Ammar Awad / Reuters

A Palestinian man hangs decorations for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan outside his home in Jerusalem's Old City July 31. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.

AP reports:

From Syria to Libya and Egypt, the uprisings and unrest gripping the Arab world have cast a pall on the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month when the traditional focus on piety will likely be eclipsed by more unrest. 

Food prices — part of the economic hardships that catalyzed the ouster of the Egyptian and Tunisian leaders — are still climbing. And protesters have shown little patience for conciliatory gestures by governments after decades of empty promises.

Read more here.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

President Barack Obama approaches the podium before speaking on the debt limit impasse from the briefing room of the White House on July 31, in Washington, D.C. Obama indicated that he and Republican members of Congress have reached a compromise to solve the debt limit impasse prior to the August 2 deadline.

Obama said the agreement will cut about $1 trillion over 10 years.

The bipartisan plan will be presented to Congress on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.

Read more here.

John W. Adkisson / Orange County Register via AP

With the help of instructor Josh Higgins, of San Diego, Calif., top, Gary Lenzner, 85, of Mission Viejo, free falls while skydiving on Sunday, July 31, at Sky Dive San Diego in San Diego. Lenzner went skydiving with his grandson Bryan Wasserman, 26, of Costa Mesa, in celebration of the Holocaust survivor's 85th birthday.

 Awesome!

Jamal Saidi / Reuters

A Darawish Sufi dancer performs a traditional dance to celebrate the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan during the Ajyalouna Festival in Beirut July 30. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.

Chris Zuppa / Zuma Press

Aaron Sadiki, 9, of Clearwater, right, prays at the St. Petersburg Islamic Center while his grandfather, Wilmore Sadiki, who is Imam of the mosque, leads the Friday prayer service. Ramadan will begin within the next couple of days, depending on the sighting of the moon. Some Muslims base the beginning of Ramadan on the moon sighting in Saudi Arabia. Sadiki said those attending the mosque will base it on when the moon is sighted in the United States. ''If they spot the moon Sunday, then we'll start Ramadan Monday morning,'' he said. ''If they spot it Saturday, then we'll start it Sunday morning.'' Ramadan is a holy month in which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The time is meant to strengthen Muslim's spirituality and relationship with God.

My goodness, going without anything to drink during hot summer days must be difficult. Apparently Palestinians are tweaking their clocks to help make it through the long, hot daylight hours.

Read more here.

Danish Ismail / Reuters

A Kashmiri villager searches the wreckage of an overturned bus after an accident in Langanbal village, about 47 miles south of Srinagar July 30. At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured on Saturday when the bus skidded from a road and fell into a stream in Indian Kashmir, according to police and local media.

 Read more here.

Robert Shack / Reuters

Britain's Zara Philips, the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, poses for a photograph in Holyrood Palace after her marriage to England rugby captain Mike Tindall at Canongate Kirk, in Edinburgh, Scotland July 30.

Dylan Martinez / AFP - Getty Images

From left to right, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Prince Andrew leave after the marriage of Britain's Zara Phillips, the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, and England rugby captain Mike Tindall, at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland, July 30.

Read more here. 

Jules Gibson / AP

The broken fuselage of a Caribbean Airlines' Boeing 737-800 is seen after it crashed at the end of the runway at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Timehri, Guyana, Saturday, July 30. Caribbean Airlines flight 523 from New York touched down on the rainy runway, slid through a chain-link fence and broke apart just short of a ravine but there were no immediate reports of death among the 163 people aboard, despite several dozen injuries.

I can't believe a taxi driver had the nerve to charge one of the crash survivors fare to get to the terminal. Read below.

AP reports:

Geeta Ramsingh, 41, of Philadelphia, who said passengers had just started to applaud the touchdown "when it turned to screams," she said. She hopped onto the wing and then onto the dirt road outside the runway fence, apparently suffering only bruised knees.

Nobody had yet showed up to rescue her, "but a taxi driver appeared from nowhere and charged me $20 to take me to the terminal. I had to pay, but in times of emergencies, you don't charge people for a ride," she said, sitting on a chair in the arrival area surrounded by relatives. She was returning to her native country for only the second time in 30 years.

Read the full story here.

David J. Phillip / AP

Collin Roche walks out into the Gulf of Mexico to surf as Tropical Storm Don approaches the Texas Gulf Coast on July 29, in North Padre Island, Texas.

David J. Phillip / AP

A surfer rides a wave in the Gulf of Mexico as Tropical Storm Don approaches on July 29.

