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☆ Europe's AI-powered Google Translate rival DeepL launches traditional Chinese language in Asia push
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Traditional Chinese is a written form of Chinese used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Both locations are key business hubs for technology and finance — a factor that attracted DeepL to launch its latest language in those markets. DeepL, one of Europe's high-profile AI companies valued at $2 billion , sells translation software aimed at businesses rather than everyday consumers. German artificial intelligence translation startup DeepL on Wednesday launched traditional Chinese as a language option as it looks to expand its presence in Asia. With the launch of traditional Chinese, the firm is looking to help some of its international customers more effectively communicate with clients or employees in Taiwan or Hong Kong.

Persons: DeepL, Kutylowski, Mark Zuckerberg's Organizations: Wednesday, CNBC, Google, Microsoft, Ventures Locations: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Asia, The Cologne, Germany, Japan, Korea

☆ My sister died when she was 23. I kept all her letters so my kids could have a connection with their aunt.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Elise Seyfried | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

My two sisters and I were incredibly close, and the loss of one of our trio shattered Carolyn and me. When it came to my sister's belongings, all I had was her navy bathrobe and a bottle of her favorite cologne. Some of Mo's letters were on company letterhead ("The boss thinks I'm typing up a brief, but ha! But I'm very glad they have these snapshots of Mo's life. And I believe, through the letters, Maureen lives on, not just for me, but for the nieces and nephews she would have loved so much but never got to meet.

Persons: Carolyn, Maureen, — waitressing, cologne, rancid Organizations: Service, Business, Yorker Locations: cologne, Philadelphia, Atlanta

☆ How Sandra Hüller quietly won red carpet season
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —While there was an abundance of daring looks at the Oscars red carpet this year, one of the evening’s most memorable outfits came from Hollywood newcomer Sandra Hüller. The second winged look — also from Schiaparelli — solidified Hüller as a red carpet risk taker. Richard Shotwell/Invision/APAt the 2024 Cesar Film Awards, Hüller arrived in a collarless Louis Vuitton wrap suit embellished with black sequins. Gerald Matzka/Getty ImagesAt the European Film Awards ceremony in December last year, Hüller stunned in a cut-out black and white gown with a satin finish. Christoph Soeder/dpa/Sipa USAFor the London premiere of "Anatomy of a Fall" in November 2023, Hüller wore a white skirt suit from Cong Tri.

Persons: Sandra Hüller, Oscar —, Hüller, cinched, Cartier, “ It’s, ”, Jordan Johnson Chung, —, Anthony Behar, Phoebe Philo’s, sequined Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Fallon, Richard Shotwell, Louis Vuitton, Pascal Le Segretain, Max, Rosie Assoulin, Gerald Matzka, Christoph Soeder, Dave Benett, Andreas Rentz, Gareth Cattermole, Jamie McCarthy Organizations: CNN, Vogue, Hollywood, Berlin, London, Cong Tri, 61st New York Film Locations: Hollywood, Cong, Cologne

☆ A six-day train strike is the last thing the German economy needs
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Germany is bracing for widespread disruption to rail services after train drivers embarked on a record six-day strike Wednesday, which will further strain crucial supply chains and deal a new blow to the sputtering economy. The state-owned rail operator said the action would cause “massive disruptions” to long-distance, regional and city commuter services until Monday. That was a major drag on the economy overall, with gross domestic product falling 0.3% in 2023, likely the weakest performance among Europe’s big countries. The strike represents “a major logistical challenge” for the chemical and pharmaceutical sector, the German Chemicals Industry Association told CNN. Germany’s supply chains are already struggling because of attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

Persons: Joerg Kraemer, “, ”, Anja, GDL, Claus Weselsky, Tesla, Michael Groemling, Chris Stern Organizations: London CNN —, Germany’s, Deutsche Bahn, Freight, Deutsche Bahn’s, German Chemicals Industry Association, CNN, German Association of, Automotive Industry, Tuesday Deutsche Bahn, Cologne Institute, Economic Research Locations: London CNN — Germany, Germany, Germany’s, “, Red, Berlin

☆ What is 'smellmaxxing'? A new fad involves mostly men trying to maximize or improve their body scent
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The newest offshoot of the looksmaxxing subcuture is smellmaxxing, which involves mostly men trying to improve their smell with different colognes among other hygiene tips. "Megamind caught smellmaxxing," on-screen text said in a TikTok from December, which amassed over 3.5 million views. Other creators have jumped on the trend with jokes: One urged others to "start smellmaxxing bro" while shooting cologne mists into the night sky. On another popular video tagged #smellmaxxing, a poster showed their massive cologne collection: "Once you start.. you can't stop," they wrote on-screen. "When you took scentmaxxing too far," @lordoffragrances wrote on-screen with a skull emoji.

