Germany edition

Bochum

The following articles have been tagged with "Bochum":

GM threatens major job cuts at Opel

Business & Money: 8 Feb 12
German carmaker Opel was left to prepare for the worst on Tuesday as its US parent company General Motors announced “horrendous” fourth quarter losses and warned of factory closures at its ailing European unit. READ »

Manhunt after second Bochum prisoner flees

National: 1 Feb 12
German authorities are investigating how a prisoner being held on the request of Polish authorities on suspicion of attempted murder and arson managed to escape a North Rhine-Westphalia prison on Sunday and remains on the run. READ »

ThyssenKrupp sells stainless steel business

Business & Money: 31 Jan 12
German industrial giant ThyssenKrupp said Tuesday it has agreed to sell its stainless steel unit Inoxum to Finnish group Outokumpu in a deal which valued the business at €2.7 billion ($3.6 billion). READ »

Criminal found in attic after dramatic jail break

National: 16 Jan 12
German police launched and then called off a manhunt on Monday after a dangerous criminal sawed through the bars of his prison window and disappeared over the roof – only to be found hiding in an attic room. READ »

Gladbach kick Schalke out of German Cup

Sport: 22 Dec 11
A double by Marco Reus inspired Borussia Mönchengladbach to a 3-1 victory over holders Schalke 04 on Wednesday in their German Cup last-16 clash. READ »

Experts crack widely used smartcard

Science & Technology: 13 Oct 11
A team of German researchers has cracked a common smartcard used in transportation and security systems around the world with equipment that costs just a few thousand euros. READ »

Virulent 'crocodile' drug hits the streets

Society: 12 Oct 11
A virulently addictive drug that rapidly kills its users and is ravaging parts of Russia has begun appearing in Germany, authorities have said. READ »

Storms chaos hits North Rhine-Westphalia

National: 19 Aug 11
Violent storms felled trees and flooded roads and basements throughout North Rhine-Westphalia, leaving emergency workers struggling to make it to all the calls for help. READ »

Two North Korean footballers test positive for steroids

Sport: 7 Jul 11
The Women's World Cup in Germany was hit by a doping scandal on Thursday after North Korea defenders Song Jong-Sun and Jong Pok-Sim both tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid, football officials announced. READ »

USA and Sweden advance to World Cup quarter-finals

Sport: 3 Jul 11
Group C favourites the United States and Sweden advanced to the quarter-finals of the women's World Cup on Saturday beating Colombia 3-0 and North Korea 1-0 respectively. READ »

England and Japan through to World Cup quarter-finals

Sport: 2 Jul 11
England battled past New Zealand 2-1 to get to the quarter-finals of the women's World Cup on Friday while Homare Sawa scored a hat-trick to put Japan through with a 4-0 rout of Group B rivals Mexico. READ »

Women's World Cup sees record television audience

Sport: 1 Jul 11
The Women's World Cup is proving popular in football-mad Germany as nearly 20 million viewers tuned in to watch the host team beat Nigeria and set a new television record. READ »

Steel cartel accused of massively defrauding Deutsche Bahn

Business & Money: 30 Jun 11
Prosecutors are investigating dozens of people across 10 companies over allegations that they built a cartel to fix the price of railway steel and defraud national carrier Deutsche Bahn for hundreds of millions of euros. READ »

Germany, US and Brazil favourites at Women's World Cup

National: 25 Jun 11
Germany, the United States and Brazil are the favourites as the battle for the ultimate prize in football gets underway on Sunday in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. READ »

Public viewing: Where to watch the matches

Sport: 20 Jun 11
Hoping to watch a World Cup match with your thousand best friends? The Local's listing of public viewing venues has you covered. READ »

Tickets and fixtures: Who's playing where and when?