Jesse Mendoza / Valley Morning Star via AP

Cameron County Public Works employees distribute sandbags for local residents on July 29 in San Benito, Texas. As Tropical Storm Don crawled through the Gulf of Mexico, South Texas braced for long-awaited rain and what some saw as a practice run for storms to come. Almost all of Texas is in extreme drought, and Don's few inches of rain won't cure that, but at this point any moisture is appreciated.

Jesse Mendoza / Valley Morning Star via AP

Jehu Salas, an employee at Colin DME, a medical supply business stocks up on sand bags as pre-cautionary measures as Tropical Storm Don approaches the Texas coast on July 29.

Yvette Vela / AP

A queue of automobiles forms on the Queen Isabella Causeway as San Padre, Texas residents move in land to avoid Tropical Storm Don on July 29.

 Read and watch more about Tropical Storm Don here.

Nathanial Burton-Bradford / NASA

Nathanial Burton-Bradford put together this 3-D view of the shuttle Atlantis' launch on July 8. Use red-blue glasses to see the stereo effect.

NASA's last space shuttle mission and its next Mars mission both look twice as awesome in stereo — and you can look forward to more 3-D goodness to come.

The picture of Atlantis' launch on July 8 comes courtesy of Nathanial Burton-Bradford, a British aficionado of anaglyph imagery. Burton-Bradford's Flickr page offers views of the launch as well as a panorama of the shuttle docked to the International Space Station, plus a space station view of Atlantis' descent last week.

Even though Atlantis' 13-day mission and the 30-year space shuttle program have ended, there are lots of 3-D views yet to come. Several professional stereo camera rigs were set up at the launch site, and Panasonic provided 3-D camcorders for Atlantis' crew to use during their training and spaceflight. The 3-D cameras are to be used aboard the space station going forward.

Vertical Ascent Productions captured the launch as well as the landing in 3-D, for use in a 45-minute special due to air on Aug. 5 as part of inDemand's "In Deep" series. The show was commissioned by Comcast, and other inDemand affiliates will have access to the special as well, Multichannel News reported.

3-D on Mars
If film director James Cameron had his way, we'd be looking forward to even more exotic 3-D video next year. At one time, the man behind "Avatar," "Titanic" and other Hollywood blockbusters was working with NASA to put a high-resolution 3-D zoom camera aboard the car-sized Curiosity rover.

Alas, it was not to be: Mission planners determined that the camera couldn't be ready in time for the probe's scheduled launch on Nov. 25. NASA had to go with the fixed focal-length system that was originally planned for the rover.

NASA / JPL-Caltech

This stereo image of NASA's Curiosity rover was taken on May 26 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, about a month before the car-sized rover — also known as the Mars Science Laboratory — was shipped to Kennedy Space Center in preparation for its November launch to the Red Planet.

Even that dual-camera Mastcam system has stereo capability, so we'll still be seeing stereo views. In fact, both cameras are capable of taking high-resolution video at a rate of about 10 frames per second. But because the cameras have different focal lengths, 3-D imagery will not be "a major emphasis of the investigation," according to the camera's manufacturer, Malin Space Science Systems.

You don't have to wait until the Curiosity rover's landing next May to enjoy 3-D views from the Red Planet. Spirit and Opportunity, the twin rovers that landed on Mars in 2004, have sent back loads of stereo images — and the vistas are likely to get even more dramatic once Opportunity reaches the 14-mile-wide Endeavour Crater.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is also taking stereo pictures of Mars, from high above. You can click through more than 2,000 3-D images from the orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE.

As you graze through the nearly 19,000 pictures in HiRISE's catalog, you'll occasionally come across image pages that offer "anaglyph" versions of the scene — and that's a tip-off that 3-D goodness is available. 

This picture of the central mound at Gale Crater, the top target for Curiosity's $2.5 billion mission, is a good example:   

NASA / JPL-Caltech / Univ. of Ariz.

This stereo image shows the northeast section of the central mound within Gale Crater on Mars, which appears to include layers of sulfate minerals. Gale Crater's mound rises 3 miles (5 kilometers) above the floor of the crater and has been selected as the target for NASA's $2.5 billion Curiosity rover mission.

How to see in 3-D
By now you're probably wondering where to get the red-blue glasses you need to see the 3-D effect. Inexpensive cardboard spectacles are generally inserted in 3-D books or DVD packages — but for the pictures that you see on this page and on most other websites, you'll want to make sure you have the red-blue (or red-cyan) filters rather than amber-blue or green-magenta filters.

The red-blue glasses may be available at novelty shops, and you can also order them online. Here's a list of vendors from NASA. In addition to the outlets on NASA's list, there's Amazon.com and 3DGlasses.net. NASA even provides instructions for making your own 3-D glasses.

