Wiesbaden, Germany  - German economic growth surged 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the final three months of last year, the Federal Statistics Office said Thursday.

Caracas  -

Beijing - Security forces detained a German journalist and seized his laptop computer and other items Thursday in south-west China.

Munich  - The national leader of Germany's employers assailed the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday, charging that it had switched from reforming the economy to handing out pre- e

Moscow  - Russia's Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday that his first visit to Europe as president will be to Germany in June, news agencies said.