Persons: —, Megamind, John Paul Gaultier cologne, smellmaxxing, Therabreath, bro, Jeremy, @lordoffragrances, looksmaxxing Organizations: Service, Business Locations: cologne

☆ Germany pledges to make its military 'the backbone of defence in Europe'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreBERLIN, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Germany will strengthen its military to make it the backbone of deterrence and collective defence in Europe, its defence minister pledged on Thursday as Berlin issued new defence policy guidelines for the first time in over a decade. The 19-page document details what the "Zeitenwende" - the major shift of policy German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - means for the workings of the Bundeswehr. "With the Zeitenwende, Germany becomes a grown up country in terms of security policy," Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said as he presented the guidelines, the first since 2011 when Berlin suspended conscription. "As the most populous and an economically strong country at the heart of Europe, Germany must be the backbone of deterrence and collective defence in Europe," Pistorius said. German forces needed to be refocused on their core mission -the credible defence of Germany and its allies - and be "ready to fight a war", he said.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Wolfgang Rattay, Boris Pistorius, Pistorius, Sabine Siebold, Toby Chopra, Ed Osmond Organizations: Patriot, Bonn Air Force, Territorial Command, Bundeswehr, REUTERS, Berlin, Thomson Locations: Cologne, Wahn, Germany, BERLIN, Europe, Ukraine, Berlin, prioritise, Lithuania

☆ Ford pushes back Explorer series production in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Jan Schwartz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People stand near a logo of Ford at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMUNICH, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Ford (F.N) will push back series production of its long-awaited SUV Explorer model at its Cologne site by around six months to wait for a new generation of Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) battery technology to be available, its Germany chief said on Monday. The U.S. carmaker sells two all-electric SUVs and an e-Transit van in Europe, but seven new models are in the pipeline by 2024, including two produced in Cologne and one in Romania. Production of the second new model in Cologne, also built on Volkswagen's MEB platform, will start a few weeks after the first, Sander said. Reporting by Jan Schwartz, Writing by Victoria Waldersee Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, carmaker, Sander, Ford, Jan Schwartz, Victoria Waldersee, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Ford, Auto, REUTERS, Rights, Volkswagen, IAA, Thomson Locations: Auto Shanghai, Shanghai, China, Cologne, Germany, Europe, Aachen, U.S, Romania

☆ Why some are calling the German economy 'the sick man of Europe'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —It’s been nearly two decades since Germany shrugged off its “sick man of Europe” label with a series of labor market reforms that ushered in years of economic outperformance. Sticky inflation and three straight quarters of falling or stagnating output have put Europe’s biggest economy in the doldrums. “Sticky” inflation is eroding Germans’ purchasing power, fueling “pessimism among households,” according to Thomas Obst, senior economist at the Cologne Institute for Economic Research. “[German] industrial order books have emptied over the last 12 months,” Carsten Brzeski, global head of macroeconomic research at ING, told CNN. “Germany is in a very singular position.”Bright spotsHolger Schmieding, the economist who first called Germany the “sick man of Europe” in 1998, thinks the “current wave of pessimism” over its economy is overdone.

Persons: London CNN — It’s, Stefan Kooths, Europe ”, Kooths, Thomas Obst, Obst, ”, Klaus Wohlrabe, Frank Soellner, ” Carsten Brzeski, Sam Reeves, Brzeski, David Hecker, Holger Schmieding, Schmieding, “ Organizations: London CNN, International Monetary Fund, Kiehl Institute, Cologne Institute, Economic Research, CNN, European Central Bank, ifo, Volkswagen, Siemens, Global, ING, Getty, China Locations: Germany, Europe, Berlin, ifo, Bad, China, Duisburg, AFP, Ukraine, Australia, France

The headquarters of chemicals maker Lanxess are seen in Cologne, Germany November 15, 2018. "We urgently need sustainable framework conditions – above all an internationally competitive electricity tariff for the industry," CEO Matthias Zachert said in a statement. The company said implementing these measures would cost around 100 million euros. The group's second quarter core earnings (EBITDA) pre-exceptionals fell 57.7% to 107 million euros, in line with its forecast from June. In a separate statement, Lanxess said its finance chief Michael Pontzen would leave by the end of August.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Matthias Zachert, Lanxess, Zachert, Baader, Konstantin Wiechert, Michael Pontzen, Linda Pasquini, Antonis Pothitos, Milla Nissi, Alexander Smith, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Cologne, Germany, Europe, Krefeld, Uerdingen, Gdansk

