Hanover players celebrate what turned out to be the winning goal condemning Bayern Munich to another defeat. Photograph: Michael Sohn/AP
Forget banks going bust and crashing stock markets. Global meltdown of the economic system? Boooooring. Down in Germany’s prosperous south, there’s only been one story this week: the sweeping, nay, catastrophic, nay “crushing defeat” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) [...]

The spectacular Paralympics opening ceremony was filled with colourful characters. Photograph: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images
The 2008 Paralympics got underway in Beijing with a dazzling opening ceremony in the Bird’s Nest stadium.
The three-hour long ceremony, focusing on themes of time, space and life is expected to feature 6,000 performers and 4,000 disabled athletes from 148 countries. Britain’s [...]

McClaren has endured a difficult start to life with FC Twente. Photograph: Phil Cole/Getty Images
Welcome to the real world, Steve. The real world where you’re not saddled with such burdensome decisions as picking between John Terry and Jamie Carragher at centre-back; where you can’t simply ostracise one of your best players, David Beckham, because you’re [...]

Olympique Marseille players celebrate. Photograph: Frank Perry/AFP
An eight-goal thriller, two refereeing cock-ups, late goals and a shockresult that no-one saw coming: Ligue 1 got off to a cracking start at the weekend, even if the name of the team at the top of the table has a familiar ring to it.
Grenoble, playing [...]