Germany in Brief
April 28, 2003
Hamburg rejects offer for name change
In a publicity stunt, activists from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have offered the northern Germany port city of Hamburg €10,000 ($11,030) to change its name to "Veggieburg". The organization is unhappy about the city's association with hamburgers. PETA said it would give Hamburg's childcare facilities €10,000 worth of vegetarian burgers if the city changed its name. But city officials were unimpressed. "I cannot afford to waste my time with this. I don't even want to look at nonsense like this," said Klaus May, a city government spokesman. PETA claim that the name Hamburg conjures up images of "unhealthy beef patties made of pulverized dead cattle" and that a diet containing hamburgers can be attributed to fatal ailments like heart disease, cancer, strokes and diabetes. PETA recently made a similar offer to the U.S. town of Hamburg, New York. Their $15,000 bid was also rejected.Missing tourists in Algeria
Algerian authorities are in negotiations with the alleged kidnappers of the 31 European tourists who have been missing in the Sahara desert since mid-February, according to Austrian officials. Apparently 11 of the tourists have been located after Bedouins nomads alerted authorities that they had seen the kidnappers and hostages striking camp. Officials believe the 15 missing German tourists are being held separately from the main group, indicating that Germany was the target of the kidnappers, whose possible could be the release of four Algerian extremists jailed there. Algerian authorities also found a vehicle in the Sahara desert thought to belong to a German couple who vanished on March 8.
Germany woos Bollywood directors
Hoping to exploit the huge business potential of India's Bollywood film industry, the Frankfurt Economic Development Corporation wants to encourage producers to shoot their extravagant musicals in Germany. The aim is to also eventually attract visits by financially strong middle-class Indian tourists. Bollywood filmmakers have already set their movies in Switzerland and other European countries. "We have beautiful castles, picturesque lakes and forests, and many interesting historical and cultural landmarks," Helmut Schwesinger, the chief executive of the corporation said.Iraq's soccer coach aims for Olympics
Bernd Stange, the German coach of Iraq's national soccer team, has called for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to clear his team for 2004 Olympic qualifiers after they were denied the chance to play Vietnam because of war. Stange said that he "well understood" the confederation's decision earlier this month to postpone home-and-away qualifiers with Vietnam in April without setting alternative dates, but said he hoped that the matches can still be played. However, Stange, a top-rated coach in East Germany during the 1980s and a former trainer of Oman's national team, said he had more pressing problems. "I don't know how many of my players have survived the war, the hunger and thirst. Many of my players were from the army club and they had to go and fight when the coalition forces entered Iraq. What happened to them I don't know." Stange left Iraq before hostilities began but has now returned and is hoping to organize a charity match in aid of Iraqi children, with help from Europe's top clubs.