The Brink of Dawn: Rewriting US Nuclear Strategy

The US military is drawing up a new nuclear weapons strategy that breaks with decades of established guidelines. ☢️☢️☢️

The strategy is being overseen by War Department policy chief Elbridge Colby (left) and breaks with guidelines followed for decades. Five people familiar with the plans say the update emphasises using shorter-range tactical weapons in regional conflicts. 

The new plan is designed to provide the US President with updated crisis-response options by seeking to deter adversaries from exploiting regional conflicts while preventing conventional warfare from escalating into a nuclear exchange.  

Colby made a scheduled visit and keynote speech at the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 05, 2026, where he addressed military leadership and attendees during the closed-door 2026 Deterrence Symposium. It came after the Pentagon previously warned that America faces two major nuclear rivals at the same time in China and Russia. 

On July 23, 2026, the Department of War designated three Chinese civilian research universities – Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Shandong University (alongside the Aerospace Information Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences) – as national security threats. These institutions join a growing blacklist that now comprises 130 foreign entities.

Celtic faced Kilmarnock yesterday, seeking back-to-back wins, and they didn't disappoint as they steamrolled past the latter 5-1. 

The Scottish champions were quick to launch an attack down the left side. Kieran Tierney passed to Arne Engels, who delivered a high cross to the far post for Kasper Høgh to head into the net in the second minute, scoring his first goal for Celtic. 

In the 33rd minute, Camilo Durán intercepted a defensive pass, linked up with Benjamin Nygren, and fed Høgh on the left side of the box for a sharp finish. 

During another fluid Celtic attack two minutes later, Nygren slipped the ball to the right for Durán, who sent in a cross that bypassed the goalkeeper, allowing Høgh to tap into an open net and complete his hat-trick. 

Nygren added to the tally in the 47th minute after intercepting a poor goal kick and firing a high shot straight into the top corner. 

While the Killies pulled one back in the 56th minute, Luke McCowan sealed the win with a 75th-minute volley after Kilmarnock failed to clear a looping corner kick.

Data in the Deep

China has taken AI computing beneath the sea, where cold ocean water cools servers while saving energy and millions of litres of freshwater every year. 

Off Hainan’s coast, China operates commercial underwater data centres around 35 metres below the surface. These sealed submarine-grade steel modules use natural seawater to dissipate heat through internal conduction and external radiators, bypassing the energy-hungry mechanical chillers and large amounts of freshwater required by conventional land-based facilities. 

At full capacity, its first phase is expected to save about 26,000 tonnes of water and 3.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually compared with a similar land-based facility.

Don't equate Iran with Venezuela.

A truism. 

This statement was made during an interview with ⁠Mehr News, published on July 20, 2026. 

[That "one person" in question is former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. 

The comment was made in direct reference to a US military operation on January 03, 2026, during which American forces quickly captured and forcibly removed Maduro from power. 

Following his kidnapping, Venezuela’s interim government – led by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez – swiftly endeared themselves to Donald Trump and entered into US-supervised talks, granting new oil and energy concessions to Washington. To put it bluntly, Venezuela capitulated].

On July 28, their Foreign Ministry officially summoned Iranian Ambassador Ali Chegini to deliver a formal note of protest, demanding a strict "cessation of all allusion or comparison that undermines the dignity, sovereignty, institutional framework, or good name" of Venezuela. 

😂😂😂

Shadow Play

A shadow can reveal much more than the shape of an object. 

For Spanish illustrator Sergio Duce, it becomes a storytelling device, transforming ordinary scenes into visual metaphors that explore imagination, childhood, relationships, and everyday life. 

With just a few lines and a carefully placed shadow, he creates illustrations that invite viewers to look beyond what's immediately visible. 

They're built around clever visual concepts rather than dialogue, and for sure, these works reward careful observation, often revealing their meaning only after a second glance.

CW Kee's Durian-themed Cartoons

Malaysian cartoonist CW Kee has been delighting readers with his Kee's World comic strips in The Star since 1981, frequently using durians as a satirical backdrop to depict daily Malaysian life. A former editorial artist, Kee famously introduced the weekly strip It's a Durian Life in 1985. 

Here's a selection of durian-themed cartoons:

Life Is Weird And Hilarious

Joe Lennon's one-panel cartoons leave no room for unnecessary details. With just a single image and a few carefully chosen words, cartoonists have to establish a situation, surprise the reader, and deliver a memorable punchline, all within seconds. 

It's a familiar format behind some of the most iconic comics. It perfectly proves that life is weird and hilarious.