Cardinal: Women should stay at home and breed

A leading German Catholic cardinal says the government should encourage women to stay at home and breed - rather than bring immigrants into the country to solve its demographic problems. READ () »

• 19/03 Facebook 'censors' radio host's pope criticism  »
• 19/03 Catholic churches up for sale on eBay »
• 14/03 Pope Francis surprises German Catholic bishops »

German consumers keep recession at bay

Buoyant consumer confidence and increased household spending is keeping Germany, Europe's biggest economy, from recession, despite sagging exports and falling investment, data showed on Friday. READ () »

• 18/05 Economists warn against German euro exit »
• 14/05 Germans cling to Europe as others sour on EU »
• 07/05 France tells Germany: we need growth too »

Hollande praises tough German reforms

French President Francois Hollande, attending the 150th anniversary celebrations of Germany's Social Democratic Party on Thursday, praised the unpopular welfare and labour reforms by former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. READ () »

Keep your socks on – autumn is in the air

Much of Germany is heading for an autumnal weekend, with chilly temperatures an at times significant rainfall – just as May draws to an end and socks should be heading for the back of the drawer. Some areas will even see snow and frost. READ () »

Brewers: 'No fracking with our German beer'

A group of brewers has raised alarm that so-called 'fracking' for natural gas could jeopardize the legendary purity of German beer by contaminating the country's water supplies. READ () »

Ten German body parts

The German language has some rather colourful terms for describing parts of the human body. Turn to The Local List this week for a few anatomical alternatives. READ () »

Hipster Berlin dogs get meaty frozen yoghurt

Healthy dogs have wet noses, but cold and creamy canine noses may be a sign that they've been treated to a doggy frozen yoghurt made in Berlin. Rather than chocolate or pistachio, flavours include salmon and beef. READ () »

Germany tops world popularity poll

Germany is the most popular country in the world, according to a poll released on Tuesday asking people to rate the positive and negative influence of 16 major nations. READ () »

Tax evasion 'OK for Joe Normal' say Germans

Although Germans express outrage when wealthy or famous people evade taxes, many of them do the same themselves, albeit on a smaller scale, a new survey shows. READ () »

• 08/05 Court: gay and straight tax breaks must match »
• 06/05 Painter Baselitz raided in tax avoidance move »
• 06/05 Bayern boss Hoeneß steps down - for now »

Spain and Germany fight youth employment

Germany has agreed to provide vocational training and jobs for young Spaniards starved of opportunities in their crisis-hit home country. READ () »

'I hate Wagner but I hate him on my knees'

Germany is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Richard Wagner on Wednesday. Probably the country's most revered and reviled composer, the man considered an anti-Semitic musical genius is The Local's German of the Week. READ () »

Germany's collective blame phobia

The Germans have a particular phobia – they live in constant fear of being blamed for something. A commentary by Der Tagesspiegel's Malte Lehming. READ () »

'At his final heartbeat I knew I had to act'

The trial of a group of young men suspected of beating to death 20-year-old Jonny K. began in Berlin this week. His older sister's tireless campaigning for a safer capital in the wake of his death makes her our German of the Week. READ () »

New in German cinemas: 'Fast & Furious 6'

Find movies playing in English in Germany with The Local’s cinema guide. READ () »

'My friends call me travelling x-ray salesman'

In the latest installment of My German Career, The Local spoke with New Zealander physicist Graham Appleby about Hamburg's high intensity x-ray beams and life in Germany's scientific community. READ () »

'Lüneburg is a small and cosy city'

Get The Local flavour of Germany with our series offering an insider's take on their hometown. This week, Sathish Kumar Shanmugam talks about his adopted town Lüneburg. READ () »