Mysterious medieval settlement discovered, residents seemingly packed up and vanished

Village's abandonment remains an enigma, with no signs of destruction or fire found Archaeologists recently uncovered the remains of a medieval village that was mysteriously abandoned in Germany — raising questions about why its residents packed up and left. The excavation at the Am Frevelgraben site in Halberstadt, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, revealed numerous traces of a medieval settlement, including parts of a multi-tiered ditch system. The State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt announced the findings on Aug. 24. Archaeologists began excavating the site in March ahead of the development of a nearby industrial park, officials said.

Germany and the end of Europe's old political order

The AfD's Saxony-Anhalt landslide crushed the CDU, weakened the chancellor, and exposed the widening gulf between Germany's rulers and voters September could prove decisive for Germany's political future, with elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. If the ruling Christian Democratic Union suffers serious defeats across the board, which is by no means certain, the federal government itself could come under pressure and for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the consequences may be more immediate. A CDU defeat in Saxony-Anhalt had been expected, but the scale is nevertheless notable. Whether Alternative for Germany ultimately secures an absolute majority and can form a government on its own is almost secondary, because the message to Germany's political establishment could hardly be clearer. The warning light is flashing red

UK protests: Hundreds of demonstrators in standoff against police after small boat migrants brought ashore near Portsmouth

Video footage showed protesters facing up to police and shouting 'stop the boats' on Sunday evening Hundreds of demonstrators descended on Portsmouth after migrants heading towards the Hampshire coast on a small boat were intercepted and brought ashore. Around 140 migrants are believed to have disembarked near Eastney in Portsmouth, and will be taken to Manston immigration centre in Kent for processing. Demonstrators blocked roads for hours on Sunday and vowed to stay all night in the second major anti-migrant protest of the weekend. Video footage showed protesters facing up to police and shouting "stop the boats" on Sunday evening.

'Propaganda Goebbels would've been PROUD of!' Neil Oliver SLATES UK warmongering media

Neil Oliver reacts to reports the UK could conscript young men for its confrontation with Russia.

Avalanche caught on camera kills 11 climbers in Russia's Caucasus, 6 missing

A massive wall of snow and ice swept through the Bezengi Gorge in Kabardino-Balkaria as 33 climbers were in the area; authorities say 11 were killed, six remain missing and dozens of rescuers are searching with helicopter support At least 11 climbers were killed and six others remained missing Monday after a massive avalanche swept through Russia's Caucasus Mountains, authorities said, in a disaster captured in dramatic videos that spread across social media. Footage from the Kabardino-Balkaria region shows an enormous mass of snow and ice racing down the mountainside beneath clear skies. Investigators believe the avalanche may have been triggered by the collapse of a hanging glacier, though the cause has not been definitively established.

View from Russia: Experts on why Kushner and Witkoff came to Moscow

Experts say the latest US contacts with Moscow look more symbolic than substantive, with peace talk overshadowed by wider rivalry. The latest visit to Moscow by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff has triggered a fresh wave of speculation in Russia about what Washington is really trying to achieve. With US President Donald Trump under pressure at home and much of his administration's foreign-policy bandwidth consumed by Iran, the trip has been interpreted less as a breakthrough mission than as a signal - one that may be aimed as much at domestic American politics and alliance management as at Russia itself. Russian analysts see the visit in different ways. Some believe the Americans are simply sounding out Moscow before returning to Kiev, trying to gauge whether any space remains for movement on Ukraine. Others argue the mission is part of a broader performance of diplomatic activity by the Trump White House, intended to project momentum where little real progress is possible. Still...

U.S. immigrant population down for first time in a century

Biden-era "removals" were a revolving door at the Rio Grande. Trump closed the door. Crossings collapsed. A new Center for Immigration Studies [CIS] analysis of the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey finds the illegal immigrant population has fallen by about 2.3 million since President Trump returned to office in January 2025. Another 600,000 legal immigrants have left. The total foreign-born population is down 2.9 million. That is the first sustained drop in America's immigrant population in nearly a hundred years. CIS research director Steven A. Camarota and demographer Karen Zeigler tracked the government's monthly household survey from January 2025 through July 2026. The foreign-born total - naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, long-term temporary visitors and illegal immigrants - fell from roughly 53.3 million to 50.5 million. Camarota's preliminary estimate puts the illegal population at 13.5 million in July, down from 15.8 million when Trump took the...

Lightning strike kills a 13-year-old boy and injures two other minors in Cuba

A 13-year-old boy died this Sunday after being struck by an electric shock while he was with two other minors during a storm in the community of Santa María, near the city of Las Tunas. The other two children survived and were admitted to the Pediatric Hospital in the main municipality of the province, where they were reported to be out of danger at the time the information was released, according to the Facebook profile Radar del Tiempo. The weather page, which attributed the information to Oyer Carcases, specified that the three children were underneath a tree trying to seek shelter when the electrical discharge occurred. Radar del Tiempo expressed its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased teenager and urged the public to always take precautions during thunderstorms. So far, the identities of the three minors and other details about the circumstances under which the incident occurred have not been disclosed. The José Ramón Martínez Álvarez Pediatric Teaching...

