USA - Disney XD cartoon ‘Star vs The Forces of Evil’ hopes to impart what it apparently believes to be an important lesson for children: boys can be princesses too, if they want to be. A recent episode of the television series features lead character Marco Diaz disguising himself as Princess Turdina in an effort to save a group of students at a reform school for princesses from the villainous principal Ms Heinous. But all does not go according to plan. ‘Star vs The Forces of Evil’ — headed by showrunner Daron Nefcy — broke ground in progressive television in March of this year when the cartoon featured same-sex couples kissing, marking the first gay kisses on television for a Disney cartoon.

ICELAND - A long-dormant volcano has begun to show signs of activity in Iceland, with authorities fine-tuning evacuation plans in the event it becomes one of the largest eruptions in the country’s history. Öræfajökull, a volcano that last erupted in 1728, is being closely monitored by the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) and the Civil Protection Agency, with satellite images showing a kilometer-wide depression in the surface of the ice in the volcano’s mouth. This phenomenon is known as an “ice cauldron.”

UK - A secret document, which remained locked away for 30 years, advised the British Government to cover-up the realities of EU membership so that by the time the public realised what was happening it would be too late. Almost all of the shocking predictions – from the loss of British sovereignty, to monetary union and the over-arching powers of European courts – have come true.

EUROPE - The European Union has long had to deal with the challenge of being led by a dominant Germany. But suddenly it finds itself facing a different realization — the only thing worse than a strong Germany may be a weak one. Germany is hardly collapsing, but the failure of Chancellor Angela Merkel to form a coalition government presents a profound crisis of leadership for Europe and a protracted period of uncertainty, at a time when it can least afford it. Serious decisions on the eurozone, migration, asylum, defense and other issues — let alone negotiating Britain’s exit from the bloc — were already put off until after the French and German elections this year. Now they will be further delayed, waiting for plodding Germany to work through this new political quandary.

EUROPE - German chancellor Angela Merkel's failure to form a coalition government has raised concerns in Europe that the EU's most powerful country will send the block into paralysis. "It's not in our interest that things get tense," French president Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, adding that the situation was creating "real risks".

EUROPE - A weakened Berlin is bad news for the entire EU. For decades, the Continent has feared the specter of a “German Europe,” of domination by its biggest country.  These days Europe is more worried about what it will do without a strong German hand at the tiller.  The collapse of coalition talks in Berlin on Sunday is fueling concern that a political vacuum in Berlin could bring the European Union to an effective standstill as it confronts challenges big and small.

SWEDEN - A book promoting transsexuality to toddlers and preschoolers, about a transgender man and his horse who claims to be a dog, has been published in Sweden. The stars of Hästen & Husse are a man and a horse that lives with him. The man is depicted as a transgender who wears women’s clothing and lipstick when he returns home from work, while the horse is “trans-species” and believes that he is a dog. Author and university lecturer Susanne Pelger says that she hopes the book will allow toddlers and preschoolers to “be who they want”, SVT reports. Pelger, who has a PhD in genetics and biology, says she was inspired to write the 32-page picture book after meeting several students at Lund University who had gone through gender transition.

USA - The threat of ‘The Big One’ has long loomed over the Pacific Northwest, where several major cities from Vancouver down to northern California are cradled by the 620-mile-long Cascadia Subduction Zone. The geological record shows the area is due for a major earthquake, which would likely be followed by a massive tsunami. Now, a new study has confirmed the region just off the coast of Washington has the ingredients for a megaquake. 

USA - Within the last 7 days, 134 earthquakes “have hammered a three-mile stretch around Monterey County on the San Andreas fault”.  17 of those earthquakes were of magnitude 2.5 or greater, and many believe that these quakes could be a warning sign that a much bigger quake is imminent.  Let’s hope not, because when the “Big One” finally strikes California we will witness devastation on a scale that is unlike anything that we have seen before in modern American history. 

GERMANY - The German president held talks with the heads of political parties on Tuesday in a bid to end the crisis over forming a new government and avert new elections. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with Christian Lindner, who pulled his Free Democrat Party (FDP) out of coalition talks with Angela Merkel at the weekend, in an effort to persuade him to return to the negotiating table. In an interview with a German newspaper released shortly after spending one hour with the president, Mr Lindner said further coalition talks "made no sense". But the crisis has made Mr Steinmeier the most powerful man in Germany. He alone can call new elections or appoint a minority government. And he has complete discretion over how long talks can last.

MIDDLE EAST - The issue of Syria dominated the more than hour-long phone call between the Russian and American presidents. Putin briefed Trump of his recent meeting with Assad, and both leaders agreed on the importance of the UN-led Syrian peace process. Putin told Trump that President Bashar Assad confirmed his commitment to political reforms in Syria, including constitutional amendments. Assad also supported the idea of holding presidential and parliamentary elections as part of a transitional political process during his Monday meeting with Putin in Sochi. “We’re talking very strongly about bringing peace to Syria, very strongly about North Korea, and about Ukraine," Trump told journalists following the phone call with Putin.

VATICAN - The US State Department has issued a terror warning for Americans abroad after the Islamic State threatened to bathe the Vatican in “Christmas Blood” this December. Islamic State terrorists threatened the Vatican and Pope Francis by means of a poster aired on social media last week featuring a masked man driving a car toward the Vatican, seated next to a large backpack and semiautomatic rifle. The poster is captioned “Christmas blood: So wait” and the image was circulated by the pro-Islamic State Wafa Media Foundation.

FRANCE - Societe Generale, one of France’s biggest banks, has reportedly asked the National Front (FN), the far-right anti-immigration eurosceptic party led by Marine Le Pen, to close its accounts after 30 years of cooperation. FN has vowed to fight the decision.

UK - The number of chemicals on supermarket vegetables has increased by up to 17 fold in 40 years, data shows, as the organic food industry and scientists have warned that consumers are exposed to a “toxic cocktail” of pesticides. Figures released for the first time by the Soil Association, which certifies organic food, show the number of toxic chemicals found in onions, leeks, wheat and potatoes has been steadily increasing since the 1960s. This is despite industry data showing that the volume of pesticides found on supermarket vegetables has halved since the 1990s. Speaking at a Royal Society of Medicine conference on pesticides yesterday, where the figures were unveiled, scientists warned that consuming tiny amounts of many different chemicals on a regular basis could be harmful to human health. 

UK - Members of the royal family aren’t often told what they can and can’t do. But just a few days into his first year of school, 4-year-old Prince George already faces a mandate: No best friends allowed. Thomas’s Battersea, the school George attends, bans kids from having best friends, Marie Claire reports. Instead, teachers encourage all students to form bonds with one another to avoid creating feelings of exclusions among those without best friends.