Mount Sodom is a hill along the southwestern part of the Dead Sea in Israel; it is part of the Judaean Desert Nature Reserve.
The Judaean Desert or Judean Desert is a desert in Israel and the West Bank that lies east of Jerusalem and descends to the Dead Sea.
Tension in the holy city of Jerusalem has been rising for weeks, amid the attempted eviction of Palestinians and a march by Jewish nationalists. Yesterday it erupted into the worst violence in years, as Hamas rockets fired at Israel from Gaza prompted retaliatory air strikes.
A cyber-attack that shut down one of America’s largest fuel pipelines reflects the growing problem of ransomware. And in China, authorities are clamping down on a spurt of grave robbing.
Five stories to know for May 10: Shootings in Colarado and New York’s Times Square, China’s rocket debris, clashes in Israel, and COVID in India.
1. A man fatally shot six people including his girlfriend before turning the gun on himself at a birthday party in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
2. Remnants of China’s biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean, with most of its components destroyed upon re-entry into the atmosphere.
3. Three people including a four-year-old girl were shot in New York City’s Times Square after gunfire broke out in a dispute that they were apparently not involved in, the city’s top police official said.
4. Palestinian protesters threw rocks and Israeli police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets in clashes outside al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, as Israel marked the anniversary of its capture of parts of the city in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
5. Indian coronavirus infections and deaths held close to record daily highs on Monday, increasing calls for the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lock down the country.
Armed drones are growing in military importance as conflicts around the world have proven the utility of these effective tools of war. Companies in China, Turkey, and Russia, among others, have developed advanced remotely piloted aircraft that can use guided weapons on and off the battlefield.
The widespread use of drones in Iraq and Afghanistan by the United States to target and kill insurgents jump started a new chapter in the history of conflict. These high flying and remotely piloted aircraft could engage targets with impunity while the operators were safely working in a ground control station. Keeping the crews out of danger also made the drones politically cheap to use over dangerous skies.
Now more and more countries are gaining this military capability for their own purposes. “At the moment, we’ve seen over 100 states worldwide using military drones and that number is growing significantly” said Wim Zwijnenburg, Project leader, Humanitarian Disarmament at PAX. “We have over 20 states that are using armed drones in conflicts or outside of armed conflicts.”
Although larger and more complex drones, like the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper are not cheap to develop or operate, smaller drones are becoming more ubiquitous in conflict zones. Limiting the proliferation of these smaller drones, and the ability to weaponize them, is a regulatory nightmare for government agencies around the world.
“Drones are just model airplanes with great sensors on them. And all of these are dual use and have been used in the civilian realm” said Ulrike Franke, a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “And in fact, drones have risen enormously in the civilian realm over the last five to 10 years. And so controlling their export is really difficult.”
Israel is allowing vaccinated citizens to access gyms, restaurants and live concerts. As the country races to immunize all adults against Covid-19 and reopen fully, it is even offering free drinks and pizza to entice those who are hesitant to get the shot. Photo: Tamir Elterman
Bat Yam is a city located on Israel’s Mediterranean Sea coast, on the central coastal strip just south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area and the Tel Aviv District. In 2020, it had a population of 160,000.
Masada is an ancient fortress in southern Israel’s Judean Desert near the Dead Sea. It’s on a massive plateau overlooking the Dead Sea. A cable car and a long, winding path climb up to the fortifications, built around 30 B.C. Among the ruins are King Herod’s Palace, which sprawls over 3 rock terraces, and a Roman-style bathhouse with mosaic floors. The Masada Museum has archaeological exhibits and recreations of historical scenes.
Monocle’s optimistic March issue challenges us to do it better, whether that be by growing your own forest or running a cleaner, leaner business. We visit the cities bringing the wilderness back to urban life and find out why you can mend almost anything. Plus: nature’s fluffiest film stars.
Available now at The Monocle Shop: https://monocle.com/shop/product/1916…
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week: who will go nuclear next?, new leadership is needed in the West Bank and Gaza (9:45) and can Boeing fly without government help? (15:35)
Nazareth is a city in Israel with biblical history. In the old city, the domed Basilica of the Annunciation is, some believe, where the angel Gabriel told Mary she would bear a child. St. Joseph’s Church is said to be the site of Joseph’s carpentry workshop. The underground Synagogue Church is reputedly where Jesus studied and prayed. Nazareth Village, an open-air museum, reconstructs daily life in Jesus’ era.
Boomers Daily 