Russian Missile Crisis

Some European countries bordering Russia's territory of Kaliningrad are worried about possible nuclear capable missiles that are stationed there. Lithuania and Poland have issued their concerns, though Russia hasn't claimed confirmation. Russia also adds that they have every right to station missiles in its western-most location. Moscow has threatened to move Iskander short-range systems to Kaliningrad to respond to the US's own European shield. The Russians also see this a nuclear deterrent making a possible threat of violence even more tense. Obama has tried to "reset" Russian relations, but has not moved on either front. The "shield" is a missile shield, that can blow up any missile that is a threat to the surrounding nations. Russia believes that this system might be used against them, causing unrest for Russian officials.

US and UK Suspend Syrian Rebel Aid

The diceision was made to suspend all "non-lethal assistance" for the opposition in northern Syria on the basis that Islamist rebels seized bases belonging to the Western-backed Free Syrian Army. Rebels from the Islamic Front assumed control over  bases at Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey last week. The humanitarian assistance will not be affected because of this though. The group of rebels have been gathering up there numbers from different "clans" in which they have been gathering for a while. It has been the larges group of rebels in the conflict yet with over 45,000 fighters. This group said that their aim was at "independent political, military and social formation". This is mostly because of Bashar al-Assad's government and the lack of the Islamic statehood.

Radioactive... But not in Iran

Dangerous radioactive medical material that was stolen from a truck in Mexico has been found, the local officials say. The material in question was cobalt-60, which was removed from a casing and then abandoned nearby. The thieves' lives may be in danger from the exposure from it. The residents in the surrounding area aren't at risk from it though. The stolen substance and truck were found near to where they were stolen in the first place, barely 2 km (1.4 mi). The radioactive substance is now with the authorities, and the military has sealed off the area of truck and substance. Some speculations among officials say that it might have been made to use as a "dirty bomb". But another speculation among these officials is that the thieves didn't know what they were stealing in the first place.

US neo-Nazi Serial Killer Executed

A US white supremacist who targeted black and Jewish people in a nationwide killing spree has been sentenced and executed in Missouri. Joseph Franklin was charged for shooting dead a man and wounding two others outside a synagogue in 1977. This 63 year old was also convicted of seven other racially motivated murders. In total, he has admitted to 20 in total. The execution came after the US Supreme Court upheld an appeal on the decision to lift a stay of execution. Franklin had declined to make a final statement and was pronounced dead 12:17 GMT on Wednesday. A new agency journalist witnessed that Franklin swallowed hard as five grams of phenobarbital were administered. It took him 10 minutes to be pronounced dead.

Iran backed out of Nuclear Deal

US secretary of State John Kerry said that Iran has now backed out of a deal on its nuclear program during talks with the world powers in Geneva. Reports that France's reservations had come up with an agreement, Kerry told Reporters that "The French signed off on it; we signed off on it." He also said that Iran had been unable to accept the deal at the particular moment. Within the next few months, Kerry said, the US and Iran should be able to find some agreement that would meet everyone's standards. Another meeting will be held on the 20th of November. Iran is stressing that the nuclear program is strictly peaceful purposes. But the world powers suspect that the true motive is nuclear weapons. The world powers are willing to help resolve issues with Iran in order to gain a nuclear power.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24895911

Yasser Arafat 'may have been poisoned with polonuim'

The late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat may have been poisoned with the radioactive form of Polonuim according to a Swiss forensic report. Arafat's official medical record says that he died in 2004 from a stroke that had been the result of a blood disorder. His body was exhumed for further investigation of whether or not that he was murdered. The new report says that there was an unexpected high activity of polonuim which "moderately" provided evidence to the poison theory. Many Palestinians believed that Israel was the culprit of these poisons, but has consistently denied any such thing. Others believe that it might have been cancer or Aids. An Israeli spokesman said that this report was "more soap opera than science". The scientists of the investigation have stressed that they were unable to reach a more definitive conclusion based on the lapsed time since his death; providing limited samples, and a confused "chain of custody" on some of the specimens.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24838061

Starving Syrians Flee Damascus

Thousands of Syrian civilians are now allowed to go back to their homes from the besieged Damascus suburb, Moadamiya. The besiege of some parts in Syria have been due to the civil that the country is going through at the current time. Supplies in Moadamiya had been running low and the residents pleaded from starvation. An apparent relaxation in the military forces on the blockade brought the freedom of thousands of people. The besiege was also on the surrounding suburbs of Yarmouk and Eastern Ghouta and has been an ongoing conflict for several months. The situation became desperate enough tthat the Muslim clerics allowed people to eat cats, dogs, and donkeys in order to survive. (These animals are usually seen as unfit for human consumption in the Islamic beleif)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24730536

US Spying on German Phones?

