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Not even Pope Francis is safe from Kiev's wrath: Holy Father is latest subject of Ukraine's fiery judgment
The pontiff incurred Kiev's wrath once again, for calling a Russian journalist killed in a terrorist attack 'innocent'. After mentioning the death of Darya Dugina, a young Russian journalist and political activist, Pope Francis has faced the anger of Kiev, which apparently thinks it has the monopoly on "innocence." For the past six months, Kiev has lashed out at various government leaders and international organizations, like Amnesty International, for example, which reported on Ukraine's violations of international law on the battlefield. So it was just a matter of time before the Catholic Church got an earful, too. And that's what happened this week when Pope Francis, addressing a congregation in the Vatican, mentionegd the death of Darya Dugina, whose life was cut tragically short by a car bombing.
https://www.sott.net/article/471452-Not-even-Pope-Francis-is-safe-from-Kievs-wrath-Holy-Father-is-latest-subject-of-Ukraines-fiery-judgment

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Spectacular rainbow-coloured scarf cloud stunned onlookers in Haikou, China
An incredible scarf cloud danced above a town in southern China earlier this week. Here's how this stunning cloud got its rainbow hue. A town in southern China witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime sight earlier this week when a vibrant rainbow-coloured scarf cloud danced above a towering thunderstorm. The stunning cloud formed above Haikou, a city of two million in far southern China. A billowing cumulus cloud sprouted in the tropical air over Haikou around sunset. It wasn't the cumulus that drew all the attention—it was the incredible formation that rose above it, called a pileus cloud. Pileus, sometimes called cap clouds or scarf clouds, are smooth clouds that form atop a growing cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud.
https://www.sott.net/article/471453-Spectacular-rainbow-coloured-scarf-cloud-stunned-onlookers-in-Haikou-China

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UK: Three quarters of pubs facing extinction
A survey by T​he Morning Advertiser​ (MA​) showed more than 70% of operators did not expect to make it through the winter without Government intervention. Over 65% said they'd seen their utility costs increase by over 100%, meanwhile 30% reported a jump of 200% and 8% reported increases of more than 500%. Nearly 80% of operators said they could not afford the increase in energy costs. Desperate operators are calling for a range of measures to help them survive the crisis, from reductions in VAT and business rates through to a cap on energy prices for business.
https://www.sott.net/article/471454-UK-Three-quarters-of-pubs-facing-extinction

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Lightning kills two bikers in northern Italy
Two bike riders were struck by lightning and killed in the northern Italian region of Piedmont, the Italian la Repubblica daily reports. The local mountain rescue service and a helicopter rescue team arrived in the municipality of Pragelato, located north of Turin, on Friday, after they were alerted by a car driver, who saw the bodies of two men on the road, the newspaper said. According to la Repubblica, one of the men killed by lightning was Alberto Balocco, president and CEO of the confectionery industry founded by his grandfather in 1927 and still 100% controlled by the family. Balocco was on a mountain bike ride with a Luxembourgish friend when the tragic incident happened, according to local media reports.
https://www.sott.net/article/471455-Lightning-kills-two-bikers-in-northern-Italy

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Poll: Mar-a-Lago search boosts Trump among GOP, but may damage him with most voters
Earlier this summer, Donald Trump's formerly rock-solid support among Republicans seemed to be wavering as a majority of party loyalists said they were open to backing a different GOP presidential nominee in 2024. But the FBI's decision to search Trump's Mar-a-Lago property for highly classified documents on Aug. 8 — coupled with the former president's furious pushback — appears to have changed that. According to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, a majority of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents now prefer Trump (54%) over "someone else" (34%) for the 2024 nomination. Right before the Mar-a-Lago search, those numbers were 47% and 38%, respectively.
https://www.sott.net/article/471456-Poll-Mar-a-Lago-search-boosts-Trump-among-GOP-but-may-damage-him-with-most-voters

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Groom in China killed by lightning strike while posing for wedding photos
A man has been killed by a lightning strike while posing for pre-wedding photos with his fiancée during a thunderstorm at a popular scenic spot in southwestern China. According to a statement by the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Management Committee in Lijiang, Yunnan province, the man was hit by a lightning bolt just after 1:30pm on Wednesday at Spruce Meadow, a popular tourist spot famous for its grasslands and snow-capped mountain backdrop. Local emergency services soon arrived at the scene and took the man, surnamed Ruan, to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. People who were standing close to the victim were unhurt, a tour manager who was present told The Paper.
https://www.sott.net/article/471457-Groom-in-China-killed-by-lightning-strike-while-posing-for-wedding-photos

