Europe

Falling oil prices have been good news for the U.S. But they're causing multiple problems for some exporters. Government budgets are strained. Economies are struggling. Currencies are crashing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made his annual "State of the Nation" speech in Moscow on Thursday, with a defense of Russia's seizure of Crimea and an attack on Western nations who he said were intent on keeping Russia down.

Manfred Karg's 19-year-old son, a convert to Islam, is one of at least 60 Germans killed fighting alongside ISIS militants. Karg says efforts to stop the flow to Syria and Iraq are taking too long.

Western sanctions are biting, oil prices are down sharply, and the Russian currency is tanking. The government now expects the economy to shrink in 2015.

The lower house of Parliament took the non-binding action on Tuesday. France is the fifth European country to make such a move in the last month, following Sweden, Britain, Spain and Ireland.