I've been known to give away 3-D glasses that are provided courtesy of Microsoft Research, which includes 3-D imagery in its WorldWide Telescope astronomy software. (Microsoft and NBC Universal are partners in the msnbc.com joint venture.) This week, I'm sending out more than 20 free sets of cardboard glasses to readers who asked for them on the Cosmic Log Facebook page. The giveaway glasses are already spoken for, so please click on the "like" button to become part of Cosmic Log's Facebook community and be ready for the next giveaway.

Once you have your glasses, click through these links to sample more 3-D goodies from outer space:

• See the asteroid Vesta in 3-D
• See the ultimate space shot in 3-D
• Explore the 3-D depths of Mars
• Get a fresh 3-D look at Phobos
• See a Martian crater in 3-D
• See a Martian milestone in 3-D
• See the Martian arctic in 3-D
• See more depths of Mars in 3-D
• 3-D delights from Mars
• Still more from Mars in 3-D
• Go on a space mission in 3-D
• See the moon's marvels in 3-D
• Saturn's moons in 3-D
• More from outer space in 3-D
• Fly through a nebula in 3-D
• Cosmic Log's 3-D-O-Rama

And while you're at it, check out the 2-D images in the latest installment of our "Month in Space Pictures" slideshow. Many of the pictures this month are from Atlantis' mission, but there are lots of other gems to enjoy. Click on these links for larger versions of the images, suitable for printing or turning into wallpaper for your display devices:

• Waiting for the last launch
• A wing and a prayer
• Liftoff!
• Look! Up in the sky!
• Final approach
• Moving man
• Back to Earth
• Night landing
• Mission accomplished
• Mystery with a twist
• Vesta in full view
• Shadow on the moon
• Galaxy-wide web
• Galactic get-together
• Great White Spot
• Soccer ball in space
• Houston, we have a pitcher

Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page or following @b0yle on Twitter. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds. 

Alex Slitz of the Bowling Green Daily News did a nice job composing these images. Read the Daily News story here.

Alex Slitz Bowling Green Daily News via AP

Chad Cox, of Morgantown, Ky., a lineman with Warren RECC, rescues a 175 pound dummy during the 'hurt man' competition July 28, at the 2011 Kentucky Lineman's Rodeo in Bowling Green, Ky. After a spring and summer in which storms have taken down their fair share of power lines and poles, electric lineman from around the state gathered Thursday for a more competitive approach at the Kentucky Lineman's Rodeo.

Alex Slitz Bowling Green Daily News via AP

Utility workers compete in the 2011 Kentucky Lineman's Rodeo in Bowling Green, Ky.

Lucas Jackson / Reuters

Singer Arnel Pineda performs with the band Journey on NBC's Today Show in New York on Friday, July 29.

Lucas Jackson / Reuters

Singer Arnel Pineda performs with Neal Schon, right, and the band Journey on the Today Show on Friday.

• Slideshow: 2011 Toyota Concert Series
• Full coverage on TODAY

Emilio Morenatti / AP

People hold up red roses during a memorial service for the victims of the bomb and shooting massacre, organized by the Norwegian Labour party and its youth organization, AUF, in Oslo, on Friday July 29. Speaking at the service, Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said, "Today it is one week since Norway was hit by evil,". "We have to live with July 22, but together we will make it."

Odd Andersen / AFP - Getty Images

A close friend of Bano Rashid, 18, one of the victims of the massacre on the youth camp of the Norwegian Labour Party walks ahead of her coffin carrying her portrait as they make their way to her gravesite at Nesodden Kirke south of the Norwegian capital Oslo on Friday, July 29.

Emilio Morenatti / AP

Survivors from the shooting at the island of Utoya hug each others during a memorial service for the victims of the bomb and shooting massacre, organized by the Norwegian Labour party and its youth organization, AUF, in Oslo, on Friday.

msnbc.com staff and news service reports: 

OSLO, Norway — Norway held the first funerals Friday for victims of the massacre of 77 people a week ago amid signs of a leap in popularity for the ruling Labor Party that was his main target.

Flags around the nation flew at half mast to mark a day of memorial one week after self-confessed killer Anders Behring Breivik, an anti-Islam zealot, set off a bomb in central Oslo that killed 8 people. He then shot 68 people at a summer camp for youths of the ruling Labor Party. Continue reading.

