Thai and Cambodian troops battled for the fourth consecutive time on Monday for a small yet symbolically valued piece of territory along their shared boarders. The clashes have become bloody and deadly.

The clashes are rooted on two ancient temples: Ta Moan and Ta Krabey. These two temples are located 160 kilometers west of a temple on top of a cliff – Preah Vihear.

Since the violent dispute started on Friday, a total of 12 soldiers were killed and many others were wounded. Civilians in the area, accounting to more than a thousand people, were evacuated from their houses as announced by officials of both governments.

Both Thailand and Cambodia accuse the other of starting the fight. The foreign ministry of Cambodia accused armed troops of Thailand for launching long-range artillery attacks. However, the foreign ministry of Thailand said that Cambodia initiated the fight with unprovoked attacks.

The United Nations said on Saturday that they urge both countries to agree on a verifiable and effective ceasefire. The Indonesian government, as the current chair of the Association of Southern Asian Nations or the ASEAN, scheduled meetings between the foreign ministers of all three countries. However, the meeting was cancelled on Monday because a diplomatic resolution is not yet clear.

Thailand and Cambodia have been fighting for decades over the delineation of the countries’ land border. Just recently, they also started fighting over maritime territory because it is believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits.

An experienced military pilot from Afghanistan opened fired at Kabul airport following an argument on Wednesday. Reports say that the pilot was already distressed because of personal financial issues. The Afghan officer killed a total of eight U.S. military officers and an American civilian.

The U.S. citizens who were killed were sent in Afghanistan to train the Afghan air force. The shootout is the deadliest and bloodiest shooting done by an Afghan soldier.

There have been at least seven of similar attacks at present. However, there are still doubts if the shooter is really under the Afghan government or an insurgent who is impersonating one.

Even though circumstances differ, this is not the same time that Afghan troops or citizens turned against their partners, which seems to be a reflection of their sentiments against foreign aid.

Many Afghans are disappointed since despite the increasing international funding dedicated for their country, the almost 10-year long war has not subsided and shows no hope.

General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, Defense Ministry spokesperson, confirmed that the shooter was an officer who served the Afghan military forces as a pilot for the last two decades.

Ahmad Gul, 48-years-old, was identified as the gunman and also died after the exchange of gun fires following the attack. His brother insisted that Gul was not an insurgent who sympathize the Taliban.

Afghan defense officials said that the incident happened at around 10:25 in the morning at Kabul’s airport. Gul opened fire in a meeting room after a heated argument with a couple of foreigners. However, nobody knows for sure where the argument was rooted.

Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed victory after President Barack Obama released his birth certificate and explained the details of his birth. Trump said he is very proud of himself, while Obama reminded the citizens of America that they should not be distracted by the “silliness” of the issue.

Just a few minutes after Obama addressed America regarding concerns about where he was born, the main impresario of the “carnival” Donald Trump claimed his victory.

He said shortly after he landed by helicopter in New Hampshire that he has accomplished something really huge and hopes that people will see the big role he played in getting rid of the long-standing issue.

However, Trump is not abandoning his cause of insinuating gloomy issues regarding the president. Reports say that Trump told reporters that he heard rumors that the president was not a very bright student and he does not deserve his Ivy League education. Now, Trump is challenging the president to show his college transcripts.

People are already noticing Trump’s seemingly attention-grabbing issues directed to the White House and on the president in general. More intriguing is the business tycoon’s sudden interest in politics. Few weeks ago, issues about the authenticity of his birth certificate were released.

Still, Trump said that he will soon make a decision on whether or not he will join the ticket for Republican nomination in June. Political analysts frown on the idea of considering Trump as an actual candidate. They also think that Trump’s move is very “schoolyard stuff.”

Authorities announced on Tuesday that they have unearthed an additional six bodies from the northeastern Mexican border. A drug gang is believed to be running operations in this area; kidnapping bus passengers and hiding them in graves. In less than a month, security forces have already recovered a total of 183 bodies.

These recent discoveries have increased the assumption that lawlessness is dominant in Tamaulipas state. It is where a drug gang called Zetas is said to be terrorizing migrants who are trying to travel up north to U.S. borders. This is also where the Zetas are suspected to have killed 72 migrants from Central America August of 2010.

