Opening Note…

Welcome back, friends… I safely arrived in New Zealand last weekend, and I’ve been sightseeing around Auckland this week, but more on this at the end of the newsletter… (with a photo).

What’s quite bizarre, is that as my wife and I were landing in Australia to change flights last weekend, the aircraft got the news of an ‘active gunmen’ situation at Bondi beach… it was a surreal experience as everyone’s phones started to come out and play the shocking video… the panic and horror instantly swept through the Australians on the plane.

Then today, as I was preparing to fly to the South Island, I get fresh news that another car of 5 men was just stopped by intelligence services about to create a copycat event…

When exactly are the people going to wake up and put an end to this madness? I think it’s time.

My heart really goes out to all of the people and families affected by the event.

Let's break down the latest...

Table of Contents

• 1. Weekly Spotlight

• 2. Quick Takes

• 3. Opportunity Of The Week…

• 4. Chart of the Week: Rare earth reserves are heav …

• 5. Market Overview

• 5. Faith & Success

1. Weekly Spotlight

Trump moves to choke Venezuela’s oil

There was a pretty sharp escalation in the Venezuela situation this week. President Trump announced what he called a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of Venezuela.

This will completely choke off how Venezuela’s government earns money from oil by stopping certain ships from moving crude around. Trump also added to his last statement of making the (cartel de los soles) a terrorist organisation, now directly saying that Venezuela’s leadership is a “foreign terrorist organisation,” which I think, at the very least, is a big rhetorical step, even if the exact semantic effect is murky.

The reason this deserves so much attention is that, as I said in my video on this topic, oil is a key input cost, and it influences the price of transport, heating, and a lot of everyday goods. If traders think supply might get tighter or shipping messier, prices can jump fast on the speculative fear alone. We saw that reaction right away, with oil popping notably after the announcement.

There’s also a more serious part here. To have warships blockading a country starts to sound like a military exercise, and that’s why you’re already seeing criticism in the MSM that this looks like it could be treated as an act of war if it’s enforced aggressively.

If this drags on, the everyday knock-on effects are pretty simple. Higher oil prices can mean pricier petrol, heating, and shipping costs creeping up again. Even if Venezuela is only a slice of global oil, markets hate uncertainty, and uncertainty is what makes prices fluctuate.

2. Quick Takes

Here are the other top stories shaping the week:

• Poland to Restart Anti-Personnel Mine Production for Eastern Border

  Poland plans to start making anti-personnel mines again for the first time since the Cold War and to lay them along its 800km eastern border with Belarus and Russia as part of a new “East Shield” defence line. Deputy defence minister Pawel Zalewski says the country is quitting the Ottawa landmine ban so it can produce millions of mines, with state-owned firm Belma gearing up to make up to 1.2 million a year. Warsaw wants to prioritise its own border, but says any extra mines could be sent to Ukraine and other NATO neighbours like the Baltic states, who are also rearming against Russia. Ukraine is itself quitting the 1997 treaty so it can use mines against Moscow, while Russia, the US and China were never part of the ban. - This is one of those “short-term security, long-term pain” moves that may feel logical on a tense border but quietly normalises a weapon that mostly ends up hurting civilians for decades after the war is over. I’ve seen first-hand the devastating effects of landmines, and you never forget it - they are the most brutal, indiscriminate weapons both physically and psychologically, and I’m completely against this new move.

• Albanese Faces Backlash Over Response to Bondi Terror Attack

  After a suspected ISIS-inspired terror attack at a Jewish festival in Bondi that killed 15 people and injured 42, police identified Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, who allegedly left an ISIS flag and had earlier come to the attention of ASIO. The day after the attack, Anthony Albanese spoke about antisemitism, violent extremism and far-right threats, but did not use terms like “Muslim”, “Islam” or “Islamic extremism”, even as he twice raised concerns about right-wing groups. That gap drew sharp criticism from figures such as One Nation’s Sean Bell and Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, who accused him of dodging the role of radical Islamist ideology and shifting focus to gun laws and broader extremism instead. - It’s incredibly frustrating watching the PM talk utter BS during such a terrible time. People want action, not political rhetoric.

• House Report Alleges DC Police Chief Faked Crime Numbers

  Republicans on the House Oversight Committee say Washington DC’s former police chief Pamela Smith pressured commanders to hide how bad crime really was, focusing on making the numbers look good instead of actually cutting violence. According to testimony from senior officers, her team allegedly downgraded serious offences into lesser, non-public charges and punished people who reported rising crime, creating a culture of fear and retaliation. DC crime stats are still open to manipulation even after Smith’s resignation. Of course, the current Mayor Muriel Bowser has dismissed the report as rushed and biased, but the committee points to detailed interviews with all seven district commanders to back up its claims.

• Trump Announces $1,776 ‘Warrior Dividend’ While Defending Economic Record

  Donald Trump has announced a one-off $1,776 “warrior dividend” payment for 1.45 million US service members, saying it is funded by his tariffs and a big bill he signed on 4 July. In a blunt national address, he used the announcement to argue that the US economy is improving under his second-term leadership, blaming high prices on Joe Biden and Democrats and insisting costs are now falling. Recent surveys also show Trump’s approval on the economy has dropped and is near his term low, even as he promises that tax changes and other policies will start to pay off in time for America’s 250th birthday celebrations next year.

