Berlin - The international organization Reporters Without Borders and Iranian human rights activist Shirin Ebadi were named recipients of a prestigious German award on Wednesday.

They were awarded the Roland Berger Human Dignity Award, a prize established last year to promote peaceful cooperation in the world.

The prize is worth 1 million euros (1.34 million dollars), of which 900,000 euros will go to the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders and 100,000 euros to Ebadi.

Berlin - European new commercial vehicle registrations plunged by a record 38.7 per cent in February, the European car industry association (ACEA) said Wednesday as the global recession hits the automotive industry.

Leading the fall was a dramatic slump in commercial vehicle sales in European nations such as Ireland, Spain and Britain that have borne the brunt of the eocnomic downturn.

Overall new commercial vehicle registrations in Europe dropped to 129,580 vehicles last month.

Berlin  - Business confidence in Germany slipped in March, economists expect a key survey to be released Wednesday to say, as boardrooms in Europe's biggest economy face up to the global recession.

In a major test of the economic mood in Europe, the closely- watched Ifo business confidence index is forecast to have edged down to 82.2 points this month after falling to an 18-year low of 82.6 in February.

Berlin - The leader of the far-right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), Udo Voigt, went on trial Tuesday accused of sedition and insult of a black player in Germany's national football team.

The charges, brought by footballer Patrick Owomoyela and the German football association (DFB), relate to a calendar of events published by the NPD ahead of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Berlin - The leader of the far-right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), Udo Voigt, went on trial Tuesday accused of sedition and insult of a black player in Germany's national football team.

The charges, brought by footballer Patrick Owomoyela and the German Football Federation (DFB), relate to a calendar of events published by the NPD ahead of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The planner pictured the host country's white football shirt alongside the statement, "White. Not just a shirt colour! For a real NATIONAL team!"

Berlin - German President Horst Koehler called Tuesday for the government to show unity, in the face of the global economic crisis which Germany is in the grip of.

"The crisis is no backdrop for show fights, but rather a test for democracy as a whole," Koehler said during an address given annually by the head of state.