Israel MPs e Reuven Rivl president 10th June 2014
The Israeli parliament has elected ve
Rivlin as the country’s next president
Mr Rivlin, a former parliamentary spe
defeated long-time MP Meir Sheetrit ballot.
He will succeed Shimon Peres, 90, w July.
The Israeli president occupies a large
no formal role in peace talks with the
Mr Rivlin, a member of Prime Ministe
wing Likud party, will become Israel’s
‘Man of the
He won when voting on Tuesday wen
“From this moment, I do not belong t
everyone, a man of the nation,” he to poll. “I stand here before you with a great democracy! Long live Israel!”
The 74-year-old opposes the creation
him at odds with the platform adopte
He is also a supporter of Jewish se
West Bank, another central issue in and the Palestinians.
elect lin as
eteran Likud lawmaker Reuven
t.
eaker and Cabinet minister,
t, by 63 to 53 in a secret run-off
who ends his seven-year term in
ely ceremonial position and has
e Palestinians.
er Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-
s 10th president.
nation’
nt to a second round.
to any party; rather, I belong to
old Knesset members after the
mission. Long live the Israeli
n of a Palestinian state, putting
ed by Mr Netanyahu.
ettlements in the occupied
n the dispute between Israel
#gaza Twitter’s map of Mid-East conflict 28 August 2014 Data visualisation enables us to map connections across social media like Twitter and see how different groups of people relate to each other. Israeli data scientist Gilad Lotan has been mapping interactions across Twitter during the Israeli-Gaza conflict. The aim of social media is to bring people together - so what is it doing for Palestinians and Israelis in the long running conflict in the Middle East?
Algeria ‘to donate $9m World Cup prize money to people of Gaza’ 3rd July 2014
First the Palestinian flag was draped from the team bus during the team’s triumphant open-top bus tour of the capital, now it has been claimed that the Algerian national football team are to donate their entire World Cup prize fund to the embattled people of Gaza. According to quotes attributed to Algeria’s star striker Islam Slimani, the team will give up all of the estimated $9 million (£5.25 million) they received as valiant losers in the round of 16. Yet speaking at a reception in Algiers where the team returned to a hero’s welcome yesterday, Slimani apparently said: “They need it more than us.” The announcement was reported by the Jordanian football writer Waleed Abu Nada as well as the Dutch daily newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. If true, the team could face accusations of bringing politics to bear in the world of sport. Yesterday, YouTube footage of the team’s open-top homecoming tour through Algiers showed at least one Palestinian flag flying from the bus by the team. Last month, Fifa announced it was to open disciplinary proceedings against Argentina after the team unfurled a political banner prior to a friendly match against Slovenia with the phrase “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates as “The Falkland Islands belong to Argentina”. However, if reports of the donation are true, it will see Algeria gain a whole new set of fans beyond football.
25 Palestinians killed as Israel launches largest offensive in two years 9th July 2014
Israel launched its largest offensive in the Gaza Strip in nearly two years, carrying out a blistering aerial assault on scores of targets and killing 25 people. Officials called it an open-ended operation aimed at ending weeks of heavy rocket fire. As Gaza militants unleashed salvos on cities including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel mobilised forces along the border for a possible ground invasion. The offensive set off the heaviest fighting between Israel and the Islamic militant group Hamas since an eight-day battle in November 2012. The militants fired about 160 rockets at Israel, including a strike that reached the northern city of Hadera for the first time, while Israel said it attacked more than 150 sites across Gaza. Palestinian medics reported at least 25 dead, including six killed in July 22nd 2014
an air strike that flattened an apartment building in southern Gaza
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and set off widespread panic. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said continued rocket attacks on Israeli communities would not be tolerated. “Therefore I have ordered the military to significantly broaden its operation against Hamas terrorists and against the other terrorist groups inside Gaza,� he said on national TV.
MH370 8th March Declared Missing Unknown Location 227 + 12 crew Boeing 777-200ER Kuala Lumpur - Beijing International
MH17 17th July Shot Down Landed Donetsk Oblast 283 + 15 Crew Boeing 777-2H6ER Amsterdam - Kuala Lumpur MH135 29th July Departed Landed 295 + 10 crew. Airbus A330-300 Kuala Lumpur - Brisbane
New exchanges of fire after truce ends 17 July 2014
Israeli air strikes and Palestinian rocket fire have resumed after a temporary truce in Gaza ended. Gaza officials said three children were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City. Israel said dozens of rockets had been fired by militants. The five-hour truce had been called to help Gazans stock up on supplies. Both Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, denied earlier reports a longer-term truce had been agreed but talks are continuing in Egypt. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius is to travel to Egypt and Israel on Friday to try to help with the negotiations, President Francois Hollande said. Some 230 Palestinians and one Israeli have died in the nine days since Israel launched its Operation Protective Edge. It says its aim is to halt Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel. Gazans used the truce to stock up on supplies. They queued outside banks and there were traffic jams. Both sides reported violations of the temporary truce. A few minutes after it ended, the Israel Defense Forces said a rocket fired from Gaza had hit the town of Ashkelon. It was followed by regular reports of further rocket attacks, some of the missiles being brought down by the Iron Dome defence system. Tel Aviv, Beersheba and Ashkelon were said to have been targeted but there were no reports of casualties.
