President Obama said Friday that the deployment was meant to help regional forces combat the Lord’s Resistance Army, which has terrorized villagers in at least four countries.

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U.S. Advisers to Aid in Fight Against Lord’s Resistance Army

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev orders the deployment of more weapons on the Kuril islands in the Pacific Ocean, which are claimed by Japan.

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Russia to boost weapons on Kurils

Before Space Shuttle Challenger went down in flames 25 years ago, it was considered the workhorse of NASA’s prized fleet, flying 85 percent of all Space Shuttle missions in 1983 and 1984. This photograph, taken on April 7, 1983, during the STS-6 mission, shows astronauts Don Peterson and Story Musgrave on a spacewalk. Tethered to the Challenger with safety slide wires, Peterson and Musgrave are floating in the cargo bay of the shuttle on her maiden voyage. Challenger launched three days prior to the date this photograph was taken, on April 4, 1983, and the astronauts seen here are completing the first spacewalk of NASA’s shuttle program. This mission saw another first: the deployment of the Tracking and Data Relay System, the first satellite. More on Challenger: Remembering Space Shuttle Challenger: 25 Years Later View more Pictures of the Day . Image: NASA.

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Picture of the Day: Space Shuttle Challenger on Her Maiden Voyage

I mentioned yesterday a surprisingly low-cost project to get e-reader devices (nook, Kindle, Sony Reader, et al) in the hands of U.S. troops in combat zones. Reader Shane Huang adds some context: > > I wanted to share my experience with an earlier generation of e-book reader during my deployment to Iraq. A few years back, my brother in law bought me a Sony Reader for my deployment, which allowed me to bring the rough equivalent of 30 lbs worth of books in something that could fit in my pocket. Also, through software I was able to download the complete contents of publications that choose to make their material freely available online – and that’s how I fell in love with The Atlantic. An e-book reader shared in a platoon would be a huge morale boost. This is actually something the FRGs (family readiness groups, or spouses who volunteer to support deployed units from home) could start doing as well. With one account, and some gift cards, and possibly a deal with donations from publishers and book sellers, units could easily pass around books without the problem of incompatible preferences or the bulk/weight of paper books. One issue that came up for me, though, is the fragility of the screen. One wouldn’t think that the e-ink screen would easily be broken from the feel and appearance of it, but it turns out there is a pane of glass underneath that needs to stay intact for the screen to work properly. Luckily for me, the screen broke in my luggage on my flight home to the U.S., so I was able to replace it within days.

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More on e-Readers for the Troops

A judge in Yemen today ordered the capture of U.S.-born militant cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, prompting the deployment of more troops to seize the man who is also on a CIA and military hit list to be captured or killed.

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Hunt for U.S.-born cleric stepped up

As Clayton Kendrick-Holmes trains for his deployment to Afghanistan, his football team at Maritime College in the Bronx is off to its best start.

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Without Hesitation, Coach Trains for War