Feb. 4 Daily Brief: New Microsoft CEO, Scotland legalizes same-sex marriage, festivals all over the world
Microsoft names Satya Nadella as its new CEO, Scotland legalizes same-sex marriage, Sri Lanka celebrates its independence and more in today’s daily brief.
- A boy looks through the window of the Saraswati temple, whose walls are filled with writings, during the Shreepanchami festival in Kathmandu February 4, 2014. Children are given their first writing and reading lessons at the temple during this festival in the belief that the goddess of education Saraswati will help them excel in education. (Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)
- Satya Nadella, executive vice president of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise group, is seen in this undated Microsoft handout photograph released on February 4, 2014. Microsoft Corp named Nadella as its next chief executive officer on Tuesday, ending a longer-than-expected search for a new leader after Steve Ballmer announced his intention to retire in August. Nadella is only the third CEO in Microsoft’s 39-year history, following co-founder Bill Gates and Ballmer. (Microsoft/Handout via Reuters)
- Supporters attend a symbolic same-sex marriage outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland February 4, 2014. Scotland voted on Tuesday to allow same-sex marriages, becoming the 17th country to give the green light to gay marriages and paving the way for the first wedding ceremonies later this year. (Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
- Sri Lanka’s navy fires a gun salute as a part of main celebrations for Sri Lanka’s 66th Independence Day in Colombo February 4, 2014. Sri Lanka obtained independence from British rule in 1948. (Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters)
- A Palestinian boy waits with his family, hoping to cross into Egypt, at Rafah crossing between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip February 4, 2014. Egyptian authorities partially opened the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main window to the world, on Tuesday for three days, Palestinian border officials said. Since July 2013, the authorities have kept the crossing largely closed; only opening it partially for humanitarian purposes. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)
- Indonesian students leave their school as mount Sinabung (backgournd) continues spewing smoke and hot ash in Karo on February 4, 2014. A volcano in western Indonesia that killed 15 people in a weekend eruption shot hot ash and rocks high into the air again on February 3, halting a search for any more victims. (Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images)
- Performers take part in a traditional lion dance to celebrate the new Lunar Year of the Horse in Hong Kong on February 4, 2014. The lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and through Chinese folklore ascribes 12 animals, one for each year in the rotating cycle. The horse is in the seventh position. (Alex Ogle/AFP/Getty Images)
- A shaman of Malaysia’s indigenous Mah Meri tribe performs prayers on the beach during “Puja Pantai”, a thanksgiving ritual to appease the spirits of the seas, in the village of Pulau Carey, outside Kuala Lumpur February 4, 2014.The Mah Meri tribe, who are descendants of seafaring people who lived off the sea through fishing and trading, celebrate their new year on February 4 this year according to the lunar calendar, by making offerings to the sea. (Samsul Said/Reuters)
- Ethnic Yi women are seen on their way to a dragon worship ceremony in Shiping county, Yunnan province, February 4, 2014. The dragon worship ceremony is held every 12 years in Shiping to pray for good fortune and harvest. (Wong Campion/Reuters)
- Sadhus, or Hindu holy men, perform prayers while sitting inside circles of burning “Upale” (or dried cow dung cakes) on the banks of the river Ganges during the Magh Mela festival in the northern Indian city of Allahabad February 4, 2014. (Jitendra Prakash/Reuters)
- A man wheels himself on a wheelchair along a damaged street covered with debris in Deir al-Zor, eastern Syria February 3, 2014. Picture taken February 3, 2014. (Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)
- The Tungurahua volcano spews lava as pictured from the city of Huambalo, Ecuador, February 3, 2014. An orange alert was issued in response to the volcanic activity. (Cris Toala Olivares/Reuters)
- A young Palestinian girl wearing a traditional Keffiyeh head scarf carries a flower bouquet ahead of a mass wedding ceremony in Gaza City on February 4, 2014. (Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images)
- In this picture taken February 3, 2014, people are transported on cattle drawn cart as they pass in front of the ancient pagodas at Bagan, Myanmar. (Ye Aung Thu/AFP/Getty Images)
- A woman stands on Fifth Avenue at an entrance to Central Park February 3, 2014 on the east side of Manhattan as a snowstorm hits New York. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)
- A teenager leaps into a makeshift pool fed by spring water on February 3, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Many of the most populated cities in Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre and Sao Paulo, have experienced the hottest January in several decades. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)