Google Surrenders to Trump, Renames Lake Ontario | The Palki Sharma Show

Aug 31, 2026 | Google has renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America for users in the U.S. after Donald Trump ordered a name change. The U.S. President had announced the name change amid his escalating trade war with Canada. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Trump’s 100-year Plan for Venezuela’s Oil | The Palki Sharma Show

September 1, 2026 | US President Donald Trump is pushing deeper into Venezuela’s oil industry under a new agreement with Caracas. Reports say a US-linked joint venture would receive drilling rights across 17 fields containing 65 billion barrels of confirmed reserves. The US could also buy 20% of production at cost and receive first refusal over the remainder.

Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez describes the project as an investment that will create jobs, production. and government revenue. But the arrangement could significantly expand Washington’s influence over Venezuela’s biggest asset and put existing Chinese and Russian oil interests in the country under pressure.


That woman, Delcy Rodríguez, in Venezuela is either ectremely naïve which I very much doubt, very stupid, which I also very much doubt, or complicit in this Trump-favourable deal. How the Venezuelans are tolerating this is beyond my comprehension. Basically, Trump is stealing Venezuela’s most valuable asset: oil! — © Mark Alexander

Is MBS Out of Money as Saudi Seeks Loan to Cover Costs due to Iran War? | Vantage on Firstpost

September 1, 2026 | The Gulf spent years building an economic fortress on the back of oil wealth, diversification and a promise of stability. But the Iran war is putting that model under unprecedented pressure.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly exploring billions of dollars in fresh borrowing, Qatar is facing a severe LNG shock, while Bahrain and Kuwait are seeing mounting financial stress. Even the UAE, the region’s most diversified economy, has taken a hit.

Growth forecasts for the GCC have been sharply downgraded. The message is clear: the Gulf may have enormous financial reserves, but when war disrupts energy, trade and transport, even the region’s deepest pockets can feel the strain.

The Biggest Oil Deal or Theft at Gunpoint? US Claims Majority Control of Venezuela's Oil Reserves

September 1, 2026 | The U.S. has struck a deal to take majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's oil reserves, nine months after the U.S. military abducted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a raid on Caracas and two months after The New York Times revealed that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has become the de facto viceroy of Venezuela, effectively controlling Venezuela's finances, the distribution of its natural resources and its government. The new oil deal gives the Department of Defense a 35% stake in a joint U.S.-Venezuelan private company that now holds 100-year leases to 17 oil fields. It also gives the U.S. the right to buy some of the oil produced at cost — a major triumph for the Trump administration as the war on Iran depletes the United States' strategic oil reserves. Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez claims U.S. investment in Venezuela's oil industry will jumpstart the country's floundering economy, but critics, including Venezuelan economist Francisco Rodríguez, say the deal is not only "unfavorable to Venezuela" but also appears to violate the Venezuelan Constitution.

"The whole history around this is extremely shady," adds Rodríguez, who previously led Venezuela's Congressional Budget Office and now teaches at the University of Denver. "It's clear that this is not a deal that any Venezuelan government would have entered into unless this country had been subject to an invasion, and unless its authorities had been held at gunpoint. So, I think we've replaced gunboat diplomacy now for gunpoint diplomacy."


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As I have said before, the poor Venezuelans appear to have been shafted by the Trump regime! — © Mark Alexander

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September 1, 2026

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The Last Days of Europe’s Most Paranoid Communist State | 60 Minutes Australia

Aug 31, 2026 | For nearly half a century, Albania operated as Europe's most isolated, secretive, and paranoid communist state under the iron-fisted rule of Marxist-Leninist leaders.

In 1990, just before the regime collapsed, 60 Minutes reporter Jennifer Byrne gained rare access to "The Land Time Forgot," exploring a bizarre society where foreign debt and contraceptives were banned, and the average citizen earned just sixty dollars a month.

The Brexit Campaign | BBC Newscast

Sep 1, 2026 | Today, we hear what it was like to be inside the leave and remain camps from those who managed the campaigns behind the scenes.

