Frankfurt  - Germany's IG Metall ended a week of token strikes for an 8 per cent pay rise on Friday as employers urged the engineering union to lower its demands.

"Job security has to take precedence over a distribution of (wealth) in pay negotiations for the year ahead," said Stefan Roell, head of the employers association in the south-west of Germany.

Hamburg  - The Force India Formula One team announced Friday that it has brought to an early end its engine deal with Ferrari, opening the way for a possible switch to Mercedes for next season.

The team, which is controlled by Indian billionaire Vijay Mally and has Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil as its drivers, had agreed a deal in 2007 to take Ferrari engines until the end of the 2009 season.

"Force India Formula One Team today announces it has ended its contract with Ferrari," the team said in a statement.

Frankfurt - The excitement surrounding the election of Barack Obama spread to Ge

Abuja- Nigeria was awaiting the arrival Friday of German President Horst Koehler and his wife Eva Luise for the start of a six-day visit devoted to bilateral and African issues.

In Abuja, Koehler will be meeting with Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and taking part, through Sunday, in the fourth "Africa Forum" for a review of a number of policy issues.

Abuja is the fourth venue for the Africa Forum, after meetings in Bonn, Ghana, and the German town of Kloster Eberbach.

Berlin- The Africa correspondent of a leading German newspaper was released on Friday after three days in the hands of a militia group in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Belgian-born Thomas Scheen, 43, and his two local assistants were safely in the hands of the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, MONUC, a German government spokesman said.

Munich - Bayern Munich defender Martin Demichelis expressed his delight Friday at a visit from new Argentina head coach Diego Maradona.

The former playing great stopped over in Munich for talks with Demichelis and fellow Bayern Argentine Jose Ernesto Sosa Thursday evening as he continues his preparations for his first match in charge.

"You can't ask for more when Argentina's greatest football idol and the last World Cup winning coach (Carlos Bilardo) come to Munich to visit me and Jose," he said.