Knorr-Bremse Acquires Dutch Digital Platform TRAVIS to Expand Commercial Vehicle Services
MUNICH — Knorr-Bremse AG, the German manufacturer of braking systems for trucks and trains, announced on Monday it has agreed to acquire Dutch digital services platform TRAVIS Road Services International B.V. The deal, valued in the mid-double-digit million-euro range, represents the latest step in the company's strategy to build a comprehensive aftermarket ecosystem for commercial vehicle...
Wohnungsbau Sentiment Improves Despite Persistent Order Shortages
The mood in Germany's residential construction sector has improved to its highest level in over three years, according to the latest Ifo Institute survey. The business climate index for housing construction rose sharply in September to -21.8 points, up from -26.4 points in August, marking the highest reading since August 2022. Companies reported more positive assessments of both their...
Camping Industry in Baden-Württemberg Reports Strongest Performance in Decades
Baden-Württemberg's camping industry is poised for a record-breaking year, with camping enthusiasts flocking to popular regions like the Black Forest and Lake Constance. Kurt Bonath, chairman of the State Association of the Camping Industry in Baden-Württemberg, reported that many campground operators described 2024 as their best year ever. The sector anticipates setting new records if...
CSU's Guttenberg Defends Party's Incompatibility Resolution With Far-Right AfD
Former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has firmly rejected media interpretations suggesting he supports softening the Christian Democratic Union's so-called "firewall" against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The CSU politician told Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Berlin that contrary to some reports, he has never advocated for weakening the party's official stance...
Winter Sports Face Reality Check with Roller Biathlon Exhibitions
The International Biathlon Union is confronting climate change head-on with experimental roller-ski competitions, staging the Loop One Festival in Munich's Olympic Park as both a public showcase and practical preparation for potentially snowless winters. Top athletes from around the world gathered for the exhibition event, which featured biathlon on wheeled skis rather than traditional snow...
Holcim to Acquire German Building Materials Firm Xella in €1.85 Billion Deal
Swiss cement conglomerate Holcim has agreed to acquire German building materials manufacturer Xella for €1.85 billion, marking a significant strategic move in the European construction sector. The transaction, announced on Monday, is expected to be finalized in the second half of 2026, pending approval from relevant regulatory authorities. Xella, headquartered in Duisburg, Germany, is a...
German Naval Builder TKMS Sees Shares Jump 23% in IPO Launch
Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), Germany's largest naval shipbuilder, made a strong debut on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange Monday, with shares trading significantly above initial expectations. The stock opened at €60 per share, far surpassing analyst forecasts of approximately €36, and surged as much as 23% to €73.90 during early trading before settling around €89 by midday. The robust...
Vereinigung Cockpit Delays Strike Decision Amid Lufthansa Negotiations
Lufthansa passengers received temporary relief as the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots' union decided against immediate strike action following a successful strike authorization vote. The union announced Wednesday that no concrete strike measures would be implemented immediately, though it retains the right to call strikes at any time following the ballot that concluded Tuesday.The...
Berlin Aims for 24-Hour Business Registration in Sweeping Digital Overhaul
The German government has unveiled an ambitious 80-measure plan to create what it calls a "faster, digital and more capable state" that makes decisions more quickly, delivers services more reliably and strengthens public trust. The comprehensive modernization agenda, detailed in a 40-page document obtained by German Press Agency, represents the Merz administration's first major policy...
Two Students Injured in Schoolyard Assault by Former Pupil
A 15-year-old former student allegedly attacked two 14-year-old pupils with a hammer on the schoolyard of Mittelschule Friedberg in Bavaria on Thursday morning. The incident occurred shortly before 8 a.m., prompting a large-scale police response in the center of the town located just kilometers from Augsburg. The suspect was arrested near the school after attempting to flee the...
German Households Retreat From Energy Transition Amid Rising Costs
German households are showing declining willingness to actively participate in the country's energy transition despite overwhelming support for its goals, according to the latest KfW Energiewendebarometer survey. While 83 percent of private households consider the shift toward renewable energy important, only 59 percent express high readiness to drive the change themselves—the lowest level...
German Unity at 35: Women's Employment Rates Converge Between East and West
Thirty-five years after German reunification, women's employment rates have reached parity between eastern and western states for the first time, according to data released by the Federal Statistical Office. The national employment rate for women aged 15-65 has climbed from 57% in 1991 to 74% in 2024, marking a significant transformation in Germany's labor market landscape. This convergence...
European Nations Debate Offshore Asylum Return Centers Amid Policy Shift
European interior ministers are advancing discussions to establish return centers for rejected asylum seekers near their countries of origin, with German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt leading the initiative. At a high-level meeting in Munich scheduled for Saturday, ministers from multiple EU nations and EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner will deliberate on the creation of these...
Major Industrial Fire in Freiburg Causes Millions in Damage
A large-scale fire in Freiburg's industrial district has caused extensive damage estimated at a minimum of €50 million, according to police reports. The blaze broke out on Wednesday evening from currently unknown causes and continued to burn into Thursday, with firefighting operations ongoing throughout the night. One employee from a local company sustained minor injuries during the...