Sport: 20 Jun 11
The Local's World Cup guide makes sure you've got your tickets and your calendar marked for every big match. READ »

Employees unsettled by Opel sell-off rumours

Business & Money: 11 Jun 11
The chief representative of employees at German carmaker Opel has called on parent company General Motors to put an end to rumours that it is considering selling off its European unit. READ »

Doctors test robotic suit to help paraplegics

Science & Technology: 27 May 11
Scientists hope robotic suits to be tested at a Bochum University clinic will enable paraplegics to regain the ability to walk, according to a Friday news report. READ »

Coalition split by anti-terror laws row

Politics: 2 May 11
Tensions are mounting within Angela Merkel’s centre-right coalition over tougher laws to battle terrorism, with differences brought into stark relief by the recent arrest of three suspected al-Qaida-linked extremists. READ »

Germany on high alert after bin Laden death

National: 2 May 11
The United States embassy as well as American military bases in Germany are on high alert to the risk of terrorist reprisals after President Barack Obama announced late Sunday that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden had been killed. READ »

Germans cool to marriage and monogamy

Society: 28 Apr 11
Germans have serious doubts about marriage, monogamy and life-long partnerships, according to a survey released on Thursday. READ »

Thousands march for nuclear-free peace

National: 24 Apr 11
The traditional German Easter marches for peace and against nuclear power drew thousands to the streets around the country over the weekend. READ »

Firing of Jesus-loving call centre worker found kosher

Society: 20 Apr 11
A labour court in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has upheld the firing of a deeply religious call centre agent who ended calls with customers by saying “Jesus loves you.” READ »

Opel reportedly to cut 1,200 jobs in Bochum

Business & Money: 18 Mar 11
Incoming Opel boss Karl-Friedrich Stracke is planning to slash some 1,200 jobs at the troubled German carmaker’s Bochum plant on the traditional labourers holiday May 1, a media report said Friday. READ »

Police face outbreak of spring fever in randy Ruhr Valley

Society: 2 Mar 11
An outbreak of spring fever has lead to a spurt of lusty behaviour in the Ruhr Valley, leading police to throw some metaphorical buckets on cold water on matters that got out of hand. READ »

Expert warns of free internet hotspot fakers

Science & Technology: 27 Feb 11
Using free wireless internet hotspots should only be done carefully, and never to conduct sensitive business, a computer security expert warned on Sunday. READ »

'Ethical' banks booming

Business & Money: 15 Feb 11
Morality and money aren’t always compatible, but a new breed of "ethical" banks in Germany are building a successful new business model that is showing they can be. READ »

Teen footballer's evening goal raises questions on youth workers

Sport: 12 Feb 11
Questions have been raised about the application of youth work protection rules for teenage footballers after Julian Draxler scored the winning goal for Schalke 04 against Nuremberg last week – after 8 pm. READ »

Heavy rain in forecast as floods begin to recede

National: 11 Jan 11
Flooding caused by melting snow eased in parts of Germany on Tuesday, but with heavy rain in the forecast, the situation remained tense. Meanwhile authorities reported three flood-related deaths. READ »

Liechtenstein banks end tax evasion probe with €50 million payout

Business & Money: 16 Dec 10
Banks in Liechtenstein ended one of the largest tax evasion probes in Germany history by paying a record settlement of €50 million, a media report said Thursday. READ »

Germany draws 'difficult' group for women's World Cup

Sport: 30 Nov 10
Defending champion Germany will face Canada, Nigeria and France in the group stage when it hosts the 2011 women's football World Cup starting in June. READ »

Google Street View goes online

Science & Technology: 18 Nov 10
Google Street View, which has sparked a lengthy and heated debate in privacy-conscious Germany, went online overnight. READ »

Google offers German Street View preview

Science & Technology: 2 Nov 10
Google presented Germany a foretaste of its controversial Street View navigation programme on Tuesday, featuring six national landmarks, 10 Bundesliga football stadiums and a few streets in the country's southern Allgäu region. READ »