Sir Craig Oliver, who was in charge of communications for the Remain campaign, and chief executive of Vote Leave Matthew Elliott meet for the first time in the Newscast studio.

Steve Rosenberg: Modi Calls on Putin to Move towards Peace. How Should We Interpret the Response?

Sep 1, 2026 | Yesterday Prime Minister Modi of India urged Vladimir Putin to move towards peace in Ukraine. What are today’s Russian newspapers saying about that? And how should we interpret the Kremlin leader’s response?

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August 31, 2026

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It seems pretty clear to me that the Venezuelans have been shafted by Trump and his regime with this oil deal! — © Mark Alexander

‘Trump Pushes Canada Out of NATO?’: Mark Carney Drops Stunning Europe Bomb Amid Tariff War

Aug 31, 2026 | Mark Carney is signalling a major push towards Europe as Donald Trump’s tariff war puts unprecedented pressure on Canada-U.S. relations. The Canadian prime minister said talks with European partners are coming soon as Ottawa looks to deepen economic and security ties across the Atlantic. The move could mark a significant shift in Canada’s international strategy as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on the United States. The development puts Mark Carney, Canada, Donald Trump, Europe, Canada-U.S. trade relations and tariffs at the center of the latest geopolitical and economic debate, with Ottawa exploring stronger partnerships beyond Washington.

Steve Rosenberg: “The Destruction of the World Order Can No Longer Be Stopped,” Warns Russian Paper

Aug 31, 2026 | Today’s Russian papers report on Russia’s economic problems: “Stagnation in industry” & “Investment downturn significantly worse than expected.” But it's not just Russia that has problems, thinks one paper: “The destruction of the world order can't be stopped.”

En Islande, les eurosceptiques l’emportent lors du référendum sur l’UE après une nuit sous tension

Cette photo provient de cet article du Figaro. | Un homme avec un drapeau islandais, à Reykjavik, le 29 août 2026. Leonhard FOEGER / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : Les Islandais ont rejeté ce dimanche la reprise des négociations avec l’Union européenne. Le « non » s’est imposé au terme d’un scrutin très serré, marqué par une forte mobilisation.

La bataille électorale s’annonçait serrée. Elle l’a été jusqu’au petit matin. Au bout d’une course haletante, le «non» a fini par l’emporter avec 52,8% des voix, contre 47,2% au « oui ». Appelés samedi aux urnes pour se prononcer sur la reprise des négociations avec l’Union européenne, les Islandais se sont déplacés massivement.

Vers 22 heures, pourtant, rien ne laissait encore présager le naufrage du « Jár ». Au Musée d’Art de Reykjavik, où plusieurs centaines de partisans de l’adhésion à l’UE s’étaient retrouvés pour suivre les résultats. Bières, DJ set, parties d’Uno entre sympathisants… L’ambiance est légère. En attendant les premiers chiffres, la soirée vire au rendez-vous politique. » | Par Louis Dubar et Victor Di Bartolo, envoyés spéciaux à Reykjavik | dimanche 30 août 2026

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Island lehnt neue EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen ab: Die Isländer stimmen über die Wiederaufnahme von EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen ab. Das Nein-Lager setzte sich bei dem Referendum durch. »

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Iceland Votes to Steer Clear of European Union Talks: After a divisive national debate, Icelanders rejected a proposal to resume negotiations on joining the bloc, according to the national broadcaster. »

The Iran War Is the Biggest Strategic Blunder in US History (w/ John Mearsheimer) | TCHR

Aug 30, 2026 | John Mearsheimer breaks down the current state of the Iran War, and how the conflict increasingly appears to look like the most dire strategic mistake in US history.

Iran unter wachsendem Druck: Handel bricht ein, Hormus-Streit dauert an

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Teheran gibt die wachsende wirtschaftliche Not im Land zu – weicht im Konflikt mit den USA aber keinen Schritt zurück.

