World Cup a boom for German image

Via CNN
BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- Like their freewheeling soccer team, Germans showed the world -- and themselves -- a new and more relaxed face during the World Cup, shedding a taboo about waving their flag while welcoming foreigners to a peaceful, international party.

In many ways, the past month has been a success story of what didn't happen -- there were no major outbreaks of hooligan violence, attention-getting neo-Nazi disturbances, terrorism or floods of trafficked prostitutes, contrary to fretting ahead of time.

[Read more]