it is one of the first in Europe to introduce a fee like this but it could be a sign of things to come from other airlines. ADVERTISEMENTLufthansa is adding an environmental charge to its ticket prices. The German airline group says the funds are needed to comply with EU regulations on reducing emissions. A fee of up to €72 will be added to fares to offset the cost of introducing sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and other carbon-cutting initiatives, the group says. The fee will come in on flights from 1 January 2025. Lufthansa is one of the first in…

This top supporter of Mayor Eric Adams is a brilliant broker with a gorgeous view! Super booster Eleonora Srugo is a Douglas Elliman luxury real estate agent who’s even been buzzed about online as a potential “Real Housewives of New York” candidate. Stunning Srugo — who is politically charged on issues from education to Israel — has supported Adams since the beginning of his administration, and often posts chummy pics with the pol as a constant cheerleader and supporter. We also hear she’s a fundraiser, and that the relationship is purely professional. (Adams has a long-term girlfriend, Tracey Collins.) Mayor Eric…

Whether you are venturing out by choice or circumstance, a solo vacation may feel exciting while a tad daunting. As a party of one, choosing safety is not just the wise thing to do — it’s essential.Heading out on a solo trip does have its benefits. You can enjoy complete autonomy and have the ability to decide when to wake up, what to explore and what sights to visit while enjoying the luxury of having the final say on every itinerary decision. However, the allure of an independent trip can be overshadowed when concerned about safety.BEACH SAFETY TIPS: 7 THINGS TO…

The Taiwanese government warned its citizens not to travel to mainland China on Thursday after Beijing threatened to execute residents who support the island’s independence.Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Liang Wen-chieh issued the warning during a routine press conference. The Chinese government announced a new policy targeting “separatists” last week, and said it would pursue the death penalty for “diehard” supporters of Taiwanese independence.”I want to stress: Democracy is not a crime; it’s autocracy that is the real evil. China has absolutely no right to sanction Taiwan’s people just because of the positions they hold. What’s more, China has no…

Göten has an aging population and low birth rate but it’s popular with tourists. ADVERTISEMENTA Swedish town is trying to attract more residents by selling land for just 1 krona (€0.08) per square metre.The new campaign is part of a project to help Göten, a small town with about 5,000 residents, attract new residents and make up for an aging population and falling birth rates.Who can buy the land?“Absolutely anyone is welcome to buy one of the plots,” Månsson said. “There are no rules or requirements as to who is allowed to buy one. It would be absolutely fantastic if…

A 16-year-old girl was killed and her sister, 8, was gravely injured when they were struck by a hit-and-run truck driver in a Queens crosswalk on Wednesday afternoon, according to police and sources. The siblings were trying to cross at the intersection of 47th Avenue and 46th Street in Woodside around 3:30 p.m. when the driver barreled into them, NYPD Chief of Transportation Philip Rivera said. The sisters were in the crosswalk when they were hit, cops said. The driver of the white Ready Refresh delivery truck fled but was stopped one block away, authorities said. Cops said the teen…

Why is it that so many economists still believe that if the government spends your money, it’s OK, but if you keep more of your own money through tax cuts, it’s not OK?  Take inflation: A group of 16 Nobel Prize–winning economists signed a letter yesterday endorsing Joe Biden, basically because they believe Donald Trump’s tax cuts will increase inflation. These are Nobel Prize winners. Trump tax cuts are inflationary, but Biden’s enormous spending and borrowing is somehow not inflationary. Get it? Of course not. Most of those Nobelists are liberal, left-of-center Democrats. Here’s Ronald Reagan 40-plus years ago in 1981…

Bolivian President Luis Arce warned Wednesday that an “irregular” deployment of troops was taking place in the capital, raising concerns that a potential coup was underway.BOLIVIAN INTERIM GOVERNMENT ACCUSES MORALES OF TERRORISM, SEDITIONHe called for “democracy to be respected” on a message on his X account, which came as Bolivian television showed two tanks and a number of military in front of the government palace. Presidential Minister María Nela Prada said military and tanks were taking over Plaza Murillo in La Paz, calling it an “attempted coup d’état.” The people are “on alert to defend democracy,” she said to local…

