Berlin (dpo) - The hard-earned holidays have arrived: The Berlin Fire Department is heading into the summer recess. From tomorrow onwards, all fire extinguishing and rescue work will be put on hold for six weeks, until the firefighters return to service on the 1st of September. Read more »

Postmen are important as they bring you bills, reminders and advertisements. But what if he is secretly out to get you? What if he is just waiting for the right moment? The Postillon presents eight sure signs that your postie is trying to kill you. Read more »

Darmstadt (dpo) - German playgrounds are insufficiently prepared for the cold season – that is according to the results of a nationwide investigation carried out by the Technical Inspection Association TÜV which sampled over 300 sites. In particular, their experts criticised the lack of winter tyres on swings and seesaws. In adverse weather conditions, this could cause life-threatening accidents. Read more »

Munich, Bavaria (dpo) - Finally, devout Muslim women need no longer forego beer, pork knuckles and hearty oompah music. Today, a fashion designer from Munich unveiled his latest creation, which he calls the ‘burkdl’. The garment is a cross between a burka and a dirndl, merging eastern and western traditions elegantly and respectfully. Of course, it had to be approved by an Imam before it could hit the shops. Read more »

Peterborough, UK (dpo) - Saved in the nick of time! A man from Peterborough showed real courage today: he saw a multipack of beer which looked certain to die a painful death from heat stroke in a car that was parked in the direct heat of the sun. He acted swiftly to save it, smashing in the front window of the car. Now, Daniel Ruston is even due to receive an award from the City of Peterborough recognising his bravery. Read more »

Dhaka (dpo) - Rifat Muntasir (11) does not have it easy. The young textile-industry worker is constantly bullied by his peers because, unlike them, he does not make brand-name clothes. Instead, he spends his days making clothes for a variety of white-label companies and cheap discounters, working up to 13 hours per day. Read more »

Madrid (dpo) - Due to the current heat wave sweeping Spain and other parts of Europe, the Royal Automobile Club of Spain is urging all drivers to be especially careful when parking their vehicle in the blazing sun. Dog or cat owners who leave their pets in the car should always ensure they line their seat with foil. Read more »

Des Moines, IA (dpo) - Does Putin have any morals whatsoever? It seems Russian hackers have infiltrated the computer of a married man from Des Moines and inserted numerous links to porn pages into the man’s browser history. So far, it is still unclear why the Kremlin targeted the man. Read more »

Bad Rabenwalde, Germany (dpo) - The owners of the spa resort in question are swamped with bookings. The mention of “gluten-free air” in an advertising leaflet resulted in visitors swarming to rural German spa resort of Bad Rabenwalde. Read more »

Sheffield (dpo) - Sheffield’s burglars had a ball last night: unknown perpetrators stripped bare the Primark store located at number 30 The Moor, right down to the last T-shirt. The criminals even managed to make off with the till containing the day’s takings. According to police, the total damage is estimated to £88.27 (US$ 115.25 at time of publishing). Read more »

Augsburg (dpo) - Confronted with a young female pharmacist, a 25-year-old man with a very itchy penile yeast infection spontaneously bought a bottle of cough syrup instead of a soothing cream in central Augsburg today. By his own account, he had already tried in vain to procure a treatment for his ailment at several different pharmacies. Read more »

Perth, Australia (dpo) - This is an extraordinary psychological breakthrough. It all happened when a friend of bank employee Manny Paterson opened up to him about his long-term struggle with depression. Manny managed to cure his friend of the illness simply by saying, “It’ll all be alright, mate”. Experts agree that this method could spark a true revolution across the whole field of psychology. Read more »

Kharkiv (dpo) - How awful that people have to suffer like this! One young Ukrainian in a bomb shelter in Kharkiv constantly worries about those poor people in other countries who are suffering the trauma of high fuel costs. Read more »