USA - A bill proposed by House Republicans would prevent any taxpayer dollars from possibly supporting the initiatives of the World Economic Forum, a corporate-dominated non-governmental group that advocates for centralised, undemocratic power and global governance. The legislation, which is supported by Representatives Tom Tiffany, Lauren Boebert, and Scott Perry, was prompted by controversy surrounding the group’s use of COVID-19 to further its corporate-leftist social agenda. Climate change has also been weaponized by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a pretext for enacting the ideas of its “Great Reset” doctrine, which calls for the complete abolition of private property. The “Defund Davos Act,” which builds on prior efforts by the Trump administration to withdraw from other international organisations including the World Health Organization (WHO), would ensure that American taxpayer funds do not support the WEF’s goals.

PAKISTAN - The country is faced with a crisis of “unimaginable proportions,” climate change minister Sherry Rehman says. A third of Pakistan is under water as a result of flooding caused by record monsoon rains, the South Asian country’s climate change minister, Sherry Rehman, has said. “It's all one big ocean, there’s no dry land to pump the water out,” Rehman told the news agency AFP on Monday. Pakistan spans 881,913 square kilometers (340,509 square miles), which makes it the world’s 33rd-largest country by area, ahead of the likes of Turkey, France and Germany. Inhabited by almost 242 million people, it’s also the fifth most populated nation in the world. More than 3,000 roads have been destroyed, with 130 bridges and 495,000 homes damaged by flash floods, the agency said. Rehman estimated last week that the disaster had affected around 33 million people in the country.

INDIA - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered condolences to the victims of deadly floods in Pakistan, which have killed more than 1,000 and devastated much of the country, amid reports that New Delhi could soon offer assistance to its neighbor. Modi took to Twitter on Monday to comment on the natural disaster, saying he is “Saddened to see the devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan.” “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the injured and all those affected by this natural calamity and hope for an early restoration of normalcy,” the PM added. According to sources cited by the Indian Express, Modi’s government is now mulling whether to authorize humanitarian aid to Pakistan to help deal with the aftermath of the floods, which have killed more than 1,100 people according to the latest tally. While the outlet said no final decision had been made, it noted that “top officials” are discussing the possible move. If approved, it would be the first round of humanitarian aid to Pakistan since Modi took office in 2014, though prior governments offered assistance during past natural disasters, such as floods in 2010 and a 2005 earthquake.

USA - According to PNSN, 88 earthquakes rattled Mount St Helens in the last 30 days. They all lie within the crater. PNSN also explains on their website that: on average (not during eruptions or their precursors) they locate about 17 earthquakes a month at Mount St.Helens. So 88 quakes are a lot more (a difference of 71 from the monthly average)…These quakes are related to stresses generated by magma recharge into the main crustal magma system. Although the seismic activity has decreased over the last 2 days, this new sequence of earthquakes clearly demonstrate that Mount St Helens is preparing for the next eruption… Just be ready for the next big explosion!

USA - In many parts of the world, including Africa, people rely on rainwater as a source of drinking water, as well as for other household and livelihood uses. One of the reasons is water scarcity – sub-Saharan Africa has the largest number of water-scarce countries in the world. But there are concerns about how safe rainwater is to drink. It can be contaminated by dust and ash in the surroundings or by heavy metal from roofing material. Another concern is the presence of manufactured chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals”. As environmental scientist Ian Cousins and his team explain, they are a threat to the use of rainwater for domestic purposes.

UK - Millions of families are just 19 days away from being unable to afford basic essentials, a study has revealed. Spiralling energy, food and fuel bills mean households are being forced to raid their savings to cover must-pay bills. However, such is the cost of living squeeze that this savings safety net will typically fail after 19 days if families were to lose their income. The figures come from the latest Deadline to Breadline report from Legal & General, which found that average UK households’ financial resilience has shrunk by 21 per cent since 2020 – down from 24 days to 19. It found people generally overestimate by nearly six weeks how long they could fund basic living costs if they lost their income. Researchers found two million adults generally have no money left at the end of each month, up by 330,000 in two years.

ISRAEL - Chief Rabbi: Show sovereignty without visiting Temple Mount. Opposing pilgrimage to Har Habayit, Chief Rabbi David Lau says the sanctity of the site must be preserved. [The present Sephardi Chief Rabbi is Yitzhak Yosef, and the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi is David Lau, both of whom began their terms in 2013. The Rabbinate has jurisdiction over many aspects of Jewish life in Israel]. At today’s (Tuesday) meeting of the Chief Rabbinate Council of Israel, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Lau, spoke out harshly against the phenomenon of Jews ascending the Temple Mount. On the occasion of the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook, founder of the Chief Rabbinate, Rabbi Lau opened the meeting by stating Rabbi Kook’s opposition to Jewish ascent to the Temple Mount. "We need to be careful and not get into the questions and issues of karath [denial of a share in the world to come]," said Rabbi Lau. "There are other ways to show sovereignty [than by going up to Har Habayit]. We need to preserve the sanctity of the place."

USA - The Tesla tycoon addressed his more than 100 million Twitter followers to issue a terrifying warning about the end of civilisation, comparing mankind to the dinosaurs. Sharing a link to a BBC article about the death of the dinosaurs, Musk tweeted: "This will happen again – just a matter of time", seemingly referring to civilisation's potential impending doom. Musk's many fans chimed in, with one saying: "Already happening". Another speculated: "Well in the past 10% of the Earth's past we know there have been 5 major mass extinctions. So every one every 50-100M years. And it's been awfully quiet these past 65M years... Just say in... living on two planets sounds pretty good right about now". Musk made headlines for similar theories last week after he claimed that global warming wasn't the biggest threat our species faced. He similarly warned the Internet that "population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilization than global warming" - attracting both praise and criticism for the claim.

