Latest news with #EUROPEAN
Scottish Sun
37 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Fairytale European city that is like ‘going back centuries' to get new easyJet flights from the UK
Plus, 11 other easyJet routes you can travel on this summer DREAM LAND Fairytale European city that is like 'going back centuries' to get new easyJet flights from the UK Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A EUROPEAN city most people associate with Christmas is getting new UK flights this year. Strasbourg is the capital city of the Grand Est region and sits on the French-German border. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 easyJet is introducing new flights to Strasbourg Credit: Alamy 5 The Petite France quarter is known for its beautiful houses and canals Credit: Alamy And in November, easyJet will be flying to Strasbourg from Manchester. Despite the UK getting hot this week, the city is known for its bustling Christmas market. Strasbourg is known as the "Capital of Christmas" with the market, also known as Christkindelsmärik, is scheduled to run from November 27 to December 27. Flight tickets have been released already with tickets on sale in November from £48.99 (one-way). From November 28, the new service will operate twice weekly on Fridays and Sundays. This is part of easyJet's expansion of 22 new routes from UK airports for the winter season. For anyone keen to jet off before then, easyJet already offers flights from the UK to Strasbourg flying from London Heathrow from £38.99 - and it's one hour and 35 minutes away. And the city is equally just as beautiful to explore during the summertime with average highs of 26C. The area of Strasbourg that attracts most of the tourists is Petite France where you'll find the charming houses, cobbled streets and canals. One visitor said: "It's breathtaking, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. Escape Winter: Fly to Gran Canaria with EasyJet 5 easyJet flights from Manchester align with the Christmas market Credit: Alamy 5 Strasbourg also houses what's believed to be the world's oldest wine barrel Credit: Alamy "It's like stepping back in time several centuries." Another added that it's a place that makes you "feel like you're in a fairytale." Not that you can taste it, but Strasbourg is home to what's believed to be the world's oldest barrel of wine. It's housed in the Historic Wine Cellar of Strasbourg Hospital, a 14th-century cellar beneath the modern city hospital. The wine has been tasted only three times in its history, in the years 1576, 1718, and 1944. It's not drinkable any longer though as it dates back to 1472. While that barrel remains untouched, the cellar still produces wine, around 140,000 bottles each year. Not to mention there's lots of wine bars and pubs throughout the city, it's known for its white wines, particularly Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Popular spots for wine include L'Alsace à Boire which sells local wines along with charcuterie boards. Or Le Purgatoire which has been praised for its extensive wine list. Here are 11 more easyJet routes from UK airports including Greek islands and African beach resorts. Plus, easyJet has launched new flight route to 'underrated' Italian seaside city with stunning golden beaches and historic sites. One Travel Writer visited Strasbourg The Sun's Health Feature Editor Alice Fuller recently visited the city - here are her thoughts. "The vibrant French city is a powerful political centre (home to the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights) yet it still has a quaint countryside village feel. "With half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets and a 1,000-year-old cathedral stood alongside lively bars, modern museums and shimmering glass consulates, it's a seamless mix of mediaeval and futuristic. Strolling the narrow streets, I marvel at colourful toytown cottages that look like they're straight out of a Grimm's fairytale next to sprawling French chateaux."
