Stories from 24 July 2014
Photo: Watching Rockets Fly Over Gaza from Space
From outer space, astronaut Alexander Gerst watches as Gaza erupts in flames. He tweets: My saddest photo yet. From #ISS we can actually see explosions and rockets flying over #Gaza & #Israel pic.twitter.com/jNGWxHilSy — Alexander Gerst (@Astro_Alex) July 23, 2014 This photograph has been retweeted 33K times so far.
Shelling of a School Where Gazans Had Taken Shelter Kills Women, Children and UN Staff
A total of 800 Palestinians have so far been killed and more than 5,200 injured since clashes between Israel and Gaza started 18 days ago.
Bahrain's Shia Muslims Tense as Politicians and Preachers Pledge Allegiance to ISIS
Back in 2011, Shia-Muslims complained of political and economic marginalization in the country of 1.3 million people, but recent events suggest a growing trend towards complete marginalization.
Iraq Moves Toward a New Government With Fouad Masoum's Election as President
Iraq finally has a new president. Fouad Masoum, a 76-year-old Kurdish politician, has been elected to the post.
Video: ISIS Destroys Prophet Jonah's Mosque in Mosul, Iraq
The Sunni extremist organisation considers the veneration of saints apostasy and Shia Muslims as heretics
Timeline of Israeli Air Attacks on Gaza in 2014
CrowdVoice, a user-powered service that tracks voices of protest from around the world, lists a timeline of Israeli air attacks on Gaza in 2014. Here's an excerpt from their “explore the backstory” section: A series of abductions and murders has inflamed age-old tensions and sparked armed unrest in Gaza. It...
Russia Offers 4 Million Rubles to Crack the Tor Network
Although unlikely, should Russia’s decryption project succeed, it could endanger millions of Internet users whose interest in online anonymity is far from nefarious.
Indian Prime Minister Modi's First Budget Promises Lots of Change, Including an Expensive New Statue
Narendra Modi's first budget as India’s new prime minister was greeted with mixed reactions. The $34 million budget allocation for a 600-foot statue in his home state generated much buzz.
PHOTOS: Typhoon Glenda Left Trail of Destruction in the Philippines
Typhoon Glenda (International name: Rammasun) damaged many structures in Southern Luzon, located south of Manila in the Philippines. Photos shared by Citizens’ Disaster Response Center.
5 Modern African Thinkers on Identity, Language and Regionalism
Albeit a bit of a mystery worldwide, African philosophy is strong discipline that has evolved tremendously through history.
Cuba's Customs Clamps Down in “Illegal Imports”
On September 1, 2014 the Customs Service of the Republic of Cuba will begin enforcing new regulations intended to combat illegal trafficking of merchandise by relatives, friends and ‘mules’ (a slang term for couriers of goods from overseas through airports and port facilities). Iván's File Cabinet considers this “one more...