The Local Germany

German beer industry: our glass is half empty

Fri, 19 Jul 2013 17:58:00 +0200

Germany's beer industry sees its glass half empty this year, with terrible sales during the first half of the year creating what have been described as 'landslide losses'.

Family minister wants more time with her family

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:05:00 +0200

German Family Minister Kristina Schröder could be approaching the end of her time in office, media reports hinted over the weekend. She reportedly wants to spend more time with her own family after the general election in September.

Europeans try their luck in Germany

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:50:00 +0200

As the financial crisis in Europe continues to put pressure on job-seekers, thousands of Greeks, Spaniards and Portuguese are coming to Germany – to escape economic problems in their native countries.

Gauck: solidarity the greatest Christmas gift

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 09:55:00 +0100

President Joachim Gauck has called for more solidarity in society, saying in his Christmas speech that Germany must become more caring and generous if it is to prosper.

'Russian' deep freeze to follow snow

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 19:25:00 +0100

Winter is preparing to tighten its icy grip on Germany, as widespread snowfall arrives ahead of a "Russian" deep freeze this weekend.

Wintry conditions wreak road havoc

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:51:00 +0100

Snow, icy roads, gusty winds and fallen trees wreaked havoc with early commuter traffic in a wide swathe of Germany on Friday morning, as a winter storm continued to roll across the country.

Eurostar plans speedy London to Frankfurt link

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:21:00 +0200

Eurostar is to extend its high speed rail service to link Frankfurt and Cologne via the Channel Tunnel to London within the next five years, according to a British newspaper report on Monday.

Rent-jumping family caught by police

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:20:00 +0100

An eight-person family that avoided paying rent for years by moving house every two to three weeks has finally been caught in the northern German town of Schneverdingen.

Arctic cold wreaks quirky havoc across Germany

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:30:00 +0100

The bitter cold is wreaking havoc across Germany in unexpected ways, with the subzero temperatures freezing an ice cream factory, forcing gravediggers to use jackhammers and driving penguins indoors. But Hamburg can look forward to a party.

English town ends twinning with Germany

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:11:00 +0100

The English town of Bishop’s Stortford has been caught up in Britain’s euro row when the council ended its twinning programme with Friedberg in the German state of Hesse just as Prime Minister David Cameron wielded his fateful veto in Brussels.

Deutsche Bank lined up for credit downgrade

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:23:00 +0200

Credit rating agency Fitch has downgraded two German banks and is conducting a comprehensive review of other banks, including Deutsche Bank, with a view to reducing their ratings too.

iPhone tax fraud scheme sparks huge raid

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:35:00 +0200

Frankfurt prosecutors announced Wednesday that nationwide police raids had brought down a major fraud scheme based on buying the latest mobile phones overseas without paying sales tax and then reselling them in Germany.

Last Red Army Faction prisoner freed

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:27:00 +0200

Birgit Hogefeld, the last member of the German leftist terror group the Red Army Faction behind bars, was freed prison on Tuesday after serving 18 years.

Banks demand incentives to back Greek bailout

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:30:00 +0200

German banks indicated on Tuesday they want incentives before agreeing to take part in a bailout of Greece, saying they have €10 billion to €20 billion ($14 billion - $28 billion) invested in the country's bonds.

Group honoured for saving world's oldest stationary carousel

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 08:41:00 +0100

A group of historical preservation enthusiasts in the Hessian town of Hanau have been honoured for more than 20 years of work to bring the world’s oldest stationary carrousel back to life.

Deutsche Bank reportedly to unveil €9-billion rights issue

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:10:00 +0200

Deutsche Bank is set to raise up to €9 billion through a rights issue to bolster its capital as global banking regulators finalise tough new rules for the industry, a report said Friday.

Volker Bouffier to replace Roland Koch as Hessian state premier

Wed, 26 May 2010 11:00:00 +0200

Following the surprise resignation by conservative Hesse state premier Roland Koch, the Christian Democratic (CDU) state parliamentary group has unanimously chosen Hessian Interior Minister Volker Bouffier to succeed him.

GM to triple financial boost to Opel

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:10:00 +0100

US carmaker General Motors will pour substantially more money into its struggling German unit Opel than previously planned, the company announced on Tuesday.

Lufthansa aims to mimic budget carriers

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:01:00 +0100

Germany’s top airline Lufthansa said on Tuesday it plans to boost efficiency on its European routes by copying low-cost carriers offering less space and service.

Top banker urges pay cuts for 'inflated egos'

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:06:00 +0100

One of Germany’s top bankers has blasted senior colleagues around the world with a call to end exorbitant bonuses in the banking industry, business newspaper Handelsblatt reported Sunday.