Post #305 31 August 2026

 Gentlefolk,

This post describes our main activities during the month of August 2026.

The contents of this post are in the following sequence:

Photos of our activities during August 2026, focussed on my 80th birthday celebrations.

News items which caught my eye in August 2026. 

Some key actions by President Trump during August 2026 (from MS NOW Project 47).

Highlight of August 2026

The highlight of the month was my 80th birthday celebration at Jen & Tom's home in The Gap (a suburb of Brisbane). 

Vera & I have never been fussed about birthdays, but Jen & Tom insisted that we do something more to mark this milestone. So we organised a "long lunch" at their home. They prepared delicious food for 25 guests, and were wonderful hosts.  

My sisters flew in from Canberra, my brother from the Cook Islands, Paul & Niniek from Sydney, Sean from Perth. We invited some friends from the Brisbane region: total of 25 family & friends. 

It was a most enjoyable afternoon. THANKS JEN & TOM!!!

Internationally, the USA/Israel - Iran conflict drags on, now in its 6th month. Trump has changed tactics: he has imposed total sanctions on Iran to inflict maximum economic pain until they agree to a "peace agreement" on his terms.

Herewith photos of some of our activities in August 2026:

Celebration in Brisbane 

Andy flew in to Brisbane on the direct Jetstar flight from Rarotonga. We picked him up at Brisbane International Terminal on 14 August. Sean flew from Perth. Paul & Niniek came from Sydney. 

"This is Alex's Life" picturebook which Jen & Tom compiled;  It contains photos of the main highlights of my eight decades on this earth. Fabulous! Thanks, Jen & Tom for a wonderful gift!

Angie and Ani checking out the picturebook.

Jen & Tom kindly invited all the family to stay at their home in the Gap, a suburb of Brisbane.
From left: Aniko, Andy, Jen, me, Angie, and Vera.

Four siblings: Andy (Rarotonga), Aniko (Canberra), Birthday Boy (Caloundra), and Angie (Narooma NSW). 

From left: Shana, Niniek, Iem, Paul, and Henny.

Colin and Greg.

Charles (former student in Qingdao) and Michael.(former colleague in the Trade Section of the Australian Embassy in Beijing. Michael attended my 40th birthday there, in August 1986).

Laura, Angie and Ani.

Jen, with Fina, Julius, and Henny; our wonderful friends from the Sunshine Coast.

Tom, Kurt and Jen prepared all the food for 25 guests! They both love cooking - the food was delicious!

Diana & Tom, Laura, Angie & me.

Sean, Vera, and Hugo: a rose between ....

It was a cool and windy day, so Jen & Tom set up inside their living room.

Jen made a lovely speech, and also read out comments sent by Andrew in London.
I thanked Jen & Tom for hosting this party, and everyone for coming, and especially my wife, Vera, for being such a wonderful wife and mother and companion. 

My sisters, Angie & Ani, presented me with this special T'Shirt. 

After speeches by Jen, Andrew (via Jen), Andy, Angie & me, it was time for the birthday cake.

From left: Sean, Aniko, Vera, Shana, Andy, Greg, Diana, Tom, Fina, Henny, Julius, Michael, Colin.

From left: Fina, Laura, Julius, Michael, Colin, Paul, Angie, Nikki, Charles, Hugo.

Old buddies; from left: Hugo (met in Canberra in 1966); Tom (lived on the same street in Cooma North in the early 1960s); me; Sean (met in 1954 in St Pats Primary School in Cooma NSW); Andy (my younger brother, has lived in the Cook Islands for 45 years).

.

With Nikki & Charles. Charles was my student in 2014 when I taught English for six years at the China University of Petroleum in Qingdao, Shandong Province. An impressive couple; they now live in Brisbane. Charles is pursuing a successful career as an engineer.

Lunch at the Regatta Hotel, 16 August

Thje following day we had a family lunch at the grand old Regatta Hotel in Toowong, Brisbane.

From left: Michael, Barbara, me, Niniek, Aniko, Andy, Angie, Vera, Paul, Tom, and Jen.

Another view of the lunch table. From left: Angie, Vera, Paul, Tom, Jen, Andy, Michael, Barb, me, Niniek, and Aniko.

Boat on the Brisbane River, 16 August.

