(July 22) Today's Top Headlines - The top 10 stories of the day

1. Ukraine rebels hand over evidence from downed jetliner

Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine on Monday gave investigators passengers' bodies and the black boxes of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down over separatist-held territory last week. Rebel leaders delayed releasing the evidence for days despite intense international pressure. Ukraine says separatists shot down the plane, with 298 people on board, using a missile supplied by Russia. Moscow denies responsibility. [BBC News, The Australian]

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2. Obama bans discrimination against gays by federal contractors

President Obama on Monday called on Congress to ban all job discrimination against gays, as he signed an executive order barring unfair treatment of workers for federal contractors over their sexual orientation. Obama said it was wrong to let companies fire people because they are gay, and declared that he was on "the right side of history." Conservative critics said the move could lead to discrimination against opponents of same-sex marriage. [The New York Times]

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3. Perry sends National Guard to police the border

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) announced Monday that he was sending up to 1,000 National Guard troops to help handle a wave of children and other refugees from Central America illegally crossing into the U.S. over the Mexico border. Perry, who is considering a second run for the presidency, has repeatedly urged President Obama to dispatch the National Guard to the border, where Border Patrol agents have been overwhelmed by tens of thousands of child immigrants. [Fox News]

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4. Tsarnaev friend convicted for trying to get rid of evidence

Azamat Tazhayakov, a 21-year-old friend of surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was found guilty Monday of obstructing justice by taking a backpack with fireworks in it, a jar of Vaseline, and a thumb drive out of Tsarnaev's dorm room in the days immediately after the deadly April 15, 2013, bombing. The case was the first related to the alleged terrorist act to go to trial. Sentencing is in October; Tazhayakov could get up to 25 years in prison. [The Boston Globe]

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5. Johns Hopkins reaches $190-million settlement over spy-cam gynecologist

Lawyers for Johns Hopkins medical center in Baltimore announced Monday that they had reached a $190-million settlement with more than 9,000 former patients of a gynecologist, Dr. Nikita Levy, who secretly photographed and videotaped women during pelvic exams. Levy was escorted out of the hospital after security officials, alerted by a colleague, caught him carrying a spy pen in February 2013. He killed himself two weeks later. [Los Angeles Times]

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6. Former soldier receives Medal of Honor

President Obama on Monday awarded former Army Staff Sgt. Ryan M. Pitts the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military's highest award for valor in combat, for fighting fiercely to defend his post in Afghanistan despite being severely wounded and outnumbered by Taliban forces. Nine of Pitts' comrades were killed in the 2008 battle. Pitts said they were "the real heroes." He was the ninth living American to receive the award for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. [CNN]

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7. Body found in South Korea identified as head of ferry company

South Korean police said Tuesday that a badly decomposed body found last month had been identified as Yoo Byung Eun, the mysterious fugitive head of the company that operated the ferry Sewol, which capsized in April. More than 300 people were killed in the accident. Yoo was wanted on embezzlement, negligence, and other charges. The body was found in a plum field near a retreat where investigators suspected Yoo was hiding. [NBC News]

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8. Apple prepares for biggest-ever initial run for a new iPhone model

Apple has reportedly ordered 70 million to 80 million of its larger-screen iPhones by the end of 2014. If the numbers are correct, the launch of the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will be the biggest ever for a new version of Apple's popular smartphone. The initial order for the 4-inch iPhone 5S and 5C models last year was between 50 million and 60 million, according to people familiar with Apple's plans. [MarketWatch]

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9. Starbucks and Burger King get dragged into China's food scandal

China's fast-food scandal spread on Tuesday, as Starbucks, Burger King, and other companies said they had purchased chicken from Shanghai Husi Food Co Ltd., which has been shut down by Chinese regulators for using expired meat. McDonald's and Yum Brands, which owns KFC, revealed Monday that they had purchased meat from Shanghai Husi, a unit of U.S.-based OSI Group LLC. [Reuters]

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10. World endures hottest June on record

Last month was the hottest June worldwide since the first records were kept in 1880, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said on Monday. The combined average land and sea temperature was 0.72 degrees centigrade higher than the average over the 20th century, and land surface temperatures were 0.95 degrees centigrade over the average. [Science Recorder]

Compiled by theweek.com