Yanukovych Promises Concessions in Ukraine

Faced with the spread of protests against his government, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has offered what is considered the beginning of concessions.

On Friday, Yanukovych pledged to "reshuffle" his government, amend anti-protest laws, and free more than one hundred detainees.

He stated that any decisions would be made at a special session of parliament, on Tuesday.

The president has previously made promises to the protesters and opposition, but each time broken them, so it is unclear if he will actually stand by his latest statements.

It is also unclear if parliament will make changes or if any changes they make will be enough for the protesters to go home.

Yanukovych is faced with an increasingly larger protest movement against him and his government, which has been going for over two months.

Multiple police attempts to clear out Kiev's Independence Square have failed, with injuries mounting since Sunday, and deaths occurring on Wednesday.

The protests began when the president backed away from a deal to join the EU, and instead turned to Russia.

Many Ukrainians worry that Yanukovych is taking their country back under Russian influence and fear a loss of their independence from their former Soviet masters.

Fighting and Explosions Kill 16 in Cairo

Sixteen people were killed and over a hundred were injured in violence in Cairo, on Friday.

Ten of the casualties occurred in clashes between security forces and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Four explosions claimed six lives, with the biggest occurring outside of the city's police headquarters.

The Muslim Brotherhood is being blamed for the bombings, however Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, the local Al Qaeda affiliate, has claimed responsibility.

Saturday marks the third anniversary of Egypt's overthrow of Honsi Mubarak, a tense time for the politically torn country.

46 Vehicle Accident Kills 3 in Indiana

Three people were killed and more than twenty injured in a forty-six vehicle pileup in Indiana, Thursday afternoon.

Officials say that it went from a sunny day to near white out conditions, within minutes.

Fifteen tractor trailers were involved in the pileup, which occurred near Michigan City.

Both sides of I94 were shutdown for several hours, while emergency workers rescued the injured and trapped passengers and drivers, with the east bound lanes expected to remain closed until late Friday or possibly even Saturday.

Nursing Home Fire Kills 36 in Quebec

A nursing home fire in L'isle-Verte, Quebec  killed thirty-six, early Thursday morning.

Firefighters from several nearby towns were called to help battle the massive blaze.

They also had to contend with freezing temperatures, which made things all the more dangerous and difficult.

Only twenty of the building's fifty-six residents were saved.

Five bodies have been found so far, with the rest missing and presumed dead.

Most of the residents were over eighty-five and very few were mobile.

Cease Fire Declared in Kiev as Protests Spread Across Ukraine

An uneasy truce took place, on Thursday, between protesters and police in Kiev, Ukraine. It is unclear how long it will last as the government seems unwilling to actually give the people what they are demanding, a new election.

Protesters took the time of cease fire to build new and larger barricades, while their leaders met with the President. The meetings ended with nothing being resolved between the two sides.

Thursday also saw the spread of protests to several other cities, across the country. Threats of guerrilla warfare and revolution are now being made by some opposition leaders, angry over the President's refusal to grant any of the demands made of him.

At least four people were killed in Kiev, on Wednesday, as the months long protest turned deadly. Police at Independence Square opened fire on multiple occasions, wounding dozens. The shooting was followed by fire bombs being thrown by both sides.

On Wednesday evening, as thousands more protesters poured in, opposition leaders announced a twenty-four hour deadline for the government to announced emergency elections. If their deadline is not met then they have promised that they will attack.

Nearly two thousand protesters, two hundred police officers, and thirty-six journalists have been injured since Sunday, when the protests turned violent after parliament passed a heavily controversial law, on Friday. Under the bill, any protest can be banned, freedom of speech is limited, freedom of the press is cut, the government is allowed to ban citizens from using the internet, and it classifies advocacy groups as "foreign agents" if they receive money from abroad.

Opposition leaders accused Yanukovych of trying to cement a dictatorship by following the ways of Russia and North Korea. News of the bills passing was met with condemnation from much of the world, especially the European Union.

Continuous protests have been taking place in Kiev, and elsewhere in Ukraine, for several months now, with crowds as large as two hundred thousand, in Kiev's Independence Square alone. Many Ukrainians worry that Yanukovych is taking their country back under Russian influence and fear a loss of their independence from their former Soviet masters.

The protests gained steam after three former presidents backed them. Police were unable to clear out the protesters in December, and their failure had been followed by Yanukovych promising to get back to working on the deal with the EU.

However, his once again breaking his word only heightened the calls for his removal from office and led to many to call him a traitor and warn that he should never return to the country. The opposition had called for the government to replace him, but their lack of movement on the issue has led to calls for their removal as well.

