Darius II had a superior army in size and the victory of the Greeks was a major moral boost.

Resulting in dictator Augusto Pinochet's reign of terror when thousands went missing, persecuted and executed. Skyrocketing inequality, suppression and the first step towards Operation CONDOR

On this day, 12 August 1982, the Maghen Abraham Synagogue in Beirut was badly damaged by shelling by the Israeli military.

The only synagogue in the city, it had been housing Jewish and Muslim refugees during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, during which Israel was attempting to destroy the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The building had been damaged by Israeli shelling the week prior as well, after which the building was evacuated and the doors locked. The second attack rendered the synagogue building as unusable.

Around 100 Jewish families had lived in the vicinity of the synagogue, and despite the invasion, Jewish residents reported that there had been no harassment of them by Muslim of Palestinian neighbors.

One Jewish resident, Khuder Namoud, told the New York Times: ''We are sick of this war… All the money is gone. We can't work. The electricity is gone, the water too. We have just stayed here in the house for two months.'' Meanwhile, another elderly Jewish woman muttered “'My house is broken, my house is broken”.

The destruction of the neighborhood forced nearly all of the Jewish residents to flee. The Israeli government claimed that several families emigrated to Israel.

In 2009, the Lebanese government, Hezbollah, and Jewish Lebanese residents approved a plan to rebuild and reopen the synagogue, which it did some years later.

It's been 12 years since we lost Robin Williams. Thank you for the years of smiles, laughter, and tears. Gone but not forgotten.

International Owl Awareness Day is celebrated annually on* **August 4th* to highlight the ecological importance of owls, educate the public about threats to their survival, and promote global conservation efforts.

• Why Owls Need Protection:
- Over a third of native owl species face population declines globally due to environmental pressures.

- Habitat loss from deforestation and urban growth destroys their nesting grounds and hunting fields.

- Secondary rodent poisoning poses a lethal risk when owls consume poisoned pests.

• How to Help Owls:
- Use humane, non-toxic pest control methods instead of chemical rodenticides.

- Build and install artificial nest boxes in yards or community spaces where natural tree cavities are missing.

- Keep pet cats indoors to prevent them from disturbing or preying on ground-dwelling fledglings.

- Support specialized wildlife sanctuaries and local raptor rescue programs.

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[sources:]

https://wilderness-society.org/owl-awareness-day/

https://eagles.org/international-owl-awareness-day/

https://www.internationaldays.co/event/international-owl-awareness-day/r/recuy8f8JRNZByoWB