One will emerge flush with success and nine will go down the drain: it's America's competition for best public toilet and decision time is fast approaching.

Fans have until September 19 to cast online votes for the perfect privy in America's Best Restroom contest.

European stocks sank Tuesday on news of a sharp slowdown in Eurozone powerhouse Germany, and before crisis talks on the economy between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In morning trade, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index of leading shares dived 2.29 percent to 5,884.61 points, the Paris CAC 40 dropped 1.47 percent to 3,191.41 points and London's FTSE 100 slid 0.77 percent to 5,309.4.

With hammocks hanging from trees and the smell of marijuana lingering in the air, the summer camp organized by Germany's Chaos Computer Club (CCC) almost felt like Woodstock.

But instead of hippies it was computer hackers who had flooded this year's summer camp. And instead of flower power the talk was of the latest controversies in cyberspace, especially the legality of hacking and the role of famed whistleblower site WikiLeaks.

Fifty years after its loathed Wall went up, Berlin is gripped by a renewed desire to preserve the few remaining traces of the dark chapter of its division and bring history to life for visitors.

Of the 155-kilometer (96-mile) length of the Wall which made East Berliners prisoners of their own country, there is little more than three kilometers left -- a heritage authorities are now keen to protect.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government coalition suffered in a poll on Friday which saw opposition Social Democrats and Greens score their highest level of voter support in 11 years.

The survey, released by ARD public television, said a coalition of Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens would win 51 percent of the vote if elections were held now.

Fare dodgers in Germany are using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to warn fellow travellers of the presence of public transport inspectors on buses and trains.

Some even describe the inspectors, who wear ordinary clothes, so that those riding the transit system illegally can avoid them before being challenged to show their tickets.

Top Nazi war crimes suspect Alois Brunner was close to being extradited to former East Germany when the fall of the Berlin Wall put a halt on proceedings, an Austrian weekly said Saturday.

Based on unpublished documents from the former East German Stasi secret police, communist East Germany (GDR) negotiated with Syria in the late 1980s to have the Austrian Brunner extradited and arrested in Berlin, the 'profil' news weekly said in a statement.

Berlin's oldest university says it is partnering with Google and three German institutions to start a research institute.

Humboldt University announced Monday that the institute would open in the fall and examine the evolution of the Internet and its impact on society, science, politics and the economy.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday defended her government's silence on a reported secret deal to sell hundreds of tanks to Saudi Arabia, and said she was committed to democracy in the region.

"Deliberation and decisions by the federal security council are secret for good reason," she told the daily Mittelbayerische Zeitung, referring to the panel including the chancellor and top ministers that rules on arms exports.

Berlin's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is opening its catwalk outside the city's landmark Brandenburg Gate with more than 50 shows presenting spring/summer collections for 2012.

The Berlin event, which runs from Wednesday through to Saturday, is seen as a show where young designers who often struggle to get noticed in New York, Milan or Paris can highlight their clothes.