Latest news with #German-Polish
Business Wire
15 minutes ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Bakelite Completes Acquisition of Sestec, Expanding Product Portfolio and Further Strengthening Leadership in Sustainable Adhesive Solutions
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bakelite announced today the successful acquisition of Sestec, a Poland-based company renowned for its sustainable, protein-based adhesives for wood and composite products. This strategic move significantly enhances Bakelite's position as a sustainability leader in the adhesive industry. By integrating Sestec's technology, Bakelite expands its portfolio of sustainable adhesive solutions on a global scale and continues to assist customers in achieving their sustainability commitments. The acquisition of Sestec, whose adhesives are 100% bio-based and designed to advance environmental stewardship, aligns with Bakelite's commitment to sustainability and innovation. By integrating Sestec's technology, Bakelite expands its portfolio of sustainable adhesive solutions on a global scale and continues to assist customers in achieving their sustainability commitments. "This acquisition is a transformative step for Bakelite," said JP Aucoin, President & CEO of Bakelite. "Sestec's innovative, bio-based adhesives will not only broaden our product offerings but also reinforce our dedication to providing sustainable solutions. This positions us to continue to stay ahead of the increasing global demand for sustainable adhesives." Sestec's adhesive systems, which include applications for MDF, HDF, particleboard, OSB, straw and fiberboard, and plywood, will now be part of Bakelite's extensive product portfolio. The acquisition includes, in addition to their innovative technology, Sestec's administration office in Kraków, and Laboratory & Production facility in Trzebinia. 'Sestec represents the future of adhesives—bio-based and sustainable. The acquisition enables Bakelite to scale our technology globally while maintaining our commitment to sustainable innovation,' said Klaus Hofmann, the CEO of Sestec. 'Integrating Sestec's natural adhesive technologies enhances Bakelite's ability to continue to meet the increasing demand for sustainable materials solutions,' added Hans Edelmann, Sestec Board Member and Co-Founder. About Bakelite: Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Bakelite is a leading global integrated producer of thermoset specialty resins, solutions and engineered thermoset molding compounds serving a variety of segments and end markets across geographies. Additional information about Bakelite and its products is available at About Sestec: Founded in Poland with roots in German-Polish R&D collaborations, Sestec is the innovator behind one of the world's first 100% bio‑based adhesive systems for panels such as MDF, HDF, OSB, and particleboard. Their solutions reduce VOC emissions, cut fossil carbon inputs, and support sustainable wood‑based manufacturing (
DW
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- DW
Germany updates: Railroad operator seeks modernization delay – DW – 07/10/2025
Railway operator Deutsche Bahn wants to delay modernization projects for a further year. Volkswagen has stopped delivering its to the US, with US tariffs cited as one reason. Read more here. State-owned German national railroad operator Deutsche Bahn has said it wants to delay modernization plans for key routes by another year to 2036 after it previously suggested a four-year delay to 2035 in late June. The refurbishment of more than 40 high-use railroad lines nationwide is now to take at least five years longer than was originally planned. German carmaker Volkswagen has put a temporary stop to deliveries of its electric van model to the US, a newspaper says, quoting sources at the firm as saying US tariffs were one factor in the move. Meanwhile, spot checks put in place by Poland are causing difficulties to people living on both sides of the German-Polish border. Germany's Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM) has ordered a block on the website "Kalifat" for spreading Islamist propaganda and violating democratic principles. The German-language site threatens Germany's free democratic order, the KJM said Thursday in Berlin. The action was initiated by the state media authority in North Rhine-Westphalia. Despite a ban on the group behind the site since 2003, the site remained accessible in Germany. Regional media regulators have now ordered the country's five biggest telecom companies to block it, and the orders have already been enforced. "We oppose anyone who spreads hate and agitates against our free democracy," said Tobias Schmid, director of the North Rhine-Westphalia state media authority, which launched the case. KJM chair Marc Jan Eumann added: "Anyone who incites hatred against people of other faiths stands against all of us and will be stopped with every legal tool we have." The KJM, part of Germany's network of state media authorities, is responsible for tackling illegal hate and extremist content online. