Energy is so hard to come by right now that some provinces in China are rationing electricity, Europeans are paying sky-high prices for liquefied natural gas, power plants in India are on the verge of running out of coal, and the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States stood at $3.25 on Friday — up from $1.72 in April. As the global economy recovers and global leaders prepare to gather for a landmark conference on climate change, the sudden energy crunch hitting the world is threatening already stressed supply chains, stirring geopolitical tensions and raising questions about whether the world is ready for the green energy revolution when it’s having trouble powering itself right now. The economic recovery from the pandemic recession lies behind the crisis, coming after a year of retrenchment in coal, oil and gas extraction.

USA - The energy crisis that is rippling through Asia and Europe could unleash electricity shortages and blackouts in the US, according to Bloomberg. Ernie Thrasher, Chief Executive Officer of Xcoal Energy & Resources LLC, told energy research firm IHS Markit that US utilities quickly turn to more coal because of soaring natural gas prices. "We've actually had discussions with power utilities who are concerned that they simply will have to implement blackouts this winter," Thrasher warned. He said, "They don't see where the fuel is coming from to meet demand," adding that 23% of utilities are switching away from gas this fall/winter to burn more coal. With natgas, coal, and oil prices all soaring is a clear signal the green energy transition will take decades, not years. Walking back fossil fuels for unreliable clean energy has been a disaster in Asia and Europe. These power-hungry continents are scrambling for fossil fuel supplies as stockpiles are well below seasonal trends ahead of cooler weather. "That whole supply chain is stretched beyond its limits," Thrasher said. "It's going to be a challenging winter for us here in the United States."

TAIWAN - A US special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there, US officials said, part of efforts to shore up the island’s defenses as concern regarding potential Chinese aggression mounts. About two dozen members of US special-operations and support troops are conducting training for small units of Taiwan’s ground forces, the officials said. The US Marines are working with local maritime forces on small-boat training. The American forces have been operating in Taiwan for at least a year, the officials said.

TAIWAN - The US is playing a dangerous game of putting a public face on a policy of defending Taiwan from China, for which it has zero capability to implement. Following a recent escalation of tensions between Beijing and Taipei, Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed on Saturday to pursue “reunification” with Taiwan by peaceful means and warned foreign nations about meddling in the issue.

JAPAN - Japan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday it would consider its “options” and make necessary “preparations” toward supporting Taiwan if China continues to ramp up its military intimidation of the island. Asked by reporters how Tokyo views Beijing’s record-breaking flyovers through Taiwanese airspace in recent days, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said he hoped “this matter is resolved peacefully between the two parties through direct talks.” “Additionally, instead of simply monitoring the situation, we hope to weigh the various possible scenarios that may arise to consider what options we have, as well as the preparations we must make,” he said at an October 5 press briefing. “The new government will continue with the harder line, as Motegi is showing. This fits with Japan’s broader push to balance China from a position of strength,” Ward opined.

UK - Experts have raised the alarm, warning of a "significant threat" to food production after the discovery of several superbugs that ruin crops and infests homes. A brown marmorated stink bug has been trapped in Surrey as part of a monitoring study. While native to Asia, it appears to have spread to parts of Europe and the US and it can cause havoc to fruit crops. In the US, they are known for invading homes houses, gathering in their hundreds, and can be catastrophic for farmers. A brown marmorated stink bug has been trapped in Surrey as part of a monitoring study. While native to Asia, it appears to have spread to parts of Europe and the US and it can cause havoc to fruit crops. In the US, they are known for invading homes houses, gathering in their hundreds, and can be catastrophic for farmers.

ISRAEL - Jordan condemns Jerusalem court's decision to permit Jews to pray silently on Temple Mount. 'Temple Mount is a place of worship only for Muslims.' Religious practices on the Temple Mount had relied upon the long-standing status quo established by Defense Minister Moshe Dayan in 1967, as well as the “Kerry Understandings” with Israel, reached with the Israeli government and Jordan in 2015. The status quo forbids prayer by Jews on the Mount.

CANADA - As of November 30, all Canadians attempting to board a flight or take a train in Canada will need to provide proof of vaccination. While Trudeau and Biden have kept the land border closed - Canadians who wish to leave the increasingly authoritarian state of Canada will be unable to do so, just like their Australian cousins. According to the government, starting October 30, all domestic travellers will be asked to provide a vaccine passport or negative COVID test. However, negative COVID tests will no longer be accepted by the end of November. “For travellers who are in the process of being vaccinated, there will be a short transition period where they will be able to travel if they can show a valid COVID-19 molecular test within 72 hours of travel, but that transition period will end on November 30,” a news release from Transport Canada reads. Canadians who falsify information or otherwise fail to comply with the vaccine mandate will face serious consequences, including $5,000 per violation for either travellers or employees, while operators could be fined up to $25,000.

