Chatter: An attack on the Israel-Gaza border sends Egypt a “wake-up call”

Need to know:

An attack on the Israel-Gaza border left 16 Egyptian soldiers dead. Eight militants were also killed in the attack after they commandeered two vehicles in an alleged plot to kidnap an Israeli soldier. The attack took place just as Egyptian border guards were sitting down for iftar – the meal eaten at sunset to break the fast during Ramadan.

Egypt is blaming Islamic militants for the attack that Israel said should be a “wake-up call” for their neighbor. President Morsi said that he would hold talks with the military and that the militants would “pay dearly.” Security in Egypt has declined after the revolution, with the Sinai peninsula seeing increasing lawlessness and a string of kidnappings.

Want to know:

In the second mass gun murder in less than a month in the US, a man killed at least seven people at a Sikh temple in Milwaukee yesterday. Between 20 and 30 others were injured after a man walked into the temple around 11 a.m. and began shooting congregants. Among the dead was the president of the temple, Satwant Kaleka. Police officers shot and killed the man but not before he critically injured one. The officer is expected to survive.

The motives behind the killing are still unknown but US officials are calling it an act of “domestic terrorism.” The shooter was described as a 40-year-old white man but no further details were released.

Dull but important:

Mars received its first tourist yesterday. NASA’s Curiosity rover touched down in what was called the most complex space landing in history. The descent was perilous: coming to a halt after plummeting 13,000 miles per hour into Mars’ atmosphere. The rover, the size of a small car, will collect samples and check to see if humans can move there someday soon.

The landing was viewed, blogged and live-streamed around the world. Hundreds of people in Times Square watched the landing in awe. Due to the distance, the images were delayed over 10 minutes until the words “Touchdown confirmed” were heard.

Just because:

Usain Bolt lived up to his name again last name, reclaiming his title as the fastest man on the planet. The Jamaican sprinter finished the 100-meter with a time of 9.64 seconds – just shy of his world record of 9.58 seconds. Behind him in second place was his training partner and fellow Jamaican, Yohan Blake, who finished at 9.75 seconds. Runners did not seem to be distracted by a flying bottle that was thrown their way as the race commenced.

Bolt got off to a slippery start during this year’s Olympics, barely making it into the semi-finals with a 10.08 second dash after tripping out of the gate. Despite an early setback, he was still favored to win yesterday’s race.

Strange but true:

In a feat that rivals NASA’s Mars rover landing, freelance Lego “artist” Warren Elsmore has built a model of London’s Olympic Park using 250,000 Lego blocks. The project only took him 300 hours and just over $30,000 dollars (sponsored by Danish tourism). Apparently, the Lego sculptor did not have plans nor blueprints of the park before beginning. 

It is estimated the model park weighs over 170 pounds and can be purchased for a cool $31,000 after the Games. Interested buyers have not been forthcoming.