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In early April, in an attempt to accelerate the transition of military responsibility to the Afghan government, the US agreed to hand control of special operations missions to Afghan forces, including night raids, relegating American troops to a supporting role. This deal cleared the way for the two countries to move ahead with an agreement that would establish the shape of American support to Afghanistan after the 2014 troop withdrawal deadline. Domestic support for the war (in the US) has...

Security keeps people from entering the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011, after it was evacuated following an earthquake in the Washington area. A 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia forced evacuations of all the monuments on the National Mall in Washington and rattled nerves from Georgia to Martha's Vineyard, the Massachusetts island where President Barack Obama is vacationing. No injuries were immediately reported. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Civilians and...

Isolated and impoverished North Korea said on Apr. 10 it was ready to go ahead with its proposed long-range rocket launch, an announcement that sparked immediate condemnation from South Korea and Russia and a plea from China, its main ally, for calm. North Korean soldiers stands in front of the country's Unha-3 rocket, slated for liftoff between April 12-16, at Sohae Satellite Station in Tongchang-ri, North Korea on Sunday April 8, 2012. North Korean space officials have moved a long-range...

The Smithsonian magazine's 9th annual photo contest finalists have been chosen. The contest attracted over 14 thousand photographers from all 50 states and over 100 countries. Fifty finalists from 67,059 images were selected by Smithsonian editors. Those editors will also choose the Grand Prize Winner and the winners in each of the five categories which include The Natural World, Americana, People, Travel and Altered Images. Photos were selected based on technical quality, clarity and...

Photographer Phyllis B. Dooney is documenting the plight of Japan's evacuees who fled the nuclear disaster in Fukushima prefecture after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. She writes,"In Fukushima Prefecture, the third and most permanent disaster in the series followed; a nuclear meltdown occurred at Tokyo Electric’s Fukushima Daiichi plant. Radiation poured into the atmosphere and environment. First it was a suggestion, but by mid-April the government was enforcing the mandate that...

t’s hard to imagine how an entire city can get lost but that’s exactly what has happened to the lost cities on this list. There are actually many reasons why a city has to be abandoned. War, natural disasters, climate change and the loss of important trading partners to name a few. Whatever the cause, these lost cities were forgotten in time until they were rediscovered centuries later. 34Carthage Located in present-day Tunisia, Carthage was founded by Phoenician colonists and became a major...

Weather predictions for possible tornadoes from a new storm system today threaten the Midwest and South, and have recent victims nervous about what the day might hold. The first powerful storm system tore through parts of the Midwest and South earlier this week, killing 13 people from Kansas to Kentucky, leaving pockets of devastation across several states and marking the acceleration of another deadly (and early) tornado season. Tornadoes and powerful winds tore off roofs, leveled homes and...

Rumors of Marian Rivera being a “maldita” still wouldn’t stop. There are stories again of her alleged bad behavior. These instances happened during the taping of Darna in Bulacan. Marian got so disappointed with the muddy location and said “Di ba sinabi ko sa inyo na ayaw ko nang maputik?” A staff member carried her and brought her to a cleaner ground.Another instance was again during the taping of Darna. She arrived at the set and said these words out loud “dumating na ang reyna na walang...

An unidentified Bemidji man uses creative means to carry home the groceries on Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 in Bemidji, Minn. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for much of Minnesota through Wednesday evening. The heaviest snow is expected in the central region. (AP Photo/Bemidji Pioneer, Monte Draper) A Chinese woman performs morning exercise with fans at the Ditan park in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Read more here:...

Kendra McKinley pulls a flag from the debris of her grandparents river camp home in Henderson Ky. Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. Waves of strong storms ripped roofs off homes, apartment buildings and a bank and destroyed several buildings in north-central Kentucky. (AP Photo/The Gleaner, Darrin Phegley) Debris from a storm-damaged motel is blown across the parking lot Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, in Branson, Mo. A powerful storm system that produced multiple reports of tornadoes lashed the Midwest...

They can appear in a mirror, water, or glass. Capturing a reflection in a photograph is a simple process but it takes skill to be compelling. Here are some that caught my attention based on both creativity and context, and others for simply their aesthetic appeal. -- Lloyd Young (45 photos total) Veronica Price, of Jacksonville, is reflected in a window as she gets a "thumbs up" from a passing parade float as she holds up her hand made tribute sign to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the...

Actress Missi Pyle arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images) Actress Milla Jovovich arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images) Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/02/26/1887073/academy-awards-red-carpet-022612.html#storylink=cpy...

Actress Angelina Jolie arrives at the 81st Annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrive at the 81st Annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Actress Angelina Jolie arrives at the 81st Annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Actress Angelina Jolie arrives at the 81st Annual Academy Awards held at...

Walter Rojas of Venezuela competes in the Men's 10m Platform Preliminary round during the 18th FINA Visa Diving World Cup at The Aquatics Centre on February 24, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) USA's Katie Uhlaender reacts after winning the women's Skeleton World Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Friday, Feb. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Mike Groll) Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/02/24/1881637/the-days-best-022412.html#storylink=cpy A novice...

Thousands of Afghans staged new demonstrations Feb. 24 over the burning of Qurans at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, evidence that President Barack Obama's apology has so far failed to quiet the outrage over the incident.  Afghan men shout anti-U.S slogans during a protest outside the U.S. military base in Bagram, north of Kabul February 21, 2012. More than 2,000 Afghans protested outside the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan on Tuesday over a report that foreign troops had...