Washington approves potential $5bn arms package for Riyadh

The sale includes more than 10,000 guidance kits, which convert unguided 'dumb bombs' into extended-range precision weapons The US State Department approved on 4 September a possible $5 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that includes kits for converting standard bombs into extended-range precision-guided weapons. The kingdom has requested more than 10,000 guidance kits along with a matching number of 500-lb (230 kg) and 2,000-lb (900 kg) general-purpose bombs, with the kits converting the unguided "dumb bombs" into steerable precision weapons. The State Department said the transfer advances US foreign policy and national security objectives by reinforcing the security of a Major non-NATO ally it credits with underpinning political stability and economic progress across the Gulf. Washington said the weapons would sharpen Saudi airborne strike capability against present and future regional threats, bolster the kingdom's own defenses, and bring its arsenal into closer alignment with...

Europe's biggest carmaker to shed 100,000 jobs in historic overhaul

Volkswagen will cut out roughly one in seven workers and could shut four German plants. German car giant Volkswagen is set to shed around 100,000 jobs worldwide after management and unions agreed to cut a further 50,000 positions by the end of the decade, the company has said. The reductions would amount to roughly one in seven of its global workforce. Volkswagen, like much of German industry, is facing a severe financial and operational crisis, having watched profit margins collapse. CEO Oliver Blume has cited the loss of Russian energy as a key factor, along with increased competition from China. The scale of the restructuring marks a dramatic retreat for a company long regarded as a symbol of German industrial strength. Volkswagen already had around 50,000 job cuts underway at its namesake brand, Audi, Porsche, and software subsidiary CARIAD, mostly through voluntary departures and early retirement. The latest plan effectively doubles that figure.

AfD's historic win shocks German political establishment: Here's what happens next

The pro-Germany, anti-globalist, anti-mass migration right-wing populist party known as Alternative für Deutschland delivered its strongest election result ever in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, dealing a sharp blow to Germany's political establishment. On Sunday, AfD secured 43.8% of the vote in Sunday's regional election, exceeding polling estimates. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats lost about 19 percentage points, while turnout surged to 77.8% from 60.3% in 2021. According to Marion Mühlberger, a senior economist at Deutsche Bank, AfD's weekend win leaves the party holding 39 seats in the 83-member legislature, three short of an absolute majority. The CDU, Social Democrats, Greens and Left also have a combined 39 seats.

UN votes to adopt new world map showing every country at true scale

The United Nations has voted to adopt a resolution for the world to formally phase out the traditional Mercator map of the globe in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa's size. In a session at its headquarters in New York, the UN general assembly officially retired the 16th-century Mercator projection in favour of one based on the more accurate 2018 Equal Earth design. At the session, 164 countries voted in favour of the resolution. Only the US voted no, with its representative saying the resolution was "superfluous". There were six abstentions. UN resolutions are non-enforceable, so countries and institutions will not be mandated to use only the new projection or forbidden from using the old one. However, the outcome is expected to result in an update of classroom curriculums and everyday technology given the wide usage of the Mercator projection in education, technology and governance.

SOTT FOCUS: The Plot To Stop The AfD: Germany's Firewall Is Crumbling In Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt, in the western part of eastern Germany, is hardly the country's most important state: it accounts for only a fraction of Germany's GDP and is home to just two million people, half the population of Berlin. It is often described as a no-man's-land between east and west — the flat, monotonous backdrop to the final hour-long approach to Berlin. Yet Saxony-Anhalt is poised to become the stage for one of the biggest political showdowns in recent German history. State elections will be held there on 6 September, and the AfD is set for a sweeping victory. The party is currently polling at 43%, on track to secure an absolute majority of seats — though that outcome largely hinges on whether the parties currently polling close to the 5% threshold, primarily the Greens, make it in or not. A handful of votes could tip the outcome in the opposite direction, allowing the establishment parties to keep the AfD out of power once again, as they did in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg...

Fear of the East - the German establishment's concern about the rise of Alternative for Germany

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) received 43.8% per cent of second votes in the East German state of Saxony-Anhalt election, held on 6th September. The AfD's closest challenger, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), trails far behind at 22-23%. The possible rise of the AfD into power, even in just one German state, is a problem for the whole transatlantic system due to East Geman AfD politicians' opposition to the EU and the NATO. The AfD top candidate in Saxony-Anholt, Ulrich Siegmund, opposes large net transfers from Germany to the EU[5] and Ukraine's EU membership[6]. Moreover, he supports withdrawal of Germany from the EU, if the EU "cannot be scaled back to something closer to its founding concept"[7]. In foreign and security policy, Siegmund opposes German military and financial support for Ukraine and supports lifting sanctions on Russia[8]. He emphasises a sovereign Germany that deals with the United States, Russia, and China on equal terms while putting its own...

