USA - The Trump administration’s “Deal of the Century” for Palestine-Israel has, predictably, gone over like a lead balloon. So it’s shifting gears. The Washington Post reports, “With President Trump’s promised Middle East peace plan stalled, administration officials are focusing on improving conditions in the impoverished Gaza Strip – a move that could put political pressure on Palestinian leaders to come to the negotiating table.” Don’t hold your breath. The “Deal of the Century” was dead on arrival because it was based on the idea that Saudi Arabia and Egypt would “deliver the Palestinians” on the cheap in return for a more formal Saudi-Egyptian-Israeli-US alliance against Iran. The Palestinians were expected to be satisfied with economic-development aid while their aspirations for their own state were essentially tabled, that is, confined to the rubbish bin.
EUROPE - While US equity markets have remained resilient in the context of rising protectionist fears, the world's largest shipping company is seeing its stock eviscerated as investor anxiety over trade wars finds an outlet that makes rational sense. AP Moeller-Maersk A/S may struggle to make a profit this year after the US and China descended into a trade war that is already showing stress in sentiment surveys. As Bloomberg reports, Maersk, which is based in Copenhagen, has already lost almost a third of its market value this year as investors gird for more bad news, and it is losing value in line with the collapse in the US Treasury yield curve. Trade protectionism means less demand, and history suggests the shipping industry will struggle to make the necessary supply cuts.
UK - Pagans have demanded a voice on Thought for the Day. A petition launched by Stuart Jeffery, a druid, calls for the group to be represented in the daily segment broadcast on the BBC's Today Programme. "The need for Pagan voice has never been greater. The perspective that we bring to public life is unique. While climate change wreaks havoc, the oceans are filling with plastic debris and the government is allowing fracking companies to push chemicals into the Earth, it is us Pagans, Druids, Wiccans, Heathens and others who revere the Earth, who see her as part of who we are and who worship her. Our voices need to be heard," he said.
USA - The US president stunned his nation by turning on his own intelligence chiefs and insisted Moscow did not interfere in the 2016 election race, which he won. Donald Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin today gave him the ideal opportunity to confront Russia over its meddling in American affairs.
FINLAND - Putin accused Bill Browder of donating $400,000,000 to Hillary Clinton! Vladimir Putin: “Last year there was one extradition case by the United States… Mueller can use this treaty as an official request to us… in this case this kind of effort should be a reciprical one… For instance we can bring up Mr Browder… They sent a huge amount of money $400,000,000 to Hillary Clinton!”
USA - President Donald Trump has defended Russia over claims of interference in the 2016 presidential election. After face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Trump contradicted US intelligence agencies and said there had been no reason for Russia to meddle in the vote. Mr Putin reiterated that Russia had never interfered in US affairs. The two men held nearly two hours of closed-door talks in the Finnish capital Helsinki on Monday.
RUSSIA - One of Russia’s largest banks, VTB is seeking to decrease the share of US dollar transactions at home as locals are choosing the Russian ruble over the greenback. “There is one interesting thing I wanted to highlight. Since the beginning of this year, people seem to be less interested in making dollar deposits or taking out dollar loans, compared to ruble-denominated deposits and loans. We believe this to be an important step towards the de-dollarization of the Russian finance sector,” said VTB head Andrey Kostin at a Kremlin meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
USA - After a “very intense” summit with leaders of NATO member states earlier this week, US President Trump has claimed that he has managed to secure commitments from the European leaders of NATO member countries that will see them increase their military spending.
USA - Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” President Donald Trump said the European Union is a “foe” of the United States regarding trade. Trump said, “Well, I think we have a lot of foes. I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade. Now, you wouldn’t think of the European Union, but they’re a foe. Russia is a foe in certain respects. China is a foe economically. Certainly, they are a foe. But that doesn’t mean they are bad. It doesn’t mean anything. It means that they are competitive.”
USA - When this bubble finally bursts, will we witness the biggest stock market crash in US history? “The bigger they come, the harder they fall” is a well used phrase, but I think that it is very appropriate in this case. From a low of 6,443.27 on March 6th, 2009, we have seen the Dow nearly quadruple in value since the last financial crisis. It has been a remarkable run, and it has lasted far longer than virtually any of the experts anticipated. But what goes up must come down eventually.
USA - Every quarter the Institute of International Finance publishes a new number of the total amount of global debt outstanding, and every quarter the result is the same: a new record high. Today was no exception: according to the IIF's latest Global Debt Monitor, the amount of debt held in the world rose by the biggest amount in two years during the first quarter of 2018, when it grew by $8 trillion to hit a new all time high of $247 trillion, up from $238 trillion as of December 31, 2017 and up from by $30 trillion from the end of 2016.
ISRAEL - The 9th of Av, Tisha b'Av, commemorates a list of catastrophes so severe it's clearly a day set aside by G‑d for suffering. Learn seven historical events that took place on Tisha b'Av, the Jewish day of mourning. Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av (July 21-22, 2018), is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, on which we fast, deprive ourselves and pray. It is the culmination of the Three Weeks, a period of time during which we mark the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
RUSSIA - Various groups have been targeted under a 2016 anti-extremism law. An additional 2017 Supreme Court ruling targeted the Jehovah's Witnesses specifically, ordering their dissolution in Russia. "Officially, it's a totalitarian sect of extremists. But in fact, these are people who because of their faith are not susceptible to propaganda," said a man identified as a Russian FSB secret service officer by Radio Liberty. "The system sees them as a threat because they are organised and independent. One day they may seek power," he told the station in an interview this year.
USA - FACEBOOK ignores underage users and knowingly allows extreme material to remain its site, according to a new Channel 4 investigation. An undercover probe by the broadcaster’s Dispatches programme went inside the web giant’s moderation department which handles complaints, but found bosses even allowed racist or violent posts to remain. And many reported posts took days to tackle, despite the company saying offensive content should be dealt with within 24 hours. In footage shot by an undercover reporter, one staff member said: “If you start censoring, people lose interest. It’s all about making money at the end of the day.”
FINLAND - Donald Trump has hailed the beginning of what could be an "extraordinary relationship" between America and Russia as he kick-started talks with President Vladimir Putin. The US President is attending his first face-to-face meeting with Russia’s leader. He said: "Most importantly we have a lot of good things to talk about." He added they will talk about "everything from trade to military to missiles to China. We'll be talking a little bit about China. Our mutual friend president Xi."
“Just what is an APOSTLE?”
Today we find the Church of God in a “wilderness of religious confusion!”
The confusion is not merely around the Church – within the religions of the world outside – but WITHIN the very heart of The True Church itself!
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