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☆ Germany's Birkenstock targets $9.2 billion valuation in New York IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Birkenstock, the German premium footwear brand backed by private-equity firm L Catterton, said on Monday it is seeking a valuation of up to $9.2 billion in its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) in New York. The U.S. securities regulator is well-staffed now that a government shutdown has been averted, allowing it to review IPO filings by companies looking to take advantage of the long-awaited reopening of the IPO window. On its website, the company says all elements of its design - the buckles, the straps, the sole and the footbed - have a "functional purpose". Most of its products are manufactured in facilities in Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and Saxony in Germany. Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley are among the underwriters for the IPO.

Persons: Margot Robbie, Goldman Sachs, J.P, Morgan, Morgan Stanley Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, underwriters Locations: New York, U.S, Rhineland, Palatinate, North Rhine, Westphalia, Hesse, Saxony, Germany

☆ This tailor is in high demand for Oktoberfest — there's a 6-month wait for his authentic leather lederhosen, which can cost nearly $2,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Matthias Schrader | Kirsten Grieshaber | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Klaus Bensmann is a tailor who has been handmaking leather lederhosen for the past 38 years. Bavarians have worn lederhosen — knee-long leather pants with suspenders and embroidery — for hundreds of years. Revelers preferring a more classic look book an appointment with leather tailor Klaus Bensmann for customized, handmade britches fashioned from deer or cow leather. AP Photo/Matthias SchraderBensmann offers different cuts of Bavarian lederhosen, traditional knee-longs, short ones that end mid-thigh, and longer, looser knickerbockers. But instead of working as a tanner, he decided to become a leather tailor, and in 1985 he opened his store and workshop, Leder Bensmann.

Persons: Klaus Bensmann, Bensmann's, Matthias Schrader Bensmann, Claus, Bensmann, Matthias Schrader, Leder, Lederhosen Organizations: Service, AP, Associated Press, Bavarian Locations: Munich, Wall, Silicon, Germany, Germany's, Bavaria, China, Bad, Bavarian, Austrian, Germany's Saxony, North Rhine – Westphalia, Canada, Hindelang

☆ Euro steadies as markets raise bets of ECB hike after inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Euro and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. Money markets raised their bets on a September rate hike from the ECB, pricing in a 60% chance of a 25 basis-point move. "One key input to arrive at a final assessment is the inflation data this week," he added. The dollar index - which measures the currency against six major peers including the yen and euro - slipped 0.1% to 103.47. INTERVENTION TERRITORYThe dollar rose 0.35% to 146.38 yen .

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Benjamin Schroeder, pare, Charu, Jerome Powell, Naoki Tamura, bitcoin, cryptocurrency, Joice Alves, Kevin Buckland, Tom Westbrook, Miral Fahmy, Alex Richardson Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, European Central Bank, Federal, Reuters, Money, ECB, ING, Fed, Saxo . Money, Bank of Japan, Reserve Bank of Australia, People's Bank of, Thomson Locations: Germany, Spain, North Rhine, Westphalia, NRW, People's Bank of China, London, Tokyo

Passersby are reflected on an electric stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan April 18, 2023. "They almost certainly have to hike again this year because today's inflation data shows there's still more work to do." INFLATION WATCHGovernment bond yields in the euro zone rose broadly after inflation data suggested the ECB may still have to hike rates again. Germany's two-year bond yields rose 7 bps to 3.09% . Spanish inflation rose 2.6% in August, as economists polled by Reuters had expected.

Persons: Issei Kato, Patrick Armstrong, there's, SEB, Elisabet Kopelman, Jerome Powell's, Naomi Rovnick, Shashwat Chauhan, Mark Potter, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, European Central Bank, ECB, Nasdaq, Wall, SEB Group, Fed, Reuters, Bank's, U.S, Treasury, Brent, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, Spain, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany's, United States, Gulf, Mexico, Bengaluru

On Wednesday, European shares nudged higher (.STOXX), while a gauge of Asian shares gained 0.35% (.MIAPJ0000PUS) and Japan's blue-chip Nikkei touched its highest in over two weeks (.N225). Spanish inflation rose 2.6% in August, as economists polled by Reuters had expected. Economists polled by Reuters expect the headline euro zone inflation rate to have moderated to 5.1% in August from 5.3% in July, still far above the European Central Bank's (ECB) 2% goal. Euro zone inflation has exceeded the target level for two years. Germany's two-year yield rose 7 bps to 3.099% after regional Germany inflation data.

