
German military helicopter crashes into river in Saxony
There are no reports yet about possible deaths or injuries, the Leipzig District Fire Brigade said.
The helicopter was reportedly on a training flight and an investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.
According to air traffic control, the helicopter disappeared from radar between 10:00-10:30 am, the local fire brigade said.
Paddlers in the river informed police around 11:30 am that they had seen helicopter parts in the water, a police spokesperson said.
Federal, state, and water police are currently on scene and divers have also been called in, but emergency crews say accessing the wreck of the helicopter is difficult.
Large quantities of kerosene leaked into the river around the site of the wreck, prompting 50 emergency personnel to contain the leak before the salvage operation could begin.
The Bundeswehr has set up a restricted military zone around the crash site, a police spokesperson said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
Which are the most studied languages in EU schools?
In the EU, 60% of high school students in general education—which equips pupils with the foundation needed for higher education—study two or more foreign languages as part of their compulsory studies. By comparison, this figure was almost 35% among students in vocational education, which prepares students for specific trades, careers, or professions. English remains, by far, the most widely studied language among both compulsory (96%) and vocational studies (80%). German and French lead in vocational education Among general education pupils, Spanish was the second most popular language to learn at school (27.1%), followed by German (21.2%), French (20.8%) and Italian (3.2%). When it comes to students in vocational education, German takes second place with 18.1%, followed by French (14.1%), Spanish (6.6%), Russian (2.3%) and Swedish (2%). Chinese is only studied by 0.5% of students, with the highest percentages of pupils learning this language found in France (1.4%), Luxembourg (1.1%) and Italy (1%). Almost all French, Romanian and Czech students take two foreign languages Some countries seem to be putting more effort into teaching foreign languages than others. Nearly 100% of high school students in general education in France, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, and Luxembourg studied two or more foreign languages. By contrast, high school students in general education in Portugal (6.7%), Ireland (10.4%), Spain (22.4%) and Italy (23.3%) were much less likely to study two or more languages. The situation differs when it comes to pupils in vocational education. Romania is the only country where nearly all pupils in this type of high school education study two or more language classes (97.2%). It is followed by Finland (85%) and Poland (78%). The share of students studying at least two languages is zero or close to zero in Malta (0%), Spain (0.1%), Greece (0.1%), and Denmark (0.9%).


Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
German military helicopter crashes into river in Saxony
A helicopter belonging to the German military crashed into the Mulde River in Saxony on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Air Force said. There are no reports yet about possible deaths or injuries, the Leipzig District Fire Brigade said. The helicopter was reportedly on a training flight and an investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing. According to air traffic control, the helicopter disappeared from radar between 10:00-10:30 am, the local fire brigade said. Paddlers in the river informed police around 11:30 am that they had seen helicopter parts in the water, a police spokesperson said. Federal, state, and water police are currently on scene and divers have also been called in, but emergency crews say accessing the wreck of the helicopter is difficult. Large quantities of kerosene leaked into the river around the site of the wreck, prompting 50 emergency personnel to contain the leak before the salvage operation could begin. The Bundeswehr has set up a restricted military zone around the crash site, a police spokesperson said.


Euronews
18-07-2025
- Euronews
Rock bottom birth rates: What are Europe's least fertile nations?
The latest data on fertility across the continent is not far from apocalyptic. For the year 2024, many European countries are reporting their lowest birth rates in several decades, if not on record. While experts say 2.1 children per woman are needed to keep the population's size stable, several countries present numbers consistently below 1.5. Germany: 'Migration sole cause of population growth' Germany's fertility level dropped to 1.35, the lowest level since 1994 (1.24), which came off the back of a recession period. The country's Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt) clearly states that "net immigration was the sole cause of population growth". Yet, despite the numbers added by migrants, the population grew only by 0.1% or 121,000 people last year. In reality, "more people died than were born", says the institute. Data also shows a huge divide between German states. While the population grew in wealthier states, like Bavaria or Hamburg, the sharpest drops were reported in the poorer Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. In neighbouring Austria, the situation was even more concerning in 2024, with the country recording the lowest birth rate on record: 1.32 or 77,238 new children, a 0.5% drop, according to Statistik Austria. Italy: Racing towards becoming a human desert With 166,000 new arrivals, migration slowed Italy's population decline, too, but not enough to prevent a decrease. The country has now fallen steadily to under 60 million people, following years of decline. The birth rate in 2024 hit a new record low (1.18), says ISTAT: For every 1,000 people, only six babies were born, while 11 died. To make matters worse, the number of Italians who left the country (156,000) was three times higher than those who returned (53,000). The largest population drops were reported in the poorer inland areas of the south. France: 'Lowest birth rates since the end of World War One' In France, which is traditionally one of Europe's most fertile nations, numbers are also dropping fast. Its fertility rate in 2024, at 1.62, was the lowest since the end of World War I, said the INSEE. In the past 15 years, the country's fertility fell by a fifth, just about enough to keep a tiny, positive birth/death balance (+17,000), the lowest since the end of World War II. Life expectancy provided the only good news. It has now reached 85.6 years for women and 80 for men, a historic record. England: Elderly childbearing fences off demographic decline England and Wales are one of the few exceptions in Europe. That's thanks to a surprising rise in babies born to fathers over 60 years old (+14%), which helped trigger the first increase in the number of births in England and Wales since 2021 (+0.6%). On the contrary, births to young mothers and fathers fell, says the INS. The proportion of children born to foreign parents was significantly high: 40% in England and nearly 20% in Wales, marking a steep 34% increase between 2023 and 2024. Spain is another exception. According to INE's provisional data, 2024's birth rates could rise by 0.4%, thanks to an estimated 322,034 new babies. As in other countries, Spain's declining fertility has been accompanied by a rising age among mothers. In the past ten years, the number of mothers aged 40 or above grew by 8.5%. Nordics: Finland reports lowest rate since 1776 (yes, 1776) Finland's fertility rate dropped to 1.25 in 2024, says Statistics Finland. That's the worst rate since data collection began, in the late 19th century, when the territory was still part of Sweden, which is also facing demographic problems. The rate reported by Stockholm for last year is 1.43, slightly above most countries and yet the country's lowest fertility on record, says SCB. The overall number of new children was 98,500, the deepest point in 23 years, as the population decreased in 169 of the country's 290 municipalities. Hungary and Poland: Failure of pro-family policies? Despite recent policies aimed at boosting natality, Hungary and Poland are also part of the crowded low-fertility club for 2024. The statistics published by Warsaw are particularly brutal, with a 1.1 birth rate, meaning the number of new children almost halved compared to 1990 (1.9). Women are also, on average, becoming mothers at 29, much later than 35 years ago, when the average age was just under 23. Hungary makes no exception with 77,500 new babies last year, the lowest amount ever, on top of a 1.38 birth rate, never as low since 2014, according to Hungary's KLS.