BERLIN — Top officials of the Trump administration have lashed out at Germany after the country’s domestic intelligence agency classified the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a “proven right-wing extremist organization.” U.S. Secretary of state Marco Rubio accused Germany of “tyranny in disguise” in a tweet on X and said the country “should reverse course.” U.S. Vice President JD Vance attacked German bureaucrats in his own tweet for “trying to destroy” the AfD adding the Berlin Wall was being rebuilt by the country’s establishment “The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt — not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment,” Vance said in his post The heavy criticism from top members of the U.S administration comes days before a new coalition government consisting of the center-right conservatives and the center-left Social Democratic Party One of the main challenges of incoming conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz will be to negotiate solutions to various challenges with U.S including tariffs on the European Union — which threaten to hit the export-oriented German economy particularly hard — and the weakening of the transatlantic alliance on which Germany and Europe have long relied for their defense But the latest rift seems to highlight a growing estrangement between the two governments “You should reverse your course by hollowing out AND exploiting the rules based international order for the disadvantage of Ukraine and NATO,” Roderich Kiesewetter, a prominent lawmaker of Merz’s conservatives, wrote in a reaction to Rubio’s tweet “Europe needs a Churchill to contain you,” he said The Foreign Office in Berlin also responded sharply by saying that “this is democracy” and that Germans had “learnt from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped.” The AfD’s classification as a right-wing extremist organization follows an expert examination by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution that lasted around three years and which, according to the domestic intelligence agency resulted in definitive evidence that the party works against Germany’s democratic system The designation allows German authorities to intensify surveillance of the party and its members including the use of undercover informants and monitoring communications The AfD finished second in Germany’s February election with more than 20 percent of the vote doubling its result in the previous national election Germany’s junior coalition partner hands key ministries to familiar faces — and springs a few surprises Chinese President Xi Jinping is among the leaders set to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow The final phase of the election campaign was dominated by Trump’s trade war and the cost of living The picture has met with amusement and criticism with many people seeing it as a clear insult to Pope Francis so soon after his death This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Cal Bear and Mexican swimmer Humberto Najera took down a pair of national records in the men’s backstroke events we are discussing the madness that occurred at the Ft Lauderdale Pro Swim the oldest swimmer to win a medal at a World Championship would qualify for the 2025 World Aquatics with his record-setting swim Angela Martinez Guillen won her first over individual World Cup title in her home country Italy swept the podium on the men’s side Rich Taylor (left) is the father of SEC Champion and All-American Andrew Taylor (second from left) Rich is in a medically-induced coma after falling off a bike May 04th, 2025 Europe, International, News, Previews & Recaps, Records The final day of the 2025 German Swimming Championships brought about a new national record in the men’s 50m butterfly Racing in this evening’s final of the event, 23-year-old Luca Armbruster fired off a lifetime best of 22.92 en route to gold Armbruster’s effort overtook the previous German standard of 23.02 Steffen Deibler first established in 2013 and then Armbruster matched 10 years later Armbruster’s 22.92 performance now renders him the first-ever man from his nation to clock a sub-23-second 50m butterfly His effort easily cleared the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 23.36 needed to qualify for this summer’s World Championships Armburster is now the 26th-fastest performer in history and ranks 4th in the world on the season The German ace was the 2019 European Junior Championships silver medalist in both the 50m fly and the 100m fly while he also became the 50m fly World University Games champion at the 2023 edition in Chengdu Armbruster already scored a new lifetime best of 51.21 in the 100m butterfly on day one of these championships to qualify for the World Championships Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" You forgot caribe time on the rankings for 50 fly Fun to see Luca Armbruster break the German national record wearing the cap of Ben Armbruster (in Aussie green and gold colors with 2024 AUS Olympic Games on it lol) Schwartz and Wellbrok both 14:36 in the 1500…wild never seen that before in a national level race where 2 guys break 14:40 Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC More from Retta RaceSee All Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt signed on Monday at Berlin’s historic Gasometer brings together the Christian Democratic Union All three parties had previously approved the 144-page agreement Merz said Germany needed a government ready to work “powerfully and systematically from day one” The new coalition holds a slim majority in the Bundestag It has pledged to prioritise economic growth as the new partnership with Tel Aviv boosts ties in business Israeli and German presidents will pay reciprocal visits to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations 2025 7:22 pm IDTThe mayors of Tel Aviv and Berlin signed an agreement on Monday to become partner cities Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and Mayor Kai Wegner from the German capital held a ceremony to finalize the partnership in Berlin's City Hall Wegner said the two cities are linked by their common status as attractive hubs for young people, artists and company founders from across the world. "We want stronger exchanges in the economy, in culture "We Germans have a special responsibility for Jewish life but also a special responsibility to always steadily defend Israel's right to existence," Wegner said with existing relationships already in place with cities across the world including European capitals such as London According to the Berlin mayor's office website the partnerships "provide institutional support for the internationalization of Berlin's economy and its scientific and academic institutions." "Exchanges are currently concentrated on business Next week, Germany and Israel will celebrate the establishment of diplomatic relations 60 years ago this month with reciprocal visits by the presidents of both countries to mark the occasion Israeli President Isaac Herzog is due to pay an official visit to Berlin on May 12 reflecting the commencement date of the first formal ties decades ago He will return to Israel the following day together with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier Herzog is scheduled to hold talks in Berlin with incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz and other senior government representatives Open gallery viewGerman President Frank-Walter Steinmeier with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Kibbutz Be'eri in November 2023.Credit: Chaim Tzach / GPOThe Israeli president will also attend a state banquet at Bellevue Palace the official residence of the German president he will then visit the Platform 17 Holocaust memorial in the capital's Grunewald district The site commemorates around 10,000 Jews who were deported from there by train to concentration camps during the Nazi era During his stay in Israel, Steinmeier will revisit Kibbutz Be'eri on the border with the Gaza Strip having been there with Herzog a few weeks after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 In Jerusalem, he'll visit the new National Library and a presentation to his counterpart of the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour will be held at an official ceremony Home » The Ruby Hotels brand comes to Berlin and Copenhagen soulful design and authentic stories rooted in the cities they call home Karin Sheppard Senior Vice President and Managing Director “We have seen widespread positivity and enthusiasm from our owners and investors for Ruby Hotels as they look to develop in the growing urban micro subsegment These latest signings in Berlin and Copenhagen are strong reinforcements