U.S., Panama Ships Collide Near Strait of Hormuz
An American military vessel and a Panamanian oil tanker collided at sea near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran, although the U.S. navy denies that the incident was not combat-related.

 

Report: Israelis Workers Are Less Productive
A report issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reveals that the productivity of the average Israeli worker is significantly below average for developed countries.

 

Netflix Exec Buys $1 Million Stock in Facebook
Although stock in the social media platform company Facebook has dropped by 40% since it began trading in May, it just received a boost when Reed Hastings, the chief executive of Netflix, bought $1 million of shares in the firm.

 

Israel Testing Text Message Alert System
Israel's Home Front Command is testing out its SMS alert system, sending citizens text messages with a warning about an impending military attack. It will only be sent to those who signed up for the drill.

 

Madonna Accused of Floating Ban on Talk of Gays
After an August 9 concert in St. Petersburg in which Madonna told the audience that homosexuals have the same rights as heterosexuals, a city counselor claims the pop superstar broke a local law banning "homosexual propaganda".