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The German Football Association (DFB) has surpassed eight million members for the first time, posting a 3.86% increase over the past year. Youngsters in general — and girls in particular — have been the driving force. "It's a strong sign that football in Germany continues to grow in our 125th anniversary year," DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said on Thursday in Frankfurt. The biggest boost came among girls under 16, where membership rose by 9%. Compared to 2021, the DFB has gained nearly a million new memberships overall. "Our clubs provide a great service to society and our communities. That's more important than ever in these turbulent times," Neuendorf said. The number of referees is also on the rise: for the first time in nearly a decade, more than 60,000 officials are active. While the share of female referees remains steady at 4.5%, the overall share of girls and women in DFB membership continues to grow. Members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the largest opposition party in the German federal parliament, will not be allowed to take on jobs within the public service in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the state government has said. Anyone applying for a position in public service will have to declare that they are not a member of an extremist organization and have not been one for the past five years, said state Interior Minister Michael Ebling. He said the state's domestic intelligence agency has found enough evidence of extremist activities by the local AfD branch for the party to be put on a list of anti-constitutional bodies whose members will be banned from public service jobs. The move by the state comes after Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, classified the AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist group in early May, a classification that is currently suspended during an appeal by the party. The move has sparked a renewed debate about banning the AfD. State-owned German national railroad operator Deutsche Bahn has said it wants to delay modernization plans for key routes by another year to 2036 after it previously suggested a four-year delay to 2035 in late June. The refurbishment of more than 40 high-use railroad lines nationwide is now to take at least five years longer than was originally planned. The modernization of German railroads is seen as urgently needed to prevent the frequent delays and malfunctions currently suffered by passengers and freight companies. The Association of Freight Railways has said it approves of the planned further postponement of the modernization projects, saying it will allow them to be better prepared. Last year, Deutsche Bahn successfully refurbished the line between Frankfurt and Mannheim, the first such project to be completed. From August, the key line between Berlin and Hamburg is to be closed off for months while modernization is carried out. Authorities in eastern Germany have arrested two people, a 53-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman, who are suspected of holding a 19-year-old woman hostage in a barn. Police freed the woman from the barn in the town of Vogelsberg in the state of Thuringia on Tuesday after being alerted by her calls for help during a search of a property, according to broadcaster MDR. She was reportedly trapped in a box. The young woman had been reported missing in Vogelsberg on Sunday, with police launching an immediate search operation, as she was reported to be on medication. Germany's Federal Statistical Office on Wednesday confirmed that the country's inflation rate was at 2% in June, the lowest monthly figure since October 2024. The figure is down 0.1 of a percentage point from May. The European Central Bank (ECB) has set a target of precisely 2% inflation for the eurozone. In recent years, consumer prices have stabilized in Germany after the high of 8.8% inflation in late 2022 driven by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, has forecast inflation to remain around 2% in the coming months. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called on Israel to save "hundreds of thousands" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from dying of starvation and to give them the aid they need. "That is Israel's obligation. International aid organizations must immediately be granted comprehensive access to be able to bring humanitarian aid to the people," he said on Thursday before traveling to Vienna, Austria, where he was to meet his Israeli counterpart. Wadephul also called on the Palestinian militant group Hamas to lay down its arms and to release any hostages it is still holding in the Gaza Strip. He said Palestinians needed to have a future in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem for there to be a long-lasting peace, but that it should be without Hamas as rulers in Gaza. "Never again must a massacre like that on October 7, 2023, be conducted," he said, referring to Hamas-led raids in southern Israel on that date in which some 1,200 people, most civilians, were killed and around 250 hostages taken. Israel responded to the attacks with an offensive in Gaza against Hamas in which more than 57,000 Palestinians have so far been killed, according to figures provided by authorities in the Hamas-run enclave. Police in Australia have issued a public appeal for help as they continue their nationwide search for a 26-year-old German woman who went missing more than a week ago while backpacking in the state of Western Australia. Carolina Wilga was last seen on June 29 at a general store in the small agricultural town of Beacon, situated to the northeast of the state capital, Perth. "Carolina