Activist pastor Joachim Gauck took office as German president on Monday morning after being elected by an overwhelming majority, marking the first time someone from the former communist east acts as head of state.
Following warning strikes in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and many other parts of the country, the public sector union Verdi is turning its attention to Berlin and has announced the capital will be hit by strikes this week.
The Norwegian Hercules military transport plane that crashed into Sweden's highest peak Kebnekaise on Thursday may have been flying "tactically" at low altitude to avoid detection, A Norwegian military source said.
Sweden's André Myhrer won the slalom World Cup title in Schladming, Austria on Sunday after winning the final men's race of the season ahead of Germany's Felix Neureuther and Austrian Mario Matt.
Many Germans flocked to parks in T-shirts and shorts Saturday, while ice cream dealers did a brisk business and cafe-goers had to look long and hard for an empty chair outside.
German skier Viktoria Rebensburg took another step towards the World Cup giant slalom title Sunday after dominating the first leg of the final women's race of the season.
Four young men reported missing after venturing out on a skiing trek in the vicinity of Gällivare in the mountains of northern Sweden have been found, police confirmed on Sunday afternoon.
The Leipzig Book Fair, which closes Sunday, is Germany's second largest book fair after Frankfurt, but it's not only bookworms who flock to the fair.
The Berlin zoo is bracing for a flood of guests Sunday and Monday to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of their polar bear star Knut.
The search continued on Sunday for the bodies of those killed after a Norwegian Hercules military transport plane crashed into Sweden's highest peak Kebnekaise on Thursday.
Bayern Munich stomped their hosts Hertha Berlin Saturday evening, winning 6-0 in a game that saw three penalty kicks for the Bavarians.
Ian and Lukas Lundin have rejected accusations that the Lundin Group consists of "opportunistic, dictator-hugging businessmen", arguing that allegations of human rights abuses are "unfounded, unfair and in some cases, absurd".
The Red-Green opposition has claimed 50.1 percent of the vote in a new poll, with support for the government falling to 43 percent and the Moderates losing their position as the largest parliamentary party.
