The next great threat is an escalation of the US-China trade war, where a rise in one or both countries’ import tariffs would hit all global trade, not least the cars that German companies currently export from their US plants to China. In a speech last week, Mario Draghi tried to convince markets that the ECB still had enough tricks up its sleeve to cope. But for the second time in a month, the markets reacted to his reassurances with a sharp sell-off.

When Draghi steps down at the end of October, the safest pair of hands in the region will be gone altogether. If Brexit and the trade war with China haven’t cleared themselves up by then, his successor will have an almighty challenge on his or her hands.

The floods that we witnessed last month absolutely devastated communities throughout the region, and now it is going to happen again.  The middle part of our nation has literally never seen anything like this happen ever before, and this is easily the worst natural disaster to hit the United States since Hurricane Katrina.

Before I get into the details of the latest weather forecast, let’s review what we have witnessed so far.  “At least 1 million acres of US farmland” were under water for at least 7 days last month, according to Agriculture Secretary Sunny Purdue “as many as a million calves” were lost in the flooding in the state of Nebraska alone, and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of crops were destroyed.  Thousands upon thousands of farmers were financially ruined, and thousands of farmers will not be able to plant any crops at all this year. And now a second “bomb cyclone” is on the way this week. 

According to CBS News, it looks like this “bomb cyclone” will produce “a blizzard of epic proportions”… Right now we are watching a great human tragedy play out in the middle portion of the country, but since we depend on them to grow much of our food, the truth is that we are all going to be feeling the pain of this tragedy in the months ahead.

Should a corn syrup lobbyist really be advising anyone on nutrition? As International Business Times reports, Kailee Tkacz lobbied for the Snack Food Association before heading up the Corn Refiners Association; it’s hard not to question if real nutrition is her expertise. Shouldn’t dietitians and other health experts be informing the nation’s nutrition policies and dietary guidelines?

Big Food’s hand in US food policies is absolutely a disgrace — and this appointment is no different. The notion that a food industry lobbyist is the best, most knowledgeable person on the matter of human nutrition and dietary needs is indeed laughable.

Only one candidate — former Israel Defense Forces general Benny Gantz, who leads the Blue and White coalition — is considered capable of stopping Netanyahu, who, despite facing bribery charges, is neck-and-neck with Gantz in the polls. The Israeli parliament — the Knesset — is made up of a large number of small parties. To form a majority government, leaders must therefore secure coalitions. Though the election will put either Netanyahu or Gantz in the prime minister’s office, one far-right libertarian candidate might be left holding the keys.

Moshe Feiglin leads the Zehut — or "Identity" — party. The ultra-nationalist libertarian group holds many extreme views. Among them, that Israel should annex all Palestinian territories in the West Bank, encourage all Palestinians to leave Israel and the West Bank, reimpose Israeli military control in the Gaza Strip, build a third Jewish temple on the disputed Temple Mount and limit the authority of the Supreme Court and attorney general.

Despite the party’s controversial policies, the most recent polls predict that Zehut will win about six seats. Though a tiny proportion of the Knesset’s 120 seats, it could be enough to push one of the major coalitions over the majority line. Such a performance could make Feiglin the election’s most unlikely kingmaker.

In the past, Feiglin has voiced his strong opposition to any non-Jewish participation in Israeli politics. “You can’t teach a monkey to speak and you can’t teach an Arab to be democratic,” he told The New Yorker in 2004. “You’re dealing with a culture of thieves and robbers. The Arab destroys everything he touches.”

Euroskeptic parties are joining forces ahead of the elections for the European Parliament in May. A few days ago, about 500 young members of such parties met in Rome. The summit was organized by the youth wing of Italy's anti-immigrant League party, which hopes to win a large share of the vote. Surveys indicate that Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's party could emerge victorious in Italy. And for months, he has been working to unite Europe's various right-wing populists.

