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Punctual Icelandair: A guiding northern light for Europe's airlines
Volcanic eruptions sometimes cause delays and disruptions to air travel in and out of Iceland and further afield. But flag carrier Icelandair has seemingly harnessed the occasionally formidable logistical challenges it faces to become Europe’s most punctual airline, with 84% of its almost 4,000 flights in June deemed as having arrived "on time" by aviation industry analysis provider Cirium, putting it ahead of Iberia Express’s 82% and third-ranked Iberia’s 78%. Icelandair announced on July 8 that it carried 514,000 passengers in June, taking it to over 2 million for the first half of 2024, a 7% increase on the January-June 2023 period....
Clickbaiting kids: YouTube's problem with shocking video thumbnails
Most parents know there are countless videos out there on the internet not suitable for children. And too many parents still assume their children won't see these videos unless they actively go looking for them. Worse still, many videos don't even need to be watched - the often provocative preview thumbnails for videos are enough to convey a message to children swiping through suggestions on a video platform. According to a US study, these sometimes try to shock users on platforms like YouTube to get the viewer to tap on the video. How can children be protected from this? Anyone who uses video...
Volkswagen deliveries drop in Q2, China sales fall 19.3%
German carmaker Volkswagen delivered fewer cars in the second quarter than a year ago, it reported on Wednesday. The Volkswagen Group delivered 2,243,700 vehicles of all group brands worldwide between April and June, 3.8% fewer than in the same months last year. Audi and the Chinese market in particular had a negative impact. Sales at Audi slumped by 11.3%. The core brand Volkswagen lost 5.2%. Skoda and Seat/Cupra, on the other hand, grew. Business is weakening in China. In the past three months, 19.3% fewer vehicles were delivered there. "As announced, we have deliberately prioritized sustainable value creation over higher volumes in the very intense competitive environment in China in order to achieve our long-term strategic goals," said Audi Sales Director Hildegard Wortmann. By contrast, sales in Western Europe rose by 5.1% and in North America by 10.8%. However, this could not compensate for the slump in China. Wortmann is nevertheless optimistic for the rest of the year. "For 2024 as a whole, we continue to expect a slight increase in global deliveries compared to the previous year due to the start-up and ramp-up of numerous important models in the second half of the year."
Volkswagen deliveries drop in Q2, China sales fall 19.3%
German carmaker Volkswagen delivered fewer cars in the second quarter than a year ago, it reported on Wednesday. The Volkswagen Group delivered 2,243,700 vehicles of all group brands worldwide between April and June, 3.8% fewer than in the same months last year. Audi and the Chinese market in particular had a negative impact. Sales at Audi slumped by 11.3%. The core brand Volkswagen lost 5.2%. Skoda and Seat/Cupra, on the other hand, grew. Business is weakening in China. In the past three months, 19.3% fewer vehicles were delivered there. "As announced, we have deliberately prioritized sustainable value creation over higher volumes in the very intense...
Injured Zverev looks set for Hamburg and the Olympics after all
German tennis star Alexander Zverev looks set to compete at the Paris Olympics despite a knee problem, his brother and manager Mischa Zverev said on Wednesday. Mischa had suggested on Tuesday to Amazon Prime that his brother may not be fit for Paris at the end of this month where he was poised to target a second straight Olympic singles gold. But after a further examination, Mischa told dpa that the world number four had been given a near all-clear and that the Olympic warm-up clay tournament in his home city starting on Monday was even a possibility. "Hamburg is on the schedule," Mischa said. After his five-set defeat in the Wimbledon last 16 to Taylor Fritz, Zverev reported a knee problem and on Tuesday around 40 millilitres of fluid and blood were taken from his damaged capsule.
Sahin begins Dortmund reign as squad arrive for pre-season
New Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin began the job in earnest on Wednesday when 15 players reported for diagnostics tests. Sahin, who was already assistant manager, took over from Edin Terzic after his resignation following the painful Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid. The European Championship players and US international Giovanni Reyna, who played in the Copa América, will join up with Dortmund later in the month. While Dortmund's non-internationals arrived at their training base, the Dutch national team was completing their final warm-up session before the European Championship semi-final against England in the city later on Wednesday. Ex-Germany player Niklas Süle was...
Bibimbap, bulgogi, gochujang? What to order at a Korean restaurant
A harmonious blend of rice, assorted vegetables, spicy gochujang paste, choice cuts of marinated meat or tofu, and a fried egg on top: Bibimbap has become a favourite among Korean food enthusiasts worldwide. It's also the signature dish of Yoon Seok Choi, head chef and owner of Yorisa, a restaurant specializing in authentic Korean cuisine in the German city of Hamburg. It's only one of thousands of Korean restaurants that have flourished in Western cities in recent years, captivating a broader demographic and transcending age groups. For those only beginning to explore Korean restaurants, bibimbap is a solid choice when ordering from an...