Marisela Morales, Federal Attorney General, said that police forces started to investigate for corpses in San Fernando on April 1^st following the confession of several suspects. The suspects admitted to having kidnapped and killed bus passengers in the area.

Morales also said that the gangs purpose for the abductions are still unclear but they are considering the possibility that Zetas may be forcefully recruiting people to join their team. Moreover, officials also found out that the gang is exhausting money from passengers. Those who can pay $2,000 are led to the U.S. border by the Zetas themselves.

The discovery of the mass graves has ignited demonstrations from the citizens, calling for the government to provide better security to travelling passengers in the area. Drug gang violence alone has already claimed more than 40,000 lives in Mexico. Thus, they have since strengthened their campaign against drug mules and have brought down a couple of major drug kingpins.

Proponents of the law that was supposed to ban gay marriages in California challenged on Monday the judge who turned down the law. Apparently, the judge is in a same-sex relationship and was bias with his ruling.

Judge Vaughn Walker, former U.S. District Chief Judge, ruled last year that he Proposition 8 or the law banning gay marriages in California is unconstitutional. The case has been appealed in the U.S. Supreme Court.

At the moment, almost all states in the U. S. ban same-sex marriage and the people of California joined the band-wagon in 2008 after approving Proposition 8. The move raised brows of many gay rights advocates all over the nation; thus, the recent case.

In the effort to dismiss the judgment that was filed on Monday, proponents of the said ban announced that the judge’s 10-year relationship with the same sex should have prompted him to let go of the case in the first place as he may want to marry. This inducted a possibly bias decision from his end.

The motion also said that the proponents do not suggest that a homosexual judge should not handle the case. However, they are not saying that Judge Walker has issued an injunction for possible personal gain but that could have what happened when he said that banning gay marriages is unconstitutional.

Judge Walker, however, said that in an interview conducted on April 6 that he may be in a decade-long homosexual relationship but that is not enough reason to pull him out of the case. He further said that ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or even national origin should stop any judge from doing his or her job.

The administration of President Obama is getting ready to put its initial steps against President Bashar Assad and his top army officers into action. It is said that the government will impose sanctions against the Syrian leaders because of their increasingly bloody violence to stop protesters.

The Damascus regime on Monday ordered thousands of soldiers armed with snipers and backed with tanks to raid the southern city of Daraa where protesters started uprising. A report by activists said there were more than 25 people killed in the brutal shootout.

The command followed the chaotic weekend when government forces randomly fired on demonstrators attending a funeral procession. The revolt, which started five weeks ago, led to the deaths of more than 200 demonstrators and civilians.

U.S. government officials said they are preparing orders that would freeze any U.S. assets of top Syrian officials. They will be refused to travel in the United States as well.

Although imposing sanctions will not produce a dramatic effect on the Syrian officials, who apparently have only few U.S. assets, this signals a remarkable move in the administration of President Obama, which has made large efforts to create better relations with the Damascus regime.

European officials are also thinking of taking steps against President Assad’s regime. Most Syrian leaders maintain bigger investments in Europe than in the United States. Thus, travel restrictions and economic sanctions from Europe will give a more direct effect.

The Obama administration hopes its European allies will also follow their suit since moves from Britain and France are particularly important to convince President Assad to show restraint.

Three tiny white caskets were buried on Monday. The caskets carry the three children who drowned with their mother after she deliberately drove their minivan into the Hudson River. The children were buried miles away from where their mother’s grave.

The funeral was intense and heated as members of the two sides of the family argued and shouted at each other. In the end, the hearse drove to Gethsemane Cemetery (6 miles away from where the children’s mother, Lashondra Armstrong, was buried) following the father’s orders.

Armstrong, 25, committed suicide by drowning herself along with her children Laianna, 11 months old, Lance, 2, and Landen, 5. Armstrong and the father of the kids, Jean Pierre, had an argument prior to the incident, said Newburgh police. La’Shaun, 10, Armstrong’s eldest son from a different man was also inside the minivan when she drove it into the river but he managed to escape after climbing out of a window.

