UK - Fox hunters say they should be protected under equality laws in the same way as the Roma community and LGBTQ+ people. Pressure group Hunting Kind says it has been advised by a human rights lawyer that it could secure legal protection for those who hunt under the UK Equality Act 2010. While the status would not overturn the hunting ban, it would mean employers would not be able to discriminate against employees with pro-hunting views. It could also protect hunt fundraising balls in the face of pressure from animal-welfare activists, or of hunters having their bank accounts closed down. Prejudice against hunters has a long history. Oscar Wilde famously said 'The English country gentleman galloping after a fox: the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable'.

USA - Among the great mythologies of recent years, one that stands out above the rest, is that the world is in a "great energy transition." Actually, the world IS in a dramatic energy transition. But it isn't the one the Left wants it to be. Despite hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars thrown at wind and solar power, we still get less than 10% of our energy from green sources. The needle really hasn't moved at all over the past two decades. The more the government spends, the less we get per taxpayer dollar thrown at it. That's the very definition of a falling stock. The REAL energy transition is toward natural gas. A few weeks ago, the price of natural gas fell below $2 per MMBTU, the lowest price level for energy, after adjusting for inflation, in 20 years and probably ever in the history of mankind. Just a few years ago, the price in real dollars was four times higher.

CHINA - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Ali Bagheri Kani on Sunday that the Chinese Communist Party supports Iran “defending its sovereignty, security and national dignity” prior to an expected Iranian attack on Israel. The Iranian Islamist regime has been threatening a large-scale attack on Israel for nearly two weeks in response to the killing of Hamas “political” leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. An explosion in Haniyeh’s lodgings eliminated the terror chief during a visit to Iran for the inauguration of current President Masoud Pezeshkian. The elimination of such a high-ranking terrorist leader under the security of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a US-designated terrorist organization, was a major embarrassment for the Iranian regime.

ISRAEL - Israel is expecting a 'large scale' Iranian attack and Hezbollah has evacuated its Beirut headquarters in anticipation of an all-out war with Israel, according to reports. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that Iran was making preparations for a large-scale military attack on Israel during a phone call on Sunday, Axios News reporter Barack Ravid wrote on X. The planned attack could happen 'within days', according to two sources who spoke to CNN. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has evacuated its headquarters in Beirut, according to Lebanese news outlet Al Joumhouria - further raising concerns.

ARGENTINA - Tensions between the UK and Argentina over the Falklands are once again growing and are threatening to reach the point of no return. Argentina has accused the UK of trying to use a UN maritime treaty to undermine its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, sparking new tensions between the two countries. Diana Mondino, Argentina's foreign minister, recently signed a UN sponsored agreement known as the Convention on the Law of the Sea. The treaty aims to regulate fishing in international waters and will be discussed by Argentinian MPs in the coming days. However, some politicians have already expressed their opposition to the treaty, arguing that the UK government is cleverly using the agreement to strengthen its hold on the Falklands.

UK - A record number of migrants crossed the English Channel on Sunday, delivering the highest single-day total since left-wing Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gained office with a vow to end the illicit human trade. Some 703 people arrived in 11 boats in the 24-hour stretch, according to provisional interior ministry figures as seen by AFP, as elsewhere Starmer commits to a crackdown on hurtful words on social media and a Covid-era government spy team monitoring the public for “disinformation” has been brought back. Stopping the small boat arrivals was a key issue in Britain’s general election in July however within days of taking power, Starmer scrapped a scheme to deport migrants to Rwanda.

UK - The latest gender dogma that demands men undergoing X-rays must fill in forms to determine whether they could be pregnant is a lunatic travesty. The policy, which applies to all patients aged 12 to 55, whether female or not, offers absolutely no clinical benefit. Worse, it damages public faith in doctors. It wastes valuable time and resources, and it risks alienating patients so deeply that some will opt not to have treatment. This policy, introduced in the name of diversity and inclusion, is a symptom of the madness that grips not only our health service but all public bodies and many large corporations.