Persons: Issei Kato, SEB, Elisabet Kopelman, Jerome Powell's, Europe's, Sylvia Ardagna, Ardagna, Germany's, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Naomi Rovnick, Dhara Ranasinghe, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Nikkei, SEB Group, Fed, Reuters, Bank's, Barclays, ECB, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, SINGAPORE, Asia, Spain, Germany, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany's

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON/TOKYO, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The euro eased against the dollar on Wednesday as investors looked to more labour market data in the U.S. and inflation data in the euro zone to provide clues on the path for central banks policies. "One key input to arrive at a final assessment is the inflation data this week," he added. The euro eased 0.2% to $1.0856. The dollar index - which measures the currency against six major peers including the yen and euro - edged 0.1% higher at 103.67. INTERVENTION TERRITORYThe dollar rose 0.38% to 146.43 yen .

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Benjamin Schroeder, pare, Matt Simpson, Jerome Powell, Naoki Tamura, bitcoin, cryptocurrency, Joice Alves, Kevin Buckland, Tom Westbrook, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Money, ECB, ING, Index, Fed, Bank of Japan, Reserve Bank of Australia, People's Bank of, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, U.S, Spain, Germany, Westphalia, NRW, People's Bank of China, London, Tokyo

☆ Data show inflation rising in some German states
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Inflation rose in four of six key German states in August, according to data released on Wednesday, casting doubt on a continuation of a national downward trend. The national data will be published at 1200 GMT. Data from Bavaria and Hesse showed that inflation eased modestly in those states to 5.9% and 6.0%, respectively. Bastian Hepperle, economist at Hauck Aufhaeuser Lampe Privatbank, said inflation in Germany was still expected to slow despite the mixed picture. However, inflation remains well above the European Central Bank target of 2% and core inflation, excluding volatile prices like food and energy, has been stubbornly high.

Persons: Chandon, Annegret, Bastian Hepperle, Hauck Aufhaeuser Lampe Privatbank, Price, Rachel More, René Wagner, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: Moet, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, North Rhine, Westphalia, Germany's, Baden, Wuerttemberg, Brandenburg, Saxony, Bavaria, Hesse, Europe's, Ukraine

☆ Dollar holds near 7-month high vs yen on policy split; Swedish crown record low
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Samuel Indyk | Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration picture taken June 15, 2022. The ministry of finance and BOJ intervened in the currency market last autumn when the dollar strengthened beyond 145 yen. “They’re expressing confidence that a faster rate of QT is going to deliver a stronger crown and I think that’s a bit unproven,” ING’s Turner said. The dollar added 0.1% to 7.2492 yuan in the offshore market, taking it close to the previous day’s 7-1/2-month low of 7.2694. The Russian rouble weakened past 87 against the dollar to a 15-month low, hampered by domestic political risk concerns after an aborted mutiny over the weekend.

Persons: Florence Lo, Jerome Powell, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, “, BOJ, ”, Chris Turner, ING’s Turner, hasn’t, Russian rouble Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Bank of Japan, ING, Reuters, People’s Bank of, Citi Locations: U.S, there’s, Spain, tomorrow’s, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany’s, People’s Bank of China, Russian

☆ Inflation up in German states, pointing to national rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, June 29 (Reuters) - Inflation rose in five economically important German states in the month of June, preliminary data showed on Thursday, suggesting a bumpy road ahead for German inflation. In May, inflation rates for those five states, out of 16 in Germany, stood at between 5.7% and 6.6%. National inflation data will be published at 1200 GMT, with economists surveyed by Reuters forecasting a 6.3% year-on-year rise, up from 6.1% in the previous month. June inflation data for the bloc is due on Friday. As a consequence, German inflation dipped in June 2022.

Persons: Maria Martinez, Balazs Koranyi, Friederike Heine, Toby Chopra Organizations: Reuters, European Central Bank, ECB, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, North, Rhine Westphalia, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hesse, Baden, Wuerttemberg, Germany

☆ European shares touch two-month low on dismal China data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 31 (Reuters) - European shares hit an over two-month low on Wednesday as weak economic data from China fuelled concerns about a global slowdown and countered optimism from signs of easing inflation in some of the major euro zone economies. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) fell 0.7% to hit its lowest level since March 31. Both the indexes were also trading at a two-month low on Wednesday. China is Germany's main trading partner. Shares of troubled Swedish real estate firm SBB (SBBb.ST) sank 7.6% to a near seven-year low.

Persons: Sruthi Shankar, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: FTSE, CAC, SBB, Thomson Locations: China, Paris, Europe, Westphalia, Swedish, Bengaluru

BERLIN, May 31 (Reuters) - Inflation eased in five economically important German states in the month of May, preliminary data showed on Wednesday, suggesting that national price rises are set to slow to their lowest in more than a year. The inflation rate in North-Rhine Westphalia fell to 5.7%, while in Bavaria it slowed to 6.1%, in Brandenburg to 6.3%, in Hesse to 5.9% and in Baden-Wuerttemberg to 6.6%. In April, inflation rates for those five states, out of 16 in Germany, had been between 6.8% and 7.6%. National inflation data will be published at 1200 GMT, with economists surveyed by Reuters forecasting a 6.5% year-on-year rise. Furthermore, the base effects from high energy and food prices in May 2022 will disappear from the year-on-year comparison.

