Munich - Anek Lines has begun servicing destinations in the Aegean Sea, according to the Greek ferry company's general agent in Munich.

The company now departs the Greek mainland port of Piraeus six times a week for the Cyclades islands of Naxos, Santorini and Paros, and five times a week for the islands of Lesbos and Chios in the north-east Aegean Sea.

Previously, Anek Lines operated only from the Italian cities of Venice and Ancona to ports in western Greece, and on routes between Piraeus and the Greek island of Crete.

Kuala Lumpur  - A Malaysian policewoman who kept hearing the sound of a crying baby made a shocking discovery when she found a five-day old baby stuffed in her Indonesian maid's cupboard drawer, news reports said Tuesday.

The woman, a senior police officer from the northern Perlis state, found the crying baby early Sunday but her maid initially denied the child was hers.

However, on Monday, the 22-year old Indonesian maid known only as Yanti, admitted to giving birth to the baby girl on Thursday in her toilet.

Antananarivo, Madagascar - Tourism industry officials in Madagascar are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of politcally motivated violence that has kept the island's capital Antananarivo in its grasp, media reports said Thursday.

"Reservations until and including March have been cancelled almost completely. Several thousands of jobs in hotels, restaurants and with travel offices are in danger," said Joel Randriamandranto of Madagascar's national tourism office.

While no tourist has been injured in the political violence and looting, frightening news reports from the spice island located off the eastern African coast has scared off tourists, he said.

Munich - Germany's five star hotel, the Alpenhof

Frankfurt  - An online

Nice, France  - The theme of this year's pre-Lenten carnival festival in Nice is "King of Masquerades," said Olivia Zuercher, spokeswoman for the French Riviera city's tourism office. She said it aimed to evoke the art of concealment in every sense.