BERLIN -- Germany's education system is facing the "biggest shortage of teachers in 50 years" as a result of education policy failures, the country's teachers' association said on Friday.

The problem is largely "self-made," association president Heinz-Peter Meidinger told the Rheinische Post newspaper. The number of new teachers has been continually declining in recent decades. (Germany-Education-Teacher)

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KIEV -- Ukraine's National Bank (NBU) on Thursday downgraded the gross domestic product growth forecast for 2023 from 4 percent to 0.3 percent, citing security risks.

"The deterioration of the forecast compared to the October estimates was primarily caused by consequences of energy terror and the revision of the main assumption of the duration of security risks," the NBU said in a statement. (Ukraine economy)

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SYDNEY -- Three people, including two teenagers, have been charged with alleged fatal stabbing of a man in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) more than a year ago.

In a statement released on Thursday, NSW Police noted that emergency services were called to Nowra, a city located in the state's South Coast region, on Jan. 4, 2022 following reports that a man suffering a stab wound had been found unconscious. (Australia-Teenage-Crime)

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RIO DE JANEIRO -- At least 12 people, including an infant, were killed and two more were seriously injured after a mobile medical van and a truck collided head on in Brazil's northeast state of Tocantins, local media confirmed Thursday.

According to a report from the local Military Police that was cited by local media, the accident occurred Wednesday night near the municipality of Natividade. The two vehicles were traveling in opposite directions when they crashed. (Brazil-Accident)