departed that area about five minutes later and has not been seen or heard from since," homicide squad detective senior sergeant Katharine Venn told reporters. Venn said Wilga had planned to travel into remote areas of the state but also to the eastern coast, meaning that the search needed to cover a huge area. She said there was so far no evidence that a third party was involved in the disappearance, but that all lines of inquiry were being followed. Police said Wilga has spent two years in Australia backpacking and working at mine sites in Western Australia. daily later reported that a van belonging to Wilga had been found unattended near Karroun Hill, some 300 km (186 miles) northeast of Perth. The paper said that the vehicle appeared to have suffered mechanical issues. Residents living at the border between Germany and Poland have long been used to traveling freely and easily between the two countries. But now, Poland has introduced spot border checks, following a similar move by Germany in October 2023. And although authorities promised that EU nationals would not suffer inconvenience, people in the region say otherwise, as this report from DW describes: German-Polish border checks: 'They make our life difficult' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German carmaker Volkswagen is currently not delivering its model to the US, according to the daily . The paper cited sources at the company as saying that the high tariffs imposed by the US Trump administration were one reason for the cessation of deliveries, along with a recall because of the dimensions of the electric van's third-row seat. Two people at the company said the tariffs of 27.5% imposed by the US in April on imports of new cars constructed in Europe had been a factor in the move. Previously, tariffs of just 2.5% had been in place. The has also faced a recall by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) because its third-row seats do not meet US federal safety standards. These require seats of that size to have three seatbelts rather than the two currently fitted. VW is reportedly responding to the recall by reducing the size of the seats. On Wednesday, VW said its total vehicle deliveries to North America had fallen almost 7% in the first half of the year, although overall deliveries worldwide had risen by 1.3%. on this sunny day in Bonn, as DW starts with its roundup of news from Germany. Germany's car industry is not just one of the country's major economic drivers, but also a source of national pride, so the reports that carmaker Volkswagen is temporarily stopping delivery of a model to the US is likely to make waves. Germany has also been leading the way in imposing border checks despite the freedom of movement previously guaranteed by the Schengen zone. A reciprocal move by Poland is now making life difficult for residents at the border between the two countries. Here, DW will bring you reports, explainers and analyses on these and other stories from Europe's strongest economy. We wish you enjoyable reading!
DW
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- DW
Germany updates: Railroad operator wants modernization delay – DW – 07/10/2025
Railway operator Deutsche Bahn wants to delay modernization projects for a further year. Volkswagen has stopped delivering its to the US, with US tariffs cited as one reason, a media report says. Read more here. State-owned German national railroad operator Deutsche Bahn has said it wants to delay modernization plans for key routes by another year to 2036 after it previously suggested a four-year delay to 2035 in late June. The refurbishment of more than 40 high-use railroad lines nationwide is now to take at least five years longer than was originally planned. German carmaker Volkswagen has put a temporary stop to deliveries of its electric van model to the US, a newspaper says, quoting sources at the firm as saying US tariffs were one factor in the move. Meanwhile, spot checks put in place by Poland are causing difficulties to people living on both sides of the German-Polish border. State-owned German national railroad operator Deutsche Bahn has said it wants to delay modernization plans for key routes by another year to 2036 after it previously suggested a four-year delay to 2035 in late June. The refurbishment of more than 40 high-use railroad lines nationwide is now to take at least five years longer than was originally planned. The modernization of German railroads is seen as urgently needed to prevent the frequent delays and malfunctions currently suffered by passengers and freight companies. The Association of Freight Railways has said it approves of the planned further postponement of the modernization projects, saying it will allow them to be better prepared. Last year, Deutsche Bahn successfully refurbished the line between Frankfurt and Mannheim, the first such project to be completed. From August, the key line between Berlin and Hamburg is to be closed off for months while modernization is carried out. Authorities in eastern Germany have arrested two people, a 53-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman, who are suspected of holding a 19-year-old woman hostage in a barn. Police freed the woman from the barn in the town of Vogelsberg in the state of Thuringia on Tuesday after being alerted by her calls for help during a search of a property, according to broadcaster MDR. She was reportedly trapped in a box. The young woman had been reported missing in Vogelsberg on Sunday, with police launching an immediate search operation, as she was reported to be on medication. Germany's Federal Statistical Office on Wednesday confirmed that the country's inflation rate was at 2% in June, the lowest monthly figure since October 2024. The figure is down 0.1 of a percentage point from May. The European Central Bank (ECB) has set a target of precisely 2% inflation for the eurozone. In recent years, consumer prices have stabilized in Germany after the high of 8.8% inflation in late 2022 driven by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, has forecast inflation to remain around 2% in the coming months. