GERMANY - Fierce attacks by politicians and media in Germany against Great Britain are flanking the ratification of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen threatens punitive measures, if London fails to scrupulously comply with the agreement. Punitive tariffs are being discussed in Brussels. Germany's main media outlets are fueling the old prejudice against Great Britain of the "perfidious Albion." German government advisors warn that the severely "strained" relations "limit" the urgently desired EU-UK foreign and military policy cooperation. "Trust" could be built through exchanges in "bilateral and minilateral formats," for instance in the "E3" framework (Germany, France, Great Britain) to lay "the foundation for long-term institutionalized cooperation." At the same time tensions are growing in the dispute over cooperation in the financial sector, threatening to deepen the rift between the two sides.

ISRAEL - About a third of people who receive unemployment checks in Israel don’t want to work again, the government data says. Many of them are happy to continue living off benefits even as the economy is reopening. Around 20,000 people, which is nearly 30% of workers currently living off unemployment benefits, are refusing to return to work, the data from the Central Bureau of Statistics show. Roughly 64% of those refusing to work again say they prefer to keep receiving unemployment checks. Hundreds of thousands were forced to stop working due to extremely tough quarantine measures, with the number of unemployed rising to 560,000 shortly after a third nationwide lockdown came into effect in late December. The lockdown was eventually eased as the immunization campaign kicked in.

USA - Biden says white supremacy is terrorism and tells Congress he wants them to pass the George Floyd act on the anniversary of his death next month. President Joe Biden proclaimed that 'white supremacist terrorists' are the worst threat to the homeland today, directly before asking Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by next month. 'By the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death,' the president said at his first joint address before Congress Wednesday night.

CHINA - The launch of the first module of China's new space station - "Heavenly Palace" - on Thursday underlined how far the country has come in achieving its space dream. The Tianhe core module houses life support equipment and a living space for astronauts, and is another key step in Beijing's grand plans to establish a permanent human presence in space. Beijing has poured billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022 and eventually sending humans to the Moon. The country has come a long way in its race to catch up with the United States and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in space exploration. But Beijing sees its space project as a mark of its rising global stature and growing technological might.

USA - The head scientist of the US Space Force has an unusual idea for how to maintain military dominance: augmenting and upgrading human soldiers. Speaking at an Air Force Research Laboratory event, Space Force chief scientist Joel Mozer suggested that we’re entering an era during which soldiers can become a “superhuman workforce,” according to Metro, thanks to new tech including augmented and virtual reality, sophisticated AI, and nerve stimulation.

USA - Major hailstorms pelted three big cities across the south-central United States on Wednesday night, shattering windows, denting vehicles and leaving behind headaches for homeowners. The hail hit such a widespread and populated area that damage estimates are expected to total upwards of $3 billion, according to AccuWeather forecasters. Communities around Norman, Oklahoma, and San Antonio and Fort Worth, Texas, were hit the hardest by the storms, forcing residents to take shelter inside as the massive hail bombarded the areas. In Hondo, Texas, located west of San Antonio, hailstones rivaled the size of grapefruits, reaching roughly 4 inches in diameter. In Norman, hail ranged from the size of golf balls to baseballs. The hail was flying with such ferocity that windows of homes were shattered and, in some cases, caused damage inside.

SOUTH AFRICA - Only 1.5% usable water left in Nelson Mandela Bay’s biggest dam. Nelson Mandela Bay’s director of water and sanitation, Barry Martin, looked stressed as he read from the list in front of him. He is dealing with the extreme water crisis in the metro: 1 July, 1 August, 1 October, 1 December. These are the projected dates when, absent some serious rainfall, the city’s four major dams will run dry. On 1 July, the city is due to lose its biggest dam. Kouga currently has 1.5% of usable water left.

GERMANY - The EU has been labelled an "anti-democratic" organisation to its core by a German MEP, who revealed three reasons why Berlin must leave the bloc. Such is his hatred for the bloc under Ursula von der Leyen, MEP Gunnar Beck warned Germany needs Dexit as the "EU is finished financially" following the coronavirus pandemic. With Germany being the powerhouse of the bloc, Mr Beck warned the state can no longer be part of the crumbling EU project. While the EU has insisted member states remain unified in prolonging the project's future, Mr Beck claimed leaving the bloc is now a "necessity" for Germany.

