Hamburg - There was a sigh of relief in Lewis Hamilton's native Great Britain on Monday amid a common agreement around the world that the sport of Formula One had never seen a more dramatic finale.

"Phew Lew," titled The Sun after Hamilton had claimed the world title over Felipe Massa in a "final lap drama" of the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday.

French paper Le Figaro named Hamilton "world champion of suspense" and Britain's Daily Telegraph said he "redefined sporting drama."

Hamburg - Lukas Podolski came off the bench to set up one goal and score another from the penalty spot, but the Germany striker's future at Bayern Munich continues to be a matter of speculation.

Hamburg - Vandals desecrated 17 Muslim graves at a cemetery in Hamburg over the weekend, police said Sunday.

Hamburg - The first snow of the autumn blanketed parts of central and southern Germany on Thursday, leading to power outages and numerous accidents on slippery roads.

A 29-centimetre layer of snow covered the Zollernalb district of the south-west state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, where police closed roads blocked by trees that collapsed under the weight of the snow.

Hundreds of homes in the city of Reutlingen were without power after electricity pylons were brought down in the abrupt change of weather.

Hamburg - The leaves are changing to brown and red tones, a sign that the cold weather months have arrived. 

Gradually, thicker coats are appearing, often wrapped around a man or woman carrying a hot chocolate or cappuccino. The delicious brown tones in those drinks are not just in the paper cups this season. They can also be found in the make-up of the women passers-by, as many cosmetic companies this season feature shades of brown. 

Hamburg - Glittery stars, ornaments piled on ornaments, tinsel and wooden figures: The practice of digging deep into the decoration box will be part of Christmas 
2008. 

People tuned in to tradition are delighted by such displays, while purists are horrified. But Christmas is a time when contrasting worlds of taste collide but still manage to celebrate the holiday peacefully together under the Christmas tree. 

The two conflicting decoration styles seem to have particularly inspired younger designers who have used entirely different forms in their creche and incense smoker creations.