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The Group of Seven’s financial leaders agreed on $18.4 billion to help Ukraine pay its bills in coming months and said they were ready to stand by Kyiv throughout its war with Russia and do more if needed
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal attends the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meetings via videolink in Koenigswinter near Bonn
The meetings of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors will take place in Bonn and Koenigswinter from 18 to 20 May 2022
G7 partners meet Thursday (19 May) hoping to find a solution for Kyiv's budget troubles as the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to roil the global economy
The expected tariff cost is significantly lower than the $4 billion to $5 billion crosstown rival General Motors estimates, which Ford attributes to its higher mix of U.S.-built vehicles.
Reporting by Balazs Koranyi; Editing by Andrew Heavens
Das Restaurant-Schiff „Alte Liebe“ in Bildern
snack bars and restaurants along the Rheinallee
But only one establishment floats on the water of the Rhine in Königswinter
and it even offers an unobstructed view of the nearby Drachenfels
the gangway leads to the moored "Alte Liebe"
Engin and Alev Kisac have recently taken the helm here and celebrated the reopening as tenants on 3 June
welcoming the first guests with champagne and a festive speech
and he has now made it come true with me," says the 26-year-old proprietor on a sunny afternoon at the bow of the ship
About 100 guests can be seated here on two decks outside
and 50 more guests can sit inside in the salon
schnitzel with potato salad or a variety of salads
"It is important that the guests don't have to wait long
cyclists or hikers who want to stop in for a quick snack," she says
explaining the idea behind the simple dishes that have been on the menu so far
and at the same time asking for understanding if the menu is revised in the next few weeks and prices are adjusted somewhat
who is visiting the new "Alte Liebe" with her husband
has words of praise and suggestions for improvement
She has found a comfortable seat in one of the black armchairs with thick red cushions
Restaurateur Engin Kisac faces up to criticism
"Regular customers from the previous tenant have already shown me a lot of appreciation and praise for my efforts
That makes me more confident in my work," says the 29-year-old in a spare moment
while a large group of men are celebrating convivially on the upper deck
The restaurateur has fulfilled a long-cherished dream by running the ship
Several times he asked his predecessor if he could take over the lease
Engin Kisac even linked his passion for the ship with his love for his wife
The old vessel has been through hard times
it operated as the Rhine ferry "Andernach" between Andernach and Leutesdorf
the ship was sunk as a result of shelling during the Second World War and then repaired in Koblenz
it again served as a ferry between Andernach and Leutesdorf and finally found a safe berth on the banks of the Rhine in Königswinter
The Lemmerzbad in Königswinter offers a welcome change for children during the summer holidays
The various family tickets cost between nine and 13 euros
They allow admission for one adult and two children
The address of the nostalgic outdoor pool is Oberweingartenweg
The pool is about 15 minutes' walk from the "Alte Liebe"
High up between Königswinter and Bad Honnef is the famous and mythical Drachenfels
And anyone who has already been there knows that you can climb this rock several times
The view from up there over the Rhine Valley is always worthwhile
A particularly interesting technical attraction on the way is a ride on the Drachenfelsbahn
which was opened in 1883 and is considered the oldest cogwheel railway in Germany
It was designed by Wilhelm Engerth and runs 1.5 kilometres up to the summit
and the cogwheel railway makes a stop at this castle on its way to the summit
Baron Stephan von Sarter built the castle as a private residence between 1882 and 1884
It was modelled on the French Loire castles and is an example of the typical romantic style of the time
Visitors can take a guided tour of the magnificent rooms and gardens
You can enjoy the view of the Rhine and the surrounding countryside from the castle's terrace
The combination of the Drachenfelsbahn and the impressive Drachenburg Castle makes this an ideal destination for a cultural and scenic excursion
A temporary art melting pot can be found at the Hotspot KW art and creative centre
which is largely organised by artist Helmut Reinelt
This is where artists and their guests from Königswinter
The Cologne "banana sprayer" Thomas Baumgärtel has also already marked this former factory at Hauptstraße 497 as an artistic "hotspot"
Real Dutch "Kibbeling" can be had at the fish snack bar "Zur Meerjungfrau" on Hauptstraße 368
Sascha Steinhöfel serves very sweet things in his "Cafe & Patisserie Steinhöfel" at Drachenfelsstraße 18
pastries and little pralines are on display here and can be nibbled on the spot
Internet: www.alte-liebe-schiff-koenigswinter.eatbu.com
How to get there: By train, take the RB27 or RE8 to Königswinter station. By car, the B42 leads directly into town, from there via Ferdinand-Mühlens-Straße and Rheinallee to your destination. Alternatively, the tram line 66 stops directly nearby at the Clemens-August-Straße stop. By bike, the route from Bonn leads along the Rhine to the destination.
Click here for the photo gallery: The restaurant ship "Alte Liebe" in pictures
KOENIGSWINTER, Germany - The Group of Seven economic powers support efforts to provide debt relief for Sri Lanka, G7 finance chiefs said on Thursday in a draft communique from a meeting in Germany after the country defaulted on its sovereign debt.
The once-booming island country has suspended debt payments as it grapples with its worst economic crisis since it won independence in 1948, facing shortages of essential goods that have triggered social unrest.
G7 countries said in their statement they were committed to finding long-term solutions for the Indian Ocean nation and urged it to "negotiate constructively" with the International Monetary Fund on a potential loan programme.