EUROPE - Europe is facing a wave of bankruptcies with the rate of firms going under likened to a "tsunami" by a leading economic watchdog. The European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) has delivered a damning assessment of the economic crisis in Europe as much of the continent continues to battle a third wave of coronavirus infections. The finance body, chaired by European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde, warned firms may struggle to stay afloat as they continue to rely on emergency life-support funding from the state.

UK - UK and EU senior figures hail moment as a ‘new chapter’ of friendly relations after four years of division. The European parliament has given its overwhelming backing to the Brexit trade and security deal, prompting senior figures on both sides to speak of hope for a “new chapter” of friendly relations after four years of division. Five MEPs voted against the deal, with 660 in favour and 32 abstentions, although in an accompanying resolution the chamber described the referendum result of 23 June 2016 as a “historic mistake”. As the result was announced, Boris Johnson issued a statement that sought to define the vote as the end of the tortuous Brexit process that had cost two of his predecessors in Downing Street their jobs.

FRANCE - Emmanuel Macron has threatened to punish generals who signed an open letter warning that the country is heading for ‘civil war’ because of radical Islam. Twenty retired generals, as well as several serving soldiers, signed the letter which warned that failure to act against the ‘suburban hordes’ – a reference to the predominantly immigrant population of the housing estates which surround French cities – will lead to deaths ‘in the thousands.’ The government strongly condemned the letter, which was published on the 60th anniversary of a failed coup d’etat by generals opposed to France granting independence to Algeria. ‘These are unacceptable actions,’ Defence Minister Florence Parly said Monday, adding that serving military members had flouted a law requiring them to remain politically neutral.

UK - A Christian pastor who was arrested after he preached from the Bible said yesterday he had been treated 'shamefully'. John Sherwood, 71, was led away in handcuffs, questioned in a police station and held overnight after being accused of making homophobic comments outside Uxbridge Station in west London. The grandfather claimed he was left bruised after police pulled him from a mini-stepladder he was using and cuffed his hands behind his back.

ISRAEL - Hamas is now trying to write a new equation: quiet in the south in exchange for a Temple Mount cleansed of Jews. Israel must respond with a resounding and public "no." Hamas' demand that Israel start prohibiting Jews from visiting the Temple Mount "in exchange" for quiet in the Gaza sector, can only come from a terrorist organization that feels immune to repercussions for its untamed behavior – whether this includes firing rockets at southern Israel or carrying out a terrorist attack in Jerusalem, Lod or Judea and Samaria. Hamas is presenting an opposite reality: Instead of Israel deterring the terrorist group – Hamas is looking to deter Israel. It has succeeded in doing so in the past.

USA - The shipping industry is seeing the biggest spike in lost containers in seven years. Shipping containers are plunging into the ocean in overwhelming numbers threatening to overwhelm the supply chain and increase already rising prices. If you haven’t been preparing, you should consider starting. There could be a real short supply of things we could need and rely on if this trend of supply chain interruptions continues. More than 3,000 boxes dropped into the sea last year, and more than 1,000 have fallen overboard so far in 2021. The accidents are disrupting supply chains for hundreds of US retailers and manufacturers such as Amazon and Tesla. The shock people are about to feel at the pump and the grocery store are only one piece. Everything is looking to be priced higher in the coming months.

INDIA - People are dropping dead in the streets, deeply sick individuals are committing suicide by jumping off buildings, and dead bodies are being burned in the open air because crematoriums have run out of space. What we are witnessing in India right now is nothing short of a horror show. We are being told that someone is dying every four minutes in New Delhi, but everyone pretty much agrees that the official numbers are not capturing the full extent of this plague. India’s “double mutant” strain has been widely blamed for this catastrophe, but now a “triple mutant” strain has emerged which appears to be even more dangerous.