• Trump Widens Global Travel Ban to Nearly 40 Countries

  Donald Trump has expanded the US travel ban again, adding seven more countries plus anyone holding a Palestinian Authority passport, bringing the total number of states facing full or partial restrictions to 39. The new rules hit Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Laos, with the White House saying they all have weak institutions, security risks or “chronic vetting deficiencies” that could let in terrorists or other hostile actors. Partial limits also now apply to a string of African nations, while Turkmenistan has seen its restrictions eased slightly, and US refugee admissions have been cut back so hard that only white Afrikaner South Africans are now being accepted. Democrats are once again attacking the policy as racist and xenophobic, while Trump’s camp argues it’s a straightforward security measure and points out that similar country lists and COVID-era travel curbs were treated very differently under previous governments. - Whatever you think of the policy, it’s striking how the political/media reaction seems to depend more on who’s in the White House than on the actual details of who’s being restricted and why.

• Sweden Spots Armed Guards on Russia-Linked ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tankers in Baltic

  Sweden’s navy says it has seen armed, uniformed personnel providing security on ships linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet” as they transit major Baltic Sea shipping routes. Swedish officials say Russia’s naval presence around the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland has also become more routine and more visible, and they suspect the armed men are private security contractors. This comes as the US and some European countries weigh tougher action, including new sanctions and possible boarding or interdiction of tankers moving Russian oil and gas despite Western restrictions. Sweden is framing the guards as a provocative escalation in European waters, even though armed security on commercial vessels is common globally, especially where ships fear interference or attack. - It feels like a predictable escalation loop: Europe gets tougher, Russia answers by putting guns on the decks, and suddenly a “sanctions” fight starts looking like a live maritime standoff.

• Russia’s Quiet War on Europe’s Energy and Industry

  A hydro dam in western Norway was reportedly hacked in April 2025, with floodgates opened remotely for hours, and Norway later linked it to people tied to Moscow. The point wasn’t to blow the dam up, but to show Russia can reach into Europe’s critical systems whenever it wants. The same playbook is being aimed at the stuff Europe needs to cut dependence on Russian energy and Chinese materials: LNG terminals, wind farms, ports, undersea cables, and mining projects. The claim is that cyberattacks, “accidental” seabed damage, corporate expropriation in Russia, and targeted leaks and protest campaigns are all being used to slow projects and spook investors.

• UK Targets ‘Misogynistic’ Boys With New School Reeducation Push

  The UK government is rolling out a £20 million programme to train teachers to spot and challenge “misogyny” in boys and send high-risk pupils to behaviour courses, as part of a drive to cut violence against women and girls. Ministers say teachers need specialist routes to deal with boys showing “sexually harmful behaviour” or hostile attitudes to women, and want lessons to equip pupils to recognise misogyny and link it to violence. Critics argue this will mostly be used against white British boys while ignoring abuse linked to grooming gangs and more traditional religious cultures, and say the policy treats normal teenage behaviour as early-stage extremism. The stats used to justify the push are also questioned, since the headline claim that 40% of teens face “abuse” in relationships is mostly based on perceived psychological slights, while only around 4% report physical or sexual abuse. There is no equivalent plan to challenge harmful behaviour by girls, which is kind of telling that this is an ideological project aimed at reshaping masculinity rather than tackling all abuse.

• Trump Pauses Diversity Visa Lottery After Suspect Tied To Brown And MIT Killings

  Donald Trump has ordered a halt to the US diversity green card lottery after investigators said the man linked to the Brown University shooting and the killing of an MIT nuclear scientist had gained permanent residency through that scheme. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Portuguese national Claudio Manuel Neves Valente first arrived on a student visa, then won a diversity visa in 2017 before getting his green card. Neves Valente was later found dead in a New Hampshire storage unit, and federal documents connect him to both attacks. Supporters of the move say a system that hands out up to 50,000 green cards a year at random is an obvious security risk and should never outweigh proper vetting and skills-based entry. Officials have not yet released a clear motive, but the case has reignited calls to scrap the lottery entirely in favour of tougher, more selective immigration controls. - This looks like a straightforward, overdue step toward treating immigration as a security and competence issue rather than a lottery that gambles with Americans’ safety.

3. Opportunity Of The Week…

Have you looked into Monetary Metals yet? And I know, I know… it's not for everyone.

For those of you who only want to physically hold your gold, hidden at home, then you should definitely stick with that strategy. I'm not here to change your mind on that!

But for those of you who perhaps already own gold and it's not in your possession anyway (stored elsewhere), then I would suggest having a conversation with these guys.

And no, I don't get paid a ‘bonus’ if you take their service (over and above them sponsoring my channel). The reason I accepted the sponsor is that I interviewed the CEO for my gold & silver course. And I really do think it would be a good solution for some of you who want to own precious metals, but don't like the fact that you can't make a return on them. This solves that challenge.

