GERMANY

Weakening economies and falling prices of rival smartphones are hurting sales of Apple iPhones across Europe, data from research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showed on Thursda

A German court rejected Apple's claims that Samsung Electronics' reworked tablet PC still looks like a copycat version of the iPad, in a preliminary assessment.

The long-awaited launch of the iPhone 4S has helped Apple win market share in the United States and Britain, although it is losing ground in the rest of Europe, data from research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showed on Thursday.

Israel has categorically rejected criticism by European members of the UN Security Council of its settlement activities in West Bank and East Jerusalem and growing attacks by extremist settlers on Palestinians.

After breezing through the euro zone debt crisis for the past two years, Germany's economy could fall into recession as anxious businesses hold off on investment and exports wither.

After breezing through the euro zone debt crisis for the past two years, Germany's economy could fall into recession as anxious businesses hold off on investment and exports wither.

Europe's markets fell on Wednesday after the large take up rate by banks for cheap European Central Bank loans worried investors about the banks' funding needs and raised doubts they would use the money to buy the region's peripheral debt.

Commissioners in Florida’s Pasco County awarded $3,818 in tourist taxes for a promotional campaign to lure in European nudists.

2012 looks to be a big year for gadgets, as Apple, Google, Microsoft and others are all expected to debut dozens of new devices that push the limits of technology. Here are the release dates for several tablet computers and smartphones coming next year.

Oracle Corp's earnings fell short of Wall Street's forecasts for the first time in a decade as software and hardware sales sputtered, sending its shares down more than 10 percent and stoking fears a global recession will hurt tech spending.

Europe's banks borrowed nearly €490 billion or $637 billion from the European Central Bank at its first-ever offer of three-year loans on Wednesday, encouraging demand for the euro and stocks on hopes the funding will ease the two-year old debt crisis. On Wednesday at mid-day, London's FTSE 100 was down 25 points to 5,393, Germany's DAX was down 29 points to 5,819, and France's CAC 40 was off 22 points to 3,033.

The outlook for Europe looks gloomy especially after the European Central Bank (ECB) warning that risks to euro area financial stability increased considerably in the second half of 2011, as the sovereign risk crisis and its interplay with the banking sector worsened in an environment of weakening macroeconomic growth prospects.

Europe's banks borrowed nearly 490 billion euros from the European Central Bank at its first-ever offer of three-year loans on Wednesday, encouraging demand for the euro and stocks on hopes the funding will ease the two-year old debt crisis.

European stocks and the euro firmed on Wednesday, enjoying a brief surge after banks borrowed around $489 billion euros from the European Central Bank at its first-ever offer of three-year loans on hopes it will be a significant step toward easing the region's two-year old debt crisis.

Gold prices in India rose for a third straight day to stay above 28,000 rupees per 10 grams for the first time in a week, denting physical demand which has been subdued so far this week, dealers said.

The Justice Department is probing Verizon Wireless' multi-billion dollar deal to buy wireless airwaves from cable operators and let them resell its mobile service, the department said on Tuesday.

Layar, one of the pioneers of mobile augmented reality, rolled out on Tuesday Stiktu, an application allowing smartphone users to combine their digital postings with real images and share them with each other.

U.S. stocks soared on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) ended up 337 points, or 2.9 percent, to close at 12,103. The S&P 500 Index rose 36 points, or 3 percent, to 1,241, while the NASDAQ rose 80 points, or 3.2 percent, to 2,604.

Gold prices rose Tuesday with other commodities and global equities on unexpected signs the U.S. housing market is turning around and continued improvement in the Eurozone.

At a time of daily stock-market seizures, weekly bank and sovereign debt downgrades and monthly central bank interventions, most people are seeing the glass half empty, and have forecasted bearish -- if not downright abysmal -- market conditions for next year. A look at some of the more salient predictions.

European shares rose on Tuesday in thin trade after a jump in U.S. housing starts, a strong reading of the German Ifo index and a solid Spanish debt auction boosted investor hopes about the global economic outlook.