MAYHEM MEL NEWS

Syria Closes the Chapter on the ‘Assad Pound.’ Can the New Currency Regain Syrians’ Trust? As the deadline for exchanging banknotes issued during the rule of former President Bashar Assad approaches, the Central Bank of Syria says around 80% of the old currency has been exchanged since the beginning of the year. The transition introduces a new Syrian pound, with two zeros removed from the old currency’s face value: 100 old pounds are exchanged for one new pound. The process goes beyond replacing old notes with newly issued Syrian pounds, raising broader questions about national identity, confidence in the Syrian pound, and the country’s economic future. Currency is more than a means of daily exchange. The images and symbols printed on banknotes often reflect the identity of the state and the political era in which they were issued. Syrians therefore regard the withdrawal of notes bearing Assad’s image as a symbolic break with a chapter that has ended. https://themedialine.org/top-stories/syria-closes-the-chapter-on-the-assad-pound-can-the-new-currency-regain-syrians-trust/

Kurdistan urges Baghdad to open agricultural exports Agricultural producers in Iraq's Kurdistan Region urged Baghdad on Tuesday to begin exporting surplus crops, saying local production now exceeds domestic demand. Sarwer Ali, head of Al-Sulaymaniyah Produce Market Union, told Shafaq News that agricultural output from the Kurdistan Region now supplies not only local markets but also much of central and southern Iraq, leaving a surplus that could be exported. The excess production includes cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, watermelons and eggplants, among other crops. The union, according to Ali, had repeatedly raised the surplus exporting issue without receiving a response. https://shafaq.com/en/Kurdistan/Kurdistan-urges-Baghdad-to-open-agricultural-exports

Turkiye, Iraq reaffirm commitment to $30B trade target Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat met his Iraqi counterpart, Mustafa Nizar Jumaa, in Ankara as part of Prime Minister Ali Zeydi’s visit to Turkiye. Bolat said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal that the two ministers discussed concrete steps needed to reach the trade target, expand existing areas of cooperation and encourage mutual investments. The talks also focused on the strategic importance of the Development Road Project as alternative international trade routes gain prominence. They assessed efforts to develop new joint projects, facilitate transit trade, harmonize customs procedures and strengthen cooperation between the two countries’ customs authorities. Bolat said Turkiye and Iraq would establish a new roadmap during the third meeting of the Turkiye-Iraq Joint Economic and Trade Committee, or JETCO, scheduled in Turkiye in the final quarter of 2026. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260728-turkiye-iraq-reaffirm-commitment-to-30b-trade-target/

RBI to roll out Rs 10, Rs 20 polymer notes in Rs 3,000 crore field trial; Centre says paper currency stays “According to the RBI, the polymer banknotes are proposed to be issued along with paper banknotes and there is no proposal to replace paper currency with polymer substrate-based banknotes,” Chaudhary said. https://www.financialexpress.com/policy/economy/rbi-to-roll-out-rs-10-rs-20-polymer-notes-in-rs-3000-crore-field-trial-centre-says-paper-currency-stays/4304904/

THEY'RE PLAYING MY JAM!!!🎵🥳🥳🥳 https://rumble.com/v7de6fc-theyre-playing-my-jam.html?mref=ip3j5&mc=1wni5

JUST NOW: President Donald Trump has ARRIVED to Lindsey Graham's funeral RFK Jr., Eric Trump, Lara Trump spotted, along with JD Vance, Scott Bessent, Doug Burgum, Gen. Caine and others are around 47 Security is VERY tight. A LOT of important people are here right now https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2082163897570586821?s=20

Reconstruction and Development Coalition after the agreement with Turkey to launch the Development Road project: A qualitative leap whose foundations were laid by Al-Sudani, and Al-Zaidi is working to translate it into practical reality The political and media stances that followed Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi's announcement from Ankara regarding the launch of the Development Road project's implementation reflected a clear direction affirming that the project did not begin with the current government, but rather represents an extension of a strategic vision whose foundations were laid by the government of the former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, while Al-Zaidi's government today is tasked with moving it to the stage of practical implementation. https://x.com/onenewsiq/status/2082171648778617025?s=20

Omar Al-Waeli, Head of the Border Crossings Authority from Umm Qasr North Port: Seizure of tons of expired Vietnamese zubaidi fish https://x.com/onenewsiq/status/2082167683831754792?s=20

Johnson & Johnson offers up to $5.5bn to settle baby powder lawsuits Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has offered to pay as much as $5.5bn (£4.14bn) to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits in the US alleging that its baby powder and other products containing talcum cause ovarian cancer. The proposed landmark settlement aims to close a long-running legal battle that has weighed on the New Jersey-based healthcare giant for years. J&J has denied that its talc-based products caused cancer and has changed the formula of its widely used baby powder. Erik Haas, the firm's vice president of litigation said on Monday that the allegations are "meritless" and that J&J was willing to settle in order to finally resolve the matter. J&J said the settlement would cover about 76,000 cases, totaling most of the remaining talc-related claims. The firm said it will offer up to $3bn next year, with no additional payments due before 2028, it said. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyqnz52rp6o

"We’re going to bring this heroic young man, and his family, into the White House with, perhaps, the boy he saved, to give him a High Civilian Honor. Very brave, he deserves it!" - President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸🇺🇸 https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2082158335302725687?s=20

Yup it’s not going to be as bad as the doom and gloom people want you to think.. White Hats are taking care of the heavy lifting.. https://x.com/lovetocook12345/status/2082137665365737530?s=20

We are building this incredible economy under POTUS . We're seeing investment kicking in now all over the country. This is a manufacturing renaissance. https://x.com/USTreasury/status/2082154298947870850?s=20

Government of Canada announces $50 million federal investment in Natural Products Canada to strengthen Canada’s agri-food sector Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island The global economy is undergoing profound transformation as shifting trade relationships, climate change and evolving supply chains place increasing pressure on Canada’s food ecosystem. The Government of Canada is taking action to address food affordability, enhance competitiveness and strengthen our national security. That is why, today, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food, on behalf of Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, joined by Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, announced a $50 million investment, through the Strategic Response Fund, in Natural Products Canada’s (NPC) $94.8 million project to strengthen Canada’s agri-food sector. As an industry-led, not-for-profit organization, NPC is well positioned to work hand-in-hand with Canadian innovators and businesses to commercialize breakthrough agri-food technologies and accelerate their adoption across global markets. The government’s investment will create overmore than 550 jobs, generate over $1.8 billion in GDP and help NPC establish a new Capacity Building Fund that will support investments in food-related manufacturing and processing capacity and strengthen domestic food production, supply chain resilience and food security. https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2026/07/government-of-canada-announces-50-million-federal-investment-in-natural-products-canada-to-strengthen-canadas-agri-food-sector.html

Zambia bets on Pan-African metals exchange to boost mining wealth “The desire of many young Zambians as well as a lot of Africans across the continent is to be greater participants in the minerals that come from their soils,” Kayumba said by phone Monday. “There’s been growing discontent.” The proposal is the latest sign of a broader push by African governments to exert greater control over their natural resources. States including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Ghana and Zimbabwe have been designing and implementing a variety of reforms to boost domestic refining, increase local ownership and restrict exports of certain mineral products. https://www.miningweekly.com/article/zambia-bets-on-pan-african-metals-exchange-to-boost-mining-wealth-2026-07-28