of the brand’s success in strategic city center locations and we can’t wait to see both hotels bring their style and charm to travelers in these two energetic capitals.” Set to open in early 2028, the 375-room Ruby Hotel in Berlin is being developed in partnership with real estate investment firm Empira Group Located in the Ku’damm Eck building on the famous Kurfürstendamm boulevard this new hotel will offer guests a stylish and modern hospitality experience in one of Berlin’s most iconic districts Included in the design is a chic rooftop terrace on the 12th floor with panoramic views of Berlin’s famous shopping and cultural boulevard Opening in early 2027, Ruby Hotel Copenhagen is being developed in partnership with ECE and will feature 219 guest rooms This new luxury hotel will convert an existing office space and will also offer guests vibrant public areas as well as a winter garden on the ground floor and a rooftop terrace on the top floor one of Copenhagen’s most prestigious districts operates 20 hotels across major European cities with 12 more under construction and scheduled to open within the next three years the brand has nine hotels located in cities including Cologne Start a free trial of THP’s database with over 8,500 hotel projects and key contact details You are currently viewing a placeholder content from HubSpot Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers THP is a subsidiary of Sleeper Media © 2025 copyright TOPHOTELPROJECTS GmbH – all rights reserved First major project following the restructuring of the Düsseldorf-based developer Green Street’s global news publications are not provided as an investment advisor nor in the capacity of a fiduciary Our global organization maintains information barriers to ensure the independence of and distinction between our non-regulated and regulated businesses is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 482269) and a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales with company number 06471304 was the ultimate prize as the Allies closed in from east and west on the disintegrating German defenses in the final stage of World War II The final Battle of Berlin in late April and early May 1945 reduced much of what was left of the city to rubble A view taken from a Cub artillery observation plane on July 10 after repeated Anglo-American air raids on the German capital is the heavily damaged building of the German Reichstag with its distinct cupola in the background center are the remains of Lehrter Bahnhof A aeriel view of the area around the Reichstag Building with the glass dome A view of the burned-out ruins of the German Reichstag in Berlin in this photo from August 1945 three months after the Nazis surrendered to the Allied Powers on May 8 People walk in front of the Reichtag Building Wreckage and debris fill Frankfurter Allee near Lasdehner Strasse in a working district in the eastern section of Berlin on July 31 A tourist touches a hole from artillery fire still visible on the facade of a house eighty years after the end of World War II Eighty years after the end of World War II holes from artillery fire are still visible on the facade of a house in the city center of Berlin Tourists stand between the columns on Museum Island with holes from artillery fire from World War II BERLIN (AP) — Central Berlin was in ruins after the Red Army completed the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in an intense fight for the capital in May 1945 After decades of division and its revival as the capital of a reunited blending painstakingly restored buildings with modern architecture But the scars of the past remain visible in many places: facades riddled with holes from bullets and shrapnel or gaps in rows of houses sometimes plugged by new buildings As a metropolis it has simply ceased to exist Every house within miles of the center seems to have had its own bomb.” even the children,” recalled Eva-Maria Kolb of the constant aerial bombing in the last six months of the war “When there was an air raid warning you had to pull something on quickly and then go down to the basement.” The Soviet military attacked from several directions with an enormous concentration of troops who faced a struggle to cross rivers and canals and an intensifying street fight as they moved deeper and deeper into the city “Berlin was a heap of rubble — because of these last 10 days almost everything in the center was ruined,” said Jörg Morré the director of the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst located in the building where Germany’s final surrender was signed But “the infrastructure could be repaired relatively quickly — the sewerage system wasn’t so badly damaged They managed to get the water supply and pipes going again A lot of old Berliners are still familiar with hand pumps .. a great relief in ‘45 that the war was over and Hitler was no longer alive .. She recalled that parts of the city were rubble but she went to a school in the Tempelhof district It no longer had a roof and the second or third floor was missing — but we had lessons Only when it rained were lessons canceled.” Germany was reunited in 1990 and the national government moved to Berlin in 1999 Parliament now meets in the restored Reichstag where the raising of the Soviet Union’s red flag in 1945 was emblematic of the victory over Nazi Germany Graffiti left by Soviet troops at the Reichstag has been preserved at several places in the building Germany’s unconditional capitulation was signed at Allied headquarters in Reims on May 7 and came into effect the following day in the preserved hall where the capitulation was signed in Berlin Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker had already been damaged by the region’s increasingly arid climate An ancient English oak believed to be Berlin’s oldest tree is suffering the effects of a prolonged dry spell in the German capital compounding already significant damage to its once lush canopy and branches as Berliners affectionately call the tree located in the northern Tegel Forest has been deprived of essential moisture in recent years as a result of extended periods of sparse rainfall blamed on the climate crisis “But we hope that she’ll still be with us for another couple decades or even centuries,” Marc Franusch Franusch said the remainder of spring could bring relief in the form of more precipitation but that pruning the gnarled Marie “We want to be very gentle and prudent in stabilising the tree and its situation to do our best to support its vitality,” he said The ancient oak stands about 18.5 metres tall Dicke Marie has long been a popular attraction for nature lovers, particularly in the years of Berlin’s cold war division by the Wall, when protected forests offered West Berliners a cherished refuge while the surrounding countryside lay beyond the border in communist East Germany. But the tree’s remote location at the northern end of Lake Tegel and its diminished, increasingly knotty profile as neighbouring trees overshadowed it have meant ever fewer visitors seek it out, forestry officials say. Dicke Marie nevertheless was granted National Heritage Tree status by the German Dendrological Society in 2021, the first awarded to a tree in a forest. Its remarkable longevity had been attributed to its lakeside home, with its roots soaking up the available moisture even during drought periods. But increasingly arid conditions in the region now appear to be taking their toll. This March was the driest ever recorded in Germany, according to the German Weather Service, and April has seen little improvement. The vast rural Brandenburg state surrounding Berlin reported only 10-20% of the expected precipitation in February and March, Raimund Engel, a regional forest fire protection officer, told the broadcaster RBB. Free weekly newsletterThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential Read moreMany traditional Easter weekend bonfires in Berlin and Brandenburg were called off this year owing to parched conditions in the region The festivities trace their roots to pagan rituals to banish evil winter spirits The Berlin oak’s nickname Dicke Marie is believed to have come from the aristocratic brothers Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt The Humboldts gave their own name to Berlin’s “fattest” tree, a 350-year-old oak in the same forest with a circumference of nearly 8 metres Germany is believed to have about 100 trees that are at least 400 years old I recently attempted something that now passes for quietly provocative: I tried to buy a book On Democracies and Death Cults has been born of the last 18 months in Israel beginning with the massacre by Hamas of Israeli citizens on 7th October Douglas has sat with the families of those still held hostage in Gaza mapped the long historical path that led us here and examined – through first-hand testimony and serious scholarship – how the civilised world is losing its grip on moral clarity I visited Dussmann – the self-anointed KulturKaufhaus (Culture Department Store) on Friedrichstraße where you can browse books and media in many languages Already a subscriber? Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3 Already a subscriber? I can’t remember the first Raymond Carver story I read when I began dreaming of a writing life in earnest male millennial with a liberal arts degree) Carver has always been there emotion and sensation and judgment all happened in the open For as ‘real’ as Carver’s stories had felt As quivering masses of protoplasm, we all filter reality through the same set of feeble sensory organs so any attempt to portray being as we understand it bears intrinsic limitations the style at issue is merely shorthand for confining a story to reality universally accessible and recognizable palette with which to paint Seasoned writers (most of whom are not formal educators) need some kind of durable paradigm within which they can critique writing mechanics why people participate in formal writing workshops Any references I make to “Carver” encompass the body of work published under his name Masterful as Carver’s work is, his mien undeniably reflects dated attitudes, norms, and conventions. Enthusiasm for his writing can, unfortunately, wind up propagating a certain type of unbearable literature bro realism overall—somewhat easier to dismiss out of hand To be clear: I am not trying to reduce the importance or beauty of Carver’s work whatsoever; I couldn’t even if I tried Carver’s oeuvre is a curriculum unto itself my point is this: if the writers who cut their teeth on Carver want to make a strong case for the enduring relevance they should consider looking instead to Lucia Berlin The parallels between Berlin and Carver are striking Born within two years of one another, both were hetero, goyish, and raised working-class. Before writing landed each a vocation, they both made ends meet by shoveling shit. Both wrote short fiction in the 70s and 80s about life in the 50s and 60s Both had an affinity for Chekhov’s unsparing interpersonal conflict Both resided in and wrote about the Pacific coast Both drank themselves out of happiness and health Comparing the two writers isn’t novel; they themselves recognized the affinity. “Yes I love Raymond Carver’s work…” Berlin wrote in a letter to her friend, the poet August Kleinzahler. “I wrote like him before I ever read him Berlin’s stories portray a certain type of lonely small-city pathos endemic to the 20th century’s back-nine her characters drink and smoke and fuck and frequently wage quiet war against their own impulses But whereas Carver uses subtlety and implication to emphasize stories’ negative spaces Berlin’s characters openly acknowledge emotional damage and struggle and desire playing with rhythm and fragment and punctuation to mimic the syncopation of thought and speech and memory Rather than discuss such a specific subject in the abstract let me illustrate by comparing a short story written by each author Caver’s “So Much Water So Close to Home” stars Claire Stuart and his friends found a young woman’s corpse floating in a river the men waited until their excursion’s end to report the murder The story begins after Stuart returns home Claire’s misgivings expose the depth of both her unhappiness and Stuart’s abuse Berlin’s “Tiger Bites” is the story of Lou a pregnant young mother visiting family in South Texas for Christmas her second husband has abandoned her and her toddler son (by another man) who arranges for Lou to cross the border into Mexico for an illegal abortion Profoundly affected by her experience at the clinic Lou reevaluates her life and decisions before returning home Both are narrated in the first-person by a women (a rare turn for Carver) Both protagonists are young mothers to boys Both stories deal with sexual violence against women Both works conspicuously feature a thematically weighty river Let’s take a look at three aspects of craft that Carver: “In a few minutes we cross Everson Creek and turn into a picnic area a few feet from the water The creek flows under a bridge and into a large pond a few hundred yards away There are a dozen or so men and boys scattered around the banks of the pond under the willows Berlin: “We came to the bridge and the smell of Mexico Oranges and Delicados and urine…Church bells carrying pinatas and jugs of rum.” (Note: ellipses appear as-written) Though both renderings of place are delivered in first-person narration the fragmented nature of Berlin’s has a memetic quality of emerging sensory observation—ironic as Carver’s is the story told in an unfolding present-tense And whereas Carver restricts setting to visual details But I don’t think searching for extenuation is as useful for our purposes as evaluating what’s on the page In “So Much Water…” if we didn’t have Carver’s entire body of work featuring many instances of incredibly similar “dirty realism” detachment it would be fair to read Claire’s flat affect as her voice Carver’s protagonist just feels flatter rendered in a somewhat patronizing manner when viewed next to Berlin’s I also think it is fair to say that Lou has a much more nuanced sense of interiority than Claire—her voice and what she notices and how she reflects upon her world add up to a richer sense of character Carver: “Stuart asks [Claire] to see a doctor and she does secretly pleased at the doctor’s solicitous attention.” Berlin: “It was his arrogance and authority that labeled him as doctor Carver: “A door opens at one side of the chapel and I look up and for a minute the parking lot reminds me of a meadow But the silence in the car was impenetrable it’s almost impossible to make an apples-to-apples comparison but each of the above examples is a good representation of the two writers’ respective styles the protagonist encounters an older woman reacting to her young son note the two characters’ relative life on the page She gives me the feeling that she is always judging judging[…] She looks at me steadily from over her glasses my little man?’ she stoops and puts her arms around him She looks at me again as I open the door to leave She has a way of looking at me without saying anything.” She had swooped [my toddler son] Ben up in her arms teetering around with him in the dining room the two of them crashing against side boards and china closets and had enough junk on her bed to amuse him for months.” a certain flatness in Carver’s work is unquestionably purposeful so a valid reading of the supporting characters’ tonality in “So Much Water…” is that Claire’s depression and anxiety and dissociation alienates her from others There’s strong evidence for this on the page if we’re using Carver as a stylistic standard-bearer I don’t think it’s fair to exculpate him from the responsibility of imbuing supporting characters with dimension; as writer David Gates is fond of saying: Every character should believe they are the story’s protagonist we find beautiful simulacra of existence as we understand it with virtually no bar for the willing suspension of disbelief conflicts—we buy it all without question and in doing so The differing means of accomplishing the feat only proves that there is plenty of room within realism for creativity and imagination and style what I’ve presented is a false choice: there’s no reason for preferencing one story or writer over the other especially anyone seeking to improve their writing We all learn by emulating those we admire and anyone seeking to build a strong foundation would be well served by standing on either set of shoulders writing this was an exercise in frustration reading Berlin’s work for the first time almost felt like learning a secret history of the world Carver portrayed—the one where I’d spent so much time when I was young and in love with fiction and just wanted to be a better writer I had to wait until I was in my thirties and mature enough to recognize the enormity of the bias I brought to bear on what was supposedly real but the point stands: Carver’s star began rising before he was 30; he enjoyed more of the right attention and access and therefore exposure and resources in his lifetime than Berlin She’d been dead for over a decade by the time widespread respect was well and truly put on her name by which point Carver had already been canonized Who knows how things might’ve been if she’d been mentored by Gordon Lish or welcomed into Iowa’s embrace or found herself the fulcrum of a zeitgeist As a