After lunch we took a ferry ride on the Brisbane River, from Toowong to New Farm and back.

Tom and Andy on the ferry.

Three days at the Gold Coast

We stayed at the Blue Waters Apartments on Marine Parade in Labrador - comfortable.

Diana and Tom invited us all for dinner at their lovely apartment, not far from where we were staying on Marine Parade, Labrador.

Skyline of Surfers Paradise from the tour boat cruise along the canals. 

Part of the beach near Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise. A strong, cool wind was blowing, so very few people in the surf.

Interesting/weird/erotic street sculpture on Cavill Avenue. 

Back in 1983 I considered buying a Maccas franchise. I had met the owner/manager of the Cavill Ave store in Vancouver (he was Canadian) and remember chatting with him about the prospects.
but when I got the posting to Beijing, I dropped the project. 
What might have been....???

Some of our group cycled back to Labrador from Cavill Ave.

Angie, Andy, Tom and I did a Jet Boat ride. Exhilarating!

Angie, Sean, Vera, Andy, me, Hugo.

Angelina visited us in Labrador (she and her partner Michaelangelo are living in Pimpima).

Saying goodye to Diana and Tom, fine hosts. We dropped Angie off at Coolangatta Airport for her flight to Canberra, had lunch with Hugo, and then dropped Sean off at Brisbane Airport for his flight to Perth.
 

After a quick visit to Caloundra, back to Brisbane

Andy and Jen chatting with Andrew in London on WhatsApp.

Vera & I said goodye to Andy (he complained about the cold weather in SE Queensland, and often wore a beanie, as in these photos). We headed home to Caloundra; he flew back to Rarotonga that night.
So ended 10 days of activites around my 80th birthday.

Other photos from August 2026

We said goodbye to Nate (Jen & Tom's middle son) who flew back to Arkansas State University after spending the long university holidays in Brisbane.

Sid, Jen & Tom's youngest son. 

Village friends Bronwyn & Noel were off to Africa and Europe.

Lunch at Kings Beach with friends from Canberra, Judy and Kevin. 

Dinner with Village friends Nikki & Graeme.

......

 

News items which caught my eye in August 2026.

($ are US dollars unless otherwise shown)

