POLAND

European Union leaders met on Wednesday to discuss a comprehensive plan for tackling the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis.

There are 27 nations in the European Union (EU), but only 17 members in the Eurozone – Britain is not in the currency bloc.

A landscape painting by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt that had been stolen by the Nazis is expected to fetch more than $25 million when it is sold at auction next month, Sotheby's said on Thursday.

For the first time in its history, luxury conglomerate LVMH has provided a peek into its exclusive workshops, design showrooms and wine cellars -- to reveal the hundreds of hands and delicate workmanship behind its expensive brands.

Nineteen people in Poland were arrested on suspicion of providing explosives and bomb-making material to Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian terrorist who killed 77 people in Oslo in July. The arrests included 12 people from a Poznan-based company that sold explosive fuses over the Internet.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk, leader of the center-right pro-market Civic Platform (PO) party, won re-election in Poland Sunday night. For the first time since the fall of communism in 1989, the major political party in Poland has maintained its grip on power. The fairly fought election in the formerly communist country establishes the country's democratic and economic stability.

HSBC cut its weighting on Egypt to "neutral" from "overweight," on increased political risks, and upgraded Poland to "overweight" from "underweight," on macroeconomic stability and valuation.

The U.N. Mission in Afghanistan interviewed prisoners held by both the Afghan National Police and the National Directorate of Security, many of whom reported that they were tortured, beaten and subject to devices like electric shocks during interrogation sessions.

Donald Tusk will be the first Polish prime minister since the fall of communism more than two decades ago to rule for a second consecutive term after his center-right Civic Platform trounced rivals in an election, cheering the markets.

Poles are voting in a parliamentary election Sunday, likely to give the ruling center-right Civic Platform four more years in power to press on with gradual economic reforms and closer ties with the EU.

Friday marked the 10th anniversary of the United States' war against terrorism in Afghanistan. During the past decade, U.S. and NATO armed forces overthrew the Taliban. But the price they have paid has been very high.

England is on the verge of advancing.

Fabio Capello has to name a forward to play next to Wayne Rooney

The country's special Nazi war-crimes investigators are attempting to name and locate Nazi death camp prison guards so they can be held accountable for their crimes.

South African government bonds and the rand currency ended firmer on Wednesday, boosted after a minister said the government would keep a lid on spending and tracking gains elsewhere as global risk appetite picked up.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed forming a Eurasian Union out of the former Soviet nations, saying it could become a global economic power to rival Asia, America, and Western Europe.

The fate of Christian pastor Yucef Nadarkhani hangs in the balance, with Iranian Supreme Court endorsing his death penalty on apostasy charges and giving him an ultimatum to recant his faith, failing which he will be hanged. Some Web sites have published articles that give a colorful account of his life, struggles with the Iranian establishment, the events leading up to his arrest in 2009 and the death sentence that looms over him now.

Christian pastor Yucef Nadarkhani, who is facing execution in Iran on apostasy charges, could be put to death any time as he has refused to recant his Christian faith in court three times so far this week.

Cytisine, a plant-based drug discovered by the Soviet Union more than 40 years ago, may be the key to lowering cigarette smoking rates in the developing world.

Forget patches or placebos, new research shows a pill used to quit smoking in Europe for years is not only more effective than other cessation routes, but is a cheap, more cost efficient alternative as well.

Young people across the globe are having more unprotected sex and know less about effective contraception options, a multinational survey revealed on Monday.