Month: January 2024

Heavy Snowfall, Freezing Rain Disrupt Transport in Scandinavia, Germany 

berlin — Heavy snow and freezing rain hit parts of northern and central Europe on Wednesday, bringing transport to a halt in some Scandinavian regions and causing major disruption at airports in Frankfurt and Oslo.  At Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest, freezing rain forced a halt to takeoffs, German news agency dpa reported. The airport cited a danger of deiced aircraft icing up again as they taxied toward the runway. Some departures resumed in the afternoon as the rain subsided. Hundreds of flights already had been canceled.  The airport in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, was closed temporarily as heavy snow reduced visibility …

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Sweden Summons Iranian Charge D’Affaires Over Detained Swedes

copenhagen — Sweden has summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires to demand the immediate release of Swedish citizens being held in custody in Iran, the Swedish foreign ministry said on Wednesday. “The Government is working intensively and tirelessly to secure the release without delay of Swedish citizens detained in Iran for no apparent reason,” the ministry said in a statement. “In late 2023, a man with Swedish and Iranian citizenship was detained for no apparent reason,” the statement said. A Swedish man in his 20s also was arrested in Iran earlier in January, the ministry said this week. Those events have added …

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In Slovenia, Broadcaster RTV Faces ‘Bumpy Road’ to Reform

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA — Attempts to depoliticize Slovenia’s public broadcaster RTV have led to accusations that new management is simply replacing one political agenda with another by purging the outlet of employees considered too sympathetic to the previous administration.  Earlier this month, managers at RTV notified 15 journalists who worked on the daily news show “Panorama” that their services were not required, and that they should stay at home, on reduced pay, until needed.  New leadership at the broadcaster said the show, which was established under RTV’s previous managers in 2022, was being taken off the air because of low viewership.  But …

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Winter Weather Snarls Air, Train Travel Across Europe

FRANKFURT/ OSLO — Freezing rain in central and southern Germany grounded hundreds of flights and restricted train traffic on Wednesday, while heavy snowfall in Norway’s capital led to the closure of its main airport. Oslo airport said it would remain shut at least until 1330 GMT but the outage could also be extended, while Germany’s Frankfurt airport cancelled all its operations from midday as airplanes could no longer be de-iced, said a spokesperson.   Around 600 of the 1,047 scheduled Frankfurt arrivals and departures had been cancelled earlier in the day. At Munich airport 254 flights were scratched and a smaller …

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King Charles To Have Prostate Operation Next Week While Kate Recovers From Abdominal Surgery

LONDON — King Charles III and the Princess of Wales are both dealing with medical issues that will force them to delay previously planned public engagements over the coming weeks. Charles will undergo a “corrective procedure” for an enlarged prostate next week, Buckingham Palace said on Wednesday. The palace said the king’s condition is benign. Moments earlier, the princess’ office announced that Kate would remain at a private hospital in London for up to two weeks after undergoing planned abdominal surgery. The princess, formerly Kate Middleton, is the wife of Prince William, the heir to the throne. While it is somewhat …

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Austrian Heiress Pays to Give Away $27 Million Fortune

Vienna, Austria — The rich and famous are paying top dollar for a place at this week’s Davos summit, but heiress Marlene Engelhorn is on the other side of the fence at the glitzy Swiss resort, demanding that they pay more in taxes. The 31-year-old is also pursuing an ambitious plan to pay people to come up with ideas for her to give away the bulk of her $27.4 million wealth so she can escape what she calls a “dynastic rich swamp.” “I’ve inherited a fortune and therefore power, without having done anything for it. And the state doesn’t even want …

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