USA - Less than two weeks ago, legendary financial and geopolitical cycle analyst Martin Armstrong warned his “Socrates” predictive computer program showed a “100% Chance of Nuclear War.” Since then, a war of words has flared up between President Trump and Russia, and he said Russia “has entered very dangerous territory.” President Trump then, “Orders US nuclear subs repositioned over statements from ex-Russian leader Medvedev.” “After Trump sends nuclear subs near Russia, Putin responds with hypersonic threat — what Oreshnik missiles can do.”

USA - Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Republican) on Monday ordered the arrest of the Democrats who fled the Lone Star State in an effort to halt the advancement of new congressional maps that could benefit Republicans in next year’s midterms. “Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans,” Abbott said in a statement. “By fleeing the state, Texas House Democrats are holding hostage critical legislation to aid flood victims and advance property tax relief. There are consequences for dereliction of duty."

ISRAEL - Associates of Ben-Gvir hailed the moment as “a monumental change that hasn’t happened in a thousand years,” adding that his policy is to ensure freedom of worship for Jews. On the Jewish fast day of Tisha B’Av, which mourns the destruction of the First and Second Temples, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ascended the Temple Mount, joining thousands of Jewish visitors expected to visit and pray throughout the day.

ISRAEL - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached a decision for the full occupation of the Gaza Strip, including operations in areas where hostages are held, a source in the Prime Minister's Office told The Jerusalem Post on Monday. The Prime Minister's Office conveyed the message to IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir: If this does not suit you, then you should resign.

USA - Substandard repairs and a slow bureaucracy have caused US Navy ships to sit in repair yards for years without being used, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Between one- and two-thirds of US surface ship maintenance has lagged behind schedule in recent years, US officials have said, according to The Wall Street Journal. The delays exacerbate America’s problem of failing to build ships as swiftly as China, a top adversary working to expand its presence in the Indo-Pacific region and threaten US interests. Repairs of Navy ships continue to fall behind schedule despite millions of dollars spent, with US destroyers taking a combined 2,633 extra days to repair than expected in 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported. A Navy official told the outlet that the number of delay days actually marked an improvement. A lack of experienced repair workers contributes to the problem, as many individuals with the needed skills are not attracted by the low pay offered, the report said.

USA - The United States is expanding its military footprint on the Korean Peninsula by establishing another elite air unit near the demilitarized zone, which is apparently in response to Pyongyang's last week announcement that it will only enter negotiations if the US abandons its demand for denuclearization. The Department of Defense confirmed the US recently transferred 31 F-16 fighter jets from Kunsan Air Base to Osan Air Base, with a purpose to "consolidate air power and enhance combat readiness" in the region. The Pentagon indicated this marks the second such "super squadron" the US has stationed in South Korea. Osan lies several dozen miles north of Kunsan, closer to the demilitarized zone with North Korea, and so the Kim Jong Un government will no doubt see this as a serious provocation.

SWITZERLAND - Pasta in refillable containers, a return to decent lids for hummus and water bottles made from agricultural waste could be coming your way if the world passes an ambitious new plastic pollution treaty this month. More than 170 countries are meeting in Geneva from Tuesday for the final fortnight of negotiations to tackle the scourge of plastic waste highlighted by Sir David Attenborough. The final shape of the world’s first treaty on the issue will depend on how ambitious the deal is in tackling the 435 million tonnes of plastic produced annually, a figure experts fear could increase by 70 per cent without action. If the treaty includes caps on plastic production as well as action on recycling, as campaigners hope, it could mean changes for how Britons shop, eat and deal with waste.

USA - Why are we suddenly seeing so much seismic activity all over the planet? Volcanoes just keep erupting one after another, and we just keep witnessing unusual earthquake swarms on major fault lines throughout the world. Last Tuesday, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck along the Pacific Ring of Fire near the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia caused quite a bit of panic. Only five earthquakes that have ever been recorded have been larger than that earthquake.