Quarter-million opt out of Google Street View

Science & Technology: 21 Oct 10
Google on Thursday revealed some 245,000 buildings were registered for Street View’s opt-out scheme in Germany, saying the figure did not correspond with the widespread controversy over the online navigation service. READ »

Google Street View opt-out deadline is nigh

Science & Technology: 15 Oct 10
Time is almost up for German residents to opt out of having their homes or businesses shown on Google's controversial Street View service. The deadline is midnight on Friday for people living in the 20 cities set to go online later this year. READ »

Major football match-fixing trial begins

Sport: 6 Oct 10
Four suspected ringleaders of what is believed to be European football's biggest fraud scandal went on trial in Germany on Wednesday, accused of fixing more than thirty matches across Europe. READ »

Bullet found in man's head years after drunken New Year's Eve

Society: 24 Aug 10
A 35-year-old man in North Rhine-Westphalia has lived for the past several years unaware a bullet became lodged in his head one drunken New Year's Eve, police told The Local on Tuesday. READ »

'It would be naïve not to have reservations about helping Pakistan'

Society: 24 Aug 10
Germans have been reluctant to help Pakistan's flood victims. The Local spoke with Shahid Riaz from the Pak-German Council for Culture and Democracy about the need to ditch prejudices and focus on the humanitarian catastrophe. READ »

Aigner wants longer opt- out limit for Street View

Science & Technology: 17 Aug 10
German Consumer Affairs Minister Ilse Aigner on Tuesday called on Google to improve the options for the country's citizens to opt out from having their homes featured on the internet giant’s online “Street View” program. READ »

Mayor admits lying about Love Parade crowd size

National: 15 Aug 10
Ten days before the catastrophic Love Parade in which 21 people were killed, authorities threatened the organisers with cancellation due to security fears – and Duisburg Mayor Adolf Sauerland knew about the worries. READ »

Politicians plan Google Street View privacy law

Science & Technology: 12 Aug 10
As a growing number of German politicians said they would forbid Google from showing their homes on the internet giant's “Street View” service, the government on Thursday announced plans for a law to protect citizens' privacy on the web. READ »

Debate heats up over Google Street View

Science & Technology: 11 Aug 10
Internet giant Google’s plan to introduce its ''Street View'' to Germany has sparked a groundswell of debate about privacy, with one senior conservative politician complaining on Wednesday that the service would help burglars. READ »

German media roundup: Event organisers damned

Analysis & Opinion: 26 Jul 10
If Love Parade organisers and Duisburg city politicians hoped to placate the German media by vowing a full investigation into how 19 people died at the event on Saturday, they sorely misjudged the mood of the nation. READ »

Love Parade death toll climbs to 19

National: 25 Jul 10
Nineteen people have now been confirmed dead after a massive crush developed in the entrance tunnel to the main party at the Love Parade in Duisburg on Saturday, authorities said. READ »

Barn dust prevents allergies in farm kids, scientists discover

Science & Technology: 20 Jul 10
Researchers in Bochum believe they have isolated a substance in cowshed dust that protects farm children from developing allergies and asthma, according to a report published this month. READ »

Jasmine scent could replace Valium, scientists discover

Science & Technology: 9 Jul 10
Instead of taking sleeping pills or mood-enhancing pharmaceuticals, people should try a whiff of jasmine, which is molecularly similar to drugs like Valium, according to new research published by German scientists this week. READ »

Ruhr crocodile sightings put Bochum police on alert

Society: 6 Jul 10
It seem every summer their are reports on crocodile sightings in Germany, but this year police in the Ruhr Valley city of Bochum are taking them a bit more seriously. READ »

Sons confront doctor over UK man's death

Society: 21 Jun 10
The sons of a British man killed by an overdose administered by a German locum doctor in 2008 have been taken into police custody after confronting him at a medical conference, media reports said on Monday. READ »

26,000 raise their voices to fill the Ruhr region with song

Society: 5 Jun 10
Around 26,000 singers filled the Ruhr region with song on Saturday, singing at the same time at 600 concerts from Duisburg to Hamm. READ »

