World: Reports are coming out of Aleppo, Syria that scores of bodies of men executed with their hands tied have been found. An activist organization based in Britain said it’s at least 65 men, many of them left along the banks of a river in an area under rebel control. Rebels are blaming Syrian government forces and the government claims the killings were done by “terrorists”, their term for anti-regime rebels.

• Islamic rebels in Mali have been forced out of the city of Timbuktu, but not before they burned a library containing historical manuscripts and documents, some of them 1,000 years old. The rebels are waging a war against Malian government and culture. They have damaged dozens of mosques and tombs, some of them designated World Heritage Sites.
• In related news, the US military is preparing to establish a drone base in NW Africa to keep an eye on the increasing activities of Islamic militants in the area.
• The Egyptian army chief warns that the current unrest could lead to “collapse of the state”. This comes after five days of rioting in several cities by Egyptians angry with the way President Mohamed Morsi has seized power and tilted toward Islamic rule. Fifty-two people are dead so far.

Don’t Forget: Ten rare pygmy elephants have been found dead on a reserve in Malaysia over the last three weeks. Their keepers believe the elephants were poisoned.

Swing State: In one week the temperature in Kansas City Mo. has swung from 8 degrees to 74, attributed to unusual activity in the jet stream.

Closed Book: Barnes & Noble announced it will close 100 bookstores over the next 10 years, reducing the number of outlets by about a third from their peak.  Sales of printed books have dropped 22% over the last five years.

Gay Scouts:  The Boy Scouts say they are considering giving up their ban on gay scouts and scout leaders. Local chapters would be allowed to decide for themselves whether to admit gay people, but many of the locals are religiously established, calling to question how much difference the policy change might make.

Breaking Wave News: Surfer Garrett McNamara may have broken a world record by riding a 100-foot wave off the coast of Portugal.  That’s a ten-story building. The record still needs to be verified.

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