GERMANY - In the summer of 2026, Germany is a punch-drunk country reeling from harsh knocks, many of which are self-inflicted. In the short term, it has just suffered a humiliating defeat at the UN General Assembly, where it was punished for Berlin’s brazen arrogance, political provincialism, and last but not least, steadfast support for Israel and its crimes, including genocide. At the World Cup, the German team was booted out of the tournament early and crushingly.

ISRAEL - A new red heifer born in Israel’s Galilee region has reignited calls among Temple-focused rabbis, educators, and activists for a broader national movement to prepare the Jewish people for the restoration of Temple service in Jerusalem. The renewed push comes as Temple awareness appears to be rising inside Israel. Israel365 News reported that a recent survey commissioned by the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation and conducted by Direct Polls found that 55 percent of Israeli Jews support rebuilding the Holy Temple on the Temple Mount. The outlet also cited a separate editorial claiming that 150,000 men have already enrolled in training connected to Temple service, out of a reported goal of 200,000.

USA - GridStatus' website shows the PJM Interconnection under severe peak-demand stress as heat-driven cooling loads surge across the Mid-Atlantic and eastern US. The fuel-mix chart shows the grid is heavily reliant on natural gas and coal, which together account for about 64.2% of all power, with nuclear at 20.6%. In total, gas, coal, and nuclear account for about 84.8% of the power being generated, while solar and wind remain in the high single digits. The grid is operating near record load and relying heavily on gas-fired generation to prevent rolling blackouts.

USA - In 1874, the state geologist of Pennsylvania, then the nation’s leading oil producer, warned that the US had only four years of oil remaining. Forty years later, in 1914, when oil still hadn’t run out, the federal government said the US had only a ten-year supply remaining. In 1940, the government announced that reserves would be depleted within a decade and a half.

USA - America’s national debt has always reflected the trajectory of the nation itself — one rising as the other, at least economically, wavers — but rarely has that story been as stark as it is today. From a mere $71 million in the country’s early days to now more than $39 trillion on the eve of its semiquincentennial, the scale of US borrowing has expanded exponentially and to a level almost beyond comprehension over two and a half centuries. This 55,000-percent rise has been punctuated by wars, financial collapses and global shocks, before settling into periods of relative stability, only to climb again. And the history of US debt displays a familiar pattern: spending in times of need and expansion, enabled by the country’s economic strength and its increasingly central position in the global financial system. But as concern rises among lawmakers as well as the public, and more of Uncle Sam’s budget goes toward paying interest on a ballooning balance sheet, questions are mounting over how long this economic strength can postpone an economic crisis.

USA - California Democrats are advancing a new bill that would establish two Muslim holy days as state holidays while authorizing the state to develop a new model curriculum for students to “acknowledge and celebrate” these Islamic observances in the classroom. Funny how the Democrats are militant about separation of church and state but mosque and state? Not so much.

UK - Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on conception rates in 2023 have shown that while there has been an increase in pregnancies, a higher increase in abortions has led to fewer babies being born overall. The ONS data reported that the number of babies aborted in 2023 was 279,970. This is an increase of 13 per cent from the previous year. Angus Saul, Head of Communications for The Christian Institute, said: “This shocking statistic should cause us all to pause, grieve, and reflect on what has gone wrong. Instead, in the past few years, politicians and activists have been charging ahead with laws to eliminate the few remaining protections our country has for the unborn. “MPs and Peers recently voted to decriminalise women who have abortions all the way up to birth. Is there no line where our representatives will agree ‘This is too far’?”

USA - As socialist-leaning candidates continue to notch victories in Democratic primaries across major cities, many observers sound the alarm about the growing appeal of collectivist ideologies in what was once the world’s beacon of liberty. Yet fixating solely on this political shift misses the deeper rot. Socialism is not America’s primary affliction; it is a visible symptom of a profound spiritual and moral decline that has hollowed out the character of a once-virtuous people.

VATICAN - The Vatican has excommunicated a breakaway group of ultra-traditionalist Catholics who illicitly ordained bishops, despite appeals from the Pope not to do so, creating a schism within the church. The Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a decree on Thursday indicating that six bishops associated with the conservative Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) had been excommunicated after an unauthorised ordination ceremony in the Swiss valley of Écône on Wednesday that drew an estimated 16,500 worshippers. The excommunication took immediate effect and applied to the Spanish-born Argentinian bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, who acted as principal consecrator during the ceremony, and the Swiss bishop Bernard Fellay, the co-consecrator. The four newly ordained bishops were also excommunicated.

