At Least Twelve Missing After Blast on Oil Rig in Gulf

Summary: The U.S. coast guard recently stated that there are twelve people missing and seven critically injured after and oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. The explosion took place Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. about 52 miles away from Venice, Louisiana. The rig was called Deepwater Horizon and was reported to have still been on fire midday Wednesday. When the explosion took place there was 126 people on board. Helicopters were flown in for support and to evacuate the victims. The majority of the crew came out safely but some others were injured or missing. Because of the explosion it is very likely for an oil spill to occur, but the agency is closely watching and regulating the oil industry and there hasn't been any reports of a spill. Usually fires like this one are very rare and causes are still unknown. Many people were caught off guard by the explosion and the accident was very unexpected.

Opinion: Im glad that the majority of the workers came out of this accident alright and there haven't been any reported deaths yet. It was great that help from the states of Louisiana and Alabama got there so quickly for evacutions and I'm sure it helped to save many lives. The fires haven't created much harm yet but there needs to be a careful watch for oil spills and hopefully another disaster won't come out of this unexpected event. Everyone should pitch in and do their share to help out the victims and to make sure nothing else goes wrong. It's times like these when America can join together and put our differences aside to make a difference.

Five Pirate Suspects To Face Charges In U.S.

Summary: Military officials have said that recently five Somalian pirates were accused of attacking a U.S. Navy ship and could face criminal charges. Right now they are being held captive aboard the USS Nicholas and off the horn of Africa will be transferred to the Department of Justice. The Department has enough evidence on the five to prosecute them, but most likely they will be tried in federal court before a decision is made. The attack was said to have happened and heard from nearby islands. The Navy ship was reported to have been taking fire at a pirate skiff west of Seychelles. The Nicholas started to fire back at the skiff and eventually disabled it. The last time something like this happened was April 2009 and the Military hopes this time will be the last.

Opinion: From the information provided I don't quite get why these Somalian pirates were attacking our Navy ships but it was not smart of them. For five men to attack a U.S. Navy base is not the wisest decision. I definitely think that they need to be punished and should be brought to the U.S. for a federal court trial and charges should be pressed. Their actions were inappropriate and flat out not smart. The Department has every right to prosecute them.