USA - If Kamala Harris, deemed unelectable by her own party just a month ago, were to win the 2024 presidential election, it would represent a grim moment for the USA and an increasingly perilous world. China and Iran are likely licking their lips in anticipation. A Harris victory would not reflect her leadership abilities or policy vision but rather highlight the media’s efforts to obscure her significant failings. The media’s recent campaign to shield Harris from scrutiny, driven by their disdain for Donald Trump, demonstrates a disgraceful commitment to replace her historically unviable image with a fabricated, glowing narrative.

MIDDLE EAST - The leaders of the US, Egypt and Qatar have called on Israel and Hamas to resume urgent negotiations to finalise a ceasefire and hostage release deal, saying there were no excuses “from any party for further delay”. The three countries, which have been trying to mediate a deal, said in a joint statement the talks could take place in either Doha or Cairo on 15 August, adding that it was “time to bring immediate relief both to the longsuffering people of Gaza as well as the longsuffering hostages and their families”.

USA - Is it possible that Jesus specifically warned us about the times that we are living in nearly 2,000 years ago? You may have noticed that global events have started to spiral out of control lately. Normally, the summer is a period when things are relatively quiet. As far as the news industry is concerned, August is supposed to be the quietest month of all because so much of the world is on vacation. But that definitely has not been the case in 2024. According to journalist Simon Tisdall, in recent weeks we have been experiencing a “peaking of volatility, instability and insecurity, unprecedented in recent times”…

USA - Thousands of firefighters continue to battle a huge wildfire in northern California, after the weeks-long blaze reawakened on Monday. The Park Fire had shown signs of calming last week but regained strength and continued to grow owing to the dry and hot weather, scorching 11,000 acres in two days. It is California’s largest wildfire so far this year and the fourth largest in the state’s history, having consumed over 425,000 acres by Wednesday night. More than 6,600 personnel, 30 helicopters and 500 engines have been working to contain the fire – which has destroyed more than 630 residential and commercial buildings so far.

EUROPE - Demonstrations have recently swept Spain, one of the world’s most visited countries. Protests against mass tourism which have recently swept Spain are expected to spread across the entire region, according to Peter DeBrine, a senior project officer for sustainable tourism at UNESCO, as cited by The Guardian. In recent months, thousands of Spaniards have demonstrated against mass tourism in Malaga, Mallorca, Gran Canaria, Granada, and Barcelona. People from across the most popular destinations in Spain, which is ranked as the world’s second most visited country, are speaking out against the tourist invasions which they say have made their cities unlivable.

UK - British health authorities have instructed doctors performing X-ray, CT and MRI scans to ask men whether they are pregnant. The “inclusive pregnancy status guidelines for ionizing radiation” were developed by the Society of Radiographers (SoR). According to The Telegraph, the guidance came in response to an incident in which a transgender man had a CT scan while pregnant. The decision was justified by the fact that the radiation from X-ray, CT and MRI scans can be harmful to unborn babies. Doctors have therefore been told not to assume the gender identity of patients when performing all such procedures and inquiring of all people between the ages of 12 and 55 about pregnancy, including men, transgender, non-binary, and intersex patients.

USA - Why are retailers closing thousands of stores if the US economy is in good shape? Of course the truth is that the US economy is not in good shape at all. The cost of living crisis is absolutely crushing working families all over the nation, and US consumers simply don’t have as much discretionary income as they once did. Needless to say, our retailers are highly dependent on discretionary spending, and many of them have been reporting very disappointing sales numbers recently. Sadly, the problems that our retailers are experiencing are only going to intensify as US economic activity continues to slow down.

USA - This year, an increasing number of the world's top candy companies have been sounding the alarm about skyrocketing cocoa prices, leading them to hike candy bar prices. The real culprit here isn't as much corporate greed but rather adverse weather conditions, such as drought in West Africa, which has decimated cocoa harvests and caused worldwide supply concerns. No matter how often politicians tell their constituents that voting for them will bring down overall inflation, we find that somewhat hard to believe, especially for food, as it will remain sticky in the years ahead. Cadbury Australia is the latest confectionery company to warn about rising candy bar prices due to high cocoa prices. It said Freddo Frogs and Caramello Koalas prices will now double. "Due to the record global price of cocoa and increased input costs, we have adjusted the RRP from $1 to $2, the first price change in over a decade," Cadbury wrote in an Instagram statement.