Saarbrücken
capital of the German state of Saarland
Photo: Dirk Weishaar, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
- Oct 1
German Taxpayers Association details 100 cases of alleged public waste in annual Black Book
The German Taxpayers Association released its 54th Black Book on Thursday, identifying 100 cases of alleged public spending waste across federal, state, and municipal budgets.
- Sep 30
German Cabinet approves tougher criminal penalties for attacks on train staff and emergency workers
The German Cabinet has approved legislation raising minimum prison terms to six months for assaults against transit staff, doctors, firefighters, and law enforcement officers.
- Sep 26
German unions mobilize tens of thousands across 15 cities against proposed social cuts
Tens of thousands of workers joined rallies organized by the DGB trade union federation across 15 German cities on Saturday, rejecting planned federal cuts to pensions, healthcare, and labor protections.
- Sep 20
Five-year-old boy rescued from three-meter school pipe shaft in Sulzbach
Emergency crews in Saarland freed a five-year-old child who became trapped inside a narrow 35-centimeter-wide utility shaft near a school, using jackhammers and an excavator.
- Aug 23
Sunny weather returns across western German states with temperatures reaching up to 27 degrees Celsius
The German Weather Service forecasts dry, sunny conditions across Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and Hesse following recent thunderstorms, with temperatures rising toward mid-week.
- Aug 23
Hertha BSC beats 1. FC Saarbrücken on penalties in DFB-Pokal first round
Second-division Hertha BSC advanced to the DFB-Pokal second round after defeating third-tier 1. FC Saarbrücken 4:2 on penalties following a 1:1 draw in front of 15,500 fans.
- Aug 13
RKI estimates 12,500 heat-related deaths in Germany through August 2, surpassing any full previous year
The Robert Koch-Institut estimates 12,500 heat-related deaths in Germany between April 6 and August 2, 2026, with 9,600 occurring in a single June week when temperatures exceeded 40°C.
- Jul 13
Zverev loses Wimbledon final to Sinner; Merz visits locker room after match
Alexander Zverev lost in four sets to world No.1 Jannik Sinner in his first Wimbledon final. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in the Royal Box and then visited the locker room to console him.
- Jul 2
Coalition's sick note reform faces backlash from own ranks, doctors, and public
The black-red coalition's plan to require a doctor's note from day one and abolish telephone sick notes has triggered sharp criticism from within its own parties, medical associations, and economic researchers, who warn of overburdened practices and more presenteeism.
- Jun 28
Record heatwave engulfs Europe: France records 74 drownings, six nations shatter June temperature records
Temperatures soared past 40°C from Scandinavia to the Alps on 27 June 2026, breaking national records in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Austria, while French authorities reported 74 drowning deaths since 18 June linked to the extreme heat.
- Jun 27
Europe suffocates under record heatwave: over 200 dead, hospitals overwhelmed and events cancelled
From France to the Balkans, a scorching heatwave shattered national temperature records and killed more than 200 people, pushing hospitals into saturation and forcing major event cancellations on 27 June 2026.
- Jun 27
Germany braces for 42C peak as record-breaking heatwave pushes east; France tallies dozens of deaths
A blistering heatwave that shattered June temperature records across Western Europe is shifting into central and eastern regions, with Germany forecast to reach up to 42C on Saturday and severe strain on hospitals, transport and infrastructure.
- Jun 26
European wildcat reclaims Saarland's forests as experts prepare for conservation conference
Once extremely rare, the European wildcat now roams nearly every forest in Saarland, with at least 500 individuals estimated. A specialist conference on 27 June will discuss the future of these recovering woodlands.
- Jun 24
Germany breaks heat record for second day with 41.5°C, triggering transport chaos and evacuations
Germany recorded 41.5°C on Saturday in Drewitz, Saxony-Anhalt, surpassing Friday's 41.3°C and prompting rail shutdowns, motorway closures and the evacuation of care homes as extreme heat pushed eastward.
- Jun 24
Record-breaking European heatwave kills dozens, forces hospital alerts as heat dome advances east
A historic June heatwave has shattered temperature records across Western Europe, killing at least 55 people in France and overwhelming health services, with the heat dome now pushing east towards Germany, Poland and the Balkans.
- Jun 16
Saarland overhauls special-needs schools: IT becomes mandatory, middle-school diplomas added
Saarland's cabinet has approved a wide-ranging regulation for the state's 40 special-needs schools, introducing mandatory computer science classes and the option to earn a middle-school diploma from August 1, 2026. The reform responds to a growing and increasingly complex pupil population.
- Jun 15
Special Olympics 2026: Saarland kicks off Germany’s largest inclusive sports event with a cross-border twist
With a sold-out opening ceremony tonight in Saarbrücken, the national Special Olympics Summer Games bring 4,300 athletes, 27 sports, and an unprecedented cross-border partnership with France to the smallest German state.
- Jun 13
EVG warns Italo's German entry could cut long-distance rail to at least 16 cities
Italy's Italo plans to launch high-speed services on two German corridors from 2028. A railway union analysis says at least 16 cities could lose their ICE and IC stops as a result.
- Jun 13
From 38-minute 5K to Special Olympics: Fynn Thome's rapid rise ahead of Saarland national games
An 18-year-old autistic runner from Schmelz-Limbach has gone from learning to run without falling to a gold medal in a year. Now he’s preparing for the national Special Olympics in Germany’s Saarland.
- Jun 13
Bundestag freezes MPs’ pay, but several German state parliaments raise allowances as planned
Germany’s lower house of parliament is forgoing a scheduled €497 monthly raise, while many Landtage are proceeding with automatic increases of several hundred euros.