USA - While high winds and rain brought on by superstorm Sandy tormented residents along much of the East Coast, the state of West Virginia was blanketed in a freak snowstorm as a result of the weather. Roughly a quarter of a million people across West Virginia lost power on Monday as Sandy caused extreme weather conditions across a large chunk of the US. In the town of Webster Springs, residents were forced to endure upwards of 17 inches of snow, a rare occurrence in the state for this time of year. Additionally, the AP reports that more than 30 local highways were closed by snow, ice, high water, and downed trees and power lines.

USA - As New York struggles to recover from Hurricane Sandy, there’s at least one victim of the destruction no one will be sad to see go. According to reports, a large portion of the city’s teeming rat population may have drowned in the floodwaters that filled the subways, tunnels and basements of Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. Sam Miller, a spokesman for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, emailed back the reassurance that the city has ‘not seen an increase in rats above ground caused by Hurricane Sandy.’

USA - When Hurricane Sandy struck New York, it washed away years of scientific research from the New York University School of Medicine, including genetically modified mice, enzymes, antibodies and DNA strands. The hospital, which is among the best research facilities in the country, had not prepared to evacuate during the storm. But after a power outage left the facility in the dark, the building was forced to evacuate, leaving valuable research materials behind. The hospital’s generators were outdated and placed in ineffective areas. Thousands of mice that had been genetically modified and used for cancer research drowned when the building on E. 32ndSt. flooded. Many of the mice had taken years to produce.

USA - A major oil spill has occurred in the strait of water separating Staten Island, NYC and the state of New Jersey. The spill, of more than 300,000 gallons of diesel fuel, reportedly occurred in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. The Coast Guard said the incident occurred in the Arthur Kill tidal strait as fuel leaked from the Motiva oil tank facility, according to a report by NBC New York. Some 200 people have been working to contain the spill. Oil has already started to wash up on a nearby shore, authorities said.

ISRAEL - Iran’s decision to produce fuel rods from a third of its medium-enriched uranium stockpile delayed its alleged nuclear weapon program, says the Israeli defense minister. But Tel Aviv continues to advocate a military solution to halting it. The Iranian move, which clearly clashes with its alleged goal of obtaining a nuclear bomb as soon as possible, is just a temporary set-back in Israel’s eyes and apparently does not change its aggressive rhetoric. Defense Minister Ehud Barak estimates that Israel and its allies will have to take decision over a military solution of the stand-off in “eight to ten months”, because sanctions and diplomacy will fail to curb Iran’s nuclear ambition, Britain's Daily Telegraph cites the minister as saying.

UK/EUROPE - Dozens of Conservative MPs will today urge David Cameron to defy Brussels and demand a cut or a freeze in the vast EU budget. The move comes amid increasing signs that the Prime Minister is preparing to ‘drop the V-bomb’ – use Britain’s veto – for a second time.

WASHINGTON, USA/BERLIN, GERMANY - Regardless of who will win the presidential elections in the United States, German political observers are not anticipating a change of course in US foreign policy. "It is essentially immaterial who wins," predicts an expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

USA - Storm damage projected at £12 billion [latest estimate $50 billion]. Ten people in New York among the dead. Many killed by falling trees. President Barack Obama has declared a 'major disaster' in New York and Long Island

UK - A world wine shortage has been predicted after forecasts that production would slump to its lowest level in at least 37 years following inclement weather that ruined grape harvests across the globe. The fall is likely to push up prices, as demand exceeds supply, and see Italy overtake France – where the flow of wine is set to dry up by nearly a fifth - as the largest producing country. Production is expected to fall by 24% in Argentina, with Spain, Hungary and New Zealand also suffering reductions, according to the figures.

USA - As of Monday, the federal government has operated without a formal budget for three and a half years. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid “last adopted a budget on April 29th, 2009,” according to a Monday press release from the Senate Budget Committee’s Republican staff. “A budget requires only 51 votes to pass and yet the Majority has refused to even meet its legal obligation to draft one,” said the release.

CHINA - China has started making concerted efforts to chase Japanese ships out of waters surrounding the disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, ratcheting up tensions between Asia’s two largest economies. The Chinese State Oceanic Administration – which enforces the nation’s maritime interests – said four of its ships on Tuesday tried to expel Japanese vessels out of waters where they were operating “illegally”. Mr Li said the Chinese government was still restraining itself and would not lightly add to the tension. “But if the Japanese don’t change their ways and return to the path of negotiation, such friction could increase,” he said. “Then, it would not be a question of just four vessels but many more.”

USA - “Career day” at Tularosa New Mexico Intermediate School went terribly wrong after a 10-year-old boy says a police officer used his Taser gun to show him what cops do to people who don’t follow orders. Officer Chris Webb of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety is being sued in court after allegedly using his Taser-brand stun gun on a school playground to send 50,000 volts of electricity into a young boy’s body, forcing the child to blackout. Amnesty International claims that Taser-guns, like the ones available worldwide through Taser International, have contributed to the death of more than 500 Americans in the last few years.

USA - Joan Stevens was one of several early voters at the polls on Monday. But when Stevens tried to cast her ballot for president, she noticed a problem. Upon selecting “Mitt Romney” on the electronic touch screen, Barack Obama’s name lit up. It took Stevens three tries before her selection was accurately recorded. “You want to vote for who you want to vote for, and when you can’t it’s irritating,” Stevens said. Stevens said she alerted Jackie Smith, a board of elections member who was present. Smith declined to comment, but Stevens says she mentioned that the machine had been having problems all day.

GERMANY - For decades, almost half of Germany's gold has been stored deep below the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Now, with the euro crisis swirling, German politicians are asking their central bankers to take stock of the reserves. Some even say that the gold should be shipped home.

NEW YORK, USA - Hurricane Sandy has turned New York and surrounding cities into a disaster zone. Manhattan is without power and large parts of the island are flooded. Transformer stations have exploded, cars are floating down Wall Street, and at least 16 people have been killed.