CHINA - Members of China’s 55 government-recognized ethnic minorities, which include the Uyghur and Tibetan peoples, make up just under 9% of the population. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Wednesday implemented a multi-chapter law aimed at regulating the cultural, religious, and linguistic traditions of ethnic minorities under the guise of enforcing Chinese “national unity.” The “Law of the People's Republic of China on Promoting National Unity and Progress,” which was passed in March, outlines a legal framework under which all Chinese citizens and institutions are required to “safeguard national unity and the solidarity of all ethnic groups in the country.” Members of China’s 55 government-recognized ethnic minorities, which include the Uyghur and Tibetan peoples, make up just under 9% of the population. The rest of the population, approximately 91%, is ethnically Han Chinese according to Chinese census data collected in 2020.

TURKEY - NATO leaders gather next week in Ankara, where Europeans aim to set aside strife with US President Donald Trump over Iran and Greenland and show they are stepping up to defend the continent as Washington cuts back on its commitments to the alliance. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says the gathering next Tuesday and Wednesday will show Europeans are honoring pledges to hike defense spending to deter Russia from any attack, with arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars to be signed. Leaders are also expected to vow to keep funding weapons for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend a dinner hosted by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who will also hold bilateral talks with Trump. In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump complained the United States was spending money to protect NATO members "without getting any benefit from so doing."

TURKEY - Turkey is becoming stronger in the region, and its hostility toward Israel is deepening, Professor Yossi Shain, an expert on international relations at Georgetown University and Tel Aviv University, warned in an interview with 103FM on Wednesday. Shain addressed Israel’s recognition of the Armenian genocide, noting the issue has become political, and referred to what appears to be Turkey’s growing power and Israel’s relative weakening as a result. "Between Israel and Turkey there are enormous struggles right now, so of course Israel wants to remind Turkey of its historical crimes, just as Turkey does a thousand times over against Israel," Shain said.

IRAN - In a statement, the commander of Khatam al-Anbiya, Ali Abdollahi, threatened Israel and the US against making “any miscalculation” during former Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei's week-long funeral, warning of “harsh and regrettable responses” in the case of an attack. Khatam al-Anbiya is the Joint Command of Iran's military. Khamenei's funeral is slated to begin on Saturday and is expected to be the largest event in the history of the Islamic Republic. It will span several major cities in Iran and Iraq, with ceremonies in Tehran, Qom, Mashhad, Najaf, and Karbala. The ceremony was scheduled months earlier but was postponed due to the ongoing conflict with the US. Khamenei was killed in Tehran in joint US-Israeli strikes at the start of operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury in February...

POLAND - Russia is planning an armed “provocation” on Polish soil to test NATO’s resolve, the United States has warned. Polish critical infrastructure could be targeted by missiles and drones or Russian soldiers could cross the border into NATO territory. Washington has issued several warnings to Warsaw about the plot, sources close to Karol Nawrocki, the Polish president, told Onet, the Polish news outlet, which, along with The Telegraph, is owned by Axel Springer and is part of its Global Reporters Network. The goal of the Russian provocation would be to escalate tensions and force Western allies to suspend aid to Ukraine. It could be launched in a matter of months. The Telegraph understands that NATO could respond to any Russian provocation with direct attacks on Kaliningrad, which has been cited as a potential target by Holger Neumann, the German air force chief. Last month, the head of the Luftwaffe told The Telegraph that Germany would defend “every inch” of NATO territory including Poland if it were forced to act defensively.

UK - As outgoing Kier Starmer prepares to depart amid cratering approval ratings and deep public disillusionment, his 'Pride' reception remarks this week reveal a leader more focused on cultural signalling than addressing Britain's pressing crises. Starmer took to the stage at a Downing Street Pride reception to defend his government's LGBTQ+ record, even as scepticism grows within parts of that broad community and his wider popularity sits at dismal lows. Starmer struck a defiant tone, insisting his administration would continue championing these issues. "I want to be clear that all lesbians, all gay, all bi and trans people - that this government will defend your rights," he declared. "We have to stand against the politics of division." He praised what he called global leadership in representation, stating Westminster is "the gayest parliament... anywhere in the world" and telling attendees to "celebrate that."