The Local Germany

Merkel wants Assad at table for Syria talks

Thu, 24 Sep 2015 11:05:35 +0200

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that President Bashar al-Assad should be involved in any Syrian peace talks, amid mounting pressure to end the four-year conflict.

Germans: money worries the best contraceptive

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 13:30:00 +0200

Germans reckon the baby drought is because it's simply just too expensive to start a family - and people worry about disrupting their careers or losing their independence, a poll released on Thursday suggested.

Pesticides kill more river life than was thought

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0200

Pesticides may kill off water insects and other small aquatic life by as much as 42 percent, according to an analysis of German, French and Australian rivers and streams, published on Monday.

Firms and disabled slam new TV licence fee

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:22:00 +0100

Drugstore chain Rossmann has become the latest German company to slam the country's new TV licence fee, saying it plans to go to court over its alleged 500-percent hike. Disabled rights groups have also condemned the charge per household.

Controversial Israeli sub surfaces in Kiel

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:05:00 +0100

A controversial submarine soon to be delivered to Israel – the largest produced in Germany since World War II – has made an appearance at the northern port city of Kiel.

Germany tackles Holland with confidence

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:45:00 +0100

Germany coach Joachim Löw has insisted his side have nothing to fear ahead of Tuesday's friendly in Hamburg against World Cup finalists the Netherlands, as Die Mannschaft looks to finish 2011 in style.

Schleswig-Holstein CDU unveils new leadership

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:26:00 +0200

Just nine months before the state election, the Christian Democratic Union in Schleswig-Holstein has decided on a new leadership duo after the party leader and top candidate resigned over a love affair with a teenager.

Border region fears Danish border checks will hit commerce

Fri, 20 May 2011 13:36:00 +0200

Germans living in the region near Denmark fear the thriving cross-border trade and traffic will be significantly affected by the re-imposition of border controls recently announced by the Danish authorities.

Pilots strike at airlines Germania, Tuifly

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 09:22:00 +0100

Pilots from the airlines Germania and Tuifly walked off the job Wednesday morning, affecting flights around the country.

Public servants push for 7 percent wage hike

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:45:00 +0200

Public servants are pushing for a wage rise of at least 7 percent, setting the stage for a showdown with German state governments that pits a booming economy against ballooning state debt.

Barefoot through Germany's tidal flats with a mailbag

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:54:00 +0200

Meet Germany’s most singular postal worker: Over the last nine years Knud Knudsen has gained a following for his twice-weekly barefoot treks across the country's North Sea tidal mudflats to deliver letters to a lone island couple.

Thunderstorms spark blazes across North Sea island of Sylt

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:47:00 +0200

A stormy night sparked fires across Sylt overnight, forcing all nine of the North Sea island's fire brigades into action, a spokesperson said on Monday.

Hamburg exhibition shows 150 years of nude photography

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:23:00 +0100

Germans aren't known for being particularly shy about bare skin, so it's only fitting a new exhibition in Hamburg is highlighting 150 years of nude photography - from blushing Victorians to Marilyn Monroe.

Airport scanners to be deployed this summer

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:14:00 +0100

Body scanners will be tested in major German airports as early as this summer despite concerns over privacy and unanswered radiation-related health questions.

Germany aims to build 40 offshore wind farms

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:26:00 +0200

German Transportation Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee on Monday announced plans to build 40 new offshore wind farms that would create 30,000 jobs.

Wet and stormy weekend ahead

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:43:00 +0200

This weekend might be the official start of summer, but you might prefer to put your barbecue plans on hold with stormy weather and rain expected across much of Germany.

Redesigning the Fatherland

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:33:00 +0200

Ingo Niermann, the man out save Germany by completely overhauling it, talks to Daniel Miller.

Summery spring spoils Germany with sunshine

Thu, 28 May 2009 18:59:00 +0200

After a bitterly long winter in Germany, the spring season has been “unusually summery,” meteorologists from the German Weather Service (DWD) reported on Thursday.

What Germany's new bureaucracy hotline can do for you

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:05:00 +0100

Those struggling to navigate the murky depths of German bureaucracy now have a government-sponsored hotline that promises help for even the most intricate of administrative answers. The Local dialled 115 to check it out.

German jet pack helps humans fly above water

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:26:00 +0100

Ready for takeoff? A German company has developed a jet pack that solves a problem from almost every preceding model before it - propellant. Instead of rocket fuel, the JetLev Flyer uses pressurized water, making it the latest in sporting technology.