There is one thing for certain in the White House: President Donald Trump wants to put the Epstein Files controversy behind him as soon as possible.

ERDOGAN’S CHIEF RIVAL HEADS TO PRISON FOR INSULTING PROSECUTOR
Ekrem Imamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul and top opponent of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was sentenced to 20 months in prison last week for calling out a prosecutor for targeting opposition leaders in the country earlier this year as he waited in jail for his own trial on corruption charges, which was seen as the latest attempt by the country’s president to snuff out his chief rivals.

EU IMPOSES NEW SANCTIONS TO PUNISH RUSSIA AS PEACE EFFORT CRUMBLES
The European Union (EU) announced its most significant sanctions yet against Russia and countries that do business with Moscow in an effort to hurt the country’s economy over its ongoing war with Ukraine.

SYRIAN FORCES WITHDRAW FROM SWEIDA AFTER VIOLENCE THAT KILLED MORE THAN 1,000
Syria announced Sunday that the violence in Syria’s southern city Sweida between the Druze and Bedouin fighters has subsided as a fragile ceasefire was announced between the two factions.

WHAT ARE WE DOING THERE? U.S. RAMPS UP AIRSTRIKES ON SOMALIA
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said last week that it ramped up airstrikes across Somalia at a record pace to strike an ISIS-affiliated group in the northeast and southeast part of the country, which is hardly mentioned in the mainstream news media.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, THEY TAKE YOU TO WAR: GERMANY THE ‘SICK MAN OF EUROPE’ AGAIN
Oliver Bäte, the CEO of Allianz, the German financial company, said last week that he believes Berlin’s social security system will “be on its knees” in about 10 years because the country’s “static” GDP is not keeping up with expenses.

RUSSIA BRUSHES OFF TRUMP’S ‘THEATRICAL’ 50-DAY ULTIMATUM TO END THE WAR
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s national security council, did not seem impressed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose new sanctions on Moscow and flood Ukraine with weapons if the Kremlin does not end the war in 50 days.

AS FORECAST: UKRAINE LAUNCHES LARGE DRONE ATTACK, FORCES CLOSURE OF MOSCOW’S AIRPORTS
Russia was forced to temporarily close airports across Moscow on Sunday in response to a major drone attack from Ukraine, which forced the cancellation of at least 140 flights.

U.S. MOVES TO BACKFILL GERMANY WITH PATRIOT MISSILE SYSTEMS INTENDED FOR UKRAINE
The U.S. has given priority to Germany to deliver its Patriot missile systems so Berlin can deliver these weapons to Ukraine, which was seen as the Trump administration’s first effort to indirectly arm Kyiv since January.

CRYPTO INNOVATION IS THE PRIZE
Crypto technology represents real innovation compared to current legacy financial—and other institutions and organizational structures.