Nürburgring. Rock am Ring entered its second round on Saturday with the punk bands Die Ärzte und Feine Sahne Fischfilet. You can find out more about the whole festival in the liveblog at ga.de/rar19. Although the sun didn’t shine on the second day of Rock am Ring, it didn't affect the good mood. Among other things, the visitors peacefully and exuberantly celebrated the performances of Feine Sahne Fischfilet, Trivium and Underoath. On Saturday evening, the Berlin fun punks of Die Ärzte celebrated their live comeback. Thousands of fans had eagerly been looking forward to this highlight of this year's Rock am Ring announced last year and fans stood in front of the Volcano Stage from midday onwards to secure the best places in the front row. The organisers had bravely placed another musical heavyweight almost simultaneously on the Crater Stage: the US thrash metal group Slayer came to the Nürburgring to say goodbye to their fans after almost 40 years in the business. If you travel to Rock am Ring by car, you should be aware that traffic jams and restrictions can occur during Whitsun. If you prefer to make yourself comfortable on the sofa at home, you can watch Rock am Ring on livestream or TV.

(Original text: Nathalie Dreschke, Andreas Dyck and Dennis Sennekamp)

BONN. Late on Saturday evening, a car driver drove at excessive speed illegally along the footpath and cycle path on the Rathenau shore, then skidded and hit a tree near the university library. A couple of passing cyclists were injured by flying debris. Instead of taking care of the two injured cyclists, the driver escaped on foot. Several witnesses alerted the police and emergency services. The police then searched for the escaped driver and used a helicopter to search the banks of the Rhine. After some time, the 25-year-old driver, who had also been slightly injured in the accident, was finally found by the police. There were no indications of alcohol or drugs in the man’s car. The area around the scene of the accident was completely closed to traffic until late into the night. Even before the accident, several witnesses had noticed the car on the footpath and cycle path and informed the police. The police accident recording team has taken over the investigation.

(Original text: Michael Wrobel and Ulrich Felsmann)

BONN. After two years, part of platform 1 at the main station will be reopened for trains today. The railway has completed work on the listed roof, so that 210 metres of the platform to the south are available for local traffic in the direction of Cologne; long-distance trains will continue to stop at platform 2. Deutsche Bahn is continuing the comprehensive renovation of the main railway station, parts of which are listed as a historical monument and estimates that the restoration will last until the end of next year. According to current estimates, the costs amount to 30 million euros, compared to 13 million euros at the start of the project. According to Deutsche Bahn, increased construction and renovation costs and unforeseeable difficulties have made construction more expensive. Deutsche Bahn, the federal government and the Rhineland local transport as rail service providers in the region will each foot one-third of the final bill.

(Original text: Philipp Königs)

SIEGBURG. Ten firefighters from the Siegburg fire brigade had to fell an approximately 15-metre-high wild cherry tree, which threatened to fall onto the roadway of the B56 between Siegburg and Franzhäuschen due to strong gusts of wind. The firemen had to remove the trunk piece by piece from above, because had the tree been felled in one piece, the crash barriers of the road would probably have been damaged. From 9 a.m. onwards on Saturday, the fire brigade rescue teams were on site with heavy equipment and had secured the danger area. The operation lasted until about 11.15 a.m. The traffic could only pass in one lane and long traffic jams formed in both directions.

(Original test: Thomas Faßbender)

BONN-OBERKASSEL. The viewpoint Rabenlay - also called the Skywalk of the Siebengebirge by many hikers is in a sorry state one and a half years after its opening. Information boards have been destroyed and defaced, the bench has been spray-painted, the formerly light-coloured wood is already covered with a black patina, visitors have incised names into the wood and a section of the fence is already missing. The platform with its breathtaking view of the Rhine Valley was ceremoniously opened by the Rheinischer Verein für Denkmalpflege on 17 September 2017. From the very beginning it was expected that wear and tear would be very large due to the weather and the number of visitors. Sebastian Freistedt, chairman of the Heimatverein Oberkassel, who was involved in the planning and implementation of the platform right from the start, is also horrified: "I am disappointed. The vantage point is a magnet for visitors that many people have come to know and appreciate. Hopefully, this won't happen again after the repair".

(Original text: Holger Willcke)

(Translations: John Chandler)