Berlin - The decline in German unemployment slowed this month, data to be released Thursday is forecast to show, as employers curbed hiring in the face of growing economic uncertainty.

The numbers of out of work in Europe's biggest economy fell by 20,000 in July analysts say Germany's Labour Office will report with the jobless rate remaining at 7.8 per cent.

The expected drop in July German unemployment comes after the numbers out of work fell by 38,000 to a 16-year-low in June of 3.27 million.

But since then, a steady steam of data and economic sentiment surveys have pointed to the nation's economy losing steam amid fears that inflation has been picking up on the back of high food and energy costs.

Berlin - German-based cash-and-carry group Metro declared a loss for the first half of the year as a result of restructuring costs in its home market.

Metro chief executive officer Eckhard Cordes said the group faced "an increasingly difficult economic environment" but nevertheless described the period as "successful" for the company.

The loss before interest and tax (EBIT) came in at 130 million euros (203 million dollars) for the first half, down from a profit of 437 million euros in the same period last year.

Berlin - Germans have become more and more concerned at the rise in reports of underage drinking and cheap alcohol parties for young adults.

But German teenagers are in fact consuming less alcohol than their peers did in the 1970s, according to Germany's Federal Union for the Protection of Young Persons.

Their information is based on data produced by Germany's Federal Centre for Health Education, a public body that promotes healthy lifestyles.

Hanover, Germany - Paul McCartney has been a vegetarian for years. The same applies to French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot.

Go back in history and the list of famous vegetarians grows even longer and includes St Francis of Assisi and Roman author Lucius Annaeus Seneca.

A recent survey in Germany found that 6 million people in the country do not eat meat. People who decide to join their ranks quickly find a large variety of items as alternatives to animal-based products.

Indian pharmaceutical major Lupin Limited has acquired Hormosan Pharma, a German Sales and Marketing firm for an undisclosed amount.

Bamberg, Germany  - A 63-year-old senior priest in Germany's Catholic archdiocese of Bamberg resigned Wednesday after four men said he had fondled them as boys when they were attending a Catholic boarding school.

The priest headed the diocesan department for pastoral personnel and was on the cathedral council in the Bavarian archdiocese.

Michael Kleiner, deputy spokesman for Archbishop Ludwig Schick, said it was unclear as yet how grave the allegations were.