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called on Israel to save "hundreds of thousands" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from dying of starvation and to give them the aid they need. "That is Israel's obligation. International aid organizations must immediately be granted comprehensive access to be able to bring humanitarian aid to the people," he said on Thursday before traveling to Vienna, Austria, where he was to meet his Israeli counterpart. Wadephul also called on the Palestinian militant group Hamas to lay down its arms and to release any hostages it is still holding in the Gaza Strip. He said Palestinians needed to have a future in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem for there to be a long-lasting peace, but that it should be without Hamas as rulers in Gaza. "Never again must a massacre like that on October 7, 2023, be conducted," he said, referring to Hamas-led raids in southern Israel on that date in which some 1,200 people, most civilians, were killed and around 250 hostages taken. Israel responded to the attacks with an offensive in Gaza against Hamas in which more than 57,000 Palestinians have so far been killed, according to figures provided by authorities in the Hamas-run enclave. Police in Australia have issued a public appeal for help as they continue their nationwide search for a 26-year-old German woman who went missing more than a week ago while backpacking in the state of Western Australia. Carolina Wilga was last seen on June 29 at a general store in the small agricultural town of Beacon, situated to the northeast of the state capital, Perth. "Carolina departed that area about five minutes later and has not been seen or heard from since," homicide squad detective senior sergeant Katharine Venn told reporters. Venn said Wilga had planned to travel into remote areas of the state but also to the eastern coast, meaning that the search needed to cover a huge area. She said there was so far no evidence that a third party was involved in the disappearance, but that all lines of inquiry were being followed. Police said Wilga has spent two years in Australia backpacking and working at mine sites in Western Australia. daily later reported that a van belonging to Wilga had been found unattended near Karroun Hill, some 300 km (186 miles) northeast of Perth. The paper said that the vehicle appeared to have suffered mechanical issues. Residents living at the border between Germany and Poland have long been used to traveling freely and easily between the two countries. But now, Poland has introduced spot border checks, following a similar move by Germany in October 2023. And although authorities promised that EU nationals would not suffer inconvenience, people in the region say otherwise, as this report from DW describes: German-Polish border checks: 'They make our life difficult' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German carmaker Volkswagen is currently not delivering its model to the US, according to the daily . The paper cited sources at the company as saying that the high tariffs imposed by the US Trump administration were one reason for the cessation of deliveries, along with a recall because of the dimensions of the electric van's third-row seat. Two people at the company said the tariffs of 27.5% imposed by the US in April on imports of new cars constructed in Europe had been a factor in the move. Previously, tariffs of just 2.5% had been in place. The has also faced a recall by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) because its third-row seats do not meet US federal safety standards. These require seats of that size to have three seatbelts rather than the two currently fitted. VW is reportedly responding to the recall by reducing the size of the seats. On Wednesday, VW said its total vehicle deliveries to North America had fallen almost 7% in the first half of the year, although overall deliveries worldwide had risen by 1.3%. on this sunny day in Bonn, as DW starts with its roundup of news from Germany. Germany's car industry is not just one of the country's major economic drivers, but also a source of national pride, so the reports that carmaker Volkswagen is temporarily stopping delivery of a model to the US is likely to make waves. Germany has also been leading the way in imposing border checks despite the freedom of movement previously guaranteed by the Schengen zone. A reciprocal move by Poland is now making life difficult for residents at the border between the two countries. Here, DW will bring you reports, explainers and analyses on these and other stories from Europe's strongest economy. We wish you enjoyable reading!
