The Local - Germany's news in English

Greek journalist called Merkel 'dirty Berlin slut'

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:45:00 +0100

A Greek radio station has been fined €25,000 for allowing one of its journalists to refer to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as a "dirty Berlin slut" on air.

Holocaust denial 'pub talk' legal - sometimes

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:28:00 +0100

Germany's Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of a Nazi who denied the Holocaust in his neighbourhood pub, because he did so "as part of an attempt to argue" that Germany was not the aggressor in World War II.

Man blames TV ad for driving BMW into pond

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:25:00 +0100

A man from Lower Saxony who drove a €39,000 BMW into a pond after being inspired by a TV advertisement is facing huge fines from car rental company that loaned it to him.

Commerzbank profits halved in 2011

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:44:00 +0100

Commerzbank, Germany's second-biggest bank, said on Thursday that the eurozone debt crisis and losses on its investments in Greece slashed profits in half in 2011.

Germany remembers victims of neo-Nazi gang

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:41:00 +0100

Germany on Thursday remembered the murder victims of a neo-Nazi terror group at an official ceremony in Berlin. There was also a moment of silence nationwide at noon.

Business confidence index hits 7-month high

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:34:00 +0100

German business confidence rose to a seven-month high in February as robust domestic demand helped protect the German economy against the debt crisis, data showed on Thursday.

Neighbours want fence to hide new hospice

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:31:00 +0100

Residents of a housing estate in Hamburg are upset about plans for a new hospice planned in their midst. They fear a drop in property prices and an increase in traffic on their tranquil road.

Allianz profits 'fell by half in 2011'

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:58:00 +0100

German insurance giant Allianz said on Thursday natural catastrophes and losses on its investments in Greece slashed its bottom-line in half in 2011.

Archaeologists show off priceless gold haul

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:46:00 +0100

For the first time archaeologists are showing a 1.8-kilo haul of gold they found while performing excavations around a gas pipeline last year.

What's on in Germany: February 23 - 29

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:33:00 +0100

This Week's Highlights: Theatre in Berlin, Chinese culture in Cologne, and Georgia O'Keeffe paintings on view in Munich.

Court throws out Holocaust-denial case

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:32:00 +0100

A German court on Wednesday quashed a British bishop's high-profile conviction for Holocaust denial for procedural reasons but said he may face a new trial on the same allegations.

Young German men wary of being hairy

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 07:23:00 +0100

Half of young German men are shaving more than just their facial hair, according to a survey published this week.

Germany's biggest political scandals

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 07:06:00 +0100

Following the resignation of President Christian Wulff resignation amid accusations of impropriety, The Local List decided to look at post-war Germany's biggest political scandals.

Extend your German vocabulary with Vocalex

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:11:00 +0100

Innovative Swedish software can help you expand your German vocabulary rapidly, using words and images.

Expanding drone fleet raises privacy concerns

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:54:00 +0100

Germany's armed forces and police currently operate 331 high-tech drones inside and outside the country, and the government intends to swell the fleet, according to a media report that has alarmed civil rights advocates.