German govt to gain 25.1% stake in Lufthansa bailout: report

The €2.14 billion capital increase will shore up the German flag carrier's finances and help pay off a government bailout secured at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

German airline Lufthansa is slashing its winter schedule as a result of reduced demand amid the omicron variant. Spohr said the airline was running just 60% of flights compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019, with "roughly half" the number of passengers.

Lufthansa apologized for excluding a group of Jewish passengers after a few were not observing COVID protocols. The group consisted of the visibly Jewish Orthodox, who accused the airline of collective punishment.

German airline Lufthansa has said it is canceling over 2,000 additional flights at its Frankfurt and Munich hubs due to staff shortages. Its low-cost subsidiary, Eurowings, is also expected to cancel flights.

The International Monetary Fund has concluded "constructive" talks with the government of Sri Lanka over a possible bailout. The island is facing its worst economic crisis on record, with protests over food, fuel and medicine shortages. Also on the show: why France is faring better than its neighbours when it comes to inflation. Plus FRANCE 24's Madrid correspondent Sarah Morris reports on the Spanish companies suffering from a diplomatic spat with Algeria.

As Russia cuts down gas deliveries to Europe, Germany's energy supplier Uniper reported "significant financial burdens" and asked the German government to help stabilize it.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the government will take a 30% stake in energy firm Uniper. The wholesale gas importer faces huge losses due to soaring energy prices and a threat by Russia to cut gas supplies.

The carrier's ground staff went on strike, prompting more than 1,000 flights to be canceled. The walkout comes as air travel industry faces several crises.

The vote by Germany's pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit comes days after the carrier's ground staff went on strike, prompting over 1,000 flights to be canceled.

The deal would entail upcoming salary increases for thousands of ground staff workers at German airports. The breakthrough comes after a Lufthansa strike paralyzed operations on July 27.

The International Monetary Fund says a first agreement has been reached on a $2.9 billion loan to the bankrupt country. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years.

For the first time in three years, the major German airline has turned a profit as millions of travelers return to the skies. But continuing workforce issues may hamper expansion in 2023.