The family of Armstrong originally arranged for the mother and the children be interred together but Jean Pierre did not agree. His lawyers said that it seems inappropriate considering that it was their mother who killed the children.

Gwendolen Green, Armstrong’s family member, said that they were hugely banned from attending the ceremonies. Guests can only go through if they are in the “list” Jean Pierre’s side of the family arranged for the ceremonies. The situation was intense after family members filed outside the funeral home while police officers stood guard. Shouting from the outside was heard the entire time the ceremony was taking place.

On Monday, doctors of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords confirmed that she may fly to Florida this week to send off  her husband to space. Gifford’s husband is the space commander of space shuttle Endeavour. However, the congresswoman has to immediately return to the hospital to continue her rehabilitation.

TIRR Memorial Hermann doctors said that Giffords is medically stable and able to travel. In fact, they view this trip to see her husband as part of her rehabilitation. The congresswoman was shot to the head a few months back and is still under the hospital’s rehabilitative program. Dr. Dong Kim, director of the Mischer Neuroscience Institute in the hospital, said that he does not see any reason why this trip should pose additional risk to Gifford’s health.

The last time the congresswoman was in an aircraft was when she was flown from Arizona, where she was given immediate treatment following the shoot-out, to Houston, where her current rehabilitation is taking place. Dr. Kim, however, emphasized that Giffords will no longer be flying thru ambulance transport.

C.J. Karamrgin, the congresswoman’s spokesperson, said that they are very pleased with the announcement. Her entire staffs believe that this will be another major milestone in her rehabilitation as she has been looking forward to the launch even before the accident.

President Barack Obama and the first lady will also watch the launch but there are no reports yet if they will be watching it with Giffords. The families, including the congresswoman, will watch the Endeavour take off from a restricted area and Giffords has no plans of a public appearance.

A small plane filled with bundles upon bundles of cocaine crashed on Sunday in a lake in New Mexico. The police said that everyone on board was killed in the incident.

Lieutenant Eric Garcia said that they do not know the exact number of people inside the aircraft when it crashed. However, they saw no signs of survival when the accident occurred.

He also said that they closed down all access to the Heron Lake after the accident occurred since bundles of cocaine started floating on the surface.

The state police responded immediately after they received reports from the fishermen in the area. They sent a boat and a team of divers to nose-dive into the lake. Garcia said that the plane was submerged in the waters. The accident took place at around 11 in the morning, local time.

The witnesses said they did not notice how it happened. The fishermen said that they only saw the plane while it was already sinking into the lake.

The Albuquerque National Weather Service said that reported wind gust and thunderstorms in the area occurred at about the same time the crash took place.

The accident is being investigated by the Texas Federal Aviation Administration in Forth Worth. But, they offered no further information about the accident.

The Heron Lake State Park is located over the edge of a reservoir and is around a hundred miles north of Santa Fe. Police say the situation is now under control after the 3-mile wide and 4-mile long access to Heron Lake was shut down.

On Sunday, the FBI identified a paroled bank robber as the suspect for a bomb scare in a shopping mall last week. The mall is near Columbine High School and the bomb was planted during the 12^thanniversary of a school massacre.

The FBI with the Terrorism Task Force said in a press release that 65-year old Earl Albert Moore is still at large and he is considered to be armed and dangerous. The FBI also warned the public that he has a wide-ranging criminal background.

Moore was caught on a surveillance camera in the Southwest Plaza mall and he is now the prime suspect for planting a pipe bomb very near to two propane tanks on April 20^th. The bombs were accidentally discovered by firefighters who responded to a fire inside the mall.

The mall was crowded at that time with at least 10,000 shoppers and employees. They were all evacuated as a precautionary measure. The bomb did not explode and no one was hurt in the incident. Moreover, the fire caused only minimal damage to the mall.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons said that Moore was just recently paroled from prison after serving time for a West Virginia Bank robbery convicted on 2005. Originally, he was sentenced to prison for 18 years but the judge decided to cut his sentence short after his substantial assistance to the investigation of the crime.

Moore was originally referred to as a “person of interest” but on Sunday, the FBI already confirmed that he is the suspect for the failed mall bombing. Moreover, pictures from his prior arrests were already released.