Germany edition

Fuel

The following articles have been tagged with "Fuel":

Socks provided key clue in neo-Nazi case

National: 5 Feb 12
Police investigating the Zwickau-based neo-Nazi terror cell identified one of the group's alleged members, Beate Zschäpe, as the person who blew up the home she shared with two other suspects by analysing her socks, a new report said. READ »

Europe’s German agenda

Analysis & Opinion: 3 Feb 12
The economy in shambles, angry street protests, and the government on the brink after passing unpopular reforms. But this is not Greece in 2012 – it was Germany a decade ago. Marc Young looks back to see an agenda for the future. READ »

Cake in the face for 'Baron Cut-and-Paste'

Politics: 3 Feb 12
Critics of disgraced former German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg hit him in the face with a big cake on Thursday night, while he was meeting a Pirate Party politician in a Berlin café. READ »

Electric cars less climate friendly than thought

National: 30 Jan 12
Germany’s plan to put a million electric cars on the road by 2020 is unlikely to do much for the environment without a dramatic increase in renewable energy, the daily Tageszeitung reported on Monday. READ »

Police arrest 70 in left-wing Berlin riots

National: 29 Jan 12
Around 70 people were arrested and 30 police officers injured during riots in Berlin early on Sunday after several incidents blamed on left-wing activists escalated. READ »

Fifth German body found on wrecked cruise ship

National: 29 Jan 12
The body of a fifth German victim has been recovered from the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, and identified as a woman from Baden-Württemberg, the police confirmed on Sunday. READ »

Hollywood arsonist accused of 100 fires

Society: 25 Jan 12
Los Angeles prosecutors have announced 63 more charges against a German man accused over a four-day arson spree which gripped Hollywood over the year-end holidays. READ »

Guttenberg rules out return for 2013 election

Politics: 20 Jan 12
Disgraced former Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has stepped back from an imminent return to active German politics, saying the 2013 general election would not be the right time. READ »

Tropical island warmth - in icy Germany

Society: 18 Jan 12
The long, dark nights and short, chilly days of January in Germany can fuel dreams of running off to a tropical island. People living in or near Berlin can hop on the train and have a day out on one. Hannah Cleaver investigated. READ »

German victim's body 'recovered from ship'

National: 17 Jan 12
The body of a German man killed on the Costa Concordia cruise ship was found on Tuesday, the Italian media said. Divers have recovered five more victims, bringing the confirmed death toll to 11. READ »

VW and BMW recall half a million cars

Business & Money: 17 Jan 12
Volkswagen and BMW issued recalls on half a million cars this week – with VW warning that fuel lines in their most modern diesel engines can leak, and BMW saying their Minis could catch fire due to electrical problems. READ »

Lufthansa positive on biofuel but delays use

National: 11 Jan 12
German airline Lufthansa said on Wednesday it would not start using biofuel despite positive results from a six-month testing period on flights between two German cities. READ »

Merkel, Sarkozy vow to solve eurozone crisis

Business & Money: 9 Jan 12
The leaders of Germany and France put aside their differences on a controversial tax of financial market transactions and promised to speed up various measures to ease the eurozone crisis, as the euro flirted with new market lows Monday. READ »

What's on in Germany: January 5 - 11

Lifestyle: 5 Jan 12
This Week's Highlights: Buster Keaton films in Munich, Alexander McQueen fashions in Hamburg, and contemporary dance in Berlin. READ »

Hollywood arsonist 'hated America'

National: 5 Jan 12
A German man launched a "binge" of over 50 arson attacks in southern California over the New Year holiday weekend, fired up by anti-American "hatred" fueled by his mother's fight against deportation to Germany, prosecutors have said. READ »

Berlin wants 'concrete' nuke action from Iran

National: 2 Jan 12
Germany has called for "concrete and verifiable" action from Iran over its nuclear drive, after Tehran signalled it was willing to resume negotiations with the international community. READ »

Half a million kilometres of traffic jams this year

National: 29 Dec 11
Far from effortlessly zooming down Autobahns at limitless speeds, German drivers are increasingly sitting in traffic– with nearly half a million kilometres of jams recorded this year. READ »

Euro hasn't led to exploding prices

Business & Money: 16 Dec 11
Though many Germans believe that prices have risen dramatically since the introduction of the euro a decade ago, statistical reality for most goods and service tells a different story. READ »