“Bookings have been cancelled, and projections for new bookings are very low” according to one restauranteur. ADVERTISEMENTGeorgia’s summer season has begun but a significant share of visitors are missing: Israelis.The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has meant Israelis are less able or unwilling to travel internationally. This drop in numbers is being felt in Georgia which usually welcomes many visitors from Israel.”The loss is noticeable. The situation in the region has affected the number of tourists from Israel,” says Levan Giorgadze from Tbilisi Free Walking Tours. “Compared to previous years, the number of tourists from Israel has decreased noticeably.…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.A UK-based human rights group has launched a legal campaign to stop the online fast-fashion group Shein from securing a blockbuster listing on London’s Stock Exchange.Stop Uyghur Genocide, which alleges minority Uyghur people are being used as forced labour in Shein’s cotton supply in China’s north-western Xinjiang region, this week urged the Financial Conduct Authority, the UK financial regulator, to block Shein’s application, challenging the potential listing on legal grounds.“Any attempt by Shein to list on the [London Stock Exchange] should be…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Legal and General Investment Management is to sell some of its Glencore shares because of concerns over the mining and commodity trader’s coal production and commitment to reducing carbon emissions.Although the UK asset manager is selling only a small amount of Glencore’s stock and will remain an investor through some holdings, the move underlines the fierce debate on emissions reduction policy.Switzerland-based Glencore, the world’s biggest exporter of coal, plans to cut emissions by 50 per cent by 2035 but has said it…

An elderly couple was killed when a fire ripped through their Upper Manhattan apartment building early Tuesday, officials said. A 77-year-old woman confined to a wheelchair and her 73-year-old husband were found inside their apartment on the top floor of the six-story building as firefighters responded to the three-alarm blaze on West 178th Street near Broadway in Washington Heights around 1:45 a.m., according to officials and reports. “One [victim] was found in the front room,” FDNY Deputy Chief of Special Operation Malcolm Moore told reporters. “Once the units were able to battle past the heavy fire condition, throughout a large portion…

Dozens of Tesla Cybertrucks sitting in a parking lot in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were vandalized last Friday with the phrase: “F— Elon!”  Officers with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD) responded to the parking lot at 1900 NE 9th Place around 8:38 a.m. Friday in reference to 34 vehicles. The parking lot owner told officers that he had left the vehicles in “good condition” the night before and when he returned, he found them vandalized with the expletive phrase.  Tesla has been leasing the parking lot to store the vehicles, per reporting from local outlet WPLG.  TESLA CYBERTRUCK OWNERS COMPLAINED OF…

America’s oldest theme park lies in Bristol, Connecticut. Starting out as a lakeside picnic park with stunning views, the space has evolved into a theme park housing over 35 rides and attractions. Lake Compounce is named the oldest amusement park in the United States by the National Amusement Park Historical Association and the oldest continuously operating amusement park, according to the Library of Congress. WHAT TO PACK IN YOUR BACKPACK FOR A TRIP TO THE AMUSEMENT PARK The National Amusement Park Historical Association recognizes the theme park as the fifth-oldest in the world. Those that come before it are Bakken in Klampenborg, Denmark, Prater in…

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the replacement of Lieutenant-General Yuri Sodol as the commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.Zelenskyy named Brigadier-General Andriy Hnatov as Sodol’s successor, who will handle strategic planning of operations.Sodol’s removal followed a letter by Bohdan Krotevych, head of Ukraine’s Azov regiment, accusing Sodol of actions leading to military setbacks.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday he had replaced the commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General Yuri Sodol, after reports surfaced that he had performed badly in the 28-month-old war against Russia.Zelenskyy, speaking in his nightly video address, gave no reason…