Mourning for a tireless fighter for civil rights: across party lines, politicians have paid tribute to the late FDP politician and former north rhine-westphalian interior minister burkhard hirsch as a fighter for individual freedom and against state arbitrariness.

Hirsch died on wednesday at the age of 89.

This was made clear at the meeting of EU interior ministers in luxembourg. The country in which a refugee reaches the EU remains responsible for the asylum procedure and accommodation. EU states, however, want to support italy with european border guards from frontex in rescuing refugees from distress at sea. EU expert group to explore further assistance for mediterranean countries.

German interior minister hans-peter friedrich (CSU) stressed that the so-called dublin II regulation would "of course" be maintained. He defended the german commitment. "Germany is the country that takes in the most refugees in europe."

Christian ude finally had to go for it again. After giving an election campaign and feel-good speech disguised as a proposal presentation at the beginning of the small party conference of the bavarian SPD with his characteristic cabaret moves and being celebrated by the enthusiastic delegates, the SPD's top candidate finally fought against a voting debacle that had ruined his chances in the state elections from the start.

The bavarian SPD was building the framework for its election campaign in bamberg, and the work was initially proceeding at a brisk pace. The motion presented by ude for an economic policy characterized by stronger state action sailed through smoothly, and everything pointed to a state party that had become lamblike under ude, until the second leading motion, which provided for a debt brake to be written into the bavarian constitution, sparked off a lively discussion.

The village of huttenheim, with its 600 inhabitants, is quiet and tranquil in many respects. The wine village on the kitzingen county border that pays to willanzheim is not necessarily known for fubball. Last year, SV huttenheim missed out on a place in the A-class by just two points. At the end of this round, the club is expected to emerge from the shadows of the B-class into the light again. That would be a precision landing just in time for the club’s 50th anniversary in the summer.

"It was," says sporting director stephan stadtelmeyer. But just before the game at the so far unbeaten class leader TSV gobmannsdorf, the huttenheimers, who have nine points, but are also two games behind, have made a mistake. The opening match against the second team of FC eibelstadt in the district league was a 3-2 loss. Sporting director stadtelmeyer blames adverse conditions for his club in recent weeks. "That was our first game ever after the winter break. In the preparation we could not play at all, first because of the weather, then once the scheduled opponent canceled at short notice because of personnel problems."