A regional passenger train derailed in southern Germany, killing at least three people and injuring dozens of others. DW has the latest.
German carmaker Audi’s profit drops 37.5%
Profits at German carmaker Audi have fallen by 37.5% in the first half of the year, the company says.
The business cited US tariffs, restructuring costs and weak business in China as reasons for the decline.
Post-tax earnings totaled €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion), marking the third year-on-year decline in a row for the brand.
In 2022, the Ingolstadt-based firm — also responsible for Bentley, Lamborghini and Ducati — posted €4.4 billion in profits for the same period.
Audi, which is part of the Volkswagen Group, has also cut its full-year forecast, projecting turnover to fall by €2.5 billion to between €65 billion and €70 billion, along with a significantly lower return on sales.
The outlook does not yet reflect the EU–US trade agreement announced a day earlier, which will introduce a 15% tariff on imports.
Audi said it is still evaluating the deal, with CFO Jürgen Rittersberger noting that key details remain unclear.
However, he said the agreement is welcome in principle as it offers planning certainty.
Germany’s finance minister heads to Lithuania for Baltic talks
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is headed for Lithuania, with high-level meetings and two military visits scheduled.
After arriving in Vilnius, Klingbeil is on Tuesday set to meet Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and the finance ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Klingbeil, who also serves as vice chancellor, will also visit the Bundeswehr’s new Lithuania-based brigade, currently being set up as part of Germany’s defense commitments.
A stop at the NATO multinational battle group in the country, which is led by Germany, is also on the agenda.
Merz welcomes EU-US tariff deal, car industry wary
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has welcomed the trade agreement between the European Union and the US that will see a 15% tariff on EU goods entering the US.
However, a car industry group says the tariffs as part of a new deal place a heavy burden on Germany’s auto makers.
Overflowing sewer could have caused train to derail, officials say
An overflowing sewer may have caused the fatal train derailment in southwestern Germany, local police and prosecutors said on Monday.
“It is believed that heavy rain in the area of the accident caused a sewage shaft to overflow,” a joint statement from Ulm police and Ravensburg prosecutors said.
“The water triggered a landslide on the embankment next to the tracks, which in turn caused the derailment. There are currently no indications of external influence,” it added.
As per the statement, a probe to determine the cause of the accident was still ongoing.
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/germany-updates-train-derails-killing-at-least-3-people/live-73432204