Domestic air travel in Germany dropped by 50% compared to 2019: Study

Domestic flights in Germany are expected to stay significantly below pre-pandemic levels, as overall air traffic continues to decline, according to an analysis released Thursday by the aviation industry association BDL

Flight schedules through the first six months of 2025…[Read more]

USA Today: If Social Security falters, reverse mortgages could be worth a look

The outlet took a look at reverse mortgages as a potential path for retirees who have trouble making ends meet with Social Security alone.

Many retirees have said they rely largely — and sometimes entirely — on Social Security benefits as their primary income str…[Read more]

US job growth surprises in December as unemployment rate slips to 4.1%

U.S. hiring picked up unexpectedly in December as employers added a strong 256,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.1%, another sign of the economy’s resilience in the face of high interest rates.

Job growth rose 212,000 last month from November, the Labor…[Read more]

US, Arab mediators advance Gaza peace talks, but no deal yet: Sources

Delegations from Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. have made some headway in their efforts to secure a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but not sufficient to finalize an agreement, Palestinian sources said Thursday.

As talks continued in Qatar, the Israeli military…[Read more]

USA: Jimmy Carter’s six-day state funeral begins

Six days of funeral events, observances and ceremonies are planned from Atlanta, Georgia, to Washington, DC, to reflect the life of former US President Jimmy Carter.

Six carefully choreographed days of funeral events in honor of former US President Jimmy Carter got underway on Saturday, starting…[Read more]

US cartoonist quits Washington Post over Trump, Bezos sketch

Illustrator Ann Telnaes has accused the Washington Post of censoring a cartoon in which she took aim at billionaire tech and media executives and their relationships with President-elect Donald Trump.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning American cartoonist has quit the Washington Post newspaper,…[Read more]

Trump must be sentenced in hush money case, judge signals no jail

President-elect Donald Trump will be sentenced on Jan. 10 in the criminal case in which he was convicted on charges involving hush money paid to a porn star, but is unlikely to face jail time or other penalties, a judge said on Friday.
Justice Juan Merchan’s ruling means Trump will…[Read more]

Tesla cybertruck explodes outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas, killing one

A Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas killed one and injured seven, police said Wednesday. Tesla CEO Elon Musk attributed the blast to large fireworks or a bomb in the vehicle, clarifying it was not related to the truck’s design.

At…[Read more]

World leaders denounce New Year’s deadly truck attack in New Orleans

International outrage follows a New Year’s Eve attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter, where a suspect driving a truck killed at least 15 and injured dozens more. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism.

International condemnation poured in Wednesday for the…[Read more]

US army veteran, IT specialist: What we know about the New Orleans truck attack suspect

The New Orleans truck attack suspect, identified by the FBI as 42-year-old US citizen Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was an army veteran who served as an IT specialist before earning a bachelor’s degree in computer systems. He was twice-married and experienced financial…[Read more]

Five killed and emergency workers targeted as firework chaos mars Germany’s New Year celebrations

Five people have been killed and dozens of emergency workers were injured as a spate of incidents involving fireworks marred New Year’s Eve celebrations in Germany.

Despite calls for a nationwide ban on the private use of fireworks, they con…[Read more]

New Year’s fireworks accidents kill five in Germany

Five people died across Germany and a police officer was seriously injured from accidents linked to the powerful fireworks Germans traditionally set off to celebrate the new year, police said Wednesday.

Germans celebrate New Year’s Eve with a particularly intense usage of fireworks, which spurs…[Read more]

Iran to hold nuclear talks with France, UK, Germany on January 13: Report

The next round of talks with European powers will take place one week before Trump’s return to the White House.

The next round of nuclear talks between Iran and France, the United Kingdom and Germany will take place in Geneva in January, Iran’s semi-official ISNA news age…[Read more]

Trump opposes deal to avert gov’t shutdown

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump urged Republican lawmakers Wednesday to scupper a cross-party deal to avert a fast-looming U.S. government shutdown, as the White House accused him of “playing politics.”

Staring down a Friday night deadline to fund federal agencies, party leaders in Congress had agreed…[Read more]

Musk’s possible meddling in UK politics stirs concern

Concerns are growing in the U.K. as tech billionaire Elon Musk takes an increasingly close interest in Britain’s political scene, appearing to cosy up to hard-right firebrand lawmaker Nigel Farage.

With Musk named to a new position in the incoming U.S. administration of Donald Trump, there…[Read more]

US hopes for Gaza truce within weeks as CIA chief heads to Doha

The U.S. expressed optimism Tuesday that a Gaza cease-fire and hostage exchange deal could be finalized within weeks, citing ongoing efforts to resolve remaining disputes, according to the State Department.

Addressing reporters at the Foreign Press Center, State Department…[Read more]

Zelensky urges EU-US unity at bloc’s last summit before Trump

Donald Trump loomed large over EU leaders Thursday at their last summit before he reclaims power in the United States, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying only transatlantic unity can “save” Ukraine.

The upheaval in Syria after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, and how to deal…[Read more]

If 1.5m Germans have them there must be something in it’: how balcony solar is taking off

Balcony solar panels can save 30% on a typical household’s electricity bill and, with vertical surface area in cities larger than roof space, the appeal is clear

By Stephen Burgen in Barcelona

They are easy to install, and knock chunks off electricity bil…[Read more]

Germany and France are in crisis – is the next global financial crash brewing?

The eurozone’s flaws and a lack of growth in the EU have combined to malign effect. ‘More Europe’ is not the solution

Things are not quite going according to plan for Rachel Reeves. The economy has contracted for the past two months and inflation is proving hard to…[Read more]

German health system grapples with potential returns of Syrian doctors

As thousands of Syrian doctors work in Germany, the fall of Bashar Assad is raising concern over the potential consequences for the health sector if many of them were to return home.

Germany became a leading destination for Syrian refugees over the past decade, and some…[Read more]