there-but-for-the-grace-of-God lit bro, Carver was catnip for my younger self. But demographically speaking, MFAs aren’t my territory—women comprise the majority of creative writing BFAs and MFAs I can only imagine how tiresome it must’ve been for the young women in my early workshops to hear endless Carver evangelism in rooms where eager writers are beginning to hone their skills in earnest are getting excited about committing their world to prose Lucia Berlin is who we talk about when we talk about realism Created by Grove Atlantic and Electric Literature Masthead About Sign Up For Our Newsletters How to Pitch Lit Hub Privacy Policy Support Lit Hub - Become A Member Lit Hub has always brought you the best of the book world for free—no paywall you'll keep independent book coverage alive and thriving LONDON — Berlin's Immigration Office has told three European Union citizens and one American they are to be deported from Germany this week over alleged actions at protests against Israel's war in Gaza Their cases have not yet been heard in court one from Poland and one from the United States — were served with orders last month instructing them to leave Germany by April 21 or be deported The Berlin Immigration Office says the deportation orders are connected to a protest at Berlin's Free University in October 2024 a spokesperson for the Berlin Immigration Office confirmed it had revoked the residence permits of four "pro-Palestinian activists" and this was "in connection with a pro-Palestinian protest" where "masked individuals" entered a university building and caused "property damage including graffiti." The Berlin Senate Department for the Interior and Sport which is responsible for the city's immigration office told NPR in a statement that criminal proceedings are still "ongoing" but did not say what the individuals are charged with and said it would not comment further a criminal defense and migration lawyer in Berlin representing some of the protesters says they are appealing the requirement to leave Germany by the April 21 deadline Irish citizen Shane O'Brien has already been given an emergency injunction pausing his expulsion and allowing him to remain in Germany until a full hearing into his case Gorski says he is confident the other three demonstrators will receive the same — allowing them to remain in Germany to appeal their deportations a 31-year-old artist from Ireland who works in a café in Berlin is the other Irish citizen threatened with deportation Murray tells NPR by phone that they were in the middle of a supermarket when they first heard from their lawyer about the deportation order back in January A letter from the Berlin Immigration Office notified Murray of the office's intention to end Murray's freedom of movement within the EU Murray has lived in Berlin for three years and has no criminal convictions Murray has a right to settle and work anywhere in the European Union "I spoke to my lawyer and she said deportation can take a couple of years and that we would fight it in the courts," Murray says much longer letter from the Berlin Immigration Office reads: "If you do not voluntarily leave the country by April 21 you are hereby threatened with deportation to Ireland." a 27-year-old student from Seattle who is studying for a master's in social work in Berlin "I hadn't expected it to go this way at all," Longbottom says It's just a complete mess and not how the order of criminal law and due process is supposed to go." Murray and Longbottom are continuing to work and study in Berlin while they appeal the deportation notice They say they have no intention of leaving We all feel very defiant and confident that this won't pass through the legal system." While Berlin authorities cite criminal proceedings against them their lawyer Gorski says none have any criminal convictions and haven't been given court dates or other information about the charges against them "We haven't even seen the files yet," Gorski says "so we don't even know what exactly our individual clients are accused of doing that day." The fourth protester facing possible deportation, Polish citizen Kasia Wlaszczyk, received the same letters. In an opinion piece in the Guardian newspaper wrote they are filing a motion of interim relief against the April 21 deadline and filed a lawsuit against the deportation The second letter sent to Murray cites the concept of Staatsräson as part of the grounds for the deportation and the integrity of the State of Israel are matters of German state policy" and that this is "especially significant given Germany's historical responsibility toward Jewish people in its federal territory and in the State of Israel." It adds that "at no time — whether domestically or abroad — should there be any doubt that opposing movements within Germany will be tolerated in any way." Gorski says this is the first time he's seen the idea used to justify deportation "It's highly troubling because the Staatsräson meaning the unconditional solidarity of Germany with the Israeli state The Central Council of Jews in Germany has said it supports the planned deportation of the protesters The Irish Taoiseach or Prime Minister Micheál Martin told parliament he would raise the case of the Irish nationals with the German authorities says no one from the Trump administration has been in touch regarding their case yet the State Department said in a written statement from the press office citizen facing possible deportation from Germany The Department has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S Michele Kelemen contributed to this report from Washington Become an NPR sponsor Union Berlin and VfB Stuttgart made history on Saturday as the first Bundesliga game to feature eight goals before halftime and the game finished that way after a much quieter second half Four previous Bundesliga games had featured seven goals in the first half, the most recent being Eintracht Frankfurt's 6-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in May 2019 Andrej Ilic scored twice for Berlin while Stuttgart had four different scorers The scoreboard at Union Berlin shows the record-breaking first-half score. Maja Hitij/Getty ImagesWhile most of the goals came from set-pieces, Union defender Leopold Querfeld made his mark with a powerful shot into the top-right corner from 37 yards out It wasn't a day for the goalkeepers as Union's goals came from just five shots on target all game Stuttgart are 11th after a setback to its faint hopes of qualifying for European competition next season and Union are 13th after a draw which ensured they cannot be relegated this season Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report Call for greater protection for asylum seekers and policies targeting rightwing violence as report sounds ‘alarm bell’ Berlin has reported a marked increase in attacks on asylum seekers and refugee shelters amid a sharp rise in far-right crime and a hardening of German migration policy Official figures provided at the request of two local Green party lawmakers showed there were 77 assaults on asylum seekers and refugees in 2024 and eight instances of deliberate damage to residences housing them This compares with 32 targeted attacks on people and none on residences in 2023 two girls and two males whose age was not reported Thirty-seven suspects in the direct assaults on people were identified Authorities reported no concrete leads in the attacks on refugee shelters the other Green deputy who sought the publication of the statistics “We demand a clear protection plan for refugees a visible police presence at endangered residences comprehensive prevention work and above all policies that clearly recognise rightwing violence and decisively fight it,” he said Berlin has about 35,000 registered refugees in official reception centres and dormitories and a further 10,000 in emergency shelters for example at the former Tegel and Tempelhof airports where conditions have been often criticised as substandard and overcrowded Officials from the state office for refugee affairs (LAF) told local media that all of its residences had plans in place to prevent violence including round-the-clock security personnel at most facilities Earlier this month, LAF reported a steep drop in the number of new arrivals in Berlin to 1,761 people in January and February, down more than 35% on the same period in 2024 amid a decline across the European Union Most arrivals in the German capital came from Vietnam who are exempt from German asylum application requirements also arrived in smaller numbers during the first two months of 2025 2,611 Ukrainian citizens fleeing the Russian invasion sought refuge in Berlin The figures mirror a national trend reported by the interior