MEXICO - A major earthquake rocked a city in Mexico’s southwest prompting a slew of evacuations and tsunami warnings. The 7.5 earthquake rattled residents in the populace state of Michoacán on Monday. The city lies on the country’s pacific coast. Reports say one person has been killed so far. They passed away after a wall in a shopping mall collapsed on them. The earthquake was felt all throughout Mexico. This comes on the anniversary of two other devastating earthquakes. Those earthquakes both occurred on September 19th but in the years 1985 and 2017.

NATO - Most NATO member states have significantly depleted their own weapons stockpiles by supplying arms to Ukraine, the military bloc’s secretary general has acknowledged. Jens Stoltenberg urged the defense industry to help replenish the thinned-out armories. In an interview with CNN on Thursday, the official lauded the “unprecedented unity in the support to Ukraine” on the part of member states. However, this kind of defense aid for Kiev has until now been “taken from our existing stocks, so they are now running low,” Stoltenberg warned. He added that one of the alliance’s priorities was to “replenish those stocks.” “Therefore, one of the main focuses in NATO is to work with the defense industry to ramp up production,” the organization’s chief explained.

USA - Following the Plymouth Colonies’ example, large waves of migrants from Europe began coming to the colonies in search of religious freedom. In 1630, about 1,000 men traveled with a man named John Winthrop to America aboard the Arabella. During the voyage, Winthrop writes that if he and the colonizers could follow God’s ways and instill Biblical truths and values into the new world, it could become a beacon of light for others. “We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us.” Although the phrase “city on a hill” is derived from a Bible verse, it is often used as a reference to the example of freedom and human rights displayed by America to the rest of the world. For Winthrop and the other colonizers at the time, religious liberty was key to living how they wanted without interference from the government, and also to instilling principles and values that would aid in a prosperous and thriving society. This idea spread to surrounding colonies.

UKRAINE - An influx of cheap Ukrainian grain and poultry is making it difficult for farmers in the European Union to break even, according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal on Friday. Meanwhile, the grain-starved countries that were supposed to benefit from a UN-brokered arrangement to ensure safe passage of cereals and sunflower oil out of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports are not getting the food they desperately need. “I am all for helping Ukraine, but I believe the EU opened Pandora’s box,” Jan Bieniasz, managing director of a farmers cooperative in the Polish village of Laka, told the outlet. He was referring to the European Commission’s decision to remove tariffs and quotas to allow Kiev to export its grains over land and from European ports amid the conflict with Russia. The move has seen European Union countries flooded with cheaper agricultural goods – while EU wheat and corn generally retail for $324 and $307 a ton, respectively, Ukraine’s wheat and corn sell for around $272 and $251, the WSJ writes.

RUSSIA - Reducing dependence on Russian natural gas supply is impossible for the European Union in the coming year without a massive production halt, RBK business daily reported on Monday, citing a study by McKinsey’s former Russian division, consulting company Yakov & Partners. Their research showed that, despite reports that EU stores are full, the bloc has not yet overcome its reliance on Russian energy and will not be able to get through the coming winter and next year “without maintaining gas supplies from Russia or [effecting] a significant reduction” in consumption. Yakov & Partners indicated that 70% of nitrogen fertilizer production capacities in the EU have already been stopped, aluminum production has been reduced by 25%, and steel production by 5%. The authors of the study suggested that the decline in production is likely to continue “even in the event of a mild winter.”

USA - The Pentagon has ordered a sweeping audit of how it conducts clandestine information warfare after major social media companies identified and took offline fake accounts suspected of being run by the US military in violation of the platforms’ rules. Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, last week instructed the military commands that engage in psychological operations online to provide a full accounting of their activities by next month after the White House and some federal agencies expressed mounting concerns over the Defense Department’s attempted manipulation of audiences overseas, according to several defense and administration officials familiar with the matter.

TAIWAN - Taiwan has been hit by earthquakes for the second day in row, with the magnitude of Sunday’s tremor estimated at 6.9 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter was located in the Tainan municipality, in the south of the self-governed island, at a depth of 10 km, according to the agency. The tremors caused the collapse of a low-rise building housing a convenience store, leaving several people trapped under the rubble, according to local media. The Taiwan Railway Administration said a train derailed in the affected area, leading to the evacuation of some 20 passengers. Videos online have shown a road bridge that appears to have collapsed due to the shaking.

