Crazy old man, 72, shoots three people at Phoenix office building

Another day, another shooting. Phoenix police are searching for a very crazy old man who they believe shot three people at a Phoenix office building, leaving one person dead and two in critical condition. Phoenix Police Public Information Officer Tommy Thompson said the gunman arrived at the office building about 10:30 a.m. and to discuss some type of meeting concerning some pending litigation. He then got into an altercation with someone, a conflict that escalated to the point where the shooter drew a gun and shot two men and a woman. One of the two seriously wounded men in the office shooting later died. Police identified the unlucky man as Steve Singer, the CEO of the Scottsdale-based Fusion Contact Centers. Police also identified the suspect as 72-year-old Arthur George Harmon and said Harmon fled the scene in a white vehicle and fired shots at a witness, who was giving chase. As police searched for the suspect, SWAT teams and two armored vehicles surrounded his house in the 14000 block of North 28th Street . For a time, police used a megaphone to ask Harmon to surrender, believing the old man might be inside the home. Harmon's son refused to allow officers to enter the house until they obtained a search warrant. Unfortunately, police could not find the shooter when they entered the house.

Bodies of 65 people found in a river in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo

The bodies of at least 65 people, all executed with a single gunshot to the head or neck, were found in a river in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday. Most have their hands are tied behind their backs and pools of blood trail from their heads. Their faces are white and bodies bloated. All look to be young men, some teens, wearing jeans, button-up shirts and sneakers. Opposition campaigners blamed the government but it was impossible to confirm who was responsible. It is not clear who carried out the killings and restrictions on independent media in Syria make it difficult to verify reports from activists. In video filmed by activists and published by the Observatory on YouTube, the cameraman walks along the river, less than two metres wide, and films some 50 bodies that have been pulled onto the concrete path. The violence came a day ahead of a donors conference for the Syrian opposition headed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in the oil-rich Gulf state of Kuwait. You can ask me about the the donors conference on Twitter or just leave a comment here.

Major flooding disaster hits Australia

Heavy flooding along Australia's eastern coast have killed four people and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes across two Australian states on Tuesday, January 29. This led the country's insurers to declare a "catastrophic event" Tuesday as days of torrential rain accompanied by tornadoes added to the strain on the nation's economy. Storms were triggered by ex-tropical cyclone Oswald and heavy rains have brought flooding to the states of Queensland and New South Wales. Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate as wild weather cut power supplies to about 165,000 residents. An armada of military and civilian helicopters raced time and tide last night to save up to 1500 people caught in Bundaberg by the Burnett River, one of dozens now in fierce flood across central and southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. This is the second major flooding disaster to hit Australia in two recent years. Follow me on Opera for more updates on the flood.

Obama Expresses Concern Over Football Violence

U.S President Barack Obama is a big football fan with two daughters, but if he had a son, he says would not allow him to play football because of the physical toll the game takes. "I'm a big football fan, but I have to tell you if I had a son, I'd have to think long and hard before I let him play football.” The President thinks the sport is too violent and should "probably change gradually" so that there are fewer concussions, particularly at the college level. The will help to protect the players, even if it makes the game "less exciting”. In another interview, Obama said he worries more about college players than he does about those in the NFL. He said the NCAA needs to think about college players who suffer from concussions. This is hardly the first time the sports-loving President has weighed in on an athletic issue. We also heard his attitudes  last year on Tebow, the NHL lockout, the title chances of the Chicago Bulls and more. Please share this post on Twitter or Google+ if you agree with the President.

Thousands of demonstrators rally in support of gun control in Washington DC

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in in the US capital Washington in favor of gun control on Saturday, including residents of Newtown, Connecticut, where a mass elementary school shooting reignited the U.S. gun violence debate. Leading the crowd were marchers with pictures of victims of gun violence, while other participants held signs reading: "Protect children, not guns." The silent march was organized by Molly Smith, the artistic director of Washington's Arena Stage, and her partner American Indian activist Suzanne Blue Star Boy. The pair used social networking sites like Facebook or Scoop to spread the word of the march. The march organizers support President Barack Obama's call for a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines as well as for background checks for all gun sales. President Obama unveiled a far-reaching package of measures to reshape gun laws ten days ago, and and Vice President Joe Biden has since been leading efforts to sell them to the American public. The 90-minute rally was co-sponsored by One Million Moms for Gun Control, an advocacy group which has helped organize similar events from San Francisco to New York.

Spanish newspaper El Pais apologizes for posting Hugo Chavez’s false photo

El Pais, a top Spanish newspaper, apologized on Thursday for publishing a "false photo" of Venezuela's cancer-stricken leader Hugo Chavez on its front page. "El Pais apologizes to its readers for the damage caused. The newspaper has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of what happened and the errors that were committed in the verification of the photo," the paper said. After posting the dramatic photograph, El Pais said it had discovered from social media within minutes that its was not of Chavez. The image was then removed from its website.
Chavez, 58, is currently lying in a Cuban hospital after undergoing his fourth cancer operation in just 18 months. In a Twitter comment, Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said that the photo was actually taken from a video of an operation posted on YouTube. Follow me on Tumblr for more updates on Chavez's health.

Barbara Walters admitted to the hospital after falling

Barbara Walters, a 83-year-old veteran ABC newswoman, was sent to a Washington. D.C., hospital on Saturday night (January 19, 2013). The journalist was admitted to the hospital for treatment of a cut and for a full examination after she fell on a stair and cut her forehead at the residence of Britain’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Westmacott. According to bestsearching.com, it is unclear when she may be released from the hospital. Barbara Walters, who was in D.C. ahead of President Obama's second inauguration, was scheduled to contribute to ABC News' coverage of the events on Monday (January 21, 2013). However, the TV news' first female superstar reportedly will not be able to contribute to the reporting and may not be back on the air for several days because of her injury.