International Headlines
Jul 27: Punjab Attack
Gunmen have stormed a police station in the northern Indian state of Punjab, close to the border with Pakistan. Five people have been killed, including at least one police officer, and at least six wounded. The attackers are believed to be from Kashmir where such assaults are common, but they are extremely rare in neighbouring Punjab. Indian security forces are attempting to control the situation.
Jul 24: Olympic Bid Campaign
Human Rights activists are campaigning to persuade the Olympics Committee (IOC) to reject China’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. The IOC is due to decide on Friday July 31 between only two candidate cities, Beijing and Almaty in Kazakhstan. A group of human rights defenders representing populations suffering under Chinese rule is asking people to sign a petition at change.org petition.
Jul 23: Passport Returned
Ai Weiwei, 57, the dissident Chinese artist has had his passport returned to him by the Chinese authorities more than four years after it was confiscated and he was detained for 81 days without charge. He plans to visit his son in Germany and then London in September for a landmark solo exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.
Jul 22: Oldest Koran?
A manuscript of the Koran has been radiocarbon dated to find that it is at least 1,370 years old and therefore among the earliest in existence. The holy text, written on sheep or goat skin, had remained unrecognised among a collection of other Middle Eastern books and documents in Birmingham University’s library in the United Kingdom for almost a century. A study by a PhD student prompted the testing.
Jul 21: Arrested for Watching Genghis Khan Documentary
A group of 20 tourists from UK, South Africa and India were arrested at Ordos airport, China for watching a BBC documentary on Genghis Khan at their hotel. The tourists mentioned that they watched the video to further their understanding of the region they were in. The spokesperson of a couple among them said that the documentary might have been mistakenly deemed as “propaganda” material. But there was no official explanation regarding the cause of the arrest.
Jul 21: Bomb Attack
A bomb has killed at least 30 people and wounded 100 in Suruc in Turkey, during a meeting of young activists who were discussing the reconstruction of the neighbouring Syrian town of Kobane. It is thought the attack was the work of a female Islamic State suicide bomber. "Turkey has taken and will continue to take all necessary measures against IS," said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Jul 20: All Female Poll
The presidential poll in Taiwan, due to take place in January, will be the first-ever all-female contest between the country's two main parties. The governing Kuomintang has endorsed Hung Hsui-chu, currently the deputy speaker of parliament and their first female presidential candidate; she will face Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party. Relations with mainland China are likely to be a major campaign issue.
Jul 18: Father Jailed
A 63 year old Australian man has been jailed for eight years after arranging an Islamic marriage for his 12-year-old daughter. He allowed her to marry a 26-year-old Lebanese man, saying this would prevent her having sex outside marriage. He was found guilty of procuring a child under the age of 14 for unlawful sexual activity. The marriage was consummated with the father's permission.
Jul 17: Funding for Greece
The European Central Bank has raised the level of emergency funding available to Greece which will enable Greek banks to reopen on Monday after being shut for nearly three weeks. Credit controls limiting cash withdrawals to €60 (£41) a day will be eased gradually. Eurozone ministers also agreed a €7bn (£5bn) bridging loan from an EU-wide fund to keep finances afloat. The country has debts of €320bn and is seeking its third international bailout.
Jul 16: Mountains on Pluto
The planet Pluto has mountains made of ice as high as the Rockies mountains. Images show a terrain that had been resurfaced by some geological process - such as volcanism - within the last 100 million years. Impact craters have not been seen, suggesting that the planet surface is very young. This active geology needs some source of heat and scientists are looking for this source.
Jul 15: Stampede Kills Pilgrims
At least 27 Hindu pilgrims who gathered to take a dip in the holy Godavari river at the start of the Maha Pushkaralu festival in Andhra Pradesh have died. There was a stampede on the banks of the river. Nearly 24 million pilgrims are expected to take part in the 12-day festival, taking a bath in the river to rid them of their sins.
Jul 14: Iran Nuclear Deal
Iran has agreed a long-term nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of world powers - the United States, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia, plus Germany. The deal, agreed after 20 months of negotiations, will limit Iran’s sensitive nuclear activities in return for the lifting of crippling sanctions. Iran stresses that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only and says it has the right to nuclear energy.
Jul 13: British-Indian Space Venture
An Indian rocket has put five UK satellites in orbit. It is thought to be the largest number of wholly British-built spacecraft to go up on a single launch. Three satellites will image the Earth and support disaster monitoring and relief, the remaining two will test technologies that could be used on future spacecraft. This was the Indian space agency's PSLV rocket's heaviest commercial load to date.
Jul 11: Airports Closed
A volcanic eruption has closed three airports in Indonesia, including in the tourist hotspot Bali. Mount Raung in East Java has been spewing ash into the air for nearly a week, raising concerns it could interfere with aircraft safety. Hundreds of flights have been postponed or cancelled and travellers remain stranded there.
Jul 10: Frogs Dying Worldwide
Frogs are dying out, with some species lost and others whose populations have plummeted. In many places the rate of decline is increasing. Frogs can be the source of powerful medicines and were around in the time of the dinosaurs. There are 7,000 species of frogs, toads, salamanders and caecilians across the world and they are considered to be vital to our health, environment and culture.