USA - The US is going through an historic “correction” in the same way that the Soviet Union did some 30 years ago when the latter was confronted with the reality of its unsustainable political and economic system. (That’s not meant to imply, however, that socialism is unviable, because arguably the Soviet Union had fatally strayed from its genuine socialist project into something more akin to unwieldy state capitalism.)

GERMANY - “No-go areas” do exist in Germany, Angela Merkel admitted in an interview, adding that the arrival of “so many refugees” in the country “has raised multiple questions.” Speaking with RTL, Merkel acknowledged that there are areas in Germany where people cannot feel safe. She also made it clear that it’s time for the authorities to do something in order to ensure public safety. She then took aim at “no-go areas,” which gained notoriety all across Europe during the refugee influx that reached its peak in 2015. Merkel bluntly dismissed the claim that 'no-go areas' are non-existent in Germany, stressing instead that “there are such spaces, and you have to call that by name and you have to do something about it.”

UK - Millennials are on a crash course with the grim reaper. This generation is apparently the smartest generation to ever roam planet earth, however, they can hardly manage their health. Something is amiss here… it turns out, millennials are set to become the fattest generation on record – with three-quarters projected to be obese by the time they reach forty, new research shows.

UK - A transgender model who branded white people “racist” has been chosen as Labour’s new equalities adviser. The party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, has selected Munroe Bergdorf to work with its LGBT+ advisory group. The 30-year-old model, from east London, revealed the news on Twitter. Posing next to Corbyn, she wrote: "Thrilled to announce that I've been asked to be part of an LGBT+ advisory board for The Labour Party - To advise Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, Dawn Butler MP, on issues affecting the LGBT+ community, to help form and push through fairer and more effective policy change."

ISRAEL - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre will reopen Wednesday in response to Israeli steps to solve the ongoing crisis rocking relations between the Israeli government and the Christian community, three days after the church was closed in protest. According to a statement released by the heads of the major churches, the church will reopen for visitors at 4 AM local time. Israel opted on Tuesday to take steps to resolve its ongoing crisis with church leaders and the Christian community that led to their indefinite shuttering of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday. The Israeli government will freeze a controversial bill that recently spurred the crisis, while the Jerusalem municipality will postpone the collection of taxes from church-owned properties.

NIGERIA - A team of UK experts is being sent to Nigeria to help the country contain the biggest outbreak of Lassa fever in recent years. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, 90 people are suspected to have died from the virus in the last eight weeks alone, with a further 1,081 suspected cases. The disease, which is spread by rats, causes a high fever and in severe cases, bleeding from the mouth and nose. Local doctors estimate a mortality rate of over 20%, significantly higher than normal. Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and usually occurs between October and March but this year it has been much more virulent than in previous years. It has now spread to 18 out of the country’s 36 states but is most prevalent in the southern states of Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi.

UK - A headmaster who has banned pupils at his school from touching the snow has been branded a "snowflake". Ges Smith, from the Jo Richardson Community School in Dagenham, East London, appeared on Good Morning Britain to defend the rule. While some schools have banned snowball fights, his appears to be the only one which has banned touching snow altogether. Mr Smith said the ban was a "duty of care issue", as snow swept the country. Piers Morgan said the school would produce children "unprepared for normal life" if they were forced to abide by such rules. Mr Smith defended his choices, and said he was protecting the school from a lawsuit.

SOUTH AFRICA - The motion, brought by the EFF leader Julius Malema, was adopted with a vote of 241 in support, and 83 against. Opening the debate on his motion, Malema said: "The time for reconciliation is over. Now is the time for justice." He said they did not seek revenge on white people, but a restoration of black people's dignity, which was deeply rooted in the land. Gugile Nkwinti, who was minister of rural affairs and land reform until Monday evening (now minister of water affairs), said: "The ANC unequivocally supports the principle of land expropriation without compensation. There is no doubt about it, land shall be expropriated without compensation."

GERMANY - Ever since German unification in 1871, Germany’s fate has defined Europe’s future. Germany’s economic energy enabled it to dwarf France and rival the British Empire by the eve of 1914. Germany initiated World War I, then, after a period of malaise, it executed an astounding recovery from 1933 until 1938 before initiating another European war.

GERMANY - Merkel focused in particular on strengthening Europe’s common military and great power policies so as to enable Germany to pursue its economic and geostrategic interests in conflict zones around the world. At the beginning of her speech, Merkel stated that Europe is “exposed due to its geographic location,” because “these wars and conflicts in Syria, Libya and Ukraine are not taking place somewhere else in the world but only a few hours flight from Berlin.”

GERMANY - Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - He's 37 years old, openly gay yet staunchly conservative and one of Chancellor Angela Merkel's loudest critics within her own party. Meet Jens Spahn, the ambitious "anti-Merkel" tapped to become Germany's new health minister.

USA - A violent storm system with relentless rains and fierce winds that pounded the southern and central US over the weekend could lead to treacherous flooding in the days ahead. The system that stretched from Texas to the Canadian maritime provinces left a path of destruction as it cut eastward Sunday:  Homes were leveled, trees uprooted, cars demolished. Five people were killed, two in suspected tornadoes. Emergency crews struggled to keep up with calls from drivers stranded by rising floodwaters in many locations. Flooding will continue to be a threat this week as more rain falls and runoffs continue, Accuweather said.

ISRAEL - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem is a place that runs to the beat of the Middle Ages and according to an uncompromising series of rules set in the mid-19th century. One of the unwritten traditions is a continual dispute between the three churches that run it: Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian.

USA - The Trump administration’s Nuclear Posture Review, a new policy document on the nation’s atomic-weapons strategy and non-proliferation plans. The US is preparing to change its nuclear arsenal, a direct response to actions taken by Russia’s military over the last decade.

USA - You Tube has Purged several Real News channels that dare to question the “official” story regarding the recent Florida school shootings. The Ron Johnson You Tube channel was a Christian truth news channel with 150,000 subscribers – and last week the channel was Terminated without warning. The same thing has happened to the Richie Allen You Tube channel and others.