PetSmart, for instance, is urging pet owners to “celebrate” pride of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and more with their pets. An ad shows a woman in a rainbow-colored headband smiling as she holds up a grumpy-looking turtle. The ad also features the colors of the “Progress Pride” flag, which includes additional colors in the rainbow to represent transgender individuals as well as minorities who feel excluded by the original pride flag:

The PetSmart website is also touting its “You Are Loved Collection,” in which they reveal they are supporting the LGBTQ+ community with a $200,000 donation to GLSEN. GLSEN is an organization founded by teachers who, according to the organization itself, “knew that educators play key roles in creating affirming learning environments for LGBTQ youth.” The organization states its goal as ensuring “safer, more inclusive schools for LGBTQ youth.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the US decision in a tweet on Friday, saying that it “will greatly enhance our army in the sky.” He added that he counted on discussing “the practical implementation of this decision” at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

“We can see that Western countries continue to stick to an escalation scenario, which carries enormous risks for them,” Grushko said in the interview. “In any case, we will take it into account when making plans. We have all the necessary means to achieve our goals,” he added. The decision from the US follows a concerted effort by Ukraine to get its allies to supply its military with modern jets, in particular the US-built F-16s.

But what is the Arab League? Since 1945, countries in the Arab-speaking world have held an annual conference to discuss their shared interests and support of each other. It is always held in one of the member countries. The league itself says the purpose is to “draw closer the relations between member states and coordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries”.

When the league began it had only six nations but these days has 22, with Syria rejoining for the meeting in Saudi Arabia. The member states are: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. In addition, Armenia, Brazil, Eritrea, India and Venezuela have the opportunity to participate but cannot take part in votes.

Michael Barnett and Etel Solingen wrote in their book Crafting Cooperation: “In its existence the Arab League has achieved a relatively low level of cooperation. Although the league has had a measure of influence in socialising some Arab elites, it has fallen short in changing state preferences, in forcing significant adjustment of prior policies, or in achieving a pan-Arab blueprint to guide their collective behaviour.”

Owned by the UK Ministry of Defence but loaned to the US, it is Washington’s most important asset in the vast Indo-Pacific region west of Pearl Harbor. Looking north, all of America’s main rivals sit within range of its B-52 bombers there. From Diego Garcia, Iraq and Afghanistan could be bombed from the base’s two-mile-long runway. The US could even launch cruise missiles deep into Russia’s vulnerable southern flank or towards China. Their warplanes can reach vital shipping channels, trade routes and even potential Chinese bases everywhere from Djibouti to Pakistan. In other words, the security of the West rests on this 27 square kilometre atoll.

In 2019, the International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ highest court, ruled that the British occupation of the islands was unlawful. Last year, Liz Truss set in motion negotiations with Mauritius over a handover of the Chagos Islands. Now Britain is on the brink of handing over sovereignty. But America doesn’t want to give away its crucial strategic asset on Diego Garcia – since, until now, the US Navy has been the dominant force in the Indian Ocean.

Mauritius is currently bargaining with Washington over giving it a lease to the Archipelago – at a price. And in a move that could dramatically inflame diplomatic tensions, China is courting Mauritius too. Xi has been pouring investments into Mauritius, developing its tourist infrastructure and buying friends and influence there.

The ritual being performed here is an "unbaptism", in which participants symbolically reject religious rites performed when they were children. "No names," says a Satanist who agreed to let me witness their ceremony, as long as they aren't identified. They wear a floor-length, hooded cloak and a black face mask. Their hands are bound with rope, which is then cast off to represent liberation. Pages are torn out of a Bible to symbolise overturning their Christian baptism.

"As a gay child, being told you are an abomination and should be destroyed, warped a lot of my thinking. Finding The Satanic Temple has really helped me embrace logic and empathy." The Satanic Temple is recognised as a religion by the US government, and has ministers and congregations in America, Europe and Australia.

US dollars now make up about 58% of official foreign reserves globally, Bloomberg reported in its story, a fall from 73% in 2001. In the late 1970s, it was 85%. The fact that the US and Europe froze Russian central bank reserve assets held in their jurisdictions has also weaponized central banks and possibly damaged the international financial system, according to Demertzis.

