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☆ More arrests expected in German coup plot in coming days, say authorities
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Police escorts a person after 25 suspected members and supporters of a far-right group were detained during raids across Germany, in Karlsruhe, Germany December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Heiko BeckerBERLIN, Dec 8 (Reuters) - German authorities expect further arrests and raids in the coming days in connection with a far-right group that prosecutors say were preparing a violent overthrow of the state to install a former member of a German royal family as national leader. "Based on my experience, there is usually a second wave of arrests," Georg Maier, the interior minister of the eastern German state of Thuringia, told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk on Thursday. Twenty-five members and supporters of the group were detained on Wednesday in raids involving some 3,000 security personnel that Maier described as unprecedented in modern German history. Reporting by Miranda Murray, editing by Kirsti Knolle and Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German minister: foiled plot shows threat of far-right "abyss"
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Investigations into a far-right plot to overthrow the German state show the threat posed by the "Reichsbuerger" movement, which denies the existence of the modern German state, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Wednesday. "The investigations provide a glimpse into the abyss of a terrorist threat from the Reichsbuerger milieu," Faeser said in a statement, adding "we are taking action against such endeavours with all the consequences of the rule of law." "We will continue to take this hard line." Writing by Paul Carrel, editing by Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BERLIN/PARIS, Nov 18 (Reuters) - France, Germany and Spain have reached agreement over starting the next phase of the development of a new fighter jet dubbed FCAS, Europe's largest defence project at an estimated cost of more than 100 billion euros, two sources told Reuters on Friday. The three countries and their respective industries had struck a deal, said a defence source who spoke on condition of anonymity and did not give details. According to earlier information, the next development phase for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is expected to cost some 3.5 billion euros ($3.63 billion), to be shared equally by the three countries. France's Dassault (AM.PA), Airbus (AIR.PA) and Indra (IDR.MC) - the latter two representing Germany and Spain respectively - are involved in the scheme to start replacing French Rafale and German and Spanish Eurofighters from 2040. ($1 = 0.9642 euros)Writing by Sabine Siebold, Editing by Miranda, Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden said Ukraine air defence missile responsible for Poland blast - NATO source
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden told G7 and NATO partners that a missile blast in eastern Poland was caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile, a NATO source told Reuters on Wednesday. The blast, which killed two people, raised global alarm that the Ukraine conflict could spill into neighbouring countries. Russia denied its missiles struck Poland. Biden told reporters in Indonesia on Wednesday that the missile was unlikely to have been fired from Russia. Reporting by Andreas Rinke, writing by Kirsti Knolle, editing by Paul CarrelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germany's Scholz calls for closer EU trade ties with Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He said he hopes to see quick progress in the EU's trade negotiations with Australia, India and Indonesia and remains open to new agreements beyond that. His trip, one week after a visit to China, comes within the context of Germany's attempts to diversify trade in Asia, which has some of the fastest growing economies in the world. Scholz said that reducing risky, one-sided dependencies for certain raw materials or critical technologies would play an important role in Germany's national security strategy but added that de-coupling was not the answer. "A world with new or resurrected trade barriers and de-integrated economies will not be a better place," he said according to a prepared speech text. Reporting by Maria Sheahan and Kirsti Knolle Editing by Paul CarrelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germany's Scholz: G20 consensus statement on war in Ukraine to be 'tough ride'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SINGAPORE, Nov 14 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday that it would be difficult to come up with a clear statement on global issues and the war in Ukraine at the G20 meeting in Indonesia later this week. "We are working very hard to ensure that we not only make clear, important statements on all the issues that affect the world together ... but also on the issues of peace and the consequences of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine," he said during a joint news conference with Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong. "That's going to be a tough ride, and I think it's going to take up a lot of our time and efforts in Bali." Reporting by Miranda Murray, editing by Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The ballot measure amended the state constitution to enshrine expansion for Medicaid health care coverage to all adults who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level. Eliot Fishman, the senior director of health policy for the health care advocacy group Families USA, said that in South Dakota parents with practically any work income were ineligible for Medicaid. It took over two years, because advocates first pursued the process in South Dakota in October 2020. Supporters cheer for South Dakota Gov. Medicaid expansion, however, would not remain its focus.