DW
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- DW
Germany updates: VW stops delivery of model to US — media – DW – 07/10/2025
German carmaker Volkswagen has stopped delivering its to the US, with US tariffs cited as one reason, a media report says. Read here to find out more on this and other stories. German carmaker Volkswagen has put a temporary stop to deliveries of its electric van model to the US, a newspaper says, quoting sources at the firm as saying US tariffs were one factor in the move. Meanwhile, spot checks put in place by Poland are causing difficulties to people living on both sides of the German-Polish border. And Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called on Israel to take measures to stop Palestinians dying of starvation as it continues with a Gaza offensive. on this sunny day in Bonn, as DW starts with its roundup of news from Germany. Germany's car industry is not just one of the country's major economic drivers, but also a source of national pride, so the reports that carmaker Volkswagen is temporarily stopping delivery of a model to the US is likely to make waves. Germany has also been leading the way in imposing border checks despite the freedom of movement previously guaranteed by the Schengen zone. A reciprocal move by Poland is now making life difficult for residents at the border between the two countries. Here, DW will bring you reports, explainers and analyses on these and other stories from Europe's strongest economy. We wish you enjoyable reading!
DW
10-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
German-Polish border checks: 'They make our life difficult' – DW – 07/10/2025
For years, people living near the German-Polish frontier took the open border for granted in their daily lives. With the re-introduction of border checks, all that is changing. The bridge that connects the German city of Frankfurt an der Oder and the Polish city of Slubice is quite a strange sight these days. Rows of EU flags have been hoisted on it and on either side of it. Those crossing from the German side see a sign that reads "Frankfurt Oder - Slubice" and the words "Ohne Grenzen. Bez Granic" — "without borders" in German and Polish. But the slogan, which both cities have been using in their joint marketing campaign for years now, no longer applies the way it used to. Germany began carrying out spot checks at the border in October 2023, and Poland followed suit on Monday, July 7. Poland has reinstated controls at 52 border crossings with Germany and 13 with Lithuania. The checks on the Polish side, which were introduced by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, are a response to the fact that Germany has toughened its migration policy. On the instructions of German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, the Federal Police have since May been allowed to refuse entry to asylum seekers attempting to cross the German border — an approach that is legally controversial and has become a hot button issue in Poland. Just how strong emotions on the subject of migration are is evident here in the border region. "It's all just a political show, manipulation. We don't feel threatened by migrants who are allegedly being sent back from Germany," says Arkadiusz from Poland, who is on holidays in the region with his wife and drove to the border to see what the situation there is. "It's just going to get more difficult for people living in the border region," adds his wife, Dorota. This is a concern shared by 17-year-old student Lilith from Frankfurt an der Oder. She's on her way back from visiting a friend on the Polish side. On the one hand, she doesn't think the border checks are bad. She herself has not been stopped very often since Germany reintroduced checks. On the other, her fellow Polish students are having a really hard time: "Because there are more tailbacks as a result of the border checks, they often arrive much too late at school," she tells DW. She's afraid that things are going to get even worse now that Poland is carrying out checks, too. But the German-Polish border is not only being guarded by national border guards. In Slubice and elsewhere along the border, self-proclaimed "citizen patrols" have been popping up at border crossings since the end of June. Although the number of Border Defense Movement members "guarding" the border in Slubice is not as high as it is elsewhere, a few do appear here every day, wearing neon hi-vis vests. On Monday morning, no one from the citizen patrols was on the bridge. But their banners — emblazoned with