Early snow causes havoc across central Europe
GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel said in remarks published yesterday that she hopes to show her countrymen “the light at the end of the tunnel” as her new government seeks to turn around a sluggish economy.
Merkel told the daily Bild that she expects her left-right coalition to be judged by its performance in cutting double-digit unemployment — but once again refused to commit herself to a specific figure.
The conservative leader’s comments came as a poll indicated that Germans have a positive view of her leadership.
An inconclusive September 18 election forced Merkel into a “grand coalition” with center-left predecessor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats. The two sides agreed to raise value-added tax and cut subsidies as they try to combine fixing the economy with taming Germany’s large budget deficit.
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Early snow snarls Europe traffic
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- An early winter storm brought several centimeters of snow across parts of Europe, snarled traffic and caused accidents that left two people dead and two others injured Friday. Numerous flights were delayed or canceled.
German police said there were several accidents Thursday night and early Friday morning, with traffic delays lasting hours because of jackknifed trucks on the highway and cars that slipped on snow-covered roads.
At Frankfurt International Airport, continental Europe's busiest, some 87 flights were delayed or canceled, Fraport AG spokesman Robert Payne said. However, more than 20 of those were due
Heavy Snow Snarls Traffic Across Europe
Heavy Snow Across Europe Causes Dozens of Crashes and Strands Hundreds of Motorists
A storm that dumped heavy snow from the Czech Republic to Italy created headaches for commuters Wednesday, causing dozens of road crashes in Austria and stranding hundreds of motorists overnight in northern France.
Scores of travelers spent the night in community centers and hotels near the northeastern French city of Nancy, where road crews worked through the night to clear about a foot of snow. France closed its border with Italy until mid-afternoon Wednesday because of heavy snowfall.
Only about half as much
Heavy snowfalls cause deaths across Europe
Unusually heavy snow and high winds have been lashing Europe, causing the deaths of at least 17 people.
The worst of the weather was in Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland.
Thousands of people in France and southern Germany spent a night trapped in their cars, trains or emergency shelters because of the heavy snow.
Most of the deaths happened in road accidents, but two more people died in avalanches in what looks like being one of the worst seasons on record.
The southern German city of Munich received a snow dump of more than 40 centimetres. A passenger plane
Rising rivers flooding parts of central Europe
Central Europe is fighting floods after heavy rain and melting snow pushed rivers over their banks in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The Danube River in Budapest reached a 120-year peak late Tuesday night, and is expected to take more than a week to fall back from the 8.6 metres above its normal level.
The government sent more than 10,000 soldiers and police to help thousands of volunteers who were maintaining flood defences in the city.
The Hungarian government has also banned shipping on the Danube as waves caused by the vessels
MORE DEATHS AS EUROPE FREEZES
The death toll from Europe's extreme cold snap continues to rise as snow sweeping south is paralysing transport in France, Switzerland and Italy and has been blamed for a fatal crash in Spain.
In Poland, where the temperature had plummeted to minus 35
Celsius, eight people froze to death. That took the toll there so far this winter to 199, police said.
In Romania, where the mercury was forecast to fall to minus 25C over the weekend, five more people died. A total of 55 Romanians have perished this winter.
In France, where there were snow
