Pressure on for German World Cup dream

Germany can seal automatic qualification to the World Cup finals by beating Russia in Moscow on Saturday, but knows that anything other than victory could allow the Russians to snatch their ticket to South Africa.

With two games left in Group 4, Germany leads Russia by a single point. That means victory for the visitors in Moscow will stretch the margin to four points and force Russia to settle for the runner-up's playoff spot.

In the event of a Russian win or a draw, the group winner will be decided Wednesday, when Germany hosts Finland in Hamburg and Russia travels to Azerbaijan.

Both teams are near full-strength for the match, where Russia will be out to avenge a 2-1 defeat in Dortmund a yea ago. Chelsea wingback Yuri Zhirkov, who has missed several recent matches for club and country due to a lingering knee injury, has trained with the national team and is likely to play.

Germany has been preparing for Saturday's match by training this week on an artificial surface in Mainz similar to the one at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium.

The match has gripped the Russian public, with tickets changing hands for several times face value and volunteers handing out thousands of Russian flags to drivers stuck in traffic. The game is a sellout, with most of the 83,000 fans rooting for the home team.

Oktoberfest opens in Munich Germany

Oktoberfest opened in the southern German city of Munich over the weekend. Now, security may be tighter than usual this year, but it's still a good time for millions of revelers.

The world's largest beer festival, the annual Munich Oktoberfest, opened for the 176th time on Saturday as organizers expect around six-million visitors to attend the two-week long party. At 12 noon, the mayor of Munich officially declared the festival open when he traditionally tapped the first beer keg with a wooden hammer.

Visitors each year consume millions of litres of beer and hundreds of thousands of sausages. Although many visitors come from abroad, Oktoberfest is a highlight for many Bavarians who turn out in traditional lederhosen and low-cut "dirndl" dresses.

Visitor Enrico Gosemani said, "It is great. We have been waiting all year for it and I hope it carries on like this for the next 16 days. It is a bit difficult with the children but at the moment it is really good fun."

This year however, the party mood was dampened slightly as the German government stepped up security at the event because of a heightened risk of attacks linked to a federal election in Sept.

Germany to lead the way with Green Energy plans

The German transport minister Wolfgang Tiefensee has signed a memorandum of understanding with eight industrial partners to set up a Hydrogen Fuel Network. High profile participants include Daimler, EnBW, Linde, OMV, Shell, Total, Vattenfall and the NOW GmbH National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology.

Speaking about the groundbreaking plan, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, Tiefensee said, "Our aim is to continue consistent and systematic promotion of electromobility based on batteries and fuel cells. Today we can see that Germany is setting the pace when it comes to hydrogen and fuel cell technology. We are aiming at establishing the nationwide supply with hydrogen in Germany at around 2015 in order to support the serial-production of fuel cell vehicles."

The ambitious German plan will be in two phases:

Phase 1 (2009-2011) will involve the assessment of various options for a nationwide hydrogen network and measures to increase public support. New hydrogen fuelling stations will also be installed to expand the existing small hydrogen network in urban areas such as Berlin and Hamburg.

Phase 2 will involve further development of the hydrogen fuel network and the introduction and commercialisation of electric vehicles fitted with fuel cells. The industrial partners hope to have several hundred thousand such cars on the road by 2015.

According to Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, "The widespread adoption of fuel cells will only occur when drivers can readily refuel with hydrogen. To accomplish that end, we're working together with oil companies, energy providers and public policymakers to help drive the development of the necessary infrastructure."

This is what is needed for the future. Positive action with the endorsement and cooperation of the major energy players.

Germans shun H1N1 vaccine

The German government has ordered 18 million more vaccinations against swine flu. But two-thirds of Germans say they don't want to be immunized.

In the latest step to fight an anticipated breakout of the H1N1 swine flu virus, Germany's 16 state health ministers have announced they plan to order another 18 million vaccination units. That's enough to immunize nine million more people and ensures there is enough stock should demand surge later in the year.

The health ministers have already ordered 50 million swine flu vaccinations for 25 million people, as each person requires two doses of the vaccine. That means there will be enough vaccine to cover 40 percent of the German population.

The latest order is subject to funding being available. The thorny question of who will bear the cost of this – the federal government, the health insurers, the state health departments or local authorities – is being discussed at a special working group meeting in Berlin on Wednesday.

A new study conducted by the Forsa Institute for DAK, one of Germany's largest health insurers, revealed that a surprising number of Germans do not plan to get immunized.

