USA - There are 20 times as many American jobs that have been created in the last six months thanks to President Trump’s tariffs on imported foreign goods than jobs that have been lost. Research by a Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) finds that the number of US jobs gained because of Trump’s tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, solar panels, and washing machines exceeds the number of US job losses because of the tariffs by a staggering 20-to-1 ratio.

SWEDEN - Populist Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson has reinforced his stance on wanting to see Sweden leave the European Union, saying that no supranational body should have authority over the Swedish parliament. Only weeks away from the Swedish national election in September, the Sweden Democrats leader slammed the European Union, saying: “for me, the EU is not the way for cooperation in Europe,” Sveriges Radio reports. “The EU is a supranational political union where other countries’ politicians, for which we cannot vote… have greater influence over Swedish legislation than I have in Sweden’s parliament,” Akesson said, adding: “I find it very difficult to accept that situation.”

VATICAN - Pope calls on all Catholics to uproot 'this culture of death' in unprecedented letter on sexual abuse. There will be "no more cover ups" of sexual abuse in the Church, the Pope has vowed in a letter to all Catholics. In the groundbreaking document, addressed to the "people of God", Pope Francis admitted that the church had "delayed" the implementation of reforms and asked believers to "join forces in uprooting this culture of death". He said the church had "showed no care for the little ones" and "abandoned them". "The heart-wrenching pain of these victims, which cries out to heaven, was long ignored, kept quiet or silenced."  The Vatican said it was the first time a pope had written to all of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics about sexual abuse.

VATICAN - In a gesture destined to anger more than console, Pope Francis has issued a letter to “the people of God” acknowledging the recent sex abuse scandals but ignoring the root causes of the crisis as well as the concrete steps needed to overcome it. While insisting that “no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated,” the pope does not propose that those responsible for the present situation should be held to any accountability. Remarkably, in his 2,000-word letter, the pope fails to mention the word “bishop” even once, despite the fact that recent revelations suggest complicity on the part of an indeterminate number of prelates who allowed such abuse to continue in their dioceses.

USA - According to Reveal and the Center for Investigative Reporting reading Infowars will turn you into a white supremacist. It’s a racist recruiting tool, they insist. In other words, if you read Infowars and listen to Alex Jones, you eventually end up a Nazi or worse. This ridiculous supposition — believed by millions of liberals and anti-Jones activists — is based on the experience of one man who obviously has mental health issues. So much for investigative reporting. But this inanity should be expected, considering who funds and supports Reveal. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation (CIA), Google News Lab, and a pile of  foundations, including Open Society Foundations run by George Soros. I was an Infowars editor for eight years. I can say without a doubt Alex Jones is not a Nazi or white supremacist. 

USA - California lawmakers – many whose electoral campaigns have been financially backed by the abortion industry – are poised to turn state universities into abortion vendors. State Senate Bill 320 – a measure that would mandate all University of California and California State University campus health centers to distribute the drug that induces abortion in campus health centers – is being debated Monday in Sacramento. Introduced by state Senator Connie Leyva (Democrat) in February 2017, the bill is based on the notion that abortion is the equivalent of medical care and “is a constitutional right and an integral part of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care.”

USA - While concerns about a potential eruption of the supervolcano beneath this iconic park may garner the most alarming headlines, a more likely hazard in the coming decades is a large earthquake. “The biggest concern we have for Yellowstone is not with the volcano, it’s with earthquakes,” said Michael Poland, scientist-in-charge at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, a consortium of eight organizations led by the US Geological Survey.

USA - A massive 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of California as the Ring of Fire continues to show signs of increased activity. A mega earthquake has struck off the coast of California, according to official reports. The tremor was about 200 kilometres off the coast of the California-Oregon State border. Experts have not warned of damage to buildings, and there has been no tsunami warning issued for now. The earthquake hit along the Ring of Fire – where more than 60 tremors have hit in the last few days. Seismologists believe that the unsettling of the Ring of Fire could lead to a catastrophic earthquake somewhere around the globe, and California has been touted as a possible candidate.

USA - This school year, colleges and universities across the country will be offering courses on "queering" children, the Bible, and theology in general. Pomona College, for instance, will offer a course arguing that "the figure of the Child" is used to "justify continued cultural investment in reproductive heteronormativity and productive ablebodiedness."

UK - Rising numbers of women are entering the priesthood as a second career, Church of England figures show. Women are being encouraged to join after movements such as #MeToo boosted their confidence and prompted male clergy to offer them more support, church leaders suggested. Following in the footsteps of the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, who joined the Church after a successful career in nursing, the number of women aged 40 to 54 being accepted for ordination has grown by 32 per cent in two years. 

Catherine Nancekievill, the church's head of discipleship and vocation, said that "changing attitudes are definitely a factor". "Men actually championing women's ministry and getting behind it really seems to have shifted over the last ten years, and congregations becoming more accepting as well," she said.

ISRAEL - Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon slammed the global body’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for proposing ways to “protect” Palestinians in Gaza from Israel, saying that the only protection they need is from their terrorist leaders.  In a 14-page report, Guterres suggested, among other things, deploying an armed UN military or police force for the “physical protection” of Palestinians. “The only protection the Palestinian people need is from their own leadership,” Danon said in a statement.

GERMANY - Germany's finance minister warned that a "German Trump" may seize power as he claimed pension reform is the key to preventing the rise of populism in Europe. “Stable pensions prevent a German Trump. That's why politicians should not shirk this topic,” Olaf Scholz, who is also vice-chancellor, said yesterday. Mr Scholz has been pushing for government reforms similar to the UK’s triple lock to ensure pension levels remain stable despite inflation.

GERMANY - A Hitler lookalike was among more than 600 far-right extremists who took to the streets of Berlin today to commemorate the death of a leading Nazi. Counter-demonstrators clashed with the neo-Nazi activists as bottles and stones were thrown during the clashes.  The neo-Nazi supporters held a banner reading 'I regret nothing' as they marched through the German capital in memory of Rudolf Hess today. They waved colours of the old German Reich and were protected by police in riot gear as they chanted in the streets.

VENEZUELA - Chaos and confusion erupted across Venezuela, and most stores were shuttered on Saturday, after president Nicolas Maduro announced that the government would enact a massive currency devaluation, implement a new minimum wage, hike taxes, and also raise gasoline prices for most citizens even as the country struggles with the greatest hyperinflation on record, surpassing even that of the Weimar Republic. As a result of the enacted actions, the new version of the bolivar will be pegged to the value of the state cryptocurrency, the etro, which according to Bloomberg amounts to a 95% devaluation of the official rate, and will trade in line with where the black market was; the government will also raise the minimum wage more than 3,000 percent, which works out to about $30 a month.

UK - Tarot readings have long been met with superstition, often thought to involve mystical powers… But now tarot readers have revealed that millennials are reaching for the cards more than ever before. Students and young professionals are turning to tarot in a bid to help them navigate through the pressures of social media and uncertainty over Brexit, according to industry experts.