Dieses Foto stammt aus diesem Artikel. | Junge Männer fahren mit Motorrädern am Ufer entlang, während ein Traktor Geräte aus dem Wasser zieht und Handelsschiffe in der Straße von Hormuz vor Anker liegen. | © Razieh Poudat/ISNA/AP/dpa
Sechs Monate nach Beginn des Krieges mit den USA und Israel gerät Irans Wirtschaft zunehmend unter Druck. Präsident Masoud Pezeshkian zufolge ist der Außenhandel infolge amerikanischer Sanktionen und der Blockade iranischer Häfen um fast 35 Prozent eingebrochen. Die jährliche Inflationsrate erreichte zuletzt 66 Prozent, berichtet Reuters. Dennoch signalisiert die Führung in Teheran weder militärisch noch politisch einen Rückzug.

Die Regierung bezeichnete die Bewältigung der wirtschaftlichen Belastungen durch Krieg und Sanktionen in einer über Staatsmedien verbreiteten Erklärung als zentrale Aufgabe. Genannt wurden der Kampf gegen die Inflation, die Stabilisierung der Märkte, die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen und Investitionen in die heimische Produktion. Zudem soll Iran schrittweise unabhängiger vom US-Dollar werden.

Auch der neue oberste Führer Ajatollah Mojtaba Khamenei forderte die Regierung schriftlich auf, sich ernsthaft mit Inflation, Arbeitslosigkeit und steigenden Lebenshaltungskosten zu befassen.

Öffentlich gesehen wurde er seit dem amerikanisch-israelischen Angriff vom 28. Februar nicht mehr. Dabei war sein Vater und Amtsvorgänger Ali Khamenei getötet worden. Mojtaba Khamenei soll bei dem Angriff verletzt worden sein. » | Sophie Barkey | Samstag, 29. August 2026

How The Welfare State and the NHS Has Changed Since 1945 | Andrew Seaton

Aug 28, 2026 | "To begin with, everything was free, including prescriptions, dentistry services and so on. But in 1949, they brought this act in that would allow them to put a shilling charge on prescriptions."

As the expensive welfare state holds court in parliament proceedings on most days, historian Andrew Seaton takes us back to the advent of the universal welfare state between 1945 and 1948.

Canadians Laugh Off a Lake Name Change - But What about an Ocean? | DW News

Aug 29, 2026 | America's maps may need another update. Trump has already renamed one body of water. Now 'Lake America' is making waves, leaving everyone wondering whether the Atlantic Ocean could be next on the president's target list. Grab your atlas, because things are getting interesting.

Father David: MAGA Is Communism in the USA

Father David explains.

Trump Announces New US Oil Agreement with Venezuela

THE GUARDIAN: US president says US will have ‘majority’ control of 65bn barrels of proven oil reserves

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | A Venezuelan flag in front of an oil tanker in Maracaibo, Venezuela, on 27 July. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Donald Trump announced Friday a new US oil agreement with Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, saying the US will have “majority” control of 65bn barrels of proven oil reserves.

The terms of the agreement remain to be seen, but the US president said on his social-media platform that it had been brokered “through a partnership with ⁠private business” by his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and defense secretary, Pete Hegseth.

The administration, Trump wrote, has “secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven Oil Reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American Taxpayer”.

Trump said the agreement would more than double American oil reserves.

“This deal is a huge win for both the American and Venezuelan people,” Rubio wrote on social media. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Saturday, August 29, 2026

Is the UK Prepared for a National Emergency? Crisis Expert Says "The Threats Have Got Far Worse"

Aug 28, 2026 | Is the UK ready for a national emergency? Lord Harris, Chair of the National Preparedness Commission, is interviewed by Paddy O'Connell for Newsnight on the threats posed by Russia, Vladimir Putin, the war in Ukraine, drone technology and climate change.

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August 28, 2026

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Am I right in concluding that Trump is the most disgusting president America has ever had? — © Mark Alexander