Dusseldorf - Playing online poker for real money is an illegal activity in Germany. Gamers who ignore the ban could theoretically even face time behind prison bars.

Practically speaking, however, the real problem for poker fans is enforcing their winnings from providers who are often far away in other countries, says Michael Terhaag, a lawyer in Germany.

In the event of a problem, the gamers "generally have no legal options for suing to get their money back," the expert in internet law told the Hamburg-based Computer Bild Spiele.

Dusseldorf- After a revolt by German Muslims, a university is to appoint a new professor to oversee the training of schoolteachers in Islamic religious studies, officials said Tuesday.

Muslim organizations said last week they had lost confidence in Professor Muhammad Kalisch, the theologian who oversaw a teacher- training programme at the University of Muenster in northern Germany.

Kalisch upset the Muslim community by writing that there was no historical evidence that the Prophet Mohammed existed.

Dusseldorf, Germany

Dusseldorf, Germany - Who doesn't know the daily aggravations brought on by work, relationships and the pursuit of one's own needs, and who hasn't sometimes wished for more peace and quiet?

Meditation is one possible means of achieving them. Lutz Hertel, a psychologist at a German wellness association in Dusseldorf, is convinced of one of its effects: "We see a lot more value in meditation than in massages or wellness packs. When meditating, you're active, which is the opposite of most other wellness applications." And the effects are longer lasting.

Dusseldorf  - Ergo, a subsidiary of the Munich Re insurance group, said Tuesday it would sacrifice nearly 2,000 jobs in a cost-cutting drive at the German retail insurance unit lasting till 2010.

Dusseldorf-based Ergo, which offers life, health and general insurance through subsidiary brands, is Germany's second-biggest insurer after Allianz. It currently employs
20,000 people in the country.

Duesseldorf - Computer users who fail to properly secure their wireless local area networks (WLAN) run the risk of getting into trouble with the law. One recent case adjudicated by the District Court of Dusseldorf saw a pensioner convicted of music piracy, for example. Whether the man actually committed the crime himself or whether someone else broke into his unsecured WLAN connection was irrelevant, the judge ruled. The user bears the responsibility for his or her connection.