Global	Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow: Australia 70 – 45 – 55 = 171; England 29 – 45 – 36 = 110; Canada 19 – 20 – 24 = 63 total medals. Aussie Louise Hoskins 76 won gold in the Para Bowling Pairs – oldest competitor. Artificial Intelligence: examples of AI going rogue to hack websites on its own accord. Soccer: Cristiano Ronaldo 41 married Georgina Rodriguez. They have been together 10 years and have 2 children. His net worth: $1.4B. Plays for Al Nasser in Saudi Arabia. He played in 6 World Cups, captain of Portugal. Indonesia: 7.7 earthquake in Flores killed 100+, and many injured. USA / Israel - Iran war: Trump announced increased sanctions on Iran, determined to force them to accept his peace terms by crippling the economy. The war started 6 months ago (28 February 2026). UK: Harry & Meghan, Duke & Duchess of Sussex, relocated to England. First AI assisted brain surgery (Rhys Hibbert, England). National Debt: Australia $1T = 32% of GDP; Germany 70%; UK 95%; USA 125%; Japan 250%. China: Evergrande founder Hui Ka Yan was sentenced to life imprisonment for corporate crimes. He was once Asia’s second richest man. Under the new China / Switzerland trade agreement, 99% of Swiss products will enter China duty free. Occupied West Bank: France, Germany, Italy, UK and Canada condemned Israel for expanding settlements. Robots: In the World Humanoid Robot Games held in Beijing, a robot ran 100m in 9.39sec, beating Usain Bolt’s WR of 9.58s. Nepal: Flash flood (probably triggered by collapsing glacier), killed 900+ with 2,500 still missing, and many injured. Strait of Hormuz: Iran and Oman reached an agreement on 'managing' the Strait. Oil is starting to move through the Strait - now around 50% of pre-war levels (up to 8 million barrels a day).  Iceland: a referendum rejected (53%) plans to restart negotiations to join the EU.
USA	The Congressional Budget Office estimated US national debt (all Treasury bonds, bills & notes) at $40 trillion. It has doubled in the last decade. The USA Govt has paid back $100B to importers for Liberation Day tariffs. Trump introduced new 10% and 12.5% tariffs on 60 countries for “failing to combat forced labour”. Trump imposed 50% tariffs on some imports from Canada; Canada retaliated. Trump paid $4B to companies to stop their offshore wind farm developments. The Senate confirmed (50-49) Trump’s former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, as US Attorney General. Trump signed an Executive Order changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America, Trump said that he will cancel 200,000 visas granted to asylum seekers.   The Economist: 42% of US food outlets were unprofitable in 2025. Trump’s social media site Truth Social started selling “early access” to the President's posts for up to $100K per month. NBA: The LA Lakers basketball team was sold for $12.5B (the Lakers have 17 NBA titles, one less than the Boston Celtics). Dolly Parton died aged 80. She was a much-loved singer, song writer, actress, entrepreneur, and charity organiser. Eleven Grammy Awards; 25 songs #1 on Billboard Country Charts; sold over 100M records. Remarkable! Meta (Facebook & Instagram) agreed to settle a court case for $18B – agreed to do more to protect youth from social media harm/addiction. A SpaceX rocket launched the NASA "Roman" telescope which will take 100 days to reach its orbit; most powerful ever, it is expected to reveal more about the universe.
Australia	The RBA kept interest rates at 4.35%, but said inflation still too high at 3.6%. Top auto suppliers in the June Quarter of 2026: China 175K, Japan 144K. 50% of sales were EV or Hybrids. James Packer 58 married Kylie Lim 46. His 3rd marriage: Erica Baxter 2007 – 13; Jodhi Meares 1999 – 2002. A book was returned to Kiama Library after 150 years. The ACCC launched an investigation into false and/or misleading labelling of food products (following a 4 Corners expose). Deadly H5N1 bird flu is spreading across Australia. An estimated 80% of tobacco products consumed in Australia are from illegal sources (Govt excise has driven up retail prices too high, gangs attracted). NSW and the ACT joined the Federal Govt’s gun buy-back scheme following the Bondi killings last December. Rifles & pistols $1,000 each. Sydney Swans Aussie Rules team stood down 5 players for breaking Club Standards (following accusations of sexual assault, still being investigated). Triple murderer (by death cap mushrooms) Erin Patterson launched an appeal of her 2025 conviction. Supermarket chain Coles reported sales of $46B and net profit of $1.3B. Home builder group Bathla Group entered receivership; it had 15,000 homes and apartments under construction. Following NT legislation, all Australian States and Territories now have Voluntary Assisted Dying laws. Paiuline Hanson's One Nation party won the WA State seat of Secret Habour (south of Perth)  by-election. With 80% of the vote counted, One Nation had received 39% of the primary vote, Labor 25% and the Libs 17%. One Nation is regarded as right wing, anti-immigration, similar to Reform in the UK.  A challenge to the major parties....

 

President Trump continues to dominate the media. American government policy seems to be largely based on Trump posts on Truth Social, his social media site.

 

Trump’s key actions

From MS NOW Project 47

 

In week ending 7 August 2026

Reportedly led an aggressive fundraising operation that tracked corporate contributions to his affiliated entities, including the White House ballroom project and his future presidential library

Said he had not “made a determination” about firing U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after her office moved to dismiss charges against people accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

Blamed Minnesota following reports of an Iranian cyberattack targeting the state’s water systems.

Continued to voice support for data centers despite growing public backlash

 

In week ending 14 August 2026

His media company signed up 10 customers paying between $60,000 and $100,000 a month to receive potentially market-moving Truth Social posts early

Said, when asked by a radio host if he would declare a “national security emergency” before the elections, “stranger things have happened”

Had his nominee for attorney general, his former personal lawyer Todd Blanche, narrowly confirmed by the Senate

Attempted to rebrand the White House ballroom proposal as a “military center” after it was blocked by a judge

 

In Week ending 20 August 2026

Showed off a new helipad at the White House, personally thanking the company that donated the grass

Announced plans to nominate a White House health aide who has called for stricter regulation of abortion pills to head the Food and Drug Administration

Saw scandal-plagued Rep. Cory Mills lose a Republican primary by 13 points even after endorsing him

Had his approval rating fall to 33% in one poll, the lowest of any point in his second term

 

In Week ending 28 August

Used the phrase “mission accomplished” in a social media post about the war with Iran, echoing George W. Bush’s infamous Iraq declaration

Said in an interview that a lot of midterm voters are “very angry at Republicans” but not with him

Reportedly ordered a series of TV political ads promoting his own record instead of focusing on GOP candidates

Proposed renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” amid an ongoing trade war with Canada

 

......

