USA - Credit rating agency Moody’s hits the panic button as the US debt outlook takes a dive to ‘negative’. As the closing bell rang on Friday, triggering the usual exodus of bankers and traders to their watering holes, a bombshell dropped: Moody’s Investors Service has shifted its outlook on the Government of the United States from stable to negative, citing heightened risks to fiscal strength. This adjustment comes amid the looming threat of a government shutdown, with funding secured until November 17, and newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson revealing a Republican government funding plan. Can the US really afford two wars, especially with an extensive global network of 800 military bases? The exorbitant spending isn’t exactly bolstering the real economy; it’s merely a distraction from the genuine issues festering within the US. Welcome to the tumultuous world of economic brinkmanship.

AFRICA - With a population of 120 million, Ethiopia is the second most populated country in Africa and the most militarized. The USA’s influence on Africa is the lowest ever. The BRICS bloc met for its annual leader’s summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 22–24, 2023. The highlight of the fifteenth summit was the agreement to admit six new member countries: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

ISRAEL - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Western leaders not to bow to pressure from those calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying that French President Emmanuel Macron “made a mistake” by calling for the IDF to stop bombing civilians in the Palestinian enclave. On Friday, Macron told the BBC that he “clearly condemns” the Hamas attack on Israel. However, he also said that “de facto – today – civilians are bombed,” pointing out that “there is no reason for that and no legitimacy,” urging Israel to stop. He added that a humanitarian ceasefire was the only solution to protect all civilians in Gaza. Commenting on Macron’s remarks, Netanyahu said that “he made a serious mistake, factually and morally. It is Hamas preventing the evacuation of civilians, not Israel.”

FRANCE - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said there was “no justification” for Israel’s bombing of “these babies, these ladies, these old people” in the war against Hamas and reiterated his call for a ceasefire in Gaza. “So there is no reason for that and no legitimacy. So we do urge Israel to stop,” Macron told the BBC, expressing hope that other Western leaders will join his call. France voted in support of a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution on October 27 that urged an immediate ceasefire and made no mention of Hamas.

FRANCE - French President Emmanuel Macron, on Sunday, called President Isaac Herzog to clarify comments he made during an interview with the BBC on Friday in which he called on Israel to "stop killing Gazan women and children." President Macron made clear that he does not and did not intend to accuse Israel of intentionally harming innocent civilians in the campaign against the terrorist organization Hamas. President Macron also emphasized that he unequivocally supports Israel's right and duty to self-defense and expressed his support for Israel's war against Hamas.

ISRAEL - Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has warned the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group that it is on the verge of making a costly mistake should it continue carrying out attacks close to Israel’s northern border, adding that it would be the Lebanese citizens who would pay the price in an escalation of conflict. On Friday, Israel killed seven Hezbollah fighters close to its Lebanese border, bringing to 78 the number who have died since the Hamas cross-border attack in southern Israel last month.

USA - The primary reason for Moody’s downgrade of US credit to negative? The absolutely insane ramp-up of Federal spending starting with the Covid outbreak in early 2020. And the subsequent economic shutdowns and the closure of public schools. But even as Covid faded to diminished status, Bidem demanded an increase in Federal spending. Of course, Biden/Congress love to spend money, but raising personal taxes to pay for it is political suicide. A private sector firm would cut spending to balance its budget, government simply doubles down on spending. Never let a crisis go to waste! Remember, annual interest payments of the $33.8 TRILLION debt load is now over $1 TRILLION. Yes - rampant Federal spending begat inflation which begat Fed rate hikes.

USA - IPCC models rooted in assumptions that we humans can and do control the Atlantic Ocean’s circulation with our daily-activity CO2 emissions have been wrong since the mid-1980s. Why should we still believe in them? The latest IPCC report continues to say it is “very likely” the Atlantic Meridional Ocean Circulation (AMOC), a fundamental climate parameter, will weaken (and unleash cooling, catastrophic storms, drought, floods) in the 21st century.

GERMANY - Germany will strengthen its military to make it the backbone of deterrence and collective defence in Europe, its defence minister pledged on Thursday as Berlin issued new defence policy guidelines for the first time in over a decade. The 19-page document details what the "Zeitenwende" - the major shift of policy German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - means for the workings of the Bundeswehr. As a first step to bring the military back up to scratch after decades of attrition following the Cold War, Germany last year set up a 100 billion-euro special fund to purchase modern weapons and pledged to reach NATO's target of spending at least 2% of the national GDP on defence from 2024.

UK - A school sent a letter home to parents to warn it is refusing to provide litter trays for any pupil identifying as a cat. The 1,000-pupil high school - boasting a string of famous former pupils including Hollywood star Sir Anthony Hopkins and international rugby players - wrote to parents after pleas for litter trays alongside loos for human. It has been forced to contact mums and dads to deny claims that cat litter trays are set to be provided for 'furries' pupils identifying as pets.

UK - STEPHEN POLLARD: Suella Braverman's critics have one big problem... She's absolutely right. There is a telling irony in the fact that more anger has been directed at Suella Braverman for condemning police handling of the pro-Palestine marches than at the marches themselves. In an article for The Times yesterday, the Home Secretary criticised the police for 'playing favourites' with protest groups.

SCOTLAND - Jim Henderson, who served with the Army in Northern Ireland, was set upon while manning a stall at Edinburgh's Waverley Station. Social media footage shows the 78-year-old – in his distinctive red beret – trying to escape. But the attack ended only when railway staff shoved the demonstrators away. About 1,200 had descended on the station to protest against Israeli attacks in Gaza. Scotland's SNP first minister Humza Yousaf insisted it was unacceptable to describe the pro-Palestinian events as hate marches and said he supported the march in London going ahead.

USA - I am witnessing an economic miracle; and a lesson on how free and open markets remain essential for world peace. Walmart is not just the biggest private-sector employer in the world — bigger than Amazon, ­bigger than McDonald’s etc — it is the biggest employer of any kind. With 2.3 million ‘associates’, it has more people on its payroll than the Chinese army — which has 1.9 million. It is bigger than the NHS — at 1.7 million. And though it has now sold off Asda in the UK, Walmart is ­growing the whole time: in Asia, in Africa, in India (where it has cracked the online market). It is a store where 95 per cent of Americans aged 19 to 34 are said to buy their food

EUROPE - President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, announces the launch of the EU's central bank digital currency (CBDC) — the digital euro — which will enable unelected technocrats at the ECB to program how, when, where, on what and by whom it can be spent, including the imposition of social credit, carbon allowance and vaccine passport systems. And despite the lie that "cash is here to stay", you can be absolutely certain that megalomaniacal technocrats such as Lagarde have every intention of gradually phasing out cash altogether, so eventually people will be forced to use CBDCs whether they like it or not.

GAZA - While it is too soon to declare victory, Israel is making steady progress in its efforts to eradicate Hamas in Gaza. Only 8% of Israelis support returning control of Gaza to the Palestinians, the rest think it should remain under international (41%) or Israeli control (44%). After ten hours of fighting, the Israeli Defense Force captured a major Hamas stronghold in the terror hotbed of West Jabaliya Thursday morning as forces pushed further into the heart of Gaza City where the terror group is believed to have its underground headquarters.