NATO has thrown its weight behind Ukraine in its standoff with Russia, calling on Moscow to “step back from the brink” of conflict by withdrawing its troops from the common border. ● “I call on Russia to step back from the brink, step back from the border and not use peacekeeping as an excuse for war-making,” NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during a visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on Thursday. The remarks by the chief of the US-led military alliance came after NATO said Russia has positioned 20,000 troops near the Ukrainian frontier.

Patrick Martin ■ Washington plans for world war

This list is constantly updated due to the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza since July 8th. The following 1354 names have been confirmed - the actual death toll stands at approximately 1656. We realize the number of slain Palestinians is higher than this. The Ministry of Health has stated that a total of at least 1656 Palestinians have been killed. We are still awaiting confirmation of some names. At least 8000 Palestinians have been injured. This site, 'Beyond Numbers', has pictures of many of these victims.

Killed Friday, August 8
1. Ibrahim Zoheir ad-Dawawsa, 10, Northern Gaza.

Killed Thursday, August 7
1. Mohammad Jom’a Najjar, 32, Khan Younis. (Died Of His Wounds At al-Maqassed Hospital in Jerusalem)

Killed Tuesday, August 5
1. Nida Raed 'Oleywa, 12, Gaza (Died Of Earlier Injuries)
2. Sha'ban Suleiman ad-Dahdouh, 24, Gaza. (Died on July 21, remains located under rubble)

PressTV: Palestinian child killed as Israeli warplanes bomb Gaza

“The heart of the Earth beats in Gaza now. It bleeds, but it beats,” says Dr. Mads Gilbert. The Norwegian emergency surgeon returned to his home city of Tromsø on 31 July, after spending several weeks treating the wounded from Israel’s assault at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital. He went straight from the airport to give a spontaneous speech at a large solidarity demonstration for Gaza held at the same time. Tromsø is twinned with Gaza City. The newspaper Nordlys made this video, above, of his speech. It is subtitled in English. “The Palestinian people’s resistance in Gaza today is admirable, it is fair and it is a struggle for all of us. We do not want a world where raw power can be abused, to kill those who struggle for justice.” Gilbert asks why after all the massacres, all of Israel’s violations of the laws protecting civilians, there are no sanctions on Israel. He demands to know why the government of Norway is so “quiet” as Palestinians face “one of the most brutal occupation forces of modern history.” “Solidarity is a powerful weapon,” Gilbert says, ending his address with a call for everyone to get involved in the movement for Palestinian rights. “Israel is more isolated than ever and they deserve to be,” Gilbert says, endorsing the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. It is a powerful 25-minute speech.

Police are investigating comments made by George Galloway during a speech in which he said Bradford had been declared an "Israel-free zone". ● The Respect MP told a meeting of party activists in Leeds on Saturday that Israeli tourists were not welcome in Bradford. West Yorkshire police said they had received two complaints and were investigating the Bradford West MP's comments. A video of the meeting posted online showed Galloway saying: "We have declared Bradford an Israel-free zone. "We don't want any Israeli goods, we don't want any Israeli services, we don't want any Israeli academics coming to the university or the college, we don't even want any Israeli tourists to come to Bradford, even if any of them had thought of doing so. "We reject this illegal, barbarous, savage state that calls itself Israel. And you have to do the same."

The Independent: George Galloway declares Bradford ‘an Israel-free zone’ and warns away ‘Israeli tourists’

Barack Obama has authorised airstrikes over Iraq in order to prevent "genocide” from being carried out by Islamic State jihadists. ● The US president confirmed in a late-night address that US military planes had already dropped aid to the 40,000 Yazidi religious minority who have been trapped for days on Mount Sinjar, in the Kurdish northern region, after being driven out of their homes by Islamic State fighters. In a move which would see the US return to a military role in the country's long sectarian war, Mr Obama announced in a televised statement from the White House that he would approve targeted strikes on the fighters should they advance south towards the city of Erbil. "Earlier this week, one Iraqi in the area cried to the world, there is no one coming to help. Well, today America is coming to help," Mr Obama said.

Itar-Tass: US Air Force strikes at militants positions in Iraq — Pentagon
RT.com: Two US fighter jets strike ISIS artillery in Iraq's Kurdistan - Pentagon
Zero Hedge: Markets Turmoil As President Obama Authorizes Air Strikes On Iraq "To Prevent Genocide"
The Telegraph: Shares fall, gold and oil rise on Iraq airstrike fears
Peter Symonds ■ Obama authorises a new air war in Iraq

Phil Weiss et al. ■ An important journalistic pattern is beginning right now that must be countered by people who care about human rights: The New York Times is trying to rewrite the history of the Gaza conflict to treat it as a cycle of violence set off by Hamas in June by allegedly orchestrating the teen kidnappings on the West Bank– rather than as a war begun by Israel against Hamas. The Times whites out Israel’s interest: to destroy the unity government between Hamas and Fatah that was announced in May, a government the U.S. was prepared to work with, thereby defying Israel. And as for the seven-year siege of Gaza that has put 1.8 million people in an open-air prison, the Times has nothing to say.

Listen to the sheer ecstatic joy erupting from these soldiers as they watch their deadly handiwork unfold. As government officials, observers and pundits express their deep regret over the tragic toll on civilians in Gaza, the soldiers carrying out these particular operations don’t appear to share their concern.

Russia's food embargo is a smart move on Moscow’s part that is set to show the United States and its allies that Russia is not going to give in to Western pressure, an American economist and co-director of a US-based research center told RIA Novosti Thursday. "It is smart of Moscow to respond in kind to the sanctions, rather than downgrading diplomatic relations, since any deterioration in diplomatic relations would make the conflict more difficult to resolve," Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research said. He stressed that the sanctions against Russia are almost certainly illegal under the World Trade Organization (WTO), and so Russia could pursue a case there as well. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Wednesday banning imports of agricultural and food products from countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia. Moscow has banned beef, pork, poultry and dairy products, as well as fruit and vegetables from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and Norway for one year.

RIA Novosti: Ukrainian Transit Not Crucial For Russian Oil Deliveries to Europe – Transneft
The Saker ■ You wanna be Uncle Sam's bitch? Pay the price!

Chinese exports rose an astounding 14.5% YoY in July (the biggest surge since April 2013 and double the 7.0% YoY expectations). Chinese imports plunged 1.6% to 4-month lows, dramatically missing expectations of a 2.6% YoY gain. These miracles of goalseek.xls and fake trade invoicing left the Chinese Trade Balance for July at $47.3 Billion - its highest ever (ever) and almost double the $27.4bn expectations. In the midst of collapsing European economies, plunging Russia, and stumbling 'hard' US macro data, the Chinese government would have us believe the world (net) bought the most stuff ever from them in July...

Standard & Poor’s: Runaway Inequality Dampens GDP Growth, Leads to Boom/Bust Cycles and Discourages Trade, Investment and Hiring. Inequality Also Dampens Social Mobility, Increases Political Pressure and Produces a Less Competitive Workforce.

Eric Zuesse ■ What hit the Malaysian airliner wasn’t missile-shrapnel. What, then, could have been the military planes that actually did this? || Su-25s could barely have escorted the Malaysian airliner into the conflict-zone at around 33,000 feet where it was hit, but Su-27s definitely could easily have done that job. [...] No matter how one looks at this, the guilt is clear and damning against Barack Obama: first, by his installing this ethnic-cleansing regime into power in Ukraine; and then, by his continued support of those bloody psychopaths whom he had empowered there. No matter what, Barack Obama has massive innocent blood on his hands. And the victims of the MH-17 disaster are only a relatively small part of that much bigger picture.

In light of this statement, in light of the disgraceful shelling, as you called it, is the Administration prepared to do anything to back up these strong words with some kind of an action? Jen Psaki takes questions about her State Department statement. U.S. Department of State Spokesperson Jen Psaki leads the Daily Press Briefing at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on August 4, 2014.