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Stories we’re watching: What is coming will be worse, warns Israel

Top stories making headlines this afternoon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint news conference with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 22, 2014. (Dan Balilty/AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint news conference with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 22, 2014. (Dan Balilty/AP)

Here are five of the top stories making headlines this afternoon:

“What is coming will be worse,” Israeli military warns Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed no sign of backing down on his country’s military actions in the Gaza Strip, when he today warned Hamas leaders that they can expected a prolonged campaign. The statement comes as the UN called both sides to adopt an immediate ceasefire. So far, more than 1,000 Palistinians have been killed during the three weeks of fighting, along with 52 Israeli soldiers and three Israeli civillians.

International team tasked with investigating flight MH17 crash turned back by fighting. An international team of police tasked with securing the site of the Malaysia Airlines crash in eastern Ukraine had to turn back Monday after fighting in the region threatened the team’s safety. The international team, of mainly Dutch and Australian forensic investigators, made it to a town about 30 km from the site of the downed Boeing 777 before repeated shelling nearby forced them to turn back. Also today, the United Nations said that the downing of the plane may constitute a war crime. Both Ukrainian and U.S. officials say the plane was shot down by a missile in the rebel-held area of eastern Ukraine.

Ex-engineer loses bid to keep parts of Elliot Lake mall collapse report censored. Robert Wood’s request to keep portions of the final report on the Elliot Lake mall collapse secret was denied by the commissioner who presided over the inquiry into the June 2012 collapse at the Ontario shopping mall, which killed two people. Wood was the final engineer to sign off on a report saying the mall roof was structurally sound, just weeks before a portion of the roof caved in. He had applied for a partial publication ban on the final report from the inquiry, which is due out in October. Wood faces criminal charges, and argued the contents of the report would hinder his right to a fair trial.

Sarah Palin channel promises all Palin, all the time. Palin launched a web-based channel, which went live Sunday, and promises subscribers a “direct connection” to the former Alaska Governor. “We’ll talk about the issues that the mainstream media won’t talk about,” Palin promises. The cost: $9.95 per month or $99.95 per year.

The New York Times comes out as pro-pot in editorial. It’s time to end marijuana prohibition, the New York Times said in an editorial that had marijuana activists celebrating Monday. “The federal government should repeal the ban on marijuana,” the editors write. The call comes as certain states, Washington and Colorado in particular, are legalizing marijuana and other states are allowing it for medical use only. However, federal U.S. laws still ban it, putting state and federal laws at odds with one another.

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