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Man riding bike killed in 'aggressive' dog attack in Channelview, Texas
A man was mauled to death by dogs in Channelview on Friday morning, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Investigators said a person driving home from work at about 1:45 a.m. spotted a man lying on the road in the 15700 block of Garlang Street. Deputies responded to the scene and, upon arrival, found an unresponsive man in his late 30s with multiple dog bites, according to HCSO. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene. Deputies said they believe the victim was riding his bicycle when dogs attacked him.
https://www.sott.net/article/471458-Man-riding-bike-killed-in-aggressive-dog-attack-in-Channelview-Texas

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Boerboel dogs maul girl (6) to death in Zimbabwe
In another spine chilling incident, two vicious Boerboel dogs mauled a six-year-old girl to death on Wednesday at the family's rented home in Matsheumhlophe suburb. This is the second incident in Bulawayo where dogs have killed people following the death of Mr John Gavhera of Selbourne Park who was mauled by his two Boerboels after they reportedly mistook him for an intruder in May this year. In the latest fatal incident, the girl, Moleen Ndlovu was home alone in a cottage which her parents are renting in Matsheumhlophe when the two dogs owned by the landlord ripped her neck which led to her death at around 7AM. While dogs are meant to protect people, dog trainers and experts have warned that some of the breeds can be aggressive to people including their owners. Some of the breeds considered to be aggressive and dangerous include Boerboels, Pit Bulls and Rottweilers, among others. Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident yesterday.
https://www.sott.net/article/471459-Boerboel-dogs-maul-girl-6-to-death-in-Zimbabwe

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US admits it will continue to buy Russia's uranium, is not capable of producing its own
The US will not be able to replace Russian uranium in the event of an import ban, Assistant Secretary of Energy Kathryn Huff has warned, saying Washington must develop enrichment capabilities domestically. "Worldwide, there's not enough capacity to replace that gap from trusted sources," Huff told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday, adding that it was the US's responsibility to "encourage and incentivize that enrichment and conversion capability" on American soil. Huff told the Examiner that US reliance on Russian-sourced uranium posed unique energy security and national security risks, and noted that Russia still provides about 20% of the low enriched uranium at existing US reactors.
https://www.sott.net/article/471460-US-admits-it-will-continue-to-buy-Russias-uranium-is-not-capable-of-producing-its-own

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Oldest case of rare genetic condition discovered in 1,000 year-old skeleton from Portugal
A group of international researchers has uncovered evidence of a super rare genetic condition that gives men an extra X chromosome, reporting the oldest clinical case of Klinefelter syndrome to date. The evidence comes from a 1,000-year-old skeleton from Portugal. Klinefelter syndrome is a rare genetic condition where individuals are born with an extra copy of the X chromosome, occurring in approximately one in 1,000 genetic-male births. The study coordinated by Dr. João Teixeira, an ARC DECRA Fellow at The Australian National University (ANU), brought together a multidisciplinary team that combined genetic, statistical, archaeological and anthropological information to establish a definitive diagnosis.
https://www.sott.net/article/471461-Oldest-case-of-rare-genetic-condition-discovered-in-1000-year-old-skeleton-from-Portugal

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3 ancient burials hint at multiple migrations of humans through Southeast Asia
Three skeletons uncovered in a rock shelter adorned with red pigment rock art reveal burial rituals of early humans who followed well-trodden paths through Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Islands, albeit thousands of years apart. Aside from deepening our understanding of the evolution and diversification of burial practices, the finds - from Alor Island in southeast Indonesia - enrich past discoveries that previously provided some clues about patterns of migration of early humans making their way southward. "Burials are a unique cultural manifestation to investigate waves of migration through the terminal Pleistocene to the Holocene period in Southeast Asia," says archaeologist Sofia Samper-Carro of the Australian National University. From the positioning and treatment of bodies to the presence or absence of ornamental grave goods, Southeast Asian burial sites "offer a panoply of social expressions related to the deposition of the deceased," Samper-Carro and colleagues write in their...
https://www.sott.net/article/471462-3-ancient-burials-hint-at-multiple-migrations-of-humans-through-Southeast-Asia

