Islamists Capture Douentza

Islamist rebels in Mali have captured the important town of Douentza, in Mali.

It is located about five hundred miles from the capital of Bamako, and marks a huge show of strength by the rebels.

MUJAO, an Islamist group, confirmed they had taken the town from the local militia.

The northern half of the country had been lost to the Malian government since April, but til now much of it had been controlled by local militias.

It appears that now the Islamists are moving to conquer the non alined areas, that have stayed secular.

Venezuela's Amuay Reopened

Venezuela's Amuay oil refinery has started production again, a week after an explosion and massive fire, crippled it.

Forty-two people were killed and around one hundred injured in the blast and fires.

Seventeen of the dead were national guard troops, whose job it was to protect the facility.

Despite President Chavez's denials, it is widely thought that poor maintenance was the cause of the explosion.

Cleanup has cost an estimated twenty-four million dollars.

At this point it is not known when the refinery will be back up to full output.

Wyoming Wolves no Longer Protected

Wyoming wolves will no longer being protected by the federal government, after having been nearly extinct, twenty years ago.

The US Fish and Wildlife feels that they have recovered to an extent that there's no longer a threat to the species.

Wolves in certain areas, such as Yellowstone National Park, shall still be protected, but wolves in nonprotected zones can be shot on sight.

Current statistics show two hundred and seventy outside of Yellowstone, and other protected areas the Wind River Indian Reservation and Grand Teton National Park.

The three areas make up about ten percent of the land area of Wyoming. 

Ranchers and hunters have been complaining for years over the number of cattle and game that wolves have been killing.

On October 1, the Wyoming Game Commission will open unlimited hunting licenses, but will close the season after fifty-two wolves have been killed.

Car Wheels Being Stolen

In Jefferson, Douglas, and Arapahoe Counties people have been finding their cars on blocks with the wheels stolen, all over the summer.

The thieves haven't even been partial on whether the rims are custom made or stock, just making off with whatever they can grab.

Some of the stolen rims have been worth up to two thousand dollars a piece.

Police are advising people to use busy, well lit parking lots.

The three counties contain much of the Denver metro area, in Colorado.

Remembering: Germany Invades Poland

On September 1, 1939 at 4:45 am 1.5 million German troops cross over the border into Poland. As they did the Luftwaffe and navy launched attacks against the Polish fleet and airfields.

Hitler attempted to claim the invasion as a defensive action, but England and France would not believe him. He had thought and hoped that they would sit back and let Germany swallow up Poland, just as they had Austria in 1938 and Czechoslovakia in 1939. But they finally realized that he would just keep going if they didn't stop him, and on September 3 declared war. Australia, New Zealand, and India quickly joined in announcing they had joined England and France.

The Germans quickly moved through Poland, using a new form of warfare known as blitzkrieg. The extremely well disciplined combined forces of air, armor, and infantry was hugely successful. Poland was not helped by how over matched their forces were, technologically. In infamous instances Polish cavalry bravely, but suicidally charged German panzers.

The only hope for Poland was that France and England would mobilize fast enough to force the Germans to focus on the west. French troops there outnumbered German ones by about four to one, but they did little more than raid the border. Then all hopes were dashed when the USSR invaded Poland from the east, on September 17. Russia did so in part of a secret agreement with Germany, to split Poland. Polish forces quickly fell apart, and on September 28, the besieged forces in Warsaw surrendered.

World War II had truly begun.

Thousands Protest Peacefully in Bahrain

On Friday, thousands joined a peaceful anti government protest in Bahrain.

It was the first protest march that the government had authorized since June, and many were willing to make the two mile walk.

The ban over the last few months had not stopped protesters, but the numerical difference was rather clear.

A very key difference was the lack of violence, which had been the cause of the ban, and had plagued the unauthorized protests.

The Shiite majority population began protesting the Sunni run government in February 2011.

The US has pushed for peaceful talks, between the two sides, but is more on the government's side, as the country holds the base for the US Fifth Fleet.

Saudi Arabia has clearly backed the regime, at one point even sending troops to maintain peace and order.

Iran dodges accusations of aiding the opposition, whilst very much vocally supporting them.

Woman Induced Into Coma to Recover From Acid Attack

Tanya St Arnauld has been put into a medically induced coma in hopes that it will help her body recover after a man threw acid on her.

Seventy percent of her body suffered burns from the corrosive substance.

The Longueuil, Quebec woman, was attacked by her boyfriend, who had a history of throwing food and other liquids on her during arguments.

Nikolas Stefanatos also has an assault conviction from 2006.

A judge has continued to postpone his bail hearing.

Clint Eastwood at The RNC

Clint Eastwood's speech at the Republican National Convention, on Thursday night, has prompted a lot of discussion.

Many are confused by his use of an empty chair to portray President Obama, others were offended by it. Some criticize him for his speech's content, even saying he had things wrong, or that he rambled too much.

Granted, the line about lawyers was a little unfortunate as Romney does have a law degree, but he is a businessman, and that was Eastwood's point. O and as far as the unemployment numbers being wrong, so the man forgot to say unemployed and underemployed whilst giving an unscripted speech. Deal with it.

For me, it was something almost magically perfect. Eastwood grabbed your attention, made his points using humor and facts, and did what actors do, he entertained. And while he was doing so, he made you think, and proved his beliefs. What else could you have asked for?
 
Decide for yourself:

First US Death From H3N2v Strain of Swine Flu

A sixty-one year old woman became the first US victim of the H3N2v strain of swine flu.

H3N2v was first discovered in US pigs in 2010, and then in people in 2011.

Throughout 2011, twelve people were infected with the disease.

Already in 2012, there have bee 289 cases, in five states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.

The victim who lost her life was the oldest to contract it, whilst it has hit those as young as six months.

Symptoms for H3N2v are very similar to the regular flu, so more cases could easily have gone unreported.

In Minnesota, three people who were working at the state fair became ill with a different strain.

They are all recovering from the H1N2v.

Workers and visitors that attended the fair are being warned to be checked by a doctor, for the disease.

Walmart Tests iPhone Checkout App

Walmart moved a step closer to ending the age of cashiers.

On Tuesday and Wednesday a single store, in Rodgers, Arkansas, tested out a new app for the iPhone.

The app allows customers to scan their items for themselves, and even pay via the phone.

Walmart spends nearly twelve million dollars on cashier wages, every second, in the US alone.

They are hoping that the new app would help them become more cost efficient, and allow for faster checkouts.

Eventually it would be added to apps for other phone platforms.

Recently, the company has been greatly expanding their use of regular self checkout machines, which still require one cashier per two or four registers.

If the app is successful, it could put thousands of cashiers out of jobs, in the name of customer satisfaction.