https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed BVG staff are quite accustomed to cleaning up messes left in or around U-Bahn trains, but this one proved to be quite a different challenge. https://www.thelocal.de/20161114/u-bahn-train-found-filled-with-fall-foliage-in-berlin Mon, 14 Nov 2016 11:05:32 +0100 u-bahn-train-found-filled-with-fall-foliage-in-berlin Forty-seven paddling pools ruined. Seven years on the run. Thousands of euros in damage. But time has final run out for this wet bandit. https://www.thelocal.de/20161005/police-finally-nab-serial-paddling-pool-slasher-after-7-years Wed, 05 Oct 2016 19:09:23 +0200 police-finally-nab-serial-paddling-pool-slasher-after-7-years The former Mr. Germany model and founder of a group that denies the existence of Germany refused to be evicted, provoking a shootout - and bite-out - with police. https://www.thelocal.de/20160825/germany-denying-beauty-king-sparks-biting-shooting-police-battle Thu, 25 Aug 2016 19:43:59 +0200 germany-denying-beauty-king-sparks-biting-shooting-police-battle New neighbours were startled to hear what they thought was a child crying for help in a small west German town - until police discovered the true birdbrain behind the calls. https://www.thelocal.de/20160817/concerned-neighbours-alert-police-to-parrots-cry-for-help Wed, 17 Aug 2016 18:47:35 +0200 concerned-neighbours-alert-police-to-parrots-cry-for-help When a 49-year-old from northeastern Germany lost his temper, he inflicted damage on his adversary's car with the only thing he had to hand - a 30 cm-long sausage. https://www.thelocal.de/20160815/man-faces-fine-after-damaging-car-with-sausage Mon, 15 Aug 2016 19:48:17 +0200 man-faces-fine-after-damaging-car-with-sausage At The Local we always strive to bring you the most curious as well as the most important German stories of the day. This one never quite came about, but if it had… https://www.thelocal.de/20160809/scheisse-ship-the-greatest-viral-story-that-never-was Tue, 09 Aug 2016 18:41:23 +0200 scheisse-ship-the-greatest-viral-story-that-never-was A young man from China was on a tour of Europe when his wallet was stolen in southern Germany. What happened afterwards is scarcely believable. https://www.thelocal.de/20160808/chinese-tourist-loses-wallet-becomes-refugee-by-mistake Mon, 08 Aug 2016 17:35:21 +0200 chinese-tourist-loses-wallet-becomes-refugee-by-mistake A youngster who seems to dream of becoming a bus driver decided to go on a bit of a joy ride through the Bavarian city of Ingolstadt. https://www.thelocal.de/20160804/11-year-old-boy-steals-bus-passengers-dont-notice Thu, 04 Aug 2016 18:37:41 +0200 11-year-old-boy-steals-bus-passengers-dont-notice Holidaymakers in the Catalan beach resort of Platja d’Aro thought they were caught up in a terrorist attack on Tuesday evening after a group staged a flashmob. https://www.thelocal.de/20160803/german-flashmob-sparks-terror-attack-panic-in-spain Wed, 03 Aug 2016 12:56:35 +0200 german-flashmob-sparks-terror-attack-panic-in-spain Nearly 50 horses used their newfound freedom at the weekend to wreak a bit of havoc in a Lower Saxon town. https://www.thelocal.de/20160801/team-of-escaped-horses-trample-police-car-run-amok-in-small-town Mon, 01 Aug 2016 14:24:20 +0200 team-of-escaped-horses-trample-police-car-run-amok-in-small-town A couple in western Germany proved that some people will stop at nothing to earn their little piece of paradise when they tried to extort the discounter using pipe bombs. https://www.thelocal.de/20160721/couple-plant-bomb-at-lidl-to-earn-place-in-the-sun Thu, 21 Jul 2016 16:48:16 +0200 couple-plant-bomb-at-lidl-to-earn-place-in-the-sun Petra Hinz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has been a member of the German Bundestag since 2005. It was revealed on Tuesday that she never studied law or even finished school, and had fabricated significant parts of her CV. https://www.thelocal.de/20160720/bluffing-bundestag-veteran-lied-about-finishing-school Wed, 20 Jul 2016 17:08:50 +0200 bluffing-bundestag-veteran-lied-about-finishing-school When a sex shop wouldn’t refund her for a vibrator an elderly lady got angry and called the police. https://www.thelocal.de/20160711/pensioner-vibrator-refund-police-cologne-offbeat Mon, 11 Jul 2016 19:08:24 +0200 pensioner-vibrator-refund-police-cologne-offbeat Voluntary fire departments across Germany are desperate for recruits. More than a few are looking to refugees to stock up this 'very German' service. https://www.thelocal.de/20160707/refugees-combat-fire-service-staff-shortages-flechtorf-wolfsburg Thu, 07 Jul 2016 15:04:52 +0200 refugees-combat-fire-service-staff-shortages-flechtorf-wolfsburg An 84-year-old from Bavaria has reported a sex hotline to police after it let down his expectations of late night lust - and then charged him through the nose. https://www.thelocal.de/20160630/red-faced-pensioner-declares-war-on-pre-recorded-sexline Thu, 30 Jun 2016 18:31:32 +0200 red-faced-pensioner-declares-war-on-pre-recorded-sexline The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has taken a teacher to court after accidentally paying her €237,000 in unearned salary. https://www.thelocal.de/20160628/teacher-paid-extra-237k-by-mistake-accident-nrw-fraud Tue, 28 Jun 2016 14:22:42 +0200 teacher-paid-extra-237k-by-mistake-accident-nrw-fraud It was a highly unusual choice of location for a romantic rendezvous, police in Frankfurt point out. https://www.thelocal.de/20160624/couple-copulating-on-bridge-shut-down-autobahn Fri, 24 Jun 2016 14:26:47 +0200 couple-copulating-on-bridge-shut-down-autobahn A young woman was left at a Munich bus station while her baby son went on ahead on a long-distance bus to Berlin. https://www.thelocal.de/20160622/baby-child-autobahn-bus-alone-munich Wed, 22 Jun 2016 14:07:12 +0200 baby-child-autobahn-bus-alone-munich A Munich man got in a spot of bother with the law on Wednesday after offering to clean one of the city’s main train stations. https://www.thelocal.de/20160615/munich-man-collared-by-cops-after-offering-to-clean-station Wed, 15 Jun 2016 19:29:41 +0200 munich-man-collared-by-cops-after-offering-to-clean-station A 66-year-old Swiss pilot was forced to land his plane on the Autobahn when his engine suddenly shut down on Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20160614/airplane-plane-autobahn-crash Tue, 14 Jun 2016 16:57:22 +0200 airplane-plane-autobahn-crash