On November 25, two days after a failed German government bond auction in which Germany was unable to sell 35% of its offerings of 10-year bonds, the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble said that Germany might retreat from its demands that the private banks that hold the troubled sovereign debt from Greece, Italy, and Spain must accept part of the cost of their bailout by writing off some... 

Reports from Mali say three Europeans have been kidnapped and a fourth killed at Timbuktu in the north of the country. The information comes from a Malian government source. The person killed is said to be German; the others’ nationalities are from the Netherlands, South Africa and Sweden, officials and witnesses said, as officials on Saturday ordered a plane to evacuate foreigners from the tourist... 

Atlas 5 rocket carrying NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity NASA has launched Atlas 5 rocket carrying the nuclear-powered rover, Curiosity, which is the world`s largest extraterrestrial explorer to Mars. The six-wheeled, one-armed robotic rover left Florida on Saturday at 15:02 GMT, the state-funded BBC reported. The one-ton rover is planned to search Martian soil and rocks for any signs... 

Pakistani soldiers carry the coffins of their comrades who were killed in a Saturday strike. Peshawar, November 27, 2011. Pakistan says it is reviewing its relations with the US and NATO and has taken “urgent action” after a NATO attack on Friday killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. A key Afghan border has been sealed and the US ordered to quit an air-base in the country. ­NATO helicopters allegedly... 

USS George H.W. Bush Nuclear aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush has reportedly anchored off Syria. As an Arab League deadline to allow observers into the country passes with no response from Damascus, the possibility of intervention in Syria seems to be growing. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group along with additional naval vessels are to remain in the Mediterranean to conducting maritime... 

Warns it will not tolerate western powers crossing a “red line”. We now know what those six Russian warships that reportedly entered Syrian territorial waters last week were carrying. Aside from representing a show of strength to discourage NATO powers from launching a military attack, on board were Russian technical experts ready to help Damascus set up a sophisticated missile defense system... 

All the houses of the Bedouin village of Deqeiqa, south of Hebron, received the Military Order of demolition in a another example of the Israeli expulsion policy in the occupied West Bank, according to denouncements by human rights organizations. This village, situated in the impoverished desert hills south of Hebron, is home to about 400 people who live on cattle raising and have no electricity or... 

Up and out: This friendly octopus wandered around on dry land for about 2 minutes after it climbed out of the water It’s a creature that’s so shy, scientists know little about its behavior in the wild. But an Eastern Pacific Red Octopus outside San Francisco, California, was friendly enough that it hoisted itself from the water and walked about on dry land, much to the amazement of spectators... 

The World Bank assessment suggests that Thailand economic growth will shrink to 2.4% from the previously projected 3.6%, following the recent flood in the country, Press TV reports. Experts believe it will probably take a year of hard work and billions of dollars before Thailand fully recovers. The cost of flooding is estimated to be around $43 Billion, but the amount is expected to rise further due... 

Australia is introducing a single design model for cigarette packs of all the brands sold in the country. The respective law has been adopted by the country’s parliament, and after approval by the Governor-General it may come into force. Tobacco corporations have already sent their representatives to courts, and a number of countries are observing the attempt to null the cigarette brands. Australia... 

A child taking part in a rally in support of the Syrian regime, holds a portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The EU has stopped short of endorsing a French proposal for EU-backed humanitarian corridors that would allow aid groups and observers into Syria. ­France has called for a “secured zone to protect civilians” in Syria. It is the first time a major Western country has suggested international... 

Flipping the bird: Tatiana Limanova looked down and purposefully raised her arm- and middle finger- when she said President Obama's name A Russian newscaster made quite a statement when she flipped off President Barack Obama live on air. Tatyana Limanova, an award-winning journalist from privately-owned Russian television channel REN TV, was reading a segment about the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation... 

Deputy head of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission David Danieli Israel has once again refused to acknowledge international calls for transparency in its covert nuclear program during a meeting held by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). During the nuclear-free Middle East conference in Vienna, deputy head of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission David Danieli said on Monday that Tel... 

The icicle of death: The brinicle can be seen extending towards the seabed. Slowly it grows bigger over time as more water freezes around it An underwater ‘icicle of death’ which sinks to the seabed destroying everything it comes into contact with has been caught on camera for the first time. The sinking brine is so cold that it causes the seawater to freeze around it. BBC film crews recorded... 

The automatic Fobos-Grunt interplanetary station in assemblage building's pad. Russian space experts are struggling to decode fresh telemetry signals received from the stricken Phobos-Grunt probe. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that America’s ionosphere research site in Alaska caused the spacecraft’s failure. On Wednesday night, the European Space Agency’s station in Perth, Australia,...