Bonn, Germany - Human rights issues are not adequately discussed in the European Union, former Czech president Vaclav Havel told reporters in Bonn Friday, just before he was handed a 10,000- euro (13,000-dollar) democracy prize.

Havel, 72, said public debate focussed too much on economic topics and not enough on rights and freedoms.

Berlin  - German legislators banned secret paternity tests Friday, setting a fine of up to 5,000 euros (6,500 dollars) for men who swab a baby's saliva and send it for DNA testing without telling the mother.

The new offence is part of a new statute on genetic tests which has been 10 years in the making because many of the ethical issues are so controversial.

The legislation adopted by the Bundestag lower chamber of parliament also bans testing of embryos to discover their sex or physical characteristics. The legislation does permit prenatal testing for medical purposes.

Munich  - Germany's government has told Hypo Real Estate (HRE), the biggest German casualty of the world financial crash, that it will obtain 90-per-cent control of the bank by way of an equity issue.

HRE disclosed the move in a board statement Friday from its head office in Munich.

Berlin would ask the shareholders at a meeting on June 2 to vote for an increase in equity from just under 700 million euros (925 million dollars) at present to 6.3 billion euros, with the German state pumping in all the new funds.

Dusseldorf - German football authorities agreed Friday to go ahead with a Sunday afternoon Bundesliga game from next season despite opposition from the nation's amateur game.

The German Football Federation's assembly approved the 3.30 p. m. (1330 GMT) kick-off for one game, with another match beginning at 5.30 p. m.

At present usually two matches are held on Sunday at 5 p. m.

Berlin - A Berlin court convicted Udo Voigt, the leader of the far-right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), on sedition charges Friday and handed him a suspended seven-month prison sentence.

The court ruled that he was responsible for a racist NPD calendar, which called for Germany's national football team to be made up of whites only and insulted a black player on the team.

London, Apr 24: German teen Alina Percea’s virginity has finally been auctioned off online at 9,000 pounds on April 23 to an unnamed Italian man.

Percea, 18, who has been running the sale on German erotic website gesext. de, for the past month, plans on using the cash to go to university and to help her poor family back home in Caracal, Romania

“It was very exciting. I thought the money would go higher, but I''m happy. I''ve got to do this to pay for my studies, so I can work and help my family in Romania,” the Telegraph quoted her as saying.