The sector recorded a 1.7% drop during the Christmas season alone, official statistics show German retail sales saw a sharp drop in 2023, according to preliminary data released on Wednesday by Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

Qatari negotiators are awaiting a final response from Hamas officials, who have seemingly welcomed the plan Israel has agreed to a ceasefire proposal that would halt its war with Hamas, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday, citing the Qatari Foreign Ministry. Hamas has reportedly responded to the plan in a “positive atmosphere.”

The two countries have pledged to collaborate in confronting threats posed by the Pentagon’s “biological activities” The Russian and Chinese governments have held an inter-agency meeting in Beijing to share their assessments of biological security concerns, and address the threats posed by bioweapons – particularly those allegedly being developed by the US military.