Spanish Election: Right-Wing Bloc Wins, Falls Short of Majority
Spain's right-wing political bloc — comprised of the Popular Party (PP) and Vox — has become the largest in the Congress of Deputies, but failed to pass the 176-majority threshold as the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) fared better than expected in Sunday's vote.
With the ballot count nearly completed, a hung parliament looms in Spain. Provisional results show the PP and Vox hold 136 and 33 seats, respectively, while the PSOE garnered 122 and another left-wing party, named Sumar, obtained 31.
Intra-party negotiations and meetings involving King Felipe VI of Spain will outline the path forward for the European country in the upcoming weeks, as coalition-building prospects remain uncertain.
Left narrative
Spaniards have sent a resounding message to neofascist groups at home and across the continent by denying Vox's xenophobic members, and their conservative allies of the Popular Party, a majority in parliament. Though this battle is won the war isn't over, and it will take all of the centrists and progressives to fight this threatening trend and promote social and economic policies to improve living standards.
Right narrative
Whether deliberately or honestly, the mainstream English-language media has misrepresented nationalist movements — whose popularity is on the rise across Europe — by depicting them as evil fascists assaulting minorities. In fact, they are center-right by US standards. All the parties in this Spanish bloc are doing is advocating common sense and cultural self-defense in a world being shaken up by globalism.
Nerd narrative
There's a 28% chance that Spain will recognize Catalonia by 2070, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
China Reveals Plan to Boost Private Investment
The Chinese government has announced an intent to attract more private capital for major infrastructure projects. The National Development and Reform Commission said on Monday that it will encourage investors in the transportation, water, energy, and agricultural sectors.
The Commission released a list on Monday of 2.9K local government projects worth 3.2T yuan ($591B) that private investors can participate in. This step is intended to improve business sentiment and boost faltering economic growth.
This announcement came after China last week pledged to improve the private sector, as Beijing is planning on its post-pandemic economic recovery guidelines to make the economy "bigger, better and stronger."
Pro-China narrative
Beijing has recognized the importance of private businesses in order for China to boost its economic recovery after two years of slow growth and COVID lockdowns. Private enterprises generate half of all tax revenue and over 60% of GDP. This is a strong message from the Commission.
Anti-China narrative
The world's second-largest economy has suffered from a confidence problem after two years of crackdowns and pandemic controls. Foreign investors want the same level of access that Chinese companies enjoy in Western markets. Private entrepreneurs in China are waiting for the government to provide more than just rhetoric regarding market access. For now, the PRC's private sector push is running into skepticism.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that China will officially cease to be a socialist state by November 2078, according to the Metaculus Prediction Community.
Elon Musk Begins Rebranding Twitter as 'X'
Elon Musk has announced that social media platform Twitter will be rebranded to "X," with CEO Linda Yaccarino describing the move as a step towards creating a "global town square."
Musk revealed as part of a series of tweets on Sunday that the changes would begin as early as Monday. Musk stated that the platform would soon "bid adieu to the twitter [sic] brand and, gradually, all the birds."
The company's new logo has been unveiled as a white "X" on a black background. In 2017, Musk bought the domain X.com from PayPal — which he had co-founded in 1999 — and stated upon his acquisition of Twitter his desire to create an "everything app" called "X" within three to five years.
Narrative A
Musk's consistently erratic decision-making since becoming Twitter's owner continues to have long-lasting and damaging consequences for the platform's reputation. While the plan for "X" has been lurking in the shadows for some time, it's clear that Musk wishes to strip the company of its very core and transform the platform into a completely different entity. Whether X is successful or not, we are witnessing the slow death of Twitter in front of our very eyes.
Narrative B
Musk's decision to rebrand Twitter has been met with excitement and skepticism. The change is undoubtedly bold and is one of the most significant decisions that has been made since the company's acquisition, and — like all things Musk — only time will tell the true impact of this vision-oriented change on the platform's future.
Nerd narrative
There is a 95% chance that Elon Musk will remain the owner of Twitter on January 1st, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Greece: Thousands Evacuated From Islands as Wildfires Grow
Over the weekend, Corfu became the second Greek island — along with Rhodes — to evacuate residents ahead of explosive wildfires. The Greek Coast Guard has evacuated over 20K on both islands.
The Corfu wildfire began on Sunday afternoon as the windy and dry conditions quickly spread the fire to nearby towns and villages. The advancing fire spurred the Emergency Communications Service to issue an evacuation warning for 18 areas of the island.
