South China Sea Issues

The South China Sea is home to a messy territorial dispute that pits multiple countries against each other. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, China and Vietnam all dispute sovereignty of several island chains and nearby waters in the South China Sea. Tensions have ratcheted up as China has reclaimed some 2,000 acres of land in a massive dredging operation, turning sandbars into islands equipped with airfields, ports and lighthouses. On Tuesday, China said it warned and tracked the U.S.S. Lassen, a destroyer, as it came close to five of its artificial islands in the South China Sea's contested waters. Although the U.S. government takes no position on the territorial disputes, it has called for an immediate end to land reclamation.

In Other News A study by authors from Loyola Marymount University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests that climate change could leave major cities in a key part of the Middle East, the oil-rich Persian Gulf region, unfit for humans to survive. By 2100, in some middle east locations, the actual air temperature is projected to top an astonishing 140°F. The Houston Texans announced they have decided to cut ties with quarterback Ryan Mallett on Tuesday. Mallett will lose $562,500 ($62,500 per game) with the release. Apparenlty, in addition to other issues, he missed the team charter flight prior to Houston's Week 7 game against the Miami Dolphins and had to book his own flight instead.