GERMANY

Watch highlights of Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first-leg.

Good corporate earnings, falling Spanish interest rates and an upward revision in the International Monetary Fund's outlook for the U.S. economy on Tuesday offset a weak housing report to lift equities and industrial commodities.

The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday appeared to be inching toward a deal on boosting its financial firepower with Japan, Sweden and Denmark committing a total of $77 billion to help contain the euro zone debt crisis.

Stocks rallied on Tuesday as investors welcomed a slew of solid quarterly corporate results and after a German investor confidence survey surprised on the upside and Spanish benchmark yields eased.

Imagine being rejected by your parents after being born. For Nelson, a baby Kea parrot, this is exactly what happened when he hatched. Nelson was the only bird to survive out of the three eggs that his mother laid. Since he was rejected by his parents the staff at the Bergzoo is currently taking care of him.

Volkswagen AG's luxury brand Audi is prepared to buy Italian superbike maker Ducati Motor Holding SpA for roughly €860 million ($1.12 billion) including debt, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Inter's Ricky Alvarez, while there is further speculation about the possible signings of Yann M'Vila and Younes Belhanda as well as the future of Robin van Persie.

German investor confidence unexpectedly rose on in April, calming fears that the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis is weighing down the country's economy, according to a report from Mannheim, Germany-based Centre for European Economic Research, or ZEW.

Stocks were set for a higher open on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 looking to snap a two-day drop, as investors focus on a slew of corporate results and a decline in borrowing costs for Spain.

Stock index futures rose on Tuesday, indicating the S&P 500 may snap a two-day drop, as investors focus on a slew of corporate results and a drop in borrowing costs for Spain.

Stock index futures rose on Tuesday, indicating the S&P 500 may snap a two-day drop, as investors focus on a slew of corporate earnings and Spanish bond yields dip.

UEFA Champions League action kicks off when German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich take on Spanish La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid in the semifinal first leg at the Allianz Arena, the home ground of Bayern, Tuesday night.

Vacation is over and the euro zone crisis in 2012 is back as fundamental realities of high debt and low growth set in again, said economist Nouriel Roubini of Roubini Global Economics in a recent commentary amid rising yields for Spanish and Italian sovereign debt.

Toner also refuted concerns by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the West is wasting time

The attacking talents of Cristiano Ronaldo and Arjen Robben could well decide the outcome of the star-studded Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

The euro zone experienced a €2.8 billion trade surplus in February, however the European Union as a whole suffered a €9.4 billion deficit, a Eurostat report said Monday.

The round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and six world powers will take place in Baghdad, Iraq late next month. Following Saturday's discussions in Turkey, Tehran agreed to hold more talks, a landmark step after years of stalled negotiations around the Islamic Republic's developing nuclear program.

As many are well aware, the name Michael Fassbener is most commonly associated with such adjectives as sexy and alluring. Yet it was recently revealed that the term geek may actually apply to the German-born Irishman.

Addressing Israeli concerns on Iran buying extra time of five weeks over its alleged clandestine nuclear weapons program during the first round of key talks with the six world powers, US President Barack Obama said his administration has not given anything away, defending the need for a diplomatic resolution.

Situated 5,000 meters (16,404 feet) high in the Chilean Andes, the world's largest and most expensive ground-based astronomy project has just begun its monumental search in hopes of answering some of humanity's biggest questions.

Discussions of Iran's nuclear program between the Islamic Republic on the one side and the so-called P-5 Plus 1 group -- Britain, China, France, Russia, and the U.S., plus Germany -- on the other side appear to have gone reasonably well in Istanbul on Saturday.