Kabul - A blast believed to have been triggered by a suicide bomber wounded at least seven Afghans near the German embassy in Kabul on Saturday, officials said.

The attack took place in the front the embassy building, which is across from a US military base and some 200 metres from the presidential palace, officials said.

Several vehicles in front of the embassy's gate were ablaze and thick smoke was billowing from the area.

It was immediately unknown if the attack was aimed at the German embassy personnel or any if any of the diplomats were among the victims.

Paderborn, Germany  - The remains of an eight-year-old girl who was abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered in Germany were being flown to her ancestral home in Turkey Friday as police admitted they had no idea yet who killed her.

In biting cold, residents of the German city of Paderborn, many of them Turkish, joined in a procession Friday evening to mourn for the girl, Kardelen. Her surname has been withheld to protect her family's privacy.

Hamburg  - Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok on Friday reportedly turned down an offer from surprise Bundesliga leaders Hoffenheim who are looking for a replacement for injured top striker Vedad Ibisevic.

Derdiyok told German sports magazine Kicker that he was committed to a move to league rivals Bayer Leverkusen from his current Swiss club Basle.

"I am honoured by their interest, but I have already given my word to Bayer Leverkusen to join them and I will not change that," he was quoted as saying on the Kicker website.

Brussels/Moscow/Kiev/Berlin - Saturday's gas summit between Russia and Ukraine is the "last and best chance" for both sides to salvage their reputation as reliable suppliers, the European Union said Friday as it faced another freezing week with reserves running low.

Russia warned European leaders they must attend the Moscow summit if they cared to see gas flow renewed because bilateral talks would no longer suffices.

"Unfortunately, this issue has gotten beyond bilateral relation," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was quoted by news agency Interfax as saying.

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Berlin - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin toured the International Green Week Agricultural Fair in Berlin on Friday ahead of talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Merkel was expected to use the late afternoon meeting to urge the Russian leader to resolve the gas dispute with Ukraine as soon as possible.

A government spokesman said Merkel expected Moscow and Kiev to adhere to their contractual obligations and resume natural gas supplies to Europe without further delay.