The 10 Worst Things About the Worst Decade Ever

Obama Welcomes India's PM to White House

The First Family hosts Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, as the administration's first official state visitors

Photographs for TIME by Brooks Kraft / Corbis

Pictures of the Week

(November 13 - November 19, 2009)

Dinosaur-Era Crocodiles Discovered in Sahara

Scientists describe five species that roamed ancient rivers 100 million years ago

Susan Boyle's Road to Fame

A 47-year-old Scottish spinster rocks Simon Cowell — and the world

A Brief History of White House State Dinners

Since the 19th century, U.S. presidents have honored foreign heads of state with grand parties in the State Dining Room

Severe Floods Hit the U.K.

A record amount of rainfall over a 24-hour period in England sees hundreds of people evacuated.

Michael Jackson Memorabilia Goes Up for Auction

A fascinating trove of items related to the former singer goes up for sale in New York City on November 21

Photographs by Tom Schierlitz for TIME

An Army Town Copes with PTSD

Home to Fort Carson and many returning vets, Colorado Springs has endured a rash of murders committed by vets returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Photographs by Ashley Gilbertson / VII Network for TIME

Silvio Berlusconi and the Politics of Sex

The Italian Prime Minister has used the power of sex to build a flourishing business and political career

Photographs by Nina Berman / Noor for TIME

Guantánamo's Last Days

As the Obama Administration prepares to finalize details on closing the controversial military prison, here is a rare glimpse of the life of detainees and guards behind the wire

Photographs by John Moore / Getty

The Velvet Revolution 20 Years Later

Czechs and Slovaks alike have been marking the Velvet Revolution that brought down the Communist government of the then-Czechoslovakia. TIME looks back at the events of 1989 as well as the anniversary itself

President Obama Visits Asia

A gallery of the President's first tour of the critical region

A Brief History of U.S. Presidents in China

From Nixon's historic 1972 visit to Obama's town hall meeting in Shanghai, TIME examines Presidential trips to China

Global Warming Threatens Penguins

How rising temperatures and melting ice have affected the habitats of five species of the swimming birds

Peru's Sacred Glacier Is Melting

Warmer temperatures eat away at an ancient glacier
high in the Andes, throwing the native communities into a spiritual crisis

Photographs by Andrew McLeish / LightMediation

Garbage Is Good: Recycling in America

Pushed by governments, good for the environment, the multibillion dollar business of recycling is here to stay

The New Moon Portraits: A Twilight Gallery

A gallery of the characters from the new film

Bernie Madoff's Stuff Goes Up for Auction

The contents of the disgraced financier's closets are put up for sale

The Troubled Journey of Major Hasan

A look at the life of the accused Ft. Hood Gunman

Cinematic Visions of the Apocalypse

From movies about nuclear holocaust to films of flesh-eating zombies, here are 20 picks that may help prepare you for the end of the world

Photos: A Green Alternative to Dry Cleaning

Green Apple Cleaners uses nontoxic methods to clean its customers' clothes

Photographs by Albert Vecerka / Esto for TIME

A Mandarin School in Minneapolis

At the Yinghua Academy, elementary students of every ethnicity study subjects ranging from math to American history — in Mandarin Chinese.

Photographs by Jeffrey Thompson for TIME

Inventors and Their Inventions

Photographer David Friedman explores the inspiration that moves inventors

The Robo-Penguin

Researchers at Festo's Bionic Learning Network develop a remarkably lifelike mechanical penguin

Inside the Apartment of Nidal Malik Hasan

A glimpse into the home of the accused Fort Hood gunman

Photographs by Erin Trieb for TIME