20 Dead in Philippines Flooding

Flooding in the Philippines has left twenty dead and fourteen missing.

Most heavily hit was the Mindanao area.

Heavy rains brought not just the flooding but mudslides as well.

Ten provinces and nearly two hundred thousand people have been affected by the floods and mudslides.

Several towns have been cut off, as the only bridges to them have been covered by the waters or destroyed.

CAR's President Djotodia Resigns

Michel Djotodia, interim president of the Central African Republic, announced his resignation, on Friday.

He did so in an attempt to end the violence which has plagued the country.

The violence began several years ago, but intensified after he was put into power by the National Transition Council.

In 2013, France and the African Union sent troops to try and force a ceasefire, within the CAR.

Djotodia's removal from office had been a key demand of the opposition and many of the rebel groups.

News of his resignation was met by cheering and celebration in the streets.

It is yet unclear if his resignation will have the desired effect or if the fighting will continue on anyways.

Emergency Declared After Chemical Leaks Into West Virginia Water Supply

Nine counties in West Virginia are under a declaration of emergency, after their water was contaminated.

According to officials, a foaming agent used in the coal preparation process, leaked from a tank at Freedom Industries and enter the Elk River, Thursday morning.

The leak was stopped, but an unknown amount of the chemical entered the water supply of Charleston and the surrounding area.

Boone, Cabell, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Putnam, and Roane counties are affected.

Residents are warned to avoid tap water, and only use it for toilets.

Boiling will not removed the chemical from the water and showering or washing in it would cause exposure.

Restaurants and other food based services have been told to close, unless they use bottled water.

Many stores, in the affected area, are already out of bottled water, with more being rushed in.

At this time, it is not known how long it will take to completely flush the chemical out of the water systems.

Lightning Strike Kills 3 in Argentina

Three tourists were killed when lightning struck a beach in Argentina.

Twenty-two other people were injured in the incident.

It happened in Villa Gesell, on Thursday evening.

Witnesses said that the storm came out of nowhere and that people were heading for shelter, when the strike occurred.

The government issued a statement, calling the incident a "disgrace".

Japan Factory Explosion Leaves 5 Dead

Five people were killed in a factory explosion, in Japan on Thursday afternoon.

It happened at a Mitsubishi factory, in Yokkaichi.

Seventeen other people were injured in the blast.

Emergency crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire, caused by the explosion.

Officials say that workers were cleaning a heat exchange, when the explosion occurred.

It is believed that a chemical reaction with hydrogen was the cause, but the investigation is continuing.

3 US Navy Members Killed in Helicopter Crash Off Virginia

Three member of the US Navy were killed when their helicopter went down in the Atlantic Ocean, on Wednesday.

The MH53E Sea Dragon went down off of the coast of Virginia.

According to officials, the helicopter attempted an emergency landing during a training mission.

However rescue crews found wreckage, rescued four of the crew members, and began a search for the fifth.

Two of the crew later died from their injuries, while the fifth crew member's body wasn't recovered until Wednesday, January 15.

At this time, it is unclear what caused the helicopter to require an emergency landing.

The accident comes a day after four members of the USAF were killed when their helicopter crashed during training operations, in England.

4 USAF Airmen Killed in Helicopter Crash During Training in the UK

Four members of the US Air Force were killed, on Tuesday night, when their helicopter crashed.

The HH60G Pave Hawk crashed on the north coast of Norfolk, near Cley, United Kingdom.

An investigation is underway, but it is believed that the helicopter was brought down by a bird strike.

Two USAF helicopters had been conducting training maneuvers, flying at low altitudes, near a bird sanctuary.

Chicago's Gun Ban Ruled Unconstitutional

In a major win for gun rights, Chicago's gun bans have been ruled unconstitutional.

US District Judge Edmond Chang made his ruling, on Monday, but stayed it to allow for the city to make an appeal.

He stated that, "Certain fundamental rights are protected by the Constitution, put outside government's reach, including the right to keep and bear arms for self defense under the Second Amendment".

Chang continued, saying, "Chicago's ordinance goes too far in outright banning legal buyers and legal dealers from engaging in lawful acquisitions and lawful sales of firearms".

Chicago has taken a lot of grief over the gun laws, which despite being the strictest in the US, have been unable to stop gun violence.

In fact, gun violence has only increased each year since the ban was put into place.

The city plans on appealing Chang's decision, however it is considered unlikely his ruling would be overturned by a higher court.

Freeze Continues in Canada and the US

Subzero temperatures continue to scathe Canada and most of the US.

Some areas have set new record lows and some places have seen as much as two feet of snow.

Sixteen people have died as a result of the super cold storm that's been striking the two countries for the last several days.

In Indiana and New York state of emergencies were declared for multiple hard hit counties.

Schools have been closed, in what would normally have been the first week back from Christmas break.

More than ten thousand flights have been canceled, since the storm began, with tens of thousands more delayed.

The storm will continue to bring much of North America to a stand still, as the storm is expected to last at least a couple more days.

US Army: Sergeant First Class William K. Lacey

Sergeant First Class William K. Lacey, thirty-eight of Laurel, Florida, died on January 4.

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

It was his second tour in Afghanistan, following three in Iraq.

Lacey was assigned to the 201st Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Knox, Kentucky.