Blinken asked G7 diplomats for help to put pressure on Iran and Hezbollah, US media claims

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed G7 foreign ministers that Iran and Hezbollah could launch an attack on Israel within the next 24 hours, US media outlets reported.

"Blinken convened the conference call to coordinate with close US allies and try to generate last-minute diplomatic pressure on Iran and Hezbollah to minimize their retaliation as much as possible," Axios stated. "He stressed that limiting the impact of their strikes is the best chance to prevent all-out war."

The sources said Blinken noted that the US believes Iran and Hezbollah will both retaliate for the eliminations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

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◾️ Even war crimes don’t help Ukrainian servicemen escape the front lines

◾️ A boon for the North Korean Army

◾️ Pelosi calls Biden “a Mount Rushmore kind of president,” putting him on the same level with the greatest US leaders

◾️ Watch UK ablaze as riots spread across the country

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❗️The US is preparing a series of explosive publications about doping abuse allegedly discovered in Russian sports, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service said.

The project is being supervised by former anti-doping laboratory heads Grigoriy Rodchenkov and Timofey Sobolevsky. The most powerful information attack is being prepared for rhythmic gymnastics, synchronized swimming, and figure skating, the agency noted.

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🎥 Watch: two Ukrainian Leopard tanks destroyed near Kharkov

Soldiers of Battlegroup Zapad destroyed two Ukrainian Leopard tanks. During reconnaissance activities in two Kharkov region districts, reconnaissance units identified the movement and firing position of the Leopard tanks, which had shelled Russian positions.

After an analysis of the received intelligence, a decision was made to carry out pinpoint fire on the enemy tanks.

As a result of the strikes, carried out by a Lancet operator and Msta-S self-propelled howitzer, which used a Krasnopol high-precision projectile, both tanks were destroyed.

Objective control footage obtained in real time made it possible to verify the destruction of both tanks.

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Trump once again vows to make US energy-dominant, chanting ‘drill, baby, drill’

Former US President Donald Trump has promised that if elected, he would make the US energy-dominant globally.

"We're going to get energy way down. Drill, baby, drill," the 2024 Republican presidential nominee said in a Fox News interview.

Expounding on his economic and energy policies, Trump speculated that once energy prices are brought down, it will be easier to curb inflation and manage other outstanding problems. Accordingly, Trump has every intention of basing his economic policy “very strongly in energy," as he touted the country’s reserves of “liquid gold” underfoot.

"We have more energy — we have more liquid gold, as I call it, under our feet than Saudi Arabia, than Russia, than anybody," Trump stressed.

He added that the US is “going to make a fortune” and become “energy dominant.”

However, Trump’s claims about the US’ energy potential should be taken with a grain of salt.

According to data confirmed by energy organizations and corporate geological surveys, the United States ranks 11th in the world by proven oil reserves, with Saudi Arabia and Russia ahead.

The US is also outperformed by Venezuela (number one by all accounts), Iran, Iraq, and Libya, as well as by some other nations. Coincidentally, most of these abovementioned states have been often slammed by US foreign policy makers, while Iraq and Libya were unfortunate enough to become subject of US military action.

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Asia stock markets plunge as grim jobs data fans fears of US recession

The Tokyo Stock Exchange index nose-dived over 13% on Monday amid disconcerting data on rising US unemployment. The decline is the sharpest since the Black Monday stock market crash of 1987.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index, which incorporates shares of the country's largest companies (including Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Panasonic, and Nintendo), shed over 3,000 points during trading. As of 05:38 GMT, the Nikkei had dropped 13.7% day-on-day, reaching 31,030 points. The broader TOPIX index fell 11.5%. Monday’s bear market also saw South Korea's Korean Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plummet 6.5%, with Samsung's shares sinking 7.7%.

