US Gets England in First Round

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»

(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»

Europeans grapple with worst winter in years

(NEWSER) - While much of the US basks in unseasonably warmish weather, Europe continues to be locked in a deep freeze that's getting even colder. More than 100 people have died in Ukraine, Italy is suffering its coldest winter in 27 years, and conditions are so severe in Serbia that thousands have been stranded in -22 degree cold along with six feet of snow, reports the BBC . Food and medicines are being airlifted in, and helicopters are attempting to move the most fragile Serbians to safety. Authorities are also scrambling to get help to people in Greece, Spain, and Italy. Nearly 600 passengers were stranded this week for seven hours in an Italian mountain train when the brakes and electrical cables froze. Temperatures have plunged as low at -40 degrees in Russia—which is -52 with the wind chill factored in. More»

Paris and Austria lose AAA status

(AP) - Standard & Poor's has downgraded the government debt of France, Austria, Italy, and Spain by one notch, but maintained Germany's at the coveted 'AAA' level. The cuts, which eliminated France and Austria's triple-A status, deal a heavy blow to the currency union's ability to fight off a worsening debt crisis. In total, S&P cut its ratings on nine eurozone countries. More»

Decisive goal in 1-0 contest is latest ever in a final

(AP) - Andres Iniesta scored with 4 minutes of extra time remaining to give Spain a 1-0 win over the Netherlands and its first World Cup title today in Johannesburg. With the teams facing a penalty shootout in a game of few clear chances, Iniesta collected a sliding pass from substitute Cesc Fabregas, broke free inside the penalty area, and smashed the ball past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and in at the far post. The game was a physical test that sometimes turned dirty—officials handed out a finals-record 11 yellow cards, and the Dutch finished with 10 men. More»