End-of-season football riots break out

Sport: 9 May 10
Police reported several serious riots on the final day of the German football season, as fans of relegated clubs released their frustrations. READ »

Jimmy Andrew: From Scottish miner to Ruhr fitness mogul

Lifestyle: 3 May 10
The Local's series "Making it in Germany" presents Jimmy Andrew from Pulse Fitness. Michael Woodhead catches up with the Scottish entrepreneur behind a growing health empire. READ »

Bayern's Ribery breaks silence over sex scandal

Sport: 2 May 10
Bayern Munich player Franck Ribery has addressed the media storm raging around him about an underage prostitute. The 27-year-old Frenchman admitted to relations with the call girl, but said he didn't know she was so young. READ »

Bayern Munich secure league title

Sport: 2 May 10
Bayern Munich's hat-trick hero Thomas Müller admitted it was a relief to finally capture some silverware after Saturday's 3-1 win over Bochum effectively handed them the Bundesliga title. READ »

Bayern Munich edges toward treble dream

Sport: 30 Apr 10
Bayern Munich hope to take another step closer to a historic treble on Saturday when they face relegation-threatened Bochum in the Bundesliga. READ »

Bayern's Demichelis relishing title race with Schalke

Sport: 16 Apr 10
Bayern Munich defender Martin Demichelis says he is relishing the league leaders' title race with Bundesliga rivals Schalke 04 chasing their first league crown since 1958. READ »

Bee colonies wiped out by killer parasite

Science & Technology: 15 Apr 10
Germany's honey bee population is being threatened by a killer parasite and intensive farming practices, both of which have destroyed up to 200,000 bee colonies in recent months, a Thursday media report said. READ »

Magath says Schalke 'too soft' to win Bundesliga

Sport: 12 Apr 10
Schalke 04 coach Felix Magath all but conceded the German title race this weekend, claiming his team were "too soft" to win the Bundesliga. READ »

Taxman rakes in hundreds of millions thanks to stolen bank data

National: 7 Apr 10
Germany is still raking in hundreds of millions of euros from tax dodgers thanks to stolen Liechtenstein bank information purchased in 2008, just as new Swiss data is scaring droves of offenders to turn themselves in. READ »

Hertha fans riot at loss, Bayern regains Liga lead

Sport: 14 Mar 10
A dramatic game day in the Bundesliga was marred by violence on Saturday at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium when more than 100 Hertha fans rampaged across the pitch to their own side’s bench in fury at their side’s defeat to Nuremberg. READ »

Bayern Munich looking to cement top league ranking

Sport: 5 Mar 10
Bayern Munich will be looking to cement their newly gained place at the top of the Bundesliga this weekend as second and third-placed Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke snap at their heels. READ »

Bayern Munich back on top of Bundesliga

Sport: 1 Mar 10
German giants Bayern Munich this weekend went top of the Bundesliga for the first time since winning the title in 2008 - back where they belong, trainer Louis van Gaal said. READ »

Bayern's winning streak comes to shock end

Sport: 21 Feb 10
Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal said he was chasing trophies, not records, as the German giants' 13-game winning streak came to a shock end on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against local rivals Nuremberg. READ »

Bob Edwards: From US soldier to musical maestro

Lifestyle: 15 Feb 10
The Local's series "Making it in Germany" presents Bob Edwards, a former US soldier who has conducted his way to the top of the country’s musical scene. READ »

Opel boss unveils plan to slash 8,300 jobs

Business & Money: 9 Feb 10
Opel boss Nick Reilly presented on Tuesday a plan for the future of the ailing General Motors unit, with a forecast loss of 8,300 jobs from a total of around 50,000, as expected. READ »

Bayern hopes for eighth straight win against Wolfsburg

Sport: 5 Feb 10
Bayern Munich are expected to be without French midfielder Franck Ribery when they hunt their eighth straight Bundesliga win against defending champions Wolfsburg on Saturday. READ »