Nov 10 (Reuters) - Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay $473 million in punitive damages for his defamatory claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting, a Connecticut judge ruled on Thursday. On Dec. 14, 2012, a gunman murdered his mother, then killed 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School before killing himself. Some experts doubt the move will offer much protection for Jones’ assets, even if he is not able to pay the full judgments against him. The Sandy Hook families have intervened in the case, urging a judge to freeze Free Speech Systems' assets and investigate its finances. They claim Jones pulled $62 million from the company while burdening it with $65 million in “fabricated” debt.

☆ RWE posts 72% rise in 9-month profit on higher demand, strong trading
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Rwe Ag FollowFRANKFURT, Nov 10 (Reuters) - RWE (RWEG.DE) on Thursday posted a 72% increase in core profits for the first nine months, boosted by higher demand and prices for power across Europe as well as what it called an unusually strong commodity trading performance. Nine-month adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose to 4.1 billion euros ($4.14 billion), up from 2.4 billion, Germany's largest power producer said. In its commodity trading division, profits were up 59% due to improvements "with regard to almost all commodities and regions". The group confirmed its 2022 outlook, still expecting adjusted EBITDA of 5 billion to 5.5 billion euros and adjusted net profit of 2.1 billion to 2.6 billion euros. ($1 = 0.9968 euros)Reporting by Christoph Steitz, editing by Kirsti Knolle and Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bayer beats Q3 profit forecast on strong herbicide sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The German company said in a statement third-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 17.3% to 2.45 billion euros ($2.45 billion), above analysts' average estimate of 2.31 billion euros posted on the company's website. It said at that time it was targeting adjusted EBITDA of about 13 billion euros, based on June 30 foreign exchange rates, up from 11.2 billion in 2021. The crop science division saw adjusted EBITDA gain 33.5% to 629 million euros, beating a market consensus of 589 million euros, as a strong herbicides business more than offset weaker corn and soy seed sales. Its best-selling drug Xarelto saw sales decline 6.2% to 1.11 billion euros in the quarter, slightly below market estimates, on lower prices and volumes in China as well as loss of patent protection in Brazil. Revenues from anti-blindness treatment Eylea rose 6.3% to 811 million euros, gaining prescriptions in Europe and China, but also came in slightly below expectations.

☆ BioNTech executive says it is too early to predict China vaccine approval
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Nov 7 (Reuters) - A BioNTech (22UAy.DE) executive on Monday confirmed that the company is in discussions with Chinese authorities over regulatory approval of the German biotech firm's COVID-19 vaccine for use by expatriates in China but the outcome was uncertain. We confirm that we have been taking part in some discussions, which are very positive," Chief Strategy Officer Ryan Richardson said in an analyst call. He added it was too early to predict the extent or the timing of such an approval for foreigners working in China. BioNTech shares rose on Friday after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced an agreement to let expatriates in China use the vaccine and he pressed for Beijing to allow the shot to be made freely available to Chinese citizens. Reporting by Ludwig Burger, editing by Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German industrial orders drop in Sept on foreign demand slump
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A worker at German manufacturer of silos and liquid tankers, Feldbinder Special Vehicles, moves rolls of aluminium at the company's plant in Winsen, Germany, July 10, 2018. REUTERS/Fabian BimmerBERLIN, Nov 4 (Reuters) - German industrial orders fell more than expected in September, weighed down by a sharp fall in foreign demand, data showed on Friday. New orders fell by 4.0% on the month on a seasonally and calendar adjusted basis, the Federal Statistics Office said. While domestic orders increased by 0.5%, foreign orders decreased by 7.0%. A Reuters poll of analysts had pointed to a fall of 0.5% in September.

☆ Germany's Scholz: Advocated level playing field for European, Chinese firms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Nov 4 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz campaigned for a level playing field for European and Chinese companies during his trip to China, he told journalists in Beijing on Friday. He had emphasized in his talks that it was necessary for German and European companies to be able to make investments at eye level with Chinese companies in Europe. "We strongly believe that there should be a level playing field, that German companies should not experience greater difficulties in China than Chinese companies have in Europe," Scholz said. "I believe that this will lead to progress in many concrete cases in the near future." He added that his motion did not only refer to German companies but to all European companies.

