Monday's top story: Pilots at Germany's Lufthansa to stage two-day strikeÂ
Pilots at German flag carrier Lufthansa are set to stage a two-day strike starting on Monday, April 13th as part of a long-standing salary and pensions dispute.
The airline has already been hit by four strikes this year, with the last one held on Friday, April 10th.
The two-day walkout is expected to hit flights run by Lufthansa, as well as its subsidiaries CityLine and Eurowings, according to a statement released by the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union on Saturday.
The strike is also set to affect the carrier's air freight division, Lufthansa Cargo.
The VC union said that, given the situation in the Middle East, flights to certain destinations, including Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, would not be affected by the protest.
READ ALSO: Pilots at Germany's Lufthansa to stage two-day strike
Union Berlin's Eta becomes first female coach in top five European leagues
Bundesliga club Union Berlin on Sunday appointed Marie-Louise Eta as its new head coach, making her the first female manager of a men's team in a top-five European league, after former mentor Steffen Baumgart was sacked.
"I am delighted the club has entrusted me with this challenging task," Eta, who will take over for the remainder of the season, said in a statement.
"One of Union's strengths has always been our ability to pull together in such situations. And of course, I'm convinced that we'll get the points we need with this team."
Eta, 34, became the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history when she was promoted to the role in 2023.
Never before has a men's top-flight club in Germany, England, Spain, Italy or France – considered the top-five European leagues – appointed a woman in the head coach role.
Eta's first match in the dugout is on Saturday, when Union hosts struggling Wolfsburg.
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Merz urges Hungary's Magyar to 'join forces for united Europe'
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday offered his "heartfelt congratulations" to the winner of Hungary's parliamentary election Peter Magyar, whose Tisza party has defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz.
"I am looking forward to working with you," Merz said in a post on the X platform addressed to Magyar, adding: "Let's join forces for a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe."
In a separate statement Merz said he had already called Magyar to offer his "best wishes for the great task" that lies ahead.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also took to X to congratulate Magyar and noted that Hungarians "have chosen political change".
"I hope that the country now once again uses its great opportunities in and with Europe," Wadephul said.
Germany has in recent years sometimes openly expressed frustration with Hungary's "illiberal", pro-Moscow course under Orban.
In February, Wadephul said he was "appalled" by Hungary's blocking of a major European Union loan to Ukraine, as well as a new round of EU sanctions against Russia.
Wadephul hailed the record turnout in Sunday's election, which reached 77.8 percent at 6:30 pm.
"The impressive voter participation shows how important their hard-won democracy is to the people," he said.
Hundreds protest AfD convention in Magdeburg amid nationwide anti far-right demonstrations
Several hundred people demonstrated in Magdeburg on Saturday against the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as the party held its state convention to prepare for regional elections scheduled for September.
Protesters gathered outside the convention centre carrying rainbow flags and banners reading “No to Racism” and “Magdeburg for a Ban on the AfD”. Participants included civil society groups such as “Grandmothers Against the Right,” students and members of parties including the Greens.
Inside the convention, the AfD leadership struck a confident tone. Lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund said the party aimed to secure an absolute majority in the September 6th state election in Saxony-Anhalt and form its first AfD‑led government at state level.
He dismissed the demonstrations as “humorous” and described the long‑standing political “firewall” excluding the AfD from cooperation as a “childish invention.”
The Magdeburg protest coincided with a wider nationwide mobilisation. Organisers from the PRĂśF alliance said more than 20,000 people demonstrated across eleven state capitals over the weekend.
PRÜF, which stands for “Reviews Save Freedom, by the Way” (Prüfung rettet übrigens Freiheit) is a campaign founded by the satirist and politician Nico Semsrott that advocates for the Federal Constitutional Court to review far-right parties.
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Buchenwald commemoration marked by disruption, but ceremony remains largely calm
The 81st anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp was preceded by controversy and protest fears, but the official ceremony near Weimar passed largely without incident on Sunday.
Despite calls for demonstrations by pro‑Palestinian activists and criticism surrounding Germany’s Minister of State for Culture, the memorial event retained its solemn character.
Entertainer Hape Kerkeling delivered the keynote address, recalling the imprisonment of his grandfather Hermann in Buchenwald in 1942 for distributing anti‑Nazi leaflets.
Kerkeling warned against attempts to downplay Nazi crimes, stressing that remembrance is integral to Germany’s democracy and constitutional values.
Tensions surfaced during a speech by Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer, who faced heckling and the singing of the Buchenwald Song by protesters. Weimer later declined to comment on the interruptions, emphasising the day’s commemorative focus.
Pro‑Palestinian protests planned at the memorial site were barred by court order, and police reported only small, scattered demonstrations elsewhere in Weimar. For the first time in decades, no survivor addressed the ceremony, though two former prisoners attended in silence.
Between 1937 and 1945, more than 56,000 people died in Buchenwald before its liberation by U.S. forces on April 11th, 1945.
World’s oldest gorilla marks 68th birthday at Berlin Zoo
Fatou, believed to be the world’s oldest living gorilla, celebrates her 68th birthday at Berlin Zoo on Monday, delighting keepers and visitors alike.
Fatou has lived at Berlin Zoo since 1959, when she arrived as a young gorilla estimated to be around two years old. As one of the few remaining zoo animals originally captured from the wild, her exact birth date remains unknown.
Zoo officials note that while gorillas typically live around 35 years in the wild, those in human care often reach 50 – making Fatou’s age exceptional.
Due to her advanced years, Fatou now requires soft foods that are easy to chew, as she no longer has teeth. Her diet mainly consists of vegetables, with fruit given sparingly because of its sugar content. In the wild, gorillas are almost entirely vegetarian, feeding on leaves, herbs, roots and fruit.
As visitors gather for further birthday surprises, Fatou also serves as a reminder of her species’ plight. Gorillas are critically endangered, threatened by deforestation, mining and illegal hunting across their natural habitats.
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