Stories from Burg · Germany

Regensburg is beginning sanitation work on a historical river wall to increase flood protection. The project includes driving a 10-meter deep steel sheet pile wall into the riverbed in front of the wall.

German inflation for goods and services fell to 2.9 percent in April compared to April 2025. This represents the lowest inflation rate in over two years. Energy and fuel prices were primary drivers, increasing by more than 10 percent compared to the same month last year.

The Würzburg city council has decided to restructure the local government administration. The number of full-time mayors will be reduced from three to two. This internal reorganization of the town hall was approved by the council.

Companies including CSL Behring and BioNTech are currently cutting hundreds of jobs in Marburg. Research activities are being scaled back despite investments in recent years. The industry is facing pressure to value innovation to maintain economic growth and patient supply.

The number of open criminal investigations in Germany fell by nearly 14 percent during the first three months of this year.

Volkswagen's automotive division is facing performance pressure due to declining sales in the Chinese market. The company reported billions of euros in comparison to the previous year. Vans and financial services sectors are performing significantly better. Volkswagen expects new models launching this year to improve financial results in the second half of the year. The report follows preliminary findings from the EU Commission regarding platform safety. Volkswagen Group warned that sales of Porsche and Audi brands could be affected by ongoing maritime congestion. The group cited the need for increased operations to bypass congested shipping routes between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The warning follows shifts in logistics due to regional instability.

The WBO world boxing championship title held by Russian boxer Dmitry Bivol will not be vacated following a mass brawl involving spectators at a recent ring fight. The WBO does not plan to strip Bivol of his title.

Finnish company Kone is set to acquire German rival TK Elevator in a deal valued at approximately $24 billion.

Hamburg is pushing for stricter rules regarding trade tax (Gewerbesteuer) within the Bundesrat. The city seeks to implement a higher minimum levy rate to determine the actual tax amount companies pay. This move aims to prevent companies from using large city infrastructure while registering their headquarters in municipalities with low levy rates to avoid taxes. Susanne Röse reported on the city's position. The Hamburg Senate intends to increase the minimum trade tax assessment rate to at least 300 percent. Currently, the lower limit is set at 200 percent. The German federal government has already decided to raise this minimum to 280 percent. Susanne Röse from Hamburg reported that businesses have been using lower rates in Schleswig-Holstein to save on taxes. The trade tax rate remains a factor for business locations.

Costco plans to acquire 80% of the shares in ZIPPL, a logistics company specializing in inland container transport and handling. The acquisition comes as the port of Hamburg has become a primary transshipment hub for Chinese goods, with one in three containers in Hamburg originating from China. Michael Kellner, the Green Party energy policy spokesperson in the Bundestag, expressed concerns regarding potential chain dependencies. Chinese shipping company Kosco is planning to acquire the logistics firm Zippel in Hamburg. The move follows Kosco's existing involvement in a terminal through Costco. The company is reportedly looking to make further investments in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg. China remains the most trading partner for the Port of Hamburg. The acquisition follows Costco's established role as a major player in the port's operations.