A Prague-Berlin train loses its old-world dining cars
The looming end of the Knödelexpress
In recent years the tardy and loss-making operations of Deutsche Bahn have become a symbol of the woes of the German economy. In contrast, Ceske Drahy (CD), the Czech Republic’s profitable and (mostly) punctual national railway, is going from strength to strength. In 2023 it carried 164m passengers, 7m more than in 2022, and invested almost 11bn koruna ($454m) in new trains.
Inside Ukraine’s secret missile programme
With foreign aid uncertain, Ukraine revives its rocket industry
A horrific Christmas attack in Germany is weirder than first thought
The far right tries to exploit a Saudi anti-Islamist’s murder spree
We need to talk about Europe’s Kevins
How an American name became a European diagnosis
Police brutality is not stopping Georgia’s protests
Pro-EU demonstrations continue, despite little help from abroad
France’s new prime minister faces a looming mess
François Bayrou has an emergency budget but no government yet
German politicians are talking tough, but offering little
Sparks fly as the election campaign kicks off—but the parties are scaling back their ambitions