Environmentalists in Europe want to reduce the carbon footprint of the holidays. They're promoting the purchase of locally grown Christmas trees. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Prague.

Nobel Prize-winning British playwright Harold Pinter has died at the age of seventy-eight. Anchor Lisa Mullins recalls his life and career.

We asked some prominent people to tell us about the books that have meant the most to them in their lives. Among those we hear from are opera singer Plácido Domingo, writer Pico Iyer, and astronaut Bill Anders.

The Christmas carol "O Come All Ye Faithful" may contain a hidden political message. We hear from a professor in the UK about the coded meaning, which he says was to be understood by rebel English Catholics in the 18th Century.

Today's Geo Quiz is designed to give listeners a few moments' respite from winter's chill. The answer is Haiti. Anchor Lisa Mullins has details.

Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre is said to be where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. This holy site is now being fought over by a half dozen Christian denominations. Irris Makler reports.

We close our program this Christmas Day with a carol from a small village in Ireland. The song is called "The Darkest Midnight" and is performed by Irish singer Cara Dillon.

Today on The World: More economic woes for recession-hit Japan; Descending into a dark and dangerous coal mine in Ukraine; and what you can learn from loneliness.

Anchor Katy Clark speaks with New York Times journalist Ken Belson about today's bad economic news from Japan. The one-time economic superpower is reporting a record one-month drop in industrial production.

Some in Ukraine would like to see the country shake off its heavy reliance on Russian natural gas by tapping its huge coal resources. But Ukraine's coal mines are old, inefficient, and extremely dangerous. The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse reports from a mine in Ukraine's industrial east.