Geneva - Germany came before the United Nations' periodic country review Monday to say it had a strong regard for human rights but was still in the process of tackling some open issues, including racism and immigration related matters.

"Xenophobia and racism are serious concerns for us," Gernot Erler, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Germany, said before the Human Rights Council.

Since the introduction in 2007 of the UN's Universal Period Review program, set up the Human Rights Council, each country's rights record is supposed to be checked once every four years.

Munich - France defender Willy Sagnol Monday announced he was quitting football after failing to recover from injury.

"Because of the pain it is no longer possible for me to play football. It's something I have to accept," the 31-year-old Bayern Munich right-back said.

Sagnol has been plagued by an Achilles tendon injury and has not played since appearing for France at Euro 2008.

"I would have liked to have continued for another couple of years but my body has made the decision," Sagnol said.

Hamburg - The International Olympic Committee on Monday said it had no reason to doubt swimming super star Michael Phelps' apology after being photographed with a pipe usually used for marijuana consumption.

A photograph of the American was published in an English tabloid on the weekend that showed Phelps using a long glass pipe. The photograph was allegedly taken at a party in South Carolina.

Phelps admitted that he was the person in the photograph, but did not admit to smoking marijuana, nor did he say whether there was any marijuana in the pipe.

Hamburg - SV Hamburg Monday welcomed Schalke midfielder Albert Streit and Danish defender Michael Gravgaard among a flurry of new signings confirmed by the club on the last day of the transfer window.

Gravgaard, 30, arrives on loan until the end of the season from French side Nantes where he had struggled to claim a place since him move last summer from FC Copenhagen.

Streit, 28, also arrives initially on a loan deal from Schalke where he had been suspended by coach Fred Rutten after complaining of a lack of first-team opportunities.

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to host a special meeting of key European nations later this month to prepare for the London summit of the G20 in April, a government spokesman said Monday.

Spokesman Thomas Steg said the leaders of all European members of the G20 group had been invited to attend the talks in Berlin on February 22.

A forum for cooperation and consultation on matters related to to the international financial system, the G20 held its first summit in November 2008 in Washington.

The London summit is due to take place on April 2.

Berlin - German Foreign Minister Frank-Wa