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When light flashes for a quintillionth of a second, things get strange
The bulb on an old-style film projector flashes some 24 times a second; a typical CRT television screen changes frame 50 or 60 times every second. The fastest cameras in the world can snap frames lasting just a trillionth of a second — short enough to watch light itself slowly creep across a surface. That may be fast, but it's still nothing next to the lasers some physicists get to play with. Welcome to the world of ultrashort light pulses: little blips of a light wave, lasting as little as a quadrillionth of a second after they leave the laser that makes them. At those timescales, strange things start to happen. For instance, pulses often pop out in pairs, one after the other. Now, physicists at the Universities of Bayreuth and Konstanz in Germany have found they can control the pacing of those duos. They published their work on October 19 in the journal Optica.
https://www.sott.net/article/471463-When-light-flashes-for-a-quintillionth-of-a-second-things-get-strange

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Academic corruption: University of Washington knowingly kept quiet on flawed transgender study
Did not want to ruin 'positive coverage' University of Washington media officials knowingly kept quiet on a flawed study that claimed that injecting children with off-label puberty blockers benefited their health, according to emails obtained by a conservative radio host. "A University of Washington study, in partnership with Seattle Children's Hospital, claimed gender-affirming care via puberty blockers leads to positive mental health outcomes for transgender teen patients," commentator Jason Rantz reported. "That characterization, however, was false, forcing substantial edits to the materials used to promote the study and prompting UW to cease promoting the research." The Washington radio host obtained emails of UW staff colluding to downplay the edits and concerns about the study, titled "Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming Care."
https://www.sott.net/article/471464-Academic-corruption-University-of-Washington-knowingly-kept-quiet-on-flawed-transgender-study

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Pakistan - Almost 1,000 dead, 33 million affected since mid-June in worst floods in a decade
The catastrophic flooding continues to cause widespread destruction in Pakistan, where 33 million people have now been affected, according to the government. The situation is likely to worsen over the coming days. and warnings have been issued for rising levels of the Indus and Kabul rivers. Almost 1,000 Fatalities Reported The number of people who have died as a result of monsoon rain and flooding in Pakistan since mid-June now stands at 982, including 316 children. The figure represents an increase of almost 300 deaths in the last week. As of 20 August, 692 fatalities were reported. As of 27 August, 339 people had lost their lives in Sindh Province. Fatalities were also reported in Balochistan (234), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (195), Punjab (167), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (37), Gilgit-Baltistan (9) and Islamabad Capital Territory (1).
https://www.sott.net/article/471465-Pakistan-Almost-1000-dead-33-million-affected-since-mid-June-in-worst-floods-in-a-decade

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BEST OF THE WEB: Pakistan - Almost 1,000 dead, 33 million affected since mid-June in worst floods in a decade
The catastrophic flooding continues to cause widespread destruction in Pakistan, where 33 million people have now been affected, according to the government. The situation is likely to worsen over the coming days. and warnings have been issued for rising levels of the Indus and Kabul rivers. Almost 1,000 Fatalities Reported The number of people who have died as a result of monsoon rain and flooding in Pakistan since mid-June now stands at 982, including 316 children. The figure represents an increase of almost 300 deaths in the last week. As of 20 August, 692 fatalities were reported. As of 27 August, 339 people had lost their lives in Sindh Province. Fatalities were also reported in Balochistan (234), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (195), Punjab (167), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (37), Gilgit-Baltistan (9) and Islamabad Capital Territory (1).
https://www.sott.net/article/471465-Pakistan-Almost-1000-dead-33-million-affected-since-mid-June-in-worst-floods-in-a-decade

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Clients with 'Russian sounding' names sue French banks over sanctions
Scores of customers have sued over "Kafkaesque" mistreatment A total of 76 French residents with Russian or "Slavic-sounding" names have filed a complaint against a number of banks in France, alleging discrimination on account of national origin after getting caught up in the enforcement of anti-Russia sanctions. Individuals with no ties to the Russian government found their bank accounts blocked and even long-time residents were caught in a net one attorney described as "Kafkaesque," the newspaper Le Figaro reported.
https://www.sott.net/article/471466-Clients-with-Russian-sounding-names-sue-French-banks-over-sanctions

