Berlin - Germany's ailing Social Democratic Party (SPD) rung the changes Sunday, repositioning itself ahead of a general election just 12 months away by nominating charismatic Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to take on the popular Christian Democrat (CDU) chancellor, Angela Merkel.

The SPD leadership also recalled a 68-year-old veteran to reorganize the demoralized party machine in the shape of Franz Muentefering, who is to replace Kurt Beck, the embattled premier of Rhineland-Palatinate, as SPD federal chairman.

While Steinmeier's nomination as chancellor-candidate ahead of Beck had long been anticipated, Muentefering's return to top-level SPD politics came as a bombshell.

Berlin - Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) reshuffled its leadership a year ahead of federal elections, during a meeting of top party leaders near Berlin Sunday.

The party nominated Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to challenge Angela Merkel for the chancellorship and summoned back as chairman veteran Franz Muentefering.

Making the announcement at Werder, south-west of Berlin, Steinmeier said Kurt Beck, the long-serving premier of Rhineland- Palatinate, who has led the party since 2006, had resigned as chairman.

Steinmeier, who spoke of a "difficult day" for the party, is to serve as interim chairman until the SPD formally votes in Muentefering at an extraordinary general meeting to be held in the weeks ahead.

Berlin - A street party in Hamburg turned violent overnight after leftist demonstrators went on the rampage, police in the northern German port said Sunday.

Eighteen people were injured, 11 of them police officers, following the event in the Scheunenviertel area of the city, renowned for the many residents adopting an alternative, anti-authority lifestyle.

Police deployed water cannon and used riot sticks to break up the gathering. Some 950 officers were on duty to contain the violence.

Bonn, Germany - It's fairly normal nowadays to install virus scanners on a computer and use a firewall when surfing the web to block possible attacks. So why is e-mail encryption still so uncommon?

Only about 5 per cent of users take steps to protect their e-mail from third parties, said Christopher Wolf of Bochum's Ruhr University, adding, it's a question of habit.

"If e-mail had been encrypted from the start, this would have never been an issue."

Frankfurt/Main, Germany -­ Gaming console aficionados definitely will not be bored this autumn as they try to take care of Piñatas, becoming apprentices to Darth Vader or help a dog and rabbit duo save the world.

Microsoft's Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise' promises to be lots f fun. The game focuses on the Pinatas, a group of gaudy fantasy animals who reached cult status two years ago with the release of their first game.