Slovakia’s opposition leader says the deal to approve expanding the EU bailout fund has been reached and it will be voted in later this week. Earlier, the country’s parliament voted against it, which caused the collapse of country’s ruling coalition. Slovakia was the only member to say ‘no’ to increasing the facility, which already got the green light from 16 of the 17 Eurozone members.... 

Unite! A woman holds a flag during a protest against the global financial system outside St Paul's Cathedral. Protesters inspired by the growing ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement in the U.S have today taken over the City of London. Thousands have descended on the area known as the Square Mile – under the banner ‘Occupy the Stock Exchange’ – for a ‘peaceful... 

Italy, Rome: A car burns during a demonstration, in Rome on October 15, 2011 What was initially planned as a peaceful “Occupy Rome” protest turned into a violent demonstration in the Italian capital. Police reportedly used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds of angry Italians. Protesters wearing masks and helmets threw rocks, bottles and other objects at police in riot gear. Some wielded... 

In addition to the so-called “Qatari island”, the new Belarus’ friends from the East would be given Kastrychnitskae and Petrykauskae potassium salts deposit, an iron ore deposit, land and much more. Charter97.org website has got at its disposal a protocol of Lukashenka’s instructions following his visit to Qatar on August 15-16. The document is intended for the “Official Use Only”. Thus,... 

A hacker group says Berlin may have software to spy on citizens. A number of other German states have followed Bavaria in confirming the use of a controversial software program to spy on people through their computers. The German justice minister has demanded an investigation. Several additional German states have admitted to deploying spyware in order to investigate serious criminal offenses, according... 

On Wednesday, the German air force unveiled the latest addition to its fleet: the “Euro Hawk,” a state-of-the-art spy drone. The reconnaissance aircraft can fly non-stop for 30 hours in the stratosphere without having to refuel and its on-board sensors can penetrate clouds and sandstorms. After 10 years of planning and development, the Bundeswehr on Wednesday publicly unveiled its most... 

A group of Muslim immigrants wants to force Switzerland to abandon the current flag – a white cross on the red background. They say that it violates the rights of the representatives of non-Christian confessions. They seem to have been hurt by the recent ban on minarets construction. However, their proposal is unlikely to be welcomed by the native Swiss and will only increase the number of votes... 

A court in Kiev has sentenced Ukraine’s ex-prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, to seven years in prison for an abuse of her office. Her supporters and opponents have taken to the streets, raising fears that violence could break out. Immediately after the verdict was pronounced, Yulia Tymoshenko condemned the decision. “I do not agree with the verdict,” said Tymoshenko. “No authoritarian... 

The expedition and the scientific conference with the participation of Russian and foreign scientists drew to a close in the Kemerovo region of Russia. The events were held to either prove or deny the existence of the Yeti in the region. The press service of the regional administration said that Yeti’s existence was confirmed on the level of 95 percent. Boxer Nikolai Valuev, as well as researchers... 

Traditional words ‘father’ and ‘mother’ will be replaced with official terms Parent 1 and Parent 2 in Britain reported the BBC and the Daily Mail. The terms will be used in official documents. The authorities decided to make such a “politically correct” move to accommodate same-sex couples. Experts are sure, though, that the matter is not about the requirements... 

Photo of German prisoners rounded up by US Airborne troops in Ruhr A retired officer in the US army has apologized to the German army for the mass deaths of German prisoners in US army camps after World War Two. Following extensive private investigations in the US and Germany, Merrit P. Drucker has sent an e-mail to Lt. Col. Max Klaar, head of the Verband der deutscher Soldaten (German Veterans’... 

An ozone hole five times the size of California opened over the Arctic this spring, matching ozone loss over Antarctica for the first time on record, scientists said today. The white line marks the area within which chemical ozone destruction takes place Hole in the sky: Europe, Canada and Russia at risk as continent-sized ‘second hole’ in ozone layer opens over the Arctic. The ozone loss... 

The Obama administration passed another fiscal milestone this week, according to new data released by the Treasury Department. As of the close of business on Oct. 3, the total national debt was $14,837,099,271,196.71—up about $44.8 billion from Sept. 30. That means that in the less-than-three-years Obama has been in office, the federal debt has increased by $4.212 trillion–more than the total... 

Robert Zoellick, the head of the World Bank, on Saturday decried Germany’s lack of leadership during Europe’s sovereign debt crisis. Speaking to business magazine Wirtschaftswoche, Zoellick said Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government had no vision of how to solve the problems of the 17-member eurozone. “There has been a lot of political bumbling, but the economy and the markets need direction... 

Ketchup has been banned in student cafeterias in France within the framework of the propaganda of healthy diet. Cafeterias may now serve ketchup only with French fries and only once a week. The new rules also stipulate the increase of vegetable dishes on the menu and the decrease of the content of fat in the food. “Canteens have a public health mission, but also an educative mission,”...