Two people die in Moselle-region hotel collapse
Rescuers have finished pulling out seven survivors of a sudden hotel collapse in the Moselle-region town of Kröv on Tuesday evening.
At the time of the collapse, 14 people were in the building. Five managed to make it out immediately without injuries, two are believed to have died during the collapse - with the remaining seven then buried in the rubble.
Rescuers needed the help of structural engineers to pull out the trapped seven over several hours, with all survivors rescued by Wednesday evening.
READ ALSO: What we know about fatal hotel collapse in western GermanyÂ
Lufthansa to avoid Iran and Iraq airspace until August 13th
German airline giant Lufthansa said Wednesday it will avoid using Iranian and Iraqi airspace until August 13th, extending an earlier decision not to fly over the countries, with Middle East tensions high.
It also extended a suspension of services to Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman and Erbil to the same date, the group said in a statement.
Rental apartments in Germany are becoming scarcer
The supply of rental apartments in Germany has fallen significantly, according to a study.
Compared to the beginning of 2022, 27 percent fewer rental apartments were offered in the seven largest German cities in the spring quarter of this year, according to the German Economic Institute (IW) in Cologne).
Nationwide, 18 percent fewer apartments were advertised than two years previously.
The study also found that those who want to buy an apartment instead of renting have a better chance of finding a place. The number of apartments advertised for sale has increased by two thirds compared to the beginning of 2022. The supply of family homes for sale has even doubled.
Nevertheless, demand to buy a home remains subdued, mainly because purchase prices are still relatively high - as are financing costs.
READ ALSO: Rents still rising fast in major German cities
Doctor held in Berlin accused of killing elderly women
A 39 year-old doctor has been remanded in custody in Berlin on suspicion of killing four women aged between 72 and 94 and setting fire to their homes, police said Wednesday.
Investigators believe the doctor, who worked in palliative care for a nursing service, set fire to the apartments in a bid to cover up his crimes, said a police statement.
The man was detained on Tuesday over the offences in Berlin's Neukölln and Plänterwald districts.
"The accused is suspected of killing four female patients in the care of the nursing service between June 11 and July 24 in an as yet unknown manner and then setting fire to their homes," the police said.
German exports plunge but factory output up
German exports unexpectedly registered a sharp drop in June but industrial production rose, official data showed Wednesday, as Europe's biggest economy struggles to emerge from a weak period.
Exports dropped 3.4 percent from the previous month and stood at €127.7 billion, federal statistics agency Destatis said in a statement. It was the second straight monthly drop and far worse than a forecast from analysts surveyed by FactSet, who had predicted an increase of 1.3 percent.
Exports to the European Union were down 3.4 percent compared to the previous month while beyond the bloc they were down by 3.5 percent. The United States was still the biggest importer of "made in Germany" goods, although exports to the world's biggest economy fell 7.7 percent.
Germany imported €107.3 billion worth of products in June, a slight increase on the previous month, with its trade surplus coming in at €20.4 billion. On a more positive note, factory output rose 1.4 percent in June compared to the previous month, according to Destatis.
With reporting from Rachel Loxton
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