High school coach dies after being struck by lightning while mowing his lawn in Steubenville, Ohio

A longtime high school coach has died in a freak accident after being struck by lightning while cutting his lawn on Friday, according to the National Lightning Safety Council. The agency said it happened in Steubenville, Ohio, and the man's death marks the 14th lightning fatality of the year in the U.S. A statement from Steubenville City Schools said Joe Pierro was a longtime teacher, coach, colleague and friend. The school district said, "Yesterday, the Big Red family suffered a tremendous loss with the sudden passing of a man who dedicated so much of his life to serving and inspiring young people." They went on to say that Pierro was more than a teacher and a coach, having served as an assistant coach for 31 years. Of those, 24 were spent as a varsity assistant coach, where he "made a lasting impact as the first base coach and outfield position coach."

Landslide sends huge amount of debris into Nepal's Chaulani river

A massive landslide sent rocks, soil and vegetation crashing into the Chaulani River in Nepal's Darchula district on Friday, temporarily blocking the river's flow and triggering warnings for downstream communities. The landslide struck near Bhattar in Api Himal Rural Municipality, sending a huge cloud of dust and debris into the valley. Authorities later said the river flow had returned to normal, but warned of the risk of further landslides and possible sudden flooding if another blockage occurs.

SOTT FOCUS: NewsReal: US-Iran War Turns Hot Again, 'Russian Drone' Plot Overshadows Key German Election

Well, they're back at it again. The US and Iran last week conducted another round of strikes and counter-strikes, their first since mid-July. This time Iran claims to have targeted with ballistic missiles (and successfully damaged) a US Navy destroyer and aircraft carrier - presumably the USS George Washington. CENTCOM denied they were hit, but acknowledged the attempt, and obliterated 3 laden Iranian oil tankers as 'punishment'. While this situation remains very tense, and occasionally lethal, our read is that neither side is interested in 'crossing the line': if Iran really went for an aircraft carrier, they'd be backing Trump into a corner and forcing a massive response. If the US really goes for knocking out Iran's energy industry, Gulf energy exports will drop from whichever precarious percentage they're currently at... straight down to zero. And so the high-stakes game of chicken continues, with each side betting on 'attriting' the other's ability to withstand the economic...

BEST OF THE WEB: Antarctica still below -100F; High Arctic's coldest summer on record

In nearly seven decades of DMI data, no High Arctic summer has been colder. Antarctica Still Below -100F Antarctica's exceptionally cold 2026 is carrying into September, with temperatures again plunging below -100F. On Sept 5, Concordia Station at Dome C registered an unusually low -76.6C (-105.9F), roughly 12.5C (22.5F) below the typical September daily minimum, according to Italy's Antarctic Meteo-Climatological Observatory. The reading continues a notably cold austral winter. June was Antarctica's coolest since 2021, according to NOAA. Concordia fell to -80.3C (-112.5F) on June 5, while the South Pole averaged -60.6C (-77.1F) for the month.

China's latest Middle East play makes Egypt a pivot of power

Xi's Cairo visit tied trade, the Suez, Africa and Gulf stability to Beijing's bid to build a post-Western regional order. Xi Jinping's state visit to Egypt, which began on September 1, was his first in a decade and coincided with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Xi called on Middle Eastern states to become masters of their own destiny, resist outside interference, and discuss a new regional security architecture. Beijing and Cairo agreed to deepen cooperation on security and counterterrorism, develop projects with data centers, semiconductors, and critical minerals, and expand the use of national currencies in bilateral trade. The relationship is moving beyond conventional trade and infrastructure into sectors that will shape economic sovereignty for decades.

The Ukraine war cannot be settled like a business deal

Why American peace diplomacy keeps going in circles Diplomatic efforts to end an acute and bloody armed conflict should always be welcomed and the persistence of Donald Trump's administration, which has pursued this goal for more than a year and a half, also deserves recognition, even if the results so far can hardly be called outstanding. At the very least, the White House remains the only actor in the West both attempting to change the situation and possessing significant leverage over it. Trump and his closest associates probably do genuinely want the war to end as its continuation distracts Washington from foreign policy priorities they regard as more important. But why, then, does Trump's diplomatic initiative keep going round in circles, with each new attempt ending in another disappointment? Trump and his principal envoys tend to approach the conflict as an extraordinarily difficult but essentially technical problem, as a puzzle to be solved in isolation from the wider...