https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed New statistics on addiction revealed that around a fifth of the German population consume alcohol at dangerous levels. Are Germany's rock-bottom prices for beer, wine and spirits to blame? https://www.thelocal.de/20250424/is-alcohol-far-too-cheap-in-germany Thu, 24 Apr 2025 15:06:13 +0200 is-alcohol-far-too-cheap-in-germany The far-right AfD celebrated a historic election triumph in Germany last month but that has not put to bed the grievances held by followers in the party's heartlands in the ex-communist east. https://www.thelocal.de/20250314/gorlitz-the-german-city-that-became-a-seismograph-for-far-right-surge Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:17:28 +0100 gorlitz-the-german-city-that-became-a-seismograph-for-far-right-surge Around the US air base of Ramstein in southwest Germany, many people have watched with alarm as President Donald Trump's team has cast doubt on America's future military presence in Europe. https://www.thelocal.de/20250305/in-ramstein-germans-struggle-to-imagine-town-without-us-base Wed, 05 Mar 2025 12:26:09 +0100 in-ramstein-germans-struggle-to-imagine-town-without-us-base From tighter rules on carrying weapons to tough restrictions on asylum, here's how the German government wants to weed out extremism and violent crime and make the country safer. https://www.thelocal.de/20241018/key-points-how-the-german-government-wants-to-combat-extremism-and-knife-crime Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:35:07 +0200 key-points-how-the-german-government-wants-to-combat-extremism-and-knife-crime According to a report by the NGO Civicus, Germany is no longer an "open" country and freedom of expression has "narrowed" due to excessive crackdowns on climate and pro-Palestinian protesters. https://www.thelocal.de/20231208/why-has-germany-dropped-down-the-rankings-in-freedom-of-expression Fri, 08 Dec 2023 17:02:58 +0100 why-has-germany-dropped-down-the-rankings-in-freedom-of-expression The leader of the German Protestant Church, Annette Kurschus, on Monday stepped down from her post after being accused of covering up suspected sexual assault by a colleague. https://www.thelocal.de/20231120/german-protestant-church-head-quits-after-sex-assault-cover-up-allegations Mon, 20 Nov 2023 13:21:48 +0100 german-protestant-church-head-quits-after-sex-assault-cover-up-allegations Cannabis was set to become legal in Germany at the turn of the year - but this will not happen, according to the German Health Minister. https://www.thelocal.de/20231117/germanys-cannabis-legalisation-law-hits-a-delay Fri, 17 Nov 2023 17:30:03 +0100 germanys-cannabis-legalisation-law-hits-a-delay More than every third minor in Germany has seen pornography despite youth protection measures, a new survey shows. https://www.thelocal.de/20230901/children-in-germany-involuntarily-exposed-to-explicit-pornography Fri, 01 Sep 2023 11:26:21 +0200 children-in-germany-involuntarily-exposed-to-explicit-pornography This word has all to do with how to use German sensitively - but that doesn't always mean it doesn't rub people up the wrong way. So what do both sides of the argument have to say about 'gendern', and why is it so controversial? https://www.thelocal.de/20230720/gendern-why-germany-still-gets-fired-up-about-gender-neutral-language Thu, 20 Jul 2023 17:40:54 +0200 gendern-why-germany-still-gets-fired-up-about-gender-neutral-language After the summer break, Germany's centre-left SPD wants to work on introducing an obligatory period of social work for youngsters in a move they say will heighten respect and togetherness in the country. https://www.thelocal.de/20230721/why-the-spd-wants-to-introduce-mandatory-social-service-in-germany Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:05:50 +0200 why-the-spd-wants-to-introduce-mandatory-social-service-in-germany More than half a million people in Germany left the Catholic Church last year, the country's bishops' conference said Wednesday, topping a record set in 2021 amid rampant sexual abuse scandals. https://www.thelocal.de/20230628/record-number-of-catholics-leave-german-church Wed, 28 Jun 2023 19:20:28 +0200 record-number-of-catholics-leave-german-church Five Germans went on trial on Wednesday over a far-right plot to kidnap the country's health minister and overthrow the government in protest against Covid-19 restrictions. https://www.thelocal.de/20230517/five-go-on-trial-in-germany-for-anti-covid-coup-plot Wed, 17 May 2023 14:23:55 +0200 five-go-on-trial-in-germany-for-anti-covid-coup-plot Should employees in Germany be able to work four days a week for the same pay? An overwhelming majority of Germans apparently think so - and the largest union in the country is pressuring employers for exactly that. Here's what the debate is all about. https://www.thelocal.de/20230509/could-germany-introduce-a-four-day-working-week-for-employees Tue, 09 May 2023 19:33:53 +0200 could-germany-introduce-a-four-day-working-week-for-employees Most people can't wait to speed through the checkout, but some German supermarkets have introduced 'tills for chatting' in a bid to combat loneliness. https://www.thelocal.de/20230507/the-german-supermarkets-fighting-loneliness-with-slower-checkouts-for-chatting Sun, 07 May 2023 19:45:05 +0200 the-german-supermarkets-fighting-loneliness-with-slower-checkouts-for-chatting Germany's plans to legalise recreational cannabis will be welcomed by many weed smokers - but with legal routes for purchasing the drug restricted to highly regulated clubs, it's not quite the free-for-all that many imagined. Here's what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.de/20230508/explained-how-germanys-future-cannabis-clubs-could-work Mon, 08 May 2023 15:31:22 +0200 explained-how-germanys-future-cannabis-clubs-could-work New statistics from Germany's federal police show an uptick in almost every type of criminal activity, from petty theft to violence. But do the stats reflect the reality? https://www.thelocal.de/20230331/fact-check-is-crime-really-on-the-rise-in-germany Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:46:56 +0200 fact-check-is-crime-really-on-the-rise-in-germany An emergency alert system that causes piercing sounds on mobile phones is now functional across Germany, operators have announced. https://www.thelocal.de/20230223/new-disaster-warning-system-rolled-out-across-germany Thu, 23 Feb 2023 11:58:16 +0100 new-disaster-warning-system-rolled-out-across-germany Recent media reports have set the rumour mill swirling that Germany is considering the return of compulsory military service. Here's what's going on - and how likely a return to conscription could be. https://www.thelocal.de/20230209/fact-check-could-germany-bring-back-military-conscription Thu, 09 Feb 2023 18:26:21 +0100 fact-check-could-germany-bring-back-military-conscription More than one in five children and one in four young adults in Germany are at risk of poverty, according to a study - with young people in the northern state of Bremen most likely to be affected. https://www.thelocal.de/20230126/more-than-one-in-five-children-in-germany-at-risk-of-poverty Thu, 26 Jan 2023 13:06:12 +0100 more-than-one-in-five-children-in-germany-at-risk-of-poverty A third of Germany society now belongs to two hardened camps, a new study has found. One the one side are the "aggressive" defenders who believe in ethno-nationalism, on the other side the "arrogant" explorers, who are pushing for an end to the ethnic state. https://www.thelocal.de/20210617/defenders-vs-explorers-germany-divided-into-two-bitterly-opposed-ideological-camps Thu, 17 Jun 2021 14:11:06 +0200 defenders-vs-explorers-germany-divided-into-two-bitterly-opposed-ideological-camps