"The G7 stands ready to support the Paris Club’s efforts, in line with its principles, to address the need for a debt treatment for Sri Lanka," they said, referring to the group of mostly rich creditor nations.
The draft statement, which is to be finalised before the end the G7 finance ministers' meeting on Friday, also called on other big creditor nations not in the Paris Club to coordinate with the group and urged them to provide debt relief on comparable terms.
G7 finance chiefs also singled out China, which has become a major creditor to low-income countries, to actively contribute to debt relief for such countries.
Chad, Ethiopia and Zambia have so far sought debt relief under a new G20 common framework, but progress has so far been slow with some officials accusing China of dragging its feet.
The glass tunnel is one of the main attractions of Sea Life in Königswinter
the tourist attraction is scheduled to close at the end of the year
Almost every child in the region has probably marvelled at the fish in Sea Life in Königswinter
It was only at the end of August that a new exhibition area was presented under the title "Ancestors of Prehistory"
The lights at Rheinallee are to go out at the end of this year
What will become of the site and the building designed for Sea Life on it is currently completely open
personnel and finance committee in a non-public session that the company had approached the city with a request for an early termination of the contract
The city and the Sea Life Centre Meeraquarium Betriebs GmbH had concluded a leasehold contract for the property on Rheinallee in 2004
The building is to be transferred to the city without compensation after termination of the contract
According to the administration's document
the company does not want to fulfil the contract
Sea Life pays a ground rent that was set at five per cent of the land value at the time when the contract was signed in 2004
the possibilities for an early termination of the contract were discussed
the company intends to cease operations as early as 31 December 2022
The administration would like to prevent a long-term vacancy at this central location in the old town
This goal was also largely agreed upon in the committee
some details of the contract turned out to be quite complex in the course of the negotiations
it provides for compensation by the property owner
if it sells the building after the contract expires
it was agreed that an expert opinion on the value of the building should be prepared
it turned out that the valuation of the building
with its architecture almost exclusively suitable for a large aquarium
was hardly possible without a concept for future use
The appraisers assessed the actual value of the building to be close to zero euros due to its specific features
a cost estimate for demolishing the building was obtained
These would amount to around 370,000 euros
Further costs would be estimated at around 75,000 euros for the disposal of the aquarium water and the aquarium equipment
It was assumed that the company would take over the relocation of the fish and the other inhabitants
The administration's submission states that the company initially insisted on an advance payment
the question of whether the city should take over the building with or without contents
whereby the contents are to be understood as the aquariums and other installations
Personnel and Finance Committee postponed a decision on which of the two proposed resolutions the administration should continue to negotiate with the company
the topic will again be on the agenda of the city council in a non-public session
the draft budget for the year 2023 will also be introduced
The expected demolition costs for the aquarium of around 445,000 euros are not included
the city would also have to do without the ground rent that the company has paid for almost 20 years
The company only gave an evasive answer when asked by the General-Anzeiger
"Sea Life Königswinter is one of eight Sea Life aquariums in Germany and part of the Merlin Entertainments Group Deutschland GmbH," Martin Lind
General Manager Cluster NRW based in Oberhausen
we are also in constant exchange with those responsible in the town of Königswinter in order to ensure a cooperative partnership
We also regularly exchange ideas on the best possible economic development of the locations
the group is constantly developing and adapting to changes in the market
"If decisions are made on changes in location structures
these will be openly communicated." The manager was silent on the closure plans
Sea Life Königswinter opened in December 2005
Local residents in particular had previously strongly criticised the project because one of the last green spaces on Berliner Platz had to make way for the new building
Several protest actions as well as collections of signatures by residents demanding a different location were ultimately unsuccessful when it was determined that there was no legal basis for a citizens' petition against an ongoing building planning process
2000 sea creatures from more than 120 species are presented on 2000 square metres at Sea Life Königswinter
The attraction is the glass 360-degree tunnel where visitors can watch eagle rays and smooth dogfish swim over their heads
There is a large-spotted catshark in the old mine
visitors learn about such myths and can discover mystical animals
In the Atlantis area they can go in search of the sunken city and its inhabitants
There is also a coral reef and a Rhine area with native species such as carp
There are touch pools in the dragon's cave
which appeals especially to the little visitors
The “Castle Lights” event at Castle Drachenburg has been cancelled for January and February of 2021
After the cancellation of the "Unique Christmas" event on the four weekends of Advent
there will also be no “Schlossleuchten” ("Castle Lights") at Schloss Drachenburg in January
This was announced by Schloss Drachenburg gGmbH on Friday
the 2020 season was ended prematurely and the park and the castle were closed to the public
managing director Joachim Odenthal had still expressed hope that they could open the popular attraction on January 1
2021 and start out the year with the lighting display "Castle Lights"
Schloss Drachenburg gGmbH has decided that the event cannot take place in January or February
Opening it up would not be economically feasible under the current conditions
They have decided to postpone the start of the season to April 1
In the coming months until the planned reopening
they will carry out needed renovations and remodeling
they plan to enhance the historic walls with a total of 16 new stained glass windows
"Generous donations from private friends" had made it possible to order this large number of stained glass windows
The Mayer'sche Hofkunstanstalt and other glass workshops are currently in the process of manufacturing the windows
the parquet floors are are also being redone
and damages caused by a burst heating pipe are being repaired
The reception and shop area are also being renovated
a total of 140,000 visitors had visited Drachenburg Castle
the castle recorded an increase of 7,000 visitors compared to the previous year
A total of around 19,000 visitors came to the “Castle Lights” on six weekends last January and February