Berlin - German men are surpassing women in the amount of time they take on personal care, according to a study conducted by Germany's cosmetic association in Berlin.

Every day men take an average of 17 minutes for personal care - not including facial care. They need an additional 13 minutes for that, and they need time to shave and shower or bathe. Women take an average of 26 minutes, the cosmetic association said.

Cleansers, moisturizers and fragrances have become part of the average man's routine. The study shows that four different fragrances now can be found in an average German man's bathroom cabinet. Twelve per cent of German men use make-up. The most popular are concealers and facial powders. Lipstick and nail polish are used by 3 per cent.

Berlin  - Japanese automakers produce the most environmentally friendly cars, a study released in Germany Wednesday concluded.

Drawn up by the Traffic Club Germany (VCD), the study said that Japanese carmakers were ahead of their international rivals at a time when concerns are growing about high fuel costs and global warming.

"When it comes to innovations favourable to the environment, the Japanese continue to be out in front," said VCD chief Hermann-Josef Vogt releasing the group9s findings.

Six Japanese car manufacturers were among the top ten in the VCD's latest auto environment list.

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition unveiled Wednesday new far-reaching rules to head off powerful foreign-owned state-controlled funds going on a shopping spree for companies in Europe's biggest economy.

Of particular concern to Merkel's conservative Christian Democrat-led coalition is the threat posed to key German industries, such as telecoms, banks and energy sectors, by cash-rich state funds from Russia, the Middle East and China.

Berlin  - Germany's key banking association added its voice Wednesday to the growing list of groups ruling out a sharp downturn in Europe's biggest economy this year.

Berlin - German investor confidence rebounded in August, a key indicator released Tuesday showed, despite concerns about the outlook for Europe's biggest economy and volatile financial markets.

Drawn up by the Mannheim-based Centre for European Economic Research, the ZEW index for this month posted a surprise 8.4-points increase to 55.5 points.

Analysts had predicted that the index would fall to minus 62 points in August. The ZEW July index dropped by 11.5 points to minus 63.9 points in July.

Berlin - German investor confidence remained weak in August, a key indicator to be released Tuesday is forecast to show, as concerns have set in about the outlook for Europe's biggest economy.

Drawn up by the Mannheim-based Centre for European Economic Research, analysts predict the ZEW index for this month will come in at minus 62 points.

The world financial market and credit crisis combined with resurgent inflation have helped to fuel worries about outlook for the world economy.