A major US study has found that people who drink up to five cups of coffee daily are less likely to die from health issues such as heart disease and diabetes compared to those who don’t drink coffee at all. The 10-year study found that the more coffee people drank, the less likely they were to die early. The results were similar with people who drank decaffeinated coffee.
A fiercely secessionist leader was elected president of the wealthy region of Catalonia thanks to a last-minute show of unity, giving fresh impetus to attempts to break away from Spain after months of infighting. The appointment of Carles Puigdemont, just hours before a deadline which would have forced fresh regional elections, drew an immediate rebuke from Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
German carmaker Volkswagen has posted its first drop in VW brand sales in 11 years as the company continues to cope with its emissions scandal. Sales of VW brand cars fell 4.8% in 2015 to 5.82 million cars from 6.12 million a year earlier. Falling demand in China and US added to the losses as orders fell in December.
Boeing looks to have cemented its position as the world's biggest aircraft manufacturer after delivering a record 762 planes last year. The figure exceeds Boeing's previous forecast that it would deliver between 755 and 760 aircraft.
Prime Minister David Cameron says he is hopeful of reaching a deal with European leaders in February that will allow him to hold the UK's EU referendum. The prime minister said the in-out vote would follow if agreement was reached on his reforms at next month's summit. He also said he would stay on as PM even if he ended up on the losing side.
Almost three weeks on from Spain’s election, which left a fragmented Parliament, Socialist Party leader Pedro Sánchez ruled out a coalition with the conservative People’s Party (PP) on Thursday and said he was seeking “a grand alliance of progressive forces” to lead the country.
Suspended UEFA chief Michel Platini has withdrawn from the FIFA presidential race as he fights to clear his name following an eight-year ban. Platini was banned by FIFA's ethics judge in December over a “disloyal” $2 million payment he received from Sepp Blatter in 2011. It virtually ended his dreams of succeeding Blatter at the helm of FIFA in the Feb. 26 election.
Prices of major food commodities declined for the fourth year in a row in 2015, averaging 19.1% below their previous-year's levels, as the dwindling global economy also triggered sharp price falls from metals to energy markets.
Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez and Argentine counterpart Mauricio Macri agreed on Thursday that their countries will present a joint bid to host the World Cup in 2030, a century after Uruguay was the site of the first tournament.
Rockhopper Exploration PLC on Wednesday was forced back to the drawing board to review its Ombrina Mare project offshore Italy after the country's parliament reintroduced restrictions on activity near the coast. The news could be a blow to the company, which is set to merge with Falkland Oil & Gas Ltd, after Falkland Oil shareholders approved the deal on Tuesday.