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Tree branches to fleece jackets: Chemicals plant in Germany bets on biomass
Tree branches to fleece jackets: Chemicals plant in Germany bets on biomass

Staring at a pile of freshly cut beechwood, forestry manager Johannes Brodowski wonders if he is looking at the future of Germany's chemicals industry. Germany's traditional chemicals industry has been battered by high energy prices and cheap competition from Asia, with national output now at its lowest level since 1995.

by  AFP

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ECB rate hikes result in record loss in 2024
ECB rate hikes result in record loss in 2024
by  AFP

The European Central bank on Thursday reported a record loss in 2024 after it had aggressively hiked eurozone interest rates in response to soaring inflation. "Increases in the ECB's key interest rates in 2022 and 2023" resulted in higher interest expenses for the central bank itself on its liabilities, while income from interest on its assets did not rise as fast.

Birkenstock sandals are not art, German court rules
Birkenstock sandals are not art, German court rules
by  AFP

They may be the trendy footwear of choice for Hollywood A-listers and pop stars, but Birkenstock sandals are not works of art, Germany's top court ruled Thursday. But the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe sided with the judgement of a lower court, ruling that Birkenstock's sandals could not be considered "copyrighted works of applied art".

Airbus profit climbs in 2024, aims to accelerate output
Airbus profit climbs in 2024, aims to accelerate output
by  AFP

European aircraft maker Airbus said Thursday net profits rose in 2024 as it boosted plane deliveries and set a goal of accelerating them further. Net profit rose 12 percent to 4.2 billion euros ($4.4 billion), overcoming a massive writedown in the value of its space business earlier in the year.

Airbus proft climbs in 2024, aims to accelerate output
Airbus proft climbs in 2024, aims to accelerate output
by  AFP

European aircraft maker Airbus said Thursday net profits rose in 2024 as it boosted plane deliveries and set a goal of accelerating them further. Net profit rose 12 percent to 4.2 billion euros ($4.4 billion), overcoming a massive writedown in the value of its space business earlier in the year.

Trump says trade deal with China 'possible' 
Trump says trade deal with China 'possible' 
by  AFP

US President Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday that a trade deal was "possible" with China -- a key target in the US leader's tariffs policy. In 2020, the United States had already agreed to "a great trade deal with China" and a new deal was "possible," Trump told reporters.

Mercedes-Benz profits plunge as German carmakers reel
Mercedes-Benz profits plunge as German carmakers reel
by  AFP

Mercedes-Benz said Thursday it planned hefty cost cuts after its 2024 profits plunged by almost a third amid a slump in China and weak electric car sales, as Germany's auto sector reels. German manufacturers all invested heavily in China in recent decades and came to rely on the world's biggest auto market for a hefty chunk of their sales and profits.