ministry in February revealing 218 “politically motivated” assaults on refugee shelters last year based on preliminary data Federal statistics on crimes against individual asylum seekers, however, showed a decline last year to 1,905, down from 2,488 in 2023 – the highest number since the 2016 refugee influx under the then chancellor, Angela Merkel said the government needed to treat the problem urgently Free weekly newsletterThe most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment threats and attacks against refugees has been worryingly high for years and it is outrageous that these conditions are accepted with a shrug by many politicians and members of the public,” she said blaming anti-migrant rhetoric among both far-right and mainstream parties Bünger said those affected had come to Germany seeking protection “But what they find is racist hostility and violence seven rightwing extremists allegedly tried to violently gain entry to a refugee shelter When they were confronted by a security guard Witnesses said that before the assault they heard a group outside the building chanting far-right slogans German authorities recorded a jump in rightwing extremist crimes last year of more than 17% with 33,963 reported offences until the end of November 2024 including 1,136 violent attacks Annual figures will be released next month A coalition deal with the centre-left Social Democrats reached this month watered down many of Merz’s stated aims but laid out a range of tougher proposals including suspending family reunification for many refugees coordinating with neighbour countries to stop asylum seekers at the frontier and implementing plans for deportations to previously excluded countries such as Syria and Afghanistan Live updates from Night Nine of Premier League Darts in Berlin as Stephen Bunting finally wins Boris Pistorius says Trump suggestion goes too far on territorial concessions; US president calls on Moscow to stop attacks while Rubio warns US could walk away from talks Germany’s defence minister on Sunday said Ukraine should not cede all territory occupied by Russia in a peace deal proposed by Donald Trump as the US president pressures Moscow and Kyiv to end fighting credible ceasefire or peace agreement may involve territorial concessions,” Boris Pistorius said in an interview with the broadcaster ARD “But these will certainly not go … as far as they do in the latest proposal from the US president,” Pistorius said “Ukraine on its own could have got a year ago what was included in that [Trump] proposal Trump said that his relationship with Zelenskyy had been improved by the face-to-face meeting because I disagreed with something he said and the cameras were rolling and that was OK with me.” He added and I think he wants to make a deal,” Trump said of Zelenskyy Russia launched a sweeping drone assault and airstrikes across Ukraine early Sunday Three people died and four were wounded in airstrikes on Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine Another person died and a 14-year-old girl was wounded in a drone attack on the city of Pavlohrad in the Dnipropetrovsk region which was hit for the third consecutive night US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the Trump administration might abandon its attempts to broker a deal if Russia and Ukraine do not make headway “It needs to happen soon,” Rubio told the NBC programme “Meet the Press.’” “We cannot continue to dedicate time and resources to this effort if it’s not going to come to fruition.” Trump also said on Sunday said he thought Zelenskyy was ready to give up Crimea in direct contradiction to the Ukrainian leader’s statements on the peninsula annexed by Russia I think so,” said Trump in response to a question on whether he thought Zelenskyy was ready to “give up” the territory that Russia occupied in 2014 Zelenskyy said on Sunday Ukraine’s army was still fighting in Russia’s Kursk despite Moscow claiming the “liberation” of its western region Kyiv had hoped it could use land in the Kursk region as a bargaining chip in future peace talks with Russia “Our military continues to perform tasks in the Kursk and Belgorod regions – we are maintaining our presence on Russian territory,” he said in his evening address Sunday he conceded that the situation remained difficult in many areas including Kursk the North’s KCNA state news agency cited the ruling party as saying A Moscow court on Sunday ordered remanded in custody a Ukrainian citizen facing terrorism charges over the killing of a senior Russian military officer near Moscow claimed the suspect had pleaded guilty to killing Yaroslav Moskalik in a car bomb attack on Friday and had said he was recruited by Ukraine’s security services a veteran conservative and defense policy expert is set to become Germany’s next foreign minister at a crucial juncture in Europe’s relationship with traditional allies and adversaries His appointment under Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) marks a significant pivot to a more security-driven and transatlantic foreign policy — and could reshape Berlin’s stance toward Moscow and Beijing a member of the Bundestag since 2009 and deputy leader of the CDU’s parliamentary group has long been one of the most outspoken Atlanticists in German politics He has consistently advocated for stronger German military support for Ukraine deeper integration within NATO and a more critical stance on China’s growing influence in Europe In light of United States President Donald Trump placing into question the fundamental nature of the transatlantic alliance Wadephul has been clear-eyed in his assessment of the challenge In an interview with German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine he described the recent confrontation by Trump and Vice President JD Vance against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House as “shocking — both emotionally and intellectually.” Wadephul warned that despite the unpredictability of American politics under Trump he had not expected “such a reversal of responsibility for the war in Ukraine.” Although he believes that “America stands by NATO,” Wadephul cautioned that some recent acts and statements in Washington are “disturbing” and do not reflect the relationship between true allies He pointed to widening value gaps with the U.S. noting that Germany would not expel journalists from press conferences cut funding to politically disfavored universities or “so openly favor a technology platform operator like Elon Musk through government action.” must prepare for greater strategic independence “There is plenty of reason for Europe to become sovereign.” His nomination in Merz’s incoming grand coalition with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) comes as European allies grow increasingly concerned about U.S security guarantees and internal divisions within the European Union While previous German foreign ministers — including Annalena Baerbock of the Greens — balanced economic pragmatism with values-based diplomacy Wadephul is expected to drive a harder strategic alignment with Washington and Paris energy security and resilience against hybrid threats will likely become top priorities Wadephul’s track record suggests Berlin will push for tighter controls on Chinese investment in critical sectors and for stronger EU coordination on technology exports and infrastructure protection He has been a vocal advocate of sustaining military and financial support for Ukraine “as long as necessary,” and is expected to back broader NATO enlargement and an expanded security footprint in Eastern Europe For German industry — particularly the export-heavy manufacturing sector which has deep ties with China — Wadephul’s appointment could signal a shift away from commercial diplomacy toward a security-first economic policy The classification opens the door to deeper surveillance — and reignites a debate over whether the far-right party should be banned SPD chief Lars Klingbeil steps into Germany’s most powerful ministry as his party joins a conservative-led coalition Acting Finance Minister Jörg Kukies also pushes for wider definition of security investment Authorities say suspect had a ‘lust’ for killing and used drugs to paralyse the respiratory muscles of victims Prosecutors have charged a Berlin palliative care doctor with the murder of 15 patients alleging he acted out of a “lust” for killing The 40-year-old suspect is accused of killing 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024 using a deadly cocktail of sedatives German press reports identified the suspect as Johannes M The doctor allegedly “administered an anaesthetic and a muscle relaxant to his patients … without their knowledge or