12 Fires Now Burning in Colorado

Two new fires joined ten others burning in Colorado.

The weather has been cooperating a bit with fire fighting efforts, with cooling temperatures and higher humidity, but winds are still sticking around.

Beaver Creek Fire is nearly completely contained. Hopes are for full containment, late Saturday. The fire started on Thursday, after a lightning strike. About fourteen acres have been burned. No structures were threatened.

Bergen Rock Fire continues to smoulder, since being contained on Tuesday. Expectations are for all hot spots to be eliminated by Sunday. No structures were ever in danger.

Big Meadows Fire is thirty percent contained. Nearly three hundred and fifty-three acres were lost to it. Two hundred and sixty fire fighters and aircraft are working on it. Seven trails, in the area, have been closed to the public. No structures are in danger, due to the blaze.

Black Forest Fire, by far the largest of the fires is now up to thirty percent containment. It has burned sixteen thousand acres, destroyed four hundred and seventy-three homes, and damaged at least seventeen more. Two bodies have been found in it's wake. Some of the forty thousand evacuations, due to the fire, have been lifted. Eight hundred firefighters and aircraft are continuing the battle against it. Hopes are for full containment on June 20.

Fern Creek Fire is at about ten acres. It's remote location and difficult terrain has led to only aircraft being able to fight it. No structures are in danger. Officials are hoping that it will not expand and eventually burn itself out.

Hacking Fire is one of two fires in the Dinosaur National Monument, combining at one hundred and fifty acres. It is in a remote area of the park and not threatening any structures. A helicopter is working on that blaze.

Klikus Fire has burnt sixty acres. Located about five miles west of La Veta it is seventy-five percent contained. Thirty firefighters are battling it. No structures are in danger. All evacuations have been lifted.

La Veta Fire has burnt forty-two acres. It is now considered one hundred percent contained. Efforts are now being aimed at eliminate hotspots.

Royal Gorge Fire destroyed twenty buildings around the Royal Gorge Bridge. Thirty-two hundred acres have been burnt by it. It is forty percent contained. One hundred and fifty firefighters are busy with it. Twelve people were temporarily hospitalized due to smoke inhalation and other breathing problems related to the smoke. Some evacuations are still in place, because of the fire.

Ward Gulch Fire began on Friday, due to lightning, and quickly grew to more than three hundred acres. It is threatening buildings at the Rifle Mountain Park and a nearby fish hatchery. The area has been closed to the public. Three aircraft are battling the blaze.

West Fork Fire began on Friday, and has already burnt nearly five hundred acres. Various cabins in the Weminuche Wilderness are threatened by it. Concerns are high as much of the trees in the area are dead, and so will burn quite easily. Fifty firefighters and aircraft are battling the blaze.

Wild Fire is currently burning on Wild Mountain in the Dinosaur National Monument. It's location has prompted warnings to stay away from the mountain and it's popular trails. Combined with the Hacking Fire, one hundred and fifty acres of the park are burning. No structures are in danger. A helicopter is working on drowning it.

Louisiana Plant Explosion Kills 1, Injures 7

An explosion occurred at CF Industries facility in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, Friday night.

One person was killed and seven were injured in the blast.

According to authorities, nitrogen was being offloaded from a tanker truck, when the pressure rose extremely quickly, causing the explosion.

Officials said there was no danger to the public, as a result of the blast.

This came just a day after an explosion at another plant killed two in Geismar, just a few miles away.

Brazilians Violently Protest Increase in Public Transportation Fares

Protests broke out in Brazil as people reacted to an increase in public transportation fares.

Bus and subway tickets are increasing from 3 reals to 3.2, or from $1.40 to $1.49.

Both Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro saw the protests turn violent.

Government officials say that the protests turned into riots, with public and private property being damaged.

As protesters lit fires in the streets, police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Fifty-five people were injured and one hundred and sixty arrests were made.

Iranians Elect Rouhani as Next President

Iranians have elected Hassan Rouhani as their next President.

Beating out five other candidates, Rouhani took more than half of the votes, making him a clear winner.

Rouhani was the lone moderate candidate, making him the most palatable for Iranians who had felt their last election was stolen from them.

Going in, he had been considered the long shot, and there were times it was thought that the government would not let him run.

But he was not blocked from running was able to gain the support of moderates and reformists, handily winning him the election.

Of the six candidates he had been seen, by the west, as the best hope for renewing negotiations with Iran.

Now it will remain to be seen if Rouhani will be able to, or even actually try to, reform the country.

Attacks in Pakistan Leave at Least 21 Dead

Burnt out bus from Saturday's attacks

At least twenty-one people were killed in multiple attacks in Pakistan, on Saturday.

A police officer was killed in Baluchistan, as he tried to defend a museum, dedicated to Pakistan's founder, from separatists.

After securing the building, the separatists blew it up, destroying the national shrine and museum. The Baluchistan Liberation Army claimed the attack.

Hours later, in Quetta, a bomb struck a bus full of female university students. The bus was engulfed in flames, killing eleven of it's passengers.

Survivors of the explosion and fire were taken to Dolan Medical College, where a bomb exploded in the emergency room department, killing at least four people.

Following that explosion, gunmen burst into the hospital and took shelter on it's roof. From there they exchanged gun fire with police and military forces, until they were overwhelmed.

At least five soldiers were killed fighting the gunmen, who were all killed or captured. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the bus and hospital attacks.

