Standoff in the Philippines Goes Through Third Day

Sections of Zamboanga City lie nearly deserted as the Philippine military continues to exchange gun fire with Islamic rebels.

On Monday the rebels took over parts of the city and four neighboring villages.

As they moved in they took over a hundred hostages.

The military then moved in and surrounded the rebels.

Since then, the Moro National Liberation Front has released seven of the hostages, in exchange for food.

Over the three day situation nine people have been killed.

Government officials are still trying to negotiate with the rebels, who are demanding greater autonomy for the region.

Clover Fire Burns 30 Homes in California

Thirty homes and fifty other buildings have been lost to the Clover Fire, in northern California.

Another thirty homes have been damaged and three hundred more structures are threatened by the flames.

It began Monday afternoon, southwest of Redding, and has already burnt seventy-four hundred acres.

Six tankers, seven bulldozers, and eleven hundred firefighters battled the blaze to forty percent containment.

Four people, including three firefighters have been treated for smoke inhalation, but no other injuries were reported.

Parti Quebecois Attacks Religious Head Wear

Parti Quebecois has come up with a new way to try and divide Canada, this time without trying to leave the country.

They proposed an attack upon religious head wear in Quebec, on Tuesday.

If their proposal passes it would ban all government employees, in Quebec, from wearing religious head wear such as hijabs, head scarfs, kippas, turbans, veils, and yamakas.

Items such as necklaces, rings, and other less visible objects would still be allowed.

The party feels that it would be a way to ensure that the government be completely neutral religiously.

Opponents point out that such a ban would be a direct involvement of government into religious practice.

Gabrielle Aims For Bermuda

Tropical Storm Gabrielle reformed and aimed for Bermuda, on Tuesday.

Bermuda has been hit with sixty mile per hour winds, high waves, and pouring rain.

Over Tuesday night Gabrielle should fully hit the island and then move on to the north.

Due to the high standards of construction, on Bermuda, little damage is expected.

Police in Germany Stop Nazi Model Airplane Plot

Police in Germany say they have foiled a plot by neo Nazis to use model airplanes as bombs.

They were conducting a raid of a neo Nazi meeting, when the plot and planes were found.

Three people have been arrested for their parts in the plot.

Officials say that the plotters were planning to use the planes to attack rival political rallies.

Syria Agrees to Sign Chemical Weapons Convention

Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem announced that his country has decided to agree to a Russian proposal.

Under the proposal Syria will stop making chemical weapons and open up current stock piles to international inspection.

They will also sign the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Syria has agreed to do all this in order to avoid a possible strike against it, by western nations.

US President Obama has led a call for strikes against Syria for supposedly attacking their own people with chemical weapons.

The attack has been completely denied by the Syrian regime, nor has any proof that they were responsible been given.

Protests Erupt Across Turkey After 1 Killed

Thousands of people protested in Istanbul and other Turkish cities, on Tuesday.

The national protests were set off after the death of a protester in Armutlu.

Police blocked protesters' paths and fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons into the masses.

In some places protesters erected barricades and threw bottles, bricks, stones and other objects at officers.

Security forces have surrounded any such barricaded areas, but have not been able to force their way into some.

The government has warned that it will call in the military if necessary.

Colorado's Recall Votes Take Place on Tuesday

Morse, left, Giron, right

Two recall elections take place in Colorado, on Tuesday.

Senate President John Morse, of Colorado Springs, and Senator Angela Giron, of Pueblo, are facing recall challenges.

Both were big supporters and key in the passage of restrictive gun laws, that many Coloradans feel are unConstitutional.

Over twenty-one thousand have already voted in the Giron recall, as Pueblo County began early voting on August 30.

El Paso County began early voting, on Thursday, and nearly ten thousand have voted over Morse.

Already there have been some accusations of voter fraud.

Two other state senators were threatened with recall, but only the two received enough signatures to be validated and forced to a vote.

100 Homes Evacuated by 4,000 Acre Mount Diablo Fire in California

One hundred homes have been evacuated due to a fire near Clayton, California.

The Mount Diablo Fire began Sunday afternoon and within twenty-four hours had burned four thousand acres.

Two firefighters have taken minor injuries, while battling the flames.

Seven hundred firefighters, five helicopters, and two tankers are battling the blaze.

They have achieved twenty percent containment.

Winds have pushed smoke into the Bay Area, causing smoke advisories to be issued.

Texas Standoff Lasts 9 Hours After Officer Shot in the Head

A standoff lasted nine hours in San Antonio, Texas, on Monday.

It began about 08:00 CDT when police received a disturbance call at a Motel 8.

When officers arrived shots were fired out the door at them, striking one of them in the head.

SWAT teams surrounded the building and eventually talked the gunmen into surrendering, around 17:00 CDT.

The wounded officer was taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center, with non life threatening injuries.