· Bordeaux and Barcelona advance to Champions League quarter-finals
Barcelona trounced Stuttgart 4-0 and Bordeaux took the victory against Greece's Olympiakos 2-1 in the final matches of the Champions League 16 match-off. But will the winning streak follow them to the quarter-finals?

· Ashton urges sides to talk as building row overshadows Middle East visit
On her first visit to the Middle East, European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has visited Israel and the West Bank. She called for urgency over talks, despite Palestinian anger over Israeli building plans.

· World considers ban on bluefin tuna trade
A possible ban on sales of bluefin tuna is being considered at an international conference on trade in endangered species. The EU has joined the US and others to back a ban in the face of opposition from Asia.

· Merkel calls for efforts to shed more light on child abuse
German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants more openness about child abuse by Catholic priests in Germany, but ruled out a specific inquiry into the Church. Meanwhile, the pope is to address Irish Catholics on similar issues.

· Contemporary Vietnamese art in Berlin gallery
The ifa-Gallery in Berlin has dedicated a whole exhibition to contemporary Vietnamese art.

· To talk or not to talk with the Taliban?
In a video conference this week, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his US counterpart Barack Obama spoke about the possibility of talks with the Taliban. Karzai has been reaching out to the Taliban in recent months.

· Foreign Ministry names new German-American relations coordinator
Germany's Foreign Ministry has picked an opposition politician to be the new coordinator for German-American cooperation. The switch comes at a time when Germany's importance to the US is on the decline.

· Extravagancies of "Queen of Dalits" draw criticism
India's political parties have criticized the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati for spending millions on an anniversary celebration. Thousands of supporters were bussed in to see her Bahujan Samaj Party turn 25.

· Leipzig writers' program shapes new generation of German authors
Creative writing programs in a university setting are nothing new in the US and Britain. But in Germany, the teaching of creative writing remains novel. An award-winning program in Leipzig is trying to change that.

· Recreating the sun's energy in a hamster wheel
German researchers believe that nuclear fusion can create a constant source of energy. They are so convinced that they're building a massive research reactor that generates power in the same way it's made on the sun.

· Spain blames ETA for police shooting
A traffic stop of a suspected stolen vehicle turned deadly Tuesday when gunmen opened fire on French police near Paris, killing one officer. Spain has blamed the Basque militant group ETA for the crime.

· Plans for UK-France defense alliance driven by new strategic realities
The EU's largest military powers are mulling over a joint defense alliance, which could change the face of European security. External factors may yet turn friendly rivals Britain and France into codependent allies.

· Opinion: Is it time to rethink microfinance?
Microfinance has evolved into a popular instrument of poverty reduction. While the Nobel Peace Prize for Muhammad Yunus in 2006 boosted public awareness, the image of micro credits has developed cracks in recent years.

· Ukraine announces intention to stay out of all military alliances
The government of Ukraine's pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych has announced its intention to pass a law to keep the country out of military alliances, which would end the debate over Ukraine joining NATO.

· Opinion: Germany coach Loew should consider forgiving striker Kuranyi
Since October 2008, prolific Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi has been out of the German national side. That was his own fault, but Deutsche Welle’s Jefferson Chase says he deserves another shot.

· Eastern European mafia is well-connected in the West, says leading expert
It's no secret that Eastern European crime syndicates operate throughout the West. Deutsche Welle asked one of Germany's leading mafia experts, Juergen Roth, how big the problem is and what, if anything, can be done.

· German defense minister pushes for shortened conscription
Germany plans to shorten the term of conscription for soldiers. Defense Minister Guttenberg wants it to happen by the end of the year.

· Europe's continuing debt crisis highlights internal trade imbalances
Germany criticizes Greece for spending too much money. But this masks the role that German exports played in creating Greek debt.

· Human Rights Court orders Croatia to pay for anti-Roma discrimination
Croatia must pay a fine for segregating Roma students to separate classrooms on the basis of their ethnicity, the European Human Rights Court found Tuesday.

· Poker tournament robber turns himself in to police
Four masked men wielding machetes and handguns burst into a high-stakes poker tournament in Berlin and made off with 242,000 euros in cash earlier this month. Now one suspect has turned himself in to police.