Hamburg  - The consequences of a night of drinking often show the next day around the eyes. They can be bloodshot and shadows can appear on the skin around the eye sockets.

Hamburg  - Dresses, blouses, skirts and pants in bright orange, pink and yellow - the colours of summer 2008 - have been hanging in boutiques and department stores since early this year.

Hamburg - Some hikers need only a space on the floor where they can spread out their sleeping bag in the evening.

But there are other types of hikers who belong in a different class, and it's one that has grown over the past few years. These hikers value luxury and don't want to spend the night in a youth hostel or small private room.

Professor Heinz-Dieter Quack of the European Tourism Institute in Trier, Luxembourg, separates hikers into the "old" and the "new."

Stuttgart  - Lounging on the beach is one way to spend the summer holidays. Too boring?

Berlin - The German government is firmly against applying pressure to Ireland over the ratification of the European Union's reform treaty following the Irish no in a referendum last week, government officials said Wednesday.

Speaking ahead of an EU summit in Brussels Thursday and Friday, the German officials said Ireland had to be given time to analyze and assess the situation.

"We are not going to point a pistol at them," a high-ranking source said. "We must give the Irish government time to consult."

Niederkruechten, Germany  - Police were Wednesday searching for a drug sm