Berlin - Germany's economics minister announced plans Sunday to develop economic and energy ties with Libya, during a weekend visit to the north African state accompanied by a delegation of 100 business leaders. Talks focused on energy policy and infrastructure projects, the German economics ministry said.

"Libya is our largest oil supplier outside of Europe and also has large gas reserves," Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg told the Sunday edition of German daily Bild.

Unterschleissheim, Germany  - Illegally copying music and movies or cracking software code might let you bring home games and movie for free, but experts say this is against the law and poses a possible danger for your computer.

Downloading software that allows illegal copying sometimes means you're also installing viruses onto your computer, reports Trend Micro, an IT security consulting firm based in southern Germany.

Hannover  - Audiobooks often show up under the music menu on iTunes which can be irritating if you find chapters cropping up under a party music playlist.

Now Germany's c't medien - Audio digital magazine has come up with a way around this problem: With a right mouse click on the appropriate library entry Windows users can select the heading "audio book" and the files will be stored under that heading.

Mac users should press the Apple button and "i" and select "audio book" under "options."

Hamburg  - These are exciting times for mobile gamers: an update of the Nintendo's DS mini-console was released in early April as the DSi, with several downloadable titles is already available. Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch are also growing in importance as platforms for mobile gaming. Sony's Playstation Portable, by contrast, is already well established in this field.

Bonn, Germany  - Microsoft has eliminated 23 vulnerabilities in its Windows and Office products. Users of those programs should install the corresponding security updates as soon as possible, the German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Bonn, central Germany, is advising.

This can be handled by activating automatic updates in the Windows Security Centre or visiting Microsoft's update site at http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate.

Berlin  - The curtain goes up May 15 on the Berlin adaptation of Mel Brooks' Broadway smash musical hit "The Producers" at a pre- war theatre which once sported box seats for the fuehrer - and critics will be listening to hear whether Germans can finally laugh at "you know who," at least for a limited two-month run.