consent” the Berlin prosecutor’s office said in a statement The relaxant “paralysed the respiratory muscles leading to respiratory arrest and death within minutes” The patients were between 25 and 94 years old the suspect “set fire to their apartments to cover up these killings” The suspect is accused of killing two patients on the same day On the morning of 8 July 2024 he is alleged to have killed a 75-year-old man at his home in the central Berlin district of Kreuzberg A few hours later he allegedly struck again killing a 76-year-old woman in the neighbouring Neukölln district The suspect’s alleged attempt to incinerate the crime scene failed when the fire did not catch he reportedly informed a relative of the woman claiming that he was standing in front of her apartment and that no one had responded to his ringing,” they said The list of accusations against the suspect has grown in length and severity since his initial arrest in August The suspect was originally held on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to four deaths Prosecutors said in November they were treating the alleged killings as murder cases and added four more deaths to the list of accusations “The accused appears to have had no motive for killing the people other than the act of killing itself,” prosecutors said at the time The suspect had nothing other than a “lust for murder” accuses the suspect of carrying out the murders with “malice aforethought” Prosecutors said they were seeking a lifelong professional ban and called for the suspect to be held in preventive detention A special team of investigators had identified a total of 395 suspicious cases that needed to be re-examined in light of the accusations against the doctor an initial suspicion had been confirmed and preliminary proceedings had been initiated five of which related to the victims listed in the charges Another five exhumations are planned to go ahead shortly The allegations made against the doctor recall another case currently being tried in Germany in which a nurse is accused of murdering nine patients in palliative care is alleged to have injected a total of 26 patients with large doses of sedatives or painkillers said the suspect was motivated by a desire to reduce his workload on night shifts and had considered himself the “master of life and death” Gen Keith Kellogg appears to suggest Ukraine could be split into zones of control after a peace deal; Trump warns Putin to ‘get moving’ ahead of US-Russia talks says US envoyGen Keith Kellogg appears to suggest Ukraine could be split into zones of control after a peace deal; Trump warns Putin to ‘get moving’ ahead of US-Russia talks Ukraine could be partitioned like Berlin after the second world war Donald Trump’s envoy to Kyiv has suggested as Russia continues to hold out on accepting a truce Gen Keith Kellogg appeared to suggest the country could be split into zones of control with British and French troops as part of a “reassurance force” in the west and Moscow’s forces in the east Between them would be Ukrainian forces and a demilitarised zone but the US would not provide any ground forces “You could almost make it look like what happened with Berlin after world war two a French zone and a British zone,” he told the Times newspaper Donald Trump issued a rare warning to Vladimir Putin ahead of talks between the US president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian president saying on the Truth Social platform: “Russia has to get moving in a terrible and senseless war – A war that should have never happened if I were President!!!” Putin was shown on state TV greeting Witkoff in St Petersburg’s presidential library at the start of the negotiations and state news agencies later said the talks lasted more than four hours “The theme of the meeting: aspects of a Ukrainian settlement,” the Kremlin said after the meeting who was seen in news footage accompanying Witkoff leaving a hotel in the city according to Russia’s state news agency Tass said: “Putin said he wanted peace but he rejected a full ceasefire military and civilian targets alike.” The UK and Germany jointly convened Friday’s meeting in Ramstein which was attended by more than 40 countries but not the US Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s military allies to focus on air defence asking them to provide 10 additional Patriot systems The Ukrainian president told the Ramstein meeting via video that Russian attacks showed Moscow was not ready to implement any realistic and effective peace proposals Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to purchase additional air defence systems adding that he discussed it with Donald Trump “Ukraine is not just asking – we are ready to buy appropriate additional systems,” he said in his nightly address on Friday The government would also strengthen air defences with additional funds for electronic warfare US and Ukrainian officials met on Friday on the US proposal to gain access to Ukraine’s mineral wealth but prospects for a breakthrough were scant given the meeting’s “antagonistic” atmosphere a source with knowledge of the matter said The Reuters report quoted the source as saying the strains in the Washington talks stemmed from the Trump administration’s “maximalist” latest draft proposal which is more expansive than the original version “The negotiating environment is very antagonistic.” A Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed the discussions Russia launched 88 drones at Ukraine in overnight attacks It said Ukraine’s air defences shot down 56 of the drones while 24 drones were “lost” as the military used electronic warfare to redirect them The Russian defence ministry said earlier that its air defences destroyed 13 Ukrainian drones in the space of 30 minutes late on Friday Between 10pm and 10.30pm nine drones were destroyed in the Rostov region Ukrainian legislators are almost certain to extend martial law again before it expires on 9 May, the parliamentary speaker has said, even as the US and Russia pressure Kyiv to hold a new vote. Ruslan Stefanchuk underlined the legal and practical implausibility of holding free and fair elections in a country that is part-occupied and still under constant attack, while stressing Ukraine’s commitment to democratic elections. ‘Global intends to introduce further widebody aircraft in 2025,’ the airline said I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Global Airlines has flown its sole airworthy aircraft from the maintenance facility of Beja in southern Portugal to Barcelona The Airbus A380 arrived at Spain’s second-busiest airport shortly before 3pm local time after an 86-minute flight across the Iberian peninsula has landed at a major airport since it was brought out of retirement to be refurbished ahead of proposed transatlantic flights The Independent has not been able to ascertain the purpose of the flights but one possibility is that the aircraft is being used to transport passengers from Barcelona to Berlin at the end of their cruise the carrier that is operating the Global Airlines plane it will also be the first time that the aircraft has been in revenue service The flight comes 13 days before the inaugural transatlantic flight, scheduled to depart from Glasgow to New York JFK at 11am on Thursday 15 May Global Airlines was founded by an entrepreneur The carrier promises “a new era of commercial air travel” and “fast relief from the aches and pains associated with commercial air travel” But plans to fly regular scheduled services across the Atlantic from London Gatwick to JFK have faltered Tickets from Glasgow are priced at £778 return A spokesperson for the airline said: “As the first Global owned A380 prepares to take to the skies with its first passengers the Global team and partners have achieved what many thought was impossible and are now focused on the next phase of development “Global intends to introduce further widebody aircraft in 2025 before announcing a timeline for scheduled operations Global has successfully inducted one A380 into service and is now progressing with the acquisitions of further A380 aircraft scheduled for entry into service.” The flight to Barcelona and onwards to Berlin took place shortly after Global Airlines announced that former Etihad CEO James Hogan will become a “strategic adviser” and shareholder in Global Airlines. The company said Mr Hogan “will provide key strategic advice and support, adding significant executive experience across Global’s finance and operations divisions, and supporting Global in raising finance”. Mr Hogan headed up the Abu Dhabi-based carrier for 11 years to 2017. His current company, Knighthood, says: “He oversaw the development of Etihad Airways from a $300m airline and its transformation into a travel and tourism group valued at more than $20bn, achieving the mandate from his shareholders to build a world-class diversified aviation and travel group, and securing profitability for five consecutive years from 2011 to 2015. He was replaced after a disastrous series of minority investments in smaller airlines. