.

Three provinces in the autonomous Kurdistan did not hold elections at all.

6.6 Quake Strikes Sichuan China Killing 157

One hundred and fifty-seven people were killed and nearly six thousand injured when an earthquake struck near Ya'an, China.

Saturday morning's quake registered at 6.6, in a part of Sichuan province that saw almost seventy thousand die in a 2008 quake.

The quake was felt throughout Sichuan and the neighboring provinces.

Premier Li Keqiang arrived via helicopter, flying over and then later touring some of the damage.

Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, with unstable buildings continuing to collapse.

Nearly a thousand after shocks have been reported since the initial quake.

Six thousand troops have been brought in to help with search and rescue, as well as the cleanup.

Manhunt Ongoing for Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Law enforcement agencies are on the hunt for nineteen year old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. He and his brother, Tamerlan, twenty-six, are the FBI's suspects for the Boston Marathon bombings. The two brothers moved to the US from Chechnya, in 2003. Police had been searching for the two, since they were identified on Thursday.

Then late Thursday night, they robbed a 7-Eleven; shot and killed MIT Police Officer Sean Collier, twenty-six; and then carjacked a vehicle. Police chased them from Cambridge to Watertown.

During the chase, the suspects threw explosives out of the car and shots were exchanged wounding Richard H. Donahue Jr., a transit police officer. Donahue is in critical condition. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed shooting it out with police. In the middle of the confusion, Dzhokhar escaped on foot.

Authorities have been searching the area for him since that time. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has ordered the city of Boston to be placed on lock down. All mass transit has been shut down, businesses have been asked to remain closed, and residents asked to stay inside their homes.

Explosive Substance Mailed to German President

Guack

An explosive substance was mailed to the office of German president Joachim Guack, on Friday.

Police intercepted the letter during routine screening.

A bomb squad was called in and they safely disposed of it.

Federal police are working to determine who sent the letter.

President Guack was not at the office during the time of the incident.

Germany's presidential position is largely ceremonial, but the president is seen to have moral authority.

Serbia Begins Acknowledging Kosvo's Independence

Kosovo and Serbia agreed on details that are the first steps in the recognition of Kosovo's independence.

Under the new agreement Kosovo is recognized as having it's own police force and judicial system.

They had been trying to gain full recognition, but Serbia won't have that.

Serbia still denies that they are independent, but the independence has been enforced by NATO and the UN.

Both countries are trying to gain entry into the EU, and hope that a show of working together will help them in the quest.

Pakistani Police Arrest Former President Musharraf

Pakistani police arrested former president Pervez Musharraf, on Friday.

Thursday saw him flee court after he was charged with treason.

The High Court said he committed treason by violating the Constitution, in 2007.

In 2007, Musharraf suspended the Constitution and put the country under emergency rule.

Musharraf's lawyers are appealing to the Supreme Court, over the matter.

Remarkably, Pakistan's military has remained silent, as they watch their former chief brought up on charges.

In May, Pakistan will have an election that will see the first transition ever between civilian governments.

Texas Explosion Death Toll Rises to 35

Officials in Texas are now saying thirty-five people died from the fertilizer plant explosion, in West.

Ten of the dead were first responders, two more are still missing, and presumed dead.

At least one hundred and sixty people were injured when the blast occurred.

Seventy-five buildings, including homes, businesses, a nursing home, and schools were destroyed by the force of the explosion.

The cause of the fire and explosion are under investigation. At this point it is being treated as a crime scene, as is standard protocol when there is any doubt.

Seismographs registered the explosion as a 2.1 earthquake, residents in Dallas, eighty miles away, felt the shaking.

FBI Releases Video and Photos of Boston Bombing Suspects

The FBI has officially stated that they have two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings.

They released photos and surveillance videos of the suspects.



According to the FBI, the suspects are considered armed and extremely dangerous.

Anyone who recognizes either of the men is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or go to their website.

Three people were killed and one hundred and seventy-six injured in the terrorist attack.

Sangster's Thoughts: Senate Votes Against Expanding Background Checks, Let's Thank Them

On Wednesday, the US Senate voted fifty-four to forty-six against a bill that would have expanded background checks for gun buyers.

