Yemeni forces surround town where German hostages held
Yemeni security forces laid siege on Tuesday to a remote mountain town where tribesmen were holding hostage a German couple and their daughter, a security official said.
Day: December 16, 2008
Hogs escape truck and create highway havoc
Three live pigs fell off a truck on its way to a slaughterhouse on Wednesday, police in German state of North Rhine-Westphalia reported. One pig was run over, one pig hid in the woods, and one “ghost pig” ran into oncoming traffic.
German Mittelstand balks at job guarantees
Small and medium-sized companies, the backbone of the German economy known as the Mittelstand, reacted coolly on Tuesday to a proposal by blue-chip firms to guarantee jobs next year despite a biting recession.
Germany’s young adults are too fat to work
Obesity is a common problem in Germany, but some industries face a shortage of qualified trainees because an increasing number of young people are too fat to begin their careers, a study released by the German Sport University in Cologne reveals.
Merkel hints at billions for new stimulus plan
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday her government may invest "another few billion" euros in a new stimulus package early next year to help overcome the economic crisis.
Why Berlin needs David Bowie and not a polar bear
As the departure of Berlin's world famous polar bear Knut appears imminent, Roger Boyes, correspondent for British daily The Times, muses why the German capital needs more Bowie and less bear.
German bankers call for ‘bad bank’ to restore confidence
Several German bankers have called for the creation of a "bad bank" to buy devalued assets and risky loans in order to unblock interbank lending, a press report said on Tuesday.
Court rejects Heesters’ case over Nazi claim
A Berlin district court on Tuesday dismissed a case by Germany’s oldest living cabaret entertainer, Dutchman Johannes Heesters, who sued an author alleging he sang for the SS at Dachau the concentration camp.
Hairdressers face the chop as Berlin becomes messy hair capital
Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit has labelled his town “poor, but sexy” – a testament perhaps to the city’s hipsters having mastered the art of studied shabby chic. But now hairdressers in the German capital are suffering as people save money on haircuts.
US Army soldier dies suddenly in Germany
US Army officials have identified a Baumholder based soldier who died in his quarters last Thursday.
Drivers warned of Nazi codes on licence plates
Thousands of Brandenburg residents could come under suspicion for being neo-Nazis or right-wing sympathisers because of the letter and number combinations on their licence plates.