India Rejects Pakistan's Human Rights Criticism as Hypocritical
At the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, India launched a sharp diplomatic counterattack against Pakistan over what it characterized as hypocrisy on human rights issues. Indian diplomat Mohammed Hussain called it "deeply ironic" that a country with what he described as one of the worst human rights records globally was attempting to lecture others through...
Massive Police Operation in Munich After Deadly Family Conflict Erupts
Munich was plunged into a state of emergency following a violent family dispute that resulted in a deadly house fire, multiple explosions, and the temporary closure of the world's largest folk festival. According to investigators, the incident began when a 57-year-old man set fire to a residential building in the northern part of the city and deployed explosive devices. The situation...
UMT AG Announces Supervisory Board Reshuffle as AI Business Grows
UMT United Mobility Technology AG continues to expand its footprint in the logistics sector with the addition of Loth Internationale Speditionsgesellschaft mbH as a new customer for its UMS Vision AI solution. The Munich-based technology company secured the logistics provider as a client for its artificial intelligence platform, which processes incoming transport orders automatically...
German Police Investigate Fatal Clash Involving Weapons in Gelsenkirchen
A violent confrontation in the Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck district of North Rhine-Westphalia turned deadly on Sunday evening, leaving one man dead and multiple others seriously injured. Police confirmed that a 56-year-old man succumbed to fatal stab wounds in hospital following the large-scale altercation that involved up to 30 people. The incident prompted a massive police response, including...
Stichwahlen in NRW: Final Round Determines Mayors and District Administrators
Voters across North Rhine-Westphalia returned to the polls on September 28 for runoff elections to determine municipal leadership positions throughout Germany's most populous state. The second round of voting became necessary after no candidate secured an absolute majority in the initial September 14 municipal elections. In this decisive round, candidates only need a simple majority to...
Bus Collision in Hamburg Injures 20, Including Schoolchildren
A collision between two public buses in Hamburg left 20 people injured on Thursday morning, including multiple schoolchildren on a class excursion. The incident occurred on Osdorfer Landstraße when one bus carrying 21 fourth-grade students apparently rear-ended another stationary bus that was waiting at a traffic light. Emergency services responded with approximately 40 personnel from...
Merkel Honored in Former Constituency as AfD Protests Outside
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel received the Merit Order of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Stralsund on Monday, with the ceremony beginning at 3:30 PM. The award was presented by State Premier Manuela Schwesig of the SPD, who described Merkel's long representation of the northeastern state as "a true stroke of luck" for the region. Merkel had served as a member of parliament for the...
€15.3 Million Windfall: German Lottery Winner Unearths Ticket After Half-Year Delay
A German father from the Hesse region has claimed a €15.3 million lottery prize after discovering a winning ticket he had forgotten in a jacket pocket for six months. The fortunate discovery came after lottery operator Lotto Hessen had been searching for the mystery winner since March, even posting notices at retail locations in an attempt to identify the ticket holder.The winner,...
Lottery Winner's Six-Month Oversight Ends With €15.3 Million Jackpot Discovery
A German man from the Rhine-Main region has finally claimed a €15.3 million lottery jackpot after discovering the winning ticket in his transitional jacket six months after the draw. The family father had played the Lotto 6aus49 game on March 29, correctly guessing six numbers plus the super number, but subsequently forgot about the ticket stored in his jacket's inner pocket.Lotto...
Prosthetics Leader Ottobock Sets October 9 for Frankfurt Listing
The German prosthetics manufacturer Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA has announced concrete details for its planned initial public offering, targeting proceeds of up to €808 million in what would be Germany's largest stock market debut since early 2024. The Duderstadt-based company revealed on Monday that it will offer shares in a price range of €62 to €66, valuing the medical technology firm between...
Woman Assaulted After Leaving Oktoberfest, Suspect Remains at Large
Munich police are investigating an alleged sexual assault that occurred Friday evening near the Oktoberfest grounds, according to official statements. The incident took place around 9:30 PM when a 21-year-old local woman was walking with an unknown man she had reportedly just met at the festival, heading toward Theresienhöhe area.Authorities state the man suddenly grabbed the woman...
German Airline Lufthansa Plans 20% Reduction in Administrative Staff Through Digitalization
The Lufthansa Group has confirmed plans to eliminate 4,000 administrative positions by 2030 as part of a comprehensive cost-cutting initiative. The German airline conglomerate, based in Munich, announced that the reduction will affect approximately 20% of its administrative workforce outside direct flight operations. The move follows unconfirmed reports from the previous week that had...
Austrian Bank Publishes Interim Financial Statement
Hypo Vorarlberg Bank AG has announced the publication of its half-year financial report for 2025, according to regulatory filings released on September 29, 2025. The Austrian banking institution disclosed the interim financial statement in compliance with § 125 of the Austrian Stock Exchange Act, utilizing the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) for standardized digital reporting. The...