In the study of 1,001 people aged between 18 and 60 years, 62 percent said they would "definitely not," or "almost definitely not" let themselves be vaccinated this autumn when the first swine flu vaccines become available.

Eighty-two percent of Germans said that swine flu poses a "fairly low" or "very low" danger.

Bavarians, in Germany's south, in particular rejected vaccination. Only nine percent said they would "definitely" go to their doctor to be immunized compared to 14 percent of Germans on average. It's a different picture in eastern Germany, where almost a quarter of those who took part in the study said they were "definitely" going to get immunized.

Germany looking to improve in last test before World Cup qualifiers

Germany have one eye on next month's World Cup qualifying showdown with Russia when they take on the 2010 tournament hosts South Africa in a friendly in Cologne on Saturday.

German coach Joachim Loew aims to use his last test match before his team's three final World Cup qualifiers for some-last minute experiments, while at the same time looking for an improvement on his side's recent outings.

The match comes four days ahead of a Group 4 qualifier against Azerbaijan in Hanover before the German team travels to Moscow on October 10 and then meets Finland in Hamburg on October 14.

Loew believes the effect of having his German squad together for 10 days for the first time in a year will have ironed out the problems evident in last month's 2-0 win in Azerbaijan and a recent trip to China and the United Arab Emirates.

Germany, three-time World Cup winners, has yet to lose against South Africa after a record of two wins and a draw, the last match resulting in a 4-2 victory in Bremen in September 2005.

South Africa have their own problems after losing their last four matches as they start a mini-European tour also taking in Ireland next week, before returning to the continent next month for matches in Norway and Iceland.

'German Borat' shakes up election

A fictional candidate "campaigning" for Germany's parliamentary elections next month would win 18% of the votes if he stood, an opinion poll suggests.

Horst Schlaemmer is not even a real person, let alone a real candidate. Played by German comedian Hape Kerkeling, the spoof would-be chancellor has spiced up a campaign criticised as dreary.

His campaign slogan "Yes weekend" is inspired by Barack Obama, and he has pledged to replace Germany's national emblem - the eagle - with a bunny.

Horst Schlaemmer has become so popular that his spoof "campaign launch" was broadcast live on two TV networks and reportedly attracted more than 100 journalists.

In real life, Hape Kerkeling is a German comedian and TV presenter who has been one of the country's most popular impersonators for many years. The 44-year-old once arrived at a German presidential reception dressed up as Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. He is often compared to British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who has gained worldwide fame through his characters Ali G, Borat and Bruno.

Ahead of his new film, he further blurred the lines between fact and fiction by launching the Horst Schlaemmer Party. With his old-fashioned glasses, ratty moustache, grey wig and funny accent, the spoof candidate cuts a distinctive figure ahead of Germany's legislative elections on 27 September.

German language gets 5,000 more words

Around 5,000 new words have been officially added to the German language as the country's iconic dictionary, Duden, introduced its first new edition for three years.

The new version contains 135,000 words, including many new words that an English-speaker would find familiar, several inspired by the financial crisis and a few that reflect 21st-century life, such as "twittern" - to twitter.

Germans can now officially have "der Babyblues" and go to "eine After-Show-Party," - while hoping that it is not "eine No-Go Area".

"Der Nickname" and "Das It-Girl" are other new German words taken from English that have found their way into the language of Goethe.

The financial crisis and its effects account for many of the new German entries.

"Die Bad Bank" requires no translation, and also appearing for the first time are "Kreditklemme" ("credit crunch"), "Konjunkturpaket" ("stimulus package") and "Abwrackpraemie" ("car scrappage bonus.")

High profile tensions with the country's large and poorly integrated Turkish community are also reflected in two new words "Ehrenmord" ("honour killing") and "Integrationsgipfel" ("integration summit.")

German is infamous for its incredibly long compound nouns, and while no new words challenge the 39-letter monster "Rechtschutzversicherungsgesellschaften", roughly meaning "legal insurance companies", this year's edition has offered "Vorratsdatenspeicherung" or "the saving of data relating to supplies".

The first Duden dictionary, produced in 1880, consisted of a mere 200 pages and 27,000 words, according to the book's website.

German-language spelling is presided over by the German government, which periodically attempts to "reform" the condition of modern spelling.

In 2004 the German federal education minister, Edelgard Bulmahn announced that a committee would be created and given wide-ranging powers to make decisions about German spelling.

Dr Bernard Rieger, from University College London, said that the production of the new Duden dictionary was the result of a big public debate in Germany.