BUT, it's important that you do your own due diligence with them, read the contract, ask those tough questions like I did. And only then if you feel satisfied with those answers, take it to the next step.

Information Form LINK

4. Chart of the Week: Rare earth reserves are heavily concentrated in China and Brazil

New USGS-based figures for 2025 show the world’s known rare earth reserves are packed into a few countries, with China alone holding about 44 million tonnes, roughly 48% of the global total. Brazil is a distant but significant second at 21 million tonnes (23%), followed by India and Australia, while Russia and Vietnam also outrank the US. The US share is small at about 1.9 million tonnes (around 2%), which helps explain the scramble to fund domestic projects and buddy up with allies to reduce reliance on China. The big picture is that demand is global, but the rocks are not, so supply chains and politics get messy fast.

5. Market Overview

S&P 500 (U.S.)
In the US, the S&P 500 has been basically flat over the past week. It dipped mid-week as “AI/mega-cap tech” wobbled again, then bounced late in the week as chip/AI names firmed up and a softer U.S. inflation read pushed markets back toward the “rate cuts next year” view.

FTSE 100 (UK)
In the UK, the FTSE 100 is up. The move was mainly about easier-rate expectations (Bank of England cut + softer U.S. inflation helping the global rates tone), which supported the index even though UK growth/consumer signals were still weak (retail sales missing didn’t help sentiment into Friday).

S&P/TSX Composite (Canada)
In Canada, the TSX is up. It was pressured early as oil weakness hit energy, but the index recovered as cooler U.S. inflation revived rate-cut bets and improved risk mood, helping the market finish the week higher.

ASX 200 (Australia)
In Australia, the ASX 200 is down. The week was dragged by earlier risk-off and sector weakness, even though Friday saw a rebound led by tech and the big banks, helped by the better global tone after softer U.S. inflation.

🇺🇸 United States – S&P 500

• High: 6,847.54

  Low: 6,722.22

🇬🇧 UK - FTSE 100

• High: 9,889.70

• Low: 9,658.74

🇨🇦 Canada – TSX Composite

• High: 31,796.83

• Low: 31,177.40

🇦🇺 Australia – ASX 200

• High: 8659.10

• Low: 8553.40

Cryptocurrency:

• Bitcoin (BTC): -1.8%

• Ethereum (ETH): -2.8%

• Tether (USDT): -0.1%

• BNB (BNB): -2.9%

• XRP (XRP): -4.9%

• USDC (USDC): 0.0%

• Solana (SOL): -5.7%

• TRON (TRX): 0.6%

• Lido Staked Ether (STETH): -7.8%

• Dogecoin (DOGE): -3.3%

Metals Market:

Gold-Silver Ratio: 65:1 The gold–silver ratio fell this week because silver jumped much more than gold (boosted by rate-cut expectations and strong “momentum/industrial” buying), while gold’s gains were smaller and partly capped by a firmer US dollar.

Gold & Silver:

• Gold: Rose about 1.6% (Week High: $4,375.44 Week Low: $4,259.95).

• Silver: Rose about 8.6% (Week High: $67.65 Week Low: $60.93)

5. Faith & Success

I was pondering this week on an important topic… In that one of the hardest things in life is learning how to let go. We fight against closed doors, we get discouraged when people walk away. We replay the dream that didn’t work out and wonder what we did wrong. But sometimes, what feels like loss is actually protection. At least that been the experience in my life anyway. Sometimes when one door closes, another opens. And I think this is because we’re not supposed to stay where we are, we’re supposed to grow…

So just because something ended, it doesn’t mean it was a mistake. Often, it ended because it had served its purpose. Closed doors aren’t designed to hold us back or make life harder; they close to move us forward. Toward something bigger, better and more fulfilling than what we were holding onto.

This is where trust matters most, truly when our own understanding runs out. I say all this as there have been a lot of closing doors for me recently, but then out of nowhere, new doors open. Doors I hadn’t expected, and in the most random of places.

So just remember this point. Because I see all too often people giving up on something, or living into fear, when actually - it’s about having faith and trust. And in most cases, everything works out for the better. This happened for me last week, but I’ve learned not to worry - and even though it was literally minutes to a deadline, I still didn’t worry (but I did sweat a little - ha) and we made it just fine.

So I’m in New Zealand this month… and so far, I have to say that I’m really enjoying it here. The people are relaxed and there isn’t that same rush that you experience in other Western countries, even Auckland is a lot more laid back than other major Western Cities, despite it having that same western city vibe.

I will share my thoughts more as I travel around (I am in the South island this week).

I much prefer more peaceful places in nature and so far, NZ seems to have a lot of this - so I’m in my element here. I wanted to share with you my favourite photo of the trip so far, I hope you enjoy the view as much as I did from the top!

Until next time,

God Bless,

Neil,

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DISCLAIMER
This newsletter is 100% FREE & is designed to help your thinking, not direct it. These newsletters shall NOT be construed as tax, legal, or financial advice and may be outdated or inaccurate; all decisions made as a result of this information are yours alone.

Trading/Liability: Neil McCoy-Ward operates/trades under a private Ltd company within the Isle of Man.