5 at 5: Germany boots top U.S. intelligence officer

Here are five of the top stories making headlines this afternoon:

Germany boots top U.S. intelligence officer over spying allegations. The chief American intelligence official at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin must leave, Germany said Thursday. The deportation order was reaction to the Americans refusing to co-operate over requests for information about U.S. spying, said a German spokesperson. Last summer, reports said the U.S. National Security Agency was spying on German citizens, and another report said the surveillance included cell phone calls made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appeals for ceasefire in Gaza. The Middle East can’t afford another “full-blown war” and that is the way things appear to be headed in Gaza, said Ban Thursday, as Israel continued air strikes against Gaza and Hamas continued rocket attacks. The UN security council held an emergency meeting to discuss the deteriorating situation in the region today, but the Israeli envoy to the UN rejected its calls for a ceasefire. The Palestinian envoy told the security council that at least 90 Palestinians have been killed in this recent round of Israeli air strikes, some of them children.

Flooding fears eased in southern Manitoba. The Assiniboine River has crested and water levels are starting to recede in southern Manitoba, where there were fears of widespread flooding near Portage la Prairie. Six days ago, the province declared a state of emergency in the area and called in the military to help with sandbagging. A second river crest is expected to hit the area around Brandon over the weekend. Officials say that recent upgrades to dikes and other flood mitigation measures in the Brandon area should be enough to keep the city safe.

Police expand search for missing Calgary boy and grandparents to nearby landfills. Police in Calgary are searching two garbage dumps in the area, in the ongoing investigation into a missing five-year-old boy and his grandparents. Nathan O’Brien and his grandparents, Alvin and Kathryn Liknes, have not been seen since June 29. Police have identified a person of interest in the case, Douglas Garland, and they have been searching his parents’ farm north of the city. Police also say they are looking into reports that Garland and Alvin Liknes had business dealings.

Game of Thrones top pick for Emmy nominations. The super-popular Game of Thrones topped the Emmy nomination list this year, with 19 nods, followed closely by Fargo (18) and American Horror Story: Coven (17). Several original Netflix series also made the list this year in multiple categories, including Orange is the New Black in the comedy category and House of Cards for best drama series. One notable omission people are talking about: Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black. She has been snubbed for the second year in a row.