What's on in Germany: December 8 - 14

Lifestyle: 8 Dec 11
This Week's Highlights: Choirs sing Bach in Leipzig, a rock opera in Frankfurt and a ballet rendition of "A Christmas Carol" in Dresden. READ »

Princely petrol pump prices miff motorists

Business & Money: 7 Dec 11
Motorists in Germany have never shelled out so much to fill up their cars, as fuel costs reached an all-time high in 2011, according to drivers' association ADAC. READ »

Industrial orders soar despite euro crisis

Business & Money: 6 Dec 11
Industrial orders in Germany rose sharply in October, official data showed on Tuesday, raising hopes that Europe's top economy is standing up to the ongoing turmoil in the eurozone. READ »

School allowed to ban Muslim pupil's praying

Society: 30 Nov 11
A German federal court on Wednesday backed banning a Muslim pupil from praying according to Islamic rites at a Berlin public school, ruling it could jeopardise its smooth operation. READ »

German jobs, retail sales offer rare eurozone cheer

Business & Money: 30 Nov 11
Germany provided a rare ray of light in the eurozone gloom on Wednesday, with record low unemployment and surprisingly good retail data showing Europe's top economy is holding up well in the crisis. READ »

Nuke waste train arrives despite protests

National: 28 Nov 11
The train taking radioactive waste from a French reprocessing centre to storage in northern Germany completed the rail stage of its journey early on Monday morning, after days of fierce protests. READ »

Air Berlin seeks Chinese and Mideast cash

Business & Money: 25 Nov 11
Struggling airline Air Berlin, Germany's second-biggest carrier, is on the hunt for investors and has already begun talks with potential partners from China or the Gulf, a German daily reported Friday. READ »

Baton-swinging cops in anti-nuke showdown

National: 23 Nov 11
Baton-wielding French police battled anti-nuclear protesters Wednesday as the last convoy of German nuclear waste to be treated in France was prepared for its journey home. READ »

Consumers bolster solid Q3 growth

Business & Money: 15 Nov 11
Germany appeared to return to form as the eurozone's economic powerhouse in the third quarter, clocking up solid growth of 0.5 percent, official data showed on Tuesday. READ »

Berlin looks to defer EU talks with Montenegro

National: 5 Nov 11
Germany and France want to delay the start of European Union membership negotiations with Montenegro until June 2012, six months later than slated by the European Commission, diplomats said on Friday. READ »

Lufthansa agrees to sell British Midland

Business & Money: 4 Nov 11
German airline Lufthansa said on Friday it has agreed in principle to sell its loss-making unit British Midland to the International Airlines Group, the holding company of British Airways. READ »

Business confidence drops again amid crisis

Business & Money: 21 Oct 11
German business confidence deteriorated for the fourth month in a row in October, data showed on Friday, as Europe's economic powerhouse begins to feel the pain of the region's debt crisis. READ »

Germany rejects carbon dioxide storage plans

Politics: 23 Sep 11
Germany’s upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has knocked down a proposal to start storing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide underground in a bid to reduce emissions. READ »

Frankfurt Motor Show combines conservation and innovation

Business & Money: 16 Sep 11
Auto-makers at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) are dreaming far into the future in terms of energy conservation and design. READ »

Small cars aim to challenge foreign rivals

Business & Money: 15 Sep 11
German carmakers will this week unveil a range of new small, fuel-efficient cars at the world's biggest motor show to challenge a market currently dominated by French and Asian rivals. READ »

Mercedes unveils its future vision

Society: 14 Sep 11
What will a Mercedes-Benz look like in 2025? Sporting wing doors and a hydrogen fuel cell, German carmaker Daimler is billing its F125 concept vehicle as the luxury saloon of the future. READ »

Oktoberfest – the beer

Lifestyle: 13 Sep 11
The Local's Oktoberfest guide chugs some of the Bavarian tipple fueling this whole shindig. READ »

Less Arctic ice than ever

Science & Technology: 12 Sep 11
German scientists say the Arctic ice cap is smaller today than ever previously measured, providing further evidence of global warming and the need to cut carbon dioxide emissions. READ »

Berlin tries to calm markets riled by Greece

Politics: 12 Sep 11
German officials rushed on Monday to calm highly stressed markets, insisting Greece should stay in the eurozone, amid rising alarm that Germany is losing patience with being the bailout paymaster. READ »

