In a country whose Economics Minister is named Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Freiherr zu Guttenberg, the verdict seems illogical. But on Tuesday, Germany's Federal Constitutional Court rejected a woman's appeal to go by her new married name, Frieda Rosemarie Thalheim-Kunz-Hallstein, arguing that the name is too long. The court was upholding a law introduced in 1993, which banned multiple surnames in Germany. Before this legislation, triple- or quadruple-barreled names were rare, but they existed: there is an ...

Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of two-time presidential hopeful John Edwards, does not know whether he fathered a child during his affair with a campaign staffer, she says in an interview that is to air this week. "I have seen a picture of the baby. I have no idea. It doesn't look like my children, but I don't have any idea," she said in an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey to air Thursday. Winfrey's Harpo Productions Inc. provided CNN with ...

Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are adding new luster to the role of the 21st century First Lady — with their style and smarts, they complement and sometimes even outshine their high-profile husbands. Other recent First Ladies, such as Hillary Clinton and Argentina's Cristina Kirchner, have used their experiences in the halls of power to launch themselves into political offices of their own. But Veronica Lario, wife of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has a different approach to this historically ...

Heather Ferreira works in the slums of Mumbai, India, where she has watched thousands of women live under a "curse." (CNN) -- Heather Ferreira works in the slums of Mumbai, India, where she has watched thousands of women live under a "curse." The women she meets in the squalid streets where "Slumdog Millionaire" was filmed are often treated with contempt, she says. They're considered ugly if their skin and hair are too dark. They are deemed "cursed" if they only ...

Smoking is a lot like Russian roulette: You never know who will end up developing lung cancer and who won't. But Dr. Jian-Min Yuan, as well as other researchers from the University of Minnesota, say they are one step closer to determining a smoker's risk for developing the disease. In a study, they tracked the carcinogen and nicotine levels in nearly 500 smokers through a simple urine test and discovered a link between the level of a specific carcinogen and ...

A Florida boy remains in stable condition just days after he found his parents' long-forgotten handgun in a closet and accidentally shot himself in the head. Sheriff's detectives in Pinellas County, Florida, near St. Petersburg, say the boy found the .25-caliber European semi-automatic handgun in a box in a closet in their home. "They are dealing with this very tragic situation, and at this point, no charges have been filed," said Cecilia Barreda of the Pinellas County sheriff's office. His ...

Walking into the Khatmul Nabeen Masjid Mosque, you can for a moment forget that you're in Afghanistan. Beautiful buildings, walkways, flowerbeds and even a grass soccer pitch. Young men and women, dressed in Muslim attire, walk around freely and with smiles. Smiles are a bit of a rarity in today's Kabul, a polluted city of survival and despair, so this was both shocking and refreshing to me. We didn't have an appointment but we were hoping to interview Mohammed Asif ...

Pam Biggers, a 52-year-old woman from Huey, Alabama, disappeared while on a business trip to the Florida Panhandle. She drove from Alabama to the La Quinta Inn at Panama City Beach on January 27, 2008, a Sunday. She checked in and talked with her husband over the phone about 5:30 p.m. She told him she was going out to eat with a colleague who was staying across the hall. After an early dinner, the two women ...

Deaf actress Marlee Matlin has captivated millions with her film roles over the years. And she's now giving a new voice to an important issue. Monday night on "Larry King Live," the Academy Award winner opened up to guest host Joy Behar about the sexual abuse she suffered as a child. She says the abuse led to drug use. She also opened up about her volatile relationship with actor William Hurt. This interview has been edited for brevity and ...

First lady Michelle Obama was expected to make headlines in Europe with her style and flair as she accompanied her husband to the Group of 20 summit, but it was a simple gesture that has set off a media frenzy. While meeting Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in London on Wednesday, the two women briefly embraced -- not your typical scene at Buckingham Palace. The British media called it everything from a breach of protocol to an extraordinary show of affection ...