Berlin International [view: normal]

The appointment of Herman van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton to the European Union's top spots has many scratching their heads. The two are relatively unknown, but expectations are so low, they can only exceed them.

This week, results of the first study comparing opinions of Germans, Turks and Turks living in Germany were announced. There were some grounds to celebrate integration but there were also problems. Many immigrants say they feel out of place in both countries, almost half want to return home and Turkish youth are becoming more conservative than their elders....

Rammstein has reached its goal. The band's best-selling new album "Liebe ist für alle da" ("Love is There for Everyone") has been taken off German shelves after offending government censors -- a first for the bad boys of German rock.

Herman Van Rompuy is a practicing Catholic who belongs to the conservative wing of the Flemish Christian Democrat party. He likes haiku poetry and prefers the Beatles to the Stones.

The Czech Republic this week kicked off celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. Back then, it was Czechoslovakian students who took the lead. Nowadays, the country's youth are ambivalent about Prague-style democracy.

Prosecutors in Germany have revealed the scope of the match-fixing scandal that has shocked European football. Around 200 games are suspected of having been fixed, with more than 30 of those played in Germany.

After a controversial election, Afghan President Hamid Karzai was finally sworn in for his second term this week. The high-ranking Western diplomats who attended the inauguration said it was a decisive moment for the strife-torn land. But German commentators are not impressed with Karzai's promises.

It's not often that sport becomes the stuff of diplomatic disputes. But two highly controversial World Cup qualifying matches have pushed football into the global headlines this week. Algeria and Egypt find themselves embroiled in a serious spat while the Irish government complained to Paris.

With the world struggling to come up with an agreement ahead of December's Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, one important fact has been overlooked: Women are hit hardest by the extreme weather shifts, according to a new UN report.

Two Deutsche Bank funds were designed to profit from premature deaths in the US by buying up life insurance policies. But investors have seen precious little return on their investment. Angry customers are accusing the bank of fraud.

Two parties in Denmark's parliament are calling for stricter checks on American travelers to the country out of terrorism concerns. Danish Justice Minister Brian Mikkelsen agrees that restrictions may be necessary.

China's image in the world hasn't been the best lately. Now, Beijing is pumping billions of dollars into a global media campaign in an effort to reverse that trend. Chinese television may be coming soon to a TV near you.

Europe's leaders are relieved that the wrangling over the EU's new positions of president and foreign minister is finally over. But they have no reason to be proud. Once again, the EU has missed an opportunity to boost its standing on the global stage.

A dead captain, soldiers onboard civilian freighters, record ransoms and shoot-outs almost daily: After two months of relative calm, pirate season off the coast of Somalia has resumed. The stakes are higher than ever.

Leaders of the European Union meet on Thursday evening to discuss who should get the bloc's new top jobs. German commentators suggest that, before the meeting, the leaders should do some homework and put aside national differences -- or risk devaluing the whole process.

Amid complaints that Parisian nightlife has lost ground to cities like Berlin and Barcelona, French officials are doing their best to buff up the city's reputation. But partygoers, perturbed by red tape and the closure of famous clubs, say that more has to be done to enliven the city in the wee hours.

Global warming appears to have stalled. Climatologists are puzzled as to why average global temperatures have stopped rising over the last 10 years. Some attribute the trend to a lack of sunspots, while others explain it through ocean currents.

Some men will steal your heart, others will steal your wallet. But one man might soon learn that, if you plan on doing the latter, don't seal the deal with a kiss.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was sworn in on Thursday for his second term in office with a number of Western diplomats in attendance. Under intense pressure from the West, he promised to step up the fight against rampant corruption in his country. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who was in Kabul for the ceremony, said that now is the time for action....

European leaders are getting ready for a long night of discussions as they prepare to choose the EU's first full-time president and foreign minister. There are plenty of candidates but no favorites, and member states aren't tipping their hands.

What began as a short visit to Hungary finished seven years later with a prize-winning book documenting the lives of the Roma people, from India to Eastern Europe. The photos are now on display in Germany. And with Berlin planning to repatriate up to 10,000 Roma, they are more than just pretty pictures.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble is the most important member of Germany's new coalition government. He insists he is loyal to Chancellor Angela Merkel, but he could prove to be a thorn in her side.

Just one day before Afghan President Hamid Karzai is sworn in for his second term, the country's attorney general has announced that he has prepared indictments against five top politicians on charges of corruption. It's now up to Karzai to take action. NATO has also said it is willing to help in the fight against graft....