Notations From the Grid (Special Thursday Edition): On Our World...

It has been quite a day in our World.  We wanted to share two "highlights" courtesy of the team at @France24 & @Economist.  #Irma is wrecking havoc and there are two more on the way.     Some 37 Million People to be impacted according to the UN.

The World is also as challenging as well.   The "clip" from Africa reflects the challenges Africa faces--including Zimbabwe and The Democratic Republic of the Congo.   We have also been witness to the continued plight of the Rohniyga in Burma (Myanmar)--as some 160,000 have fled to Bangladesh.   There is also a pivotal Election in Germany as well.  

Challenging Times...

AMERICAS Live: Haiti, Cuba on alert as Hurricane Irma destroys '95%' of French St. Martin At least nine people have been killed since Wednesday as Hurricane Irma tore across the Caribbean, leaving 900,000 without power in Puerto Rico before heading...   EYE ON AFRICA Protesters in Togo demand President Gnassingbé give up power In tonight's edition: Protesters take to the streets of Lomé and around Togo demanding President Faure Gnassingbé give up power; Kenya's presidential hopefuls... It is also of note how we have to be concerned about quite a future:    We have two covers this week. In continental Europe we look at the task ahead for Angela Merkel, the likely victor in Germany’s forthcoming election. In her first three terms, Mrs Merkel has been unadventurous—a steady hand in charge of a contented country. In her fourth, and possibly last, term she must grapple with the gathering threats to Germany’s prosperity Elsewhere we describe what it means for machines to read faces. Not only can they instantaneously connect identities to databases, but they will also increasingly be able to decipher what people are like and what they are thinking simply from how they look. The benefits could be huge, but so could the threat to privacy, fairness and the familiar habits of everyday life