Deadly Quake Strikes China

Five people were killed and twenty-one injured when a 5.8 earthquake struck south western China, on Saturday.

Centered in Yunnan province the quake shook nearby provinces as well.

The quake caused rock slides, which cut off some areas to emergency personnel.

It also collapsed six hundred homes and damaged some fifty-five hundred more.

Chemical Leak Kills 15 in Shanghai

Fifteen people were killed when a liquid ammonia leak occurred in Shanghai.

Another twenty-six people required medical treatment after Saturday's accident.

Officials are investigating the cause of the leak.

It is likely the cause of ignored safety regulations, a common issue for China as it pushes growth.

7.0 Quake Shakes Alaska's Aleutian Islands

A 7.0 earthquake struck off the Aleutian Islands, Friday morning.

The quake struck just south of Alaska's island chain, in the Pacific Ocean.

No tsunami occurred as a result of the quake, nor was any damage reported.

Scientists say that the depth of the quake, more than twenty-one miles down, kept it from causing any issues.

5,000 Firefighters Battling 200,000 Acre Rim Fire in California

Nearly five thousand firefighters and two dozen aircraft are now battling the Rim Fire.

The fire has burnt over two hundred thousand acres in California, including forty-seven thousand in Yosemite National Park.

One hundred and eleven buildings, including thirty-one homes, have now been lost to the flames.

Forty-five hundred homes and a thousand other buildings lie with a mandatory evacuation area, that is threatened by the blaze.

Winds continue to help the fire expand and drown nearby towns in smoke, making breathing difficult.

However, lower temperatures and higher humidity have aided in battling the fire.

Yosemite National Park has remained opened, the main part of the park lies more than twenty miles away and authorities say that it is not in any danger.

Most worries are focused on the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and the O'Shaughnessy Dam, which are now less than half a mile from the flames.

San Fransisco gets eighty-five percent of it's water from the reservoir and significant amounts of power from the dam.

City officials say that they have adequate emergency reserves, should the water become reached by the smoke.

They are also doing hourly checks of water quality to ensure that contaminants from the fire are not reaching people's drinking water.

Power supply has already been interrupted, as some power lines have fallen victim to flames.

Robber Survives 200 Foot Fall

A robber survived a two hundred foot fall in Syracruse, New York, on Friday.

The man had robbed a Chase bank and ran to the Clinton Plaza Apartments to hide.

He climbed into the garbage chute, figuring police would not look there.

Unfortunately for him, he fell down the chute from the twenty-first floor.

The fall caused extensive injuries and he was found in the basement in critical condition.

Medical treatment was in time to save his life.

Police believe that he only survived the fall by using his arms and legs to slow his descent and by landing on garbage.

Colombia's Military Begins Patrolling Bogota

Colombian military troops began openly patrolling Bogota, on Friday.

President Juan Manuel Santos announced that the troops were necessary due to violent protests, that took place on Thursday.

Two people were killed as striking farmers clashed with police.

Fifty thousand soldiers have been deployed in and around the capital to enforce peace and security.

Leaders of the strike have agreed to return to talks with the government.

6 Killed in Renewed Protests in Egypt

Friday saw the renewing of protests demanding that Mohamed Morsi be returned to power.

Six people were killed as thousands of Egyptians took to the streets, in Cairo, Alexandria, and other cities.

Fifty more were injured and at least twenty were arrested when parts of the protest turned to riot.

Police responded to violence with tear gas and ordered the protesters to disperse.

Protesters remained anyways until the time of the curfew neared, as it approached they left for their homes.

US Preparing For Strike Against Syria With Backing From France

A strike against Syria is back at the forefront of the Obama administration's concerns.

US Secretary of State John Kerry outlined the evidence that the US has, on Friday.

Kerry, Obama, and others stated Syria must be punished for supposedly killing more than a thousand people with a chemical weapon.

They pledge that an retaliation will be very specific and not an all out war, just a simple punishment for the use of chemicals to kill people.

France quickly came back to demanding swift action against the Syrian regime, a day after backing down from calling for an immediate response.

It still remains unclear if the regime was responsible, whether rebel forces committed the act, or even if a third party was the perpetrator of the atrocity.

The UN is still awaiting the findings of the investigative team that they sent to Syria, to attempt to determine who was responsible for the attack.

US Army: Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis

Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis, twenty-four of Staten Island, New York, died on August 28.

He was killed in combat in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.

It was his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, following one in Iraq.

Ollis was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, New York.

Among his completed courses were Airborne School, Ranger Course, Infantry School, Special Operations Senior Site Exploitation Course, Air Assault School, Combat Life Savers Course, Command Language Program German Head Start Course, Medium Tactical Vehicle Course.

His decorations include: Bronze Star, four Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, two Afghanistan Campaign Medals, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, three Overseas Service Ribbons, NATO Medal, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver Wheeled Vehicles and Tracked Vehicles.

US Army: Sergeant First Class Ricardo D. Young

Sergeant First Class Ricardo D. Young, thirty-four of Rosston, Arkansas, died on August 28.

He was killed in combat in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.

Young was assigned to the 307th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.