Protests Turn Deadly in Ukraine

At least four people were killed in Kiev, on Wednesday, as the months long protest turned deadly. Police at Independence Square opened fire on multiple occasions, wounding dozens. The shooting was followed by fire bombs being thrown by both sides.

On Wednesday evening, as thousands more protesters poured in, opposition leaders announced a twenty-four hour deadline for the government to announced emergency elections. If their deadline is not met then they have promised that they will attack.

Nearly two thousand protesters, two hundred police officers, and thirty-six journalists have been injured since Sunday, when the protests turned violent after parliament passed a heavily controversial law, on Friday. Under the bill, any protest can be banned, freedom of speech is limited, freedom of the press is cut, the government is allowed to ban citizens from using the internet, and it classifies advocacy groups as "foreign agents" if they receive money from abroad.

Opposition leaders accused Yanukovych of trying to cement a dictatorship by following the ways of Russia and North Korea. News of the bills passing was met with condemnation from much of the world, especially the European Union.

Continuous protests have been taking place in Kiev, and elsewhere in Ukraine, for several months now, with crowds as large as two hundred thousand, in Kiev's Independence Square alone. Many Ukrainians worry that Yanukovych is taking their country back under Russian influence and fear a loss of their independence from their former Soviet masters.

The protests gained steam after three former presidents backed them. Police were unable to clear out the protesters in December, and their failure had been followed by Yanukovych promising to get back to working on the deal with the EU.

However, his once again breaking his word only heightened the calls for his removal from office and led to many to call him a traitor and warn that he should never return to the country. The opposition had called for the government to replace him, but their lack of movement on the issue has led to calls for their removal as well.

Shooting at Purdue University Leaves 1 Dead

A shooting at Purdue University left one person dead, on Tuesday afternoon.

The shooting took place in the Electrical Engineering building in Lafayette, Indiana.

According to witnesses, the shooter came into the classroom, shot one person, set the gun down, and then with hands up walked out of the room and surrendered to police.

Police say that they arrested the shooter, without incident, and found one person deceased.

A campus wide lock down was in place for two hours, but was lifted.

Officials have closed off the Electrical Engineering building, while the investigation is underway.

At this time, the identities of the shooter and victim have not been released, nor has the motive.

Priests Stop Violence in Kiev

Three Orthodox priests brought a pause to three days of clashes between police and protesters in Kiev, on Tuesday.

The priests walked between the two sides praying and calling for peace.

Their bravery was enough to end the fighting, at least for now.

Fighting began Sunday, after parliament passed a heavily controversial law, on Friday.

Under the bill, any protest can be banned, freedom of speech is limited, freedom of the press is cut, the government is allowed to ban citizens from using the internet, and it classifies advocacy groups as "foreign agents" if they receive money from abroad.

Opposition leaders accused Yanukovych of trying to cement a dictatorship by following the ways of Russia and North Korea.

News of the bills passing was met with condemnation from much of the world, especially the European Union.

Hundreds have been injured, as protesters hurled rocks and fire bombs at police, who used water cannons to try and break the protesters into submission.

Tuesday morning saw the police move in to try and break the barricades, leading to some of the worst violence.

It was as police were clearly failing to break the protesters, that the priests appeared.

Continuous protests have been taking place in Kiev, and elsewhere in Ukraine, for several months now, with crowds as large as two hundred thousand, in Kiev's Independence Square alone.

Many Ukrainians worry that Yanukovych is taking their country back under Russian influence and fear a loss of their independence from their former Soviet masters.

The protests gained steam after three former presidents backed them.

Police were unable to clear out the protesters in December, and their failure had been followed by Yanukovych promising to get back to working on the deal with the EU.

However, his once again breaking his word only heightened the calls for his removal from office and led to many to call him a traitor and warn that he should never return to the country.

The opposition had called for the government to replace him, but their lack of movement on the issue has led to calls for their removal as well.

Thailand Declares State of Emergency for Bangkok

Thailand's government declared a state of emergency for Bangkok, on Tuesday.

Under the state of emergency security forces can impose curfews, detain citizens without pressing charges, censor the media, ban gatherings of more than five people, and declare public areas closed.

The government's move follows months of protest, which have begun to cripple the city.

Protesters are demanding that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra resign, with many demanding she and her family leave the country.

Dozens of government buildings have been occupied by the protesters, and police have been unwilling to commit to retaking the buildings.

With the emergency declaration, the police now have more legal ability to begin working on ending the protests.

The state of emergency lasts for sixty days.

2 Killed in Nebraska Plant Explosion

An explosion tore through a plant in Omaha, Nebraska, on Monday morning.

The explosion caused a partial collapse of the plant and killed two people.

Nineteen people are unaccounted for and four of the seventeen injured are in critical condition.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the explosion.