GERMANY - Strategic errors, massive fines and attacks by speculators have created a major crisis for Germany's most important bank. Now, investors from Qatar, who already own some 10 percent of Deutsche Bank, are considering taking control. The 2014 purchase of Deustche Bank shares has been the sheikh's most important strategic investment. The key question as to the future of Deutsche Bank is what the sheikh wants to do with it.

UK - It’s the end of the world as we know it with Brits thinking a religious apocalypse, nuclear bomb and zombie invasion could cause human extinction. According to a YouGov survey nearly four in ten of Brits surveyed think nuclear warfare will be the most likely cause of human extinction. Climate change is the next most popular choice on 31 per cent. A pandemic, bees dying out and an extreme seismic event were also considered likely end of days events. An alien invasion or zombie outbreak are seen as the least likely option on just two per cent. Out of 1,581 people surveyed, eight per cent think a religious apocalypse is most likely to cause the end of the human race. Baptist minster Mark Woods told Express.co.uk: “I think that there is a section of the church where God is seen sometimes as being quite an angry and destructive character.”

USA - The batch of emails released by Wikileaks on October 7 includes one in which Hillary Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon explained that Clinton “would support… closing the gun show loophole by executive order.” Fallon also highlighted Clinton’s support of universal background checks–which have already failed in California, Colorado, Washington state, and Paris – and her support for a scenario wherein victims of crime would be able to sue gun manufacturers. Her plan to open gun manufacturers to lawsuits by crime victims will not reduce crime either, but it will bankrupt – and eventually end – gun manufacturing in the United States.

USA - The next global conflict will move at a speed which humans can barely keep up with - due to the fact that artificial intelligence will be in the driving seat. The death toll could ramp up at barely conceivable speeds, a Pentagon chief has warned - due to the use of ‘smart weaponry’ and AI.

Major General William Hix said, ‘A conventional conflict in the near future will be extremely lethal and fast, and we will not own the stopwatch. The speed of events is likely to strain our human abilities,’ Hix said. 'The speed at which machines can make decisions in the far future is likely to challenge our ability to cope, demanding a new relationship between man and machine.’

GERMANY - Despite Britain’s move to block an EU army, a growing number of experts believe a recent German defense paper shows Berlin has ambitions to run an EU army, and has a plan to cut through Brussels’ red tape and create one by itself. But at what cost to NATO?

UK - Former military adversaries Britain and Germany are weighing up a serious defense alliance which would see UK helicopters stationed on German naval ships. The plans, announced by UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, will see the two countries increase joint training exercises with Britain stationing a new Wildcat helicopter aboard a German warship during a Mediterranean Sea training mission in 2017.

EUROPE - EU finally gets its own ARMED force as Brussels ‘private army’ border guard launches. BRUSSELS has finally realised its long-held dream of having its own armed and lethal police force with the low-key launch of a centralised EU border guard this week. Officers with the newly created European Border and Coast Guard (EBCG) will be stationed on European soil carrying automatic weapons in a worrying new development for civil liberties and freedom. The troopers, who will answer directly to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels, are being tasked with patrolling the continent’s land and sea borders in a bid to bring the migration crisis under control.

GERMANY - Germany has issued a stark warning to the UK to not block their plans for an EU-wide army. The defence minister in Berlin has warned the UK not to thwart the controversial defence scheme and said otherwise it could impact post-Brexit negotiations. Ursula von der Leyen, touted as a successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel, was responding to Britain’s criticisms of the proposal to create a Franco-German defence HQ, with fears it will lead to the dreaded EU army. Ms von der Leyen said: “The plea to the British is only not to block important European developments, when they say they want Brexit. It’s not good to prevent Europe from organising itself better.”

EUROPE - Global finance leaders issued a fresh warning on economic stability for the EU today, slamming the huge US fine for Deutsche Bank as a mass destabilisation of Germany's largest bank. Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the chairman of euro zone finance ministers, said that the US Department of Justice's demand that Deutsche Bank pay $14 billion for its role in the sub-prime mortgage crisis is too big and will undermine financial stability.

USA - Southern Californians learn to live with the risk of earthquakes. But over the last week, anxieties were particularly heightened, and the natural denial that is part of living in earthquake country was harder to pull off.

USA - Researchers have revealed a newly discovered fault line running parallel to the San Andreas fault in Southern California. The new Salton Trough Fault, which runs parallel to the San Andreas Fault, could impact current seismic hazard models in the earthquake-prone region that includes the greater Los Angeles area, seismologists say. The newly identified strike-slip fault within the Salton Sea, just west of the San Andreas Fault, is in an area where a swarm of nearly 200 small earthquakes hit last week, raising concerns they might trigger a larger earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault.

JAPAN - Mount Aso's huge caldera dominates the southwestern main island of Kyushu, where the 1,592-metre (5,253-foot) volcano is a popular tourist spot. Mount Aso previously erupted in September last year, rumbling to life after being dormant for 19 years. Japan, with scores of active volcanoes, sits on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire" where a large proportion of the world's quakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded. On September 27, 2014, Japan suffered its deadliest eruption in almost 90 years when Mount Ontake, in central Nagano prefecture, burst unexpectedly to life. An estimated 63 people were killed in the shock eruption which occurred as the peak was packed with hikers out to see the region's spectacular autumn colours. Japan has around a dozen volcanic warnings in effect at present.

EUROPE - Meddling Brussels has said the British press should not report when terrorists are Muslims in a slew of demands to the Government to crack down on the media. A report from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) found there was an increase in hate speech and racist violence in the UK from 2009 to March 2016.

RUSSIA - In a stark warning to the United States, a spokesman for the Russian defense ministry, Major-General Igor Konashekov, said Russia may shoot down US planes attempting to launch airstrikes in Syria. "I would recommend our colleagues in Washington to thoroughly consider the possible consequences of the realization of such plans,” Konashenkov said.

RUSSIA - Moscow has announced the suspension of cooperation with the US in the nuclear and energy sectors. In a written statement the Kremlin said Washington violated the agreement by imposing sanctions on Russia over Ukraine. The decree on halting the cooperation agreement was signed by the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and published on the Cabinet’s website. It is due to come into effect 90 days after a respective notification has been received from the American side. The agreement was signed by both countries in September 2013 and was aimed at scientific and technical cooperation in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. That included nuclear safety, planning of new power plants, joint management of radioactive waste and use of nuclear energy for medical and industrial purposes.