Berlin - Germany slumped into a recession for the first time in five years, official data released Thursday showed, amid signs that a global economic downturn was taking hold.
Europe's biggest economy shrank by 0.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2008, after it contracted 0.4 per cent in the three months to the end of June, the Federal Statistics Office said.
Berlin - Germany's 12-billion-euro (15-billion-dollar) economic-stimulus package, which has wobbled in the past few days, won approval from almost all pro-government legislators Thursday.
The two main parliamentary leaders, Volker Kauder of the Christian Democratic caucus and Peter Struck of the Social Democrats, said they would see to it that the legislation was adopted by parliament by the end of the month.
Joining other governments round the world, Chancellor Angela Merkel's government decided November 5 on a package that includes soft loans for medium-sized industry and for home insulation.
Berlin - An armchair made from cement may not look very comfortable at first glance, but design enthusiasts who value stark elegance and extravagant ideas are increasingly turning their attention to concrete furniture.
Whether it be a dining table, kitchen work surface or bathtub - concrete furnishings are becoming more established in the home without appearing boring or sombre.
Berlin - Whether it makes coffee or drills holes in walls, whether it's a luxury item or a basic model, just about every modern household product is expected to have some style to it.
But pretty packaging is not the same as good design and the challenge facing most designers is to bring form and function together.
"Bad design means that ergonomics and functions were not given high enough priority," says Peter Knopp, an industrial designer from Scheyern in southern Germany.
Samples of bad design include mobile phones with tiny buttons or those beautiful kettles whose owners run the risk of burning themselves, if they pick them up clumsily.
Berlin - Germany slumped into a recession during the third quarter, data to be released Thursday is forecast to show, amid signs that a global economic downturn was taking hold.
Europe's biggest economy shrank by 0.1 per cent in the third quarter, analysts predict Thursday's figures from Germany's statistics office will show after it contracted by 0.5 per cent in the quarter to end June.
As a result, Germany will fulfil the technical definition of recession after clocking up two consecutive quarters of negative rates.
Berlin - Germany's lower house of parliament on Wednesday passed a controversial law granting sweeping powers to federal police in the fight against terrorism.
The legislation, which has to be approved by the upper house, allows investigators to conduct video surveillance of terrorist suspects and monitor their private computers.
"We are responding to new technical developments while at the same time adhering to our basic tenets of freedom," Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told deputies.
German civil liberties groups have criticized the new law, saying it will lead to a Big Brother state where the privacy of Germans' homes is no longer sacrosanct.
Berlin - Germany slumped into a recession for the first time in five years, official data released Thursday showed, amid signs that a global economic downturn was taking hold.
Berlin - Germany's 12-billion-euro (15-billion-dollar) economic-stimulus package, which has wobbled in the past few days, won approval from almost all pro-government legislators Thursday. 
Berlin - An armchair made from cement may not look very comfortable at first glance, but design enthusiasts who value stark elegance and extravagant ideas are increasingly turning their attention to concrete furniture.
Berlin - Germany slumped into a recession during the third quarter, data to be released Thursday is forecast to show, amid signs that a global economic downturn was taking hold.
