The German department store Karstadt has been saved from insolvency following months of uncertainty. Billionaire Nicolas Berggruen has finalized a takeover and lower rent for the stores. The 25,000 employees of the Karstadt chain of department stores have had their jobs secured, after months of uncertainty about the future of the retailer. Following 15 months of discussions, all the necessary signatures have been collected on an acquisition deal for Germany's largest department store chain.

When fall comes around one's thoughts drift to vibrant foliage, pumpkins and of course Oktoberfest. In New York, the festivities start early - September is officially known as German-American Friendship Month.

Recognized by the Mayor's office for the fourth consecutive year, German-American Friendship Month honors the German-American culture and the many contributions made by German immigrants by holding an entire month of celebrations, including the 53rd German-American Steuben Parade.

"German-American Friendship Month” has started with a bang – or, to be precise – four bangs hammered out by “Dr. Ruth” Westheimer as she closed the trading session at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday with a giant wooden gavel.

Perry rose to fame with "I Kissed a Girl" in 2008. The song topped the charts in several countries in the world before she managed to repeated the triumph with follow-up single "Hot n Cold".

Both songs reached number one on the Austrian Singles Chart. Her third album "Teenage Dream" was released earlier this month.

Perry’s performance of her two biggest hits sitting in a huge shell sailing down from the roof of Vienna City Hall is regarded as the highlight of the opening ceremony of last year’s Life Ball.

Germany's central bank said Thursday that it will request the dismissal of board member Thilo Sarrazin whose comments stereotyping Muslim immigrnts drew outrage from government officials.

The German railway, Deutsche Bahn, says it will test a high-speed train in the Channel Tunnel between France and Britain sometime around October 19.

As it stretched from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument, the estimates of its size ran to half a million. This was twice the size of the crowd that heard Martin Luther King Jr. 47 years ago and matched the antiwar demonstrations of 1969.

Wisely, Beck dropped partisanship to convert his gathering into a God, country and Constitution rally, with speakers honoring the courage and sacrifice of America’s military.

"Germany is Doing Away With Itself," claims a new controversial book, blaming partially the country's low birth rate. But does it? A new study finds that Germans suddenly are willing to make more babies.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet signed off Wednesday on a hefty austerity package that critics say will hit the poorest hardest and could endanger Germany and therefore Europe's economic recovery.

German politicians called for airlines to provide passengers with more leg room to insure their security and health, in addition to justifying rising ticket prices, The Local online reports.

The annual festival runs 11 days and will screen entries from 34 countries. Films include Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere," "Essential Killing" by Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski, and "Three" by German director Tom Tykwer.

A mystery contender is expected to be announced on Sunday.

Travel ban

Germany's Catholic bishops have approved new guidelines for handling claims of sex abuse by church personnel to facilitate cooperation with law enforcement bodies.

Swiss law prohibits the advertisement of prescription drugs – including botulinum toxin, which is commonly used to smooth wrinkles.

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde seized on remarks by German Chancelor Angela Merkel on Monday expressing support for German workers who are not benefiting from the country's boom.