Ashley Cowan

National: Soldier suicides reach record level

On Monday evening Lt. Elizabeth Whiteside awaited for the Army to decide whether to court-martial her for endangering another soldier, attempted to kill herself at gunpoint. Whiteside's personal tragedy is part of an alarming phenomenon in the Army's ranks: Suicides among active-duty soldiers in 2007 reached their highest level since the Army began keeping such records in 1980, according to a draft internal study obtained by The Washington Post. Last year, 121 soldiers took their own lives, nearly 20 percent more than in 2006.

Opinion:

One of my least favorite things to hear about happening in the world today is suicide. And it's even worse when I hear that our soldiers in Iraq are committing or trying to commit suicide. I feel like this is an outcry from the soldiers because they feel like there is no one who can relate to them. I really need to start randomly e-mailing these soldiers in Iraq! I could make a difference! Yesssss!

International: Fireworks factory blast kills 20 in Turkey

In Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday an explosion at an unlicensed fireworks factory in an industrial section of Istanbul killed 20 people and injured 117 others. The city's governor, Maummer Guler, blamed fireworks manufactured illegally in the multistory building. He ruled out terrorism, and said an investigation was under way. Mayor Kadir Topbas said a chain of explosions destroyed the top two floors of the five-story building in the Davutpasa district Thursday morning.

Opinion: Wow. Fireworks?! well this is quite the interesting story. Not in a good way either. It seems like every story in the news these days is about some tragic accident or death. I just wish it would all end!

National: Drifter pleads guilty to Georgia hiker's murder

In Dawsonville, Georgia, for three days, the grizzled drifter tried to drain the bank accounts of the young hiker he had abducted on New Year's Day. Prosecutors say Gary Michael Hilton finally told Meredith Emerson he was going to let her go. Then he hit her in the head with a tire iron until she was dead. Hilton, 61, pleaded guilty Thursday to murdering the 24-year-old and was immediately sentenced to life in prison.

Opinion: WHAT?!!!! Just reading this article makes me want to haul off and slap this guy! When creeps like this go on some random burst of rage and kill people, I just want them to rot in jail!!! And looking at this guy's picture on the Internet sure does not make me like him any better! His face screams murderer!!!!!

International: Al-Qaida leader in Afghanistan reprotedly killed

In Cario, Egypt, a missile from a U.S. Predator drone struck a suspected terrorist safehouse in Pakistan and killed a top al Qaida commander believed responsible for a brazen bomb attack during a visit last year by Vice President Cheney to Afghanistan, a U.S. official said Thursday. An estimated 12 people were killed in the strike.

Opinion: WOW! I have just realized that every blog I've done today has been about someone dying! How depressing! However in this case it's not as bad to hear about the death because it was another al-Qaida leader who got killed, ha so it seems to ease the pain of death for me.