☆ Scholz secures agreement allowing expats in China to use BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Andreas Rinke | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Nov 4 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced an agreement on Friday to let expatriates in China use the COVID-19 vaccine from Germany's BioNTech (22UAy.DE) and pressed for Beijing to allow the shot to be made freely available to Chinese citizens. On his first visit to China since becoming chancellor and the first by a G7 leader since the pandemic, Scholz said China and Germany had different approaches to fighting the virus but had a joint responsibility to eliminate it. The two countries "agreed on close cooperation in the fight against the pandemic," Scholz said in a briefing alongside the Chinese premier Li Keqiang. "This also includes an approval of the BioNTech vaccine for expatriates in China. I hope that the circle of eligible persons can soon be widened to a general free ability of the BioNTech vaccine," said Scholz.

☆ Germany tells Serbia: you have to choose between EU and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Serbia must decide whether it wants to join the European Union or enter into a partnership with Russia, Germany told Belgrade on Tuesday, two days before six Western Balkan countries are scheduled to discuss closer cooperation in Berlin. An agreement between Serbia and Russia on enhanced cooperation had been met with surprise and disappointment, and was a poor fit with expectations that EU accession candidates should also adopt EU sanctions against Russia, the representative said. Serbia, an accession candidate since 2012, decided in September to hold regular foreign policy consultations on bilateral and multilateral activities with Russia. One got the impression that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was well aware of his pendulum position, the German government representative said. If he decided to lead his country in the direction of the European Union, he had the German government's support.

☆ OMV bets on more LNG from ADNOC, Q3 profit soars
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Like other European energy companies, OMV, which until the Ukraine war depended heavily on Russian oil and gas, is striving to diversify its supplies. "For us, it is important that we diversify the gas supply for Austria and this is a building block." High energy prices meant OMV (OMVV.VI), in which the Austrian state holds 31.5%, nearly doubled its core profit in the third quarter. For some years, OMV has been shifting its growth focus towards high-quality plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene and PVC, from oil and gas. Mubadala, which also holds 24.9% in OMV, agreed to sell a remaining 25% stake in Borealis to ADNOC in April.

☆ German authorities looking into reports of illegal Chinese police in Frankfurt
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Authorities in Germany are investigating whether China maintains an illegal extraterritorial police station in Frankfurt, a spokesperson said, a week before Chancellor Olaf Scholz heads on an already contested visit to the economic giant. The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Confirming an earlier report in the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper, the spokesperson said they so far had no indications such facilities existed in Frankfurt. Dutch authorities on Wednesday said they were investigating Chinese offices that were operating illegally in the Netherlands, carrying out tasks like renewing driving licences. That followed allegations, denied by the Chinese embassy in The Hague, that the office had also harassed a Chinese dissident living in the Netherlands.

☆ Volkswagen to work with Mobileye on automated driving after Argo exit - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Jan Schwartz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Shannon StapletonBERLIN, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) plans to expand its cooperation with Intel's Mobileye (MBLY.O) to include its automated driving program after Wednesday's decision to no longer invest in self-driving startup Argo AI, two sources familiar with the plan told Reuters on Thursday. Mobileye, which develops autonomous driving technologies, already cooperates with VW's software unit Cariad. Volkswagen's and Ford Motor's F.N exit from Argo came after three years of joint efforts on the development of automated driving systems and investments of more than $3 billion, highlighting the cost pressure automakers face in that field. Israel-based Mobileye went public this week, being valued at more than $20 billion. Chief Communications Officer Dan Galves said earlier this week that based on its design wins with automakers, the company's assisted driving systems would be deployed in 270 million cars by 2030.

☆ Puma confirms operating profit, sales outlook after Q3 results
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 26 (Reuters) - German sportswear maker Puma (PUMG.DE) reiterated its full-year operating result and currency-adjusted sales outlook on Wednesday, despite uncertainty on the global market, after what it said was its best third quarter in the company's history. The company said its earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose by 12.6% on the year to 258 million euros ($257 million) while third-quarter sales rose a currency-adjusted 16.9% to 2.35 billion euros ($2.34 billion). Despite continued effects of COVID-19-related lockdown measures in China, Puma saw sales growth in the Asia/Pacific region for the first time this year in the third quarter, it said. "We expect continued volatility in the market during the fourth quarter but are confident that we can deliver according to our full-year outlook," he added. The company expects currency-adjusted sales growth of around 15% and an EBIT between 600 and 700 million euros for 2022.