USA - The global dairy industry is changing. Among the disruptions is competition from food alternatives not produced using animals – including potential challenges posed by synthetic milk. Synthetic milk does not require cows or other animals. It can have the same biochemical make up as animal milk, but is grown using an emerging biotechnology technique known as “precision fermentation” that produces biomass cultured from cells. More than 80% of the world’s population regularly consume dairy products. There have been increasing calls to move beyond animal-based food systems to more sustainable forms of food production. Synthetic milks offer dairy milk without concerns such as methane emissions or animal welfare. But it must overcome many challenges and pitfalls to become a fair, sustainable and viable alternative to animal-based milk.

SOUTH KOREA - Want Fries with That? Scientists Say Eating Worms Will Save the Planet. Eating worms could help humanity survive in a future world starved of food and nutrition, South Korean scientists outlined in a study published Wednesday, although they conceded the small, slimy invertebrates suffer something of an “image problem.” The researchers have cooked mealworms, or beetle larvae, along with sugar to create “meat” — and they claim it tastes authentic as an acceptable alternative nutrition source. “Recently, eating insects has become of interest because of the increasing cost of animal protein, as well as the associated environmental issues,” In Hee Cho, PhD, the project’s principal investigator, said on announcing the findings. The global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050 and nearly 11 billion by 2100, according to the United Nations, and that has driven the study to find more ways to feed more people outside traditional farming methods.

USA - The Satanic Temple (TST) is planning on hosting an “After School Satan Club” back-to-school event at a Pennsylvania high school next month. On Tuesday, Officials from Northern York County School District approved the event to be hosted at Northern High School in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, Fox 43 reported. Parents and residents expressed their staunch opposition to the organization hosting an event in the community back in April. “They already took God out of schools now they’re going to let Satan in, it’s just crazy,” said Perry County Resident Jennifer McAllister back in April, according to Fox 34. “There is a lot of evil already in this world, so to allow it to come into our school and our community is not OK,” another parent, Laura Vangeli, said at the time via WHP. A spokesman from the temple said the event should be viewed similarly to religious freedom law. “We’re talking about upholding fundamental pillars of democracy and the First Amendment,” said Lucien Graves, a co-founder of TST.

USA - Masked Antifa members armed with AR-15 rifles and handguns showed up to guard what was billed as a “kid-friendly” drag show at a North Texas distillery. Reports indicate the show contained partial nudity and sexualized minors. BlazeTV producer Kris Cruz tweeted photos of a group of mask-wearing Antifa members standing guard with AR-15 rifles at a “kid-friendly” drag show in Roanoke, Texas. Cruz reported at least nine of the members carrying AR-15s. Cruz and BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales tweeted photos showing alleged Antifa members posted in sniper positions near the event’s location. The Anderson Distillery and Grill hosted a “Barrel Babes Drag Brunch” on Sunday afternoon, according to their Facebook post. Sara Gonzales and journalist Tayler Hansen tweeted a video from the event showing the drag show taking place in the presence of more than 20 very young children.

UK - Britain's Royal Navy suffered a major setback after the HMS Prince of Wales broke down just one day after leaving Portsmouth to set sail for the US. The 65,000-tonne warship was on its way to begin a four-month deployment to America. The vessel and its crew are scheduled to take part in training drills with the US military and the Royal Canadian Navy in a programme with F-35B jets and unscrewed systems. However, the £3 billion vessel suffered an "emerging mechanical issue" near the Isle of Wight, according to a Royal Navy spokesperson. HMS Prince of Wales had to delay its departure on Friday from Portsmouth Naval Base, Hampshire, by a day because of a technical issue. There have been reports that the current issue revolves around damage to the starboard propeller shaft. HMS Prince of Wales is Britain's largest warship and NATO's flagship carrier. It has been plagued by technical problems, which have impacted its ability to carry out its role. The warship got stranded in Portsmouth at the end of 2020 after flooding in its engine room damaged the electrics.

USA - Two American warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait early Sunday, in the first such naval exercise since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan earlier this month, which outraged China's government. The USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville cruisers are making a routine transit through the Strait, which usually takes about 12 hours, according to a statement from the Navy's 7th Fleet, which is headquartered in Japan. “The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows,” the statement said. Pelosi's trip to Taiwan earlier this month angered Beijing, which considers the island to be a breakaway Chinese territory and has not ruled out using military force to bring it under its control.

EUROPE - The economic powerhouses of the European Union, France and Germany, both set records on Friday for electricity prices, as the West’s sanctions war with Russia continue to bite. This time last year the cost of electricity per megawatt-hour (MWh) in both France and Germany sat at around 85 euros. On Friday, both countries set record highs, with the cost climbing by at least 1,000 per cent from last year to €850 in Germany and over €1,000 in France, Le Monde reports. The Russian economy has seemingly weathered the sanctions far better than expected. The energy crisis is showing no sign of abating, with futures traders already trading French energy prices at a staggering 1,600 euros per megawatt-hour for December. Warnings have emerged from the two leading economic engines of the European Union that widespread unrest will result from the rising cost of energy.