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Frankfurt/Main - skyline at night

Ingo Maurer

Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany

To kick off Ambiente – the leading international trade fair for Giving and Living – in Frankfurt am Main, the traditional ceremony honouring the winners of the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany is being held in February. The award-winning product ideas will be on show in the Galleria at the Exhibition Centre throughout the fair (from 12 to 16 February).

Berlinale Celebrates with 400 Films

“The birthday cake of nearly 400 films has been baked,” announces festival director Dieter Kosslick. The 60th Berlin International Film Festival begins on 11 February. The flurry of flashbulbs, the red carpet, the film stars: the Berlinale promises ten days of great cinema in the German capital. The 60th birthday of the festival, which first saw the light of the film world in 1951, is also being celebrated by Hollywood greats like director Martin Scorsese, who is presenting his new film Shutter Island with the two actors Leonardo de Caprio and Ben Kingsley.

Member of German Parliament, Elke Hoff and Ambassador Dr. Koch talking to Chief of Army Staff Kiyani

Visit of Elke Hoff to Pakistan

Mrs. Elke Hoff (2 L), member of German Parliament's Defence Committee and Sub Committee on Disarmament, Arms Control and Non Proliferation, paid a visit to Pakistan from 10 to 14 January 2010. The picture shows her meeting in Rawalpindi on 11 January 2010 with Pakistan's Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani (R).

Chancellor Merkel receives PM Gilani on 1st December 2009 in Berlin

Prime Minister Gilani`s Visit to Germany

The Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, paid a three day working visit to the Federal Republic of Germany (30 November - 2nd December 2009)

Senator Khan and Minister Brüderle sign the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) on 1st December 2009

New bilateral treaty between Pakistan and Germany signed

During Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to Germany from 30 November to 02 December 2009, Pakistan and Germany have signed a new "Agreement on the Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investments".

The Year of Science 2010 focuses on energy questions

The future of energy: this is the motto of the Year of Science 2010, which begins on 22 January and is organized by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research together with the Science Initiative. The aim of the years of science, which were launched in 2000, is to stimulate greater public interest in questions surrounding science and arouse especially the young generation’s curiosity for scientific topics by collaborating with universities and research institutions.

From left, museum director Hartwig Fischer and architect David Chipperfield at an opening event © picture-alliance / Sven Simon

New Home for Modern Masters

With its clear lines, brightness and transparency, the architecture of the new Museum Folkwang in Essen adds a brilliant highlight to the museum landscape of the Ruhr District at the beginning of the European Capital of Culture Ruhr 2010. In just two years British star architect David Chipperfield designed a new home for the internationally renowned art collection of one of the most important German museums, which is opening to visitors for the first time this weekend (30/31 January).

German Water Partnership - Solutions to Global Challenges - Made in Germany

The German Water Partnership is a joint initiative of the German private and public sectors, combining commercial enterprises, government and non-government organisations, scientific institutions and water-related associations. The network is supported by five federal ministries. Its head office in Berlin collects and coordinates information about innovations, activities and services of its members. The fundamental aim of the German Water Partnership is to make the outstanding German engineering, know-how and experience in the water sector easily available to partners and clients all over the world.

European Capital of Culture: the Ruhr celebrates

Smoking chimneys and mines, coal and steel: for many decades these were the symbols of the Ruhr, Germany’s largest industrial belt. With 53 cities and around 5.3 million inhabitants, the third largest conurbation in Europe will be showing its new face as European Capital of Culture in 2010.

The Ambassador

Dr. Koch at the German Pakistani Spring Festival, February 2009

Dr. Michael Koch

Expo 2010: Better City, Better Life

From 1 May to 31 October 2010 the Chinese mega-metropolis Shanghai will play host to the next World Fair, where the theme will be “Better City, Better Life”. The aim of EXPO 2010 is to offer solutions to the problem of how to improve the quality and sustainability of urban living. Germany is taking part, with a pavilion named “balancity” – a composite of the words “balance” and “city”, a city in balance.

"Fasching", "Fasnacht", "Karneval" 2010

"Fasching", "Fasnacht" or "Karneval" are all terms used to describe carnival, an ancient tradition which is celebrated all over Germany but particularly in the Rhineland and in the strongly Catholic regions of Germany. Mainz, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bonn are hotbeds of carnival fun. In southern Germany the traditional Alemannic Fasnet is celebrated. The "fifth season" begins on 11 November and ends on Ash Wednesday. Carnival season reaches its climax in the week from "schmutziger Donnerstag" (literally: "dirty Thursday") to Ash Wednesday.

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The World of Media

Deutsche Welle Akademie in Bonn

Germany is one of the countries with the highest media density and the greatest press diversity in the world. Hundreds of daily newspapers, thousands of magazines and millions of active Internet users guarantee an exceptional diversity of opinion. The relationships between the individual “voices” of the different media are changing in the age of Web 2.0: whether print, television, radio, Internet, social media, books or film, the media future will be played in an orchestra.

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