Berlin – News Stories About Berlin - Page 8

Germany Bickers Over Obama Speech at Landmark

Jul 9, 2008 7:45 AM CDT

Germany Bickers Over Obama Speech at Landmark

Dem wants backdrop of Brandenburg Gate

(Newser) - Barack Obama will be in Berlin in 2 weeks, and his campaign wants to stage a major speech at the Brandenburg Gate, the most famous symbol of German reunification. Berlin's mayor is keen on the idea, reports Der Spiegel, saying yesterday that he'd love Obama to address the public there....

Wax Hitler Loses Its Head

Jul 5, 2008 9:01 AM CDT

Wax Hitler Loses Its Head

Berlin man decapitates figure in protest

(Newser) - A wax model of Adolf Hitler at a new Madame Tussauds in Germany was decapitated by a Berlin man soon after the museum opened today, AFP reports. The man, who was arrested, “wanted to protest against Hitler's figure being on show,” police said. The model had sparked controversy,...

US Embassy Returns
to Berlin's Heart

Jul 4, 2008 3:00 PM CDT

US Embassy Returns to Berlin's Heart

But 'Fort Knox at the Brandenburg Gate' riles many in German capital

(Newser) - With the July 4 backdrop, the US opened its new embassy in Berlin today, bringing to a close a project planned since reunification. The new facility stands near the historic Brandenburg Gate, the same location as its pre-World War II predecessor. But, the New York Times reports, the building has...

Reagan Was
a Berliner, Too, Son Reminds

Jul 2, 2008 6:45 PM CDT

Reagan Was a Berliner, Too, Son Reminds

Hurrying Wall's demise worth monument in city full of JFK iconography

(Newser) - Ronald Reagan's son Michael is pushing Berlin to erect a monument to his dad. "He was able to bring together people who ultimately brought down the Berlin Wall," the right-wing talk-show host tells Der Spiegel during a trip to the German capital—home to numerous JFK tributes—to...

Leaders Press for Berlin Cold War Museum

Jun 18, 2008 3:21 AM CDT

Leaders Press for Berlin Cold War Museum

Gorbachev backs effort to reacquaint tourists with conflict's history

(Newser) - Berlin would finally get a museum dedicated to the Cold War if a group of high-profile politicians get their way. Led by former Czech President Vaclav Havel, the group is urging Germany to build the structure at Checkpoint Charlie, the infamous crossing point that connected the city when it was...

Raccoon Checks Into Berlin Hotel

Jun 17, 2008 11:42 AM CDT

Raccoon Checks Into Berlin Hotel

Under German law, evicting furry visitor a rocky proposition

(Newser) - The talk of the town in Berlin is a raccoon who's taken up residence in a hotel garage and can't legally be removed. Under German law, a wild animal can't be removed from private property unless it poses a threat, Der Spiegel reports. One wildlife expert says he thinks the...

Fire Lashes Berlin Philharmonic

May 20, 2008 2:25 PM CDT

Fire Lashes Berlin Philharmonic

No one injured in blaze as musicians bolt from iconic concert hall with instruments

(Newser) - A fire broke out at the Berlin Philharmonic today, bringing more than 100 firefighters to the concert hall, Der Spiegel reports. No one was injured in the blaze, with musicians fleeing with their instruments; a lunchtime concert had to be evacuated. "We don’t believe anyone is in danger,...

Slow Down!
Autobahn Hits a Limit

Apr 10, 2008 10:16 AM CDT

Slow Down! Autobahn Hits a Limit

Germany rolls out first 75mph speed limit

(Newser) - The German autobahn is one of the world's last stretches of open road where a driver can learn how it feels to coax a Porsche to 200 mph and beyond—legally. But those days are numbered. the German state of Bremen has imposed a 75 mph speed limit and others...

Berlin Zoo Accused of Selling Animals for Slaughter

Mar 19, 2008 2:38 PM CDT

Berlin Zoo Accused of Selling Animals for Slaughter

Politician says director sold hippo, bear family

(Newser) - A German politician has filed a criminal complaint against the director of the Berlin Zoo, accusing him of selling animals for slaughter, Der Spiegel reports. The complaint cites examples of a hippopotamus and a family of bears allegedly sold in Belgium. Bernhard Blaszkiewitz vehemently denied the accusations, which he described...

Café-Loving Kids Cash In
on Laptop Ads

Mar 12, 2008 2:00 PM CDT

Café-Loving Kids Cash In on Laptop Ads

German firm pushes screen-back billboards at universities

(Newser) - A German company has a solution for university students who spend their time in cafés and need extra cash for coffee: laptop advertisements, Der Spiegel reports. Just slap a sticker on the back of your screen and you could earn $320 for a few months of public studying. Berlin-based...

