- 13h ago
Rhineland-Palatinate interior minister: 'No fan of border controls' but sees current justification
Rhineland-Palatinate interior minister Achim Schwickert (CDU) told dpa he is no fan of border controls but considers them currently justifiable as a signal for closer scrutiny of entries.
- 2d ago
Deutsche Bahn demands ZDF pull Hayali documentary after two factual corrections, citing skewed portrayal
The state-owned railway escalated a legal fight over the film 'Am Puls mit Dunja Hayali,' arguing that even after edits the report remains one-sided and omits billions in digitalisation investment.
- Jul 26
Rhineland-Palatinate minister calls fuel discount 'money burned', backs carbon dividend
In a 26 July dpa interview, Consumer Protection Minister Helmut Martin of Rhineland-Palatinate condemned the federal fuel discount as a scattergun policy that burned money without benefit, and proposed a revival of the per-capita carbon dividend.
- 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 25
Mainz 05 beats Holstein Kiel 3-0 in final friendly before Tirol training camp
FSV Mainz 05 defeated second-division Holstein Kiel 3-0 at Bruchwegstadion. Goals from Phillip Tietz, Ransford Königsdörffer and William Böving sent the Bundesliga side into their Austrian training camp on a high.
- Jul 25
De Zerbi tells unhappy Tottenham players to find new clubs as Bergvall nears exit
Ahead of a pre-season tour in New Zealand, Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi issued a blunt warning that any player not fully committed will be sold, with midfielder Lucas Bergvall's future at the club increasingly uncertain.
- Jul 25
Mainz CSD draws 10,000 participants as organizers stress political purpose and harsher social climate
The Christopher Street Day parade in Mainz drew an estimated 10,000 participants on Saturday, as organizers deliberately skipped carnival-style floats to underscore the event's political character. Speakers warned of a 'harsher social climate' for queer people.
- Jul 23
Merz reshuffles cabinet as CDU rebellion exposes chancellor's weakened grip
Chancellor Friedrich Merz replaced his transport and health ministers and installed a new parliamentary group leader after an 11-day reshuffle, but open criticism from senior CDU figures and a new pension row with eastern state premiers left his authority badly dented.
- Jul 23
Helmut Martin: Surrogacy ban must stay, Spahn's secrecy 'not appropriate' for his office
Rhineland-Palatinate's new justice minister Helmut Martin (CDU) told dpa he opposes any relaxation of Germany's surrogacy ban, warning of a 'terrible thought' of a market for children. He also said former CDU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn, who resigned after using a surrogate in the US, did not meet the standards of his office.
- Jul 22
Drought accelerates harvest, strains Rhine shipping and tourism in Rhineland-Palatinate
Despite better-than-expected harvests, heat and low water are stressing crops, forcing BASF to deploy extra ships, and threatening hotel vessels on the Rhine.
- Jul 22
Inside Mainz forensic medicine: the state's only autopsy institute, from the Weitefeld killer to the Luise case
The Mainz forensic medicine institute, the only one in Rhineland-Palatinate, handles everything from traffic victims to high-profile murder cases. Its director describes a job that mixes craftsmanship with detective work.
- Jul 19
ZDF 'Fernsehgarten' brings Mallorca party to Mainz with 6,500 fans, non-alcoholic drinks, and Ballermann stars
The ZDF 'Fernsehgarten' transformed the Mainz Lerchenberg into a slice of Playa de Palma on Sunday, with 6,500 fans, Ballermann acts, and a strict no-alcohol policy that drew chants of 'Wir wollen Freibier'.
- Jul 17
ZDF bars Danger Dan and Igor Levit from satire show over 'Keine Angst' song, then schedules 'Aspekte' special
The public broadcaster pulled the rapper and pianist from "Die Anstalt" hours before recording, citing the song's alleged call to violence; a special "Aspekte" will now examine the track on Saturday.
- Jul 16
CHE survey: 27.9% of German students live with parents, but regional gaps are wide
A nationwide CHE survey of over 87,000 students finds 27.9% still live with their parents, while private flats and shared apartments are nearly as common. Regional differences are stark, from Saarland's 42.8% at home to Saxony's preference for solo renting.
- Jul 15
Built by Kohl in 1970, the State Chancellery's wine cellar in Mainz reopens for CDU control after 35 years of SPD use
After 35 years of Social Democrat rule, the new CDU Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate, Gordon Schnieder, has stepped inside the Mainz State Chancellery's wine cellar, a unique room built for informal politics by Helmut Kohl in 1970.
- Jul 10
Germany's DFB agrees key terms with Jürgen Klopp for national team coach role, contract until 2030 awaits Red Bull deal
German FA president Bernd Neuendorf and vice president Hans-Joachim Watzke held over four hours of talks with the former Liverpool manager in New York on Friday, agreeing on key contract points. A deal to 2030 hinges on release from Red Bull, where Klopp has been global head of soccer since 2025.
- 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.
- Jul 9
Rhineland-Palatinate minister defends small municipalities against reform, calling them a 'treasure'
Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister for Municipalities Sven Teuber (SPD) has defended the state's many small local authorities as a source of identity, while warning that a municipal territorial reform would be a withdrawal from the area and a boost to anti-democratic forces.
- Jul 8
SPD's Schweitzer accuses Merz of 'barrack-square' tone in sick note debate, warns against blanket distrust of workers
Former Rhineland-Palatinate premier Alexander Schweitzer has sharply criticised Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his combative rhetoric on planned sick note rules, urging the government to tackle root causes rather than treating employees as a 'nation of shirkers'.
- Jul 4
Green party warns of cuts to Rhineland-Palatinate's Aktion Grün nature program after coalition change
The Green party in Rhineland-Palatinate is raising alarm over the future of the state's 'Aktion Grün' conservation program, which has funded over 100 projects with €16 million since 2021, after the new CDU-SPD coalition announced an evaluation.
