Ariz., N.Y. soldiers killed in Afghanistan
The Department of Defense says two servicemen died from wounds suffered during an attack in Afghanistan.
Officials said Sunday that U.S. Army Spc. Wyatt J. Martin of Mesa, Arizona, and Sgt. 1st Class Ramon S. Morris of New York, New York, died Friday in Parwan Province, Afghanistan. The vehicle the men were in was attacked with an improvised explosive device.
The 22-year-old Martin and the 37-year-old Morris were assigned to the 3rd Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
As of Dec. 2, 2014, at least 2,210 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S.-led invasion in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count. The AP count is three less than the Defense Department’s tally, also last updated Dec. 2.
More rain forecasted for parched California
SAN FRANCISCO – Forecasters said Sunday they expect more rain for California, but the two water-bearing fronts approaching the region aren’t packing the wallop delivered by a major storm last week.
The National Weather Service expects a storm to drop between an inch and two inches of rain Sunday night through Monday morning in the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento regions.
The storm will slowly make its way to Southern California, but it will dump less rain in the Los Angeles region.
A second weather front is also making its way to the Bay Area, and there will likely be more rain on Wednesday in the region; Southern California may experience more rain on Thursday.
Japan’s ruling coalition wins big
TOKYO – Japan’s ruling coalition won a resounding victory in lower house elections Sunday, firming up Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s hold on power as he prepares to push forward on several politically difficult fronts.
The conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled for most of the post-World War II era, locked up a solid majority and appeared headed to winning at least two-thirds of the House of Representatives together with its coalition partner, the Buddhist-backed Komei party.
In a series of TV interviews from party headquarters, Abe said his top priority was the economy. “Economy first,” he told national broadcaster NHK, adding that he would also tackle other major issues, including national security.
Associated Press