EGYPT - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has hailed the peace agreement signed with Israel in 1979, urging leaders and officials in the region to follow the example of late Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat in overcoming popular concepts in his era. He made the remarks during a cultural symposium dubbed “October 1973: Crossing to the Future,” which was organized by the Armed Forces in celebration of the 48th anniversary of the October 6 War. Sisi praised late President Anwar El-Sadat, who decided to wage the war and assumed responsibility for his decision before heading to peace. Sadat’s initiative to reach a peace deal with Israel reflected his ability to move beyond the entrenched ideas and policies of his era, Sisi affirmed. He urged rulers and those responsible for managing crises in the region to take Sadat’s action as an example and pursue his steps.

ISRAEL - Every F-35 pilot owes the Israeli industries a certain chunk of his or her operational success. These are some of the fighter jet’s blue and white components. The helmet worn by an F-35 stealth fighter pilot has long been no ordinary helmet, but a personal pilot head system, HMDS, as defined by Israeli manufacturer, Elbit Systems. Each helmet is personal, tailored to each pilot individually, a match that takes several days to complete and includes a 3D scan of the head, the distance between the pilot's eyes and more. The head system includes a VISOR reflector on which the flight and mission data are projected. The sophisticated helmet 'enslaves' the armament and directs it to the target, by a simple movement the pilot makes with his or her head. Here lie the valuable advantages of the system: rapid response time, and reduction of the pilot’s workload, among other important elements. The aircraft’s wings are also much more than aerodynamically shaped iron blocks. Rather, they are an advanced accumulation of technologies of composites, produced with the utmost precision by the Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI).

USA - Everyone pretty much agrees that we have a major problem with crime in this nation. But when we talk about “crime”, are we all talking about the same thing? Normally, when most of us think about “crime” what comes to mind is the rampant violence in our city streets. The FBI just released the final numbers for 2020, and they showed that the murder rate was up about 29 percent. That was the largest one year increase in U.S. history by a very wide margin, and law enforcement authorities are warning that the numbers for this year will show another huge jump. With so much violence in our streets, it is only natural that when we think of “crime” that we tend to think of young men recklessly firing guns in the core urban areas of our major cites.

USA - National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan hosted his Israeli counterpart Eyal Hulata in Washington on Tuesday to discuss Iran. In the meeting, Sullivan conveyed to Hulata that the US is prepared to “turn to other options” if diplomacy with Iran fails.

MIDDLE EAST - The biblical “sin cities” of Sodom and Gomorrah could have been destroyed by a meteor “cloudburst” that incinerated all 8,000 inhabitants, a fascinating new study suggests. The giant space rock exploded over the town 3,650 years ago, creating a fireball. Scientists say the same event might also have given rise to the tale of Jericho’s walls “tumbling down,” as that city was just 20 miles away.In the Bible, God was said to have been enraged by the wickedness of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, raining “fire and brimstone” upon them. Now there seems to be hard evidence that a “heavenly event” really did happen around that time. The cosmic calamity laid waste to the Jordan River Valley’s northern shore, razing a huge 100-acre city to the ground. It also exterminated other cities and multiple small villages. There would have been no survivors.

ISRAEL - Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi said Tuesday that Israel will continue to launch attacks to “destroy” Iran’s capabilities, including its civilian nuclear program. “Operations to destroy Iranian capabilities will continue, in any arena and at any time, and the operational plans against Iran’s nuclear program will continue to be developed and improved,” Kohavi said. While the IDF has not launched an overt attack inside Iran, the Israelis frequently carry out covert attacks against the Iranian nuclear program. Most recently, Iran has accused Israel of attacking an Iranian nuclear warehouse with a drone in June. The attack damaged equipment belonging to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Iran is calling on the nuclear watchdog to condemn the incident. Over the past few months, Kohavi has repeatedly said the IDF is “accelerating” plans to attack Iran’s nuclear program, signaling that Israel is planning a more overt operation inside the country.

IRAN - A deadly attack on an oil tanker by explosive-laden drones. Unmanned aircraft launched from the Gaza Strip hitting Israeli neighborhoods. Strikes on Saudi Arabian refineries and pipelines and on bases housing US troops in Iraq. Behind this wave of attacks, US, European and Israeli defense officials say: Iran and its allies across the Middle East. They say Tehran’s rapidly developing ability to build and deploy drones is changing the security equation in a region already on edge. The drones themselves are often made with widely available components used in the ever-growing commercial drone market and by hobbyists, the officials say. Some mimic the designs of Israeli and American military drones. “Developing a nuclear weapon would take years. With drones, just a few months,” an Iranian official told The Wall Street Journal. “Drones have changed the balance of power in the Middle East.” Iran has used copies of the most sensitive pieces of technology developed by US and Israeli companies.