And so ended a memorable month for the newest Octogenarian.

Best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Vera & Alex Olah

Caloundra, Australia

Monday 31 August 2026

Post #304 31 July 2026

  Gentlefolk,

This post describes our main activities during the month of July 2026.

The contents of this post are in the following sequence:

Photos of our activities during July 2026 (a final week in London, then Istanbul and Bali; and home again to Caloundra).

News items which caught my eye in July 2026. 

Some key actions by President Trump during July 2026 (from MS NOW Project 47).

The 2026 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

Highlights of July 2026

As mentioned in my previous post, on 1 June we left Caloundra for our long-anticipated trip to London, Germany, Turkey, and Bali (1 June to 16 July 2026). 

Initially I was going to do one post for the whole trip , but as I had some time in London I decided to do a post which covered June, and now this post covering the month of July (including the last 2 weeks of our trip).

I've made some observations about London at the end of this post.

On 17 June the USA and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work towards a peacen settlement within 60 days.  But active hostilities resumed in mid July, which included nightly American bombing missions. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz stopped again. The Houthis in Yemen threatened shipping in the Red Sea. Crude oil prices rose to over $100 per barrel, which was reflected in increased petrol and Diesel prices at the bowser. This (still undeclared) war is going nowhere. When will it all end???

Herewith photos of some of our activities in July 2026:

In London

The majestic St Pancras Station (Victorian Gothic Revival style) is the terminus of Eurostar trains.
It was originally built 1866-68 and housed the Midland Grand Hotel. British Rail decided to demolish the building but, thankfully, it was saved in 1967 by a heritage campaign led by poet John Betjeman.
 

The British Library was created by an Act of Parliament in 1973, with materials transferred from the British Museum. The main building is located on Euston Road, next to St Pancras Station, and was opened in 1997.
Unfortunately the Library's "Treasures Room" was closed the day we visited.

.  

The British Library has an active events program. 

The London Underground system is very extensive and serves the city well. The first line was opened in 1863, and rapidly expanded.
for example, we took the Underground from Arsenal Station to Heathrow for our flight to Germany - very good service.

Electric bikes for hire are popular. Actually, the many cyclists in London are well served with bike lanes throughout the city.

We had to check out famous Carnaby Street in Soho. It was the center of British fashion and culture in the 1960s & 70s.

We were surprised at the number of pubs in London - they are very much part of the culture.

We went to a performance of "The Mousetrap" at St Martin's Theatre in the West End. This Agatha Christie play has been continuously performed since 1952 - unbelievable! We actually took the kids to this play in 1990 during our first (and, until now, only) visit to London. 
With superb acting and a good story, it is still drawing large audiences.

Inside St Martin's Theatre.

The small corner shop about 150m from Andrew & Caz's Townhouse. 

Eddie at soccer training (Highbury Fields).

Local schools use the ovals on Highbury Fields for sports.

Samba! Adorable!

Andrew's electric car being recharged on the street outside their home. Companies install charging stations in light poles.

The impressive British Houses of Parliament, with a corner of Westminster Abbey visible on the right.

A statue of Oliver Cromwell in front of the Houses of Parliament. We visited the public galleries of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.  PM Starmer was speaking to a Bill in the Commons, so that was lucky. He is quite a good speaker, but lacks charisma and is not popular. The British Parliamentary Labour Party replaced him with Andy Burham the following week (Burnham is the 7th British PM in 10 years!)..

On our last weekday in London Vera & I visited the wonderful British Museum (again).

The huge interior concourse of the British Museum.

I joined guided tour of "Roman Britain"; the Romans ruled England for nearly 400 years, from AD43 to AD410.

Bronze head thought commemorate the visit to England by Emperor Hadrian in AD122.