Germany’s top ten tech inventions

Science & Technology: 9 Sep 11
The last century would have been very different if it hadn’t been for the German genius for technological innovation. The Local rates the top ten Teutonic inventions that have changed your life. READ »

Urban gardening takes off at Berlin's fabled airport Tempelhof

Society: 29 Aug 11
It's sunflowers instead of planes and kale instead of kerosene at the German capital's legendary Tempelhof Airport, site of the Berlin Airlift and now home to one of Europe's biggest urban gardens. AFP’s Deborah Cole reports. READ »

Petrol industry to charge more for E10 debacle

Business & Money: 26 Aug 11
German motorists could end up paying more at the pump for the botched introduction of E10 biofuel, as petroleum firms are reportedly are preparing to pass on the costs to customers. READ »

US prosecutors: Deutsche Bank was aware of mortgage fraud

Business & Money: 24 Aug 11
Germany's Deutsche Bank was aware of fraud being committed by a US subsidiary that issued thousands of bad mortgages before the 2008 financial crisis, US prosecutors have alleged. READ »

Porsche unveils new 911

Society: 23 Aug 11
An icon of German automotive engineering, the Porsche 911, is being reborn. The legendary sports car is bigger, pricier, and more fuel-efficient. READ »

Antimatter spotted on the edge of the world

Science & Technology: 17 Aug 11
Earth is wearing a belt of antimatter – a twin of ordinary matter that could one day be used to create fuel for interstellar space travel – according to a breakthrough study by German and Italian scientists. READ »

Monster trucks may ply autobahn for field trial

National: 17 Aug 11
Monster trucks could soon be coming to a German autobahn near you. A controversial programme aims to test the 25-metre-long "gigaliners" on the country's roads. READ »

Merkel, Sarkozy to hold debt crisis meeting

Business & Money: 11 Aug 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel is to hold crisis talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy next week in a bid to solve the eurozone debt crisis amid continuing turmoil in financial markets. READ »

EON confirms up to 11,000 jobs will go

Business & Money: 10 Aug 11
Germany's biggest energy group, EON, confirmed on Wednesday it would cut up to 11,000 jobs as it reported its first ever quarterly loss. READ »

Eurozone scrambles to calm investors

Business & Money: 8 Aug 11
Germany and other world economic powers scrambled late on Sunday to shore up confidence in global financial markets with pledges to do whatever was necessary to protect the euro currency and stem the debt crisis. READ »

BMW unveils electric and hybrid concept cars

Business & Money: 29 Jul 11
Six weeks before the Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW has unveiled concept vehicles that the company hopes will make it a trend-setter in the electric car business. READ »

Spy agency doubts far-right network exists

Society: 29 Jul 11
Germany’s foreign intelligence agency has said there is no evidence that a Europe-wide network of right-wing extremists is evolving, bolstering the growing impression that Norwegian killer was a lone perpetrator. READ »

Lufthansa sees major profit increase

Business & Money: 28 Jul 11
Lufthansa on Thursday posted second quarter net profits of more than €300 million, a 55.2 percent rise on the same period last year when Iceland's volcanic eruption hit the industry. READ »

Consumer sentiment falls amid Greece crisis

Business & Money: 26 Jul 11
German consumer sentiment has been hit by the Greek debt crisis, and a widely watched index fell to a forecast 5.4 points for August from 5.5 points in July, the GfK research institute said Tuesday. READ »

German Muslims worried after Norway massacre

Society: 26 Jul 11
Top Muslim leaders in Germany are calling on the federal government to take immediate action to stamp out growing anti-Islamic sentiment in the wake of the Norway massacre. READ »

Germany faced with winter power shortage

Society: 16 Jul 11
The German government is making slow progress in its search for energy sources to replace nuclear power, media reports say. Energy companies are warning there could be shortages in the winter. READ »

Not everyone cheering Lufthansa biofuel test

Science & Technology: 15 Jul 11
Lufthansa is testing biosynthetic fuels on Airbus A321 flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt and, if the trial is successful, hopes to expand use of the fuel across its fleet. READ »

RWE joins forces with Gazprom for power play

Business & Money: 14 Jul 11
Russian gas giant Gazprom and Germany's number two utilities group RWE said on Thursday they are looking to form a strategic partnership to construct jointly gas and coal power plants in Europe. READ »

