GERMANY-BERLIN WALL REMEMBERED
BERLIN - It's been nearly 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but Harald Jaeger has no trouble remembering exactly where he was when the first border crossing was opened. He was, after all, the East German border guard commander who made the decision to open Berlin's Bornholmer Strasse checkpoint - telling his men to stand aside and let the throng of people through.
EBOLA-BY THE NUMBERS
LONDON - As the biggest-ever outbreak of Ebola continues to ravage West Africa, here are a few key numbers to get a handle on the epidemic: 13,042 and 4,818. According to an update this week from the World Health Organization, there have been 13,042 Ebola cases and 4,818 deaths sincem - but those figures include all probable, suspected and confirmed cases and are subject to change as more information becomes available.
BRITAIN-EU
BRUSSELS - Britain is steadfast in its refusal to pay an extra 2.1 billion euros ($2.7 billion) to the European Union budget by next month, setting up a clash with EU officials at a meeting Friday. British Treasury chief George Osborne said before the gathering of EU finance ministers that the demand remained "unacceptable."
GERMANY-ECONOMY
BERLIN - Germany's exports rose sharply in September and factory production was also up, but experts say it may not be enough to stave off a recession. The Federal Statistical Office reported Friday that exports rose 5.5 percent over August, in seasonally and calendar adjusted figures, almost offsetting the 5.8 percent drop the previous month. Imports rose 5.4 percent, widening the trade surplus to 18.5 billion euros.
POLAND-SIKORSKI
WARSAW, Poland - The speaker of the Polish parliament, Radek Sikorski, has survived an attempt by some lawmakers to have him ousted for claiming falsely that Russia made an offer to Poland to carve up Ukraine.
LATVIA-GAY MINISTER
RIGA, Latvia - Latvia's Foreign Minister has announced on Twitter that he's gay, becoming the first openly homosexual Cabinet member in the Baltic country. Edgars Rinkevics late Thursday wrote a tweet in Latvian in support of legal recognition of gay partnerships with the hashtag "Proudtobegay." He followed up with another tweet in English saying "I proudly announce I'am gay... Good luck all of you..."
BULGARIA-GOVERNMENT
SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgaria's parliament has formally approved the country's new center-right government. Lawmakers on Friday voted 149-85 to elect 55-year-old Boyko Borisov as the new prime minister.