GERMANY

Germany's manufacturing sector unexpectedly shrank at the fastest pace in nearly three years in April, denting hopes it can drive growth in the euro zone and

Global finance chiefs pressed Europe in weekend talks to quickly put in place the economic reforms needed to finally extinguish its debt crisis now that newly increased financial buffers have bought some precious time.

Corporate executives are hesitant to pull the trigger on new acquisitions despite indicating they believe the global economy is improving somewhat, according to a survey of more than 1,500 executives polled by Ernst & Young.

In less than two weeks Samsung Galaxy S3, the successor of Galaxy S2 will be unveiled in London on the Olympic ground. However, at the same time, in the May 3 event, where the tech enthusiasts who are eagerly waiting for the next gen phone, they will also witness the launch of Samsung's latest service S-Cloud with the new device.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has popped up on Amazon's German arm's pre-order, ahead of the anticipated May 3 release date.

Samsung's highly anticipated new Android smartphone was spotted on Amazon.de as available for pre-order on Saturday, April 21. Although the listing did not include a release date, the post provides a few clues as to what we can expect from the new smartphone on May 3, when Samsung shows it to the world at a press conference in London.

China produces 97 percent of the world's rare earths, minerals that are critical for the production of everything from cell phones to missiles -- and now it wants to keep more of them for itself. The world is worried, but there may be little it can do.

After the South Korean tech giant Samsung sent out press invites to an event for the launch of its much-hyped Galaxy S3 smartphone on May 3 in London, it was thought that the rumors about the device would slow down gradually. But contrary to the general belief, even more ambitious rumors have been surfacing online over the past few days.

Upbeat economic reports from Britain and Germany combined with surprisingly strong first-quarter earnings reports in the U.S. to foster a risk-on sentiment that lifted stocks and commodities while weighing on safe-haven investments.

European economic data released on Friday topped analyst expectations, giving a boost to the region's stock markets.

Nokia lost a court case on Friday after a regional court in Mannheim, Germany, found the Finnish mobile phone company had violated patents belonging to German patent firm IPCom.

Futures on major US indices point to a higher opening Friday as investors awaited the earnings from major firms including General Electric Co. and McDonald's.

German business sentiment unexpectedly rose for the sixth month in a row in April in a sign that Europe's largest economy continues to outpace peers and shrug off persistent worries about the euro zone debt crisis.

The business confidence in Germany increased in April, indicating that the country's economy is continuing to withstand the pressures of looming debt crisis in Eurozone.

Pakistani Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's plan for resolution of Siachen issue, which includes bilateral withdrawal of troops from the disputed zone, was met with a cautious welcome from India due to the concern on whether Islamabad would authenticate the ground position line at the world's highest battlefield.

Automaker Ford said Thursday that it plans to build a $760-million assembly plant in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou as part of expansion plans in the country.

As Afghanistan troop withdrawals are scheduled for 2014, Australia has renewed its pledge to adhere to NATO plans. But an abrupt U-turn this week indicates the political difficulties of adhering to an international commitment.

The Spanish stock market plunged on Thursday, closing just 1.3 percent above its March 2009 low and reigniting fears about the euro zone sovereign debt crisis and the weak U.S. labor market.

The global economy is set to expand by a modest 3.3 percent this year as a still-smoldering euro zone debt crisis and a relatively slow U.S. recovery continue to leave Asia as the main driver of growth, Reuters polls showed on Thursday.

Scientists have discovered a new species of crab on the island of Palawan, located off the west coast of the Philippines, which is characterized by its pretty purple hue. The crustacean, called Insulamon palawanense, was just one of four new species of crabs detailed in a recent study.

Eurosclerosis may finally have hit the technology sector.