The Local Germany

9-year-old saves his newborn brother from kidnapping

Mon, 01 Aug 2016 19:10:48 +0200

The young boy followed the abductor as she tried to leave the hospital with his baby brother.

Third of new drugs 'offer no additional benefit'

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:25:00 +0200

A third of new drugs for treating serious illnesses don't offer any improvement on what is already available, according to Germany's committee in charge of testing pharmaceutical innovations.

Supermarkets find horse meat in lasagne

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:21:00 +0100

The German supermarket chains Real and Edeke on Thursday said they had found traces of horse meat in frozen lasagne already pulled off the shelves as a precautionary measure.

A third of volunteer military recruits drop out

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:50:00 +0100

Nearly one in three of Germans who volunteer to join the armed forces leave before the end of their six-month trial period, figures released this week show.

Monster trucks may ply autobahn for field trial

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:54:00 +0200

Monster trucks could soon be coming to a German autobahn near you. A controversial programme aims to test the 25-metre-long "gigaliners" on the country's roads.

Universities bracing for flood of students

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:25:00 +0200

An end to military conscription and growing interest in higher education mean German universities are about to be flooded with an unprecedented number of new students. Moises Mendoza reports on what it means for the country’s creaky uni system.

Germany draws 'difficult' group for women's World Cup

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:46:00 +0100

Defending champion Germany will face Canada, Nigeria and France in the group stage when it hosts the 2011 women's football World Cup starting in June.

Blinding laser attacks on airline pilots surge

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:19:00 +0200

Dangerous blinding attacks with high-powered lasers on aeroplane and helicopter pilots in Germany have risen dramatically in recent months, according government figures released Monday.

240 rescued as Baltic ferry catches fire

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:25:00 +0200

Some 240 people were rescued from a ferry in the Baltic Sea in the early hours of Saturday after an explosion on the ship set it on fire.

Violent storm 'Xynthia' cuts deadly path

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:49:00 +0100

The vicious Atlantic storm “Xynthia” ravaged Germany overnight, killing at least six and injuring dozens. National rail provider Deutsche Bahn said on Monday morning that commuter traffic was “relatively stable” after wind downed countless trees.

Ryanair sued for allegedly buzzing German granny

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:57:00 +0100

Members of a small community near the northern German city of Lübeck have filed a lawsuit against Irish budget airline Ryanair after a low-flying plane allegedly put an 82-year-old woman in the hospital.

Germany starts swine flu vaccinations

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:16:00 +0100

Several German states on Monday began offering mass vaccinations against swine flu in an attempt to head off a widespread epidemic this winter.

Deutsche Bahn considers alcohol ban on trains

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:20:00 +0200

National rail provider Deutsche Bahn is considering an alcohol ban on trains with certain regional transport associations, daily Bild reported on Monday.

Experts ask Germans to help save chestnut trees from moths

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:22:00 +0200

As autumn sets in, experts are asking Germans to carefully collect chestnut tree leaves to protect the beloved biergarten fixtures from a growing moth problem.

Few of Germany's unemployed willing to move for work

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:50:00 +0200

Very few recipients of Germany's Hartz-IV unemployment benefits are willing to move to find work, according to a study published on Monday.

Hamburg opens high-security bio lab

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:15:00 +0200

Germany’s most modern laboratory for research involving extremely dangerous biological agents opened in Hamburg on Tuesday.

Steppin' out for a smoke

Mon, 11 May 2009 19:00:00 +0200

English musician and Berlin resident Joe Jackson explains why he’s delighted Germany’s smoking ban appears to be unravelling faster than a self-rolled cigarette.

Germans to erect 46,000 maypoles this spring

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:49:00 +0200

Whether a sign of love, spring or both – Germans will put up as many as 46,000 maypoles this season.

T-Mobile suffers nationwide blackout

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:01:00 +0200

Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile network suffered a major nationwide outage on Tuesday afternoon, disrupting wireless service for millions of customers in Germany.