function fade(step) {
	var divs = document.getElementById("news").getElementsByTagName("div");

	step = step || 0;

	divs[counter].style.opacity = step/100;
	divs[counter].style.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + step + ")"; // 

	divs[counter-1].style.opacity = 0;
	divs[counter-1].style.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + 0 + ")"; // 

	step = step + 1;

	if (step <= 100) {
		window.setTimeout(function () { fade(step); }, 1);
	} else {
		window.setTimeout(next, 7000);
    }
}

function next() {
	var divs = document.getElementById("news").getElementsByTagName("div");

	if (divs.style.opacity = 0;) {
		alert("hallo");
	}
	
	if (typeof(counter) != "number") {
		counter = 0;
	}

	counter++;

	if ( counter >= divs.length ) {
		divs[counter-1].style.opacity = 0;
		divs[counter-1].style.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + 0 + ")"; // 
    
		counter = 1;
	}
   
	if (counter < divs.length) {
		fade();
	}
};