GERMANY

The ongoing Eurozone debt crisis and the efforts to find a way out and save the single currency could potentially shake up and redefine the global economic equilibrium.

German exports fell at their fastest rate in nearly three years in December and imports also unexpectedly dropped, suggesting Europe's bulwark economy could have contracted more than forecast in the fourth quarter of 2011.

European stocks opened on a positive note Wednesday, following gains on Wall Street overnight and in Asia on reports that Greece was close to reaching an agreement needed to qualify for a second bailout.

The euro was at eight-week high and European shares rose on Wednesday on hopes that a deal on a second bailout for Greece was close, shrugging off data illustrating the damage the debt crisis has done to the region's economy.

President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, widely credited with bringing democracy to the Indian Ocean archipelago, handed over the post to Vice-President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

Asian shares hit their highest level in more than five months on Wednesday and the euro hovered close to an 8-week high as investors kept hopes alive for an agreement on details of a new Greek bailout package despite further delays.

Leaders of the three parties in Prime Minister Lucas Papademos's coalition postpone crunch meeting.

Greek political parties delayed yet again on Tuesday making the tough choice of accepting painful reforms in return for a new international bailout to avoid a chaotic default, seemingly deaf to EU warnings that the euro zone can live without Athens.

Greek political parties delayed yet again on Tuesday making the tough choice of accepting painful reforms in return for a new international bailout to avoid a chaotic default, seemingly deaf to EU warnings that the euro zone can live without Athens.

The member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) recalled their Syrian ambassadors on Tuesday after violence against protestors in the country escalated yet again.

France is gradually losing its vitality and presence in global export markets.

the two men -- one a German-Lebanese and the other a Syrian -- were conducting surveillance on anti-Assad protesters in Germany and perhaps elsewhere.

On the heels of Super Bowl 2012 halftime show, which was viewed by a record setting 114 million people, Madonna has announced plans and details of an upcoming 2012 world tour.

German industrial output posted its biggest fall in December since the depth of the financial crisis at the start of 2009, the Economy Ministry said on Tuesday, underperforming forecasts by a wide margin.

Gold broke a two-day losing streak on Tuesday on light volume as the euro rose, but sellers matched buyers to keep the price in a narrow range.

The leaders of the three national parties in Greece's coalition government will meet the Prime Minister, Lucas Papademos to discuss the terms of the proposed bail-out plan.

Romanian model Ioana Spangenberg has a freakish figure: She has a natural 20-inch waist in contrast to her 32-inch hips. At 84 pounds and with her wide hips and tiny waist, the 30-year- old model has been dubbed by the UK's The Sun newspaper as the human hourglass.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Greece Monday to make up its mind fast on accepting the painful terms for a new EU/IMF bailout, but the country's political leaders responded by delaying their decision for yet another day.

Chanel star designer Karl Lagerfeld is already bored with the French presidential election.

As Europe's cold snap hit the UK over the weekend, Heathrow Airport canceled hundreds of flights in a move many have called unnecessary and excessive.

After Russia used its veto power to block a United Nations resolution that would officially urge Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down from power, the United States and Western Euriopean nations have blasted Moscow.