Recipe: How to make your own kimchi
Kimchi is the Korean national dish. The fermented vegetables are a must at every meal. Every family in Korea has its own recipe for kimchi. When Chinese cabbage is fermented, it is a communal culinary event. Asian food blogger Stefan Leistner prepares it as follows: Ingredients: ・800 g Chinese cabbage ・50 g salt ・1 small daikon radish or alternatively ・300-400 g white radish ・2 spring onions ・2 garlic cloves ・2 pieces of thumb-sized ginger ・2 tbsp gochujaru (red chilli flakes) ・2 tbsp gochujang (hot chilli paste) ・4 tbsp fish sauce ・1 tbsp coconut blossom sugar ・1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds ・1 tsp toasted sesame oil And this is how it's done: 1. Rinse the Chinese cabbage,...
Mercedes-Benz car sales drop in Q2, China sales fall 6%
German carmaker Mercedes-Benz sold fewer vehicles in the second quarter of the year than in the same period last year, it reported on Wednesday. A total of 600,100 cars and vans were sold from April to June. That was around 6% less than in the second quarter of 2023, the car manufacturer said. Mercedes achieved an increase in van sales of 3% with a total of 103,400 vehicles. The passenger car division recorded a decline of 4% with 496,700 vehicles sold. Model changes and availability bottlenecks influenced sales in the first half of the year. In the top product segment - which includes...
Stuttgart president Wehrle hopeful over permanent Undav deal
VfB Stuttgart president Alexander Wehrle is still hoping for a rare bit of good news in a difficult close season for the Bundesliga runners-up and believes Germany forward Deniz Undav will sign a permanent deal. Stuttgart wowed the Bundesliga by finished second last term, a year after nearly being relegated. But so far in the close season, they have lost Hiroki Ito to Bayern Munich and fellow defender Waldemar Anton to Borussia Dortmund, while top striker Serhou Guirassy also seems set to join the Black and Yellows. Keeping Undav, who was on loan from England's Brighton last season and scored 18 goals,...
Strong German showing at 77th Locarno Film Festival
Five German films or films made with German involvement will compete for the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival in August. Seventeen films from around the world will vie for the top prize in the international competition, according to Locarno organizers. The 77th edition of the festival will take place from August 7 to 17 in the famous Swiss holiday resort on Lake Maggiore. German filmmakers and actors will be represented in various sections in domestic, international and co-productions. For example, actresses Maren Eggert and Luise Heyer can be seen in "The Sparrow in the Chimney" by Swiss director Ramon Zürcher, and Helena Zengel in "Transamazonia" by German director Pia Marais. Munich-born director Christoph Hochhäusler, awarded at the Berlinale 2023 for the thriller "Till the End of the Night," will present his gangster drama "Death Will Come" ("La Mort viendra"). Locarno, a major European film festival alongside Cannes, Berlin and Venice, will screen 225 short, feature and documentary films over its customary 11-day duration. Swiss businesswoman and arts patron Maja Hoffmann will act as President of the festival for the first time. At the programme presentation in Zurich, Hoffmann, described her vision for the festival's 2024 edition as "a home for transformative thinking."
Woman dies after being attacked and dragged away by bear in Romania
A 19-year-old woman died in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains after being attacked by a bear, Romanian news agency Mediafax reported on Wednesday. She was dragged away by the wild animal while hiking in the Bucegi massif south of Brașov on Tuesday evening, a witness reported who then made an emergency call. Less than an hour later, mountain rescuers and police came and recovered the woman's body. They shot the bear, as it had also tried to attack the rescue workers, the report said. Around 8,000 brown bears live in Romania's Carpathian Mountains, according to government estimates. The nation has the second-largest bear population in...
One German climber dies, one injured in Swiss mountain accident
One German mountaineer died and one was injured after an accident in the Swiss mountains, police reported on Wednesday. The women, aged 45 and 61, were descending from the 4,010 metre high Lagginhorn in the Saas Valley when they suddenly fell hundreds of metres down the western flank in quick succession, police said. The younger one died, the older one was flown to hospital by rescue workers. The Swiss police do not provide any information about the home towns, citing the protection of privacy. The women were part of a group of eight climbers, the police reported. The group was not roped up. The others alerted the rescue services after the accident. When the volunteers arrived by helicopter, they were only able to determine that the 45-year-old had died. The 61-year-old was flown to hospital injured. The accident happened on Monday morning. As with every mountain accident, the public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the circumstances.
