Ottke wins double world championship

On Saturday, Sven Ottke became the first-ever German professional boxer to win super middleweight world champion titles from both the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Association (WBA). Ottke, 35, beat WBA champion Byron Mitchell of the U.S. in a close fight that lasted 12 rounds. "It was the hardest fight of my career," Ottke later told reporters. The 10,000 audience members at the Max Schmeling Hall in Ottke's hometown of Berlin offered standing ovations for both boxers after the final bell. Moreover, an average of 8 million German fans followed the live TV coverage of the fight, which lasted until after midnight.

Jürgen Möllemann quits party

Controversial German politician Jürgen Möllemann announced on Monday his resignation from the libertarian-leaning Free Democratic Party (FDP). The FDP had been seeking his expulsion after Möllemann got entangled in a campaign finance scandal and allegations of anti-Semitism during German federal elections in 2002. Even though Möllemann has left the FDP, he is refusing to give up his seats in Germany's federal parliament, the Bundestag, and the state legislature in North Rhine-Westphalia. On Monday, Möllemann refused to comment on speculation he might start his own party. Prior to his resignation, Möllemann had served the FDP for over 30 years and even held a cabinet-level post in the government of former Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

Spanish prince visits Germany

Spanish Crown Prince Felipe (photo) arrived in Berlin on Sunday for a four-day official state visit to Germany. His stay will include meetings with German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and President Johannes Rau. He will also take part in the opening of the new Instituto Cervantes, Spain's official cultural institute in Berlin. Other stops include a visit to the Brandenburg Gate with Berlin's mayor and a tour of the eastern German city Dresden (the site of devastating floods last summer). Opinion polls rank Prince Felipe, 35, as Europe's most-eligible royal bachelor.

Anni Friesinger breaks speed skating record

German speed skater Anni Friesinger (photo) captured three gold medals at the World Speed Skating Championships in Berlin over the weekend, winning the 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 meter events -- a first for a female speed skater. The event's other two titles also went to German skaters, with Monique Garbrecht winning a gold medal in the 500 meter event and Claudia Pechstein claiming victory in the 5,000 meter race.

Single Germans just as happy as married couples

Getting married is no recipe for a happy life -- at least if the results of a 15-year study in Germany are to be believed. Researchers led by American Professor Richard Lucas of Michigan State University asked 24,000 participants to rank their happiness level, and the results showed that most people were just as satisfied with their life before marriage as they were after tying the knot. Most people said they were more satisfied with their lives when they first got married, but their happiness level later returned to pre-nuptial levels. The results of the study were published in the March issue of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Compiled with material from wires.