Noah's Flood Transformed Agriculture

Obama, Jay-Z, Steve Jobs help win crown

(NEWSER) - When it comes to foreign policy, perhaps Americans aren’t the world’s favorite nationality. But the US has clearly cornered the market on coolness. Just ask the 30,000 people from 15 different countries polled by social networking site Badoo.com. When asked to choose the coolest country, America came first, Reuters reports. “We hear a lot in the media about anti-Americanism,” says a rep for the site. “But we sometimes forget how many people across the world consider Americans seriously cool.” More»

Other nations will follow suit, freeing up billions of dollars

(NEWSER) - The US will officially recognize the Libyan rebels’ Transitional National Council as the country’s legitimate government, Hillary Clinton announced today at a meeting in Turkey of nations intent on resolving the country's chaos. All 30 members of the International Contact Group gathered there will ultimately recognize the TNC as well, Italy’s foreign minister tells the AP . Italy and France already do so. More»

Gadhafi regime close to exit: officials

(NEWSER) - Countries that stepped into the Libyan conflict are promising $1 billion in support for the rebel cause. The pledge from nations including Italy, France, Turkey, and Australia is backed in large part by Libyan assets, notes the New York Times , but some legal considerations still stand between the money and the rebels. The rebels in eastern Libya have asked for $3 billion, and call diplomatic efforts far too slow: "It’s beyond frustration,” says the opposition finance minister. More»

(NEWSER) - Europeans may have longer lives and longer vacations, but red-blooded Americans don't want their socialist ways on this side of the ocean, right wing media mouths are eager to remind everyone, MIchael Freedman writes in Newsweek. Underlying much of the opposition to health care reform is the fear that it's part of an anti-American conspiracy to transform the US into a "European social welfare state," according to Rush Limbaugh. More»

Governments rescue troubled institutions, pledge to back deposits

(NEWSER) - Barely a day after rejecting the need for a massive unified rescue plan, European leaders are wading into two substantial bailouts and vowing to save banks, Bloomberg reports. France’s BNP Paribas will take over Fortis in Belgium and Luxembourg, while Germany’s government and banks bail out Hypo Real Estate with a $68 billion rescue package. Meanwhile, Alistair Darling says the UK will do whatever is necessary to aid its banks. More»