Australia's Fires Turn Deadly

Hundreds of fires are burning across Australia, with ninety-four in New South Wales, alone.

On Thursday, they turned deadly as a man was killed in the town of Lake Munmorah.

Two firefighters have been seriously injured, fighting the fires.

Dozens of homes have been lost, with firefighters battling to keep the flames from spreading closer to Sydney.

The city is already swamped with the smoke.

US Senate Passes Shutdown Ending Bill

With a vote of eighty-one to eighteen, the US Senate passed a bill which would bring an end to the government shutdown.

Under the bill, government spending is funded until January 15 and federal borrowing is raised until February 7.

The bill comes just in time to keep the US from defaulting on it's loans, which would happen Thursday, if funding isn't restored.

By passing the bill, the Senate returns the country to the status quo which existed before the shutdown.

It's passage sends it off to the House of Representatives.

Laos Airplane Crash Kills 49

Forty-nine people were killed when a Lao Airlines plane crashed, in Laos, on Wednesday afternoon.

The plane had left Vientiane and was about to land in Panske when it went down, only a mile from the airport.

Forty-four passengers and five crew were aboard the plane.

Officials say that no survivors were found at the site of the crash.

It is believed that a sudden wind sheer caught the plane as it was coming in for landing.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport is investigating the accident.

6 Killed by Nari in Vietnam

Typhoon Nari finished with Vietnam, on Sunday, leaving six people dead.

Dozens are injured and seven are missing.

High winds brought down trees and tore into buildings, while rains caused flooding.

Some residential areas lay under as much as seven feet of water.

At least twelve thousand homes were destroyed by the flooding, which cut off several villages.

Nari has now been downgraded to a tropical depression.

Wipha Kills 17 in Japan

Seventeen people were killed in Japan, on Wednesday, by the forces of nature brought by Typhoon Wipha.

High winds knocked down trees and buildings, while torrential rains brought flooding and mudslides.


By the end of the day, it's fury spent, Wipha was downgraded to a tropical depression.
At least twenty people were injured and fifty are listed as missing, while twenty thousand people were evacuated from low lying areas.

More than five hundred flights were canceled and train service was at a complete standstill, during the worst of the storm.

Philippines Quake Toll Hits 142

The death toll from the 7.2 quake, which struck the Philippines, has risen to one hundred and forty-two.

Over three hundred more people were injured and twenty-three are missing.

Most of the fatalities and casualties occurred on Bohol island.

The government cautioned that all of those numbers could continue to increase, as some areas have not yet been reached.

Communications with some areas were completely knocked out and emergency crews have not yet been able to get everywhere.

Work crews are working to clear roads of land slides and repair damaged phone lines, while rescue workers search for victims under rubble.

Nearly one thousand after shocks have followed the big quake, with the largest being a 5.1.

Injured Kangaroo Heads Right For Pharmacy

Pharmacy workers had an unexpected guest in Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday.

An injured kangaroo, who had been hit by a car, made his way across the street into the Melbourne Airport.

Once inside he headed directly for the airport's pharmacy, where he waited calmly for help.

Wildlife workers tranquilized him, as a precaution, and transported him to a veterinarian.

The kangaroo is expected to make a full recovery.

It is unclear why the kangaroo chose the pharmacy, but it clearly went there for help.

Afghanistan Provincial Governor Killed by Microphone Bomb

An Afghan provincial governor was assassinated, on Tuesday morning, as he spoke at a mosque in Logar province.

A bomb had been hidden in the microphone and exploded as he began to talk.

Fifteen people, who were nearby, were injured in the blast.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Forty-seven year old Arsala Jamal, a Canadian citizen, had held several positions in the Afghan government.

As governor he had been trying to lessen the Taliban's influence, in the province.

He had survived four previous attacks on his life and was a strong ally of President Hamid Karzai.

99 Killed in Philippines Quake

A 7.2 earthquake struck the Philippines on Tuesday morning.

Initially the government had said there was only minor damage and no injuries, however that quickly changed.

Ninety-nine deaths have been confirmed due to the earthquake.

Two hundred and seventy-six others were injured, mostly by falling objects.

Buildings and roads were destroyed and landslides also caused major damage to various areas.

Massive search and rescue efforts are underway to search for more people trapped under rubble.

Both Bohol and Cebu have been listed as being in a state of calamity.

US Army: Staff Sergeant Patrick H. Quinn

Staff Sergeant Patrick H. Quinn, twenty-six of Quarryville, Pennsylvania, died on October 13.

He was killed in combat, in Paktika province, Afghanistan.

Quinn was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group out of Fort Carson, Colorado.

Among his completed courses were: Northern Warfare Course, Combatives Level 2, Combat Life Saver Course, Warrior Leader Course, Advanced Leader Course, Basic Military Mountaineering School, Airborne School, Special Forces Qualification Course.

His decorations include: Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, NATO Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, Global War on Terror Service Medal, two NonCommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, two Overseas Service Ribbons, Special Forces Tab, Parachutist Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge.