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Greece crisis

Photo: DPA/Picture Alliance

Merkel defends tough line on Greece

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday defended her government's hard line in negotiations with Greece on a new rescue package, saying it had spurred Athens to commit to necessary reforms.

Robert Harting in action. Photo: Sven Hoppe / Picture Alliance / DPA

Olympic champ makes drug test results public

After the recent doping revelations which have rocked athletics, Germany's Olympic discus champion Robert Harting has made his blood-test results public to remove any doubt about his performances.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Photo: Picture Alliance / DPA

Social Democrats 'won't give up' says Steinmeier

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Sunday his beleaguered Social Democrats would field a candidate to unseat Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2017 amid an internal debate whether the party should simply capitulate to the popular leader.

Spiegel: Merkel wants fourth term in power

Work is continuing on the new airport. Photo: picture alliance / dpa

Berlin airport in fraud scandal probe

Three of Germany's biggest companies are facing a fraud investigation related to their work at Berlin's troubled new airport project, already five years behind schedule, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Greece crisis

A woman walks past a banner in front of the Greek parliament in Athens, during a demonstration against the third bailout agreement last week. Photo: Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP

Germany praises Greek stance shift in debt talks

Germany's hardline finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble on Sunday hailed a change in tone in talks with Greece over its next bailout but warned Europe would closely monitor the pace of reforms in Athens.

Greece crisis

Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa

Eurozone approves huge new Greek bailout

Eurozone finance ministers approved on Friday a third bailout worth up to 86 billion euros to keep Greece in the single currency in return for an unprecedented package of reforms that Athens had previously rejected.

The Local List

Photo: DPA.

Five reasons for dare-devils to visit Germany

A report this week showed that Germany is one of the safest countries in the world, but there's more to do than just snacking on strudel and hemming your Lederhosen. The Local looks at five ways to get your heart racing in Deutschland.

Berlin hot on Paris' heels as tourist destination

A photo of a bus in Munich. Photo: FreeSchhaltefolie / Wikimedia Commons

Passengers oust bus rider for racist slurs

When a man started threatening a Turkish-German bus passenger with racist statements, others on the bus decided to take a stand, including the driver.

Volkswagen logos at the carmaker's factory in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. Photo: DPA

Thieves 'could hack VW, Porsche, Audi cars'

Security researchers have found that many vehicles produced by the Volkswagen group – including some of the world's biggest luxury brands like Audi and Porsche – have a security flaw that could let hackers access them without a key.

Greek trade unionists march through the streets of Athens against the third bailout package. Photo: DPA

Schäuble 'confident of result' at EU Greece talks

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, who has taken a hard line on a third Greek bailout, said he was "confident" his eurozone peers would reach an agreement at a meeting Friday.

Features

Royal visit 2015

Victoria Ade-Genschow, aka the British Berliner, with some pipers during Queen Elizabeth II's visit in June. Photo: Pascale Scerbo Sarro

How I explained the Queen to the Germans

Victoria Ade-Genschow – aka the British Berliner – had a very special responsibility during the Queen's visit to Berlin in June, appearing on Berlin television to explain just what the royal affair was all about to monarch-crazy Germans.

In the center, Nazi lawyer Roland Freisler, who wrote laws that are partially still in existence today. Photo: German Federal Archive / Wikimedia Commons.

Minister seeks to rid laws of 'Nazi language'

Germany has made great efforts to purge legal system of remnants of Adolf Hitler's regime, but some laws still bear traces of the Nazi past. The Justice Minister wants to change this.

Regulations for women's parking spaces differ from state to state across Germany. Photo: JG-NF / Wikimedia Commons.

'Women-only' parking: sensible or sexist?

Frankfurt Airport is one of many places in Germany to offer women their own 'bigger and nicer' parking areas. Is this sensible practice or plain sexist?

The Local List

Photo: DPA

Six odd ways Germans talk about the weather

Is it absolutely roasting, or raining cats and dogs? Neither if you live in Germany. Here are six wonderfully weird expressions Germans use to talk about the weather - some more literal than others.

The Local List

Covering the important parts of your body. Germans on holiday. Photo: DPA.

Six odd things Germans do in the summer

These summer pastimes show that Germans' reputation for being uptight and straight-laced sticklers for punctuality couldn't be further from the truth. Many like nothing better than getting naked and drunk, and blocking up public traffic routes on the way.

More News

Babies love playing with keys, but maybe there are times when they shouldn't. Photo of a baby: Hoàng Long Lê/Flickr Creative Commons.

Baby locks self inside car in baking heat

With elevated heat during this time of year, many worry about the risk of parents leaving their children inside hot cars. This time, it was the baby leaving the parent a bit stranded.

