- Jul 5
German lifeguards warn parents: smartphone distraction at pools puts children at risk of drowning
Swimming pools in North Rhine-Westphalia are urging parents to put down their phones after staff report finding unsupervised children, sometimes in the water, while parents scroll on social media.
- Jun 24
Deutsche Bahn blames technical update for nationwide train halt that stranded thousands
A botched maintenance swap on Deutsche Bahn’s internal radio system brought all passenger and freight trains to a stop late Tuesday, leaving passengers stranded and prompting renewed criticism of the state-owned operator.
- Jun 23
Germany braces for 40°C heatwave with June temperature record at risk as heat dome arrives from France
Forecasters warn that the mercury could hit 40°C in western and southwestern Germany by Friday, threatening the country's June record of 39.6°C set in 2019.
- Jun 13
Jochen Ott confirmed as SPD lead candidate for North Rhine-Westphalia with 96 percent delegate vote
Jochen Ott has been formally selected as the SPD’s lead candidate for the April 2027 North Rhine-Westphalia state election, winning 96.2 percent of delegates’ votes at a party conference in Düsseldorf. He will challenge incumbent Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) as the SPD tries to reverse a prolonged polling slump.
- Jun 9
Erfurt tops German happiness ranking as city size and social fabric shape life satisfaction
The Thuringian capital scores 7.74 out of 10 in the 2026 SKL Glücksatlas, while Rostock, Frankfurt and Wiesbaden bring up the rear in a survey of 40 major cities.
- May 28
Two 12-year-old cyclists killed on way to school in Dinslaken; medical emergency suspected as cause
A 47-year-old driver lost control of her vehicle and struck three boys cycling to school in Dinslaken on Wednesday morning. Two 12-year-olds died in hospital, while investigators examine whether a medical emergency caused the crash.
