GERMANY

Key patent lawsuits that punctuated the smartphone industry in 2010.

German automaker, Audi, has announced that the company has broken its record for annual vehicle sales in the U.S. recording its 93,507th transaction on December 13, 2010.

NORAD Tracks Santa, the annual Christmas tradition, is gaining popularity like never before. But did you know that the U.S. military department NORAD has been keeping a close eye on Santa's flight since 1955 and the idea was born in 1897?

World stocks held near the previous day's two-year high on Friday while oil hit fresh two-year peaks after strong U.S. data this week encouraged investors to maintain their risk positions into 2011.

Snow creates havoc in air travel again this year in Europe, as many flights were halted or canceled due to heavy snowfall in the U.K. and several other parts of Europe.

World stocks held near the previous day's two-year high on Friday while oil hit fresh two-year peaks after strong U.S. data this week encouraged investors to maintain their risk positions into 2011.

Six years after the tsunami disaster of December, 26, 2004, a technical set-up of tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean has been completed, researchers say.

Vehicle production in European Union rose by 15% in the first nine months of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said Thursday.

Although some progress appears to be being made in the euro zone sovereign debt crisis – including the passage of an austerity budget by the Greek Parliament today and a capital injection into Allied Irish Bank (NYSE: AIB) – the most important member of the euro currency bloc, Germany, is unlikely to foot the total bill that will be required to truly resolve this issue.

Sony announced its monthly subscription based streaming music service, Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity, has made its official debut in the United Kingdom.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Subaye, Oncothyreon, American Science & Engineering, ARM Holdings, Tesla Motors, XOMA, CROCS, Micron Technology, ASML Holding, and Sycamore Networks.

Shares surged in Scandinavian carrier SAS on Thursday after a report that Lufthansa planned a takeover, giving new buzz to a long talked-of match.

The top after-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Penford, Pacific Biosciences of California, Netlist, Micron Technology, Copano Energy, SMTC, Coldwater Creek, Avanir Pharmaceuticals, ChinaCast Education, Oncothyreon, and Gilead Sciences.

When the return on savings is less than the rate of inflation it doesn't matter that gold doesn't provide you with an income. Tightly supplied and indestructible, it offers a natural and obvious alternative to cash. Inflation expectations are rising as 2011 begins.

A finger bone found in Siberia shows Neanderthals weren't the only ones we shared the Earth with.

France wants all 16 euro zone governments and any other interested European Union members to coordinate their economic policy more closely in the future, Economy Minister Christine Lagarde told a German newspaper.

Unless the European Union (EU) formulates an effective response to the ongoing debt crisis in Europe, the continent faces a new wave of bank failures and a string of sovereign defaults, according to Willem Buiter, the chief economist at Citigroup.

France asked its citizens to leave Ivory Coast and the World Bank froze funding to the West African state on Wednesday, as a violent power struggle deepened between incumbent Laurent Gbagbo and his rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara.

Contrary to the prevailing view, the U.S. economy will gain growth momentum in the year ahead, while GDP will grow stronger in Europe and Japan, research firm IHS Global Insight has said in its forecast for 2011.

Deutsche Bank's U.S. tax fraud settlement has heightened expectations of more deals being struck as American authorities target overseas banks in a crackdown on tax dodgers.

German automaker, Porsche has extended the deadline for people to be part of its 1,000,000 fans celebration on its official Facebook page till January 15, 2011.