The war that has waged for dominance of the Christmas singles chart in the U.K. has been decided. In the blue corner, "X-Factor" reality pop T.V. show winner Joe McElderry, with his Miley Cyrus cover (Yes, Miley Cyrus cover) "The Climb", stands shaking at the knees a few thousand copies...

A thick, invisible fog has settled over the British Isles of late. Call it depression, the onset of winter or maybe a Dementor attack, but everyone seems a tad ... sad. A little hopeless. A lot dissatisfied.

The recession has hit rural England particularly hard. In the counties surrounding...

Some say that the "big one" -- the earthquake that will destroy California and send it seeping into the Pacific Ocean - lies in patient dormancy beneath us, waiting for the perfect time to strike. But lately, competition for the state's imminent destruction has been fierce. With budget woes reaching...

Cash-strapped and desperate, the Los Angeles Unified School District is set to fire around 3,500 teachers before the end of June. Couple these upcoming layoffs with a $595 million budget deficit, and the 2010/2011 school year is looking pretty shady. Resources won't be getting replenished any time soon. Inner-city schools...

They were once close, fast friends. But over the last eight years, Europe and America have grown apart. There was no "it's not you, it's me," conversation. Both of them unrelentingly blamed the other for the way things had turned out. Europe felt overlooked, and America felt betrayed. "You've grown...

At some point soon after the very beginning of man, a Neanderthal tripped and fell over a misplaced mammoth bone onto the cave floor. Some of his buddies laughed. Some ignored him. But one of them grunted over and put out his hand. This was the moment we started talking...

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown backs Obama. Russell Brand (we think, but he didn't make himself too clear on this one at the VMAs...) is also in the Obama Camp. Now a BBC poll shows that the majority of the world, given the chance, would stamp their hopes next to...