Germany has dispatched thousands of soldiers to help cities and towns cope with flooding from the rain-soaked Danube and other southern rivers, a day after the Bavarian city of Passau saw its worst flooding since 1501.

German health authorities investigating an outbreak of E.coli in Europe suspect cucumbers as being the possible cause of a new case.

A 36-year-old woman was arrested today after authorities discovered the bodies of three newborn babies believed to have been her children, police said.

The German government has ordered the slaughter of more than 1,000 cattle as part of its fight against mad cow disease.