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 A humpback whale that had been struggling to survive after beaching near the German coast was released Saturday into the North Sea off Denmark, after being transported in a barge in a last-ditch rescue operation. https://www.thelocal.de/20260502/humpback-whale-stranded-in-germany-released-into-north-sea Sat, 02 May 2026 10:18:28 +0200 humpback-whale-stranded-in-germany-released-into-north-sea After standardising chargers for mobile phones, from Tuesday new computers sold in EU countries must also use the USB-C charging point, as the latest phase of EU anti-waste legislation comes into force. https://www.thelocal.de/20260428/eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:16:33 +0200 eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers The sad saga of a humpback whale stranded a month ago on the German coast has sparked a flood of compassion but also a media frenzy, angry spats, conspiracy theories and death threats. https://www.thelocal.de/20260424/free-timmy-how-a-beached-whale-has-gripped-and-divided-germany Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:22:26 +0200 free-timmy-how-a-beached-whale-has-gripped-and-divided-germany Thousands of people demonstrated across Germany on Saturday, calling for a faster shift towards renewable energy and accusing conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition of putting the brakes on the transition. https://www.thelocal.de/20260419/thousands-rally-across-germany-to-call-for-faster-green-shift Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:11:17 +0200 thousands-rally-across-germany-to-call-for-faster-green-shift To help clean up Berlin's waterways, the city has taken a tip from Copenhagen and plans to reward visitors for collecting litter. Here's what residents and visitors should know about 'BerlinPay'. https://www.thelocal.de/20260415/berlinpay-how-a-new-tourism-initiative-aims-to-clean-up-germanys-capital-city Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:08:40 +0200 berlinpay-how-a-new-tourism-initiative-aims-to-clean-up-germanys-capital-city A new heating project linking Görlitz in Germany and Zgorzelec in Poland shows how local leadership and cross-border collaboration could deliver cleaner, more affordable heat – and greater energy security – in uncertain times. https://www.thelocal.de/20260409/a-new-german-polish-project-shows-how-cities-can-be-heated-without-fossil-fuels Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:40:18 +0200 a-new-german-polish-project-shows-how-cities-can-be-heated-without-fossil-fuels A wolf that bit a woman in Hamburg last week in the first such attack in Germany for decades has been released back into the wild, the local environment ministry said Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20260406/wolf-that-bit-woman-in-germany-released-back-into-wild Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:58:17 +0200 wolf-that-bit-woman-in-germany-released-back-into-wild A humpback whale struggling in shallow waters off Germany's northern Baltic Sea coast has become stranded for a third time, experts said on Sunday, just hours after the animal had freed itself from a sandbank. https://www.thelocal.de/20260329/freed-whale-gets-stranded-again-off-german-coast Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:22:19 +0200 freed-whale-gets-stranded-again-off-german-coast Below the waves off Germany's northern tourist beaches, a toxic time bomb lurks on the Baltic Sea floor -- enormous quantities of World War II munitions that are slowly rusting away. https://www.thelocal.de/20260329/germanys-wwii-munitions-a-toxic-legacy-on-baltic-sea-floor Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:52:37 +0200 germanys-wwii-munitions-a-toxic-legacy-on-baltic-sea-floor A humpback whale stranded on Germany's Baltic Sea coast since early this week has freed itself and swum into deeper waters, rescuers said Friday. https://www.thelocal.de/20260327/beached-whale-frees-itself-from-german-coast Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:59:10 +0100 beached-whale-frees-itself-from-german-coast Germany released its latest climate action plan, which purportedly aims to meet the country's goals of achieving significant emissions cuts by 2030 and later years. But environmental groups say the measures announced are not nearly enough. https://www.thelocal.de/20260325/environmental-groups-say-germanys-new-climate-action-plan-is-deceptive Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:14:27 +0100 environmental-groups-say-germanys-new-climate-action-plan-is-deceptive Vanishing glaciers atop Germany's highest mountain prompted the start of demolition operations of a ski lift Friday, as global warming reshapes the Alps. https://www.thelocal.de/20260321/vanishing-glacier-on-germanys-highest-peak-prompts-ski-lift-demolition Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:06:15 +0100 vanishing-glacier-on-germanys-highest-peak-prompts-ski-lift-demolition Environmental pollution is linked to several mental health disorders in Europe, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has warned, arguing that enforcing legislation would result in Europeans being both less depressed and less anxious. https://www.thelocal.de/20260305/pollution-exposure-in-europe-linked-to-mental-health-problems Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:10:55 +0100 pollution-exposure-in-europe-linked-to-mental-health-problems Getting rid of bulky waste in Germany, without violating local rules and regulations, can sometimes be a challenge. But for Berliners there is a simple solution, and it could provide the opportunity to swap your trash for treasures. https://www.thelocal.de/20260223/the-free-and-legal-way-to-get-rid-of-bulky-waste-in-berlin Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:10:33 +0100 the-free-and-legal-way-to-get-rid-of-bulky-waste-in-berlin Germany risks missing its climate targets for 2030 and 2045, according to a draft of the government's climate action plan obtained by AFP on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20260211/germany-at-risk-of-missing-2030-climate-targets Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:00:59 +0100 germany-at-risk-of-missing-2030-climate-targets A farm in Saxony didn't like the idea of a mountain of its hard-grown potatoes being wasted. Now truckloads of tubers are on their way to Berlin and Leipzig to be freely distributed. https://www.thelocal.de/20260114/why-4000-tonnes-of-free-potatoes-are-on-their-way-to-berlin Wed, 14 Jan 2026 13:43:35 +0100 why-4000-tonnes-of-free-potatoes-are-on-their-way-to-berlin Germany’s greenhouse gas emission cuts slowed sharply in 2025 as the North Sea experienced its warmest year on record, piling pressure Wednesday on the conservative-led government to boost climate protection efforts. https://www.thelocal.de/20260107/north-sea-sees-warmest-year-on-record-as-german-emissions-cuts-slow Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:26:50 +0100 north-sea-sees-warmest-year-on-record-as-german-emissions-cuts-slow German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Tuesday hailed the EU's proposals to help the struggling auto sector and manufacturers gave them a cautious welcome – but an industry group called them "disastrous". https://www.thelocal.de/20251217/merz-hails-eu-auto-measures-industry-group-slams-them-as-disastrous Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:47:56 +0100 merz-hails-eu-auto-measures-industry-group-slams-them-as-disastrous Germany's ruling coalition said Thursday it will limit the right of environmental groups to bring court challenges over infrastructure projects, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz battles to revive the economy. https://www.thelocal.de/20251211/germany-to-curb-green-lawsuits-for-infrastructure-projects Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:48:28 +0100 germany-to-curb-green-lawsuits-for-infrastructure-projects A fountain of oil 'ten to 12 metres high' was reported in the Uckermark region after a pipeline broke on Thursday morning. A clean up operation is ongoing, but authorities say local rivers may have been affected. https://www.thelocal.de/20251211/large-oil-spill-in-brandenburg-after-pipeline-breaks Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:45:41 +0100 large-oil-spill-in-brandenburg-after-pipeline-breaks