Priests no more likely to commit sex abuse than other men, researcher says

Society: 13 Jul 11
Catholic priests, despite the community suspicion fuelled by widespread child sex abuse revelations, are no more likely to be paedophiles than other men, a top criminologist investigating Church abuse in Germany has said. READ »

A Wurst-case scenario for the summer

Lifestyle: 12 Jul 11
Germans love a good barbecue as much as Americans and Australians. Jeff Kavanagh explores a unique grilling culture where the Wurst is the best. READ »

Schäuble strives to calm markets over Italy

Politics: 12 Jul 11
German Finance Minster Wolfgang Schäuble sought to quell panic on the financial markets Tuesday, as fears about the debt crisis spreading to Italy battered the DAX and fuelled fears of a crisis contagion. READ »

Energy companies put UK nuke investments on hold

Business & Money: 5 Jul 11
German energy giants EON and RWE said Tuesday they would wait for London to rule on the future of its nuclear power industry before going ahead with investments in new power plants in Britain. READ »

Energy firms plan legal attack on nuke phaseout

Business & Money: 19 Jun 11
Germany's leading energy companies are hiring top lawyers to mount a legal challenge against government plans to phase out nuclear power by 2022. The firms are hoping to secure massive compensation deals. READ »

Greens mull supporting Merkel on nuclear exit

Politics: 17 Jun 11
The Green party is set for a major internal battle next week when its leadership asks parliamentarians to support the German government's nuclear power exit strategy even if it's less ambitious than they would like. READ »

Nuclear fuel transports prompt fury in Rostock

National: 14 Jun 11
Nuclear material and dangerous chemicals for the nuclear power industry are reportedly being shipped through the Baltic port city of Rostock without anyone being informed. READ »

Bundesbank boosts 2011 growth forecast

Business & Money: 10 Jun 11
The German Bundesbank on Friday raised its growth forecast for this year to 3.1 percent for Europe's biggest economy, up from a previous expectation of 2.5 percent. READ »

Utility EON to sue over fuel rod tax

Business & Money: 31 May 11
Germany's largest energy company, EON, said Tuesday it would sue the government over plans to maintain a tax on spent fuel rods despite plans to do away with nuclear plants by 2022. READ »

Jobless figure sinks below three million

Business & Money: 31 May 11
Fewer than 3 million Germans are now unemployed, official figures revealed Tuesday, breaking a key psychological barrier as Europe’s largest economy continues to forge ahead. READ »

Iran sparks row by delaying Merkel flight

Politics: 31 May 11
The government of Iran temporarily denied Chancellor Angela Merkel’s plane the right to fly over its territory on her way to India, creating a minor diplomatic incident and angering the German leader. READ »

'This nuclear phaseout is not a revolution starting after Fukushima'

National: 30 May 11
Out with the old, in with the renewable. With Germany's nuclear exit date now set at 2022, the country is about to embark on a decade of energy reform. Can it be done? The Local asked energy expert Marcel Viëtor. READ »

Minister plans to keep petrol prices down under

National: 30 May 11
German motorists would have advanced warning of petrol price rises under an Australian-inspired proposal from Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer to stop the big oil firms from price-fixing. READ »

‘Green’ cars battle for eco-marathon title

Science & Technology: 28 May 11
It's a motor rally with a difference: souped-up "green" vehicles going head to head in an international eco-marathon to see who runs the longest on as little energy as possible. READ »

Big petrol firms inflating prices, watchdog says

National: 26 May 11
Motorists in Germany are paying too much for petrol because the five major fuel companies are informally collaborating on prices, the competition watchdog announced Thursday. READ »

Merkel preparing to drop nuclear tax in deal with industry: report

Business & Money: 25 May 11
The government is planning an informal deal with energy companies, dropping the fuel element tax in return for cooperation in Germany’s switch-off from nuclear power, according to government sources. READ »

German petrol prices too high, says cartel authority

National: 22 May 11
A new report from the Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has concluded that German motorists pay too much for their fuel. READ »

VW slashes US car prices to gain market share

Business & Money: 20 May 11
Volkswagen has slashed prices of some of its more popular car models in an attempt to gain ground in the American market, with a Jetta on sale for less than €13,000 ($18,400) and a Passat available for €15,000 ($21,240). READ »

