The dog-not-barking question on the catastrophe over Ukraine is: what did the US surveillance satellite imagery show? It’s hard to believe that – with the attention that US intelligence has concentrated on eastern Ukraine for the past half year that the alleged trucking of several large Buk anti-aircraft missile systems from Russia to Ukraine and then back to Russia didn’t show up somewhere.

What I’ve been told by one source, who has provided accurate information on similar matters in the past, is that US intelligence agencies do have detailed satellite images of the likely missile battery that launched the fateful missile, but the battery appears to have been under the control of Ukrainian government troops dressed in what look like Ukrainian uniforms.

The Islamic State, which in June captured a vast stretch of territory in the north including the largest city Mosul, used this strategy when its fighters met armed resistance from the town of al-Alam for 13 days running. They kidnapped 30 local families and rang up the town's most influential citizens with a simple message about the hostages: "You know their destiny if you don't let us take over the town."

Within hours, tribesmen and local leaders caved in to save the families. The black flag of the Sunni militants, who are bent on overthrowing the Shi'ite-led Iraqi government, was soon flying over government buildings and police stations in al-Alam. Weeks later, only a few masked gunmen guard checkpoints surrounding al-Alam at night, so comfortable is the Islamic State in its control through fear.

"One hundred percent of people are angry that the Islamic State is here but there is nothing we can do," said a scared resident who spoke by telephone on condition of anonymity.

Britain is not alone in facing what could become a catastrophic deficit in fresh water. Unless radical steps are taken to ensure the global economy has enough water to meet all our needs then draconian measures such as rationing cannot be ruled out in the future.

Globally, the problem of water scarcity is growing at an alarming rate. By 2050, experts predict a 55 percent increase in the amount of water required to meet demand from rising populations, food production and industry. To avoid serious shortfalls the world will need to invest an estimated $1.8 trillion (£1.05 trillion) over the next 20 years that could ultimately deliver $3 trillion in benefits for the global economy, according to estimates by the United Nations.

Traditionally, the main concerns surrounding water resources have focused on rapidly developing regions in Africa, Asia and the Middle East but supplies in developed nations such as the US and UK are now coming under similar stresses. The World Economic Forum has warned: “The future security of fresh-water resources around the world is of increasing concern. Because of our interlinked global economy, water scarcity in many parts of the world could harm the global economy in ways we hadn’t thought of. Shortfalls in crop yields and more variable food prices could be an early impact.”

Whistleblower Mr X, whose identity we have agreed to protect, became a very senior figure in local government before retiring a few years ago. He has given a formal statement to that effect to detectives from Operation Fernbridge …and he said [the paedophile group] was being funded at the request of Special Branch which found it politically useful to identify people who were paedophiles…”

Section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 made gross indecency a crime in the United Kingdom, which included male gay sex. The Amendment was so frequently used to blackmail gay Brits that it was dubbed the “Blackmailer’s Charter”. There is widespread speculation that Pope Benedict resigned because of sexual blackmail.

An explosion can be seen erupting from the roof of the building, while a large capitalised slogan reads: “What would you do?” The striking image appears to be in response to critics of Israel’s current ground assault on the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Israeli leaders say the operation is designed to stop Hamas rocket fire from the territory, but there have been accusations that its military chiefs are using disproportionate levels of force.

The death toll in the two-week conflict today reached 500. The vast majority of the casualties have been Palestinians, while scores of children have also been killed. Israeli officials say 18 soldiers have been killed along with two civilians. James Clappison MP, the Parliamentary Chairman of Conservative Friends of Israel, supported the advert. “For a long time rockets have been fired into Israel and that hasn’t been reported. We would not permit rockets to be fired at our country. We would take action.” He added he wanted to see an end to the bloodshed but added: “This is Hamas’ choice. The ball is in their court.”

