“US Marines get first female infantry officer”

Last year, the United States military opened up all front-line combat jobs to women and now for the first time, a female Marine has completed the grueling Infantry Officer Course. The 13-week course is considered one of the toughest in the U.S. military. The lieutenant, who wants to keep her identity private, graduated in Quantico, Virginia, on Monday. She has been assigned to the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton in California where she will soon lead a 40-strong platoon. The course, according to the Marines, "trains and educated newly selected infantry and ground intelligence officers in leadership, infantry skills, and character required to serve as infantry platoon commanders in the operating forces.” There are almost 1.4 million active duty troops in the US armed forces, and about 15% are female. In an opinion piece for the New York Times, former Marine captain Teresa Fazio said the female officer would be a major asset in Afghanistan. "Female troops are invaluable for searching houses and communicating with local women, gaining access to spaces and information that, because of local custom, male troops cannot get."

In Other News The world's second-biggest diamond has finally found a buyer. After failing to sell at a Sotheby's auction last year, the 1,109-carat uncut stone has now fetched $53 million in a private sale to luxury jeweler Graff Diamonds. The seller, Canada's Lucara, recovered the huge diamond from Botswana's Karowe mine nearly two years ago. Lucara had originally hoped to get at least $70 million for the stone, describing it as the biggest gem quality diamond found in more than a century. iOS 11: Secret features you're probably not using If you're still dismissing pop-ups from apps asking for reviews, or writing your Wi-FI password on a Post-It note, you're not living your best life. In addition to a new design and big features like augmented reality support, Apple has added a number of solid smaller changes and settings options to iOS 11, the latest mobile software for iPhones and iPads. Here are some hidden iOS features worth trying: http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/25/technology/gadgets/ios-11-features/index.html?iid=ob_homepage_tech_pool