Happy Fourth. It’s a bit insane here in NYC weatherwise.

International Politics

Overall

– Ray McGovern on the dangerous path the Obama administration is taking in Ukraine

– Nick Clegg, British deputy prime minister, says increased airport security to the U.S. may be permanent

Middle East

– Ali Abunimah and Lia Tarachansky explain on The Real News how after the murder of three Israeli teenagers, Israel is set to go for more settlements and destruction in Gaza; increasing the number of soldiers around Gaza

– U.S General Martin Dempsey: Iraq is hopeless against the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant without help

– Meanwhile, ISIS militants took over an oil field in Syria considered very important by th government

– Juan Cole: “Can Tony Blair Mess up Egypt even Worse?”

– After ISIS militants took over Mosul, Iraqis living there had their salaries frozen or cut as financial difficulties arose

Africa 

– Gallup: 70 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa stated they did not follow Arab Spring at all

– In Alexandria, Egypt, a bomb exploded on a train wounding five people

Asia and Oceania

– Japan decided to lift some sanctions against North Korea after the latter pledged to review what happened to Japanese spies in its country

Photo by Randy Robertson under Creative Common license