Alleged chemical attack kills 25 in northern Syria

Oliver Holmes and Erika Solomon / Reuters

Syria’s government and rebels accused each other of launching a deadly chemical attack near the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday in what would, if confirmed, be the first use of such weapons in the two-year-old conflict. 

NEVADA TRAINING EXPLOSION KILLS 7 NC UNIT MARINES

Pauline Jelinek / Associated Press

Seven Marines from a North Carolina unit were killed and several injured in a training accident at the Hawthorne Army Depot in western Nevada, the Marine Corps said Tuesday.

Cyprus Set to Reject Bailout, Citing Tax on Bank Deposits

Liz Alderman / The New York Times

Cyprus’s Parliament is likely to reject an international bailout package that involves taxing ordinary depositors to pay part of the bill, President Nicos Anastasiades said Tuesday, despite a revision that would remove some objections by exempting small bank accounts from the levies.

COSTS OF US WARS LINGER FOR OVER 100 YEARS

Mike Baker / Associated Press

If history is any judge, the U.S. government will be paying for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the next century as service members and their families grapple with the sacrifices of combat.

Attacks claim 48 lives on Iraq anniversary

Mohammed Tawfeeq and Joe Sterling / CNN

At least 48 people died and scores were wounded when bombs exploded across Iraq on Tuesday, the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion.

Study: Climate change to worsen hurricane storm surge

Doyle Rice / USA Today

Could the USA deal with a Hurricane Katrina every two years? Such a scenario is possible by the end of the century due to climate change, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Climate-driven disasters cost Victorians $4 billion

Tom Arup / The Age

Climate-driven disasters such as bushfires and floods have cost Victorian taxpayers more than $4 billion over the last decade, it has emerged, as the Napthine Government released its plan for Victoria to prepare for the future impacts of climate change.

North Korea Nuclear Sale Fears Renewed After Recent Bomb Test

Foster Klug / Huffington Post

North Korea’s nuclear test last month wasn’t just a show of defiance and national pride; it also serves as advertising. The target audience, analysts say, is anyone in the world looking to buy nuclear material.

On Our Flashpoint Blog

U.S.-Pakistan Energy Cooperation Key to Halting the Iran-Pakistan Pipeline

Justin Yarros

The proposed Iran-Pakistan (IP) pipeline, which would carry natural gas from Iran to Pakistan, recently made headlines as construction crews broke ground on the controversial project.

Video: U.S. ITER

The ITER project, an internationally-backed experimental fusion power plant under construction in France, promises to demonstrate positive fusion power. Click here to watch a video of the project.

More Fiscal Focus From The Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs

August Cole

Of all the perils facing the country, it is easy to focus on the obvious ones such as North Korean missiles or al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist groups. So when someone like the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff calls out the national debt it underscores the importance of examining U.S. national security from a much wider angle than is usually used.

Nuke Review March 11-18

Read about North Korea’s nuclear program, Iran negotiations, and much more