StrangeSights: Companies, organisations, having a laugh on April Fool’s Day; Laerke gets a check-up; and, Berliners brave the chill for Good Friday dip
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Russian emigres gather across Europe to mourn Navalny, denounce Putin
Berlin, Germany/Vilnius, Lithuania Reuters Hundreds of protesters, many of them Russian emigres, gathered in cities across Europe and beyond on Friday to express their outrage over the death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Often gathering outside Russian embassies, they chanted slogans critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom they blamed for the activist’s death, holding […]
Hundreds of thousands demonstrate against right-wing extremism in Germany
Frankfurt/Berlin, Germany Reuters Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across towns and cities in Germany this weekend as the country enters a second week of nationwide protests against the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Demonstrations have gained momentum after reports emerged from investigative news website Correctiv of a meeting of […]
Winter weather snarls air, train travel across Europe
Frankfurt, Germany/Oslo, Norway Reuters Freezing rain in central and southern Germany grounded hundreds of flights and disrupted train travel on Wednesday, while heavy snowfall in Norway’s capital led to the temporary closure of its main airport. Germany’s massive Frankfurt airport cancelled all flights in early afternoon as jets could no longer be de-iced, but later […]
StrangeSights: A Christmas (tree) present for elephants; so cold in Finland even boiling water freezes, and, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un turns 40. Maybe…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Leaders of Berlin’s interfaith House of One manage Israeli-Palestinian tensions
RNS In the middle of old Berlin, Christians, Muslims and Jews have been creating an interfaith center with a church, mosque and synagogue all in the same building. Since breaking ground on the House of One, meant to celebrate the three monotheistic religions, the groups behind the project have been looking forward to its opening […]
Interpreters for German troops in Mali seek Berlin protection as pull-out looms
Berlin, GermanyReuters Interpreters for German forces in Mali have asked Berlin for protection for themselves and their families as the troops prepare to pull out by the end of the year, the defence ministry in Berlin said on Wednesday. The Bundeswehr has deployed some 1,000 troops in Mali where their main task has been reconnaissance […]
Wow!: Dutchman running from Amsterdam to Kyiv to buy ambulances for Ukraine
PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW and CHRISTIAN LEVAUX, of Reuters, report…
Zelenskiy in Berlin: we can make Russia’s defeat “irreversible”
Kyiv, Ukraine/Berlin, GermanyReuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday Kyiv and its allies could make a Russian defeat “irreversible” as early as this year as he secured a bumper new military package on a trip to Germany. The visit formed part of a whirlwind weekend tour of several key European allies to drum up […]
Ukrainians mark Orthodox Christmas in Europe with a prayer to return home
Warsaw, Poland, Berlin, Germany Reuters Victoria, a Ukrainian refugee, is celebrating Orthodox Christmas in Poland with a simple prayer – that next year she will be back at home. The 40-year-old is one of the millions of Ukrainians who have fled the Russian invasion of their homeland and are marking the holiday with mixed emotions […]