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Germany updates: Chancellor Merz meets Italy's Meloni – DW – 05/17/2025

Germany updates: Chancellor Merz meets Italy's Meloni – DW – 05/17/2025

DW17-05-2025

05/17/2025
May 17, 2025 Lufthansa flight in 2024 goes 10 minutes without pilot
A Lufthansa flight from Germany to Spain last year went without a pilot for 10 minutes after its co-pilot lost consciousness while the captain was in the restroom, the German news agency DPA reported on Saturday, citing a report from Spain's accident investigation authority CIAIAC.
The Airbus A321, which was carrying 199 passengers and six crew members from Frankfurt to Seville, ended up making a safe but unplanned landing in Madrid after the incident so the sick co-pilot could be quickly brought to a hospital, according to the report.
During the health emergency, the plane's autopilot ensured the jet was able to fly safely despite the fact that the unconscious co-pilot seemed to have unintentionally operated the controls.
The captain first unsuccessfully tried entering a regular code alerting anyone in the cockpit to open the door before resorting to an emergency code that would have allowed him to open it himself.
But shortly before the door would have opened automatically, the co-pilot managed to let the captain in despite his state, the DPA reported.

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Eurostar to launch routes to Germany and Switzerland
Eurostar to launch routes to Germany and Switzerland

Local Germany

time2 days ago

  • Local Germany

Eurostar to launch routes to Germany and Switzerland

The new direct routes would open from the early 2030s, in addition to new services from Amsterdam and Brussels to Geneva, the international rail company said. Announced at the back of positive year-end results, Eurostar said in a statement that it would invest 2 billion euros (£1.6 billion) in the new services to major European cities and 50 new trains, bringing its total fleet to 67 trains. The announcement comes amid "continued demand for international rail travel across. Europe", according to Eurostar, which currently operates in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. While it currently has connecting services to Cologne, the new routes will directly serve the German financial capital and global diplomatic hub Geneva. "Our new fleet will make new destinations for customers a reality -- notably direct trains between London and Germany, and between London and Switzerland for the first time. A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here," said Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave. According to the rail company, passenger numbers rose to over 19.5 million in 2024, marking a five percent increase from the previous year. It has a target of ferrying 30 million passengers annually. Advertisement The Eurostar Group merges operations of Eurostar which operates in the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France, and Thalys, which runs high-speed rail services from Paris toAmsterdam and German cities. Eurostar also said it would increase daily services between London, Rotterdam and. Amsterdam starting later this year. "I am pleased to welcome this exciting investment into Eurostar services, which is a huge step in promoting green travel across Europe and boosting our international rail connections," UKTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander said. The announcements come as Eurostar's three-decade monopoly in the Channel Tunnel looks likely to end. Earlier this year, Britain's Office of Rail and Road opened access to a maintenance depot along the Paris-London route to other firms, removing a hurdle to competitors offering services. Italian railway operator Trenitalia and British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Group have since signalled plans to open their own services on the cross-Channel line.

Germany defender Jonathan Tah's Ivory Coast connection – DW – 06/03/2025
Germany defender Jonathan Tah's Ivory Coast connection – DW – 06/03/2025

