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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is opening a new military front in the Middle East, expanding the U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State militants into Syria. The president announced the move in a prime-time address to the nation Wednesday night, saying it would be part of "a steady, relentless effort" to root out the extremists and end their spreading reign of terror. The U.S. would have to act without permission from Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose ouster the U.S. has supported.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 500 additional U.S. troops will be heading to Iraq to assist that country's besieged security forces, bringing the total number of American forces sent there this summer to more than 1,500. President Barack Obama announced the decision Wednesday as part of a broader offensive against the Islamic State extremist group. The president says the troops will advise Iraq's security forces and he insists they are not combat troops.
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has asked former FBI director Robert Mueller (MUH'-lur) to investigate how the league handled evidence as it looked into domestic violence claims against former Ravens running back Ray Rice. The announcement comes after a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that he sent a tape of Rice striking his then-fiancee to an NFL executive in April. Goodell has maintained that no one at the league saw the tape before Monday.
BANGKOK (AP) — Amnesty International is calling on Thailand's ruling military to end what it says is a "disturbing pattern of repression" in the country. The group says 665 people have been summoned or detained by the junta since it seized power in May. The rights group says most of those detained are political opponents and others who have protested peacefully. While most were released within a week, Amnesty says the detentions without charges are forcing people into silence.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of the Space Weather Prediction Center says, "there's been a giant magnetic explosion on the sun" and that's sent a big solar storm blasting toward Earth. Tom Berger says it could arrive as soon as Friday, but the latest calculations show it's likely to just skim the planet without causing major problems. However, it is strong enough that it could cause fluctuations in the power grid and slight disturbances in satellites and radio transmissions.
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