South Korea said Monday that it saw no indications that North Korea was preparing to make an "important announcement," as reported in a weekend media report that gave rise to speculation about the fate and health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
There was nothing unusual about North Korean media reports and private inter-Korean exchanges were proceeding normally, a spokesman for the Unification Ministry in Seoul said.
On Sunday, Japan's Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported that the important announcement was imminent, possibly coming Monday, citing an unnamed Japanese government official. It said the communist government had ordered officials at its embassies to remain at their posts in readiness for the announcement.
Kim has not been seen in public since the middle of August, giving rise to speculation that he was seriously ill. North Korea denied the speculation.
South Korean Defence Minister Lee Sang Hee said Friday on a visit to Washington that he believed Kim continued to exercise control of North Korea.
German exports plunged in November to record the biggest fall in nearly two decades, data released Thursday showed, as the deepening world economic downturn hits Europe's biggest economy.
When the Spirit rover landed on Mars five years ago, no one expected it or its sister rover Opportunity to make it to their first birthdays, let alone their fifth.
The San Antonio Spurs turned up their trademark defense down the stretch to turn back another opponent. 
US singer and Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson, 27, dominated the nominations for the 40th NAACP Image Awards.
After the Taipei Zoo received two giant pandas from China, another Taiwan zoo said Friday it is seeking to receive a pair of pandas from China.