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Bleeding Africa: How Western firms plunder the continent's wealth
Although formal European rule in Africa ended in 1977 when Djibouti was given independence from France, Western companies have continued to extract the continent's resources unabated - and when a nationalist leader does get in the way, Western governments happily oblige to remove the obstacle. Thus, a continent rich in resources remains poor. Parts of Africa have long been controlled by rulers from far away, especially the territories that border the Mediterranean and Red seas, but it was only in the late 19th century that European empires raced to gobble up every last square inch of land on the continent. By 1900, only Ethiopia stood independent, having beaten Italian invaders at their own game. The land and its people were brutally exploited by their new rulers as mines and cash crop plantations proliferated and African bodies were broken on them to extract their valuable products and export them to Europe and North America. The victorious socialist revolutions in Russia, China...
https://www.sott.net/article/471467-Bleeding-Africa-How-Western-firms-plunder-the-continents-wealth

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Russian Orthodox church to 'streamline' exorcisms
The proposal makes the rite free and limits it to priests and bishops, to prevent abuse The Russian Orthodox Church has finalized a draft of rules to regulate the practice of exorcism, in the making since 2021. If the draft becomes part of canon law, banishing demons will be a free service, and only priests and bishops will be allowed to practice it, to prevent abuses. Exorcism can be performed "only in cases of demonic possession," and not for persons with mental disorders or diseases or those who "feign possession," says the draft document, published on Thursday on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate. The clergy are instructed to become familiar with basic psychiatry so they can make the appropriate judgment.
https://www.sott.net/article/471468-Russian-Orthodox-church-to-streamline-exorcisms

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International support for Ukraine has dropped dramatically since March
Ukraine's latest proposal to condemn Russia has attracted the backing of just 58 out of 193 UN member states, a far cry from the number that symbolically supported Kiev in the General Assembly in March. Kiev's envoy to the UN Sergey Kislitsa heralded the proposed resolution on Wednesday, following the Security Council meeting convened on Ukraine's independence day. The session featured a video address by President Vladimir Zelensky, for which the council had to override protocol requiring in-person appearances, and a series of statements by Western governments denouncing Russia. Moscow's envoy Vassily Nebenzia provided the counterpoint by introducing evidence of Ukrainian atrocities into the record and even naming Kiev's western backers as accomplices in specific instances.
https://www.sott.net/article/471469-International-support-for-Ukraine-has-dropped-dramatically-since-March

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Britain to see 80% spike in energy bills as crisis deepens
Jennifer Jones keeps feeding money into her energy meter, but it never seems to be enough. And when she can't pay, she feels the impact immediately. The power in her London home has gone off suddenly three times recently, once when her partner was cooking an egg. Like millions of people, Jones, 54, is struggling to cope as energy and food prices skyrocket during Britain's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. The former school supervisor has health problems and relies on government benefits to get by, but her welfare payments are nowhere near enough to cover her sharply rising bills. "I've always struggled, but not as much. Everything is going up. I can't even pay my rent, my council tax, I can't afford to do anything. ... I keep asking myself, what am I supposed to do?" And things are getting worse. U.K. residents will see an 80% increase in their annual household energy bills, the country's energy regulator announced Friday, following a record 54% spike in April. That will...
https://www.sott.net/article/471470-Britain-to-see-80-spike-in-energy-bills-as-crisis-deepens

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Unvaxxed doctors ask for their jobs back on billboard in West Kelowna
Unvaccinated doctors in BC want their jobs back and have erected a billboard on busy Highway 97 on the Westside demanding just that. "It only went up a few days ago and obviously a lot of people have seen it and it resonated with a lot of people because we've had a lot of new visits to the website," said Dr. York Hsiang, spokesperson for the Canadian Society for Science & Ethics in Medicine. The society has 44 members, all doctors, who want the province to scrap its mandate that all health care workers in hospitals, long-term, acute and community care be vaccinated against COVID-19. Most members are unvaccinated, but some are partially vaxxed or vaccinated and believe that people should have choice and that unvaxxed health care workers should be able to work again. Word for word, the electronic billboard at the corner of Highway 97 and Boucherie Road reads: 50 terminated, unvaccinated BC doctors willing to serve you, the public, today. Allow us to do our part to help BC's...
https://www.sott.net/article/471471-Unvaxxed-doctors-ask-for-their-jobs-back-on-billboard-in-West-Kelowna