The Local Germany

US Army civilian workers demand wage hike

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:52:00 +0200

Protestors handed out fake zero dollar bills at US military bases across Germany on Wednesday to demand a raise for the 22,000 civilian workers employed by the Allied armed forces.

Shrinking school pays €500 for new pupils

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:42:00 +0100

A struggling western German secondary school is reportedly paying €500 ($664) to parents to enroll their children, as Germany struggles with one of Europe's lowest birthrates.

Fair weekend but rockers face rainy Sunday

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:15:00 +0200

Germans hoping to enjoy alfresco pursuits over the weekend should find the weather mostly cooperative, but may have to contend with occasional showers, the German Weather Service (DWD) reported on Friday.

Family found squirrelled away in a road sweeper

Sun, 13 May 2012 17:30:00 +0200

A German street cleaner got a surprise on Sunday when he emptied out the waste bag of his road sweeper and found a family of four baby squirrels.

Disgraced president retreats to monastery

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 11:51:00 +0100

Ex-President Christian Wulff has gone on a temporary monastic retreat, according to the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. Allegations of corruption in the past months have taken their toll, sources high up in Berlin political circles said.

Climbing legends in the Dahner Felsenland

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:02:00 +0200

Looking for “legendary” rock climbing, Matt Herron heads to Rhineland-Palatinate’s Dahner Felsenland.

Court rules 'kiss my ass' insulting

Mon, 30 May 2011 16:57:00 +0200

The German phrase “Leck mich am Arsch,” the equivalent of “kiss my ass,” has been officially ruled an insult by a court in Kaiserslautern.

Pressure mounts on Westerwelle to resign

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:04:00 +0200

Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Wednesday faced growing calls for him to step aside as leader of the Free Democrats following his party’s disastrous performance in two German state elections.

Brüderle quits state leadership post after election disaster

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:34:00 +0200

Economy Minister Rainer Brüderle stepped down from his position as the Free Democrats‘ state leader in Rhineland-Palatinate late on Monday. The move came after the pro-business party failed to clear the five-percent hurdle necessary to win seats in the legislature in Sunday’s election.

CDU suffers historic loss in Baden-Württemberg

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:17:00 +0200

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives suffered a historic loss in Baden-Württemberg on Sunday, ending nearly six decades in power. The Greens will lead a German state for the first time.

Man kills son and self with chainsaw

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:13:00 +0100

A German man murdered his three-year-old son with a chainsaw before killing himself in an apparent custody dispute, police in Bonn said on Thursday.

Greens flying high in opinion surveys

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:28:00 +0100

The Green party continues to gain popularity among voters in the wake of the nuclear crisis in Japan. The ecology party in Baden-Württemberg has surpassed the Social Democrats just before critical elections there.

Snow and ice blitz southern traffic

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:13:00 +0100

Snow and ice caused numerous accidents in southern and western Germany on Monday. One man was killed and several drivers injured, as the weather shut down many roads for hours.

Earthquake rattles Rhine-Main region

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:05:00 +0100

An earthquake measuring at least 4.4 on the Richter scale shook the Rhine-Main region on Monday. According to geologists, earthquakes of such magnitude are rare in Germany.

SPD and Greens set for power in Hamburg

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:16:00 +0100

A centre-left coalition of Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens looks set to win next week's election in the city-state of Hamburg, according to the latest opinion poll published in Focus magazine.

Tanker acid pumped into Rhine River

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:57:00 +0100

Acid from a capsized tanker was being pumped into the Rhine River on Monday to ensure the ship does not break into pieces. Officials said there was no danger to the environment.

Capsized acid ship near Loreley threatens to sink

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:09:00 +0100

A capsized ship containing tonnes of sulphuric acid is threatening to sink, an official said on Tuesday, potentially endangering the Rhine River with its hazardous cargo.

Little hope of finding missing tanker crew members

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:44:00 +0100

Chances are slim of finding alive the two missing crew members of a tanker that capsized on the Rhine, according to officials. Two other crew members were rescued after Thursday’s accident.

Ship with acid capsizes near the Loreley

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:30:00 +0100

A tanker ship carrying 2,400 tonnes of sulphuric acid has capsized on the Rhine River near the rocky point known as the Loreley. Two crew members are missing.

CDU fined €1.2 mln for illegal party funding

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:28:00 +0100

The German parliament on Thursday fined Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) more than €1.2 million ($1.6 million) for violating campaign contribution laws in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.