This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com.

Seven people killed by two female suicide bombers in Peshawar, Pakistan

Police van affected by bomb blast

At least seven persons including four police personnel and a child were killed and more than 20 others injured in twin acts of terrorism in Peshawar, in northwest Pakistan, on Thursday. Two burqa-clad female suicide bombers blew themselves up at police check post, killing both suicide bombers. Some people are saying that the Taliban’s use of female suicide bombers is an act of desperation for them, but they’re presenting special problems for police. The burqa-clad women terrorists found no hurdle in getting close to their targets since traditionally the male police staff had been reluctant to check women for security needs. The Nation (Lahore) and Daily Times (Lahore)

Syria’s Assad thumbs his nose at Turkey, NATO and the West

It’s been two days by the visit by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad to issue a “final warning” to stop the slaughter of his own civilians. Not only did the trip fail to produce any results, and it’s being viewed increasingly as not only a failed mission, but even a humiliating mission. Assad’s forces continued the massacres while Davutoglu was visiting Damascus, and then proceeded to goad Turkey by immediately after the visit following up with attacks on towns in Turkey’s border region. Syria has also received assurances from Iran that Iran’s missiles would attack any Mideast air base from which planes took off to take part in an attack on Syria. Syria increasingly sees Turkey, NATO and the West as too weak to do anything to stop his massacres. Debka

The Syria uprising and Assad’s violent response continues to exacerbate the divisiveness of politics in neighboring Lebanon. Hizbollah continues to lose credibility for failing to criticize his ally, Assad, for slaughtering innocent civilians, while Walid Jumblatt, leader of an opposing party, is openly expressing his support for the Syrian people’s right to freedom and democracy. Syria ended its three-decade military and political occupation of Syria in 2005, but Lebanese politics remain divided along lines of loyalty to Damascus and its benefactor Iran. Those rivalries – many rooted in old enmities of ethnicity and religion – have now been exacerbated by the seemingly open-ended turmoil unfolding next door. Jerusalem Post and Daily Star (Lebanon)

Turkey now remains a real wild card, given the enormous amount of prestige that the Erdogan government has invested in trying to convince Assad to end the violence. Jamestown

Wall Street prices surge again as turmoil continues

Four-day roller coaster ride on Wall Street

Just before 9 am ET, Reuters reported from anonymous sources that banks in Asia were cutting credit lines to major French banks. Markets in America and Europe initially reacted negatively, but then largely shrugged it off. Stock prices surged 4-5% on Wall Street on Thursday, continuing the huge see-saw daily movements. Reuters

France’s CAC 40 Index, which lost 5.5% on Wednesday, lost another 0.6% on Thursday, after the above Reuters report. With France’s banks essentially in crisis, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet next week. They will be working to fulfill their promise that “they would formulate joint recommendations aimed at strengthening political and economic governance in the euro area before the end of the summer.” Bloomberg

Postal Service asks Congress to allow 120,000 layoffs

Facing bankruptcy as early as September, the United States Postal Services has appealed to Congress to remove collective bargaining restrictions and allow 120,000 layoffs and major changes to employee benefits. CNN

David Cameron threatens to block social media in Britain

Britain’s prime minister David Cameron is threatening to respond to the recent riots in London and other cities by blocking individuals’ access to Twitter, Facebook, BlackBerry Messenger, and other social media. Speaking to the House of Commons on Thursday, where the MPs had been dragged back from their summer vacations, Cameron said:

“Everyone watching these horrific actions will be stuck by how they were organised via social media. Free flow of information can be used for good. But it can also be used for ill.

So we are working with the Police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality. I have also asked the police if they need any other new powers.”

Presumably he could ask the Iranians and Syrians how they do it. 36% of British teens are on the Blackberry. Financial Times (Access)

Boy or girl? A simple test raises ethical concerns

A simple blood test can determine with 95% accuracy whether an unborn baby is a boy or a girl. As the tests become more widely available, they raise ethical questions, since couples could use a gender test to decide whether to have an abortion. LA Daily News

One-third of the world’s population is experiencing rising restrictions on religion

Among the world’s 25 most populous countries – which account for about 75% of the world’s total population – restrictions on religion substantially increased in eight countries and did not substantially decrease in any. In China, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Vietnam, the increases were due primarily to rising levels of social hostilities involving religion. In Egypt and France, the increases were mainly the result of government restrictions. The rest of the 25 most populous countries, including the United States, did not experience substantial changes in either social hostilities or government-imposed restrictions. Pew Research

Israel to approve 4,300 settlement units in Jerusalem

In a move that’s certain to outrage the Palestinians, Israel’s Interior Ministry has given final authorization to build 1,600 apartments in Greater Jerusalem and will approve 2,700 more in the coming days. Israel National News