Constitutional Vote in Egypt

Egyptians once again voted for a constitution, on Wednesday, though with notable distinctions from the last vote.

The turn out for this new mostly secular constitution is much greater than the thirty-three percent of the previous Islamic based constitution.

Many Egyptians are celebrating this constitution as one that actually brings freedom to the people.

If it passes, as is expected, it will set up general elections later this year.

Unfortunately, violence also marred this vote, as supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood attacked poll stations and clashed with voters and security forces.

Eight people have been killed in the violence, with at least sixty-six arrests made.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which is recognized as a terrorist organization, and other Islamic groups boycotted this constitutional vote, saying that it is illegitimate for various reasons.

Denver Hostage Situation Ends With Suspect Shot

A hostage situation in Denver ended with the suspect shot, on Monday morning.

Police responded to a suspicious person call at 08:30 MST, at the 7-11 located at Perry and Colfax.

There they found an armed man had two hostages, inside the store.

After an hour of negotiations the suspect came outside with a female hostage as a shield.

When he refused to release her and attempted to take her back into the store, a Denver police officer shot him.

Neither hostage was hurt, while the suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Shooting Closes I270 in Denver

A shooting closed Interstate 270, through Commerce City, Colorado, on Monday morning.

Just after 03:00 MST police responded to reports of an accident.

When they arrived, shots were fired at them.

Officers returned fire, striking the shooter.

The shooter was taken to the hospital with non life threatening injuries, while no officers were harmed.

Police closed the entire nine mile stretch of the interstate, in both directions, until 11:30, while the investigation was underway.

West Virginia Slowly Clearing Water

Officials in West Virginia have announced that tap water will slowly be safe for drinking again.

A map will soon be put out on the West Virginian American Water website, showing which areas are safe.

The map will be simple with uncleared areas being marked in red and then changed to green once they are cleared.

Seventeen hundred miles of pipes were possibly contaminated by a chemical spill on Thursday.

A state of emergency was declared for Charleston and the surrounding areas, with people warned not to drink or wash in the water.

National Guard troops and other sources helped distribute bottled water.

6.5 Quake Rattles Puerto Rico

A 6.5 earthquake struck off the coast of Puerto Rico, on Monday morning.

More than seventy aftershocks have followed, with three of them being larger than 3.5.

The quake cracked floors, knocked items off shelves, knocked out power, and caused other damage, but no injuries have been reported.

No tsunami alert was issued, which caused criticism of the government, however officials note that there was no tsunami, so no need for an alert.

It was the biggest quake to hit US territory since March 2011.

Bangkok Shutdown by Protesters Blockade

Protesters in Thailand have blockaded the financial center of Bangkok.

They had announced their intention to do so, last week, leading to an order from the government that they not do so.

However, they have ignored the government's ban on their blockade and moved into the city anyways.

The opposition is demanding that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra resign, with many demanding she and her family leave the country.

At this time, the government has not yet made a move to clear the protesters.

Any attempt to do so would clearly require violence from the police and be met with violence from the protesters.

It is unclear if the government would be able to call upon the military, who has stayed neutral in this political conflict, in order to end things.

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".