Bethany Bell

A drone carrying an explosive device was found near Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport, prompting police to deploy a robot, remove the detonator and conduct a controlled explosion. A separate unidentified object struck a cargo aircraft, which landed in Hanover with minor damage. Germany’s interior minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incidents as evidence of a professional hybrid threat, while Ukrainian officials suggested Russian involvement; Moscow has denied involvement. The airport remains partially restricted amid heightened concern over recurring unauthorised drone activity and possible sabotage linked to the war in Ukraine.

Austria has opened a police station in Adolf Hitler’s birthplace in Braunau am Inn following years of debate over how to handle the site and prevent neo-Nazi pilgrimage. After disputes with the former owner, the government seized the property in 2016, then refurbished it extensively and removed visible historical markers. Critics argue the police station sends the wrong message, while others had hoped for a memorial or educational centre. A street-side stone from the Mauthausen concentration camp remains the only public reminder of the site’s history.

Austria has converted Adolf Hitler’s birthplace in Braunau am Inn into a police station after years of legal disputes, public debate and extensive refurbishment aimed at preventing the site from becoming a neo-Nazi attraction. The government seized the property from its former owner after failed negotiations and compensated her following a parliamentary decision. Officials rejected earlier proposals to demolish the building amid criticism that doing so would obscure Austria’s Nazi history. Some critics argue the police station sends the wrong message, preferring either a historical responsibility centre or the return of a former charity tenant. The redesigned building now includes security measures to deter extremist visits, with only an exterior memorial stone referencing the victims of fascism.

A Berlin court sentenced palliative care doctor Johannes M. to life imprisonment for murdering 15 patients and placed him under preventive detention after his sentence. Prosecutors assert he administered lethal drug combinations during home visits and sometimes attempted to set fires to cover up the crimes. Investigators are examining 76 additional suspected cases, which could mark one of Germany’s largest serial murder episodes. During the trial, he partially confessed, claiming he believed he was relieving suffering, while relatives of victims expressed grief and disbelief. The court imposed a lifelong ban on practicing medicine.

An Austrian court convicted former Syrian intelligence chief Khaled al-H. and former police chief Moussab Abou R. of torture, sexual coercion and severe bodily harm committed against opponents of Bashar al-Assad in Raqqa between 2011 and 2013. Both men, who denied the charges, received eight-year prison sentences. Testimony from former detainees detailed electric shocks, beatings and psychological trauma. The case represents a rare instance of European jurisdiction over crimes by Assad’s security apparatus. Media reports link Khaled al-H.’s 2015 arrival in Austria to an intelligence operation involving Mossad and Austria’s former BVT, whose ex-head Martin Weiss is now a fugitive. Both defendants plan to appeal.

A dispute has emerged in Berlin over plans to demolish one of the last surviving structures of Hitler’s New Reich Chancellery to make way for housing and offices. Housing Senator Christian Gaebler supports demolition, arguing the site should not become a pilgrimage destination, while preservation advocates, including Dietmar Arnold of the Berlin Underworlds Association, insist the bunker holds vital historical significance and should be turned into a museum in cooperation with the Holocaust Museum. The State Monuments Council has also criticised demolition plans, citing the bunker’s value as a historical monument and urging a full assessment by preservation authorities.

Berlin officials plan to demolish a surviving bunker from Hitler’s New Reich Chancellery to make room for housing and offices, prompting opposition from preservationists. Housing Senator Christian Gaebler argues demolition prevents the site from becoming a pilgrimage location, while Berlin Underworlds Association chairman Dietmar Arnold calls for preserving the structure as a museum and memorial in cooperation with the Holocaust Museum. The State Monuments Council has criticized demolition plans, citing the bunker’s historical significance and recommending assessment for protected status.