Munich - Special envoys for Afghanistan and Pakistan met Wednesday in the Bavarian city of Munich to discuss the formation of a contact group to deal with the region.

Envoys from 14 nations are taking part in the discussions, the aim of which is to improve coordination and act on the implementation of new strategies in the landlocked Asian nation.

Among those taking part are US special envoy Richard Holbrooke, Germany's Bernd Muetzelburg and EU special envoy Ettore Sequi.

Munich  - Luca Toni is set to return into Bayern Munich's lineup for Saturday's big Bundesliga match at VfL Wolfsburg from a five-week injury layoff.

The Italy striker resumed training on Monday after being sidelined with Achilles tendon problems which made him miss Bundesliga and Champions League games for Munich as well as two World Cup qualifiers for his home country.

"I feel good," Toni told Munich's website. "I am happy to be back in training with the team."

Munich  - Extra-strong ultraviolet (UV) light rays are best avoided during pregnancy, according to an association of German doctors.

Pregnant women should pay particularly close attention to the duration and strength of UV rays in tanning studios, the BVF Professional Association of Gynaecologists advises.

Due to the extra hormones in their system, pregnant women sometimes report that their skin takes on a darker pigmentation. Additional UV light can increase the number of liver spots and freckles.

Munich  - Ailing mortgage lender Hypo Real Estate (HRE) needs further capital injections from the German state after a loss of more than 5 billion euros (6.7 billion dollars) in 2008, chief executive Axel Wieandt said Sunday.

HRE had confirmed Saturday that the German government is to recapitalize the bank with an initial 8.7-per-cent share purchase.

Wieandt was not able to confirm how much capital the bank needed,

but said this was to be discussed with government bank bail-out agency SoFFin, which is expected to take long-term control to rescue the mortgage lender.

Munich  - In tough economic times, restraint is in, even when buying computers. Yet there are also times when a change is needed. Those looking to buy a computer from Apple, but unable to spare the extra couple of hundred dollars should consider a used model.

Munich  - The German federal government is to buy shares of ailing mortgage lender Hypo Real Estate (HRE), the bank announced Saturday.

The state is to initially recapitalize the Munich-based financier by purchasing an 8.7-per-cent stake in the business, HRE said in a statement.

In the long term however, the German government bank bailout agency SoFFin is to take complete control of the bank, HRE said.