Persons: Luis de Guindos, Maria Martinez, Balazs Koranyi, Matthias Williams, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Reuters, European Central Bank, ECB, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Rhine Westphalia, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hesse, Baden, Wuerttemberg, Germany, Dutch

The letter did not disclose either how much Berlin had proposed in state help, or by how much this had been reduced. The conflict lays bare how much industrial heavyweights depend on aid to decarbonise their businesses as well as the need for governments to approve subsidies quickly to avoid companies from shifting investments or stopping them altogether. Thyssenkrupp in August made the investment decision for the so-called direct reduction iron (DRI) site at its steel base in Duisburg, provided substantial subsidy commitments by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin were fulfilled. Tekin Nasikkol, who heads the works council of Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, told Reuters last week that Berlin needed to quickly approve hundreds of millions in subsidies for the site, adding workers' patience had run out. ($1 = 0.9084 euros)Reporting by Tom Kaeckenhoff; Additional reporting by Christoph Steitz and Christian Kraemer; Editing by Friederike HeineOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Subsidy cuts could derail Thyssenkrupp's green steel project -labour bosses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUESSELDORF, May 17 (Reuters) - Thyssenkrupp's <TKAG.DE> labour bosses cranked up the pressure on Berlin to help fund a 2 billion euro ($2.2 billion) green steel production site, warning in a letter to Economy Minister Robert Habeck that a further cut could choke off the project. Reducing subsidies further would trigger a "massive discussion" within Thyssenkrupp's supervisory board over whether to pull the plug on the investment, the letter, dated May 17 and co-signed by the group's deputy chairman Juergen Kerner, said. Thyssenkrupp in August made the investment decision for the so-called direct reduction iron (DRI) site at its steel base in Duisburg, provided substantial subsidy commitments by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin are being paid. Thyssenkrupp <TKAG.DE> and the economy ministry had no immediate comment. ($1 = 0.9084 euros)Reporting by Tom Kaeckenhoff; Additional reporting by Christoph Steitz and Christian Kraemer; Editing by Friederike HeineOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Weird and wonderful trains that break the rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Here’s a selection of unusual railways that break the rules in order to reach the places other trains can’t roll. The single rails carrying the trains are supported by a series of 486 steel portals weighing almost 20,000 tonnes in total. It is the oldest continuously operating pier railway in the world. Six miles of the route are along a rural railway line, with the rest in bus mode. Katoomba Scenic Railway, AustraliaNot far from the wonderful city of Sydney is a railway experience unlike anything else in the world.

☆ European police arrest more than 100 mafia suspects in drug crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The swoop was part of an investigation spanning Italy, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Romania, Brazil and Panama, according to European Union law enforcement agency Europol. The network was devoted primarily to international drug trafficking from South America to both Europe and Australia, Europol said in a statement. A total of 108 people were arrested in Italy and other EU countries on the orders of police in the southern city of Reggio Calabria, Italian police said. Related investigations led to the arrest of 24 people in Germany, they said, as well as a further 53 detentions in northern Italy. The interior minister of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia said 18 of the arrests were made there.

☆ Dozens arrested in Germany in European probe of Italian organised crime
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, May 3 (Reuters) - German police arrested dozens of people across the country on Wednesday in an investigation of the Italian 'Ndrangheta organised crime group, German public prosecutors and state police said. The crackdown was part of a coordinated probe by investigators in Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain as well as Europol and Eurojust, they said. Among those arrested were four people in Bavaria, 15 in North Rhine-Westphalia, and 10 in the southwestern German state of Rhineland Palatinate, and police seized potential evidence at dozens of locations including homes and offices. Two suspects who were under investigation in the western state of Saarland, were arrested in Italy. German prosecutors said they would hold a news conference later on Wednesday.

CNN —European police carried out raids in multiple European countries on early Wednesday, as part of a probe into the Calabrian Mafia, according to the Belgian federal prosecutor. “This morning, a large-scale European operation took place in several countries. It concerns a case opened by the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office, in collaboration with the Limburg Prosecutor’s Office, the Federal Judicial Police, Eurojust, Europol and various countries, in particular Italy,” the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. Italian authorities arrested 108 people in Italy as part of a four-pronged investigation into charges of “mafia-type association,” the Italian Carabinieri said in a statement Wednesday. In Belgium, more than 20 raids were carried out as part of the operation, the statement from the federal prosecutor said.

[1/4] Law enforcement officers investigate the scene following an attack on bank ATMs in Ratingen, Germany, March 15, 2023. Courtesy of Achim Blazy/Handout via REUTERSRATINGEN, Germany, April 14 (Reuters) - In the German town of Ratingen, exploding cash machines are a hot-button topic. But in Germany, thieves are blowing ATMs up at the rate of more than one a day. Europe's largest economy has 53,000 ATM machines, a disproportionately high number that reflects Germans' preference for cash rather than bank cards. Germany is also working with officials in Belgium and France and at Europol to combat the cash machine crime wave.

