Although there is no top news from Germany these days, I want to give you an overview of what is happening over here and what people have to deal with. Mixed with a little vocabulary training, this should help you to be up to date considering German affairs.

Benedikt  XVI. tritt zurück (resigns). Although this is a global matter, especially Germans are discussing this Thema (topic) because Benedikt XVI. alias Joseph Ratzinger was born in Germany and therefore a lot of German Christians were Stolz (proud) to have a German pope. And of course, the first Gerüchte (rumors) about possible successors are  planted.

Positive Reaktionen (reactions) on President Obama´s speech. To tighten Waffengesetze (laws on arms) for example encounters great Zustimmung (acceptance) in Germany.

2013 is a Wahljahr (election year) in Germany. The Bundestagswahl (elections for the Bundestag) will take place in September. That´s why the political parties already start their Wahlkampf (election campaigns). For me it often feels like a TV show (America´s got talent for example). So political Inhalt (content) is mostly missing. Nevertheless you can be curious about the result since there have been many political changes in the “Länder” the last years.

The British scandal about horse meat seems to hit Germany as well. Meat that has been  declared as Rindfleisch (beef) turns out to be horse meat. First Beweise (evidence) has been found and a famous supermarket chain is pulling back some verdächtige (ominous) products.

Kalte Tage (Chilly days). Since a couple of days, temperatures didn´t reach 0°C. Snow and ice are dominating the weather.

Since today, the Faschingszeit (carnival time) is over in Germany. With the Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday) all festivals, parades and parties are over and life goes back to normal. For many people the Fastenzeit (fasting period) starts today and ends around Easter.

Some vocabulary used in this post:
zurücktreten – to resign
das Thema – topic
Stolz auf etwas sein – to be proud of sth.
die Raktion – reaction
das Gerücht – rumor
das Waffengesetz – law on arms
die Zustimmung – acceptance
die Bundestagswahl – elections for the Bundestag
der Wahlkampf – election campaign
der Inhalt – content
das Rindfleisch – beef
der Beweis – eveidence
verdächtig – ominous
kalt – chilly
Faschingszeit – carnival time
Aschermittwoch – Ash Wednesday