GERMANY - The left wing of Germany’s Social Democrats has reportedly urged the chancellor to stop arming Kiev and push for diplomacy instead. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing dissent within his own party ranks from those who want Berlin to stop providing Kiev with weapons, Der Spiegel has claimed. The outlet suggests the left wing of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has also called on Scholz to engage in dialogue with Russia. Among the signatories are multiple members of the Bundestag and the European Parliament, as well as prominent party figures from several German regions, the article claims. “A continuation of the war will only bring more deaths and destruction,” the appeal seen by Der Spiegel reportedly says.

USA – I am certainly not one to dare assume to know what goes on in the mind of the God I believe in, and consider it a bit arrogant to go down that path. Nevertheless, at the risk of being labeled an old fool, it is a challenge for me to believe that the series of “plagues” that have befallen the United States of America of late are not part of some heavenly master plan. From the end of World War II and for 70 years thereafter, America “worked.” The triumph of democracy and freedom over fascism and national land grabs energized the American body politic to take responsibility and rebuild the world after the devastating losses in the war. The world was put back in order, nations devastated by battle were rebuilt (much of that through US programs like the Marshall Plan), while people felt secure enough to plan for careers, family, education and retirement.

USA - Do you believe in “coincidences”? There have always been droughts all throughout human history. So if there were a couple of isolated droughts in 2022, it wouldn’t be a big deal. But that isn’t what we are facing. Instead, right now the United States, Europe, Africa and China are all experiencing droughts of epic proportions. As a result, crops are failing in key agricultural areas all over the globe. Of course if just one country or one region was experiencing a “historic drought”, agricultural production from the rest of the world could make up for that. Unfortunately, what we are currently witnessing is truly unprecedented. For the very first time in modern history, virtually all of the largest economies on the entire planet have been hit by extreme drought conditions simultaneously, and that means that global agricultural production is going to be way below expectations in 2022. We have never seen it happen simultaneously to so many key areas all over the planet. Do you really think that what we are witnessing is just a “coincidence”?

USA - It would not be the first time in history that prayer was invoked on behalf of a country. We need only follow the lead of the last person any of us would have expected would turn to prayer, and look at the example of General George S Patton, Jr, head of the US’s Third Army in Europe in World War II. In December 1944, fog, clouds, rain and snow over Europe were hampering US war efforts. A frustrated Patton contacted Chaplain James O’Neill, a Catholic priest, and asked for a prayer for good weather that would improve the chances of victory. In the presence of Patton, there was only one response the chaplain could offer and that was “Yes, sir.”

ISRAEL - In a statement to the press, Michaeli said that she had ordered the head of the National Transportation Agency to put forward a study that will examine the economic and logistic ramifications of the possibility of operating the Red Line of the light rail on Saturdays. “Not operating the light rail on the weekends significantly harms the people who do not own a private car,” the statement said. “The enormous investment amounting to billions of shekels – by the ministry through NTA in the transportation infrastructure that will form the backbone of transportation in Gush Dan in the next two decades – justifies its full utilization seven days a week for the benefit of the public.”

ISRAEL - Israel is having an Italian moment. One that, as it faces potential war with Iran, it might just ignore. Since the end of World War II in 1945, Italy has had 70 governments, each in office an average of 1.1 years. The most recent collapsed in July. As for Israel, early in November it will hold its fifth election in three years.

VATICAN - Pope Francis, who turns 86 on 17 December, has repeatedly talked about the possibility of stepping down. He is not seeking to cling to office at all costs. At the same time, Francis will resist any pressure from those unhappy with the direction in which he is steering the Barque of St Peter. There are choppy waters ahead, and he is likely to keep his hand on the tiller for the time being. The last days of August, when the world’s cardinals will gather in Rome, marks the beginning of what can be described as a “pre-conclave” period. It is a time when speculation over who could succeed Pope Francis really starts to heat up and marks a critical moment to take stock of the Francis pontificate, due to mark 10 years on 13 March 2023.

UKRAINE - On August 24, Zelensky addressed Ukrainians to congratulate them with the Independence Day of Ukraine. In his speech, he claimed that Kiev will not hold any negotiations with Moscow. Earlier, Zelensky said that he will not negotiate with Putin if Russia moves forward with plans for a mass trial of captured “Mariupol defenders”, including members of the nazi Azov regiment. So far, the Ukrainian military have not managed to stop Russian advance on the front lines. Zelensky’s loud statements aimed at showing the “brave leader of a heroic country” and gaining more political support will cost the Kiev government the lives of thousands of its soldiers more.

