The world's oldest soccer ball is being sent to Germany for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The ball is 450 years old, and will sit in the center of a German exhibition on the history of the popular sport.

Gays and lesbians marching in the northern city of Hamburg on Saturday reportedly set a new world record for a group hug, with 16,000 people embracing each other for 10 seconds. Drag queen Olivia Jones, one of organizers told local media that the "march should bring people together, regardless of whether people are homosexual or heterosexual. "

Researchers in Germany are still trying to figure out what is causing the presumed spontaneous combustion of about 1,000 toads near a pond in Hamburg. Officials say tests are being conducted on the toad's body parts and the pond's water, but no links have been discovered. Analysts say the toads typically swell up prior to exploding, however, scientists are thus far unable to determine if the condition is caused by a virus or bacteria. A local enviornmentalist says, "It looks like a scene from a science-fiction movie. The bloated animals suffer for several minutes before they finally die. " Officials say the toads first began to show up early last month at a pond in the upscale neighborhood of Altona. The animals fill up like balloons until their stomachs suddenly burst. Janne Kloepper, of the Hamburg-based Institute for Hygiene and the Environment, says "It's absolutely strange. We have a really unique story here in Hamburg. This phenomenon really doesn't seem to have appeared anywhere before. " City residents have been warned to stay away from the pond while more testing continues.