The market convulsions follow a much weaker-than-anticipated US jobs report for July. Hiring fell, with the unemployment rate surging for the fourth straight month to reach 4.3%, the Labor Department reported Friday. The data fueled fears that the economy could be falling into a recession amid high interest rates intended to curb inflation. Goldman Sachs analysts have lifted the US recession risks in the coming year to 25% from 15%. Meanwhile, JPMorgan predicts a 50% slowdown for the US economy.

As Asian stocks were down across the board, cryptocurrencies started tumbling too, with Bitcoin shedding 12% value to reach $53,000.

Stay tuned - later we will share our take on what's going on with Asian stocks and global economy.

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❗️The Israel Defense Forces reported the elimination of the Hamas economic minister in the Gaza Strip

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Donald Trump blames Biden and Harris for stock market crash

"Stock markets crashing. I told you so!!! Kamala doesn't have a clue. Biden is sound asleep. It's caused by inept US leadership!" he wrote on social media.

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🎥Protesters in Bangladesh managed to enter the residence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. By that time, she had apparently already left the country.

Video: social media

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Plans changed? Official Democrat page uploads photo of Kamala Harris with 'Michelle' signs in background

On July 26, Barack Obama stated he and his wife Michelle were supporting Kamala Harris' candidacy a full five five days after Harris confirmed she was running for president on July 21.

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Russian Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Shoigu arrives in Iran for working visit

Shoigu, the former Russian defense minister, will hold series of talks and will be received by new Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian in the country's capital Tehran, Russian Security Council stated.

Shoigu will discuss wide range of issues of cooperation between Russia and Iran, including security and economics.

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❗️The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 125 militants, a Vampire MLRS launcher, and six ammunition depots in the Russian Sever Battlegroup's combat zone – Russian Defense Ministry

🇷🇺🪖 More statements from the Russian Defense Ministry’s daily briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️ Ukraine lost up to 115 militants and a tank to the Russian Vostok Battlegroup;

▪️ Losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Russian Tsentr Battlegroup's combat zone amounted to up to 325 militants. The group struck formations of eight Ukrainian brigades and repelled eight Ukrainian counterattacks;

▪️ The Russian Yug Battlegroup repelled a counterattack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the enemy losing up to 620 militants and two ammunition depots;

▪️ The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 495 militants in the Russian Zapad Battlegroup's combat zone;

▪️ Russian forces hit two Ukrainian fuel and lubricant depots;

▪️ Russian air defenses shot down four SCALP-EG air-launched cruise missiles and 43 Ukrainian drones.

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Bangladesh PM resigns after weeks of violent protests: what you need to know

◾️ Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and left Dhaka, the capital, after nearly two months of violent unrest. At least 93 people were killed in the violence, including 14 police officers, according to local media. Thousands have also been injured, including over 1,100 police officers.

◾️ In an address to the nation on Monday, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, until now the Chief of Army Staff, said an interim government would be formed, and that representatives “from all major political parties” have been invited to participate.

◾️ Zaman asked protesters to give the military "some time" and called on them to "stay calm and go back home," and said there were no plans to introduce a curfew or state of emergency at the moment. Some protest leaders have warned that they would not accept "military rule."

◾️ Indian media reports suggest Hasina landed in the northeastern Indian city of Agartala after leaving Dhaka.

◾️ The unrest in Bangladesh began in early June, triggered by changes to the country’s quota-based government job recruitment system, but quickly straddled by the opposition into large-scale anti-government demonstrations hailed by Western media as “pro-democracy” protests.

Serving as PM from 1996-2001 and then again from 2009 on, Sheikh Hasina had a history of strained relations with the United States.

🔸 In April, she blasted US foreign policy misadventures in Muslim-majority countries under the guise of “democratization.”

🔸 In May, she accused the US of seeking to create a “Christian state” by partitioning pieces of Bangladesh and Myanmar, Hindustan Times reported.

🔸 Hasina also said she had been offered an easy reelection victory in general elections in January in exchange for permission to a foreign power to set up an airbase on St. Martin’s Island in the south of the country. However, the state's name wasn’t disclosed, according to HT.

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