DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ German Government, Opposition Agree Constitutional Changes to Protect Top Court, Newspaper Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's centre-left ruling coalition and the main conservative opposition have agreed a draft law to protect its highest court, the Rheinische Post newspaper reported on Thursday, at a time of growing concern about the strength of the far-right AfD party. The anti-establishment, nationalist party is already under state surveillance on suspicion of being extremist and anti-constitution. The AfD rejects allegations it is undemocratic and has said the Constitutional Court, which is appointed by parliament, is biased and closely linked with the government. The 12-page draft law will incorporate the mandate of the Federal Constitutional Court into the constitution, the Rheinische Post reported, with the aim of enshrining its independence with the following passage:"The decisions of the Federal Constitutional Court bind the constitutional bodies of the federal and state governments as well as all courts and authorities." Photos You Should See View All 60 Images"All of these regulations are therefore exempt from change with a simple majority in the future," the Rheinische Post added, quoting the draft legislation.

Persons: Riham, Mark Heinrich Organizations: BERLIN, Rheinische Post, Constitutional, Federal Constitutional Court, Federal, Court

Papperger said on Thursday that factory workers would build and repair Rheinmetall’s Fuchs armored personnel carrier — named after the German word for fox — under license in the facility. Rheinmetall (RNMBF) will operate the plant in partnership with Ukroboronprom, a Ukrainian state-owned defense group, which will also own the facility. Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance/Getty ImagesFormer Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of current President Vladimir Putin, has said Russia would retaliate by hitting any facility Rheinmetall set up in Ukraine, Reuters has reported. For now, Papperger said, sourcing more ammunition was a bigger priority than building more tanks. In theory, he added, Rheinmetall could provide 60% of the artillery ammunition Ukraine needs.

Persons: Armin Papperger, “, ”, Papperger, Rheinmetall’s Fuchs, ” Armin Papperger, reconditioned Marder, Julian Stratenschulte, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, didn’t, — Nadine Schmidt, Claudia Otto Organizations: London CNN, Rheinmetall, CNN, Rheinische Post, Ukroboronprom, Getty, Former, Reuters, NATO Locations: Berlin, London, Ukraine, Russia, Germany’s, Ukrainian, Lower Saxony, Germany, Former Russian, Russian, Europe

☆ Henkel plans to continue with acquisitions, Rheinische Post reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, June 3 (Reuters) - German consumer goods company Henkel (HNKG.DE) is sticking to its goal in terms of acquisitions despite raising interest rates, the company's CEO Carsten Knobel told the German newspaper Rheinische Post on Saturday. "We have a strong balance sheet, we intend to make further acquisitions," he said, adding that acquisitions would be made in the adhesive business and in the consumer goods area. Knobel does not see interest rates increases as a problem. "The return of rising interest rates rather benefits us when competing for acquisition targets because we have the best credit ratings thanks to our very solid financial position." "For us to buy back our Russian business, the framework conditions and relations with Russia would have to change fundamentally," Knobel said.

Persons: Carsten Knobel, Henkel's, Knobel, Maria Martinez, David Evans Organizations: Henkel, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Russia

☆ German industry association raises 2023 export growth forecast to 2%
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, April 15 (Reuters) - Germany's BDI industry association expects exports to grow by 2% in 2023, double its forecast in January, its president told the Rheinische Post newspaper in comments published on Saturday. "Things are looking up, but only slowly - we must not be satisfied with that," BDI President Siegfried Russwurm told the newspaper. Even with the improved outlook, Germany still lags behind the forecast for global trade of 2.5% export growth, according to BDI figures cited in the report. Export growth has slowed considerably since Germany's post-pandemic recovery. The BDI president said Germany was falling behind other countries where energy prices are not as high.

☆ Europe's arms spending on Ukraine boosts defense companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN —After months of soaring stock prices, Europe’s defense companies hardly needed another boost. But a tentative €2 billion ($2.1 billion) European Union plan to procure ammunition for war-torn Ukraine may provide just that. Speaking in Stockholm Wednesday, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said his country needed one million rounds of ammunition “as soon as possible” to deter Russian forces. A final decision is expected on March 20 when EU foreign and defense ministers meet in Brussels. In early February, the bloc announced that it would inject another €545 million ($575 million) into its €3.6 billion ($3.8 billion) military assistance fund for Ukraine.