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, called president Obama in regards that the US may have spied on her mobile phone. A German spokesperson said that it was completely unacceptable. The call to US officials also extended to any US surveillance in Germany. The White House said that the US did not snoop on her communications, nor will it in the future. The US has had other allies show this same aggression on spying. Most of this was traced to leaker Edward Snowden. Snowden was a computer specialist for the CIA and a contractor for the NSA and disclosed many files. His current whereabouts are in Russia, exiled from the US. Either way, many countries now days are looking into Washington and searching if there would be anything that would suggest a serious breach of trust.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24647268

Egyptian Inquiry into US Death

A U.S. citizen was found dead in an Egyptian police jail. The current investigation right now suggests suicide, since there is no other apparent evidence to contradict. The man, retired 66 year old U.S. military officer James Henry, was found hanging from a bathroom door by his belt and shoe laces. Henry was arrested when he was on his way to the Gaza Strip in August, but was detained for violation a curfew in North Sinai. He was arrested while carrying a map of Egypt and an advanced electronic device. The U.S. embassy official in Cairo said that he was given all of the appropriate consular services. According the local reports, authorities had told him that he was going to be detained another 30 days the day before his death. Thi is the second foreign citizen to die in police custody, before a French national.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24521870

Egypt Soldiers Killed in Ismailiya and Sinai Attacks

At least nine soldiers and police officers have been killed in two separate attacks last Monday. In southern Sinai, a car bomb killed three police officers and injured 40 more. Hours later, gun man in just outside of the Suez Canal shot and killed six other officers in a car. Along with this attack, a government run satellite station was hit by rockets, causing damage to a satellite dish. No one has claimed responsibility for these attacks. On Sunday, dozens more were killed from an Islamist based clash. Thousands of Mohammad Morsi followers also began to revolt against the security forces in Cairo. But the police have cracked down on 38 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were found carrying masks, petrol filled bombs, and firecrackers. The brotherhood fired not only on police, but surrounding citizens and property. The continuing attacks in Sinai show that there is probably a fully fledged insurgency building in this area. Experts believe that this area attracts militants, along with an easy passage for weapon shipments from Libya.

US Government Begins to Shutdown Closer to Budget Deadline

Our federal government is starting to shutdown after two failed attempts on a new budget for the upcoming year. This means that around two million people will lose their jobs from the government; starting with 19 museums/galleries/ national zoos, 700,000 people will be asked to go on a temporary leave without pay. It is predicted to spread to the public school systems, state departments will have a limited time until they shutdown, and the department of health and human services will be cut in half. This is the first shutdown in 17 years, also bringing the dollar to fall in currency again today. Obama tweeted last night blaming the Republicans that they caused the shutdown over the Obamacare. The senate is also to meet again tonight at 9:30 GMT. This shows that government today is more focused on a rivalry between two factions than the interests of the American people.

Nairobi Westgate Attack

Kenyan security forces have launched an assault on the Westgate shopping complex in the capital attempting to break the two-day siege. The suspected group of al-Shabab militants have been over run (some reports say that there were 10 extremists), accounting for 62 dead and more than 170 injured. The al-Shabab are Somali Islams that carried into Kenya. Tear gas has been used to move the crowds of onlookers in the surrounding area. Since this incident, around the country, security has stepped up at entrance and exit points, making more arrests at unspecified airport. There's no clear indication to what caused the blasts inside the shopping complex.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24206913

Shooting at Washington Navy Yard

Six people have been reported killed by mass shooting including four others and a police officer. The shooting was called in at 8:20 Monday morning. One gunman has been shot and killed, while another two possible are still at large. The deceased gunman is a 50 year old Navy employee. A witness described the other two around the same age in civil military uniforms. The shooting had started at a building in the south-eastern part of the Navy Yard, which serves as the Naval Sea Systems Command yard. President Obama urged that all of the federal agencies should be cooperating on the matter.

New Vincent Van Gough Painting Identified

The painting: Sunset at Mountmajour, was recently identified as one of Mr. Van Gough. It has been found in a Norwegian's private art collection. It was identified by the letters, artistic materials and style that was incorporated with the painting. It is the first full sized canvas that has been discovered since 1928, and will be held on display on September 24th, at the Van Gough Museum in Amsterdam. The museum director had been brought this painting once before in 1990, but denied the authenticity because it had no signature. With more recent technology, and a two-year investigation, the researchers confirmed the suspicions about Sunset at Mountmajour.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24014186

Israel missile Test amid fear of Syria escalation: BBC

The Israeli government underwent a missile test, which rose the tensions even further with their neighbor Syria. Before this test, Israel and Syria have undergone a 30 month conflict causing two million refugees to flee. BBC's Richard Galpin in Jerusalem said that Israel is taking measures to the possibility that the US might send air strikes, leading into a Syrian retaliation, or possibly an allied attack from the Shia militia in Lebanon, on Israel. This missile preparation was all caused when an alleged chemical attack on August 21 killed innocent women and children. President Obama is pushing for a military retaliation on Syria, asking permission from congress to give US intervention.