• Slideshow: Norway mourns after massacre

Veteran photojournalist Spencer Platt just returned from Iraq and took time to share images and his perspectives with us. Platt has been covering Iraq since the American-led invasion in 2003. His understanding and compassion for the people he photographs is apparent by looking at his work.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Samera Kamal, 10, participates in a class with other young victims of Iraq violence at a program operated by Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) on July 28, in Amman, Jordan. Samera, who is from the Iraqi city of Fallujah, was severely burned following a car bomb when she was walking to the market. MSF has been running a reconstructive-surgery program for war-wounded Iraqis since August 2006. The program, which helps Iraqis irrespective of age or ethnic/religious background, has thus far attended to roughly 1,500 cases. MSF was forced to pull out of Iraq in 2004 due to the escalating violence in the country. Following the years of violence in the country, the state of medical care in Iraq is poor. There is a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses and much of the country's hospitals are using outdated and damaged equipment.

JW: What significance does photographing a story like this have for you as someone who has seen firsthand the events play out in Iraq over time?

SP: I have been covering Iraq since the American led invasion in 2003 so there are many memories and strong feelings associated with the country for me. I tend to see Iraq through the kaleidoscope of sadness and violence that I have witnessed over the years and it is sometimes hard for me to see the beauty that is present if you only look for it. It is a difficult and complex country and as a photojournalist,  you need to be brutally honest about what you are seeing. And with all you are witnessing, the photographer must recognize what [story] demands to be covered and viewed by a Western media audience that has preconceived ideas about Iraq.

In many ways the photojournalist is a window into Iraq for millions of news consumers who will never set foot in the country; for me that is a huge responsibility to get the story right and to keep it balanced. My primary concern is to keep Iraq in the news, to not let the world forget about it or the millions of Iraqis whose lives have been altered by American foreign policy.

I think we as Americans have a responsibility to keep informed about the country and start on the path of a new relationship, a post-war relationship with the Iraqi people. What I can say from my experience on this last trip is that Iraqis have a general fondness for America and Americans. While it would be naive to say they have gotten over the war I can say that many are ready to forge ahead and open a new chapter in their country`s history.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Makki Ali, 58, participates in physical therapy at a program for victims of Iraq violence, on July 28. Ali was injured in Baghdad in a truck bombing near an American base.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Khaled Hashem, 35, participates in physical therapy at the Red Crescent Hospital for victims of Iraq violence, on July 28, in Amman, Jordan. Hashem was shot in the thigh after American soldiers fired randomly in a street during an attack in 2007.

JW: How did you find the story?

SP: I have had a good relationship with the NGO, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), for over a decade now. It is a relationship that is unique in the sense that they appreciate the exposure that a media organization like Getty Images can bring to an issue and I profit from the access they provide me on some of their projects.

My friend, Michael Goldfarb, who works in the MSF New York office, knew that I was in Iraq and suggested I visit their reconstructive surgery project on my way out of Iraq. It had been something we had discussed years ago, so I was happy that it could finally work out. I think it was a good counterbalance to some of the other issues I covered in Iraq in that it gave a personal narrative to the violence and emphasized that. With all the talk of a military draw down, for many Iraqis the legacy of the war will be forever present.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Falah Hindi participates in physical therapy at a program for victims of Iraq violence, where Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) operates a reconstructive-surgery clinic, on July 28. Hindi injured his leg in a car bombing in Baghdad.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

The hands of Khitam Hamad, 12, bear scars as she participates in a class with other young victims of Iraq violence on July 28. Khitam, who is from the Iraqi city of Fallujah, was severally burned following a car bomb when she was walking with her sister.

JW: Out of the images you took, which stands out or resonates with you above the others?

While it was emotionally difficult to shoot some of the pictures, I would continually remind myself that this doesn’t need to be a depressing story. As a photojournalist, I think we have to always offer our viewers a little bit of hope, a ray of light. The image of the young girl Sonor Darweesh encapsulates this idea for me. While her face is severely disfigured due to a car bomb, she seems to have transcended these wounds in that her personality is that of a curious and shy seven year old girl. She looked right at me and gave me a smile, a smile that serves as a rejection of the values and ideas that fuel the hatred of extremists.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Sonor Darweesh, 7, of Kirkuk, Iraq smiles while participating in a class with other young victims of Iraq violence, on July 28. Darweesh was injured in an explosion which killed her sister.

Check back for more of Platt's and other photographers' dispatches from around the globe, or get a feel for what it's like to be behind the lens here.

The Smurfs rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, but there was little humor to be found after the government reported that the economy was in worse shape than many had expected.

Richard Drew / AP

Smurfette, Papa Smurf, and Clumsy Smurf, left to right, ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, July 29.

Andrew Burton / Getty Images

The Smurfs pose for a portrait on the floor of New York Stock Exchange during morning trading.

Full story: Wall Street staggers after anemic growth data