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Hey folks, enjoy your Friday.

International Politics

Overall

– As President Obama states pro-Russian separatists were behind the attack on the Malaysian plane, Vladimir Putin stated the two sides in Ukraine should come to a ceasefire

– Pro-Russian rebels, meanwhile, are covering up evidence allegedly used to shoot down the plane

– In addition, President Obama said the downing of the plane was a “wake-up” call for Europe

– Mahmoud Abbas asked for France to help the Palestinian Authority talk with Hamas for peace with Israels; Very strange

– UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon will go to the Middle East tomorrow hoping to prevent more violence in Gaza

– Iran and P5+1 have agreed to delay the finalized agreement between the two with a four-month extension

Middle East

– The Real News discusses with journalists Lia Tarachansky and Nalan al Sarraj about the escalation by Israel against Gaza

– Iraq is a nation so unstable that foreign nations are the only ones with real power to affect the national government

– Max Blumenthal: “Israeli police ransack Tariq Abu Khdeir family home and arrest relatives in apparent revenge raid”

– As 267 Palestinians have died so far as a result of Israeli attacks, the latter warned Gaza it will augment its ground invasion; The UN, meanwhile, is seeing a rise in the amount of displaced Gaza civilians

– What needs to be acknowledged is the forced removal of Palestinians by Israeli leaders, which is the heart of the conflict

– A new UN report found more than 5,500 civilians have died in the first six months of the year in Iraq; Iraqi Christians, meanwhile, are fleeing after being threatened by Islamic State forces

– ISIS forces, meanwhile, killed at least 115 Syrian troops in an attempt to takeover an oil field

Africa 

– The UN Security Council condemned the violence occurring in Libya and urged dialogue

Asia and Oceania

– In Pakistan, militants attacked troops and police  with at least 13 people dead

Europe

– Gallup: 83 percent of Russians approve of Vladimir Putin, which is the highest level in recent years

– Stephen Cohen discusses the lack of coverage in the U.S. media when it comes to attacks carried out by the Kiev government

– Israel told its diplomats in Turkey to leave for security reasons as protests continue against the invasion of Gaza

– The Ukrainian government stated part of a rebel-controlled city was retaken

Latin America, Caribbean and Canada

– Katrina vanden Heuvel: “Life on the Ground in Cuba”

– Despite Venezuela banning U.S. money to fund opposition groups, the U.S. government continues funding them

Surveillance Planet

– Natasha Lennard: “Edward Snowden Could Live With Life in Gitmo — But Can We?”

– As mentioned yesterday, The Guardian released its full interview with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden

– Germany’s Angela Merkel calls for “sensible talks” with the U.S. on its mass surveillance program

Financial Matters

– Economists Leo Panitch and Michael Hudson debate the significance of the new BRICS international bank set up

– When corporations state they will wage “corporate responsibility” campaigns, as journalist Michelle Chen notes, these often hurt workers

– European banks, as a result of contemporary pressures, accept fines from the U.S. for funding sanctioned Russian banks

Politics US

Washington USA

– Pew: 55 percent of Americans say the U.S. has no responsibility to act in Iraq. Jon Walker’s take.

– Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) shows such such support for Israel that it is too extreme even for AIPAC

– David Sirota: “Is Cheap, Public Internet Possible?”

– At Netroots Nation 2014, liberals would be fine with Hillary Clinton as President, but would prefer Elizabeth Warren if possible. Warren, however, is not interested.

– Vice President Joe Biden stated, at Netroots Nation, he shares the view of anti-deportation protesters; All for show

Anytown USA

– The Reboot conference in San Francisco, Calif., lead by the libertarian news outlet Reason, exposes significant problems with the very movement

– After being choked by a NYPD officer, a man suffered from a heart attack and died

Health, Hunger and Homelessness

– When the Malaysian jetliner was shot down with all passengers onboard killed, a number of those were HIV/AIDS researchers or advocates

– Researchers found teaching sex to children when they become adolescents provides major benefits for them in the future

The Second Sex

– If women were given equal pay to men, one major benefit would be a secure retirement for all in the future

– The University of Connecticut reached a $1.2 million deal with current and former students on failing to address sexual assault

Planet Earth

– The Real News covers the plans to privatize the water supply in Detroit, Mich., despite opposition and a myriad of problems with water in the city

– A new study, based on 16 nations, found Germany is the most energy-efficient economy in the world, while Mexico is in last place

Mixed Bag

– Gallup: Americans who exercise more feel more confident about their appearance

– CNN pulled a reporter from Israel after she tweeted a group of Israelis threatened her if she said “a word wrong” and followed it by calling them “scum”

Break Time

– La Luz Del Ritmo