2 Bodies Found in Ashes of The Black Forest Fire

Friday came with the news that two bodies had been found in the ashes of the Black Forest Fire, north of Colorado Springs.

Three hundred and eighty-nine homes have been lost to the blaze, which has scorched nearly sixteen thousand homes.

Eight hundred fire fighters as well as multiple air craft are battling the flames.

They are being led by a Type 1 Command Team, which took over operations on Thursday morning.

Authorities consider it to be five percent contained and are hoping for full containment on June 20.

Officials are investigating the cause of the fire, but say no lightning had struck near the area, when the fire started.

Thirty-four thousand homes have been ordered evacuated, including parts of Colorado Springs, and many more are on standby, forcing forty thousand people out of the area.

The mandatory evacuation area stretches from North Gate and Old North Gate Road, in the north; Voyager Parkway, on the west; Flying Horse Club Drive to include homes south of Flying Horse Club Drive on Barossa Valley Road and Veneto Wary/Vine Cliff Heights/Equinox Drive/Serenity Peak Drive, to the south; and Highway 83, at the east.

Various roads around that area have been closed, to ensure no one gets in the way of emergency personnel. That includes a partial closure of a stretch of  Interstate 25, from Interquest to Baptist.

Several other areas are on voluntary evacuation status. Members of the Colorado National Guard are assisting police in ensuring that no looting occurs in the evacuated areas.

Air quality advisories have spread all along the front range. Burn bans are going into effect in many areas, because of the fires.

The Black Forest Fire is the most destructive in Colorado's history, but it is only one of ten that are currently burning in the state.

10 Fires Burning in Colorado

Burnt remnants around the Royal Gorge Bridge

There are at least ten fires currently burning in Colorado.

The weather has been cooperating a bit with fire fighting efforts, with cooling temperatures and higher humidity, but winds are still sticking around.

Beaver Creek Fire is completely contained. It started Thursday, after a lightning strike. About seven acres were burned. No structures were threatened.

Bergen Rock Fire continues to smoulder, since being contained on Tuesday. No structures were ever in danger.

Big Meadows Fire is thirty percent contained. Nearly four hundred acres were lost to it. Three hundred fire fighters are working on it. No structures are in danger, due to the blaze.

Black Forest Fire is by far the biggest, and only at five percent containment. It has burned sixteen thousand acres, three hundred and eighty-nine homes. Two bodies have been found in it's wake.

Fern Creek Fire is at about ten acres. It's remote location and difficult terrain has led to only aircraft being able to fight it. No structures are in danger. Officials are hoping that it will not expand and eventually burn itself out.

Hacking Fire is one of two fires in the Dinosaur National Monument, combining at one hundred and fifty acres. It is in a remote area of the park and not threatening any structures. Officials are sending a helicopter to work on it.

Klikus Fire has burnt sixty acres. Located about five miles west of La Veta it is seventy-five percent contained. Thirty firefighters are battling it. No structures are in danger.

La Veta Fire has burnt forty-two acres. It is now considered one hundred percent contained.

Royal Gorge Fire destroyed twenty buildings around the Royal Gorge Bridge. Thirty-two hundred acres have been burnt by it. It is forty percent contained. One hundred and fifty fire fighters are busy with it. Twelve people were temporarily hospitalized due to smoke inhalation and other breathing problems related to the smoke. Some evacuations are still in place, because of the fire.

Wild Fire is currently burning on Wild Mountain in the Dinosaur National Monument. It's location has prompted warnings to stay away from the mountain and it's popular trails. Combined with the Hacking Fire, one hundred and fifty acres of the park are burning. No structures are in danger. A helicopter is being sent to deal with it.

Obama Announces US Will Send Weapons to Syrian Rebels

President Obama has announced that the US will begin sending weapons to the Syrian rebel.

This despite their ties to terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, with whom the US is in a war with ever since they attacked on September 11, 2001.

According to Obama, the decision was made because of evidence proving that the Syrian regime is using chemical weapons.

The United Nations says that they have seen no proof of the regime using such weapons, but they have previously stated evidence that the rebels have used them.

Obama also said that he is considering ordering a no fly zone, over Syria, to help protect the rebels from the regime's air power.

Enforcing a no fly zone would require the US to destroy Syria's anti air defenses, which have been kept updated by the Russian government.

Opponents of a no fly zone state the cost, and danger to American lives, of such an endeavor.

Hezbollah Promises to Stay in Syrian Civil War

Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, promised that the group will stay in the Syrian civil war.

He pledged that Hezbollah will fight "wherever needed", suggesting that they will not just stick to the area around Lebanon.

Nasrallah also said that they will continue to fight no matter what the consequences of doing so.

Hezbollah is fully committed to supporting the Syrian regime and winning the war.

This comes the day after the UN announced that the war's death toll was over one hundred thousand, and hours after President Obama said the US would begin sending weapons to rebel forces.

Iranians Hit Polls in Presidential Election

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iranians hit the polls on Friday, in the presidential election.

Turn out has been so high that the government announced they would extend the time that polls would be open, by two hours.

The government and religious leaders are bragging about the free election that they are having.

However, they very carefully chose who would even be eligible for the election.

Over the past month they blocked women and people not politically aligned with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from running.

The ruling council specifically eliminated those who sought any kind of dealings with the rest of the world.

This likely will lead to a new President who is even more hostile to the world, than current President Ahmadinejad.

Which could mean just tougher talk than his government gave, or it could mean actual hostile actions.