germany
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 […]
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 […]