Dusseldorf - The boom times of high-digit growth for German football may have come to an end with the advent of the global financial crisis but the Bundesliga looks better prepared than most to weather the financial storm.

"Football must realise that the business can no longer reckon with growth," said German Football League (DFL) vice-president Peter Peters, even though the effects of the economic slowdown have yet to fully hit many of the country's top clubs.

Stuttgart - The Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team confirmed Friday that Sebastien Bourdais will retain his seat for the 2009 season.

The 29-year-old Frenchman will team up with Swiss rookie Sebastien Buemi, who takes the place of Sebastian Vettel following the German's move to parent team Red Bull.

Japanese driver Takuma Sato and Brazilian Bruno Senna were also in the frame for a seat with Toro Rosso this season but team principal Franz Tost said the team decided to stick with Bourdais.

"We are pleased that Sebastien will be with us again for another season. After one year with Toro Rosso we expect him to profit from the experience he gained last season," said Tost.

London  - Art lovers drove the price of a painting by the famous German artist Gerhard Richter to 2.1 million pounds (3 million dollars) Thursday night despite the world financial crisis.

Sotheby's auction house said the price was at the maximum of what it had estimated. It did not identify the buyer.

The 85-by-120-centimetre artwork, a misty landscape called Troisdorf, originated in 1985 and is considered one of the 76-year- old German artist's most impressive landscapes for his use of light.

Wiesbaden, Germany  - Roland Koch, a key supporter of Chancellor Angela

Berlin  - The German wing of the ultra-conservative Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) declared Thursday its support for Bishop Richard Williamson, whilst distancing itself from his anti-Holocaust rhet

Berlin - German productions contributed decisively to a banner year in the nation's film industry in 2008, continuing last year's upbeat trend.

On the eve of Berlin's International film Festival, the Federal Film Board (FFA) reported that a total of 129.4 million visitors passed through cinema turnstiles, exactly four million more than in 2007.

Boosted by a 3.2 per cent increase in attendance, turnover rose to 794.7 million euros (1,018 million dollars), 36.8 million euros (4.9 per cent) more than in the previous year.