The United States' global standing is declining and the country is heading for a clash with China, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday, adding that "the million dollar question" is whether this clash can be avoided. "We are now seeing that America's dominance on the world stage is constantly shrinking... We are now living through the most dangerous moments in world politics, when the number one world power sees that it is slipping into second place... We are moving toward a clash day by day. The million dollar question is whether it is possible to avoid a collision," Orban said in the Romanian city of Baile Tusnad, as aired by the local broadcaster.

North Indian states are reeling under severe monsoon mayhem as roads are flooded, rivers are flowing over the danger mark, and waterlogging is hindering all kinds of commute leaving residents helpless. After wreaking havoc in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, heavy showers in Maharashtra, and Gujarat have created a flood-like situation in the two states. Meanwhile, a cloudburst in Ladakh and a fresh spell of rain in Uttarakhand have raised the threat of a rise in the water level again in Delhi which has witnessed the worst flooding since 1978. Here are the latest updates on monsoon fury from across the country: Top Points Gujarat Torrential rain has led to a flood-like situation in parts of Gujarat that has submerged the low-lying areas in the state. Heavy to very heavy rains lashed several districts in Gujarat's south and Saurashtra regions on Saturday, reported PTI. The showers have triggered a flood-like situation in urban areas as water levels rise in dams...

COMMENT: Mr. Armstrong, I have been impressed by your Economic Confidence Model. You said there would be no recession until after 2024. You were really the only one who said that. Now Bloomberg reported that the forecasters who were first out of the box to predict a US recession are now hedging their bets. They mention Deutsche Bank Vice Chair of Research Peter Hooper and Fannie Mae chief economist Doug Duncan. However, Nomura Securities International senior economist Aichi Amemiya still says a recession is coming, but its getting to be a close call.

Not one of the significant houses seems ever to get it right. I just wanted to say your model shines a light on the whole analysis field. I cant wait for your Geometry of Time.

DF

REPLY:  Thank you. It has been a most interesting experience. As I said, this is something I bumped into. I did not go looking for such a model. It was something that found me, as many say it was my destiny, even growing up in a house with the address of 314 South Lippincott Ave, in Maple Shade, New Jersey.

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At least seven people were killed and 16 others missing in Bhutan after flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains washed away a section of a small hydroelectric plant on Thursday, local media reported. Rescue and search teams have rushed to the area, authorities said. Prime Minister Lotay Tshering has arrived at the site and is taking stock of the situation and guiding rescue and search operation, his office said. A section of the 32 MW Yungichhu Hydro Power Project in a remote area in the east of the country was washed away, but the main part was not hit, the Bhutanese newspaper said in a Twitter post without elaborating. State broadcaster BBS said seven bodies have been recovered so far and another 16 were missing.

India has banned non-basmati white rice exports to curb domestic inflation, raising fears of further increases in global food prices just days after wheat and corn prices were sent climbing by Russia's termination of a key grain deal. The immediate ban, introduced after heavy rains hit domestic crops, follows the failure of a 20% duty on international exports introduced in September to curb foreign demand, which has soared after extreme climate conditions hit production in countries. Comment: Due to overwhelming government incompetence and corruption, in addition to an increasingly erratic climate, food prices everywhere are soaring, and, in turn, the majority of nations will, for fear of societal upheaval, need to focus on feeding their own - as we see in the case of India here, but also elsewhere, such as in China - and this will likely only push prices to higher, as well as worsen the burgeoning food shortages. India is the world's largest rice exporter, accounting for more than...

Theres a Lebanese street food place in Goa, India called Habibi that prides itself as being the creator of the Sharmouta wrap . The wrap in question consists of Zaatar, Labneh and Falafel with fresh vegetables, which is not that shocking of a mix to be honest. What caught my attention though was how the menu spells Zaatar as Zaater and Labne as Labane or Labna, and more specifically another item on the menu called the 420 Chicken Shawarma; I wonder whats in that mix.

Habibi also has its own Arak, dubbed Arak Al Sharmouta with the slogan And they drank happily ever after. Ive never heard of Arak making in India but Im intrigued to try it out. Worse case, if it tastes bad, the bottle is one of a kind thats for sure .

There's a Lebanese restaurant in Goa (Habibi Street Food), making Arak. pic.twitter.com/2Yr3ScxXc6

Oussama Himani (@ohimani)...