Greece had planned for a national holiday to take place on Monday, however, Greece's President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said, "In view of the extraordinary conditions prevailing in the country due to the fires" the holiday has been canceled.
Pro-establishment narrative
The Greek government recognizes the seriousness of the threats that come with a changing climate. While hazards like wildfires have increased, so has the Greek government's response to the causes of challenging climate conditions. Greece has increased its electricity production through renewable means and will continue to increase its renewable footprint.
Establishment-critical narrative
In recent years, while battling monstrous wildfires, the Greek fire services have taken a beating and have lost the confidence of the Greek people. In 2021, homeowners were left to save their own homes while fire services were sent to protect areas of Athens and other populated areas of the country. Athens must do more to prepare its government for the consequences of a changing climate and not just focus on emissions.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the 2˚C climate threshold will be crossed in the year 2049, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Cambodian PM Hun Sen Claims Victory in General Election
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) has declared a "landslide" victory in Sunday's general election, which critics denounced as the most unfree and unfair the country has seen in decades.
He posted on his Telegram channel unofficial results estimating the CPP secured 120 seats and the royalist FUNCINPEC party won five. The CPP believes the party captured 78-80% of the total vote.
The US and EU, among others, had refused to send election observers, citing concerns about the electoral process as the main opposition party, the Candlelight Party, was barred from contesting the election by the National Election Committee.
Narrative A
Turnout in the most recent Cambodian election was overwhelming, which is hardly a show of skepticism towards the Cambodian democratic process or the ruling government. Overseas opposition groups did everything in their power to disrupt the vote to no avail. Despite the absence of Western observers, NGOs and other governments observed the vote and gave their endorsement to the process in Cambodia, showing that the voice of the people will be heard.
Narrative B
This election was democratic in name only, as widespread harassment and obstruction of opposition figures all but assured that Hun Sen would secure victory. Cambodia is the Southeast Asian country closest to China, and its neighbors have long voiced concerns of its increasingly flawed democracy. The vote was a carefully crafted sham, designed to give the Beijing-backed CPP a veneer of respectability.
OpenAI CEO Launches Worldcoin Crypto Project
Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, launched Monday in 35 cities and 20 countries. Its main feature is World ID, a "digital passport" created by scanning a person's eye to create a unique ID that differentiates between human and artificial intelligence (AI) bots.
The crypto startup aims to put a crypto wallet and some of its "WLD" coin (cryptocurrency token) onto everyone's phone but to do that it needs to verify people's identities. Currently, it's giving 25 coins to each participant and plans to cap the supply at 10B coins over the first 15 years.
The launch will not include the US, as regulators are cracking down on digital assets based on fears over cryptocurrencies being used as a vehicle for speculation and fraud. However, Altman said, "The US does not make or break a project like this," as it only makes up 5% of the global population.
Establishment-critical narrative
Worldcoin isn't a crypto scheme, it's a potential dystopian nightmare. Companies have proven time and time again that they're incapable of protecting customers' sensitive data, which is why this project must be held under the highest level of public scrutiny. People have already given up facial, retinal, and fingerprint scans, and, with DNA samples on the horizon, we must be careful of how far these companies want to take it. No one collects biometric data for nothing, so it's time to probe the potential nefarious motives for such projects.
Pro-establishment narrative
While concerns of a dystopian Worldcoin future are understandable, the World ID technology actually has the safest potential of anything seen to date. Unlike other crypto schemes, the use of biometric data will ensure that only humans who sign up for the project will have access to it, and rid the system of fake AI accounts. Though developers must work thoroughly on its safety mechanisms, we should be excited for the future of our economy and the human race more generally as this project rolls out.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the total market cap of all cryptocurrencies will be at least $2.56K (In billions USD) by the start of 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
UN Talking With NKorea About Detained US Private
On Monday, Gen. Andrew Harrison, deputy commander of the UN Command, said the UN has made contact with North Korea to secure the return of US soldier Travis King.
Harrison said talks had begun under a process established by the Korean War armistice.
However, Harrison would not go into details about when talks started, how much contact has been made, or what the US knows about King’s condition.
Right narrative
Pres. Biden is so weak on North Korea policy that the Communist country doesn’t even bother to answer calls from the Sec. of State — whether it’s about King or talks over the country’s nuclear program. In fact, North Korea’s response to the US has been to just test more missiles. Biden's woke and ineffective policies have made the US less safe, and King is now in peril because of the lack of respect North Korea has for the US.