Strike Cripples German Airports

Mar 5, 2008 7:23 AM CST

Strike Cripples German Airports

Scores of flights canceled; Berlin transport also shut

(Newser) - Thousands of German airport workers have walked off the job on the first day of a strike, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations across Europe's largest country. Frankfurt International Airport, a key European hub, was picketed by more than 2,000 employees from baggage handlers to check-in counter workers and...

Knut to Hit the Silver Screen

Mar 3, 2008 6:30 AM CST

Knut to Hit the Silver Screen

Documentary follows star bear cub from tiny fluffball to frightening teen

(Newser) - Once celebrity polar bear Knut got big and his fluffy fur gained a yellowish-gray tint, public attention turned to younger, cuter bears. But now the spotlight is back on the Berlin Zoo's most famous orphan, with the premiere of a new documentary called Knut and Friends, the Canadian Press reports.

Get Creative at Top Artsy Hotels

TRAVEL

Mar 2, 2008 3:50 PM CST

Get Creative at Top Artsy Hotels

Pitched tent, disco balls enliven lodgings on Budget Travel list

(Newser) - A good hotel provides comfort; a great hotel ... inspiration? Artists touched up the staid look of these hotels, selected by Budget Travel for their fake-fur tapestry, psychedelic mazes, and speckled French graffiti:

The Winston, Amsterdam: This avant-garde hotel once displayed dead leaves; check out the Playnation room's trippy ceiling mural

...

Germans Confront Nazi Legacy

Jan 29, 2008 10:35 AM CST

Germans Confront Nazi Legacy

75th anniversary of Hitler's rise prompts new memorials

(Newser) - As Germany marks the 75th year since Hitler seized power, the effort to come to terms with Nazi horrors is anything but over, the New York Times reports. The minister of culture yesterday green-lighted construction on two new Berlin-based Holocaust memorials, one to murdered Gypsies and one to gay and...

Scorsese's Stones Film to Launch Berlin Film Festival

Jan 17, 2008 3:57 AM CST

Scorsese's Stones Film to Launch Berlin Film Festival

Rockumentary Shine a Light to be unveiled next month

(Newser) - The Berlin Film Festival will kick off next month with the world premiere of Martin Scorsese's rockumentary about the Rolling Stones, Der Spiegel reports. Scorsese and his team shot over half a million feet of film at two 2006 Rolling Stone gigs in New York. Performances by Jack White and...

FBI Plans Huge Biometric Index

Dec 22, 2007 12:29 PM CST

FBI Plans Huge Biometric Index

On project 'Next Generation Identification'

(Newser) - The FBI is planning a $1 billion database of “biometric” information—face shapes, iris scans, palm patterns, and even gait patterns—to enhance investigations, the Washington Post reports. Critics fear that the plan, called Next Generation Identification, will further erode individual privacy as the body becomes a de facto...

Gebrselassie Sets Record in Berlin Race

Sep 30, 2007 6:58 PM CDT

Gebrselassie Sets Record in Berlin Race

Shaves 29 secs off previous men's marathon best

(Newser) - Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie set a new world record at the Berlin marathon today, beating the previous record of close friend Paul Tergat by 29 seconds. Tergat called to congratulate his rival 10 minutes after he crossed the finish line. The champion’s response? “Sorry, Paul, try next year” reports...

Berlin Synagogue Reopens

Aug 31, 2007 10:10 AM CDT

Berlin Synagogue Reopens

Country’s largest synagogue survived century of strife

(Newser) - Germany’s largest synagogue has re-opened its doors after a major restoration, welcoming political leaders and Holocaust survivors to its unveiling. Built over 100 years ago, the Berlin temple was burned on Kristallnacht but the structure survived Nazism, Communism and decades of neglect. Architects re-created the original appearance with the...

11 Injured
in Cruise Film
Car Crash

Aug 20, 2007 2:52 PM CDT

11 Injured in Cruise Film Car Crash

Berlin police investigate a totaled truck for defects on the set of "Valkyrie"

(Newser) - Eleven extras were injured on the Berlin set of Tom Cruise's latest film, "Valkyrie," when the side of a truck—decked out to look like a Nazi military transport—blew open as it took a corner. One man was seriously injured in the crash. Local authorities reported "...

Hitler's Bubbly Sparkles at
UK Auction

Aug 19, 2007 3:16 PM CDT

Hitler's Bubbly Sparkles at UK Auction

Bottle fetches almost $3,000 but is 'poisoned' or simply undrinkable

(Newser) - A bottle of bubbly nabbed from Hitler’s wine cellar has drawn the equivalent of almost $3,000 at a British auction, the BBC reports. A Swedish television company bought the 1937 Moet and Chandon, which a soldier gave to a lawyer as thanks for legal work some 15 years...