Nela Heidner

Europe News

Germany and Japan strengthen economic ties as global tensions rise

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi agreed in Tokyo on Wednesday to deepen cooperation on economic security and high tech. It is Merz's first visit to Japan since taking office in May 2025.

28 October 2026

Business

Audi's first US production plant: carmaker strikes deal with Trump

Audi is planning its first car factory in the United States, with the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer set to invest billions in a new plant in Georgia.

25 October 2026

Europe News

Won a dream, got reality: why a German is selling his Haribo island

A private island, a log cabin and Canada on the doorstep: in 2005, Matthias R. from Bavaria won an unusual jackpot. Some 20 years on, he is looking for a buyer, as even wilderness needs upkeep - and it is a long way to go just for a short break.

23 October 2026

Europe News

Germany arrests Ukrainian suspected of spying for Russia

A Ukrainian national has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia. According to federal prosecutors, he allegedly gathered defence-related information.

22 October 2026

Europe News

World time to drop the leap second from May 2027

Global timekeepers have voted to end the practice of adding extra seconds to UTC, citing risks to computer systems and the prospect of the first-ever negative leap second.

16 October 2026

Culture news

The 7,000 year old skeleton baffling German archaeologists

Was the Stone Age teenager laid to rest in a twisted pose on purpose, or did the body slip in a sloping grave?

14 October 2026

Europe News

Merz makes surprise Kyiv visit as Germany pledges more aid to Ukraine

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Sunday. Accompanied by Economy Minister Katherina Reiche and representatives of German defence and energy companies, he aims to pledge further military and financial support for Ukraine.

4 October 2026

Europe News

Germany and Kazakhstan: raw materials, trade routes and new partnerships

Kazakhstan is becoming a key economic and geopolitical partner for Germany. President Tokayev's Berlin visit focuses on Central Asia and cutting reliance on vital raw materials.

1 October 2026

Culture news

Buried treasure: Mystery surrounds Germany's largest Roman coin find

A father from the Rhineland set out in autumn 2025 to briefly scan a field near Wesseling, south of Cologne, with his metal detector. The device beeped and he uncovered a Roman silver coin, and then several more.

29 September 2026

Europe News

A ticking 'mercury bomb'? Ancient Nazi U-boat lies off Norway

Off the Norwegian island of Fedje lies a German WWII submarine believed to contain a huge load of mercury. Underwater footage shows the state of the wreck today and why salvaging it has become a race against time.

19 September 2026

Europe News

The keg is tapped: Munich springs to life as Oktoberfest returns

Munich is once again in its own special “state of emergency”: for 16 days, the Theresienwiese becomes a mix of a traditional Bavarian costume catwalk, funfair, beer garden and open-air stage, as Bavaria’s capital celebrates the return of Oktoberfest.

19 September 2026

Europe News

Austria's new headscarf ban for under-14s sparks debate

Since 1 September, Austria has banned headscarves for female pupils under 14 at state and private schools. Repeated breaches of the rule could lead to fines of €150 to €800 for parents.

13 September 2026

Europe News

Anaconda on the Danube: giant constrictor snake discovered in Bavaria

A walker made an unusual discovery on the banks of the Danube in Lower Bavaria: a snake more than two metres long. It turned out to be a South American anaconda, far from its natural habitat.

12 September 2026

Europe News

Ulrich Siegmund: From CDU member to AfD lead candidate

Ulrich Siegmund is the AfD's leading figure in Saxony-Anhalt: 35, media-savvy and aiming to be minister-president. At the next state election he wants to lead his party into government.

7 September 2026

Tech News

Berlin cyberattack: hackers leak highly sensitive data across dark web

A large amount of personal data has also been leaked, particularly relating to state civil servants, including birth certificates, what appear to be absence lists, telephone numbers and home addresses.

5 September 2026

Europe News

Improvised explosive devices found near German power plant, police say

According to media reports, a key installation near the Jänschwalde coal plant in Brandenburg was repeatedly targeted with rockets, which emergency crews later found and defused.

1 September 2026

Earth News

Up to 1km-thick ice: Swiss meteorite offers new insight into the Ice Age

More and more fragments of the Twannberg meteorite are being found in the Bernese Jura; over 2,200 pieces are known, and the rare iron meteorite is highly valuable for research.

31 August 2026

Europe News

Two dead in 'violent incident' at school near Berlin, local media says

Regional public broadcaster RBB and a local daily said the alarm had been raised at a secondary school in the town of Gosen-Neu Zittau, just outside the German capital.

27 August 2026

Europe News

US comedy star trapped in Hermès toilet for 80 minutes

What started as a brief visit to a Hermès store ended badly for US comedian Zarna Garg: she was stuck for 80 minutes in the Berlin shop's toilet and now blames the retailer.

24 August 2026

Europe News

Owner of Swiss bar in deadly blaze held for domestic abuse, media say

French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti have been the focus of intense scrutiny since the fire ripped though their bar Le Constellation, in the Crans-Montana ski resort in the early hours of 1 January.

24 August 2026