"The Ohio National Guardsmen who fired on students and antiwar protesters at Kent State University on May 4, 1970 were given an order to prepare to shoot, according to a new analysis of a 40-year-old audio tape of the event. “Guard!” says a male voice on the recording, which two forensic audio experts enhanced and evaluated at the request of The Plain Dealer. Several seconds pass. Then, “All right, prepare to fire!” “Get down!” someone shouts urgently, presumably in the crowd. Finally, “Guard! . . . ” followed two seconds later by a long, booming volley of gunshots. The entire spoken sequence lasts 17 seconds."

A new bill that would permit the State Department to strip Americans of their citizenship if they support terror networks has drawn a cool reaction from the White House, even as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared to embrace the measure. "I have not heard anybody inside the administration that's been supportive of that idea," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Thursday. But Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the administration would take "a hard look" at the measure, the New York Times reported. "United States citizenship is a privilege," she told the Times. "It is not a right. People who are serving foreign powers — or in this case, foreign terrorists — are clearly in violation, in my personal opinion, of that oath which they swore when they became citizens."

Africa’s newest architectural miracle is a gigantic stadium in the earthy colours and shape of a calabash, the traditional cooking pot that symbolizes African village life. At night, on the Soweto horizon, it glows like the embers of a slumbering fire, waiting to be stirred into life. On June 11, the embers will awaken. Nearly 90,000 people will crowd into Africa’s biggest stadium, known as Soccer City, for the opening ceremonies of the World Cup, the most popular sporting event on the planet, held on African soil for the first time ever.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The taxi drivers hustling around the bars on Long Street in Cape Town say they are ready for all the soccer fans that will flood the city in June for the World Cup. So are hotels, restaurants, breweries and, inevitably, prostitutes. Arguably, the soccer World Cup is to the sex industry what the holiday season is to candy shops. A temporary surge of excited people feeling collectively festive, willing to pay for a bit of extra indulgence. South Africa's Drug Central Authority estimates 40,000 sex workers will trickle in for the event from as far as Russia, the Congo and Nigeria to cater to the wide taste spectrum of some 400,000, mostly male, visitors and their apres-soccer needs.

[Near the Erez crossing between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel, freed Palestinian prisoner Ahmad Sabah (right) and Palestinian Fadi al-Azazmeh protest on May 4 to demand the right to return to their homes in the West Bank. Both men were deported in April from the West Bank to Gaza. The two deportations appeared to have been carried out as part of a new Israeli military policy. ] Thousands of Palestinians could be deported under a new and highly controversial order put in place in April by the Israeli army, human rights groups in Israel say. The new rule defines anyone not holding an Israeli-issued permit to reside in the West Bank as an "infiltrator." Violators could face up to seven years in prison or deportation. Human rights groups say they are worried about the broad wording of the new order. They say it could be used to target three groups: Palestinians who have residency papers from the Gaza Strip but who live in the West Bank; foreigners working in or visiting the Palestinian territories who overstay their visas; and the foreign-born spouses of Palestinians. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Umm Qusay has decided she can't risk leaving her house. "I'm extremely afraid, I'm terrified. I'm worried about being separated from my children," she says. Umm Qusay was born in the West Bank city of Jericho, but she grew up in Jordan. She married a Palestinian resident of Ramallah 10 years ago, but she stayed in Jordan ll for itbecause Israeli authorities would not grant her residency papers to live with her husband in the West Bank. A few months ago she was given a visitor's visa for the West Bank. In an effort to remain with her family, she overstayed the visa because she says it's the only way they can be together. The Israeli military denies that the new rule will be used to begin mass deportations. [A blatant lie. We would be fools to fall for it.]

A Chinese man who spent almost 10 years in jail for murder has been freed after his supposed victim was found alive. Zhao Zuohai had a fight with his neighbour, who then disappeared, and was charged when a headless, decomposed body was found 18 months later. The miscarriage of justice came to light when the neighbour, Zhao Zhenshang, returned to his village in Henan province to seek welfare support. He had fled after their fight because he feared he had killed Zhao Zuohai. Mr Zhao's conviction for murder was reportedly based mainly on a confession...

In Belgium, there are no national political parties, no national newspaper, no national TV channel, no common school curriculum or higher education, and no national football team. There is, however, the national debt, running at 80% of GDP.

Thousands of tonnes of oil have poured into the Gulf of Mexico after the disaster at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig over two weeks ago. But how does this leak compare with the largest offshore spills on record? Inquirer.net: New scale of disaster looms in Gulf of Mexico. The Independent: Million gallons of oil a day gush into Gulf of Mexico. NASA: Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Observed From the International Space Station (Photo).

A picture of the Earth and Moon. From Mars. (NASA)

Photo manipulation is an ever evolving collaboration between photography and graphic design. Combining certain elements to create a unique image, that can convince even the most experienced set of eyes, requires a very creative set of skills. Because the manipulation of a photo gives a realistic view of an unreal picture, you should have an open mind when gathering ideas on how to get creative with your images. Photo manipulations are a great source for inspiration, generally because designers are able to express their creativity through various aspects of design. Several of the following images contain illustrative elements, while others display a more realistic approach. So here are 40 of the most incredible examples of photo manipulation. + World Most Beautiful Woman Ever