ISRAEL - Hundreds of visitors flocked to Shiloh in Samaria’s Binyamin region on Thursday to welcome a biblically pure red heifer. The 22-month-old cow, which was brought to Israel from the United States, found a new home at the Ancient Shiloh heritage site, where the biblical Tabernacle once stood. In the coming month, two more heifers will be transported to the town, and a center will open there dedicated to researching the phenomenon. The heifers will be kept in a fenced-off area, and visitors will not be able to touch the animals.

USA - Redoubling financial backing for Ukraine in its war with Russia is the “single best” way to aid the global economy, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday. She added boosting emerging economies and tackling debt distress also have their role to play alongside sending billions in taxpayer dollars to Kyiv. AFP reports Yellen used the sidelines of a G20 finance ministers’ summit in India to reveal she would “push back” on criticism there was a tradeoff between aid to Ukraine and developing nations.

USA - The recent report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, sometimes referred to as the nation’s report card, is a devastating assessment of the condition of our nation’s schools. In short, there has been virtually no educational progress with our nation’s children in more than 30 years – and urban districts are the worst performers. The report ranked the Detroit Public Schools as the worst performing of all 26 large city districts, with just 5 percent of their eighth-grade students rated proficient in reading and only 3 percent in math. What is surprising is the Detroit Public Schools Community District rated 99 percent of Detroit’s teachers as “highly effective” or “effective,” the two highest ratings given to teachers. An added conundrum is that Detroit public high schools received an “F” on student proficiency and yet received an “A” on graduation rates.

AFRICA - The prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa (HoA) left 23.4 million people acutely food insecure and 5.1 million children acutely malnourished. An estimated 2.7 million people have been displaced by the drought. The drought affected livestock body conditions and decimated herds, which, in turn curbed livestock production. Successive below-average harvests, coupled with high production and transport costs, reduced local agricultural produce. All this led to food price spikes that still persist, which reduced household purchasing power and access to nutrient-rich foods.

EUROPE - Across the continent, millions of citizens are shifting their allegiance towards populist Right-wing parties. The dramatic development will transform the EU if the swelling wave of populist sentiment translates into political power at the bloc’s parliamentary elections next year. In a backlash against open borders and net-zero diktats, the EU’s traditional social democrats, green ideologues and Left-wingers are losing their appeal at the ballot box. The rebellion has been growing — and the dominoes continue to fall. Right-wingers have gained power in Sweden, then in Italy, Finland and Greece.

USA - Inflation is going down! Isn’t that wonderful? When many less educated Americans hear this news, they will think that prices are going down. But that is not true at all. In fact, prices are still going up. They are just going up at a slower rate than they were before. According to the federal government, the Consumer Price Index was only 3 percent higher in June 2023 than it was in June 2022. That sounds like pretty good news, but it is imperative to realize that the formula used for the Consumer Price Index has literally been changed dozens of times over the decades. If the rate of inflation was still calculated the way that it was back in 1980, it would still be well into the double digits.

VATICAN - The appointment of Fernández has once again shown Francis’ willingness to shake things up in the Church. The new head of the doctrine office is someone in the Pope’s image: mission-oriented, willing to take risks, preferring dialogue over condemnation and with a tendency to do things in such a way that no one remains indifferent.

ICELAND - A volcanic eruption has sent lava and smoke pouring out of the side of Mount Fagradalsfjall, near Iceland's capital Reykjavik. It comes after intense earthquake activity in the area. Local authorities said on Monday there was no imminent hazard to people in the region. The volcano is located in the country's southwest, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which is known to be a seismic hotspot. Domestic flights were delayed after the eruption created a plume of smoke over the road connecting the capital to the country's largest airport.

USA - Parts of the US are expected to see record temperatures on Sunday, with warnings of "dangerous" heat levels into next week across the south-west. Nearly a third of Americans - about 113 million people - are currently under heat advisories, from Florida to California and up to Washington state. The country's National Weather Service (NWS) has urged people not to underestimate the risk to life. On Saturday, an all-time high of 118F (48C) was recorded in Phoenix, Arizona. It means temperatures have hit 110F (43C) for 16 days running, itself almost a record. Meanwhile, Death Valley in California - one of the hottest places in the world - is forecast to reach 129F (54C), nearing the hottest temperatures ever reliably recorded on Earth.

UK - Last year, officials working for an NHS Trust in Bath, Somerset, received the results of an assessment they had undergone a couple of months earlier. Alas, they had not done well. Out of a possible 159 points, they had been awarded just 49, meaning they failed even to qualify for an entry-level 'bronze award'.

USA - As expected, more and ever-wilder transgenic foods are being produced. Among the latest is Piggy Sooy, a soybean genetically engineered to contain pig protein. According to Moolec, the UK-based company that developed this latest Frankenfood, pig genes were spliced into conventional soya to create a soybean with 26.6% animal protein. The exact pig genes used is a trade secret. As a result of this genetic engineering, the interior flesh of the soybean is also a rosy flesh color. The company is also working on developing a pea plant that produces beef protein. Moolec claims these transgenic hybrids will provide similar taste, texture and nutritional value as meat, without the high cost of cultured or lab-grown meat alternatives.

USA - Have you noticed that we are being hit by an endless series of weather emergencies? Here in the middle of 2023, farms in the Midwest are being devastated by a seemingly endless drought, massive dust storms are happening as far north as Illinois, residents of Vermont just experienced the worst flooding that they have seen in nearly 100 years, and the Southwest is being baked by unprecedented heat. I realize that this is a very sensitive topic.

USA - The National Weather Service confirmed early Thursday morning that "multiple tornadoes tracked across Northeastern Illinois" Wednesday, causing extensive damage to homes, yards, businesses and more across Chicago suburbs including Elgin, Campton Hills, Rosemont, Huntley, Carol Stream, Hodgkins and more. "Between 5 pm and 7 pm on Wednesday, July 12, multiple tornadoes tracked across Northeast Illinois, some in very close proximity to one another," a tweet from the NWS said. "These were spawned by rotating thunderstorms known as supercells."

USA - A sizzling heatwave has sent temperatures soaring across much of America, causing the oceans off the coast of Florida to soar to almost 100 degrees. Millions flocked to the Sunshine State to bask in the rays over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, while just off the coast the scorching temperatures could spell doom for the region's picturesque coral reefs. Scientists have warned that the 'hot tub-like' conditions are disastrous for the reefs, with 'coral bleaching' already devastating a majority of the ecosystem in the state.

USA - The National Weather Service in the US has issued emergency flood warnings for Orange, Putnam and Rockland counties, north of New York City. Police have closed roads and issued a rare flash flood emergency, telling residents to avoid travel. Local resident Melissa Roberts, in Orange County, captured the flooding on camera - the water was up to her knees and cars were submerged. It's been reported that one foot (30cm) of rain fell in some areas.