Rhineland suffers spate of naked and drunk train passengers

Society: 3 Feb 10
Despite the extremely cold winter, police in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia have had to contend with an unusual rash of train passengers preferring to take their journeys in the nude. READ »

Leverkusen back on top after quick victory over Freiburg

Sport: 1 Feb 10
Bayer Leverkusen took over for Bayern Munich as Bundesliga leaders for the second week running after blitzing Freiburg with three goals in four minutes on their way to a 3-1 win on Sunday night. READ »

Bayern Munich must win all games for title, Gomez says

Sport: 29 Jan 10
Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez believes the German giants need to win all of their remaining Bundesliga games to be sure of the title - starting with Mainz on Saturday. READ »

Kroos takes Leverkusen back to top of Bundesliga

Sport: 25 Jan 10
Rising star Toni Kroos was both chief playmaker and goalscorer on Sunday in Leverkusen's 3-0 win over Hoffenheim that knocked his parent club Bayern Munich off the top of the table. READ »

Ruhr Valley's European culture celebrations to defy deep freeze

Society: 8 Jan 10
After three years of preparations, Germany’s industrial Ruhr Valley will kick off its year as a European Capital of Culture this weekend with elaborate celebrations aiming to withstand a looming winter storm. READ »

Kroos double shoots Leverkusen back to top spot

Sport: 19 Dec 09
Teenager Toni Kroos scored twice on Saturday to fire Bayer Leverkusen back to the top of the Bundesliga as the home side came from behind to inflict a 3-2 defeat on Borussia Mönchengladbach. READ »

Retiree makes emergency call for more toilet paper

Society: 14 Dec 09
A Bochum woman in her nineties called emergency services this weekend regarding a delicate matter – she was out of toilet paper, police reported. READ »

Five-star Bayern back in the title hunt

Sport: 13 Dec 09
Bayern Munich finally gatecrashed the German title race on Saturday with an impressive away victory. Bayern produced a 5-1 romp at struggling Bochum, while Schalke won 2-0 at fellow title hopefuls Bremen to edge the Bavarians into third. READ »

Bremen coach says team must prove worthy of Bundesliga title

Sport: 11 Dec 09
Werder Bremen welcome striker Claudio Pizarro back for Saturday's key Bundesliga clash against Schalke 04 with coach Thomas Schaaf insisting his side must prove they are Bundesliga title contenders. READ »

VfB Stuttgart fires coach Babbel after dire draw

Sport: 7 Dec 09
Struggling Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart has confirmed the sacking of coach Markus Babbel just a few days before their crucial Champions League clash. READ »

Leverkusen on top after Kiessling treble

Sport: 30 Nov 09
A hat trick from German international striker Stefan Kiessling sent unbeaten Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga on Sunday after blitzing hapless Stuttgart 4-0. READ »

Football scandal spills over to tennis, basketball

Society: 28 Nov 09
The football match-fixing scandal grew to engulf tennis and basketball on Saturday, with Der Spiegel magazine reporting prosecutors had expanded their investigations to include the other sports. READ »

GM to keep all German Opel plants open

Business & Money: 25 Nov 09
General Motors has decided to keep open all four of its Opel plants in Germany, the US carmaker's interim Europe chief Nick Reilly said on Tuesday. READ »

Merkel expects 'thank you' as GM repays loans

Business & Money: 24 Nov 09
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday she was expecting a "thank-you letter" from General Motors after the US firm paid Berlin back for huge loans to keep its Opel unit afloat. READ »

Kiessling puts Bayer Leverkusen back on top

Sport: 23 Nov 09
Germany striker Steffan Kiessling sent Bayer Leverkusen back to the top of the Bundesliga on Sunday with a first-half equaliser which sealed a 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich. READ »

