Berlin  - Germany Thursday welcomed the freeing of Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and others by government forces, congratulating the government in Bogota on the successful operation.

Frankfurt - Buoyed by strong demand from Asia, Germany's key chemical sector is expecting a 5.5-per-cent rise in sales this year, the industry's association (VCI) said Thursday.

The VCI forecast production to grow 2.5 per cent despite increasing raw material prices and the threat posed to German chemical makers' foreign orders by the strong euro.

This comes after production rose 3 per cent in the first half of 2008, with the chemical sector one of Germany's key exporters.

However, signs of the impact on the industry of slowing global growth should emerge in the coming months, with production already slowing from last year's levels.

Dusseldorf - Germany's IKB Industriebank AG, which has one of the nation's prominent casualties of the subprime crisis, reported Thursday a lower-than-expected loss as a tax benefit helped the gro

Berlin - German couples will soon be able to get married in church without first going through a civil ceremony in the registry office for the first time in 130 years.

The daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung uncovered the detail in a little-noticed piece of legislation that becomes law on January 1 next year and published details Thursday.

Previously, priests had faced the possibility of jail or being fined for marrying couples who had not concluded a civil marriage before going to the altar, although in recent years the offence has been treated as a minor misdemeanour.

Civil marriages were introduced in Germany in 1875, the relevant legislation providing for a three-month jail term for priests who married couples without first going to the registry office.

Hamburg - There are stores that sell T-shirts for 1.99 euros, dresses for 7.99 euros and matching ballerinas and bags for similarly low prices - a complete outfit for less than 20 or 30 euros. 

Hamburg - It is impolite not to allow a person you are talking with to look you in the eye.