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. British and French forces would control western areas and Kyiv would cede east to Moscow under Lt Gen Keith Kellogg’s plan Ukraine could be partitioned like Berlin after the Second World War as part of a peace deal, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia has suggested Retired lieutenant general Keith Kellogg said in an interview with The Times that UK and French troops could adopt zones of control in the west of the country Russia’s army could remain in the occupied east and between the two would be Ukrainian forces and a demilitarised zone who was previously national security adviser to former vice-president Mike Pence The Anglo-French-led force west of the Dnipro river, which bisects Ukraine from north to south, would “not be provocative at all” to the Kremlin Last month, Gen Kellogg was excluded from peace talks because the Kremlin complained that he was “too close” to Kyiv Now he has said Ukraine is big enough to accommodate several armies seeking to enforce a ceasefire “You could almost make it look like what happened with Berlin after World War Two America would not contribute any ground forces A demilitarised zone of 18 miles could be implemented along existing lines of control in the east However, Moscow has repeatedly insisted it would not accept peacekeeping troops from any Nato country “under any conditions” in Ukraine Gen Kellogg’s suggestion would mean Ukraine giving up on regaining its eastern territories that are now under Russian control But it was unclear whether he was suggesting Kyiv cede to Russia any further territory east of the river With Vladimir Putin repeatedly being accused of delaying any plans for a ceasefire as agreed by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, the White House insisted Mr Trump would use his influence over Russia to negotiate a peace deal Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said: “We believe we have leverage in negotiating a deal to a peace deal and the president is determined to see this through.” said Russia was using bilateral talks with the United States to delay negotiations about the war “suggesting that the Kremlin remains uninterested in serious peace negotiations to end the war” Mr Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, held talks about a peace deal with President Putin for several hours in St Petersburg. The Kremlin posted a photo on its website of the two men shaking hands, saying the meeting had taken place. “The theme of the meeting, aspects of a Ukrainian settlement,” it said. Russian news agencies said the meeting lasted more than four hours. Just as the talks were about to begin, Mr Trump warned on social media that Putin should make progress on a ceasefire. He posted: “Russia has to get moving. Too many people are DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war.” Ms Leavitt said Mr Witkoff was discussing efforts to end the war with Putin and other officials. “This is another step in the negotiating process towards a ceasefire and an ultimate peace deal,” she said. However, they can take joy from the fact that Danish international Frederik Ronnow has been one of the best goakeepers in the Bundesliga in terms of saving penalties Ronnow has so far saved four out of five penalties which puts him in 5th place on a list of the 12 best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga history Thomas Zander fron 1860 München tops the list after saving six penalties out of six during the 1979/1980 season Ulrich Sude from Borussia Mönchengladbach is in second spot having saved five out of six penalties during the 1984/85 season while Fulham-keeper Bernd Leno is in thrid spot with five out of eight penalty saves for Bayer Leverkusen during the 2013/14 season By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Curators William Croghan, Benno Tubbesing and Matthieu Von Matt of American Art Projects mark their debut in Europe with America Unframed the show brings together a new generation of U.S.-based artists whose works reflect the evolving visual language of American culture the exhibition centers on a cultural thread that binds the featured artists: a shared vocabulary shaped by Pop Art and the ever-expanding influence of the Internet Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain and this is never more accurate than when you establish yourself as a foreign resident in a new country Being able to quickly familiarise yourself with the culture and customs can help ease the transition during a challenging time This is why Euro Weekly News makes it our mission to provide you with a free news resource in English that covers both regional and national Spanish news – anything that we feel you will benefit from knowing as you integrate into your new community and live your best life in Spain you can forget about translating articles from Spanish into awkward English that probably don’t make much sense Let us be your convenient and essential guide to all things that will likely affect you as a foreign resident living in Spain Following a number of recent suspected terrorist activities in Germany, security continues to be very tight especially when apparently abandoned or suspect cars are involved According to reports coming out of Finnish news group YLE German police decided to cancel an event to be hosted by Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen who was due to deliver an address at the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) in Berlin on May 4 Officers became aware that a small black car was parked illegally in front of the building where the presentation was due to take place and the driver had been spotted leaving the vehicle unattended The minister was just about to enter the building where some 100 security experts were waiting to hear her speech when officers spoke to her and explained that the presentation needed to be cancelled due to security fears and the possibility that the vehicle may contain a bomb as everyone dispersed and an investigation was undertaken it emerged that the Academy was able to issue a statement on its website confirming the cancellation and adding that the action had been taken due to fears of a possible attack although it transpired that there was no actual danger from the vehicle Elina Valtonen had a first meeting with Johann Wadephul (who was due to be officially appointed German Foreign Minister on May 5) when according to her they discussed the excellent relations between Finland and Germany With a general election held in Germany in February 2025, different parties are still involved in negotiations concerning the long-term make-up of the coalition Government especially as there appears to be a significant split between voters expectations from those in the East of the country and the somewhat more ‘liberal’ West. Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox! Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Website#ddc1dddb25257626c538a12f{display:none} Known as the PEOPLE’S PAPER, Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain. And it’s FREE! Covering the Almeria, Axarquia, Costa Blanca North, Costa Blanca South, Costa del Sol , Costa Calida, Mallorca and beyond, EWN supports and inspires the individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities we serve, by delivering news with a social conscience. Whether it’s local news in Spain, UK news or international stories, we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home. With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month, EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain. The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close. 