The western Czech city of Pilsen has been chosen by a panel as one of the holders of the European Capital of Culture 2015 title. The city will share the honor with Mons in Belgium, which was selected earlier this year.

UNESCO has honored Hamburg's teacher training institute for its family literacy project. The project helps parents with migrant backgrounds and their children improve their literacy skills through storytelling.

The introduction of a new surcharge for travelers to the United States has drawn the ire of the European Commission, which has called the levy "regrettable" and "inconsistent" with visa-free travel.

Animal experiments will be reduced in number and subject to stricter regulations across Europe. The European Parliament has agreed on rules to closely monitor procedures, with a complete ban on using some species.

Europeans were initially wary of the unification of divided Germany. Now, 20 years on, Germany has been fully accepted by its European neighbors.

Twenty years after unification, the country's East is a radically different place. Structural changes have left urban populations in decline, and the brightest inhabitants are usually the first to go.

Pastor Terry Jones, whose call to "burn the Koran" has led to fears of global repercussions, worked as missionary for decades in Germany. Here, too, he was known for his extreme convictions.

Brussels officials arrested five people in connection with raids conducted against four Internet piracy rings. The groups caused up to 6 billion euros in lost revenue, prosecutors have said.

Increases in private-sector pay in Germany over the past decade have been significantly lower than in the EU as a whole. Workers in parts of eastern Europe have enjoyed a wage boom over the same period.

Global efforts to improve access to drinking water have been hindered by rapid urbanization, according to data presented at World Water Week in Stockholm. The percentage of people in urban areas with access is declining.

The worry that foreigners unwilling to assimilate pose a threat to the "host" culture is common to many nations. But a comparison between debates in Germany and the United States suggests they shed more heat than light.

A UN court ruled Kosovo’s claim of independence as legal, intensifying a global debate about sovereignty and self-determination. But the conflict in Georgia reveals great powers - not courts - decide the fate of nations.

A new study of German cities shows that the creme-de-la-creme of young professional minds are attracted to Hamburg and Munich. Fewer, however, lay their hats in Berlin, regardless of its cool, capital status.

The state monopoly on gambling in Germany is 'unjustifiable' and must be broken up at once, the European Union's top court ruled on Wednesday. The court said the gambling laws were being applied inconsistently.

A photographer in Cologne has taken female inmates as the subjects of his work - a tall order, given penitentiary security. The artist asked the women to describe what "beauty" meant to them in everyday prison life.

German exports have fallen slightly compared to the strong performance the previous month. Exports fell by 1.5 percent in July. However, compared to a year ago, the figures looked positive, up 18.7 percent on July 2009.

The US Treasury Department has placed sanctions on a German bank accused of supporting Iran's nuclear program. The Hamburg-based bank has been called "a key financial lifeline for Iran."

After a hard-fought first match, Germany cruises to an easy win over Azerbaijan in the Euro 2012 qualifying round.

As member states continue spending beyond their means, the EU has agreed to set up a watchdog to monitor national budgets. The plan is to keep control of borrowing levels and prevent future debt crises.

German police raided the country's largest neo-Nazi group, which is suspected of disseminating propaganda to neo-Nazis in prison, where they are prone to abandoning their beliefs and the movement.