The Local Germany

Solar panel thieves focus on rural roofs

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:34:00 +0200

Organised gangs of thieves have become so expert in removing solar panels from rural roofs that the police force in Lower Saxony has formed a special task force to fight it.

Alcohol abuse spikes for Germans over 50

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:32:00 +0200

Incidents of alcohol poisoning and abuse among people between 50 and 60 years of age have risen in states across Germany, health insurer DAK confirmed on Wednesday.

Drunk badger blocks traffic

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:01:00 +0200

Road kill reported by a driver in the German state of Lower Saxony turned out to be a drunk badger taking a nap, police in Goslar reported on Wednesday morning.

Unstable WWII bomb detonated in Hannover

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:02:00 +0200

Police detonated an unstable 250-kilogramme bomb from World War II early on Wednesday morning at a military facility in Hannover after evacuating thousands of residents from the area, authorities reported.

Asse nuclear waste workers getting radiation scans

Fri, 22 May 2009 14:31:00 +0200

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) announced Friday they will take on a large operation to test radiation-exposure levels of both current and former workers at the atomic waste depot Asse near the town of Wolfenbüttel in Lower Saxony.

Milk price row moves Merkel to meet farmers

Fri, 22 May 2009 13:18:00 +0200

After refusing to speak to hunger-striking milk-maids camped out outside her office last week, Chancellor Angela Merkel has decided to address the issue of low milk prices after all.

Porsche under investigation for market manipulation

Tue, 12 May 2009 19:16:00 +0200

German financial regulator Bafin confirmed Tuesday that it had filed a formal investigation against luxury sports car maker Porsche for possible market manipulation.

Germany's most wanted criminal dodges police on bike

Sun, 03 May 2009 13:38:00 +0200

Police have come to within arm’s length of Germany’s most wanted criminal, Thomas Wolf , but he is still on the run, having ditched a car and escaped on a bicycle with no saddle.

Berserk bovine injures children after farm break out

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:00:00 +0200

A "cow gone wild" injured several children and a police officer in Hagen after escaping from its pen and rampaging through city, police in the German state of Lower Saxony reported on Sunday.

Police officers under increasing attack

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:24:00 +0100

German police are being attacked more than ever before, with people showing increasing disrespect for officers, according to a report in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper.

Asse nuclear waste storage mine 'may not be fixable'

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:01:00 +0100

The Lower Saxony Environment Ministry is not sure it can fix the Asse nuclear waste storage facility which is threatening to partially collapse, according to Der Spiegel.

Town loses fire engines in blaze - again

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:19:00 +0100

All six fire engines in the village of Syke have been written off after catching fire – the second time it has happened in the small Lower Saxony town.

Merkel pressured by party on climate change measures

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:46:00 +0100

Top Christian Democrats in the Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony state governments are pressuring Chancellor Angela Merkel to help relax European carbon dioxide reduction goals.

Rats return to Pied Piper's Hamelin

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:40:00 +0100

Just ahead of the 725th anniversary of the Pied Piper reputedly banishing a plague of rats from Hamelin, there has been an "explosion" in the German town's rodent population, city officials said on Tuesday.

Jewish leaders slam politician for 'pogrom' comment

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:50:00 +0100

Jewish leaders in Germany have castigated a senior politician from Chancellor Merkel's party for using the words "pogrom atmosphere" to describe the hostility towards well-paid business executives in the country.

Doctors blast bar boob battle

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:30:00 +0100

German medical professionals expressed outrage on Friday that a night club in the town of Celle is planning to host a competition offering women free breast augmentation in Poland, saying it is irresponsible and risky.

Police probe deadly autobahn bus fire

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:23:00 +0100

German police said Wednesday they were struggling to identify 20 charred corpses from the burnt-out shell of a tour bus apparently set on fire by a passenger smoking in the toilet.

20 die in fiery bus accident near Hannover

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:29:00 +0100

Around 20 people were feared killed on Tuesday evening in a fire on a bus on a motorway near Hannover, according to police in the German state of Lower Saxony.

Bridge murder suspect goes on trial

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:03:00 +0100

A case involving a chunk of wood thrown from a motorway bridge that killed a Lower Saxony woman in a passing car goes to trial on Tuesday.

Germany opens first offshore wind farm

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:23:00 +0100

Germany opened its first offshore wind farm this week - a move Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel called a key step toward more reliance on renewable energy in Europe's biggest economy.