☆ Ford ends an era as the last Fiesta rolls off the production line
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The last Ford Fiesta is set to roll off the production line Friday, marking the end of an era that saw the vehicle become a mainstay of millions of drivers around the world. The Fiesta has been sold in more than 50 countries, with over 22 million vehicles produced since 1976, but Friday will see the last new one manufactured. In a nod to its importance, the automotive giant will hold on to the final two Fiestas, placing them in its heritage vehicle fleets in the U.K. and Germany. "At Ford in Europe, we are rapidly transitioning to an electric future," a Ford spokesperson said in a statement. "As part of this transition, production of the Fiesta in Cologne, Germany will be discontinued on 7 July 2023, and a new era at the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center will begin," they added.

Organizations: Fiestas, Ford, Fiesta, Cologne Electric Vehicle Center Locations: Germany, Europe, Cologne

☆ Bayern win Bundesliga with last-gasp goal in dramatic season finale
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Bayern finished on 71 points, ahead on goal difference from Dortmund. RB Leipzig and sensational Union Berlin are third and fourth respectively and will also compete in the Champions League next season. "It is unbelievable that I experience such a title race," said Bayern's Thomas Mueller, who celebrated a league-record 12th Bundesliga title. While the title win rescues some silverware in what has been a frustrating season for Bayern, the club sacked CEO Oliver Kahn, who was not in Cologne, and sports director Hasan Salihamdizic minutes after the title win. Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/StringerSummary Prosecutors say officers took computers, documentsKolbasnikova: German authorities "committing lawlessness"Urges supporters to rally in CologneBERLIN/NEW YORK, March 27 (Reuters) - German prosecutors said on Monday they searched the home of two pro-Kremlin activists, looking for evidence to corroborate a Reuters report that the couple donated cash to buy radios for Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Under German law, the criminal penalty for anyone found to have violated sanctions is up to five years in prison. Ulf Willuhn, a representative of the Cologne public prosecutors, said officers executed a search warrant on Monday morning at the couple's address, and took computers and folders containing written documents. Kolbasnikova and Schlund did not immediately respond to requests for comment that Reuters sent to them on messaging apps. A spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said this month that Kolbasnikova was the victim of persecution by the German authorities.

☆ German labour representative says Ford execs have offered talks on restructuring plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ford said on Jan. 20 that its planned shift to electric vehicle (EV) production will require unspecified structural changes, giving rise to fears of job cuts at its German production sites. Ford committed to an all-electric lineup in Europe by 2030 and its U.S. leadership has repeatedly flagged that EVs require less labour. German union officials said on Wednesday that Ford would decide by mid-February how many jobs to cut in Europe. "Ford management has indicated their willingness to talk," Benjamin Gruschka, who is affiliated with trade union IG Metall, told a media briefing in Cologne. He said no date for talks had been agreed and that Ford had yet to give details on what their restructuring plan entails.

At a separate meeting between management and workers representatives, Ford said it was planning a reduction of 65% in development jobs and around 20% in administrative jobs in Europe, a spokesperson for IG Metall said. We will not hold back from measures that could seriously impact the company not just in Germany but Europe-wide," IG Metall said. Ford of Europe produces, sells and services Ford brand vehicles in 50 markets, employing around 45,000 people at its own facilities and consolidated joint ventures, according to its website. The U.S. carmaker has committed to selling exclusively electric passenger cars in Europe by 2030, and is planning three new electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024. Writing by Rachel More and Victoria Waldersee; editing by Matthias Williams and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pro-Putin operatives in Germany work to turn Berlin against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +17 min

Now the main Russian Cossack organisations are loyal to Putin, and they are fighting alongside Russia’s forces in Ukraine. He is regularly pictured on his and other social media pages at Cossack gatherings, often wearing Cossack military uniform. Felk has worked as a security guard and has run a logistics firm, according to posts on Felk’s OK social media account. Photos shared by Kharkovsky on social media show him and other participants standing in front of a Great Don Army flag. Eremenko confirmed to Reuters that he worked for Russian military intelligence, the GRU.

☆ Germany's housing market is ripe for a serious price correction, economists warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"The housing market is softening significantly," he said, citing a strong decrease in demand for loans and a drop in housing construction. watch nowAnd while the language used may vary, many analysts are forecasting a dip in Germany's housing market. A Reuters poll of property market experts last month anticipated German house prices would fall by 3.5% next year. A 'vulnerable' market But not all financial institutions agree that Germany's property market is set for a large correction. The labor market is key Moves in the labor market will determine how the property market shifts, according to some analysts.

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