Talk about setting a low bar for a ceasefire – Israel spies on its best friend – Obama disses Russia – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Israel says it will commence a seven-hour ceasefire in Gaza at 10:00 AM local time on Monday morning.  This is to allow the entry of humanitarian aid to Palestinians, and for displaced Civilians to return to their homes.  But the IDF is warning that it would fight back if attacked, and says the ceasefire will not apply to Rafah, which an Israeli shell struck another UN school being used as a shelter, killing 10 people.  And Hamas reportedly does not plan on taking a seven-hour break. 

Israel spied on the US secretary of state, John Kerry, during last year’s failed peace talks with Palestinians and Arab states.  The German newsmagazine Der Spiegel reports that Israel intercepted Kerry’s phone calls during the ill-fated, nine-month effort to broker a peace deal.  Neither Washington nor Israel is commenting.

Officials in China say metal dust was the cause of Saturday’s auto parts factory explosion that killed 75 people and injured more than 180 more.  The flaming dust stuck to the factory workers’ skin, causing extensive burns.  China is rife with industrial accidents – this is the worst in June of last year, when 119 people were killed in a poultry plant fire.

Rolf Harris was not injured in an attack in prison.  The 84-year old former entertainer is serving a five-year, nine-month sentence for molesting young girls over the years.  Another inmate apparently tried to make a name for himself by spitting at the high-profile convict, missed, and brawled with the guy who caught the worst of it.  Octogenarian Rolf stood in a corner until it was over.

Portugal’s government is financing a US$6.6 Billion plan to takeover troubled lender Banco Espirito Santo, and transfer its good assets to a new entity.  The heaviest losses will be absorbed by shareholders and some creditors.  The European Union approved the plan, which conforms to new EU rules that minimize the cost to taxpayers while preventing disruption to the financial system.

Police in India arrested the chief of the state-run Syndicate Bank.  Sudhit Kumar Jain is accused of taking bribes to raise credit limits of firms.  It’s India first large-scale anti-corruption arrest since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office earlier this year.

US President Barack Obama got even with Russia for that poodle picture.  Last week, a Kremlin official uploaded a photo to social media with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a leather jacket holding a leopard cub, next to a photo of Obama in a suit holding a poodle.  It’s not known if Mr. Obama actually saw this photoshop, but it was the delight of right wing circles.  But then, in an interview with The Economist magazine, Obama slammed Moscow with some harsh realities:  He dismissed Russia as a fading nation that “doesn’t make anything”, where immigrants don’t look to for new opportunities, and where the average life expectancy for a male is 60 years.  Ouch!