Anchor Marco Werman profiles the singer Elisa. She's a pop sensation in her native Italy since 2001. Now she's hoping to make it in North America. Elisa kicks off a 17-date tour of Canada and the US next week.

A woman has been arrested in Japan for deleting her virtual husband from an online video game. Anchor Marco Werman finds out more from Ross Atherton, editor of PC Gamer Magazine in the UK.

The Smurfs are turning 50 years old. The likable blue cartoon characters were created by a Belgian artist in 1958. Anchor Marco Werman has more on celebrations this year to mark the anniversary.

We are looking for a European country split between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking regions. The answer is Belgium.

According to a recent survey, one third of Chinese-American voters are still undecided about who to vote for on November 4th. Many of them are older and live in New York and California, states Barack Obama is expected to win easily and where there is little outreach going on by either campaign. So their English-speaking sons and daughters are filling the void and many of them are trying to persuade their parents to vote for Barack Obama. Host Marco Werman speaks with Yan Tai, a reporter in New York for the Chinese-language daily World Journal and Feet in Two Worlds, a project of The Center for New York City Affairs at The New School.

Daniel Chen has been his father's link to English language news sources about the election

You've heard about battleground states. And the voting blocks in those states. But what about a "battleground congregation"? The World's Matthew Bell visits one in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rabbi Felipe Goodman's congregation at Temple Beth Shalom is divided over the 2008 presidential race.

The British Library has released rare recordings of famous 20th century authors, including the English writer Virginia Woolf. Anchor Marco Werman has details.

Only surviving sound recording of Virginia Woolf

Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Timothy Ryback about his new book, "Hitler's Private Library - the Books that Shaped his Life."

The neighborhood savings bank is saving the day in Germany. State-owned or co-op banks called Sparkassen only lend locally. And they're being flooded with deposits as Germans rush to escape the global credit crisis. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

Argentina's President (Cristina Fernández de Kirchner) this week announced plans to nationalize the country's private pension funds. Some see it it as a reasonable move in times of a financial crisis. Her critics say she could be preparing to raid the funds. Correspondent Ian Mount reports from Buenos Aires.