☆ The German company that makes Leopard and Panther tanks wants to build a factory in Ukraine, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rheinmetall wants to build tanks in Ukraine, CEO Armin Papperger told the Rheinische Post. A plant would cost about $200 million and could produce 400 battle tanks a year. Rheinmetall makes the Leopard 2 tanks that Germany finally offered to send to Ukraine in January. "Talks with the Ukrainian government are promising and I'm hoping for a decision in the next two months," Armin Papperger, the CEO of Rheinmetall, told the newspaper. Rheinmetall makes an array of weapons and ammunition, including the Leopard 2 tanks that Germany finally offered to send to Ukraine in late January.

☆ Rheinmetall in talks on building tank factory in Ukraine - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, March 4 (Reuters) - German defence contractor Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE) is in negotiations about building a tank factory in Ukraine, the newspaper Rheinische Post reported on Saturday, citing an interview with CEO Armin Papperger. Rheinmetall makes ammunition, other military equipment and also the Leopard tanks that Germany decided to send to Ukraine, which the company produces jointly with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. "A Rheinmetall plant can be set up in the Ukraine for around 200 million euros ($212.64 million), which can produce up to 400 Panthers a year," Papperger was quoted as saying. He said Ukraine needed 600 to 800 tanks and the construction of new tanks must start quickly to achieve that number, he said. Its shares hit a record high in January after Germany's decision to send the heavy Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine war expected to cost Germany 160 billion euros by year-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The Ukraine war will have cost the German economy around 160 billion euros ($171 billion), or some 4% of its gross domestic output, in lost value creation by the end of the year, the head of the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) said. That means GDP per capita in Europe's largest economy will be 2,000 euros lower it would otherwise have been, DIHK chief Peter Adrian told the "Rheinische Post". Germany, which for decades relied on relatively cheap Russian pipeline gas, now has especially high energy prices compared with the United States that has its own natural gas reserves, while France has abundant nuclear power. "The gas price is around three-five times higher than in the United States," he said, adding electricity was four times as expensive as in France. ($1 = 0.9351 euros)Reporting by Klaus Lauer; Writing by Sarah Marsh; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German inflation to stay high for two years, adviser says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has further stoked already rising costs for food and energy, pushing inflation in Germany to its fastest pace since the early 1950s, with consumer price rises of around 11.3% in November. The Bundesbank has warned that even a planned price cap on gas and electricity may not be enough to bring inflation down from double digits. "Inflation is remaining high because we are seeing second round effects, with companies passing on their higher costs - and some significantly exaggerating." She said she was not concerned about a wage-price spiral given measured wage rises in the chemistry and metal industries. Reporting by Bettina Cosima Larrarte; writing by Sarah Marsh; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ RWE CEO: optimistic power supply will remain stable during winter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Rwe Ag FollowUniper SE FollowFRANKFURT, Dec 10 (Reuters) - RWE (RWEG.DE), Germany's top power producer, is fairly optimistic the country's power supply will remain stable during the winter months, its chief executive told a newspaper. "Germany will export more electricity to France this winter than ever before," Markus Krebber told Rheinische Post, referring to the fact that the neighbouring country has taken a record number of nuclear stations offline for checks. "The problems of the French nuclear power plants are also the reason why so many gas-fired power plants are running here. Nevertheless, I am reasonably optimistic that we will get through the winter well in terms of electricity." Turning to gas supply, where Germany is facing the first winter without fuel from Russia in five decades, Krebber said it all came down to temperatures.

☆ German government defends plan to ease citizenship rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

German language requirements for citizenship would also be eased for members of the so-called "Gastarbeiter" generation, many of them Turkish, who came to Germany in the 1950s and 1960s as migrant workers. It would also be made easier to study or obtain qualifications in Germany, he said. Scholz defended allowing immigrants to hold dual citizenship, arguing that "belonging and identity are not a zero-sum game." The secretary-general of the FDP, the junior partner in coalition with the SPD and environmentalist Greens, has spoken out against the plan. Faeser played down differences in the coalition and said that all parties had signed up to the plan in their coalition agreement.

☆ Germany to offer Poland Patriot system after stray missile crash
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Germany has offered Warsaw the Patriot missile defence system to help it to secure its airspace after a stray missile crashed in Poland last week, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht told a newspaper on Sunday. "We have offered Poland support in securing airspace - with our Eurofighters and with Patriot air defence systems," Lambrecht told the Rheinische Post and General Anzeiger. Ground-based air defence systems such as Raytheon's (RTX.N) Patriot are built to intercept incoming missiles. More than a dozen NATO allies led by Germany in October kicked off an initiative to jointly procure air defence systems for several layers of threats, including Patriot. Germany had 36 Patriot units when it was NATO's frontline state during the Cold War.

