Train strike action ends early
German train drivers union, GDL, will ended its six-day walkout early and returned to work Monday morning at 2 am.
"Nevertheless, there will still be some restrictions on long-distance services over the course of the day" the company said Monday morning in a statement. "Regional services may also be subject to restrictions."
On Wednesday, GDL went on strike out amid an ongoing wage dispute with Deutsche Bahn and were initially not expected back at work until Monday night at 6 pm. However, they decided on an early end following negotiations with employee Deutsche Bahn throughout the weekend.
Further rounds of negotiations will continue in the coming weeks, and GLD declared a "peace agreement" through March 3rd, when the union is hoping to reach an agreement with Deutsche Bahn in the ongoing dispute.
READ ALSO: Why are German train drivers launching more strike action?
AfD suffers defeat in district elections
The far-right AfD party suffered a narrow electoral defeat on Sunday after huge protests swept across Germany against the anti-immigration group over revelations of debates about mass expulsions of immigrants.
A candidate from the mainstream center-right CDU won a slim victory over an AfD challenger in a run-off in eastern Thuringia for a district administrator post.
Over a million people have marched in recent days in cities from Hamburg to Dresden to Stuttgart in protest at the Alternative for Germany party and hundreds of thousands poured into the streets again on Saturday and Sunday.
The wave of mobilisation was sparked by a January 10th report by investigative outlet Correctiv, which revealed that AfD members had discussed the expulsion of immigrants and "non-assimilated citizens" at a Potsdam meeting with extremists.
READ ALSO: AfD in first vote test since huge protest wave in Germany
Tens of thousands of Germans mark Holocaust Memorial Day
Tens of thousands of Germans turned out across the country on Saturday to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, just days after a string of protests against right-wing extremists.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who earlier this month joined a march against the far right, on Saturday welcomed what he said were "millions of fellow citizens marching in the streets" of Germany.
Demonstrations were planned in 300 towns and villages across the country this weekend, according to the alliance "Together against the extreme right".
READ ALSO: Tens of thousands of Germans mark Holocaust Memorial Day
Germany says suspending funding to UN agency in Gaza
Germany announced on Saturday that it was suspending funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, after Israel accused several staff members of involvement in Hamas's October 7th attack.
So long as the accusation had not been cleared up, "Germany, in agreement with other donor countries" would for the moment withhold approval for further resources, said a foreign ministry statement.
Berlin is just the latest in a string of countries to suspend funding after Israel made the accusations. UNRWA fired several of its employees on Friday and promised a thorough investigation into the claims.
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