It came down to the addition of a single word for the a tree lighting ceremony, but that word carried enough significance for borough Roselle Park Councilwoman Charlene Storey to resign. Minutes after the council voted 4-2 Thursday night to change the name of the ceremony from A Tree Lighting to A Christmas Tree Lighting, the councilwoman-at-large, left the meeting. She later submitted her letter... 

Residents of a town in Florida may be fined for performing Christmas carols on public sidewalks if a proposed city ordinance passes, a citizen is warning. City commissioners in Winter Park, Florida, will vote later this month on whether to pass an ordinance regulating street performers and creating “designated public performance areas” around the town’s Central Business District. But a Winter... 

A protester calling for the release of abducted Nigerian girls. Hundreds of Nigerians have rallied in the capital Abuja to mark the first Christmas since more than 200 girls were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists. Angry people gathered in Abuja on Saturday to protest against the unknown fate of the abducted girls. The protesters said Nigerian officials haven’t tried hard enough to free the girls... 

Italy says it has recovered a total of 1,026 illegal immigrants attempting to reach Europe from Africa in the Mediterranean Sea over the last 24 hours before Christmas. In a statement on Wednesday, Italy’s officials said the country’s navy carried out various operations in the Strait of Sicily in the last 24 hours to rescue the invaders. The navy also found five bodies belonging to immigrants... 

Cops in Iowa indiscriminately pulled drivers over and knocked on the doors of random houses, targeting innocent citizens going about their business. But rather than issue tickets or citations, police unexpectedly doled out Christmas cheer. Yesterday, unsuspecting motorists in the Des Moines suburb of Norwalk were surprised to be flagged down by officers who offered them a free $50 bill. “I stopped... 

Thousands of British families will be dependent on handouts and charity this Christmas as rates of poverty in the UK continue to soar. At a time when real wages remain stagnant for most of the UK’s lowest paid, it is estimated more than 2,000 working families will find themselves in need of assistance from voluntary organizations for food and other necessities. According to a feature report published... 

Lawmakers in Texas are reminding schools in the state that it’s okay to say “Merry Christmas” and to celebrate the yule tide and Hanukah holidays without fear of repercussion. The reiteration was made at a press conference yesterday in Austin, where state representatives Dwayne Bohac and Richard Raymond reminded citizens about the “Merry Christmas Bill” passed last year. “We can restore... 

Dog’s dinner: Although human consumption of dog meat is mostly associated with Asian countries such as China, pictured, Swiss farmers confessed to breeding dogs for their meat. Animal rights activists have drawn up a petition to ban the ‘barbaric’ practice of eating pets in Switzerland, where cat meat often appears on traditional Christmas menus in rural areas. The animal protection group,... 

While U.S. President Barack Obama is playing golf in Hawaii, where he went with his family for traditional Christmas holidays, America is fighting the raging natural disaster that flooded the south of the country and froze the north, The Telegraph wrote. The publication wrote that a powerful tornado left several thousands of people in the south without electricity on Saturday, Dec. 21. At least two... 

The American Civil Liberties Union is imploring people to stand up for their digital privacy this holiday season, and is doing so with a humorous YouTube video that has Santa Claus poking fun at the National Security Agency. “The NSA is Coming to Town” is the name of the two-minute long ACLU clip, and in it the organization parodies the classic Christmas tune in order to call attention to the... 

When you think of Christmas albums, you typically wouldn’t think of Megadeth. But they surprised everyone and made beautiful new music for the holidays. Dave Mustaine and the Megadeth crew have taken up a side in the “War on Christmas” with a thrashy spin on some of the most cherished Christmas carols. Below, watch our rare and exclusive in-depth interview with rock legend Dave Mustaine... 

Michelle Obama recently revealed that she and President Obama don’t give Christmas gifts to each other. They merely say, “We’re in Hawaii,” and that’s Christmas gift enough. But actually the present is from taxpayers, and it’s an expensive one. The total cost to taxpayers of Obama’s vacations to Hawaii since becoming president is likely in excess of $20 million, and possibly much, much... 

Fascination: Kenneth Libbrecht, Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology, has been studying snowflakes, ice patterns, crystal growth and ice formations since 1997 We are often told that every snowflake is different – but the naked eye is simply not advanced enough to appreciate the world’s favourite form of precipitation. But even without a white Christmas this year,... 

The coldest ever December has rolled through Russia causing the evacuation of hundreds of people in Siberia, where temperature hit below -50C, and plunging Moscow into its coldest night in the season. Will Christmas lift the frosty spell? ­The cold weather that has Russia in its icy embrace has been causing all kinds of havoc. Flights and buses delayed and cancelled, many schools have been closed,... 

Fox Latin America is being forced to apologize after Rupert Murdoch’s Spanish-language outlet added a questionable poll to its Facebook page as part of a failed promotion. In an outlandish effort to promote a Christmas special this year on the National Geographic Channel, a Fox Latin America staffer asked fans on the group’s Facebook page, “Who do you think is responsible for the death of...