GERMANY - Global concerns about the spread of misinformation online have increased following reports that the Russian government fabricated news stories to interfere with the United States presidential election. This concern has led to numerous efforts to stop the threat of false information online. However, some of these new measures — including landmark legislation in Germany to criminalize fraudulent news on social media — threaten to infringe on free speech online. Regardless of the solution, the public should be wary of attempts to stop fraudulent news that overly restrict the free speech rights of journalists and the public. Fraudulent news is certainly dangerous to the democratic process, but overly impeding free speech is also inherently problematic.

JORDAN - King Abdullah spared no time in arresting both his brothers and cousin; Prince Faisal bin Hussein, Prince Ali bin Hussein and Prince Talal bin Muhammad after Jordanian intelligence services alerted the King that there was communication between the brothers and cousin and Saudi and Emirati leaders; Mohammad bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - According to the latest reports from the UN and the Red Cross, there were already between 15 000 and 17 000 displaced people in Paoua by mid-December. Mired in poverty but rich in minerals, the former French colony has been battered by a three-year conflict between rival militias that began after then-president Francois Bozize was overthrown. Thousands of people have been killed in the fighting. According to the UN, more than a million people have fled their homes and 2.4 million people - more than half of the Central African population - are in need of emergency food aid. 

UK - Schools should give boys lessons in zumba and ballet to promote the idea that PE is gender neutral, the head of a leading sports organisation has said as she reveals that girls as young as six are losing interest in exercise. Offering a full range of activities will help to combat the stereotypes and “cultural norms” that are putting girls off sport before they reach junior school, according to Ruth Holdaway, who is chief executive of Women in Sport. In addition to giving female pupils the option to play cricket and football, “boys should also be asked what they want, and given the opportunity to do a zumba class or whatever," she said.

UK - Volatility has ended the year at record lows, adding to concerns that complacent investors are sleepwalking into the next crash as stock markets around the world hit new highs. The VIX Index, a widely-used measure of expectations of future volatility, slipped a further 21 percent in 2017, finishing at an end-of-year record low of 10.40. In the past, low volatility has predated some of the biggest market collapses. According to the VIX index, also known as the Fear Index, volatility tumbled to an intraday low of 8.56 in November, its lowest level since the index began in 1990, while FTSE-100 volatility is also at an end-of-year record low at 9.56. The last time volatility sunk to levels this low was in the run-up to the financial crisis a decade ago and volatility then soared to a peak of 80.86 at the height of the downturn in 2008!

USA - The United States doesn’t let anyone see its gold reserves. Even if the Treasury has the number of billions it claims, they are not tradable, warns Singapore’s BullionStar precious metals expert Ronan Manly. The US government claims to hold 8133.5 tonnes of physical gold in its official reserves.

USA - When Donald Trump gets hit, he always hits back even harder.  So when the deep state decided to conduct a legal witch hunt against President Trump and his family, they should have expected that Trump would return the favor.  In recent days, there have been all sorts of rumblings about sealed indictments, pending arrests and a “deep state takedown”.  Many believe that we are on the verge of seeing some of the most prominent Democrats in the entire nation being arrested and thrown in prison.

ISRAEL - America's ambassador to Israel has claimed the reaction to Washington's move recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital is irrational and "needlessly provocative." The massive anti-Israeli and anti-American protests that erupted across the Muslim world following Donald Trump's announcement have been dubbed as "ugly, needlessly provocative and antisemitic" by David Friedman. Palestinians have been acting "largely emotional," and "unfortunately overreacted," the US ambassador, known as an outspoken advocate for Israel's claim to the Holy City told the Jerusalem Post. Washington is "not taking a position on any final status issues," he said. "There is no path around the United States" being involved in the peace process. "Israel has made it clear that they will not engage under the sponsorship of any other nation," he said.

ISRAEL - Palestinians occupy Jewish land. Jews are the true indigenous people and owners of the land of Israel. The ancient Philistines have long disappeared from the earth, and current Palestinians have absolutely no connection to them.

GERMANY - A majority of Germans seem to have come round to the idea that Angela Merkel's time is drawing to a close. A new YouGov poll released on Wednesday found that 47 percent of Germans would prefer the chancellor not to complete a fourth term in office, while only 36 percent said they would like to see her go another round. Though it depends of course on whether she does manage to form a government this time round. It may take a while: Preliminary talks on forming a new grand coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) are due to begin on January 7, with actual negotiations not expected before the end of the month, which would mean a new government might not form until Easter. But it is by no means a given that this is how things will pan out.

USA - Farmers’ Markets “normalize” the “food consumption habits of white people” and contribute to the oppression of minorities, according to two professors at San Diego State University.

GERMANY - Germany could return to authoritarianism if the economic conditions were to seriously worsen in the country, the son of Hans Frank the governor general of Nazi occupied Poland during World War Two, has told BBC Hardtalk.  "As long as our economy is great, and as long as we make money everything is very democratic," said Niklas Frank, but "if we have five to 10 years heavy economic problems the swamp is a lake, and is a sea and will swallow again, everything," he added. Niklas Frank said he "despises" his father for the crimes he committed while he was governor-general of Poland from 1939 to 1945, and tours Germany giving speeches about his father and the legacy of the Nazi era. Hans Frank was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg trials and executed in 1946.

GERMANY - German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen has been working on establishing the groundwork for an European Union army, in particular developing a network of co-operation between troops from Germany and others from countries that are part of Pesco - Permanent Structured Co-operation. The bloc comprises 25 EU countries with only Denmark, Malta and the UK remaining outside.

GERMANY - Approaching a third of German and French people want the European Union (EU) to become a single country, or ‘United States of Europe’, but only 10 per cent of Brits agree. The plan to turn the bloc into a federal superstate by 2025 was put forward by Martin Schulz, the former president of the European Parliament and a contender for German chancellor, earlier this month. He called for an EU constitution and for the bloc to rapidly expand its power and erode the sovereignty of nation-states, as well as demanding that any country standing in the way must be ejected.

EUROPE - Plans for a United States of Europe by 2025 suffered a damning blow today after a new poll revealed they have little support across the major nations. German politician Martin Schulz - the former President of the European Parliament and domestic rival to Angela Merkel - promoted the plan at a party conference. He called for a rapid development of the EU after Britain leaves, accelerating integration and leaving behind those who do not want it. But the plan is supported by less than a third of people in seven major nations - and just 10 per cent in Britain, in a vindication of last year's Leave vote. Germans are the most enthusiastic but even there only 30 per cent back the idea.