Rome appears to have become Europe's new right-wing populist epicenter. The Eternal City, with its countless imperial monuments, could not be more different to Brussels, with its modern architecture of glass and steel. The Roman Empire has had a lasting effect on Europe for two millennia — now Italian populists want to reshape the continent in their own image.

The 50-year-old former navy submariner told The Times of London that he would make his political debut campaigning on a hard-line anti-European Union platform, partially defending his great-grandfather’s deeply controversial legacy. "I share their ideas about retaking sovereignty, protecting our country and the family,” Caio Mussolini said, talking of the Brothers of Italy Party. “Why spend €100 on a migrant, then peanuts on pensioners?”

Referring to Benito Mussolini’s record, Caio Mussolini shared a view held by many in Italty regarding the dictator, who inspired Hitler and dragged the country into World War II: "There were a lot of good things and some mistakes,” he said. He went on to compare the wartime leader, who introduced a series of Nazi-inspired anti-Semitic laws to Italy, to a former British Prime Minister. "Tony Blair’s backing for the war in Iraq was a crime, but the British don’t attack him every day for this,” he claimed.

The European economy is facing a series of difficulties, including a slowdown of China following its economic conflict with Washington, a slump of the bloc’s manufacturing, fears Donald Trump may decide to escalate its trade war and heavily tax German cars imported in the US and the uncertainties surrounding Brexit.  Professor Clemens Fuest, head of Germany’s IFO Institute, said there is a lack of trust in the future of the EU’s economy. He told the Daily Telegraph: “There is a fundamental shift towards pessimism. People think the future is very bad.”

European manufacturing has declined over recent months, he added, with new orders in Germany dipping by 8.4 percent when compared to a year before. He added: “We may get a soft landing but that is only if there is no hard Brexit, no US car tariffs, China stabilises, and there is no crisis in Italy.” And what worries economists and bankers the most is that the bloc seems powerless against what seems an economic crash in the making.

Mr Macmillan was not the only one who feared Berlin. According to 2017 report “Euroscepticism and Opposition to British Entry into the EEC” by the French Journal of British studies, a British official similarly warned that the EEC would provide “a means of re-establishing the hegemony of Germany”.

Since the bloc's creation, Germany has been accused of trying to reassert its supremacy across the continent many times. More recently, political analyst Mark Brolin claimed in his 2016 book “A State of Independence: Why the EU is the problem and not the solution” that the Maastricht Treaty, which was signed in 1992 by members of the European Community to further European integration, planted the seed to make Germany the most powerful country in the bloc.

1) To delay or not to delay

What's happening?

EU leaders will meet on Wednesday to discuss whether to grant a delay to the UK's Brexit date.

Why does it matter?

In theory, the UK is still leaving the European Union on Friday: that is, unless EU leaders agree to a request from Theresa May to delay the date.

2) India votes…

Voting in India's general election begins on Thursday. Because it's such a huge logistical challenge (in fact, with 900 million voters, it's the world's biggest democratic exercise) the election continues until 19 May.

Why does it matter?

While China is currently the world's most populous country (with 1.39 billion people), it will soon be overtaken by India (which has 1.34 billion). So whoever wins is likely to lead the world's biggest population.

3) … and Israel votes too…

What's happening?

India isn't the only country electing its leader: the same is happening in Israel on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hoping for a fifth term in office.

Why does it matter?

If he beats Benny Gantz, a former chief of staff for the Israeli military, Mr Netanyahu will become Israel's longest-serving prime minister. Polls seem to indicate this is likely to happen and that Mr Netanyahu's right-wing coalition will come out on top.

4) … just before it reaches the moon

What's happening?

An Israeli spacecraft will attempt to land on the Moon on Thursday.

Why does it matter?

The mission heralds a new era in space exploration.

If the Israeli robot Beresheet is able to land on the Moon, it will be the first time a privately financed mission will have done so (up to now, only government space agencies from the US, Russia and China have managed soft touchdowns).