Berlin - Plaster crumbles off building facades and when the street car rumbles by, the ground shakes a bit. 

At first sight Berlin's Alte Schoenhauser Street looks like an ordinary residential street. But in fact this is where the city's young fashion scene pulsates in row after row of designer shops. The area near the Hackeschen Hoefe has become so well-known in the fashion world that it has boosted Berlin's reputation as one of Europe's most important fashion centres to a position on par with Paris, Milan and London. 

Tourists who explore the area just north of downtown Berlin will find that they can both admire the newest styles and buy them. 

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. 

Manila - Islamic militants on Thursday freed one of two abducted humanitarian workers after 45 days in captivity in the southern Philippines, police and local officials said.

The freed hostage was identified as Esperancita Hupida, programme coordinator of a non-government organization serving poor communities in Basilan province, 900 kilometres south of Manila.

Chief Superintendent Bensali Jabarani, a regional police commander, said Hupida was released at dawn by Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels in a remote village in Tipo-Tipo town.

Hupida's husband fetched her from the area, upon instructions from the guerrillas, according to Basilan Vice Governor Al-Rasheed Sakalahul.

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. 

The Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas said, UK would be facing significant risks, if giant databases of personal information are created.

Thomas is of the view that it might raise the risk of data going missing and bad decisions made based on people's files.

As of now, 30 "serious" breaches of data protection law by the government and other bodies are being investigated by Mr Thomas. Thomas is planning to advise that the least amount of data possible should be held, at his speech at the Royal Society of Arts in London.

On Tuesday, Microsoft Corp. revealed its plans to soon initiate Web-based versions of some of its most popular office software including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, providing users with the ability to work with documents through a Web browser or mobile phone whenever the PC is not available.

These Web-based programs, which are described as "lightweight versions"of the Microsoft Office programs that are installed on PCs, actually have been initiated to over show Google.