☆ German inflation expected to ease significantly in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, March 30 (Reuters) - Inflation is expected to ease significantly in Germany in March on the back of lower energy prices, preliminary data from six economically key states in the country showed on Thursday. The inflation rate in Brandenburg and Baden-Wuerttemberg fell to 7.8% year-on-year. In February, inflation rates for the six states had been between 8.3% and 9.2%. "It will directly raise inflation as local authorities will have to hike rubbish administrative fees and health insurers raise contribution rates to pay for the higher costs." While headline inflation slackens, core inflation - excluding energy and food - is expected to remain high.

☆ Climate change to cost Germany up to 900 billion euros by 2050 - study
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, March 6 (Reuters) - Extreme weather caused by climate change could cost Germany up to 900 billion euros in cumulative economic damage by mid-century, a study showed on Monday, as Europe's biggest economy seeks climate adaptation measures to cut the damages bill. The study, by economic research companies Prognos and GWS and Germany's Institute for Ecological Economic Research, comes as Berlin works on a climate adaptation strategy soon to be presented by the environment ministry. Germany's economy and environment ministries cited the study as showing that extreme heat, drought and floods could cost between 280 billion euros ($297.81 billion) and 900 billion euros between 2022 and 2050, depending on the extent of global warming. Climate change extreme weather events have already cost Germany at least 145 billion euros between 2000 and 2021, 80 billion of which were in the past five years only, including the 2021 floods in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, the economy ministry said. The study did not mention how much climate adaptation measures could cost the federal and state governments.

☆ Strikes at German regional airports ground majority of flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The majority of flights at Germany's Duesseldorf and Cologne Bonn regional airports were grounded by a 24-hour strike by the Verdi trade union on Monday, the airports said. Of Monday's usual 136 daily passenger flights scheduled for Cologne Bonn airport, only two were set to operate as scheduled. The union brought air traffic to a standstill earlier this month with one-day strikes at seven major airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs, affecting nearly 300,000 passengers. Cities across the western state of North Rhine Westphalia, including Cologne, Leverkusen and Bonn, were also affected by public service worker strikes on Monday. Verdi and the German Civil Service Association are demanding 10.5% more pay for state employees, or at least 500 euros ($527.75) more a month.

☆ Children hit by train in Germany, one killed, authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/6] Police officers work in the area near the scene of a train crash in Recklinghausen, Germany, February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Thilo SchmuelgenBERLIN, Feb 2 (Reuters) - A child was killed and another was seriously injured on Thursday after they were hit by a train along a railway line in the western German town of Recklinghausen, local authorities said. Bild newspaper said the victims were dragged by a freight train for several hundred meters (yards). "Why, how come, these are all questions that no one can yet answer and wouldn't solve anything," Reul said. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa, Andreas Kranz and Erol Dogrudogan; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Their messages show they knew the money paid for telecommunications equipment – despite European Union sanctions which restrict the supply of such gear to Russia's military. An EU regulation from Feb. 25, 2022 bans supplying or financing the purchase of certain goods for the Russian military. The office did not reply to a question about Schlund and Kolbasnikova helping buy gear for the Russian military. PROTEST ORGANISERSSchlund, who studied in a Russian military academy, moved to Germany in 2012. He later began a relationship with Kolbasnikova, who is originally from Ukraine and has worked in Germany as a nurse.

☆ Fact Check-Green screen digitally added to video of Greta Thunberg’s detention
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Video of climate activist Greta Thunberg’s detention during a protest near Luetzerath village in western Germany was not created with a green screen, contrary to claims being shared online. An Aachen police spokesperson told Reuters: "Greta Thunberg was part of a group of activists who rushed towards the ledge. Reuters has debunked claims that Thunberg’s detention was staged by the media or by the police (here). The video being shared online shows combines footage of actual videos of Thunberg’s detention with behind-the-scenes takes from the creation of the 2009 film Avatar, where the use of green screen technology was extensive. Climate activist Greta Thunberg’s brief detention during a protest in western Germany was not created with a green screen.

☆ Fact Check-Greta Thunberg’s brief detention was not ‘staged by the media’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Climate activist Greta Thunberg’s detainment during a protest near Luetzerath village in western Germany was not orchestrated by the media, despite claims circulating on social media. An Aachen police spokesperson told Reuters, "Greta Thunberg was part of a group of activists who rushed towards the ledge. The German media outlet Bild, also at the scene, similarly sent Reuters an article where Bild reporter Michael Engelberg recounted what occurred (here). Thunberg’s detainment at a coal mine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia was not staged by media. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

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