Weak Dollar Not Slowing US Vacations

The big names who've gotten in hot water overseas

(NEWSER) - Robin Williams’ comment to David Letterman last week that “Australians are basically English rednecks” set off quite a chain reaction—the Australian prime minister is mad at Williams, and the Alabama governor is mad at the Australian PM for implying Alabamians are the real rednecks. The Daily Beast rounds up a dozen more diplomatic scandals in the celebrity world:

• Adam Carolla: The Filipino people weren’t too happy last week when the comedian railed about boxer Manny Pacquiao being the only thing the country has to offer: “They got this and sex tours, that’s all they have over there. Get your shit together, Philippines. Jesus Christ. I mean, again, it’s fine to be proud of your countrymen. But that’s it? That’s all you got?”
• Richard Gere: When he kissed Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty in 2007, protesters in India shouted “Death to Shilpa Shetty!” and burned effigies of Gere.

With gratuity varying by country, it's important not to offend

(NEWSER) - Knowing the appropriate level of gratuity can be tricky, and it gets even more difficult abroad, where tipping practices widely vary. Forbes offers some help, noting, for instance, that for a cab ride in South America, rounding up the fare to the next dollar is an acceptable tip, while in Europe or an African city 10% is expected. More»

Developing markets faring better in current economic downturn

(NEWSER) - As the US and other developed economies feel the crunch of a housing collapse and credit crisis, emerging economies, especially those fueled by commodities, have yet to feel the pinch, the Washington Post reports. "We are overloaded with money, crazy amounts of money from the energy market," a professor says of oil-rich Russia. More»

Old-world schools hear footsteps from China, India in college rankings

(NEWSER) - Top-tier European universities like Oxford, Cambridge and the Sorbonne will fall behind competitors in China and India within 10 years, the EU's education commissioner warns. The Times of London reports underfunding and outmoded curricula could cost the mossier Western schools their international reputations, and international enrollments with them. More»