Photograph by F-power

How cute is Knut? The three-month-old polar bear cub at the Berlin Zoo is adorable enough to have become the darling of the city, which is waiting with bated breath for the roly-poly little guy’s public debut any day now. He’s gotten plenty of international attention too, and has even been photographed by Annie Leibovitz.

But some animal-rights activists have raised worldwide ire by saying that the cub should have been killed rather than reared by humans. Given his atypical rearing, he will have a lifelong bear behavioral disorder. The cub was abandoned by his mother at birth. He is being cared for full time by keeper Thomas Dörflein, who feeds him from a bottle and even has a bed near the baby bear’s crate.

Zoo officials say there is no way they are even considering doing away with the first polar bear to be born in the zoo in 30 years. Knut fans can breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to plenty more precious photos to ooh and ahh over.

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Photograph by Wayne Zakaria

Berlin will host a huge European Union birthday bash this weekend as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome with a mixture of politics and a bonanza of Cheapo entertainment.

While European leaders sign the Berlin Declaration on European Values, museum lovers can attend the “Night of Beauty” on March 24. One €14 ticket gets you into 14 museums and galleries, which will stay open until 2 a.m. and feature special exhibitions and performances.

Those who want to keep going all night can play at more than 30 Berlin bars and clubs, where DJs and musical acts from across Europe will be entertaining partygoers. €12 gets you a ticket into all participating clubs.

On March 25, things get really cheap—free, in fact—with an outdoor concert at the Brandenburg Gate, starting at noon and lasting into the night. Acts include the Blue Man Group and Joe Cocker.

Berlin proved its party-throwing prowess with the World Cup last summer, and we expect nothing less than a wunderbar celebration. Prost!

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