The Reddie Showroom at 153 Goswell Road, Clerkenwell, London (about 4 km north of St Paul's Cathedral). Originally it housed a bank. 
Caz and Andrew (and kids Eddie & Jay) moved to London in September 2025 to open a branch of their furniture company (Reddie.com). Their impressive Showroom was opened in May 2026.
They are confident that Reddie furniture will do well in Britain and Europe. Furniture is compeitive and it is not easy to break into a market. We admire them for "having a go". 

Vera & Andrew.

Caz, Eddie and Coco at work.

Another section of the Reddie Showroom.

Brits love soccer. The pubs and beer gardens were packed during 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Australian Socceroos did well to progress to the second stage, but were then beaten by Egypt.

We visited busy Camden markets.

I chatted with the stall-holder selling French prints. He said that life became much more difficult after Brexit. He now takes a train to Paris, fills a suitcase, and smuggles it back to London. He buys the prints for about 10 Euros and sells them for the equivalent of about 50 euros.  

We walked from the Camden Markets along a canal to Regent's park. About 4,000 km of canals were built in the UK, and were important for transportation, then rail and road took over. There are still about 2,000 miles in operation, mainly for household/tourism use. 

A map of Regent's Park. Later Andrew & I climbed Primrose Hill for views of the City. It was a sunny, warm day and the park was filled with people picnicking and sunbathing..

The view from Primrose Hill.

City outline from Primrose Hill, using zoom. The top of St Paul's Cathedral is in the center. There are height and heritage restrictions in much of the 'old' part of London.

The Hackney Flower Market.

Another view of the Flower Market.

The pub servicing the Hackney Flower Market.

An Englsih pound was worth nearly two Aussie dollars.

Jay and me in Hackney.

Dinner in Caz & Andrew's back yard, very pleasant on a summer's evening. Eddie made pasta - delicious!

Cleaning up the back yard.

Jay waved to us as we were leaving for the airport.

Andrew very kindly drove us to Stansted Airport for our flight to Istanbul. And so ended our 3 weeks in London.

Istanbul here we come!

Our Turkish Airlines plane from London to Istanbul (4 hours  flight).

Intense farming in France.

Coming in to land at Istanbul Airport.

We stayed at the big Hilton Bomonti Hotel.

A view from our room on the 18th floor of the Hilton Bomonti Hotel.

Vera and our friend Seckin. We met David (American) and Seckin (Turkish) when we lived in Brazil in 1980 and have kept in touch (David died several years ago). We were keen to see their daughter Ayse again, but as a journalist she was in Ankara covering a NATO conference.

Seckin showed us aspects of "local life" in Istanbul. For example, she often comes to this park on the shores of the Bosphorus which has a large population of cats - all well cared for by local women. 

We had coffee & cake in a lovely restaurant on the water.

Seckin showed us her apartment, which is on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. She explained that a developer knocked the old building down and owners were given preference in buyinjg into the new building.

We had lunch at the Kandilli Seafood Restaurant, one of Seckin's favourite restaurants.

The Kandilli Restaurant featured a display honouring the life of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881 - 1938, aged 57), the founder of modern Turkey. Seckin is a big fan.

One of the 3 bridges across the Bosphorus.

The Hilton Bomonti erected a huge outdoor TV screen for people to watch the World Cup. 

Another waterside restaurant in Istanbul.

The impressive Ortakoy Mosque in Istanbul.

Vera wrote a card to Seckin thanking her for looking after us so well during our visit to Istanbul.

Turkish Airlines

We flew Business Class with Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Bali (12.5 hours), very comfortable. 


Bali, here we come

One hour to go to Bali.  

We had six days in Bali, a great place to relax after our Europe trip. The weather was perfect this time. We stayed at the Jayakarta Hotel in Legian.

The main pool area of the Jayakarta Hotel. The rooms are a bit dated, but we like the ambience and location: the extensive gardens, nice swimming pools, good breakfasts, close to shopping and restaurants on Jalan Double-Six, and the quick access to Legian Beach. 

We took in a couple of Balinese cultural performances, one at our hotel, and the other performance nearby.

The Kecak dance is always fascinating.

A photo with the performers after the show.

The World Cup games were shown in Sports Bars in Bali, but as many visitors are Aussies who prefer rugby and Rules, it was not as popular as in England.

Every evening we had sunset on Legian Beach. Always lots happening. Good fun. 

Sunset on Legian Beach.