In the Middle East, that has translated to "a genuine sense of concern about the US', and even the EU's, unprecedented weaponization of international trade and finance, in the context of war with Russia," Alhasan concluded. This is why countries in the Middle East "are preparing for a more multipolar global world, where they will want to be best placed to act inside and outside of dollarized zones."

As Americans and national security experts, we urge President Biden and Congress to use their full power to end the Russia-Ukraine War speedily through diplomacy, especially given the grave dangers of military escalation that could spiral out of control.

Sixty years ago, President John F Kennedy made an observation that is crucial for our survival today. “Above all, while defending our own vital interests, nuclear powers must avert those confrontations which bring an adversary to a choice of either a humiliating retreat or a nuclear war. To adopt that kind of course in the nuclear age would be evidence only of the bankruptcy of our policy – or of a collective death-wish for the world.”

The immediate cause of this disastrous war in Ukraine is Russia’s invasion. Yet the plans and actions to expand NATO to Russia’s borders served to provoke Russian fears. And Russian leaders made this point for 30 years. A failure of diplomacy led to war. Now diplomacy is urgently needed to end the Russia-Ukraine War before it destroys Ukraine and endangers humanity. So far, the US has sent $30 billion worth of military gear and weapons to Ukraine, with total aid to Ukraine exceeding $100 billion. War, it’s been said, is a racket, one that is highly profitable for a select few."

Talks over the debt ceiling also forced President Biden to cut short his own foreign trip, scrapping planned visits to Australia and Papua New Guinea after the G-7 summit so he can return to Washington on Sunday. But well before that, the fight over the borrowing cap was alarming US allies. Around the world, experts are watching in disbelief as the US flirts with its first default, fearful of the potential international economic ramifications — and astonished by the global superpower’s brush with self-sabotage.

Analysts say the impasse jeopardizes America’s standing abroad. “I just cannot believe they would let such a major, major disaster happen of the United States defaulting on its debt,” European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told CBS News on Sunday. “This is not possible. I cannot believe this would happen.” The mere fact that a US default is being talked about is enough to unsettle markets worldwide, experts say.

Last month, in a bid to relieve pressure on the Argentinian economy due to its lack of US dollars, Newsan started settling deals in the Chinese yuan. This has been a boon for the company that mainly imports its products from China and, until recently, was paying for its appliances in the dollar. Other nations are making similar moves greatly benefiting China and increasing the prevalence of the yuan in the global stage.

The swimsuit range is part of Adidas's 'Pride 2023' collection - dubbed 'Let Love Be Your Legacy' - and is for sale for $70 on the website in the women's section. Both models, who are described as 'they' online, have hairy chests, visible bulges and their description says they are 6ft 2in with a 34' chest and 27' waist. Additionally, one of the biological male models posed in a sports bra.

Ex-NCAA swimmer Gaines exclusively told DailyMail.com that she is 'hopeful that athletes will do the right thing and come out and denounce it'. Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also slammed the new marketing ploy, adding: 'Who is telling these major corporations to alienate women, half the population, in order to market to trans which are less than 1%? Businesses are for profit, not for politics. It doesn't make sense. Who is telling them to do this?'

It is difficult to think of a law more relevant to today’s America. Imagine if the country — especially, though not only, black Americans — adopted this law and substituted “white” for “Egyptian.” Imagine the effect on America if every church, every school, every editorial page and every Democrat repeatedly told Americans, “Do not hate whites.” Almost overnight, the gratuitous hatreds wrecking our country would begin to disappear.

That all whites hate blacks is a lie. It is one of the greatest national lies in history. But there is antidote: applying the biblical admonition to the Israelites not to hate the Egyptians to Americans, especially black Americans, not to hate whites. If every church — including, of course, black churches — preached, “Do not hate the whites,” then at least those who claim to take the Bible seriously would feel religiously obligated not to hate white people. That could change everything — almost overnight.

The volcano is 45 miles southeast of Mexico City, but lies much closer to the eastern fringes of the larger metropolitan area of 22 million people. The city also faces threats from earthquakes and sinking soil, but the volcano is the most visible potential danger — and the most closely watched. A severe eruption could cut off air traffic, or smother the city in clouds of choking ash.