Carmakers rethink sustainability approach amid E10 fuel fiasco

Business & Money: 19 May 11
Germany's introduction of the E10 biofuel has been a public-relations disaster. But as Alexander Bakst reports, the auto industry is already rethinking its approach to sustainability. READ »

Gabriel accuses Merkel of preparing nuclear deal

Politics: 18 May 11
Social Democratic Party chairman Sigmar Gabriel has accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of preparing to strike a deal with energy companies over a nuclear power exit strategy. READ »

VW and Audi to invest in wind power

Business & Money: 13 May 11
Auto maker Volkswagen plans a major shift towards green energy by investing in wind farms and selling the electricity as part of a package to power its electric cars, German media reported Friday. READ »

Fake census forms probe drug consumption and penis size

Society: 11 May 11
Forms masquerading as Germany's 2011 census but instead asking questions about drug consumption and penis size have been arriving in post boxes around the country. READ »

Lufthansa traffic hit by Japan disaster

Business & Money: 6 May 11
The head of German flag carrier Lufthansa said Friday Japan bookings have fallen since the earthquake and tsunami in March but he hoped demand would stabilise in the second and third quarters. READ »

MPs call for hike in commuter allowance

Business & Money: 3 May 11
Amid rising petrol prices, a cross-party group of MPs is calling for a hike in the Pendlerpauschale commuter allowance, which lets German workers write off travel costs on their tax. READ »

Petrol price hits new high

National: 29 Apr 11
Petrol prices in Germany have hit a record high and look set to crack €1.60 per litre ($8.98 per gallon) of premium gasoline. READ »

Petrol station charges €9.99 a litre for gas

National: 26 Apr 11
Police were called after a petrol station near Stuttgart began charging €9.99 per litre ($40 per gallon) of super gasoline amid dwindling supplies on Easter Monday. READ »

Car industry must downsize, says new Green state premier

Politics: 24 Apr 11
Winfried Kretschmann, set to become Germany’s first Green state premier in Baden-Württemberg, says the auto industry must produce fewer vehicles and make sure they use less fuel. READ »

Drivers warned of Easter traffic and fuel misery

National: 21 Apr 11
Drivers preparing to travel during the Easter break are being warned that German roads are likely to be choked with traffic over the next few days, while increased petrol prices could add to their misery. READ »

EnBW warns nuclear moratorium to hit profits

Business & Money: 19 Apr 11
Germany’s third biggest electricity supplier EnBW has warned of dramatically reduced profits for this year in the wake of the moratorium on the country’s nuclear power plants. READ »

Volkswagen unveils new, macho Beetle

Society: 19 Apr 11
Volkswagen unveiled a new “bolder, more dynamic and masculine” model of its iconic Beetle this week – the third generation of the classic German car of which more than 20 million have been sold. READ »

Boom pours tax money into treasuries

Business & Money: 18 Apr 11
The booming economy is pumping windfall money into German government purses, with the tax intake in March a whopping 16.5 percent higher than the same month last year, media reported Monday. READ »

Joschka Fischer rules out chancellorship bid

Politics: 17 Apr 11
Former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has ruled himself out of the running as a chancellor-candidate for the Green party. The Greens are currently enjoying a ratings high, fuelling speculation about potential candidates for the 2013 election. READ »

Nuke shutdown could boost energy profits

Business & Money: 16 Apr 11
Energy corporation RWE admitted Saturday that if electricity prices rose as a result of nuclear power station closures, the company stands to make a bigger profit in the long term. READ »

Hamburg company hopes kites will make shipping greener

Science & Technology: 15 Apr 11
A Hamburg-based company is producing giant kites to help power sea vessels and save fuel, hoping to harness not just the wind but a new will for energy efficiency. READ »

German 'thought car' could be driven on Sabbath, Rabbi says

Science & Technology: 12 Apr 11
A German-designed car that can be driven by thought alone could allow Jews to drive on the Sabbath, a young Rabbi and artificial intelligence scientist says. READ »

Ramsauer blasts EU diesel tax hike

Business & Money: 11 Apr 11
Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer on Monday slapped down a European Union plan to raise the tax on diesel. READ »

Intelligence agency still keeping secrets on Eichmann

National: 6 Apr 11
Fifty years after Adolf Eichmann went on trial in Israel, Germany is still keeping mum on how much it knew before Mossad agents kidnapped the Nazi war criminal in Argentina in 1960, a new Berlin exhibition revealed Wednesday. READ »