Germany announced Tuesday it would send around 40 military doctors to Mali in addition to personnel it already promised last week, Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in a newspaper report to be published Wednesday.

"Germany has agreed to send around 40 military doctors as no other state said it was ready to do so," Maiziere said in an extract of the interview in the daily Tagesspiegel.

Police in Germany say someone dressed as the Cookie Monster has sent a second note regarding a stolen cookie sculpture — this time saying he wants to return it.

But officials aren't sure the person in the photo actually stole the 20-kilogram (44 pound), century-old sculpture.

Berlin plans to send around 40 military personnel to Mali as part of a European mission to provide military training to local forces, Germany's defense minister announced Saturday.

Germany had not decided the exact number yet but would send "around 40" to begin training in Mali "in late March, early April", Thomas de Maiziere said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The U.S. and Russia meet in Germany Saturday in a new bid to iron out differences over Syria's war, with the leader of the opposition saying the world must not be a bystander to the tragedy.

On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Syrian opposition chief Moaz al-Khatib and U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

Germany's upper house of parliament on Friday gave its green light to testing embryos after in vitro fertilization in certain cases after a passionate ethical debate in the country on the issue.

The Bundesrat voted to allow so-called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis of embryos when one of the partners had a history of serious hereditary disease or if there was a high risk of stillbirth.

Germany's lower house of parliament on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to extend the country's military presence in Afghanistan but aimed to slash troop numbers to 3,300 by February 2014.

Members of the Bundestag voted by 435 to 111 with 39 abstentions to keep a maximum of 4,400 troops in the war-torn region until next February. The maximum level was reduced by 500.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will discuss the carnage in Syria in meetings on Saturday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syrian opposition chief Moaz al-Khatib, the White House said.

Biden will hold the meetings, and also see U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi at the Munich Security Conference on a trip that will also include talks with leaders of Germany, France and Britain.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the visiting Egyptian president Wednesday to ensure dialogue remains an option as his country grapples with a political crisis that has sparked deadly unrest.

Merkel told a joint press conference in Berlin with President Mohamed Morsi that Germany wanted a successful transformation process in Egypt, where Morsi took over last year, and was ready to help.

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi arrived in Germany on Wednesday for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel after days of unrest in his country.

Morsi was greeted with military honours and the two leaders are due to hold a joint press conference at 1345 GMT.

German financial aid to Egypt depends on progress on democracy in the country, Germany's foreign minister warned on Wednesday, hours before a scheduled visit by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

Guido Westerwelle said on ARD public television that Berlin's offer of help "depends on advances in the democratic development in Egypt".