DW

time03-06-2025

  • DW

Germany defender Jonathan Tah's Ivory Coast connection – DW – 06/03/2025

Jonathan Tah is one of the best defenders in Europe and a fixture on the national team. The 29-year-old spoke to DW about his career and his connection to his father's homeland. If Jonathan Tah suddenly decided to retire, he could already look back on an accomplished career. Seen as one of the best defenders in Europe, Tah played a key role in Bayern Leverkusen's unprecedented double of winning the Bundesliga and the German Cup in 2024. "As of now, I've done everything I can to be the best version of myself," Jonathan Tah told DW at the German national team's training camp in Herzogenaurach. "But of course, I can and want to always get more out of myself." Tah again performed at his consistently high level this past season, winning 65% of his tackles and completing nearly 94% of his passes. Such stats weren't lost on Bayern Munich, who swept in to sign the defender for the coming season. Hard work pays off Becoming a regular on the national team didn't come easy for the Hamburg native, who made his debut in early 2016 under then-national team coach Joachim Löw. However, he wasn't called up for any major tournaments after that. It's only since Julian Nagelsmann took over as Germany coach that Tah has become a fixture in the central defense, alongside Antonio Rüdiger. Jonathan Tah got his first call up to the national team in 2016 Image: Federico Gambarini/dpa/picture alliance "It's like life," there are always a few ups and downs," said Tah, who always believed in the value of hard work. "I don't mean to sound arrogant, but it was logical that at some point it would pay off." Credit to Alonso He credits Xabi Alonso, his coach at Leverkusen, with helping him get to where he is now. "He said I needed to maintain that focus and concentration in every game to be able to consistently deliver that level of performance at that high level." Tah signed his first professional contract with Hamburg at the age of 17, but they gave up on him, selling him to Leverkusen in 2015. Jonathan Tah is a favorite among the fans Image: IMAGO/Harry Koerber "I think talent probably brought me to Leverkusen. But everything that came after that was hard work," Tah said. "In the end, you can only reach your full potential if you work hard, not if you rely solely on your talent." Off the pitch, Tah likes to spend time with his wife, his friends and his dog, "It's good for me to step out of the role of 'Jonathan Tah, the professional footballer,' and into the role of husband and friend, not even talk about football at all." 'I felt a lot of love' One of his other passions is travel. Last month, he made a trip to a place that is particularly close to his heart as his father was born there, Ivory Coast. "The last time I was there, I was 14 years old. I wanted to visit my grandmother again and see what had changed in the country," he said. "Many said they were proud of me and of what I had achieved with Leverkusen. I simply felt a lot of love from the people. It was a very nice experience." Filled with pride Tah was impressed by how "football-mad" African fans really are. "They simply love this sport, and you can feel this passion," he said. "It's a different country, a different culture, and yet people still support you. That fills you with pride. I believe I can inspire and motivate people." Even though it was only a short trip, meeting with ordinary people in the West African country made an impression on Tah. "It was extremely grounding for me and my wife," he said. "It makes me think: 'What kind of problems do I actually have here? Are these really problems, are these legitimate complaints? Or is it actually nonsense to worry about little things?'" Tah plans to visit his father's homeland more often in the future, but now his focus is back on football and Germany as they take on Portugal in the semifinals of the UEFA Nations League at his future home ground, the Allianz Arena, on Wednesday. Not only Germany fans will be pulling for him. This article was originally published in German.

German town offers free accommodation in bid to attract residents
German town offers free accommodation in bid to attract residents

Local Germany

time03-06-2025

  • Local Germany

German town offers free accommodation in bid to attract residents

Eisenhüttenstadt in Brandenburg, on the Polish border, will offer a free furnished flat for two weeks in September to applicants interested in trying life in the town. The town's authorities said the scheme was aimed at attracting skilled workers, former residents who have moved away and self-employed workers looking for a change of scenery. Those selected will be offered city tours to 'give them a real feeling' for the town, as well as introduced to local job prospects and internships. Before they leave, they will asked to write a 'love letter to Eisenhüttenstadt' in which they share their impressions of their stay. Those interested can apply until early July. The population of Eisenhüttenstadt has dropped by over half since German reunification in 1990. Like many areas of eastern Germany, it has suffered from depopulation as young people move because of a lack of job opportunities and prospects. The modern town was founded by East German authorities as a socialist model city after the end of WWII alongside a massive steel mill, the town's largest industry. It was known as Stalinstadt between 1953 and 1961. Advertisement The city is considered one of the preeminent examples of socialist architecture in Germany. Its town combines Stalin-era neoclassicism and more modern Plattenbau blocks of flats. After reunification, the steel mill was privatised, causing thousands of employees to lose their jobs. Today, the steelworks has been modernised and employs about 2,500 people.

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