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China is the world's top coal consumer but slow economic growth and pollution concerns are lessening demand. Chinese energy officials say more than 1,000 coal mines will be closed this year.

Fans in France are left to ponder what might have been after a penalty-kick loss to Italy in the World Cup's championship game. The turning point may have been the ejection of the team's top player in overtime.

The United Nations Security Council is delaying its formal response to North Korea's July 5 missile tests, as diplomats give China time to persuade its longtime ally to cooperate. The tests are challenging China's credibility as an effective diplomatic broker.

It is less than three months before the Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy, and Patrick Quinn is closer than he has ever been to achieving his Olympic dream. He hopes to represent the U.S. in doubles luge at the Games.

At a time when soul music is heavily tricked-out, singer Maxwell likes to pare things down, inviting listeners in with his smooth, fluttery singing and raw emotion. In 2001, Maxwell scored a top-selling album, then disappeared. He's back with a new album, BLACKsummers' Night.

In their day, acts like Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy would keep audiences young and old as transfixed as the biggest stars on television today. It's hard to imagine that ventriloquists and their wooden sidekicks would be such big hits -- on radio. NPR's Bob Edwards talks to the author of a new book about the bygone era of ventriloquism.

The remarks by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier follow fresh allegations of U.S. spying on Germany as well as Berlin's request that the top U.S. intelligence official in the country leave.

The city cut off water to thousands of households with overdue bills topping $90 million. The animal rights organization stepped in, offering to pay 10 residents' bills if they go vegan for a month.

The woman adopted her longtime partner's kids while living in Georgia, but she moved to Alabama when they split. The top court in that state refused to recognize her parental rights.

Do the world's mothers give birth to more boys than girls — or vice versa? What country has the top percentage of women in political power? Test your knowledge on the state of the world's girls.