"We thank the Almighty for what we have in common, while remaining aware of our differences," the council announced in a message co-signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, its president. "Inspired by our shared values… we are called on to work together for justice, peace, and respect for the rights and dignity of every person." While it acknowledged the "importance of promoting a fruitful dialogue", the message put more emphasis on working together than on inter-faith discussion.

Meanwhile, a senior Christian cleric in Iraq, the head of the Chaldean Catholic church, sounded a bleaker note. As the last remaining Christians prepared to flee Mosul, in response to threats from the city's new masters, Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako said "no dialogue was possible" with these ultra-Islamist forces, particularly as they have declared "between us there is only the sword."

As of yesterday, the patriarch told the information service Asianews.it, "cars equipped with loudspeakers [were] driving through the city, telling Christians to flee." A notice from the newly proclaimed "Islamic Caliphate" had told local Christians that they must either convert to Islam, pay the jizya poll tax which Islamic rulers once extracted from non-Muslim subjects, or get out. Only the very poorest, with no means of escaping, would remain.

In short, this pope is a believer in the end times who’s convinced they aren’t merely coming but are, in a sense, already being played out before our eyes. This, likewise, is someone who believes the devil is real and perceives a demonic hand at work in current events.

Francis went on to add that this is more than just individual temptation. Scripture, he pointed out, “speaks to us about a universal temptation, about a universal trial, about the time when… the whole of the Lord’s creation will be faced with this choice between God and evil, God and the prince of the world.”

That time, he made clear, is now. Pretty clearly, Francis thinks the devil is back today. Considering the state of the world — and also in some ways the state of the Church — many people would agree.

In several of the most headline-grabbing interviews, his interlocutor was the same Italian journalist, Eugenio Scalfari, the 90-year-old co-founder of the leading socialist newspaper La Repubblica. Eugenio Scalfari is an atheist, the elder statesman of Italian liberal journalism. This in itself prompts an interesting question: why does the Pope repeatedly opt to speak through someone who has made no secret of his personal unbelief, who has a limited grasp of the nuances of Catholic theology and who is attached to a newspaper espousing a strong ideological antagonism towards the Church?

Even more interesting is that Scalfari has used neither a notebook nor a tape recorder in any of the three interviews he’s conducted with Pope Francis. Apparently, in accordance with the Pope’s wishes, the interviews have been written on the basis of Scalfari’s recollections of their lengthy conversations. It seems an unnecessarily hazardous method — unless the resulting ambiguity and potential for confusion are risks Pope Francis is not entirely unhappy to take.

Who benefits? Tony Cartalucci argues: Russia’s strongest card thus far has been its restraint and NATO’s inability to implicate it in the chaos NATO itself started by backing armed Neo-Nazis during the “Euromaidan” of late 2013-early 2014. Russia surely would not throw that card away to pass along weapon systems to fighters that were already successfully downing Ukrainian military aircraft with man-portable missiles. Russia and the fighters operating in eastern Ukraine have nothing to gain by downing a civilian airliner, but absolutely everything to lose – thus pointing the finger in another direction – that of NATO and their proxy regime in Kiev.

The bank wreckage, the market rigging, the endless wars, the sanctions which backfire, the sham monetary policy, the economic sabotage, the spying, the gold gimmicks, it has finally reached a critical level. The four are major indictments, all extremely serious, all indicative of a decayed system and morally bankrupt leadership. The charges are coming into view, highlighting fundamental commercial, philosophical, and ethical conflicts that distinguish the two nations (considering US/UK a single entity). The issues center on the following key differences:

1) Good relations with Russia and continued energy supply from Gazprom

2) Displeasure over planned Draghi Euro Central Bank bond monetization

3) Disgust over NSA espionage by US Govt, with benefit for US corporations

4) Damage to German population from gold price suppression.

The damage began with the refusal to repatriate German official gold by the New York Fed. The damage ends with the US Govt NSA espionage. Germany is very angry, sufficiently motivated to part ways with the US/Anglo camp.