Berlin - German airline Lufthansa faced further industrial action in the weeks ahead as flights slowly returned to normal Monday after a five-day strike by ground and cabin staff.
The airline, Germany's largest and Europe's second-largest, said around 130 flights would not take-off Monday, 100 of them on domestic routes, as a result of the knock-on effects from last week's strike.
"We aim to return to normal services as soon as possible," a spokeswoman said, adding, however, that this could take two weeks.
Berlin - German airline Lufthansa faced further industrial action in the weeks ahead as flights slowly returned to normal Monday after a five-day strike by ground and cabin staff.
The airline, Germany's largest and Europe's second-largest, said around 130 flights would not take-off Monday, 100 of them on domestic routes, as a result of the knock-on effects from last week's strike.
"We aim to return to normal services as soon as possible," a spokeswoman said, adding, however, that this could take two weeks.
Aircraft have been grounded as they did not undergo the necessary maintenance checks during the strike from Monday to Friday last week called by the services union Verdi.
Berlin - European aircraft maker Airbus said Friday it had sold its plant at Laupheim in Germany to German armaments company Diehl and its partner Thales.
No details were provided on the financial details of the sale, which is effective from October 1 and is subject to competition authority approval.
Diehl, based in Nuremberg in the southern German state of Bavaria, is to hold 51 per cent of the company, while French defence concern Thales holds the rest.
Berlin - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier phoned his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi Friday to call for restrictions on foreign journalists covering the Beijing Olympics to be lifted.
In particular, Steinmeier raised the issue of restrictions on internet access for journalists, asking Yang for clarification.
The German foreign minister urged the Chinese government to reconsider the measures, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Berlin.
Yang had responded that China intended to hold the games in the spirit of the Olympic movement, the statement said.
Berlin - German retail sales fell sharply in June, data released Friday showed, adding to signs that consumers in Europe's biggest economy are curtailing spending in the face of rising inflation and growing economic uncertainties.
The nation's statistics office said seasonally adjusted retail sales fell by 1.4 per cent month on month in June and by 3.9 per cent compared to the same month last year.
Analysts had expected June German retail sales to drop by a more modest 0.5 per cent month on month and by 0.8 per cent on the year.
Berlin - A strike by ground and cabin staff at Lufthansa went into its fifth day Friday, with the German airline cutting 128 flights from its regular schedule, despite informal talks between the company and the services union Verdi.
Verdi officials were meeting to evaluate the results of informal talks with Lufthansa representatives on Thursday and to decide whether formal negotiations should be taken up again.
Berlin - German airline Lufthansa faced further industrial action in the weeks ahead as flights slowly returned to normal Monday after a five-day strike by ground and cabin staff.
Berlin - European aircraft maker Airbus said Friday it had sold its plant at Laupheim in Germany to German armaments company Diehl and its partner Thales.
German retail sales fell sharply in June, data released Friday showed, adding to signs that consumers in Europe's biggest economy are curtailing spending in the face of rising inflation and growing economic uncertainties.