We spent our last afternoon around Tuban, close to the airport. Visited German Beach (Pantai Jerman). Wonder how it get its name???

One of the hotels in Tuban, across the street from German Beach.

Three months ago Jetstar started direct flights between Sunshine Coast Airport and Bali. Our return flight left Bali at midnight, and arrived at SC Airport at 7.30am. One of the sliding glass doors at Bali Airport suddenly shattered just as we were passing.



Back home in Nirimba / Caloundra

Back home to Caloundra and Halcyon Nirimba Village.  It took us a few days to settle back to life here. 
Barbara Roberts visited us and we attended a talk by Noel Braun. He started walking the Camino aged 77. He is now 93 and still going strong - amazing guy, a real inspiration. 

We went to Brisbane to see the family. Here Jennifer is preparing a meal. Jen and Tom both enjoy cooking.

Tom in the kitchen.  He and Jen are both excellent cooks. 

Photo with Nate. He will head back to Arkansas State University in 2 weeks. While in Brisbane for the long summer vacation, Nate had a shoulder reconstruction (injured playing rugby for the University). His rehab is going well.

The Social Club arranged for a hypnotist to put on a show. 

A number of Villagers volunteered to "go under".into trance. It was fascinating to watch.

Last night the Sydney Roosters beat the North Queensland Cowboys 82 - 12 in the NRL competiton. The Roosters are the first Rugby League team to score more than 80 points in a game since 1935.
An unexpected result as the Cowboys had been playing well and beat the Brisbane Broncos last week.  

So that brings us to the end of July.


Herewith a photos of recent happenings to people close to us.


Eddie, Jay and their cousin from Sydney, Miles.

Eddie & Jay's cousin Miles, and his mother Katherine, arrived in London the day we left, for a 3 week visit. Here the kids are enjoying icecreams.  

Miles and Eddie at the British Museum.

Miles and Eddie enjoying lunch.

Eddie cut his hair short - a big change from the "bowl cut" he has had for many years. 

Kurt celebrated his 21st birthday.

Jen & Tom at Kurt's 21st. Their eldest son.

Kurt and his girlfriend Freya at Kurt's 21st birthday party.

Birth of Evie in Canberra

Michael and Adrienne welcomed their daughter Evie (Evelyn). Mother and daughter both doing well.

Jen's run in Brisbane

In a moment of madness Jen signed up to do a 54km run/walk.

They walked most of the uphill sections.

Jen did 54km in just under 9 hours. Congrats, Jen, on a great effort!!!

Geoff's birthday in Forster

Our good friend Geoff Gray (2nd from left) turned 80 on 27 July. He is a very special person.

The 2026 FIFA Soccer World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was held 12 June to 19 July hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico. Teams from 48 countries played 104 matches in 16 cities. We were in London and Germany for the first 2 weeks, both soccer-mad countries, so lots of coverage, interest and excitement.

The final 8 (quarter finalists): France, Morrocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Switzerland, and Argentina.

Semi-finals: Spain 2 beat France 0; Argentina 2 beat England 1.

Play off for 3^rd place: England 6 beat France 4. An entertaining game with 10 goals!!! England was 4 – 0 up at half time, then France came roaring back. Young (24) Bukayo Saka scored a hat trick for England.

Etha sent this summary of the England - France game, from German TV.

Final: Spain 1 beat Argentina 0. Spain scored in the 106^th minute (in Extra Time). They were the better side and deserved to win. Argentine captain Messi cried.

Individual Awards:

Golden Boot (top scorer): Kylian Mbappe (France, 10 goals).

Golden Ball (best player): Rodri (Spanish mid fielder).

Golden Glove (best goalie): Unai Simon (Spain, only let in one goal in the whole tournament).

Best Young Player: Pan Cabarsi (Spain, 19 centre back).

President Trump attended the World Cup Final (played in new Jersey on 20 July 2026). He presented medals to the winning team (Spain).

President Trump presenting a medal to Lamine Yamal, a young, rising star.

The Spanish team: winners are grinners!

Argentinian captain Lionel Messi was distraught (teary) after the game. He led Argentina to victory in the World Cup 4 years ago, but they just missed out this time. Messi is regarded as one of the best players in the world, a real icon; he is 39 years old and this was probably his last World Cup.  

......

