Star Wars Episode VII Release Date Announced

An official release date for Star Wars Episode VII has been announced.

On Friday, director JJ Abrams made the announcement.

The as of yet untitled movie, will release on December 18, 2015.

Dismay came from Star Wars fans, who knew May would be the month for the movie, as every other Star Wars film has debuted at sometime in May.

It is unclear why Abrams and Disney decided to break with the tradition.

Toyota Recalling 30,000 Vehicles

Toyota is recalling thirty thousand vehicles, around the world.

Most of the vehicles are in Japan, four thousand are in the US, and a few thousand are spread through other countries.

All of the vehicles are 2013 models, of varying types.

Engine valve springs may develop cracks and then break, which would harm performance or kill the engine.

Owners will be contacted, by mail, if their vehicle is included in the recall.

Fighting Breaks Out Between Militias in Libya

Fighting broke out between rival militias, in Triploi, Libya, on Thursday.

One person was killed and ten were wounded, in the fighting.

Street fighting continued into the night, though not as serious as the initial clashes, which involved rocket propelled grenades and other heavy weapons.

Libya's government has little control of the many militias, around the country.

Pakistan Taliban Selects Fazlullah as New Leader

On Thursday, the Pakistani Taliban announced the selection of a new leader.

They chose Mullah Fazlullah to replace Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a drone strike, on November 1.

The selection of Fazlullah has many Pakistanis concerned, and the international community wary.

Fazlullah is one of the most violent leaders, within the Taliban.

Everywhere he goes, he has enforced an extremely strict version of Shariah law.

His selections could also be a sign that any hopes for peace talks are nowhere near being an option anymore.

Another worry is that he is supported by the Afghanistan Taliban, and may feel forced to heed their bidding.

5 Colorado Counties Vote Yes on Secession

Eleven Colorado counties voted on Tuesday whether or not they wished their county officials to officially investigate seceding from Colorado.

Ten of the counties were considering forming a new state, to be called Northern Colorado, while the other would've moved towards switching to Wyoming.

The vote failed to pass in Elbert, Lincoln, Logan, Sedgwick, Moffat, and Weld counties.

However, it did pass in Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Phillips, Washington, and Yuma.

Those five counties will now actively begin exploring their options and move towards an actual secession vote, to be held in the future.

Any successful secession would have to be approved by the Colorado legislature and the US Congress, making it unlikely that a fifty-first state will come out of this.

The vote does make clear how unhappy with things that those counties are.

6 Police Officers Killed by Suicide Bomber in Iraq

A suicide bomber struck in Baquba, Iraq, on Wednesday.

He drove an oil tanker into a police station and exploded the truck.

Six police officers were killed and dozens injures, in the attack.

That number could go up, as some of the injuries are quite severe.

Witnesses said that the police saw the truck coming and attempted to shoot the driver, but were unsuccessful in stopping him.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

1 Killed as 7 Bombs Strike Communist Party Building in China

A series of explosions shook Taiyuan, China, on Wednesday.

Seven explosions struck outside of the Communist Party building.

One person was killed and eighty were injured, in the blasts.

Witnesses used cell phones to capture pictures of the smoke emanating from the blast area.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The target more than suggests a political motivation, behind the bombings.

US Army: Sergeant First Class Forrest W. Robertson

Sergeant First Class Forrest W. Robertson, thirty-five of Westmoreland, Kansas, died on November 3.

He was killed in combat in Pul-E-Alam, Afghanistan.

It was his fifth combat deployment.

Robertson was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Stewart, Georgia.

His decorations include: Bronze Star, Purple Heart.

3 Injured in Bus Hijacking Attempt in Norway

Three people were injured when a man attempted to hijack a bus in Norway.

An unidentified man, who police described as a foreigner, attacked the driver and two passengers with a knife.

Firefighters, who had been called to the scene for an accident, overpowered the man.

The incident happened near the town of Ardal.

Birmingham Airport Evacuated by Bomb Threat

Birmingham International Airport, in Alabama, was evacuated on Sunday afternoon.

An employee found a bomb threat in a bathroom.

Police evacuated the terminal while bomb sniffing dogs swept through.

No explosives were found, anywhere in the airport, and it was reopened.

A dozen flights were delayed from taking off, while a dozen incoming flights were diverted to Huntsville.