Such an expansion would've been a greater infringement upon the constitutional rights given us by the Second Amendment.

Senate majority leader Harry Reid voted no, not to join those opposed, but due to what he called procedural grounds.

Below are the Twitter handles of those who voted no, so that you can thank them for standing up for your rights, at least in this instance.

If you'd like to see the full roll call vote, head over to the Senate's website.

• Lamar Alexander, Republican, Tennessee, @SenAlexander
• Kelly Ayotte, Republican, New Hampshire, @KellyAyotte
• John Barrasso, Republican, Wyoming, @SenJohnBarrasso
• Max Baucus, Democrat, Montana, @MaxBaucus
• Mark Begich, Democrat, Alaska, @SenatorBegich
• Roy Blunt, Republican, Missouri, @RoyBlunt
• John Boozman, Republican, Arkansas, @JohnBoozeman
• Richard Burr, Republican, North Carolina, @SenatorBurr
• Saxby Chambliss, Republican, Georgia, @SaxbyChambliss
• Dan Coats, Republican, Indiana, @SenDanCoats
• Tom Coburn, Republican, Oklahoma, @TomCoburn
• Thad Cochran Republican, Mississippi, @SenThadCochran
• Bob Corker, Republican, Tennessee, @SenBobCorker
• Jon Cornyn, Republican, Texas, @JohnCornyn
• Mike Crapo, Republican, Idaho, @MikeCrapo
• Ted Cruz, Republican, Texas, @SenTedCruz
• Mike Enzi, Republican, Wyoming, @SenatorEnzi
• Deb Fischer, Republican, Nebraska, @SenatorFischer
• Jeff Flake, Republican, Arizonam @JeffFlake
• Lindsey Graham, Republican, South Carolina, @GrahamBlog
• Chuck Grassley, Republican, Iowa, @ChuckGrassley
• Orrin Hatch, Republican, Utah, @SenOrrinHatch
• Heidi Heitkamp, Democrat, North Dakota, @SenatorHeitkamp
• Dean Heller, Republican, Nevada, @SenDeanHeller
• John Hoeven, Republican, North Dakota, @SenJohnHoeven
• James Inhofe, Republican, Oklahoma, @jiminhofe
• Johnny Isakson, Republian, Georgia, @SenatorIsakson
• Mike Johanns, Republican, Nebraska, @Mike_Johanns
• Ron Johnson, Republican, Wisconsin, @SenRonJohnson
• Mike Lee, Republican, Utah, @SenMikeLee
• Mitch McConnell, Republican, Kentucky, @McConnellPress
• Jerry Moran, Republican, Kansas, @JerryMoran
• Lisa Murkowski, Republican, Alaska, @lisamurkowski
• Rand Paul, Republican, Kentucky, @SenRandPaul
• Rob Portman, Republican, Ohio, @robportman
• Mark Pryor, Democrat, Arkansas, @SenMarkPryor
• Jim Risch, Republican, Idaho, @SenatorRisch
• Pat Roberts, Republican, Kansas, @SenPatRoberts
• Marco Rubio, Republican, Florida, @marcorubio
• Tim Scott, Republican, South Carolina, @SenatorTimScott
• Jeff Sessions, Republican, Alabama, @SenatorSessions
• Richard Shelby, Republican, Alabama, @SenShelbyPress
• John Thune, Republican, South Dakota, @SenJohnThune
• David Vitter, Republican, Louisiana, @DavidVitter
• Roger Wicker, Republican, Mississippi, @SenatorWicker

Chicago Sinkhole Injures 1 as it Takes 3 Vehicles

A sinkhole opened up around 05:00 CDT, in South Derring, Illinois, Thursday morning.

As it quickly spread to about forty feet by twenty it claimed three vehicles.

One man was in one of the vehicles when it fell into the hole.

Officials say that iron water main, that had been in place since 1915, broke due to heavy rains and caused the sink hole to form.

Areas in Chicago have seen six inches of rain, with in the last thirty hours.