 

News items which caught my eye in July 2026.

($ are US dollars unless otherwise shown)

Global	Iran: Funeral/mourning of death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the USA/Israel attack on Iran on 28 February 2026. Huge crowds in cities across Iran and Iraq. Athletics: Briton Josh Kerr (28) ran new world record for the mile: 3m42s. Tennis: Serena Williams (44) came out of retirement to play at Wimbledon – beaten by Aussie Maya Joint in the first round. In the final of the Men’s Singles Jannik Sinner beat Alexander Zverev; and in the Women’s Singles Linda Noskova beat Karolina Muchova (both Czech). NATO conference was held in Ankara, Turkey. UK: Nigel Farange resigned his seat - but will contest the resulting by election (some said he was trying to avoid the investigation of his finances). Andy Burham (56) was elected leader of the Labour Party, and became British Prime Minister (the 7th in 10 years). He appointed John Healey Chancellor of the Exchequer and Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary. The Economist EIU published its list of “most liveable cities”: Copenhagen, Vienna, Melbourne, Sydney, Zurich, Geneva, Osaka, Adelaide, Vancouver. Thailand: a fire in a bar in Bangkok resulted in 40+ deaths. Venezuela: two big earthquakes near Caracas killed 5,000+. Canada: 900+ wildfires burnt across Canada; Trump accused Canada of creating smoke haze and “bad air”, threatened tariffs. Nicaragua: President Daniel Ortega announced the cancellation of future elections. The Commonwealth Games the 23rd CG started in Glasgow; 3,000 athletes from 74 countries competing in 10 sports (reduced from 20). The Australian contingent numbers 257. As at 30 July the top three total medal winners were Australia 103, England 56, and Canada 39. Oil: back up to $100 pb with the renewed US attacks on Iran. The Houthis (supporters of Iran) in Yemen threatened shipping in the Red Sea. Wildfires in Spain and France forced the evacuation of 350,000+ residents. Cycling: Slovenian Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de France for the 5th time. Nauru (a small island in the Pacific) changed it name to Naoero. The Danube River is at its lowest level in 30 years.  Soccer: The 2026 World Cup final was held on 20 July; won by Spain. FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants to allow private equity to invest, but strong blow-back from UEFA.
USA	Pres Trump’s annual financial disclosure showed that he made $1.4B in 2025 from crypto and meme-coin businesses. He earned $26M from foreign real estate deals. Trump made a prime-time national address on TV in which he claimed the US election system was flawed; but the evidence he presented was not convincing. Commentators speculated that he is preparing the ground for November’s Mid-Term elections. The USA agreed to assist Saudi Arabia to establish nuclear power plants, if SA recognised Israel. The USA declined automatic renewal of the North America free trade agreement (USMCA) – will revert to annual discussions.  The US imposed 50% tariffs on a range of imports from Canada, alleging unfair practices by Canada on cars, dairy and alcohol. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth aid the Iran War had cost $38B, but commentators said the figure was at least double that amount. Trump wants Congress to increase the Pentagon’s annual budget by about $500B to $1.5T. Vice President JD Vance’s wife Usha had their 4th child, a boy. The US Supreme Court rejected planned restrictions on birthright citizenship. USA 250th anniversary celebrations. Congress established the “America 250” agency to coordinate events; the White House established its own program under the “Freedom 250” banner. Taylor Swift married Travis Kelce in Madison Garden, NYC. Heat wave conditions on the East Coast and Mid West. The annual hot dog eating contest held in NYC was won by Jay Chestnut (66 in 10 mins, his 18th win). The best woman was Miki Sudo who consumed 38 hot dogs in 10 mins. The US imposed 10% and 12.5% tariffs on 60 trading partners for not doing enough to combat forced labour in their supply chains. The UK got 10%, Australia 12.5%.  Many commentators said that this was just a ploy to continue tariffs which were about to expire.   LeBron James will play for the Philadelphia 76ers next season.(from Lakers). According to The Economist and YouGov, President Trump’s net approval rating has fallen to -25 (a record low). Major concerns of Americans: Prices/inflation (29%); Jobs/economy (14%); Healthcare (9%); Immigration (7%); Climate (6%).
Australia	Property prices falling in major Australian cities; auction clearance rates well down. The Govt accepted most of the recommendations of the report into Islamophobia. The Royal Commission into Antisemitism is attracting much media coverage. Popular actor Sam Neill died of cancer aged 78. The Australian Labor Party’s Conference in Adelaide. A 4 Corners investigation uncovered many instances of false or misleading  labelling of food products (tomatoes, eggs, alcohol, etc). Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan was replaced by Ben Carroll.

