New Pope

The new pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, or Francis, 76, was chosen to be the new pope. “I would like to thank you for your embrace,” said Francis in Vatican City yesterday, “My brother cardinals have chosen one who is from far away, but here I am.” Francis was previously living in Buenos Aires, where he was known as "humble man who spoke out for the poor." President Obama gave his opinion on Pope Francis “As a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than 2,000 years — that in each other we see the face of God."

Winning Musher Is Oldest Champion In Iditarod History

53 year old Mitch Seavey crossed the finish line at 10:39 p.m. Seavey and his sled dogs finished the 1,000 mile long race in 9 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes, and 56 seconds. Seavey and his son Dallas, 25, are the oldest and youngest winning mushers in all of Iditarod history. "Mitch Seavey scored one for the AARP-eligible crowd Tuesday night by becoming the oldest champion in Iditarod history," written by the Anchorage Daily News.

Grumpy Cat

Grumpy cat, also known as Tardar Sauce, has recently become an internet sensation. The 11 month old cat became famous a few months ago when her owners, Bryan and Tabatha Bundesen posted photos of her on Reddit, which became viral immediately. "It was an accident," said Bryan Bundesen, "We thought it would get some laughs, with the Internet liking cats. And it just kept going." Grumpy cat has become the subject of thousands of memes and will soon be premiering in a Friskies cat food commercial. Although she may look unhappy, Bryan says she is a "healthy and happy cat".

White House concerned over North Korean threats

According to this article, North Korea has been sending threats to the White House saying that Pyongyang was canceling the 60-year-old "armistice" that ended the Korean War. We are certainly concerned by North Korea's bellicose rhetoric," Jay Carney, Obama's spokesman revealed to White House reporters, "And the threats that they have been making follow a pattern designed to raise tension and intimidate others. The DPRK will achieve nothing by threats or provocation, which will only further isolate North Korea and undermine international efforts to ensure peace and stability in northeast Asia." North Korea wants a peace treaty, guaranteed security, and the removal of over 25,000 US troops in South Korea.

Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan President, Dead at 58

According to this article, Venezuela's socialist president, Hugo Chavez died at age 58. Chavez has been fighting cancer, recently getting treatment in Cuba. Chavez announced on December 8th 2012 that he would be traveling back to Cuba to undergo surgery since his pelvic cancer came back. Despite his health, he was still elected. In his last public address before his emergency cancer treatment, announced that Nicolas Miduro would take over.

Vote counting under way in Kenya election

Jubilee alliance supporters cheer during a rally in Kenya's capital Nairobi

Supporters of Kenya's Deputy Prime Minister and presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta from the Maasai community

According to this article, vote counting began in Kenya's election. With 14 million registered voters, 99,000 policemen were were deployed to stop the violence. 19 people were killed in an incident in thevcoastal city, including six police officers. In Kilifi, a gang beat security forces at a school where some of the voting was taking place. Four or more officers were killed. Late on Sunday, the police said that criminals were going to dress in police uniforms and disrupt the voting centers. According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, about 23,000 observers, including 2,600 international monitors, are going to be deployed.

Fishermen, acting on gut, find crash site, 2 girls

The scene of the car crash

According to this article, on Wednesday morning in Portland, a 4-year-old girl, after discovering her mother was dead, dragged her seriously injured younger sister from a car crash. The car was stuck deep in the woods and there was no skid marks, making it difficult for officials to find them. Authorities say the young girls were alone in the woods for well over several hours, waiting for someone to rescue them. 2 fisherman finally found the girls and immidiately called 911. In this article, one of the fisherman, Mclure said "I don't know exactly what told us to turn around, but I'm just really thankful we did," on Thursday. Investigators still don't know how fast their mother was driving, or whether something else may have caused the crash. Their motherhad a record and was previously in jail for 10 years due to heroin possession and third degree theft.