The Irish Sun
37 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Fairytale European city that is like ‘going back centuries' to get new easyJet flights from the UK
A EUROPEAN city most people associate with Christmas is getting new UK flights this year. Strasbourg is the capital city of the Grand Est region and sits on the French-German border. 5 easyJet is introducing new flights to Strasbourg Credit: Alamy 5 The Petite France quarter is known for its beautiful houses and canals Credit: Alamy And in November, easyJet will be flying to Strasbourg from Manchester. Despite the UK getting hot this week, the city is known for its bustling Christmas market. Strasbourg is known as the "Capital of Christmas" with the market, also known as Christkindelsmärik, is scheduled to run from November 27 to December 27. Flight tickets have been released already with tickets on sale in November from £48.99 (one-way). Read More on City Breaks From November 28, the new service will operate twice weekly on Fridays and Sundays. This is part of easyJet's expansion of 22 new routes from UK airports for the winter season. For anyone keen to jet off before then, easyJet already offers flights from the UK to Strasbourg flying from London Heathrow from £38.99 - and it's one hour and 35 minutes away. And the city is equally just as beautiful to explore during the summertime with average highs of 26C. Most read in City breaks The area of Strasbourg that attracts most of the tourists is Petite France where you'll find the charming houses, cobbled streets and canals. One visitor said: "It's breathtaking, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. Escape Winter: Fly to Gran Canaria with EasyJet 5 easyJet flights from Manchester align with the Christmas market Credit: Alamy 5 Strasbourg also houses what's believed to be the world's oldest wine barrel Credit: Alamy "It's like stepping back in time several centuries." Another added that it's a place that makes you "feel like you're in a fairytale." Not that you can taste it, but Strasbourg is home to what's believed to be the world's oldest barrel of wine. It's housed in the Historic Wine Cellar of Strasbourg Hospital, a 14th-century cellar beneath the modern city hospital . The wine has been tasted only three times in its history, in the years 1576, 1718, and 1944. It's not drinkable any longer though as it dates back to 1472. While that barrel remains untouched, the cellar still produces wine, around 140,000 bottles each year. Not to mention there's lots of wine bars and pubs throughout the city, it's known for its white wines, particularly Riesling and Gewürztraminer . Popular spots for wine include L'Alsace à Boire which sells local wines along with charcuterie boards. Or Le Purgatoire which has been praised for its extensive wine list. Here are Plus, easyJet has launched One Travel Writer visited Strasbourg The Sun's Health Feature Editor Alice Fuller recently visited the city - here are her thoughts. "The vibrant French city is a powerful political centre (home to the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights) yet it still has a quaint countryside village feel. "With half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets and a 1,000-year-old cathedral stood alongside lively bars, modern museums and shimmering glass consulates, it's a seamless mix of mediaeval and futuristic. Strolling the narrow streets, I marvel at colourful toytown cottages that look like they're straight out of a Grimm's fairytale next to sprawling French chateaux." 5 Strasbourg has classic timber houses and very old wine Credit: Alamy
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Berlin to simplify rules in bid to speed up defence surge, draft law says
Berlin to simplify rules in bid to speed up defence surge, draft law says BERLIN - The German government seeks to speed up defence procurement by simplifying legal procedures, fostering European cooperation and facilitating orders to start-ups to make its military combat-ready, according to a draft law seen by Reuters late on Friday. The speedy surge of the German military's capabilities "must not fail due to overly complex procurement procedures or lengthy authorisation processes", the document said, while warning of signs that Moscow's war objectives reach beyond Ukraine. "The time factor is crucial." At a NATO summit in The Hague, leaders on Wednesday agreed to hike the alliance's defence spending target to 5% of national GDP, with 3.5% dedicated to core defence and 1.5% to related security issues. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government on Tuesday approved a budget framework which is expected to see Berlin's total military spending rise from 95 billion euros in 2025 to 162 billion euros in 2029, equalling 3.5% of GDP. The new defence procurement law is part of efforts to speed up military purchases that in the past have been plagued by lengthy delays, project failures and cost overshoots. The draft law determines that all procurement that contributes to Europe and NATO's military readiness inherently touches upon vital national security, which constitutes a basis to invoke an exemption under European public procurement law. That would amplify a trend that Berlin has been following for some time by more often making use of a national security clause under EU law to prioritize domestic procurement, while also seeking to minimize delays caused by legal challenges. The hurdles for cash-strapped start-ups and innovative companies to join competitions are to be lowered by