Three Georgians Killed in Fight Against Militants

Three Georgian soldiers were killed in a rescue mission on Wednesday.

Near the border with Russia, in the Kakheti region, militants had taken several civilians hostage.

Georgian troops were called into rescue the hostages on Tuesday.

During a firefight with the hostage takers three soldiers were killed, five were wounded, eleven militants were killed, and all the hostages were safe.

The standoff is continuing with six remaining militants hiding out in a gorge, surrounded by Georgian Interior Ministry forces.

It is believed that the group are extremists who crossed over from the Russian area of Dagestan, in the Caucasus.

Dagestan is an area that insurgents have tried to form their own Islamist nation in.

3 Year Old Told He Can't Sign His Name

A three year old in Nebraska has been told, by his preschool, that he can no longer say his name.

Three year old Hunter Spanjer is deaf and uses the SEE form of sign language to talk.

Grand Island Public Schools has a policy which forbids any use of any instrument that looks like a weapon, and they consider his signing to look like he's waving a gun.

His family have set up a Facebook page as a way to get their story out and as a petition against the school.

The ACLU and the National Association of the Deaf have joined the family's cause, defending the right of Hunter to say his name.

The Republican National Convention in Pictures

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus

Sara Evans

 RNC Convention Security

 

Arrest of Protesters

Isaac on Monday 

 Code Pink

More Protesters

 Homeless Tent City Dubbed 'Romneyville'

Police officers stand in a downpour as they watch demonstrators

 Protesters Marching

 

 

 Rainbow just outside of Tampa

John Voight with RNC Convention volunteer

 Mitt Romney greets Kid Rock

Artur Davis who defected from the Democratic Party

Review: 2016 Obama's America

At eighty-nine minutes, 2016: Obama's America could be one of the most important views of your life.

The documentary, by Dinesh D'Souza, explores the past of President Obama, as a way to show why he's acted the way he has since being elected.

Starting before his birth, you are taken step by step through the things and ideologies that shaped Barack Hussein Obama.

So much of his life and plans were shaped by a father he barely knew, as he truly is trying to live the dreams from his father.

It also explores who else influenced his life, and who he himself chose to listen to.

And it goes further yet by exploring what the country will be shaped to look like if he is reelected.

This is a very well done, must see movie, for all Americans, and likely for the rest of the world as well.

The movie came out in theaters across the US on August 24.

Mombasa Riots Worsening

Riots in Mombasa, Kenya have grown increasingly worse since Aboud Rogo Mohamed was killed. Mohamed was one of the main local Muslim leaders, and his assassination has been blamed on the police, who denied involvement.

Youths in the Muslim areas of the city have barricaded streets and attacked police. On Tuesday, one of the rioters threw a grenade at a police truck, wounding sixteen officers. Several churches have been burned by the rioters, many shops have been looted, unknown numbers have been injured, and at least one person has been killed in the violence.

The Supreme Council of Muslims in Kenya has denounced the violence, distancing themselves from those taking part in it. The council's secretary general, Adan Wachu, said, "This kind of violence goes against our faith. The protesters shouldn't hide behind Islam or any of its teachings. These are criminals and should be treated as such."

Some are worried that Al-Shabab is influencing the violence. They are the leading terrorist organization in Somalia. Several African nations are involved in fighting to eliminate them.

 Mombasa, which is on the coast, is a key tourist hub for Kenya. The city also supplies neighboring countries with much needed goods.

Second Death of Hantavirus From Yosemite

Hantavirus has killed a second person, who had stayed at Curry Village in Yosemite.

Two other people have been made sick by the disease.

Humans generally contract the disease when they inhale invisible particles of mouse urine or droppings.

All four of the infected stayed in the "Signature Tent Cabins" of the National Park, located in California.

It is the third time that the virus has made an appearance at the park, having done so previously in 2000 and 2010.

Officials at the park have already begun increased inspections and extra cleaning of all the rooms.

There is no known treatment for the disease, which has proved to be around thirty percent fatal.

Since it was identified in 1993 there have been 587 documented cases in the US.

New Orleans Prepares for Isaac

Hurricane Isaac is expected to hit the coast at and around New Orleans Tuesday evening.

President Obama declared Louisiana and Mississippi to be emergency zones, in preparation for the storm's fury.

Obama warned residents to listen to evacuation notices, and not to risk staying in the danger areas.

Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate, and thousands more have had evacuation suggested.

Waters along the coast could rise as much as twelve feet.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu, of New Orleans, pledged that there would not be a repeat event of the likes the city saw when hit by Hurricane Katrina, in 2005.

However, he also warned that some areas of the city would still see flooding, though not noting which.

Billions of dollars have been spent rebuilding, reinforcing, and on constructing new levees and flood walls, around the city.

Alabama and Florida have already seen some flooding from the storm, though they were not directly struck.

At least twenty-four people were killed by Isaac, as the storm swept over Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Pirates Take Greek Tanker

Off the Togo coast, pirates captured a Greek oil tanker, taking her crew of twenty-four hostage.

The pirates had a short fire fight with a Togolese patrol boat, but managed to escape.

This marks the sixth ship that has been taken off of West Africa, during 2012.

Piracy off East Africa, especially Somalia, is a lot more common.

Interestingly, the two groups go about it very differently.

While the East Africans hold the ship, cargo, and crew hostage until paid, the West Africans normally transfer any cargo to another ship and then within a few days release the ship and crew.

US Sets Records With 2011 Arms Deals

A new study was released by the US Congress on Monday.

The study details out weapons sales throughout the world, in 2011.

With a total of $66.3 billion, the US led the world by far, with Russia coming in second with only $4.8 billion.

Most of the US's sales went to Middle Eastern countries who are worried about Iran.

It was a most dramatic increase, as in 2010 the US only made $21.4 billion in arms deals, with the largest previous year being 2009 with almost $31 billion.

Study Finds Smoking Cannabis Lowers Intelligence

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences announced that smoking cannabis permanently lowers intelliegence.

The lowering greatly increased if the person started smoking at a younger age, especially during their teens.

A thousand people from Dunedin, New Zealand took part in the study, over the last twenty-five years.

The study was carried out by researchers at King’s College in London and Duke University.