NORTH KOREA - A North Korean ballistic missile fired last month by the Russian military in Ukraine contained hundreds of components that trace back to companies in the US and Europe, according to a new report. The findings mark the first public identification of North Korea’s reliance on foreign technology for its missile program and underscore the persistent problem facing the Biden administration as it tries to keep cheap, Western-made microelectronics intended for civilian use from winding up in weapons used by North Korea, Iran and Russia.

USA - We have now been put on notice that our communication infrastructure is extremely vulnerable. What would we do if we suddenly couldn’t use the Internet or our phones any longer? For a lot of people, such a scenario would be unthinkable. In fact, it felt like the “world is ending” for many AT&T customers on Thursday. The disruption to AT&T’s network only lasted for a few hours, but it created quite a frenzy. If we are going to see this much panic for an outage that happens for just a few hours, what would our society look like if Internet and phone communication was down for days, weeks or even months?

MIDDLE EAST - A vessel caught fire after being hit by two missiles southeast of the Yemeni port of Aden on Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. It comes as Houthi militants have escalated attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The militants who control large parts of Yemen have been targeting merchant ships in response to Israel’s military operation in Gaza, which started in October. The United States and the UK have formed an international coalition to protect navigation in the area.

USA - Do you know what a Zynbabwe is? Or an upper-decky lip pillow? OK, here’s an easier one — how about just Zyn? If you are scratching your head, don’t feel bad: Almost no adult I have spoken to has had any idea either. This is despite the fact that the nicotine pouch Zyn is a jewel in the crown of a multibillion-dollar tobacco company. Haven’t heard of nicotine pouches to begin with? Neither had I. But when I ask my 19-year-old neighbor Ian if he knows what a Zynbabwe is, I get a shocked reply: “You know about Zyns?”

USA - In addition to establishing a representative republic with all sorts of checks and balances to protect against the biblically defined evil nature of Man, our Founding Fathers repeatedly expressed the belief that Christian morality was absolutely essential for both the preservation of liberty and the stability of law. They emphasized this crucial point in their writings over and over again: Consider, for example, Samuel Adams who served as Governor of Massachusetts, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and was the organizer of the Boston Tea Party. He wrote: While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when they lose their virtue they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader. Religion and good morals are the only solid foundations of public liberty and happiness.”

USA - Many look at Generation Z and wonder how things could have gone so horribly wrong, but it isn’t a mystery at all. The truth is that the young adults of today are the product of the western world’s dying culture. We have often been warned that the liberal elite will fundamentally transform our culture, but in reality they have already fundamentally transformed it. They dominate education, they dominate the media, they dominate the entertainment industry, they dominate the corporate world, they dominate at all levels of government and they even dominate most of our major religious institutions. They have imposed a culture on us that is completely foreign to the culture that was once dominant in the western world, and the consequences have been nothing short of dramatic.

USA - In New Hampshire a state representative read to the House sexually explicit passages from school materials for middle school kids. Clearly these materials are part of the sexual grooming of kids for pedophiles. Democrats objected to the reading but were voted down. Bussing was the method of racially integrating schools. The result was to destroy Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA). Consequently, parents lost contact with teachers and influence over what is taught. Now the schools are in the hands of those busy at work sexualizing children. This is the main achievement of school integration along with the complete collapse in educational standards. School integration not only is a total failure. It did massive harm.

USA - The most recent results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) highlight a concerning trend for US students in the field of math. American children are so bad at math it’s actually becoming a national security threat. Obviously concerned by the findings, the Defense Department has called for a new initiative to provide support for education in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). As The Hechinger Report reported, China, the United States’ biggest rival, has eight times the number of college graduates in these disciplines compared to the United States, while Russia, another major foe, has four times the number of engineers. This alarming disparity, noted the Hechinger Report piece, has prompted concerns beyond the realm of education. The United States’ mathematical failings pose a direct threat to its technological supremacy.

USA - We have been monitoring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its intention to begin regulations focused on methane. This is out of concern that the organization is poised to join the globalist “War on Meat.” And while rules will start with the “evil” fossil-fuel industry, agriculture is the major emitter of methane. Because of the bovine digestive system, cattle ranches and dairy farms produce significant amounts of this gas. And while methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, the American plains were once filled with buffalo herds… and the planet remained quite habitable. However, while those rules have yet to be implemented, ranchers must make hard decisions based on current realities. The cattle inventory is currently down to the lowest levels recorded in 73 years.

SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said in an interview published Tuesday that the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, was a “capable and credible” entity that should be considered a contender to govern both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, united in a hypothetical state of “Palestine.”

USA - A rain-loaded ‘atmospheric river’ stalled over the west coast of America threatens further ‘dangerous’ flooding, landslides and heavy snow. California faces a torrential deluge through the week as the state battles historic downpours which have left thousands without power and killed three people. A ‘siege’ of low-pressure storm systems – known as a ‘pineapple express’ – will sweep the west coast prompting fresh warnings from national weather officials. California has this winter been the target for a series of atmospheric rivers – bands of moisture in the atmosphere carrying up to a tonne of rain. Fresh flood watches are this week in force across California, predominantly in San Francisco, Fresno, and Los Angeles.

USA - President Joe Biden plans to introduce a resolution at the United Nations Security Council calling for a temporary “ceasefire” and demanding Israel refrain from conducting an attack on the last Hamas battalions in Gaza that are the key to winning the war. Israel has been adamant that it must attack Hamas in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza on the Egyptian border, to win the war. Rafah is the last stronghold of the Palestinian terror organization, and also the key to smuggling routes into and out of Gaza.

AUSTRALIA - Australia has announced plans to boost defense spending and procure several combat-ready warships. Canberra wants to build up its naval capabilities due to concerns over tensions with China and Russia. The Australian navy is set to receive a substantial $11 billion boost over the next ten years, aiming to augment its fleet of warships from 11 to 26 vessels. Australia’s strategic overhaul is geared towards enhancing the defense force’s readiness for potential conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region. The plan involves acquiring up to 11 new general-purpose frigates, intended to replace the aging Anzac-class ships. Additionally, a new fleet of unmanned vessels, capable of operating autonomously without sailors on board, is in the pipeline.

IRAN - In the strategic waters of Bandar Abbas, Iran unveils two advanced warships, the 'Shahid Sayyad Shirazi' and 'Shahid Hassan Bagheri'. These 67-meter-long catamarans, equipped with stealth technology and long-range missile systems, represent a significant leap in Iran's naval capabilities and self-reliance in defense technology. These vessels, stemming from the domestically designed Shahid Soleimani-class, mark a bold stride in Iran's ongoing quest to bolster its maritime prowess. The ceremony, graced by the presence of high-ranking military officials, was not just a display of military might but a testament to Iran's self-reliance in defense technology.

ITALY - Italy's state-owned Leonardo (LDOF.MI) said on Monday that the Ministry of Defence had asked it to study the development of its military space cloud architecture project, the first in Europe. The project, dubbed MILSCA, will provide Italy's government and armed forces with a system of high-performing computing, cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) and storage capacity directly in space, the statement said. It falls in line with Leonardo's main goals for the years ahead to focus on the space industry - key for defence and security in the future - and setting up interconnected, multi-domained digitalised platforms, aimed at supporting its traditional products. MILSCA will guarantee users access to strategic data such as communications, earth observation, and navigation data, anywhere and at any time.