The Local Germany

Staff and energy costs hit Bahn profits

Mon, 22 Jul 2013 14:26:00 +0200

Deutsche Bahn saw its profits shrink in the first half of the year, down by about 20 percent to around €1 billion - compared with a profit of €1.3 billion in the first half of last year, according to management sources.

Udderly charming: cow beauty contest

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:04:00 +0200

Models in the northern city of Oldenburg have literally been making cow eyes at the judges at the annual German Holstein Show - all the competitors are bovines. Loh Nastygirl won the two-day trial.

Lufthansa strikes hit German airports

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:48:00 +0200

Several thousand Lufthansa staff stopped work at airports across Germany early on Monday morning as services sector union Verdi called for a full day strike - expected to result in 1,688 flight cancellations.

Stuttgart faces worst traffic jams in Germany

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:16:00 +0200

Drivers in the southwestern city of Stuttgart have to contend the worst traffic congestion in Germany and face delays comparable to the clogged streets of Los Angeles, according to a new study.

Steinbrück rallies SPD with justice speech

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 10:53:00 +0100

Chancellor Angela Merkel's rival Peer Steinbrück, kicked off on Sunday his bid to topple her in next year's election, pledging social equality and a clear pro-European policy.

Fifth German body found on wrecked cruise ship

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:29:00 +0100

The body of a fifth German victim has been recovered from the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, and identified as a woman from Baden-Württemberg, the police confirmed on Sunday.

Bike revolution sparks clash with motorists

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:16:00 +0200

Germany might still be known for its high-speed autobahns, but in cities, bicycles are now so popular that a war of words has broken out between drivers and cyclists over who rules the road.

E. coli panic hits Lübeck hard

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:46:00 +0200

Germany's killer bacteria outbreak has people running scared in the northern city of Lübeck, where restaurants are empty and vegetables, blamed for the contamination, are withering away at market stalls.

Councils with liquidity problems leave swimming pools out to dry

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:49:00 +0200

As people head outside for the Easter weekend, many would-be bathers may find they packed their swimming stuff in vain – as municipal councils across Germany close down swimming pools in a desperate attempt to cut costs.

Motorists warned of delays and danger

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:49:00 +0100

Motorists should expect clogged roads and long traffic jams on Thursday as hordes of people go on holiday, compounding the effects of recent bad weather, the ADAC motor club has warned.

Transport freeze begins to thaw

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:03:00 +0100

As the clock ticks down to Christmas, the winter transport chaos that has gripped Germany began to settle down Wednesday with airlines gradually resuming normal schedules and Deutsche Bahn deploying extra trains.

Schools failing to integrate special needs students, study finds

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:05:00 +0100

Germany has been slow to develop schools including children with special needs despite signing an international accord to create a more inclusive educational system, a new study revealed Monday.

Germany lauds economic 'miracle' of reunification

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:58:00 +0200

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Wednesday the country should be proud of what it had achieved since reunification 20 years ago, dubbing the progress of the former communist east an "economic miracle."

Rape suspected among children at weight-loss camp

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:48:00 +0200

German state prosecutors are investigating reports of rape and sexual abuse among children who were spending several weeks at a weight-loss clinic on the posh North Sea island of Sylt, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Surge in mental illness highlights psychotherapist dearth

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:21:00 +0200

There has been an alarming spike in psychological illnesses in Germany, but the country does not have enough therapists to handle the mounting problems, the BPtK national psychotherapists board warned on Thursday.

Struggling students to get guidance counsellors

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:40:00 +0200

Germany plans to put thousands of “educational pilots” in schools across the country to target potential drop-outs and help them find finish school and find jobs, Education Minister Annette Schavan said on Wednesday.

Municipal clinic doctors walk off the job

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:30:00 +0100

Thousands of doctors at Germany’s municipal hospitals participated in a one-day strike on Monday, inconveniencing patients in an attempt increase pressure on wage talks in Cologne.

Is Germany dying out?

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:53:00 +0100

“Birth rates at an all-time low!” “The Germans are dying out!” “Catastrophic birth rates!” The headlines couldn’t be more alarming, but the statistics behind them lead to more complex conclusions. Jacinta Nandi and Ben Knight pick apart Germany’s demographic anxieties for Exberliner Magazine.

Lower Saxony gives in to Merkel's tax cuts

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:18:00 +0100

Lower Saxony’s state premier Christian Wulff said Tuesday he would back Chancellor Merkel’s controversial fiscal package – a plan that many of her own conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) have threatened to torpedo over major losses in state tax revenues.

Michelin Guide gives 24 new stars to German restaurants

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:29:00 +0100

The world-renowned Michelin Guide awarded Germany’s top restaurants a raft of new honours on Wednesday, handing 23 establishments one star and adding a second star to another gourmet eatery.