German referee bribe suspicion emerges in match-fixing scandal

Sport: 21 Nov 09
A referee from the German Football Association (DFB) was allegedly bribed during the enormous football match-fixing scandal uncovered last week, according to Der Spiegel magazine. READ »

Match-fixing ring rocks European football

Sport: 20 Nov 09
Some 200 football matches in nine European countries including at least three Champions League games may have manipulated in a huge match-fixing scandal, German prosecutors said on Friday. READ »

Football match-fixing ring uncovered

Sport: 19 Nov 09
Police arrested several people in Germany and abroad Thursday in connection to a gambling ring affecting Europe’s top football leagues. READ »

Oldest blogger in Germany chronicles 80 years of history

Society: 10 Nov 09
At 80-years-old, Hans Frackowiak is the oldest blogger in Germany. The former miner from the Ruhr region chronicles major events of 20th century Germany history from a personal perspective. READ »

Opel workers protest against General Motors

Business & Money: 5 Nov 09
Ten of thousands of angry German auto workers protested on Thursday against General Motors' decision to keep its Opel unit – a move called a slap in the face for Chancellor Angela Merkel by the country's media. READ »

GM abandons plans for Opel sale to Magna

Business & Money: 4 Nov 09
US automakers General Motors on Tuesday scrapped an on-again, off-again plan to sell its big European division, Opel, which had triggered a political and diplomatic controversy. READ »

Bundesliga Preview: Leverkusen look to stay top without Rolfes

Sport: 23 Oct 09
Bundesliga-leaders Bayer Leverkusen must make do without injured captain Simon Rolfes on Friday at home to Borussia Dortmund, but coach Jupp Heynckes has every faith in his side. READ »

Bundesliga preview: Battered Hertha look to rebuild

Sport: 2 Oct 09
Hertha Berlin's caretaker coach Karsten Heine is insisting on a back-to-basics policy as he prepares his side for the unenviable task of facing league-leaders Hamburg in Sunday's showdown. READ »

The Left's Sevim Dağdelen: ‘My origins don’t define my political beliefs’

Politics: 22 Sep 09
In the final week before Germany's election, The Local’s series on politicians with non-German roots features The Left party’s MP Sevim Dağdelen, a Turkish-German socialist who says she’s fighting for equality and economic security. READ »

Magna seen cutting 4,000 Opel jobs in Germany

Business & Money: 22 Sep 09
Canadian auto parts maker Magna will cut more than 4,000 jobs in Germany when it takes over the Opel business of struggling US auto giant General Motors, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on Tuesday. READ »

Opel job cuts may begin Monday

Business & Money: 20 Sep 09
Media reports over the weekend suggest that Magna, the new owner of car maker Opel, could begin mass layoffs as early as Monday, starting with over 1,800 jobs at Opel headquarters in Rüsselsheim near Frankfurt. READ »

Aachen couples have highest national divorce rate

Society: 16 Sep 09
A new study by Men’s Health magazine shows that the key to a long-lasting marriage in Germany could simply lie in the town in which couples live. READ »

Belgium takes case against Opel to next level

Business & Money: 15 Sep 09
Belgium has stepped up its offensive against German state aid to auto manufacturer Opel's planned new owners, demanding that the slightest hint of protectionism be slapped down by Brussels. READ »

Opel sale heavily criticised by government negotiator

Business & Money: 12 Sep 09
While top-ranking politicians celebrate the agreed sale of Opel to the consortium headed by Austro-Canadian car parts maker Magna, information has emerged that it will mean the loss of thousands of jobs – and potential legal difficulties. READ »

The Local's English-language movie listings for Germany

Lifestyle: 22 Jul 09
Find the latest movies in English playing in Germany with The Local's cinema guide. READ »

Bundesliga clubs rake in record cash for jersey sponsorship

Business & Money: 17 Jul 09
Most German football fans lament their clubs can’t compete with Europe’s deep-pocketed teams on the pitch. But when it comes to jersey sponsorship money, the Bundesliga even beats leagues in England, Italy and Spain. READ »