Cold air blowing in from the north will keep temperatures in central Europe below freezing, as Carnival kicks off several days of alcohol-fuelled celebrations ahead of Lent.

Photo: A man in drag in Cologne's Heumark, or hay market.

Inspired by the famous Nuremburg Christmas market dating back to 1545, the Chicago Christkindlmarket takes place in Daley Plaza from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

Guido Westerwelle had his public coming-out five years ago at Angela Merkel's 50th birthday party. Now he is in the frame to become Europe's first openly gay foreign minister.

Bavaria plans to relax the regulations on a smoking ban instituted 18 months ago. Legislation is expected to pass hands down by the right-of-center state parliament.

Italian wine growers complain that the wine powder, made by a Swiss company that caters to hikers, is a "terrible copy" of Italy's Chianti and gives the entire European wine industry a bad name.

Gay and lesbian couples in Bavaria may now officially register for civil unions, according to a bill approved by the State Parliament in Munich this week, the German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

Congressional junkets at taxpayer expense are perks that haven't been cut back in these financially-trouble times. To the contrary, traveling is up and the costs continue to rise, a study by The Wall Street Journal shows. Kuwait, Germany and Austria are the most favored destinations followed by France.

Tennis legend Boris Becker tied the knot today with Dutch model Lilly Kerssenberg in the Swiss mountain resort Saint Moritz. An estimated 200 guests attended the ceremony at the 5-star Badrutt’s Palace Hotel.

Two homosexual penguins have successfully hatched an egg that was rejected by its parents and are now proudly rearing the chick, the German zoo housing the couple said on Wednesday.

Hofbräu Brauerei plans  to open a branch in New York next year. A contract should be signed by summer, after which the Munich brewery will build a miniature version of the famous beer hall, with space for 150 to 200 guests.

Austria's world-famous Vienna Boys Choir , the Wiener Sängerknaben, has really got something to sing about after being turned into collectors' models.

A Bavarian actress, a DJ from India, and a journalist from Canada were among finalists announced Friday for what's been dubbed the "Best Job in the World" — a 150,000 Australian dollar ($108,000) contract to serve as the caretaker of a tropical Australian island.

Austria will introduce a partial smoking ban in bars and restaurants on January 1 but with half measures and special allowances, critics are doubtful it will make much difference to existing habits.

Problems associated with overweight people cost the German government and industry billions. Now the government is launching an action plan to cut obesity rates sharply by 2020.