RUSSIA - The two countries have successfully established a mechanism for mutual settlements in rubles and rupees, Purnima Anand says. Russia and India don’t need the US dollar in trade, having turned to national currencies to conduct mutual settlements, BRICS International Forum President Purnima Anand told reporters on Thursday. “We have implemented the mechanism of mutual settlements in rubles and rupees, and there is no need for our countries to use the dollar in mutual settlements. And today a similar mechanism of mutual settlements in rubles and yuan is being developed by China,” she said. “That means that the BRICS countries are opening up to Russia, offering the opportunity for the country to overcome the consequences of sanctions,” Anand added, as quoted by RIA news agency. BRICS an international socio-economic and political forum incorporating five member nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

GERMANY - Following the deployment of the frigate Bayern last year, Germany’s Luftwaffe (Air Force) is now also expanding its operations to the Indo-Pacific. In recent days, six Eurofighters from Tactical Air Wing 74 in Neuburg an der Donau, four A400Ms from Air Transport Wing 62 in Wunstorf and three A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport from the Eindhoven-based Multi Role Tanker Transport Unit have been deployed “for the first time from Germany to the Indo-Pacific,” according to the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces). The US has deployed an aircraft carrier battle group led by the USS Ronald Reagan near the island and plans to send warships through the Taiwan Strait. The One China policy, which had been the basis for diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and Washington since 1979, has effectively ended.

JAPAN - Relations with Beijing are crucial for regional trade, but is Tokyo ready to put it all on the line over Taiwan and Washington’s favor? A recent report suggests that Japan’s government is considering positioning over 1,000 ballistic missiles aimed towards China, a move that would mark a major escalation in tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. It is unclear if this will ever materialize, given the threat to regional stability it would carry, as well as the limits imposed by Japan’s own constitution, but by this point it is undeniable that geostrategic competition between Japan and China is a new reality.

UK - Liz Truss feels “ready” to launch Trident nuclear weapons, the frontrunner for Conservative leadership declared at Tuesday’s hustings in Birmingham, UK, saying that making decisions like this is an “important duty of the prime minister.” The foreign secretary did not elaborate on which country the UK might be persuaded to use nuclear weapons against. She has delivered plenty of hawkish rhetoric along the campaign trail, primarily targeting Russia, and is an avid booster of the Ukrainian cause. Truss also pledged to raise military spending by 3% of GDP by the end of the decade. Both candidates have blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the dismal state of the British economy, which is plagued by high inflation, high gas prices, and an increasingly unaffordable cost of living, widely seen as resulting from unilateral restrictions imposed by London and its allies.

UK - We're getting some reaction now to the news of the huge rise in the energy price cap. Becca Lyon, head of child poverty at Save the Children, calls the price cap rise "a full-blown economic crisis for thousands of families". "Children are at serious risk from today's announcement and could spend this winter in cold homes, with fewer hot meals, despite the best efforts of their parents and carers. Our children deserve better." Tom Marsland, policy manager at disability equality charity Scope, says today’s announcement "confirms disabled people’s fears". “We’ve been inundated with calls from disabled people who don’t know which way to turn and feel like they are being punished for using more energy. The government must intervene now." Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC which supports trade unions, says "millions are facing bankrupting bills in the months ahead". "Ministers must immediately cancel this catastrophic increase. This is the worst possible time for the government to go missing in action."

USA - The Los Angeles Police Department is warning people in the city not to create a new looting trend where suspects form a “flash mob” and ransack a store. “We really want to prevent this from becoming a new trend where they think they can show up and take over a street or a freeway or any part of the city that they’re just going to be able to do what they want,” LAPD Detective Ryan Moreno said last week in comments to the press.

RUSSIA - Russia has raised concerns about the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which has escalated in connection with the resumption of joint military drills by the US and the Republic of Korea, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a commentary released on Wednesday. "We are concerned about the situation unfolding on the Korean Peninsula, which has recently escalated in connection with the resumption of large-scale joint military drills conducted by the US and the Republic of Korea, as well as inflammatory distribution of propaganda materials to North Korea from South Korea," the diplomat pointed out.