the words "No Immigration" and "Stop imigracji" — are attached to the bridge's metal railings. Toward midday, two men arrive. They are later joined by three more. They stand together, using their smartphones to film the border guards as they conduct checks. Neither the police officers nor the Polish border guards pay them any attention. The members of these so-called "citizen patrols" are curt and wary about anything they perceive as German. One man, who comes from Slubice, gives German answers to any questions put to him in Polish. "You're from the German media!" he says reproachfully. He doesn't want to make any statements on the record. Tomasz, who also comes from Slubice and is wearing a baseball cap with the words "Trump 2024. Take America back," has more to say. Although he himself does not take part in the patrols, he thinks they are good: "The only reason these checks are being carried out is because of the Border Defense Movement, which forced the Polish government to carry them out," he tells DW. But he feels that it would make more sense to patrol the forests in the border region: Even though there is no proof, Tomasz is convinced that the German police are secretly sending migrants back to Poland through the forests. In the course of the day, people who want both countries to stop conducting checks appear at the border, too. Three men from the Frankfurt Remains Colorful network hold up signs. One of them includes a German translation of the words of the late Pope Francis: "The future is not built in isolation." One of the group, German citizen Jan Augustyniak, is afraid that the freedom of travel between Poland and Germany, which has been in place since Poland joined the Schengen area in December 2007, is being increasingly restricted. "When Germany introduced controls in October 2023, they were only supposed to last three months," he says. "Now, it's July 2025 and we have checks on both sides of the border." A native of Frankfurt an der Oder, he believes that as more and more countries go it alone and apply for exceptions to Schengen rules, the Schengen Agreement will at some point become worthless. Frankfurt an der Oder and Slubice have long been seen as a model of European integration. It's impossible to determine how closely the two cities have become intertwined and the number of joint projects carried out by them over the last 30 years. There is a joint district heating system for both cities, children and young people learn Polish and German right throughout school, thousands of Poles commute to the German side for work and Germans go shopping or to the dentist on the Polish side. And then there are all the tiny aspects of daily life in a border region: nipping across the border for cigarettes or gasoline, going out for a meal or visiting friends. All of this has been par for the course for years. "The checks that have been in place on the German side for some time now have a negative impact on us. When it comes to personal relations, the economy and traffic, they make our lives difficult," Slubice Mayor Marzena Slodownik tells DW. She is critical of the fact that none of the people making decisions in Berlin and Warsaw know how people live here in the border region. "The provisions being imposed from above have an enormous influence on our lives. This will inevitably have an impact on mutual relations," says Slodownik. She would like to see a different way of dealing with migration that takes into account the way people in the border region lead their lives. The Polish border controls pass off without incident on Monday, although there are tailbacks from time to time. The Polish border guards check the bus that shuttles back and forth between the two cities and conduct spot checks on larger vans and cars with tinted windows. Some pedestrians are asked to show their papers, too. It often appears as if people's appearance determines who is allowed to pass and who is given a more thorough check. People perceived as migrants seem to be stopped most. Over the course of several hours, the Polish border guards find no one who is not allowed to enter Poland. Eventually, two Chechen women are turned back. They later explained to DW that they wanted to go shopping in Slubice — something they often do. The women showed the guards their papers (residence permits for Germany). To cross the Polish border, however, they have to show their passports, which they have left at home. "I just wanted to buy tomatoes," says one of the women, shrugging her shoulders and going back across the bridge to Frankfurt.
