Nelson Mandela, Dead at 95

On the night of Thursday, December 5, 2013 Nelson Mandela died, at the age of ninety-five.

Born on July 18, 1918 in Mvezo, Umtata, South Africa, he came from a royal family.

In college, he studied law and quickly became involved in anti colonial politics.

Mandela was repeatedly arrested for sedition, until 1962 when he was arrested for conspiracy to overthrow the government.

That conviction saw him sent to jail for twenty-seven years.

Upon his release, he became the foremost negotiator with the government as apartheid was abolished.

Then, in 1994, he successfully ran for president, of South Africa, and served one term, refusing the second.

During his time as president, he is credited as doing much to bring peace and healing to the country.

Many South Africans call him the father of the nation.

Hurricane Force Storm Xaver Kills 2 in The UK and 1 in Denmark

Three people have been killed by Storm Xaver.

Two of the deaths occurred in the UK, while the third happened in Denmark.

With winds near one hundred and forty miles per hour, the storm is all but a hurricane.

The winds are responsible for all three deaths.

Debris on train tracks forced all train service to be shut down, on Thursday, in Scotland and northern England.

Xaver also brought storm surges and flooding.

Officials warned that this could be the worst storm in sixty years.

Hamburg, Germany is dealing with a direct hit from the storm, and will be doing so through Friday.

Across the region, hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled.

Suicide Attack on Hospital in Yemen Kills 52

Fifty-two people were killed when a suicide bomber struck a hospital, in Sanaa, Yemen.

The bomber drove his explosive filled car straight into the defense ministry's hospital.

One hundred and sixty-seven people were injured in the attack, nine of them seriously.

Seven of the dead were foreign medical personnel.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Al Qaeda is the leading suspect.

3 Former Presidents Back Ukraine Protests

Protesters in Ukraine got a big boost on Wednesday, when three former presidents endorsed the demonstrations.

Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma, and Viktor Yushchenko made a joint announcement throwing their support behind the protesters.

The protesters are demanding that President Viktor Yanukovych resign.

He angered the public when backed out of signing a trade agreement with the European Union, and instead announced that he would seek closer ties with 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.

Fire Breaks Out in Downtown Denver

Smoke poured from a building in downtown Denver, on Tuesday afternoon.

Denver firefighters are being praised for their quick response in knocking the two alarm fire out in under twenty minutes.

Luckily no one was seriously hurt, only four people required treatment for smoke inhalation, with one of them being taken to a hospital.

Authorities say that a malfunction in the building's HVAC system caused the fire.

Oils from the system caused thick black smoke to be seen through most of downtown.

The area around 17th and Grant was closed for a time, due to the fire, and investigation.

Firefighters also evacuated a neighboring building, due to the smoke.

Temporary Truce Agreed to in Thailand

Moods in Thailand turned celebratory on Tuesday as the government ordered police forces to stand down in Bangkok.

The police had been protecting government buildings from protesters, who are demanding that the prime minister resign.

They allowed the protesters to enter the compounds after a truce agreement was reached.

Both sides agreed that there should be peace and celebration, not struggle, during the next few days which are mean to celebrate the king's birthday.

However, opposition leaders do promise that protests will resume, after the celebrations.

New York Train Derailment Kills 4

Four people were killed and sixty-three were injured when a passenger train derailed, in New York.

Eleven of the sixty-three are in critical condition.

The accident happened in the Bronx, Sunday morning.

A full investigation is being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Survivors and witnesses said that the train seemed to be going a lot faster than it normally does, when it came upon a sharp turn.

65 Vehicle Pileup Injures 35 in Massachusetts

Icy roads caused dozens of accidents in New England, on Sunday.

The worst of which happened on I290, in Worcester, Massachusetts.

That accident involved sixty-five vehicles, from small cars to tractor trailers.

Thirty-five people were injured, including two seriously.

Westbound I290 was closed for more than five hours as crews worked to clear the road.

Residents have been asked to limit their travel, while the hazardous conditions continue.

Hundreds of Thousands Demand President Resign in Ukraine

Sunday marked the twenty-second anniversary of Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union.

However, instead of celebrations the streets were filled with protests.

Hundreds of thousands of people marched through city streets demanding that the president resign.

Kiev alone saw at least three hundred and fifty thousand take to the streets.

Many Ukrainians fear that Viktor Yanukovich is working to rejoin them into the Russian fold.

Lately he has backed away from a deal to join the European Union, and began economic discussions with Russia.

The protests, on Sunday, were mostly peaceful, after violence injured hundreds on Saturday.

4 Killed in Thailand During Protests

Violent protests continued in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday.

Four people were killed and over a hundred injured as rival protesters clashed with each other and with police.

Police began responding with force, instead of trying to just keep the protesters at bay.

Opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban met with prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the military.

He continued the demands of her resignation from office, only then will protests end.

Meanwhile, the military pledged to stay neutral in the political conflict.