Left narrative
The US doesn’t have embassy relations with North Korea because it rightfully doesn’t want to legitimize an oppressive regime that has threatened nuclear action against the US and beyond. Under the circumstances, the Biden admin. is doing everything it can to bring King home, because that’s what the UN Command was set up to do. North Korea is launching missiles because it’s scared, not because it’s lost respect for the US.
Bangladesh: Dengue 'Epidemic' Kills Over 170
At least 176 people have died of dengue fever in Bangladesh, with some health officials saying the disease has reached an “epidemic” status. However, the Bangladeshi government hasn't officially declared the outbreak as such.
On July 16, the Bangladesh Medical Association pushed authorities to declare the dengue outbreak a “public wellness emergency” but the Directorate General of Health Services has said that the outbreak has not risen to the level of alarm needed for an epidemic.
Officials say that the death rate is at a five-year high of 0.53% this year compared to last year's record death rate of 0.45% where 281 people died of dengue virus in Bangladesh. The excessively high death rate has been called "alarming."
Narrative A
The Bangladeshi government is not doing enough to stop the spread of the dengue virus. The death rate from the virus has gotten alarmingly high, and the children of Bangladesh are at a heightened risk. The outbreak has reached an appropriate threat level to be considered an epidemic.
Narrative B
While this recent outbreak of the dengue virus is horrible, it's not an epidemic just yet per the Bangladeshi government. There are also multiple factors — from construction to climate change — to blame for this outbreak despite the government's diligent mitigation measures.
Israel's Parliament Passes First Judicial Overhaul
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed a key bill on Monday that's the first part of the government’s judicial reform plan that has stirred massive protests and controversy throughout the country. With the opposition boycotting the final vote, the first bill of the series of reforms passed 64-0.
Monday’s vote strips the Israeli court system of its power to strike down government decisions it deems “unreasonable.” Critics say the bill is undemocratic and seeks to erode Israel’s balance of power, while proponents say the government is looking to rein in an overzealous judiciary.
The Knesset’s vote came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the architect of the reforms, was released from the hospital after a sudden health scare prompted doctors to implant a pacemaker in him. Netanyahu suffers from a condition that can cause irregular heartbeats.
Left narrative
Netanyahu and his far-right government are holding Israel hostage as they look to transform the country’s judiciary and strip it of its power. Israel claims to be a democracy, but everything that's transpired in recent months suggests it's the furthest thing from a democracy. Israel is slipping further and further into a fascist dictatorship as the far right looks to solidify its power without the intention of ever letting it go.
Right narrative
While the opposition may claim to have popular support in opposing the government’s judicial reforms, they don’t realize that they are in the minority for a reason. Most Israelis stand with Netanyahu and his pro-Israel party, and they don’t want a politicized Supreme Court to overstep its bounds and interfere with legitimate legislation. A real democracy allows the people to support the politicians and policies that they want, even if those politicians happen to be on the right.
Nerd narrative
There is a 1% chance that a civil war will break out in Israel before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
China: 11 Dead After Gymnasium Roof Collapse
At least 11 are dead after a middle school gymnasium collapsed in China’s northeastern city of Qiqihar Sunday afternoon. According to the municipality's search and rescue headquarters, 19 people were in the gym during the collapse with four escaping and 15 remaining trapped at the time.
The gym was being used by a girls' volleyball team, with eyewitnesses telling the media that most of the victims were children. Parents have reportedly criticized the school for a lack of communication during the rescue effort, which lasted until Monday morning.
One father complained that they told him his "daughter is gone" but that he couldn't identify her since "All the children had their faces covered with mud and blood when they were sent to the hospital." He also claimed that police were sent to monitor the parents but no one was sent to update them on their children.
Anti-China narrative
China has a serious construction problem due to its architectural industry being in its infancy and contractors cutting regulatory corners. Unlike in the US or Europe, which have checks and balances between architects, general contractors, and material suppliers these internal controls are currently lacking in the PRC. Between corruption and lack of technical preparation, buildings are often left vulnerable to tragedies like this one.
Pro-China narrative
While mistakes were made resulting in this tragic collapse, the PRC government takes its construction regulations seriously, with penalties of up to seven years in prison for violating safety measures. The company at fault was highly successful, securing 17 projects in the past three years, including ten government projects — those responsible have tarnished their reputation and will be charged through investigation and due process.