"There has been a spelling reform recently for the first time in several generations. This was because some of the orthographical rules were not particularly logical and this posed a problem, particularly in elementary schools.

"For instance, in German nouns are sometimes capitalised. But it was not particularly clear which nouns these should be, to the point where they had to be learnt by rote.

"And there were also two forms of the double s, which is the form that you get in the word 'strasse' that looks like the symbol for the Greek letter beta. It wasn't always clear which to use. So it was simplified.

"It was controversial and there was a debate between the traditionalists and the reformers that got very heated. But a compromise was arrived at, in which it was agreed that both were correct.

"Duden, which is a company in Mannheim, implements these changes by producing a big yellow dictionary, which everyone buys."

Somali pirates get $2.7 mln ransom for German ship

Somali pirates holding a German ship with five Germans, three Russians, two Ukrainians and 14 Filipinos on board have received a $2.7 million ransom and are counting it before releasing the ship.

The German-flagged container vessel Hansa Stavanger was captured about 400 miles (645 km) off the southern Somali port of Kismayu on April 4.

The release of the 20,000 tonne ship, owned by Hamburg shipping company Leonhardt & Blumberg, was expected last week but it was delayed after the pirates demanded a higher ransom.

Earlier, a Malaysian-owned tugboat held for over seven months was released after a ransom was paid, with 11 Indonesian crew.

Gangs of Somali pirates in the shipping lanes linking Asia and Europe have made millions of dollars in ransom payments from ships hijacked in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

China to overtake Germany as world’s largest exporter

In its annual report on trade, the WTO reaffirms that it expects trade to drop 10 percent this year. And with Asia leading the recovery, China looks set to overtake Germany as the biggest export nation.

Last year, Germany was still barely holding on to its position as the world’s leading merchandise exporter, with exports of $1.47 trillion just edging out China, with some $1.43 trillion.

But with Asian nations starting to see a rebound in trade and Europe still turning in a weak performance, Germany’s dominance in exports may be a thing of the past. Discussing the World Trade Organization’s annual report on world trade, WTO chief economist Patrick Low expects China to overtake Germany as the world’s biggest exporter this year.

Redford weds in Germany

Robert Redford married his partner, a 51-year-old German artist, over the weekend, a German church said yesterday.

St. Catherine Church in Hamburg said the 72-year-old U.S. actor and artist Sibylle Szaggars were wed at the luxury Louis C. Jacob Hotel. The Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper said 30 friends and family members attended the service.

Redford has starred in dozens of films, including “The Sting” and “The Natural.” He won the Academy Award for best director for the 1980 film “Ordinary People.” In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute, which encompasses the Sundance Film Festival.

Germany's Dynamic Duo for Eurovision

Alex Christensen

With his Groundbreaking idea for the song Das Boot in 1991 in a Techno version, Alex revolutionized the techno music scene by making techno, chart compatible. Das Boot became number 1 on the charts in more than 22 countries worldwide and was number 1 on the German charts for 13 weeks (at that time holding the record for the 2nd longest number 1 chart position). With U96 Alex sold more than 15 million records.

Oscar Loya

Oscar’s career is a typical example of the American Dream. The youngest of five children, Oscar was raised in a single parent household on the wrong side of town. His mother struggled to make ends meet and make sure her children didn’t fall to the product of growing up in a Southern California barrio.

With the track Miss Kiss Kiss Bang it has become possible to successfully combine Alex’s superb abilities as producer, composer, and author with Oscar’s extraordinary talent as a performer.

German Classical Music and Culture

German composers have made a huge cultural contribution to the world’s cultural heritage. Many great musical geniuses were born and worked in Germany including Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Today their work and that of other German composers continues to be performed to enthusiastic new generations of music lovers in concert halls and opera houses around the world.

The development of early German music followed much the same track as that of other European countries. During the early Middle Ages music evolved in the courts and monasteries of Europe. The basis of sacred music was the Gregorian chant, which was introduced by Pope Gregory I in the late 6th Century. An influential role in medieval court music was played by roving poets (Minnesanger) who sang love verses to a lute accompaniment.

From the 14th Century, German singing guilds known as Meistersinger emerged. Unlike Minnesanger, these artistes adopted a settled lifestyle. In the succeeding centuries both vocal and instrumental music continued to evolve with many new forms appearing. In the second half of the 17th Century, interest in organ music developed and organ schools were established in many German towns. One of the best was in Nuremberg.