German snips

BERLIN - A German woman who was held up and robbed in her Berlin apartment earlier this month was astonished to see the thief waiting to board her flight from Antalya in Turkey to the German capital, police said Tuesday. The 37-year-old woman telephoned her husband who alerted the authorities, police spokesman Joerg Kunzendorf said.

When the flight arrived at Berlin's Schoenefeld airport late Sunday, police arrested the 25-year-old man, who was wanted in connection with several other robberies.

Police investigating a complaint about a van disrupting morning traffic Monday in the German city of Goettingen were surprised to discover a 5-year-old boy behind the wheel.

"He was seemingly intent on experiencing the daily traffic chaos and simply jumped behind the wheel of his dad's Mercedes Vito and went off to explore," police spoksman said.

During his short journey, the toddler stalled the van several times in the middle of the road and a passer-by alerted police. The boy and the vehicle were returned to his father unharmed.