UK - The Met Office has admitted that global warming has stalled. Officials say that by 2017, temperatures will not have risen significantly for nearly 20 years. They concede that previous forecasts were inaccurate – and have come under fire for attempting to ‘bury bad news’ by publishing the revised data on Christmas Eve. The figures have been seized on by sceptics of man-made climate change, who claim that global warming has flatlined despite a large rise in greenhouse emissions in recent decades.

AUSTRALIA - The Australian state of New South Wales is experiencing one of the highest-risk fire days in its history, with temperatures climbing above 40C. Fire-fighters are battling over 100 wildfires raging across the southeast of the country, with more than 20 deemed out of control. Officials have evacuated national parks, warning that blistering temperatures and high winds are causing "catastrophic" fire conditions in some areas. All state forests and national parks have been closed as a precaution and total fire bans are in place with temperatures expected to reach as high as 45C in some places.

UK - Vegetables, fruit and cereals harvested in the wake of recent poor weather could be less healthy and less tasty as a result of the downpours and lack of sunshine, a leading scientist has said. Levels of protein as well as iron, copper and zinc in food may have been affected, according to Professor Mike Gooding. Professor Gooding, head of agricultural policy and development at Reading University said high rainfall could cause loss of nutrients in soil while lack of sunshine could hamper the development of sugars in produce.

USA - And the American genocide continues, with 333,964 murders in 2011. That’s the figure proudly released by Planned Parenthood Federation of America in their report delineating how many abortions they performed in fiscal year 2011. Doing some simple math reveals that the number of abortions performed equates to one abortion every 94 seconds. Planned Parenthood received $542.4 million in “government health services grants and reimbursements,” including “payments from Medicaid managed care plans.”

WASHINGTON, USA - The Washington National Cathedral, where the nation gathers to mourn tragedies and celebrate new presidents, will soon begin performing same-sex marriages. Cathedral officials tell The Associated Press the church will be among the first Episcopal congregations to implement a new rite of marriage for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members.

USA - The massacre in Newton, Connecticut, and other mass shootings have prompted for a call to curb gun violence. California assembly member Nancy Skinner answered that call with a proposal to restrict ammunition sales in the state. “2,800 people in California were killed last year by gunfire," Skinner said. "It is easier to buy bullets than cough medicine or alcohol. It should not be that easy. We need to have much more scrutiny when it comes to the purchase of guns." Monday she unveiled Assembly Bill 48. It would require bullet buyers to show identification. It would also require ammunition dealers to be licensed and report all sales to the department of justice.

GERMANY - A laser weapons system that can shoot down two drones at a distance of over a mile has been demonstrated by Rheinmetall Defence. The German defence firm used the high-energy laser equipment to shoot fast-moving drones at a distance. The system, which uses two laser weapons, was also used to cut through a steel girder a kilometre away. The high-energy laser system was used to shoot out of the air a steel ball designed to mimic a mortar round.

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - About 95.5 tons of pork cuts dyed to look like beef have been imported to Sweden, and about 70 tons of it have already been sold, officials say. The fake beef was imported into Sweden for two years and sold at grocery stores nationwide, The Local.se reported.

USA - It’s ‘McRib season’, and thousands across the nation are scrambling to use online websites like the ‘McRib locator‘ to stuff the McDonald’s McRib sandwich down their throats. A sandwich that is not only full of genetically modified ingredients, a medley of toxic fillers and preservatives, but also some ingredients that are actually banned in other nations around the world. But honestly, are you surprised? It’s not actually a rib. Instead, it’s a combination of unwanted animal scraps processed down in major facilities and ‘restructured’ into the form of a rib. Then, 70 additives, chemicals, fillers, and GMO ingredients later, you have a ‘meat’ product that tastes like ribs.

USA - Chinese foreign direct investment in the United States hit record levels in 2012 and shows little sign of slowing, despite lingering worries among some that the inflow of Chinese money presents a growing security risk to the country. Chinese companies concluded deals worth $6.5 billion in 2012, an increase of 12 percent from the record $5.8 billion in 2010, according to a new report by New York-based Rhodium Group, which tracks Chinese FDI.

UK - It sounds like a radically modern idea. With the Royal Navy now downsized to a mere shadow of its former glory how do you protect commercial shipping, not to mention human cargo, in pirate-infested waters? Answer: bring in a private navy. And in a couple of months that is precisely what corporations or indeed governments will be able to do when Typhon, a privately owned and run British maritime force, goes into operation. Set up by British businessman Simon Murray, Typhon will provide an armed escort for shipping off the east of Africa which has long been plagued by Somali pirates.

WASHINGTON, USA - US banks have taken another step to clear away the wreckage of the 2008 financial crisis by agreeing to pay $8.5 billion to settle charges that they wrongfully foreclosed on millions of homeowners. The deal announced Monday could compensate hundreds of thousands of Americans whose homes were seized because of abuses such as “robo-signing,” when banks automatically signed off on foreclosures without properly reviewing documents. The agreement will also help eliminate huge potential liabilities for the banks.

UK - Much as Britain is uncertain about its future relationship with Europe, so Europe is divided about what it wants from Britain. On a range of issues the UK has strong allies. Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark are just three countries who share many of the same instincts as London and would want to keep Britain in the EU.

USA - "All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party" - Mao Tse Tung

"After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. I wouldn't want to live in a society where the only people allowed guns are the police and the military" - William Burroughs

USA - What we are hearing from bloviating gun control advocates in America is nothing short of emotionally driven irrationality. According to statistics assembled from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Center for Disease Control and the Federal Government, firearms related homicides are minuscule in comparison to the other “big killers” in the United States.