First up.A military mission started more than a decade ago could be ended earlier than expected.Yesterday,the defense secretary Leon P said the United States and NATO,the North Atlantic Treaty Organization want end their combat mission in Afghanistan next year,that's earlier than the current deadline for the troops to outlined by 2014.US official says the plan is what they are hoping to do,nothing is final yet.But some US politicians say there is no reason to change the time frame.VS has more of the reaction on this new plan and how it will work.

 

 

The US military and NATO want to end their combat mission in Afghanistan a year earlier than schedule.The Obama Administration has set a deadline of 2014 to end the fighting but Defense Secretary Leon P said he hopes the mission will shift to a training and advice role in 2013.President Obama painted an optimistic picture of US progress in Afghanistan during his State of Union address last month.

 

 

The Taliban's momentum has been broken and some troops in Afghanistan have been gone to come home.But a latest NATO report has raised concerns about what will happen in Afghanistan once coalition troops pulled out.The report suggested that the Taliban are confident they will be ready to take over.NATO is down playing the significance of the report but Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney slammed Defense Secretary P for publicly revealing US plans to end the combat mission earlier.

 

 

He announced that so the Taliban hears it,the Pakistan hear it,the Afghan leaders hear it.Why in the world you go to the people that your fighting with and tell them the date you are pulling out your troops?It makes absolutely no sense.

 

 

US officials say no plans for the mission  in the Afghanistan will be final until a NATO meeting in May.I am VS reporting.

 

Next up,we are heading down to a Pacific Ocean,and talk about the rescue efforts of the coast of Papua New Guinea.A ferry sinking on its way from an island there to a main land.The ship was about 10 miles off shore when it sank earlier on Thursday.There were around 350 people on board when this happened.Boats and helicopters rushed to the scene after an alert was sent out.As Thursday afternoon,more than 230 people have been rescued.Australia officials are coordinating the search efforts for people who are still missing.One witness who was helping with the rescue said the weather probably played a role in the ship's sinking.He said the area is notorious for having strong winds.

 

 

Time for the shout out.Which of these location is farthest north?You know what to do.Is it Cape Hatteras, Coney Island, Cape Cod or Southernmost Point?You've got three seconds,go!

 

 

Cape Cod, Massachusetts is the farthest point north on that list.That's your answer and that's your shout out.

 

 

Some scientists are trying to solve the mystery on Cape Cod.Dolphins have been getting stranded there.It's not completely unusual.There are typical around 120 strandings per year,but more than a hundred dolphins have got the strand since the start of January.Sometimes they are washing up 10 at a time.At least 81 of these dolphins were either found dead or they are dead shortly after being discovered.One animal welfare group director called the number disturbing.And no one certain whats causing the dolphins' deaths.A local harbor master says changers in water temperature could be a contributing factor.Usually,Cape Cod ices over in winter so dolphins don't get close to the shore.But the harbor master says now the water warmer more of showing up than ever before.

 

 

Here are some lunar trivia for you.The time it takes for the moon to make its one rotation on its axis is the same amount the time it takes for the moon to orbit the earth.So you have one side of the moon that's always facing the earth and the other side is always facing away.Well this is that other side.And these are the first video images NASA has released of the far side of the moon from one of the pair of the probes that studying moon's gravitational field.One of the interesting features here on the far side is this massive crater that scientists think might have been  caused by ancient comet or asteroid compact.