Dutch cyclist Maarten de Jonge cheats death twice after changing flights from both Malaysia Airlines MH17 and MH370 21 July 2014
A Dutch cyclist has revealed how he
During his interview with the local
Since hinting at his close calls on
twice cheated death after changing
broadcaster, the cyclist revealed
Twitter, the cyclist said he had been
his plans to fly on both the Malaysia
something even more remarkable
“overwhelmed” by the international
Airlines passenger jets involved in
– that he had also been planning to
response to his story.
international aviation disasters over the
travel on flight MH370, the Malaysia jet
past four months..
which vanished on 8 March and which
In a statement on his website, De Jonge
remains missing somewhere in the
said he would not be giving any further
Indian Ocean.
interviews out of respect for those who
Maarten de Jonge, 29, has to travel around the world to compete for
have died in the two tragedies.
Malaysia’s Terengganu cycling team
De Jonge had been due to compete in
– and in doing so has now had two
a race in Taiwan, Marca reported, and
“What has happened is terrible, so
extraordinary near misses.
decided to take a different flight an hour
many victims, that’s a horrible thing,” he
earlier that did not include a stopover
said. “I have my story and I would like to
in Beijing.
leave it at that... my story is ultimately
Speaking to the Dutch public broadcaster RTV Oost, De Jonge said he
nothing compared to the misery so
had been due to travel on flight MH17,
He told RTV Oost that having changed
the Boeing 777 that was shot down over
his flight plans at the last minute
Ukraine on Thursday killing all of the
he actually spoke to a number of
De Jonge said that while his parents had
almost 300 passengers on board.
passengers who were waiting to board
expressed concern that he still plans to
MH370 – and who have not been seen
fly Malaysia Airlines when he leaves the
since.
Netherlands today, he isn’t letting what
The cyclist said that he only decided to swap flights at the last minute, after
many people have suffered.”
has happened put him off flying.
discovering that travelling via Frankfurt
“I could have taken that one just as
today would prove cheaper.
easily,” De Jonge said in an interview
“You should try not to worry too much
with RTV Oost. “It’s inconceivable. I
because then you won’t get anywhere,”
Tweeting a link on Thursday to a Dutch
am very sorry for the passengers and
he told RTV Oost. “I have been lucky
article about the MH17 disaster, De
their families, yet I am very pleased
twice, this will be the third time as well.”
Jonge said: “Had I departed today, then…”
I’m unharmed.”
What has happened is terrible, so many victims, that’s a horrible thing
not taking donations per se as I want to affect ground change, and do something ongoing to help out
Britain says highly likely MH17 shot down by Russiansupplied missile 26 July 2014
Britain accused Russia on Saturday of making false claims about the Malaysian airliner that crashed in eastern Ukraine and said it was “highly likely” it was brought down by a Russian-supplied missile fired from a Russian-backed separatist area. The Foreign Office said in a statement that Russia had issued a succession of contradictory claims and denials about the crash, which killed all 298 people on board, including 10 Britons. Britain was also aware of information that suggested separatists had been planning to scatter parts of other aircraft on the site to hinder investigators, it said. The statement came after Russia’s ambassador to Britain, Alexander Yakovenko, told reporters on Thursday that allegations Russia was involved in the downing crash “didn’t hold water”. The Foreign Office statement, entitled “Russian myths on MH17,” dismissed Kremlin assertions that it only provides humanitarian assistance to the separatists and that Western evidence to the contrary lacked credibility. “Given the large and growing body of credible evidence, without compelling information to the contrary, we believe it is highly likely that that flight MH17 was shot down by the Russian SA-11 surface to air missile system, operating from within a Russian-backed separatist area in eastern Ukraine,” it said. “Russia has made a number of contradictory, mutually-exclusive claims which blame Ukraine for this attack, but they have no basis in fact,” it added.
Malaysia Airlines warns of further losses 28 August 2014
Malaysia Airlines has warned of further losses in the second half of the year because of the two tragedies to hit the airline in recent months. In a statement it said it had seen “a sharp decline” in weekly bookings. It comes as the airline reported a second quarter net loss of 307m Malaysian ringgit ($97.4m; £58.7m) for the three months to June. The airline has been affected by the crash of flight MH17 in Ukraine and the disappearance of flight MH370. “We expected the impact of MH370 on the performance in Quarter 2,” said chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya. “Given that, our team put in much hard work and effort to regain market confidence and rebuild sales. Tragically, just as we were beginning to see signs of recovery in all regions, we were dealt the blow of MH17. “The full financial impact of the double tragedies of MH370 and MH17 is expected to hit Malaysia Airlines in the second half of the year,” he added. Average weekly bookings declined 33%, with numerous flight cancellations immediately after the MH17 incident, the company said. Flight MH370 disappeared on 8 March on its way to Beijing with 239 people on board while MH17 was shot down in Ukraine on 17 July killing all 298 passengers on board. It is unclear who is responsible for the latter incident.
July 22nd 2014 iMessage Hipchat
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/dutch-cyclist-maarten-de-jongecheats-death-twice-after-changing-flights-from-both-malaysia-airlinesmh17-and-mh370-9617243.html http://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/en/onderzoek/2049/investigation-crash-mh17-17-july-2014/preliminary-report#fasen http://info.flightmapper.net/flight/Malaysia_Airlines_MH_135 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-28366904 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27623649 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28948453 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28356438 http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/07/26/ukraine-crisis-britain-mh17-plane-idINKBN0FV0J720140726 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27778372 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28963443 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28726622 http://www.independent.co.uk/i/video-matrix/thousands-flee-northgaza-9603134.html http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/algeria-to-donate-9m-world-cup-prize-money-to-people-of-gaza-because-they-need-itmore-than-us-9581338.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israelgaza-conflict-25-palestinians-killed-as-israel-launches-largest-offensive-in-two-years-9593553.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israelgazacrisis-eight-killed-in-gaza-strip-cafe-while-watching-world-cup-semifinal-9598542.html Thanks go to Fayez.