'Disgrace' - Spain slam German fans for booing Cucurella
German fans who whistled and booed Spain's Marc Cucurella in the Euro 2024 semi-final win over France have been lambasted by his team mates. The Chelsea left back was not penalized for a handball in the box in the 2-1 extra-time win over Germany in the quarter-finals. The officials decided he had not enlarged his body under the current rules so it could not be a penalty. Most of Germany disagreed and some German fans inside the Munich stadium, who bought tickets thinking their side would be in the semi-final, whistled the 25-year-old when he was on the ball. "I think it's a...
German dockworker strike set to expand
A strike by German dockworkers is set to expand on Wednesday, ahead of a fourth round of negotiations between the unions and the port operators. Joining the workers already striking in the major northern ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven will be colleagues in Wilhelmshaven, Bremen and Emden. Many dockworkers in Hamburg and Bremerhaven have been on a strike since early Tuesday. According to a spokeswoman, around 800 people took part in the industrial action in Bremerhaven. In Hamburg, the number of participants was unclear, but a union spokesman said there was a high level of participation. A rally and march is planned for 10 am (0800 GMT) in front of the headquarters of the Central Association of German Port Operators (ZDS) in Hamburg. Verdi is demanding an increase in hourly wages of €3 ($3.20) retroactively to June 1 and a corresponding increase in shift allowances. A further round of negotiations between verdi and ZDS is planned for July 11 and 12 in Bremen.
BMW sales stagnate, electric cars show uptick in first half of 2024
German carmaker BMW on Wednesday posted lacklustre results for the first half of 2024, with total sales of 1.2 million vehicles across all regions. Overall, the sales volume was 0.1 percentage points less than a year ago. The BMW core brand performed slightly better with 1.1 million cars sold and growth of 2.3%. Subsidiaries Mini and Rolls-Royce weakened with declines of 18.7% to 114,000 cars and 11.4% to 2,819. The results were slightly better for purely electric cars. Sales across the group increased by almost a quarter to more than 190,000 units, and more than a third at the core BMW brand. However, the...
France's Mbappé admits he played poorly at Euros
France striker Kylian Mbappé was finally able to shed the mask but acknowledged he had endured a difficult Euros after the 2-1 semi-final defeat by Spain on Tuesday. France scored their first goal by one of their players in open play at the tournament to take the lead, Mbappé's smart cross being headed in by Randal Kolo Muani. But Spain quickly hit back in the first half through Dani Olmo and a stunning strike from 16-year-old Lamine Yamal. "I had the ambition to become European champion. I had the ambition to play a good Euros. I achieved neither one nor the other," captain...
Got acne? A Mediterranean diet and omega-3 may help, research shows
Regularly touted for its health benefits, the Mediterranean diet has been given another endorsement by German scientists who have found it helps reduce acne. The team found that this diet's focus on whole grains, fruit and veg, seafood and low salt and sugar intake together with omega-3 fatty acid supplements led to "significant reductions in inflammatory and non-inflammatory skin lesions, as well as improved quality of life." Published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, the findings were based on having 60 people with mild to moderate acne following the diet and taking the supplements. Almost all the participants were found to have omega-3...
Vallourec to provide solutions, services to TotalEnergies in Angola
Vallourec, a French tubular solutions provider, said on Wednesday that it has bagged a contract from TotalEnergies to supply almost 5,000 tons of Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) solutions and associated services for the Kaminho deepwater project on Block 20, 100 km off the coast of Angola. Vallourec will supply its range of VAM-brand connections and use CLEANWELL, its more environmentally-friendly, dope-free solution. Pipe dope is any thread lubricant, thread sealing compound, or anaerobic chemical sealant used to make a pipe thread joint leakproof and pressure tight. Off- and onshore operators have adopted dope-free technology, a dry multilayer coating that provides advantages compared to doped technology. The dry coating doesn't need to be reapplied after the repeated break and make of connection and provides more consistent make-up performance. The group will also provide its offshore expertise via VAM field service as well as its tubular management services offering. This involves managing the inspection and preparation of tubes before they leave for the drilling platform, and on their return to the storage area. The products will be manufactured at Vallourec plants in France, Brazil, and Indonesia.
NATO leaders to discuss Ukraine support at Washington summit
NATO leaders meet in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the alliance's support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. The talks follow a ceremony held on Tuesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the military alliance in the aftermath of World War II and the onset of the Cold War. The leaders are expected to discuss outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's plan to provide Kiev with military aid worth €40 billion ($43 billion) in 2025. NATO members have strongly supported Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. According to Stoltenberg, NATO needs to convince Russia that it cannot...
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