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Secret of Coca Cola almost revealed to Pepsi
A high-ranking Coca Cola secretary has apparently tried to sell company secrets to archrival Pepsi. The assistant of a high-ranking manager and two accomplices have been charged with fraud and selling secrets in Atlanta on Wednesday. The trio wanted a total of $1.5 million from Pepsi. The famous Coca Cola formula was never really in danger, though, according to Coca Cola. The three first of all offered Pepsi detailed and confidential information in a letter, according to the prosecution. Among other things, they offered the sampling of a new product. Pepsi, however, did not accept the offer, but instead informed Coca Cola. "Despite the fierce competition in this industry, it should also be fair," Pepsi explained. Coca Cola informed the FBI who found the suspects with the help of undercover agents.

They first sold the undercover FBI agents 14 pages of strictly confidential company documents for $10,000. Then they agreed upon selling the sample for $75,000. The police finally arrested them Wednesday when they wanted to agree on the sale of further company secrets for $1.5 million. Coca Cola CEO Neville Isdell gave Pepsi credit for informing its competitor in an email to the staff.

Bush is happy about Germany
According to the director of the renowned American Academy, Gary Smith, Germany's influence on the US has significantly increased since Angela Merkel (CDU) took office last fall.
This also had an effect on the US government's recent decision to join talks with Teheran under certain conditions, Smith said in a dpa interview.
He said that Germany was the driving force of the E-3 group (Germany, France, Great Britain) and that was also why US President (George W) Bush decided to include Berlin in the six-party talks even though Germany is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The general willingness of the US to talk with Iran was also an achievement of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The fact that Merkel invited Bush to her electoral district in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the middle of July is perceived as a great honor in the US. This could be compared to an invitation to Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas - Stralsund is Merkel's Crawford.
The American Academy in Berlin is a privately financed non-profit institute for further education. Its exchange program is aimed at strengthening the relationship between the US and Germany in the fields of science, art and society.

For further information, please refer to www.americanacademy.de

Book Christmas shopping in New York now
It may seem absurd to be thinking about Christmas with the tropical weather outside, but it is worth it. Because Neckermann is already offering early bird discounts for next winter in its North America catalogue. Until the end of July, "Turbofrühbuchervorteile" (discounts for very early birds) are still available. So if you take the slogan "Merry Quickmas" literally, you can acquire numerous additional services such as tickets, breakfast, or up to 15% discounts on hotel rooms if you book really early. Just check www.neckermann-reisen.de

Joschka Fischer goes America
Former German Foreign Secretary Joschka Fischer will go to US Ivy League University Princeton as a visiting lecturer this fall. He will teach a seminar on International Crisis Diplomacy. In addition, Joschka Fischer has signed a contract with the renowned Council on Foreign Relations - a think tank in nearby New York. And thus the "rebellious realist" ends his career as a politician that started with a job as a taxi driver decades ago.
At the end of June the 58-year old politician had said goodbye to the Green Party parliamentary group in the German Bundestag. "I have been looking forward to this day, and still it is full of melancholy," the Green Party's father figure of many years said in an interview. And continued to explain that the political part of his life was definitely over. He had thought it through. "I am going to be a private citizen from now on."