Indiana's Muscatatuck Urban Training Center mimics an Afghan village to train civilians for a surge. Korean army develops pedal-powered airplane. Massive Philippine volcano ready to blow, 45,000 evacuated. These students tended to be overachiever types motivated primarily by salary rather than some lifelong ambition. The reason
The E.U. declares Copenhagen a "disaster," "a great failure." Eighty Europeans killed by cold snap. Chart: Global misery index. Airlines to face tough penalties if planes sit on the tarmac and passengers go unfed. Plants possess sophisticated defense mechanisms to fight attackers; they don'
Clashes in an Iranian holy city after a dissident cleric's funeral, which hundreds of thousands attended. Iran captivated by Korean soap opera Jumong. Journalist deaths peaked in 2009, with 68 fatalities. D.C. detective pulls a gun after his Hummer gets hit with snowballs (see footage). Will Ferrell
Senate votes to end health care debate, set a final vote for Christmas Eve. Fantasy geopolitics is the new fantasy football. This year, it's unlikely New Yorkers can spare the generosity to grant wishes in the letters to Santa that pile up at the post office. James Cameron
Iceberg larger than Manhattan breaks from Antarctica, heads for Australia. Related: Man attempts to crowdsurf Manhattan today (follow progress here). "Who's on First" meets environmental disaster when an oil tanker's front falls off. Slideshow looks at which tiny island nations compose the Alliance of
The recession was less calamitous than many feared; its aftermath will be more dangerous than many expect. Sarkozy breaks from the E.U. to back Kyoto; transparency becomes sticking point for U.S. deals. Guardian contest winner solves Tony Blair's financial mystery. Map shows a decade of deaths
Army tests a soldier-controlled universal remote for its robotic devices. Counterterrorism for kids. Computer model predicts what terrorists may do next. Interview with a would-be suicide bomber. Op: It's time for Obama to make good on his promise to get rid of the penny. The better
Plastic roads: A solution for India's garbage surplus and lack of transportation infrastructure. Meet the menhaden, the fish that keeps our water clean, and bestows us with omega-3s. I simply couldn't see who or what the book was about if not about farm animals. Like
Mr. Berlusconi's office denied reports that he doodled pictures of women's underwear in climate talks. U.K. report of Berlusconi dust-up. Interview with Daniel Lippman, secret 19-year-old copyeditor and fact-checker for D.C.'s press corps. RIP Giorgio Carbone, elected prince
Beyond rap videos, holding a gun sideways has a longstanding Hollywood--and military--tradition. Video: From the 1960s, the Porsche build process. Zaha Hadid's snack-itecture, illustrated. Most of the Times's 2001 "Year in Ideas" remain relevant; "Selling things yourself in cigarette vending