☆ Germany to legalize cannabis use for recreational purposes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Riham Alkousaa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented a cornerstone paper on planned legislation to regulate the controlled distribution and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes among adults. Acquiring and possessing up to 20 to 30 grams of recreational cannabis for personal consumption would also be made legal. Many European countries, including Germany, have already legalised cannabis for limited medicinal purposes. The use of cannabis for medicinal purposes has been legal in Germany since 2017. Germany's pharmacists association warned of the health risks of legalising cannabis and said it would put pharmacies in medical conflict.

☆ Uniper shuts down 50% of headquarters to save gas
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - German utility Uniper is shutting half the office space in its headquarters and lowering temperatures in areas remaining open to save gas, it told Rheinische Post on Monday, as it struggles to stay afloat even after being nationalised. The company has switched off all devices and lamps in 50% of its office space in Duesseldorf, stopped cleaning and lowered the temperature to 14 degrees, the lowest it can be without damaging the building, the spokesperson told Rheinische Post. In offices where people are working, temperatures were being lowered to 20 degrees, the report said. The Rheinische Post report said E.ON (EON.UL) was also taking steps to reduce energy consumption in its buildings by at least 20% through measures like switching off lighting of logos and turning off hot water where possible. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The logo of the energy company Fortum headquarters a subsidiary of Uniper is pictured in Espoo, Finland July 22, 2022. Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva/via REUTERSRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterCompanies Fortum Oyj FollowUniper SE FollowBERLIN/DUESSELDORF, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Germany is set to buy Fortum's (FORTUM.HE) stake in Uniper (UN01.DE) and inject a further 8 billion euros ($8 billion) as part of a nationalisation of the gas importer, Uniper said on Tuesday. The capital injection, which would come via a capital increase subscribed only by Germany's government, would bring the total package of loans and equity used to stabilise Uniper so far to at least 29 billion euros. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterFortum, which owns a 78% stake in Uniper, said that the deal will include the "return of the financing Fortum granted to Uniper" which the Finnish group has put at 8 billion euros. ($1 = 1.0019 euros)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Markus Wacket and Riham Alkousaa in Berlin, Tom Kaeckenhoff in Duesseldorf and Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt, editing by Rachel MoreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Inflation in Germany could hit a 70-year high of 10% amid Russia's natural-gas squeeze, German central bank chief says
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-22 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Germany's inflation rate could hit 10% this fall, the country's chief central banker told Rheinische Post. The country is dealing with an energy crisis as Russian natural-gas supplies slow. "The issue of inflation will not go away in 2023," Nagel told Rheinische Post, according to an official transcript from the German central bank. The German central bank had in June forecast 2023 inflation to reach 4.5%, but Nagel told Rheinische Post that price gains are likely to average over 6% instead. "If further delivery problems are added, for example due to prolonged low water levels, the economic prospects for the second half of the year would deteriorate further," Nagel told the German media outlet.

☆ Miniştrii de Externe din Germania, Spania şi Suedia fac apel pentru reducerea arsenalelor nucleare în lume
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-05 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +2 min

Sursa foto: digi24.roMiniştrii de Externe din Germania, Spania şi Suedia fac apel pentru reducerea arsenalelor nucleare în lumeMiniştrii de externe ai Germaniei, Spaniei şi Suediei au lansat luni un apel puterilor nucleare, invitându-le la o reducere considerabilă a arsenalelor strategice, înaintea deschiderii în aceeaşi zi a unei reuniuni pe tema dezarmării nucleare la Madrid, relatează dpa. O reuniune va avea loc luni în cadrul Iniţiativei de la Stockholm, ce grupează 16 ţări care pledează pentru reducerea arsenalelor nucleare pe plan mondial. Potrivit estimărilor, cele nouă state care deţin arsenale nucleare dispuneau de circa 13.080 de focoase nucleare la începutul anului 2021, în scădere cu 13.400. Aproximativ 3.825 de focoase au fost desfăşurate în cadrul forţelor operaţionale, în creştere faţă de 3.720 cu un an înainte. Aproape toate cele 2.000 de ogive nucleare plasate în stare de alertă operaţională aparţineau Rusiei şi SUA.

Persons: Arancha Gonzalez, Ann Linde, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Agerpres Locations: Germania, Spania, Suedia, Germaniei, Spaniei, Suediei, Madrid, Maas, Arancha, Stockholm, SUA

Search resuls for: "Rheinische Post"

17 mentions found