World

NASA astronaut Tim Kopra, a crew member on the upcoming STS-133 Space Shuttle mission, who was injured over the weekend in a bicycle accident, has been replaced. Astronaut Steve Bowen will be taking his place. Kopra's duties of lead spacewalker on the crew of STS-133 will be transmitted to Bowen, veteran of two previous spaceflights, STS-126 and STS-132. Peggy Whitson, chief of NASA'S Astronaut Office, expressed her confidence in Bowen saying, "[Steve] has performed five prior spacewalks. That extensive experience, coupled with some adjustment

NASA astronaut Tim Kopra, a crew member on the upcoming STS-133 Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS), sustained an injury in a bicycle accident over the weekend, possibly breaking his hip. His injury could create difficulties for him, the lead space-walker on the STS-133 mission, and the rest of the crew in their training for the mission. The mission is currently scheduled to launch on February 24. Although Kopra is expected to make a full recovery from his injury, NASA says there is a possibility that his duties on t

Two students were shot yesterday at Gardena High School when a student brought a gun on campus. The shooting was probably reported by the school, which is located at 1301 West 182nd Street in Los Angeles, California, at 1830 UTC (1030 PST). A Los Angeles Unified School District official said that the shooting was accidental. The student had brought the gun in his backpack, when it fell out onto the ground and then discharged, hitting two victims, one of whom, a 15-year old female, is reported in critical condition at hospital. The other victim

An amphibious vehicle belonging to the United States Marines capsized and sank to the floor of the Del Mar boat basin, California at 1130 PST (1930 UTC) resulting in one death and three injures. Three instructors and three students were conducting driver training when the vehicle capsized and sank, trapping them inside. Three injured individuals were transported to hospital and two were uninjured. The deceased Marine was rescued at around 1415 PST and was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1447 PST. Oxygen was being pumped

On Tuesday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced a weather emergency in New York City, New York. The announcement was issued as a preemptive measure in preparation for an expected 6-12 inches of snow Wednesday, although the Metropolitan Transportation Authority claims to be ready for 14 inches. Bloomberg explained the meaning of the preemptive announcement by stating: "We recognize that we did not do the job that New Yorkers rightly expect of us in the last storm. We intend to make sure that does not happen again." Despite declaring an eme

According to an official document, the Burmese junta has passed a law dated November 4, 2010, requiring able-bodied persons over the age of 18 to register with local authorities. Furthermore, the law requires all men between the ages 18 and 45 as well as all women between 18 to 35 to join the army if they are called upon. Those who fail to report for military service could be imprisoned for three years, and face fines. Those who deliberately inflict injury upon themselves to avoid conscription could be imprisoned for up to five years, as well

According to Reuters, at least 443 are dead after massive flooding and mudslides in Brazil, after heavy rain in the rocky in the Serrana region. msnbc.com has reported that the death toll stands at almost 500. The area, located north of Rio de Janeiro, received 10 inches of rain (a month’s worth) in 24 hours. The Folha de São Paulo publication stated it was the worst natural disaster to impact Brazil in about forty years. During a 5 mile hike for supplies, local resident Vania Ramos said, “I don’t even have the words to describe what I’ve se

A Texas judge handed down a three-year prison sentence today to Tom DeLay, former US House Majority Leader. The sentence is a follow-up to a conviction in November of money laundering and conspiracy charges committed in 2002. DeLay, a right-wing Republican, was considered one of the most influential congressman in the history of the United States House of Representatives. The sentence handed down by Judge Pat Priest was originally 8 years behind bars. However, DeLay was allowed to deduct 5 years for the money laundering charge, in exchange

At least fourteen former paramilitary group members are dead as the result of a bus crash in Guatemala. BBC News Online reports at least 25 other paramilitaries were injured. According to the Herald Sun, at least 50 were injured in the crash. The incident happened when the bus was near the city of San Marcos. In the early hours of the morning, the bus departed from the mountain road and went into a ravine that is 50 metres (164 feet) in depth. There were approximately 60 passengers on the vehicle when the accident occurred. Injured survivors

Data from recent detailed analyses of samples collected on NASA Apollo moon missions, released Sunday, show that Lunar water may originate from comets that collided with the moon early in its geologic history. A team of astrophysicists led by James Greenwood of Wesleyan University in Connecticut analyzed samples collected on the Apollo 11, 12, 14, and 17 missions and found that the chemical properties of traces of lunar water in these samples differ from water typical of Earth. "The values of deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) that we measure in apatit

An Afghani suicide bomber killed seventeen people Friday in the southeastern town of Spin Boldak, Afghanistan. The bomb was detonated in a bathhouse Friday afternoon as bystanders conducted their ritual prayer-washing. An additional 23 people were wounded in the midday bombing that left sixteen civilians and one police officer dead. The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the Taliban, Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, stated the attack was targeted at the second-in-command of a border patrol force in southern Afgha

Some 8,400 complaints have been made to the BBC and 374 complaints have been received by Ofcom, a British media regulator, after soap opera EastEnders broadcasted what BBC News Online described as the "cot death storyline". The storyline involves character Ronnie Branning – portrayed by Samantha Womack – taking her baby, who experienced sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and exchanging for another living baby, Alfie and Kat Moon's recently born son. The plot has caused the largest number of complaints to be made about the show since it was f