enabling advance payment to these firms, according to the draft, dated June 25. FOSTERING JOINT EUROPEAN PROCUREMENT The paper also makes provisions for a future simplification of European defence procurement rules, something now under discussion at the EU level, by stating that the German law should not be tougher than European law but facilitate joint European defence procurement across the board. The law will entitle contracting entities to limit tenders to bidders inside the European Union or the European Economic Area, and to determine that a certain share of the contracted goods or services must originate in the EU, according to the document. The draft law does not, however, attempt to change the rule that all defence purchases with a volume of 25 million euros or more must be approved by parliament, a requirement seen by many experts as a major hurdle against speeding up procurement. At the start of June, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Germany would need up to 60,000 additional troops under the new NATO targets for weapons and personnel, effectively expanding the military to some 260,000 troops. The Bundeswehr has not yet met a target of 203,000 troops set in 2018, and it is currently short-staffed by some 20,000 regular troops, according to defence ministry data. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The 42
20 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
McCartney, Cassin, Corby and Rynn secure European U23 finals in Slovakia
NEWLY CROWNED EUROPEAN U23 Champion Ellie McCartney progressed to another final along with Jack Cassin, Eoin Corby and Cormac Rynn in Slovakia on Friday morning, while Ellen Walshe and Mona McSharry will have second swims following their morning performances in Rome. At the European U23 Championships, McCartney, who took 200m Individual Medley gold last night, returned to the pool this morning for the 100m Breaststroke heats, clocking 1:08.70 to advance to this evening's final (5:13pm) in fifth place overall. The National Centre Limerick (NCL) swimmer has a personal best of 1:06.97 from the Irish Open in April this year. Advertisement Jack Cassin, meanwhile, who is also an NCL swimmer, produced a career-best performance in the 200m Butterfly heats. The 21-year-old Cork man touched in 1:57.69 to place second in his heat and second overall, chipping more than a second off his previous best of 1:58.71. A dream session for John Szaranek's NCL swimmers continued when Eoin Corby won his 200m Breaststroke heat with a breathtaking finish, turning at the last 50m in third place to touch first in 2:12.77. The Limerick man, who has a PB of 2:10.50 from 2021, will be the third seed in Friday evening's final. Cormac Rynn, 19, then became the fourth NCL competitor to book a final berth, finishing just outside his best of 3:53.70 in the 400m Freestyle, touching in 3:54.10 and securing the eighth and final place in the decider. At the Sette Colli meet in Rome, Ellen Walshe cruised into the 400m Individual Medley Final, placing fourth in her heat and sixth overall in 3:50.32. In the 50m Breaststroke Heats, Mona McSharry, silver medallist in the 100m Breaststroke on Thursday, finished ninth in 31.20 and will compete in the B Final in the Italian capital. Back at the European U23s in Slovakia, then, Maria Godden narrowly missed out on the 100m Backstroke final, touching ninth overall in 1:02.57. Swimming in the same event, Lottie Cullen clocked 1:02.86. 200m Freestyle Finalist Evan Bailey returned to the pool for the 50m Freestyle, where just one hundredth of a second separated him and Ireland team-mate Oisin Tebite in 23.18 and 23.17 respectively. Brandon Biss rounded out the morning for Ireland in the 50m Backstroke, clocking 27.17. Day 2, Finals Schedule, European U23 Championships Women 100m Breaststroke: Ellie McCartney, 5.13pm Ellie McCartney, 5.13pm Men 400m Freestyle: Cormac Rynn, 5.43pm Cormac Rynn, 5.43pm Men 200m Breaststroke: Eoin Corby, 6.04pm Eoin Corby, 6.04pm Men 200m Butterfly: Jack Cassin, 6.25pm Day 2, Finals Schedule, Sette Colli
The Sun
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
European shares climb as US-China trade tensions ease
EUROPEAN shares rose on Friday as investors assessed signs of easing trade tensions between the United States and China, lifting hopes of further trade deals before the deadline for U.S. tariff pause is lifted in July. The pan-European STOXX 600 index advanced 0.6% at 540.67 points, as of 0707 GMT. The index was on track to log its first weekly gain in three weeks. Other major regional indexes also traded higher. A White House official said on Thursday that the U.S. reached an agreement with China on how to expedite rare earths shipments to the United States. With worries about tensions in the Middle East taking a backseat for now, investor focus is on signs of progress on new trade deals before a respite on higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump expires in early July. EU leaders discussed new proposals from the U.S. on a trade deal at a summit in Brussels on Thursday. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen did not ruling out the likelihood of tariff talks failing, saying 'all options remain on the table'. European auto stocks led sectoral gains with a 1.5% climb. Media shares advanced 1.2%. German sportswear makers Puma and Adidas gained 4.3% and 2.9% respectively, after U.S. peer Nike's first-quarter revenue outlook exceeded market expectations. In U.S., investors await the release of the core PCE price index due later in the day.
