germany
Munich’s Oktoberfest roars to life as the mayor taps the first keg
MUNICH | Munich’s Oktoberfest kicked off Saturday with the city’s mayor tapping the first keg of beer and opening the 191st edition of the world’s largest folk festival. Mayor Dominik Krause put the first keg on tap with only two strokes and the traditional cry of “O’zapft is” — or “It’s been tapped.” Thousands of […]
NATO jets shoot down drone over Lithuania and Russian ship fires flares at Danish helicopter
VILNIUS, Lithuania | NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, officials said Tuesday, the day after the head of the alliance said strikes close to its territory would only increase its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia’s full-scale invasion. Military officials in Lithuania, a NATO member, said the […]
Nod if you’ve heard this: Bobblehead dolls are an American favorite
NEW YORK | It’s all in the name. Bobble. Head. It’s what the tiny collectible figurines with the spring-laden oversize heads are known for: Give them a tap and watch their tops go, gyrating up and down or side to side. And any head can bobble – entertainers, athletes, politicians, animals, fictional characters, even your […]
A pair of spacecraft draw closer to Mercury after nearly decade-long voyage
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. | Two Mercury-bound spacecraft left their mother ship behind on Thursday and headed down the home stretch of their nearly decade-long voyage to the solar system’s smallest and closest-to-the-sun planet. The linked European and Japanese spacecraft separated as planned from their cruiser, but controllers had to wait two anxious hours to receive […]
Drone with explosives found at German airport, official sees ‘new quality’ of threat
BERLIN | A drone with explosives was found at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport and the device was defused, authorities said Wednesday, in an incident that the country’s top security official said posed a “new quality of danger.” Both the runways at the major freight hub were closed and several flights, including one passenger plane, were diverted […]
Austria’s 16th-century bell foundry adds modern technology to keep the casting process alive
INNSBRUCK, Austria | Wearing protective gear to shield from the extreme heat of molten bronze, workers at one of the last bell foundries in Europe are casting bells weighing several tons. One after another, the artisans carefully pour the molten metal into specially shaped molds held together with steel bands to create 12 bells for […]
In a German forest, 2 brothers keep the ancient tradition of charcoal burning alive
HASSELFELDE, Germany | Immo Feldmer carefully tipped smoldering charcoal into a tall mound of earth to kick off the ancient tradition of coal burning. The inside of the mound was tightly stacked with beech wood which smolders for weeks until it’s been turned into charcoal — a craft that’s been practiced in the Harz mountain […]
France records around 1,000 additional deaths as extreme heat sets European records
BERLIN | France saw around 1,000 additional deaths last week at the height of its record-smashing heat wave, the country’s public health agency said Sunday, as new temperature highs sparked wildfires in Germany and Berlin police used water cannons to cool down the crowds. Temperature records were toppled in several countries on the weekend as […]
France restricts public alcohol consumption and outdoor sports as heat wave bakes parts of Europe
PARIS | France endured sizzling temperatures on Sunday, with trains, concerts and sports events canceled and authorities cracking down on drinking alcohol in public, as an exceptional heat wave unfurled across parts of Europe. Multiple drownings were reported as people sought relief in whatever water they could find. About a third of France is under […]
NATO allies bewildered by Trump’s about-face on US troop moves in Europe
HELSINGBORG, Sweden | NATO allies and defense officials expressed bewilderment on Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after he ordered the same number of forces pulled out of Europe. The apparent change of mind came after weeks of statements from Trump and his […]