☆ Germany allows China's Cosco to take 24.9% stake in largest port -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The German cabinet approved on Wednesday an investment by China's Cosco for a 24.9% stake in one of logistics firm HHLA's (HHFGn.DE) three terminals in Germany's largest port in Hamburg, government sources told Reuters. This is less than the initially planned 35% stake that the Chinese shipping giant had aimed for and comes a week before Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to travel to China. The compromise was negotiated after significant political resistance against the deal. Economy minister Robert Habeck was among the politicians that said that Germany should avoid Chinese investment in critical infrastructure if possible. Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Writing by Rachel More, editing by Kirsti Knolle and Maria SheahanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Investor Elliott has taken stake in Germany's Fresenius -Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Makiko Yamazaki | David Carnevali | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

FRANKFURT, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Elliott Investment Management has taken a stake in Fresenius SE (FREG.DE), seeking to potentially break up the diversified healthcare company, Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter as saying. Fresenius and Elliott were not immediately available for comment. Shares in the company, which is controlled by charitable trust Else Kroener Fresenius-Stiftung, were up 9% at 1202 GMT. Fresenius controls the world's largest dialysis company Fresenius Medical Care (FMEG.DE). Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ludwig Burger, Patricia Weiss and Hans Seidenstuecker, editing by Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WHO: Global leaders commit $2.6 bln to end polio
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Global leaders committed $2.6 billion in funding at the World Health Summit on Thursday to end polio, the World Health Organization said. The funding will support global efforts to overcome the final hurdles to polio eradication, vaccinate 370 million children annually over the next five years and continue disease surveillance across 50 countries, the organisation said. "The new detections of polio this year in previously polio-free countries are a stark reminder that if we do not deliver our goal of ending polio everywhere, it may resurge globally,” said WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Kirsti Knolle; editing by Matthias WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German investor morale less pessimistic than expected - ZEW
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Analyst: gas price brake stabilised sentimentCurrent conditions index takes sharp tumbleOutlook has deteriorated again - ZEW presidentBERLIN, Oct 18 (Reuters) - German investor sentiment was less pessimistic than expected in October, even as the view of the current economic situation left little room for optimism following a tumble in confidence the month before. The ZEW economic research institute said on Tuesday its economic sentiment index grew slightly in October, to -59.2, from -61.9 in September, beating a forecast by analysts polled by Reuters of a reading of -65.7. In contrast, the institute's current conditions index fell by 11.7 points in October to a reading of -72.2. In its forecast released this month, the German government foresees economic growth of 1.4% this year and contraction of 0.4% next year. ZEW's indicators for euro zone sentiment and assessment of the current conditions mirrored Germany's, with sentiment up slightly in October and the situation indicator falling sharply.

Arne Schoenbohm came under scrutiny in recent weeks after a satire TV show highlighted his ties with a cybersecurity consultancy which counted as a member a German subsidiary of a Russian firm founded by a former KGB employee. He told Reuters he was no longer active in the council and had only delivered the keynote speech at its 10th anniversary in September as an exception after receiving the green light from the interior ministry. The consultancy last week protested it had not known of the alleged ties to Russian services of Protelion GmbH, which it expelled after the TV programme was aired. The consultancy said the interior ministry knew of the allegations since at least spring but "no information was provided to associations or potential customers by official bodies". The head of Protelion GmbH was not immediately available for comment.

ZURICH, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Holcim (HOLN.S) said it supported the agreement made by Lafarge SA with the United States Department of Justice on Tuesday regarding the company's funding of Islamic State to allow it to keep a cement plant running in Syria. A financial penalty of $778 million and a plea agreement has been arranged to resolve the DoJ inquiry into Lafarge, which is now part of Holcim following the companies' 2015 merger. "None of the conduct involved Holcim, which has never operated in Syria, or any Lafarge operations or employees in the United States, and it is in stark contrast with everything that Holcim stands for," Holcim said in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by John Revill, editing by Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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