- 2d ago
Germany schedules nationwide emergency alert test for 10 September
Federal, state, and local authorities across Germany will test emergency warning systems on 10 September, sounding sirens and triggering Cell Broadcast alerts between 11:00 and 11:45.
- Aug 28
Rhineland-Palatinate court hears AfD lawsuit over security vetting of parliamentary staff
The Constitutional Court of Rhineland-Palatinate is hearing a complaint by the AfD against a 2025 law requiring background checks on legislative staff.
- Aug 21
German fruit and grain yields decline as drought and heatwave damage crops
Extreme temperatures and water shortages in Rhineland-Palatinate leave sweet cherry yields at 80% of average, prompting growers to seek government aid.
- Aug 20
Severe overnight storms kill woman and trigger tornadoes across Germany
A 58-year-old woman died in Waldorf and tornadoes unroofed buildings in Fürstenwalde and Solms as severe storms caused widespread damage across western and central Germany overnight.
- Aug 18
Germany opens Cochstedt drone defense center following Leipzig airport threat
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt inaugurated a new testing center for counter-drone technologies in Saxony-Anhalt following the discovery of an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig/Halle airport.
- Aug 17
Two Pedestrians Injured in Bassenheim After Being Trapped Between Bus and Wall
A 38-year-old and a 39-year-old suffered leg injuries in Bassenheim on Monday when an incoming scheduled bus pinned them against a knee-high stone wall.
- Aug 9
Rhine water levels hit record lows at Kaub, splitting Europe's key waterway and disrupting industry
The gauge at Kaub fell to 6 centimetres on Friday, the lowest since records began, forcing cargo ships to cut loads to a fifth of normal capacity and effectively dividing the river into two non-connecting sections.
- Aug 1
Rhine at record low chokes German freight as Bilger lifts Sunday truck ban
The Rhine gauge at Kaub fell to 17 centimetres on Wednesday, the lowest since measurements began in 1880, crippling cargo traffic on Germany's most important waterway. Transport Minister Steffen Bilger announced emergency measures including suspending Sunday truck driving bans after a crisis summit with industry in Bonn on Thursday.
- Jul 26
From topless debate to UV shirts: German outdoor pools mirror society's shifting norms
A dpa feature on 26 July 2026 uses the open-air swimming pool as a lens for conflicting German lifestyles, from tattoos and topless bathing to full-body swimwear and the quiet crisis of decaying infrastructure.
- Jul 10
Deutsche Bahn starts five-month closure of right-bank Rhine line, night-time restrictions in Rhine-Main
From Friday, Deutsche Bahn closes the right-bank Rhine line between Wiesbaden and Troisdorf for five months of modernisation, while night-time works disrupt S-Bahn and regional services in the Rhine-Main area until late September.
- Jun 21
German pools turn to AI drowning detection, but DLRG warns ‘AI cannot rescue, resuscitate or take responsibility’
Swimming pools in Rhineland-Palatinate are adopting AI-powered camera systems that alert staff when swimmers show signs of trouble. The German Life Saving Association (DLRG) calls the technology an ‘extra pair of eyes’ but stresses it can never replace human vigilance.
