Voters in hundreds of Berlin constituencies took to the polls on Sunday for a partial re-run of the 2021 federal election, after numerous mishaps the first time round. In December, Germany's Constitutional Court ordered a repeat after the botched elections in the city-state in September 2021, including ballot papers being incorrect or going missing altogether. Queues had also formed outside polling stations beyond the supposed close of voting, when projected results had already been announced. S
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner and Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch announced through a lawyer on Friday that they had entered into a relationship, confirming earlier media reports. The lawyer, Christian Schertz, told dpa that the couple had decided to start a relationship in the autumn of last year and had asked him "to confirm this for reasons of transparency to ensure clarity for all involved in their professional work." Schertz noted that the arrangement did not contravene any legal provi
Around 390 people were detained during festivities on the streets of the German capital Berlin on New Year's Eve, many due to dangerous use of fireworks that injured several police officers, the city's police said on Monday in what officials deemed a success. A total of 54 police officers were injured, 30 of them by pyrotechnics. Eight of the injured police officers were unable to continue their duties, police spokeswoman Anja Dierschke said. However both the mayor and police said that despite w
Three more suspects were arrested on Sunday in connection with a planned terrorist attack on Cologne Cathedral as Germany readied for New Year's Eve celebrations, which police fear could turn violent in Berlin. Shortly before Christmas, police received information about a planned Islamist plot against the cathedral, with the last night of 2023 seen as a possible target. A Tajik was arrested on December 24 but further arrests were made in the same state of North Rhine Westphalia after police disc
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner has pledged to maintain law and order in the German capital and to act forcefully against any disturbances during the traditional celebrations on New Year's Eve. "We have taken all the necessary precautions to ensure that the rule of law is implemented," the Christian Democrat (CDU) politician told dpa on Saturday. Referring to parts of the city that have seen disturbances in recent weeks, Wegner noted that maintaining order in some areas presented a challenge. "I can onl