Jan 01 Al-Qaida-linked group behind Somali car bombings An al-Qaida regional affiliate, known as al-Shabab, set off two bombs in Somalia, killing at least eight people. Here, Somali boys wave the militant group's flag. Photo by Stringer/AFP/Getty Images At least eight people were killed Wednesday when… Continue reading
Jan 01 With the health care website mostly fixed, the new law faces new legal and administrative challenges With a new year, the Obama administration faces a new set of challenges for the health care law, including religious organizations challenging the legality of a mandate to provide birth control. Photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images WASHINGTON… Continue reading
Jan 01 U.S., Afghan tensions grow over prisoner release Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images The United States and Afghanistan are at odds over the Afghan government's decision to release several prisoners from a military jail in Kabul, further straining an already tense relationship between the two… Continue reading
Jan 01 Japanese population declined by record number in 2013 Cherry Blossom Walk in Osaka Flickr user Gaheilon The Japanese population, which has been shrinking for the last couple of years, declined by a record 244,000 people in 2013, according to health ministry estimates. Continue reading
Jan 01 On New Year's Day, Boy Scouts of America officially lifts ban on gay youth For the first time in the organization's history, Boy Scouts of America will allow openly gay members into the organization. Photo by REUTERS/Darrell Byers. For 103 years, Boy Scouts of America forced openly gay members out of the organization. On… Continue reading
Jan 01 4.6 million Snapchat users' information leaked While Snapchat users were sleeping off their New Year's Eve celebrations, their personal data may have been compromised. 4.6 million of the photo messaging application's users' phone numbers and names were leaked to an online database. The company allegedly… Continue reading
Jan 01 Consumers enjoy first puffs of recreational marijuana from licensed retailers in Colo. By News Desk Sean Azzariti of Denver made the first purchase of recreational marijuana under the new law at 3D Cannabis Center in Denver. Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Getty Images It's a new day in Colorado; 2014 kicked off with… Continue reading
Jan 01 Palestinian ambassador dies from blast in Prague residence The Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic died Wednesday from an explosion at his apartment that officials said occurred when the diplomat opened an old safe that had remained untouched for more than 20 years. Ambassador Jamel al-Jamal, 56,… Continue reading
Jan 01 U.S. lags behind arctic nations in race to stake claims to untapped resources By Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Countries are scrambling to stake claim to untapped resources, previously frozen in the Arctic. But with a lack of basic infrastructure and funding commitments, critics say the U.S. trails other countries in preparations for the increased activity in… Continue reading
Jan 01 How to rate the risks of peer-to-peer lending, the newest bubble The careless lending practices in peer-to-peer lending may be a harbinger of greater problems to come in our financial system. Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images. The stock market had an incredibly good run in 2013: The Standard and Poor's… Continue reading