An extraordinary archaeological discovery in eastern Germany has reunited a medieval bronze cross with the mould used to cast it-more than four decades after the mould itself was found. The object, a so-called wheel cross dating to the 10th or 11th century, offers rare and tangible evidence of early Christianisation among the Slavic populations of the region between the Elbe and Oder rivers.
The ruling coalition in Germany's eastern state of Brandenburg lost its majority on Tuesday, sparking calls from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) for new elections. Centre-left SPD state premier Dietmar Woidke said he would run a minority government for now and seek talks on a new alliance with the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The crisis was sparked when Woidke ended a year-old coalition with the BSW, a far-left Moscow-friendly party, citing "constant disagreements" within the junior coalition partner.
