GERMANY

U.S. consumer spending was flat in December as households put the largest rise in income in nine months into their savings, potentially signaling slower consumption early in 2012.

Japan’s population may shrink by one-third over the next fifty years.

Stocks tumbled in early trading on Monday as concerns grew about the state of Europe's finances as Greece and Germany sparred over budget measures for Athens.

Margaret Thatcher: The One and Only

Stock index futures pointed to a weak open on Monday as concerns grew about the state of Europe's finances as Greece and Germany sparred over budget measures for Athens.

Although honor killings are typically associated with Muslim countries like Turkey, Iraq and especially Pakistan, the practice has nothing to do with Islam

Copper fell on Monday, pulling back from a four-month high as demand prospects dimmed amid a lack of progress in talks to avoid a disorderly Greek default, tempting investors to cash in on January's rally.

Stock index futures fell on Monday as concerns grew about the state of Europe's finances as Greece and Germany sparred over budget measures for Athens.

In a breakthrough effort, scientists at Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim, Germany have build an artificial cardiac tissue using silk from the tropical “tasar” silkworm. According to the researchers, the fiber produced by the tasar silkworm had several advantages over other substances that were tested in the past.

EU leaders will sign off on a permanent rescue fund for the euro zone at a summit on Monday and are expected to agree on a balanced budget rule in national legislation, with unresolved problems in Greece casting a shadow on the discussions.

On the European currency, a mood of short-term relief tinged with longer-term doubt prevails among the world's movers and shakers at this year's World Economic Forum session in the Swiss Alps.

Greece must surrender control of its budget policy to outside institutions if it cannot implement reforms attached to euro zone rescue measures, the German economy minister was quoted as saying on Sunday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel attempts to deflect growing international pressure on Germany to agree an increase in the Eurozone's bailout funds Sunday by saying talks were continuing.

Greece and its private creditors said on Saturday they were piecing together the final elements of a debt swap, and they expected to have a deal ready next week, which would be essential for sealing a new bailout and avoiding an uncontrolled default.

The breakup of Switzerland's oldest bank Wegelin on Friday shows the need to settle a dispute with U.S. authorities over tax cheats hiding cash in secret Swiss accounts, the finance minister said on Saturday.

Kazimierz Smolen, a 91-year-old Auschwitz survivor, died Friday, in a hospital in Oswiecim on the 67th anniversary of its liberation. After World War II, Smolen became director of the memorial site.

Scientists across the world are doing their part in preventing asteroid collisions. Nevertheless, popular doomsday prophecies will not go away.

Fighting sanctions with sanctions in a test of strength with the West over its nuclear ambitions, Iran warned on Friday it may halt oil exports to Europe next week in a move calculated to hurt ailing European economies.

The Humane Society of the United States pushed back Friday against a controversial editorial in a meat industry trade magazine that analogized the organization to Adolf Hitler.

A Twitter blackout aimed at protesting censorship on the social media site is sweeping the web as its proponents urge users to go dark Saturday using the hash tag #TwitterBlackout.

uring the second world war, the Norwegian president Vidkun Quisling, ordered the registration of 2,100 Jewish Norwegians.