 

President Trump continues to dominate the media. American government policy seems to be largely based on Trump posts on Truth Social, his social media site.

 

Trump’s key actions

From MS NOW Project 47

In week ending 2 July 2026

Announced that the Republican Party will hold its first-ever national convention in advance of the midterm elections

Called for Republicans in Congress to pass a bill that would end birthright citizenship after a Supreme Court ruling keeping it

Said he has not yet decided whether to sign a bipartisan housing bill, dismissing it as “a yawn” (wants Congress to pass his election bill first)

Threatened to seize control of Washington, D.C., if voters elect a mayoral candidate he opposes

 

In week ending 10 July 2026

Had a $3.8 billion defamation lawsuit from his social media company against The Washington Post thrown out by a judge

Renewed his push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, threatening to pull U.S. troops from Europe over it at a NATO summit

Announced plans to weaken efficiency standards for home appliances that have been shown to cut electricity demand and lower utility bills

Reportedly required crews building a new helipad to work around-the-clock to finish before an upcoming state visit, driving up the cost by $875,000

 

In week ending 17 July 2026

Overturned a plan to pause Immigration and Customs Enforcement traffic stops after a deadly shooting in Maine

Walked back a dramatic plan for the U.S. to take control of the Strait of Hormuz and charge a toll

Posted on social media that a New York Times reporter would “pay the price” for her stories, arguing that she was part of a secret plot to undermine him

Had a bridge in Tennessee named for him on the same day that Palm Beach International Airport was renamed

 

In week ending 24 July 2026

Declared that data centers are “one of the biggest driving forces” for future jobs, even as polls show they have become unpopular

Announced that a Boeing luxury jet donated by Qatar would need to be taken out of service to add more defensive capabilities

Failed to persuade key Senate Republicans to back a bill to restrict voting rights after a primetime address on the subject

Claimed that soldiers who had died in the war with Iran had “said very strongly, ‘We can’t let, we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.’”

In week ending 31 July 2026

Made plans to end a subsidy program that helped hold down premiums for Medicare drug plans

Failed to file an appeal of the Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship decision, despite having publicly declared he would

Said “I haven’t thought about it” when asked when the cyclospora outbreak might end

Admitted in court filings that the administration had cut energy grants to states he lost in the 2024 election for political reasons

......

Some observations about London.

Fascinating city, history around every corner (very different from Australia).

Britain was so rich and powerful in the 1700s and 1800s, as a result of the Industrial Revolution and the Empire, and that wealth is reflected in the city.

Amazing museums and galleries and architecture. 

Ststues of famous people; lots of ovely parks.

Many familiar place names (eg Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Piccadilly, Kings Cross, Regent's Park, Greewich, Covent Garden, Park Lane, Mayfair, Knightsbridge,  etc) to Australians of my generation (we learnt British History at school in those days).

Good public transportation (buses and trains).

Churches and pubs everywhere.

Lots of pets, especially dogs; people love dogs, you can take a dog anywhere.

The weather was variable: some quite hot days, but also cool, windy and showery periods.

The days were long in June, from about 5am to 9pm (would be much shorter and less pleasant in Winter).

Lots of small shops.

We had to use the National Health System (doctor and dentist) - worked well for us.

Pubs are important social points; they were particulary busy when England palyed in the World Cup.

Lots of people of African origin around Highbury/North London. 

People, generally, seemed satisfied; we didn't witness any crime or violence, although it exists.

Markets are popular and busy.

Lots of townhouses, and bay windows (Omi would have loved it).

 

OK, that's enough for this post.

Just wanted to express our thanks again to Caz and Andrew for looking after us so well in London; Oda, Heidi & Conny in Weilheim; Etha, Jurgen, Laura & Marvin in Munster; and Seckin in Istanbul. You all made our trip so pleasant and memorable - THANK YOU!!!.

Best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Vera & Alex Olah

Caloundra, Australia

Friday 31 July 2026