UK Social Network Badoo Gets $30M to Enter Russia

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»

But Americans aren't so amusing, either

(NEWSER) - Maybe something’s just lost in translation: A poll of 30,000 people in 15 countries found Germany to be the world’s most unfunny country. But we’re not so amusing either: Russia and Turkey came in as the second and third least-funny, while Britain and the US rounded out the top five. Responders said they saw Germany as being more interested in reason and efficiency than jokes. More»

'Kermlin Russia' dodges country's media crackdown

(NEWSER) - Dmitri Medvedev has discovered one of the great joys of Twitter: the satirical impersonator account. Just days after the Russian president sent his first dispatch from his @KremlinRussia page, another account—called @KermlinRussia —is delivering mocking responses to his dispatches. One, for example, poked fun at his attempts to modernize the country, writing, “One needs to understand that money given to modernization and innovation will be spent on corruption and swindling.” More»

(AP) - Facebook is getting a $200 million investment from a Russian Internet investor that values the social networking company at $10 billion. The investment gives Digital Sky Technologies a nearly 2% stake in the Palo Alto, California-based company's preferred stock. More»

EU accused of plotting pro-Romania coup

(NEWSER) - The escalating crisis in Moldova is threatening to sour Russia's relations with the West once again, reports the Independent. Russia is siding with the Moldovan government in its accusations that the anti-Communist protests—organized by pro-EU youth mobilizing with the help of Twitter updates—are part of a coup attempt backed by EU member and Moldova neighbor Romania. More»