USA - California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday announced a sweeping package of what he called the country’s “most aggressive” climate measures to “accelerate the state’s transition” to non-conventional energy sources. The package includes 40 bills that appear to provide new green rules on laws related to things ranging from large-scale industry to the family home and private and public transportation. The Democratic governor’s office said in a statement the package of climate change-focused measures aims to cut pollution and target “big polluters.” It comes as America’s most populous state has struggled to provide stable electricity for residents amid a heat wave, which saw the state asking residents to use less power and suggest the best times to use air conditioners or charge electric cars. “This month has been a wake-up call for all of us that later is too late to act on climate change. California isn’t waiting any more,” Newsom said in a statement. “Together with the Legislature, California is taking the most aggressive action on climate our nation has ever seen.”

SWITZERLAND - A Swiss billboard is making the rounds on social media depicting a young woman on the telephone. The caption reads, “Does the neighbor heat the apartment to over 19 degrees (66F)? Please inform us.” While the Swiss government has dismissed the poster as a fake, the penalties Swiss citizens face for daring to warm their homes are very real. According to the Swiss newspaper Blick, those who violate the 66 degree heating limit could face as many as three years in prison!

GERMANY - After weeks of negotiations, German politicians finally reached a deal on a massive €100 billion military modernization fund. Germany has spent months touting its epochal shift toward a more muscular military policy. Now the country finally has a spending plan to make it happen. Three months after Chancellor Olaf Scholz first announced Germany’s so-called Zeitenwende, or historic turning point, political leaders late on Sunday approved the main pillar of the new policy — a massive €100 billion military modernization fund.

TURKEY - Ankara seeks to formally join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Turkey’s president has said. Turkey seeks accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday. The remark came after the summit of the group wrapped up in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Erdogan took part in this year’s event as a special guest. “Our relations with these countries will be moved to a much different position with this step,” Erdogan told reporters on board his plane. Asked whether Turkey is seeking to formally join the group, the president responded affirmatively. “Of course, that's the goal,” he said. The SCO is an economic integration and trust-building alliance that was founded in 2001, and is now the world’s largest regional bloc. Currently, the SCO brings together China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Pakistan. There are also four observer states – Afghanistan, Mongolia, Belarus, and Iran – which are seeking to become full-fledged members of the bloc, with the two latter nations already having launched the accession process.

RUSSIA - The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s goal is “friendship in the name of something, not against someone” Dmitry Peskov says. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – the world’s biggest regional bloc, which counts Russia and China among its members but is set to expand – is not an alternative to a military alliance, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Thursday. According to Peskov “all relations in the SCO are built on the basis of mutual respect for each other’s interests and mutual benefit.” “No one sets the goal of making the SCO an alternative to a military organization. This is friendship in the name of something, not against someone,” he said. Ahead of the summit in Samarkand, SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming said the suggestion that there is “a long queue outside the door” to the organization is not an exaggeration. On Thursday, the SCO signed a protocol with Iran which paves the way for the country’s full accession. The SCO encompasses 40% of the world’s population, and more than 30% of global GDP.

IRAN - Tehran has signed a formal commitment to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Iran has signed a memorandum paving the way to transition from its current observer status to full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The Middle-Eastern nation, which the US has long sought to undermine with diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions, made a formal step on Thursday to become the ninth member of the organization. Among the SCO’s heavyweights are Russia and China, two major powers that are on Washington’s list of geopolitical opponents. The SCO was created in 2001 as an intragovernmental forum aimed at fostering trust and developing economic and humanitarian ties in Asia.

UK - The diplomatic wrangles played out as dozens of heads of state, political leaders and dignitaries descended on the capital for an extraordinary reception tonight at Buckingham Palace being hosted by King Charles. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill were due to touch down at Heathrow last night. The President was travelling on Air Force One with the White House’s ‘Chief of Protocol’ Ambassador Rufus Gifford, who will make sure he avoids making any of his trademark gaffes when he meets the new King. Among those catching the bus will be Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, who were due to arrive in the UK last night. Their decision to attend the Queen’s funeral underscores the importance and the deep bond between the royal families. Traditionally, a Japanese emperor stays away from funerals except for those of his own parents because of a cultural belief based in the Shinto religion that considers death to be impure.

JAPAN - Nine million people have been told to evacuate their homes as Japan is battered by one of the worst typhoons the country has ever seen. The super typhoon Nanmadol has killed two people and injured almost 90. It hit Japan's most southerly island, Kyushu, on Sunday morning, and is forecast to pass over the main island of Honshu in the next few days. Tens of thousands of people spent Sunday night in emergency shelters, and almost 350,000 homes are without power. Transport and business has been disrupted, and the country is braced for extensive flooding and landslides. Nanmadol has brought gusts of up to 234 km/h (145 mph), and some areas were forecast 400 mm (16 inches) of rain in 24 hours. Bullet train services, ferries, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled.