The Short List: Israeli actions 'justified'; Bergdahl tells story
Israeli prime minister says military actions are 'justified'
What would you do if your country was attacked by 3,500 rockets? Israel's prime minister asked reporters that Wednesday. Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel's military actions were "justified" and "proportional" as they fought off Hamas' "death squads." He said they've "gone to extra lengths to avoid civilian casualties," but Hamas is using human shields and "must not be allowed to get away with this." The 72-hour truce — for humanitarian purposes — comes as nearly 1,900 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began July 8, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel has lost 64 soldiers and three civilians, according to the Israeli military.
General's killer hid in bathroom
The motive is unknown, but the Afghan soldier who killed a two-star U.S. general was shooting from a first-floor bathroom, a Pentagon official said Wednesday. The shooter, known only as Rafiqullah, was in his early 20s and joined the Afghan army more than two years ago. He fired two to three bursts of gunfire from the bathroom window toward a group attending an outside presentation before he was killed by Afghan forces. Maj. Gen. Harold Greene is the highest-ranked U.S. officer to be slain in combat since 1970. About 15 others were wounded, including generals from Germany and Afghanistan.
Bowe Bergdahl tells his side of the story
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was able to tell his side of the story Wednesday when he met with an Army general assigned to investigate the circumstances of his capture by the Taliban five years ago. The interview was the first opportunity for the Army to question Bergdahl fully about how he was captured. Fellow soldiers have accused Bergdahl of walking off his post in Afghanistan without authorization. The Army is trying to determine whether he merely wandered too far from the base or should be charged with desertion. Bergdahl returned to regular duty last month.
Russian bans U.S. agriculture for a year
Russian citizens will say goodbye to poultry, nuts and soybeans from the U.S. — oh, and fruits and veggies from the Europe Union, Canada and Japan — as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to ban those goods for a year. Why these countries? They all imposed sanctions on Russian companies, banks, politicians and oligarchs because of the conflict in Ukraine.
Extra bites
Day in Pictures: Our favorite photo from today's gallery.
"Apparently," we can't get enough of Noah. So ICYMI, here he is again:
It's nice to hear good news every now and then. These commuters moved a train to free a fellow commuter's foot.
This is a compilation of stories from across Paste BN.
Contributing: John Bacon, Michele Chabin, Kim Hjelmgaard, Jim Michaels, Tom Vanden Brook and Michael Winter, Paste BN