Immigrants at a reception center for asylum seekers in Brandenburg. Photo: DPA.

'High' asylum benefits need review: minister

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière wants to scrutinize how much asylum-seekers receive in benefits in Germany as the country continues to face a staggering influx of immigrants.

Photo: DPA

Berlin hot on Paris' heels as tourist destination

After another record-breaking half year of tourism, Berlin is now Europe's third most popular destination behind London and Paris. But it seems there's still some work to be done if Berlin wants to catch up with its rivals any time soon.

Workers building a CNC lathe at a factory in Chemnitz, Lower Saxony. Photo: DPA

Germany beats France despite slow growth

The German economy, Europe's biggest, grew by 0.4 percent in the second quarter of 2015, fractionally faster than in the preceding three months, but slightly short of analyst expectations, official data showed on Friday.

Baby Angela Merkel Adé with mother Ophelya. Photo: DPA.

Asylum seeker names baby Angela Merkel

Out of gratitude and hope for the chance to have a better life in Germany, a Ghanaian asylum-seeker has named her baby after the most important woman in the country.

Greece crisis

The man who will decide the fate of Europe? Photo: DPA

Germany isolated as Greeks vote on bailout

As more and more countries send positive signals about a possible deal with Greece for a fresh tranche of bailout cash, the resistance of Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble is leaving Germany more and more isolated in Europe.

Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola. Photo: DPA

Guardiola shoots for Champs League final 4

Pep Guardiola wants to see Bayern Munich reach at least the last four of the Champions League in what could be his final season in charge of the German giants.

Less than 900 mountain gorillas are thought to remain in the wild. Photo: DPA

Tiny German backpack X-rays aid gentle giants

Extreme humidity, 40C heat, poachers and inhospitable terrain: this is the work environment of international veterinary charity Gorilla Doctors. But a piece of technology from Germany is about to make things that little bit easier.

Deutsche Bank offices in Frankfurt. Photo: DPA.

Deutsche Bank workers accused in scam

German prosecutors have charged eight former and current Deutsche Bank employees with alleged evasion of taxes on trading carbon emission certificates, it was revealed on Thursday.

Snaps like this could see diners facing hefty fines. Photo: DPA.

#FoodPorn in Germany may cook up legal woes

Instagrammers and foodies beware: snapping pics of scrumptious snacks in Germany could leave you facing a lawsuit for copyright infringement by the chef, a lawyer has warned.

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From our other editions:

The Local List

The Green Lake - a 'real life Atlantis'. Photo: Herzi Pinki/Wikimedia

Six mind-blowing Austrian landmarks

Austria is a country famed for its natural beauty and stunning alpine landscapes - and it also has some very unusual landmarks and attractions. We've picked six of the best.

Photo: The Local

High costs force unpaid UN intern to live in tent

A 22-year-old New Zealand man hired as an unpaid intern by the United Nations in Geneva has been forced to live in a tent because he cannot afford the high cost of accommodation in the Swiss city.

Photo: Colourbox

Denmark split over changing sex work laws

Amnesty International’s controversial decision to work towards the decriminalization of sex work has politicians reconsidering laws in Denmark, where the sale and purchase of sex is legal.

A Spanish bullring owner has said it is more dangerous for children to watch a gay pride parade than a bullfight. Photo: Gonzalez Poveda/AFP

'Gay pride parades are worse than bullfights'

The owner of several bullrings across Spain has been criticized after claiming it is more harmful for children to watch a gay pride parade than a bullfight.

SNCF paid a manager over €5,000 a month to do nothing he has claimed. Photo: AFP

French manager paid to do nothing for 12 years

The story of a Frenchman named Charles Simon made waves in France this week after it emerged the manager had been paid more than €5,000 a month by state rail operator SNCF over a period of 12 years, despite not working for a single day. He now wants €500,000 compensation.

Migrants crisis

A bunch of flowers reading "Dead at sea" floating in the Mediterranean after a previous incident that cost the lives of migrants fleeing Africa. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

40 migrants die off Italy - 'worst crisis since WW2'

More than 40 migrants have died in the Mediterranean on Saturday, the Italian navy said, after apparently suffocating below deck on the boat taking them to Europe.

Two of the rioters at Lunner reception centre after being handcuffed by police. Photo: Torstein Boe / NTB scanpix

Norway to deport or jail rioting asylum children

Norway is threatening to imprison or even deport a group of teenaged asylum seekers after they mounted a rebellion at a reception centre 50km north of Oslo.

Ikea stabbings

Emergency services outside the Ikea store in Västerås on Monday. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

Two arrested after deadly double stabbing at Ikea

UPDATED: A man and a woman have died following a stabbing inside an Ikea store in Västerås, north west of Stockholm. Police have arrested two suspects.

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