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Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match Haven't kept a clean sheet in 9 matches Bleron Berisha has created the most big chances for Hollywood United (4) Have scored 23 goals in their last 5 matches Haven't kept a clean sheet in 5 matches Patrick Schönfeld is ranked 3 in big chances created in the competition (9) Who won between Hollywood United and Beton Berlin on Mon 05 May 2025 18:30:00 GMT?Hollywood United won 5–2 over Beton Berlin on Mon 05 May 2025 18:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 19 goals in their last 5 matches Hollywood United is playing home against Beton Berlin on Mon Broadway Off-Broadway Off-Off Broadway Cabaret Dance Opera Classical Music Minneapolis / St. Paul Connecticut Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles Central New York WEST END UK Regional Canada Australia / New Zealand Europe Asia Latin America Africa / Middle East TV/Movies Music The event will run from June 16 to 28, 2025. Berlin will host the second edition of the Performing Exiles festival from June 16 to 28, 2025. Organized by the Berliner Festspiele, this international and interdisciplinary event delves into the contemporary meanings of exile and showcases the works of both renowned and emerging artists who identify as diasporic and have made Berlin their home. World Premiere by Mohammad Rasoulof: The acclaimed Iranian filmmaker presents a new work that continues his exploration of themes related to exile and identity.Berliner Festspiele Guest Performance by Mario Banushi: Known for his evocative storytelling, Banushi brings a performance that intertwines personal narratives with broader diasporic experiences. Co-Productions by Lina Majdalanie & Rabih Mroué and Tamara Trunova: These collaborations offer nuanced perspectives on the complexities of displacement and cultural identity. 100° Diaspora Performance Marathon: From June 26 to 28, 45 Berlin-based diasporic artists and groups will perform across five stages at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. This segment operates on a first-come, first-served basis, emphasizing inclusivity and diversity in artistic expression. Summer School: Running throughout the festival, this program offers workshops, seminars, and mentoring sessions focused on the concept of 'freedom' in the context of democracy and artistic expression. Participants will engage with performances and visit cultural institutions across Berlin. Multi-award-winning producer/director/writer/actor/choreographer Breton Tyner-Bryan's latest film ESCAPE, will make its German Premiere at the Berlin Commercial Film Festival. Learn more! Unbedingt sehenswert – für Stephen-King-Fans und alle, die spannungsgeladene Psychodramen lieben! Karlsruhe feiert – und zwar ordentlich: DAS FEST Karlsruhe geht 2025 in die Jubiläumsrunde! Mit dabei sind vom 24. bis 27. Juli in der Karlsruher Günther-Klotz-Anlage Top-Acts wie Max Giesinger & Friends, Faithless, 01099, Clueso und Amy Macdonald. British bandleader, pianist, and composer Nikki Iles will be the new Principal Conductor of the NDR Bigband from the 2025/26 season. She succeeds Geir Lysne and will lead the renowned ensemble for an initial period of two years. function closestickysocial(){document.getElementById("foxsocial").style.display="none";}@media(max-width:1024px){.most-popular,.video-row{display:block;margin-top:25px}}Videos and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows © 2025 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media, all rights reserved. Privacy Policy BERLIN — Central Berlin was in ruins after the Red Army completed the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in an intense fight for the capital in May 1945 Hitler killed himself in his bunker on April 30; and on May 2 the commander of German military forces in Berlin Post-war Berlin was divided into sectors controlled by the wartime allies That hardened into a Cold War division that saw two separate German states founded in 1949 and ultimately led to the building in 1961 of the Berlin Wall which fell 28 years later as communist rule collapsed in East Germany tried to fight on but was quickly forced to negotiate Germany’s surrender But the Soviet Union had only a liaison officer at the ceremony and fighting against the Red Army continued in the east so a second ceremony was agreed at Soviet headquarters in Berlin on May 8 the West and Russia mark the end of the war in Europe on May 8 and May 9 FROM AFP NEWSShadow Of Ukraine War Looms Over Berlin's 'German-Russian' MuseumBy Jastinder KHERA ShareResizeReprintsThe Barron's news department was not involved in the creation of the content above. This article was produced by AFP. For more information go to AFP.com.© Agence France-Presse For a man that so many of his fans still claim to be intimidated by, Michael Gira in the flesh sure comes across as… somewhat of a goofball he expands on his collaborator Kristof Hahn “you should see him after the show!” Moments later he puts a finger on his backside: “TSSSSSSSS!” Possibly his good mood is sparked by the fact that the show in Berlin marks the finale of his widely celebrated tour with Hahn – or because the two musicians are at this point so in tune their dynamic interplay resembles telepathic communication Opening with a great performance by soloist Joanna Gemma Auguri whose tender accordion led songs create an intimate atmosphere that perfectly captures the charms of Neukölln’s Heimathafen the evening continues with Hahn performing a lengthy improvisation His lap-steel guitar conjures ever shifting textures before diving into wild psychedelia – moving from ambient tapestries that would fit on Brian Eno’s On Land to No-Wave adjacent noise Hahn is often held up as one of Gira’s most valuable soldiers and his performance showcases a generational mastery that is mind blowing the two smiling at each other over the alteration between silence and cacophony High art can be fun without reeking of irony the two dive into a selection of new songs off the upcoming SWANS album Hahn’s lap-steel creates powerful waves of cosmic harmonies while Gira’s repetitive guitar strumming adds a lasting rhythm over which his voice rises rich in expression – mocking while “I Am a Tower” allows Gira to loudly exclaim the arrogance of a megalomaniac protagonist (who may or may not be Donald Trump where the song usually enters a blistering It’s one of the many goosebump moments of this evening As Gira announces to the crowd: these are protest songs But they also take the form of lyrical sound-narratives that function beyond the surreal imagery of their text (“I am a kitten!” remains one of Gira’s most oddly compelling choices) most of the audience sways in a trance-like bliss Hahn and Gira manage to distill something transcendental and everyone in the room seems caught within it at one point there’s a brief chat between them seemingly centred on a specific musical dialogue of the preceding song seem to be aware that they touched upon something magical swaying as if the rhythm of his guitar is fully removed from the movement of his hands The second half of the set consists of older material – something SWANS won’t dare touch in their shows as Gira has repeatedly explained his dislike for nostalgia It’s Real” (the most recent tune of the selection) collects shades of a tuneful Folk track radiating an aura of optimism and confidence as Hahn takes a break for “God Damn the Sun” which Gira plays especially slow and weighty briefly chuckling as a teenage fan is headbanging heavily in the first row gesturing jokingly at him to slow it down after the first verse As mentioned earlier: for a man that has often been described as “intimidating” Gira expresses an incredible warmth this night The only moment of sinister transgression comes when the dup play “You Will Pay” an unrecorded track that has become a staple of Gira’s solo sets It is here where Gira’s eyes scan the audience and finally find a lone smart-phone recording these moments are a recurring occurrence during Gira’s performances – and for those worried the audience member quickly removed his phone and had a pleasant conversation with Gira after the set (a blessing that Reddit can now provide the closure which The song ultimately benefits from the short moment adding even more gravitas to Gira’s expression of confrontational anger and defiance “You Will Pay” has not been put on tape because it demands a physical presence that turns paralysed in recording Before Gira closes out the evening with a few lines of well spoken German (oh!) the set concludes with an especially moving highlight: “Failure” the song is driven by Gira’s pained howls optimistic or gentle tones and nuances dominated the night iconic performance is an especially haunting coda with Gira finally screaming into the microphone “Failure” quite possibly never sounded as poignant – or I have remarked before, in my review of The Beggar that Gira is the ultimate contradiction – a man who can passionate and gifted with an aura of deep every musical dialogue with the exceptional Hahn every emotional movement seems in tune with a deep If you are awarded with a chance of seeing Gira and Hahn play – you must take it the two might just have performed one of the best nights in their artistic journey Kristof Hahn Michael Gira swans He runs the music-centric youtube channel YOU ARE WRONG.