USA - When asked how far the US government has plunged into the red, many fiscally-conscious Americans will tell you the national debt has reached $37 trillion. As distressing as that official number is, America’s true fiscal situation is even worse — far worse. According to a barely-publicized Treasury report, the actual grand total of Uncle Sam’s obligations is more than $151 trillion. That huge discrepancy springs from the fact that the federal government doesn’t hold itself to the same accounting standards it imposes on businesses. Rather than using accrual accounting — which recognizes expenses when they’re incurred — our Washington overlords self-servingly use simple cash accounting, only recognizing expenses when they’re paid. As a result, discourse on federal obligations solely focuses on the national debt, comprising Treasury bills, notes and bonds.

USA - "I've not seen any evidence of aliens. SpaceX, with the Starlink constellation, has roughly 6,000 satellites — and not once have we had to maneuver around a UFO.” Musk’s comment shows how big the Starlink network is but also highlights there is still no proof of aliens. The satellites mainly provide global internet service. His words reflect continued public interest in extraterrestrial life, even though space efforts have not found any signs yet. SpaceX just launched 19 new Starlink satellites from foggy Vandenberg, marking its 94th mission of the year. Booster 1071 made its 27th trip, landing like clockwork. That’s just two shy of SpaceX’s reuse record. The satellites will join the 8,000-strong @Starlink mega-network now wrapping Earth.

VATICAN - Pope Leo XIV on Sunday told more than a million Catholic youths at a closing Mass for a weeklong encounter with the next generation of faithful that they are “the sign that a different world is possible” where conflicts can be resolved with dialogue, not weapons. In his closing blessing for the Jubilee of Youth, Leo remembered the young people of Gaza and Ukraine and other countries at war who could not join their celebration. “We are closer than ever to young people who suffer the most serious evils, which are caused by other human beings,” Leo said. “We are with the young people of Gaza. We are with the young people of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war.” The special Jubilee celebration is part of the Holy Year that is expected to draw 32 million people to the Vatican for the centuries-old pilgrimage to the seat of Catholicism. The Vatican said more than 1 million young people were present, along with 7,000 priests and 450 bishops.

THE NETHERLANDS - Dutch politician Geert Wilders posted his support for the hostages held by Hamas and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip, saying that "victims don't hold hostages." "Victims don't hold hostages. Savages do." "Heroes support the hostages, Traitors support Hamas and call for sanctions. What side are you on?" Wilders posted. In the post, Wilders highlights the southeastern coastline of the country's Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in red, and writes: "Here will be the new Palestinian state. Big parts of France are already Islamic anyway." "Good luck [French President] Emmanuel Macron and France! Happy suicide!" he addressed the French leader. "The Netherlands will close its borders immediately."

GERMANY - Germany hails drop in asylum claims, citing tough Merz policies. The German government has hailed a drop in first-time asylum seekers entering the country as proof its tough migration policies work, despite accusations they undermine European Union rules. The number of initial asylum applications halved in the first six months of the year, falling from 140,783 between January and July last year to 70,011 in the same period this year. “We have massively reduced the number of initial asylum applications compared to last year,” said Alexander Dobrindt, the German interior minister. “We are declaring an even tougher fight against the smugglers, because the state must regulate who comes into our country, not the criminal smuggling gangs.”

ISRAEL - Israel’s ultra-nationalist security minister has provoked outrage by praying on the Temple Mount, violating a long-standing agreement between Israel and the Arab world. Jews are forbidden from prayer at the east Jerusalem site under the “status quo” agreement made between Israel and Jordan in 1967. It is the holiest site in Judaism and also the location of the Al-Aqsa mosque. Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount while Jews around the world marked the Tisha B’Av fast day, commemorating the destruction of the first and second Holy Temples. He was filmed at the site leading a Jewish prayer. He said: “It is precisely from here, a message must be sent [to Hamas]: to ensure that we conquer all of the Gaza Strip, declare sovereignty over the entire Gaza Strip, take down every Hamas member, and encourage voluntary migration. Only in this way will we bring back the hostages and win the war.”

MIDDLE EAST - Hamas has said its “armed resistance” will continue until an “independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital” is established. Hamas has today responded to Sir Keir’s announcement – and the request of Arab states including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt that Hamas disarm – by responding to the offer that if they refuse a cease fire they can have a state by saying, quelle surprise, that their “resistance” will continue. Today’s statement by Hamas is not in any way revealing. There is nothing that would surprise anyone who has any understanding of who and what Hamas is. It merely underlines the madness of treating Hamas as some sort of negotiating partner, rather than as a terrorist organisation which must be destroyed.