President Vladimir Putin has put Russia's nuclear forces on high alert. The theory is that the possibility of mutually assured destruction is the strongest of reasons not to press the button. But the pressure is mounting.

Strict water restrictions come into force for millions of people in California as the US west coast continues to experience a crippling drought.

In this scene from the classic British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, Del Boy and Rodney are left stranded when their van breaks down on the way to a party, and they really don’t want to be seen in their costumes!

Comedian Trevor Noah, who now hosts the Daily Show, compares the differences between England and Africa when it comes to obeying traffic lights. In particular, he doesn't understand why people in England are so obsessed with pressing the button in order to get the "walk" signal.

English comedian Michael MacIntyre discusses the ironies of new technology. First, he talks about Google Earth and the address most people first type in when they try it out. Then he takes on motion sensors in public restrooms.

The BBC reports on a floating wind turbine that could help provide power to remote communities. This helium-filled device is known as "the bat."

"Pompeii" from their album Bad Blood, was the breakthrough hit for British indie rock band Bastille. This wonderfully raw acoustic version of the song really showcases their vocal talents.

Bastille is a British indie pop band formed in 2010. "Things we lost in the fire" is a single from their debut album. Enjoy!

The band Bastille performs their version of the popular Christmas carol "O Holy Night." They have modified and modernized the lyrics, especially in the second verse, to be more earthly, rather than heavenly, and more pessimistic than optimistic. Dan Smith is the lead vocalist of the UK band. His birthday is on July 14th, Bastille Day, hence the name of the band.

Dan Smith of the English indie rock band Bastille describes “Good Grief” as “a song about loss, but the ups and downs of it, and those moments of euphoria you get.” The phrase “good grief” is generally used as an ironic exclamation of surprise, shock, or amazement.

Let’s learn some colors and numbers in this simple video for beginners!

Welcome to this beginner series, in which the one hundred most commonly used words in the English language are used in context. Master them, and you will be on the way to becoming an English speaker!

In part two, we learn five more common and crucial words, and learn them in the best way possible: in context!

More simple, but very common words are used in context in part three of this series for beginners. We learn more of the most common prepositions and new conjugations of the verb "to be."

In this episode, we learn about the strong bond between Maria and her pet dog, Oscar. It takes only simple, but very important vocabulary to say, “I love you!”