GERMANY

German new car registrations up 24 pct in Oct -VDIK

Germany's new car market grew by 24 percent year-on-year in October even after a scrappage scheme for old autos ran out of money in September, the VDIK foreign carmaker association said on Tuesday.

Berlin holds MTV awards, 20 years after fall of Wall

Berlin hosts the MTV Europe Music Awards on Thursday, where German pop rock band Tokio Hotel will perform alongside U.S. rapper Jay-Z and Latin pop star Shakira.

Merkel to press US on climate in speech to Congress

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to urge the United States to take bold action to combat global warming in a speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, a month before a U.N. climate summit.

Wine tasting in South America: Where to Go and What to Try

Outside of the well-known wine-producing countries of France, Italy and Spain, a quiet wine revolution is taking place in the southern cone. Down in South America, winemakers have been using

Obama warns on job losses, urges export boost

U.S. President Barack Obama warned on Monday that more U.S. job losses lay ahead despite a turnaround in the economy, and he called for a new post bubble growth model with greater focus on U.S. exports.

Motorola Droid going global as Motorola Milestone in 3 countries

Motorola announced Monday that its already popular Motorola Droid, which launched in the US last week, will soon hit the European and Latin markets as Motorola Milestone.

Michael Jackson film dances to No. 1 worldwide

Michael Jackson's much-hyped concert movie reigned at the worldwide box office on Sunday, but its performance in North America was hardly a thriller.

Aliens target Earth again in V revival

After about 25 years, those sneaky, lizard-like aliens are back. Once again, they want to take over Earth and, maybe, destroy or consume the populace. But so what? In exchange for their malevolence, they promise to provide a world of fast-paced, eye-catching action and provocative drama.

Oil rebounds above $77

Oil rose above $77 a barrel on Monday, retracing some of the previous session's 3.6 percent drop, as bullish manufacturing data from China helped to allay fears about the pace of the rebound in global energy demand.

Lagostina, Alessi, Bialetti tough out recession

A giant silver teapot shines in the pale sun outside the Alessi factory, its scale a measure of how in the 1980s and 90s Italian kitchenware, from espresso-makers to lemon-squeezers, grew into objects of desire.

Price pressures ground airline sector recovery hopes

Germany's Lufthansa and the airline industry's representative body provided a gloomy outlook for the sector as carriers around the world struggled to make a profit amid a fierce battle for business.

VW profit plunges, sees tough year-end

Europe's largest carmaker Volkswagen said business remained hard after third-quarter earnings plunged on Thursday while Japan's Mazda predicted a smaller full-year operating loss.

U2 to play free Berlin concert on MTV awards night

Irish rock band U2 will perform a free concert in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate next week to coincide with the MTV Europe Music Awards being held in the city on the same night, organizers said on Wednesday.

Controversial couple dominates U.S. medical tourism

These are heady days for the medical tourism industry. With U.S. healthcare prices spiraling upward, more and more insurers and individuals are looking abroad for treatment. By some estimates, 650,000 Americans will check into foreign hospitals from Mexico to Thailand this year.

Magna, Opel upbeat that sale will go through

Top officials from Magna and Opel expressed confidence on Wednesday that General Motors will go through with selling its European arm to Canada's Magna despite a second chance to review the deal.

Merkel formally elected German chancellor for 2nd term

The German parliament formally elected Angela Merkel to a second term as chancellor on Wednesday, although by a smaller margin than expected, paving the way for her center-right coalition to take office later in the day.

Magna, Opel upbeat that sale with go through

Top officials from Magna and Opel expressed confidence on Wednesday that General Motors will go through with selling its European arm to Canada's Magna despite a second chance to review the deal.

Magna expects to sign Opel purchase contract soon

Magna International thinks it can clinch a contract to buy a majority stake in carmaker Opel from General Motors even as GM's board weighs its final word, Magna's co-chief executive said.

U.S. consumer confidence up for first time since 2007

Global consumer confidence is rebounding, and in the United States has risen for the first time since 2007, amid signs the world economy is picking up although spending is still restrained, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Volkswagen to decide on Karmann deal within 2 weeks

Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn on Tuesday said the auto maker will decide within the next two weeks on whether it will buy insolvent assembly firm Karmann.

Opel trust member says new govt to review sale plan

Germany's new government will take a fresh look at the planned sale of carmaker Opel to Canada's Magna and may consider dropping its support for the deal, a member of the trust overseeing Opel said.

Iran wants big changes to nuclear deal with powers

Iran wants major amendments within the framework of a U.N. nuclear fuel deal which it broadly accepts, state media said, a move that could unravel the plan and expose Tehran to the threat of harsher sanctions.