A group of Minneapolis teenagers have found themselves headline news after publishing a video in which they push people over in the street. Identified as of Somali origin, the pranksters will, our observer there explains, only add fuel to the fire for the local anti-Somali press.

On the left, the US poster for Hollywood comedy romance "Couples Retreat". On the left, the same ad, but redesigned for a UK audience.

US President Barack Obama was treated to a grandiose welcome in Beijing, where he met his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao on Tuesday. The pair agreed to strengthen ties between the two countries. But on the Web, feelings were not so warm. Read more...

 

American environmentalists are fighting for their right to hang out their washing in the garden. In many states the practice remains illegal, and for one man, it cost him his life. Read more...

On Wednesday a Muslim army psychiatrist shot and killed 13 soldiers at the Fort Hood military base in Texas. Our Observer Ernesto Haibi knew the shooter: he worked as a medic in the same base. He tells us about the killer's personality, and how security conditions in the camp may have allowed for this to happen. Read more...

On November 1 the streets of the Kosovan capital Pristina were crowded with people waiting to see one of their favourite icons, former US president Bill Clinton. During his visit, a three-metre-tall bronze statue was unveiled on a corner of the same street that carries his name. The bronze Clinton clutches documents with the date 24 March 1999 stamped on them, marking the day NATO began its bombing of Serbian posts in Kosovo. Read more and see the photos...

Political satire and Halloween often come hand in hand. Last year, one of the trendiest October 31 looks was undoubtedly that of Sarah Palin. As the US braces itself for a new Halloween season, one particular disguise has sparked an uproar: the “illegal alien” costume. Read more…

Obama reaffirmed his promise to repeal the US Army's ban on homosexual soldiers this month. But while gay activists across the country wait patiently for their right to serve in the army as openly homosexual, our Observer, a gay soldier who served in the sixties and seventies, explains why Obama needs the backing of Congress to fulfil his promise. Read more...

Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz weren’t expecting anyone but friends and family to watch when they posted a video of their wedding on YouTube.