The daily World Cup roundup
The Local’s World Cup blog offers an outsider’s perspective on German football as Die Mannschaft goes for glory in South Africa. Don’t miss our daily roundup!
Day: June 30, 2010
Karadzic: Germany withholding proof of Bosnian weapons trade
Suspected Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic is reportedly accusing the German government of holding back explosive documents that show NATO conducted illegal weapons deals during the Bosnian war.
Weekend heat wave on the way
German football fans are being warned of possible heatstroke while watching Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final match, as a heat wave causes the mercury to spike to hit 37 degrees Celsius in parts of the country.
Stolen ‘Caravaggio’ likely a copy, experts say
A purported masterpiece by painter Caravaggio stolen from a Ukraine museum and recovered last week by Berlin police is in fact probably a contemporary copy, experts said Wednesday.
Wulff elected president, Merkel humiliated
Christian Wulff, the German government's candidate for president, was elected the country's head of state on Wednesday after a tortuously long vote seen as public humiliation for Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition.
Morning sickness? There’s a tea for that
Giving birth while living abroad can be a daunting prospect. The second instalment of the Local's series Motherhood in the Fatherland follows expectant mum Sabine Devins as she negotiates the cultural quirks of having a baby in Germany.
Jobless rate drops amid growing confidence
Germany got another economic confidence boost Wednesday with unemployment falling to roughly the same rate it was before the financial crisis.
Guttenberg under fire for putting troops at risk
The top parliamentary watchdog for the armed forces has blasted Defence Minster Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg’s failures to fix deficiencies in troop training and equipment, putting soldiers’ lives at risk, a media report said Wednesday.
Health insurers warn of system breakdown
Facing a deficit of €11 billion next year, Germany’s statutory health insurers are in such trouble that the whole system is teetering and could collapse, the insurers’ peak body has warned.
Merkel in the crowd for Argentina clash
Chancellor Angela Merkel, known as a keen football fan, will travel to South Africa to cheer on Germany in their crunch World Cup quarter-final encounter with Argentina.
Germany to choose new president
Germany was counting down the hours Wednesday morning to the vote for a new president, with centre-right candidate Christian Wulff still the frontrunner yet with commentators refusing to write off opposition pick Joachim Gauck.