Latest news with #SaxonyAnhalt
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Speeding driver clocked doing 199mph on German autobahn
German police have clocked a Porsche driver doing 199mph (320km/h) on the autobahn, nearly three times the speed limit for that stretch of motorway. Even in a car-mad country gripped by the need for speed, the report from the A2 near Burg in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt made national headlines. Police said the motorist, whose name and age were not released, faced a €900 (£785) fine and a three-month suspension of his licence among other penalties. Germany's autobahns are the stuff of legend for many drivers, given the absence of a general speed limit. But significant parts of the motorway network do have a cap, particularly in more congested areas. Roadworks also often lead to the enforcement of temporary maximum speeds. The stretch of motorway where the driver of the Porsche Panamera, a luxury car that retails at more than €100,000, was caught on radar had an upper limit of 75mph (120 km/h). He was detected in late July, but police only released data collected from the trap this week. The A2, which runs from the Ruhr valley to Berlin's ring road, is known for lengthy traffic jams, which had cut down on major speed violations of late, local media reported. However, a Bugatti driver was clocked at 259mph on the A2 in 2021, near the state capital, Magdeburg. He allegedly even took his hands from the wheel for a few seconds and was accused of joining an illegal race – a common problem on German roads – but the case did not lead to a conviction due to lack of evidence. Racing enthusiasts, who often gather from across Europe, commonly zero in on long, straight stretches of public roads that they illegally block, and sometimes autobahn sections without a speed limit. With most of Germany on summer school holidays, police in Saxony-Anhalt are carrying out what the regional public broadcaster MDR called a 'speed camera marathon', setting up radar traps on notorious stretches of road across the state. Radars such as the one that caught the Porsche driver are mounted on mobile 'enforcement trailers'. Police had recorded hundreds of violations only this week, MDR reported. Regional police used the extraordinary case of the Porsche driver to issue an appeal to motorists. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Geschwindigkeitsüberschreitungen, or exceeding the speed limit, 'endangers not only the driver himself but also all those on the roads', the force said in a statement. 'Respect the speed rules. That way you'll be on your way safely and avoid high fines, penalty points and driving bans.' Advocates of nationwide speed limits have long cited safety and climate concerns to make their case. The debate has failed to produce any real momentum towards new legislation though, as driving clubs and the auto lobby call the freedom of the autobahn a cherished right and part of Germany's cultural heritage.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Speeding driver clocked doing 199mph on German autobahn
German police have clocked a Porsche driver doing 199mph (320km/h) on the autobahn, nearly three times the speed limit for that stretch of motorway. Even in a car-mad country gripped by the need for speed, the report from the A2 near Burg in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt made national headlines. Police said the motorist, whose name and age were not released, faces a €900 (£785) fine and a three-month suspension of his licence among other penalties. Germany's autobahns are the stuff of myth for many drivers, given the absence of a general speed limit. But significant parts of the motorway network do have a cap, particularly in more congested areas. Roadworks also often lead to the enforcement of temporary maximum speeds. The stretch of motorway where the driver of the Porsche Panamera, a luxury car that retails at more than €100,000, was caught on radar had an upper limit of 75 mph (120 km/h). He was detected in late July, but police only released data collected from the trap this week. The A2, which runs from the Ruhr valley to Berlin's ring road, is known for lengthy traffic jams which have cut down on major speed violations of late, local media reported. However a Bugatti driver was clocked at 417 km/h on the A2 in 2021, near the state capital Magdeburg. He allegedly even took his hands from the wheel for a few seconds and was accused of joining an illegal race – a common problem on German roads – but the case did not lead to a conviction due to lack of evidence. Racing enthusiasts, who often gather from across Europe, commonly zero in on long, straight stretches of public roads that they illegally block, and sometimes autobahn sections without speed limit. With most of Germany on summer school holidays, police in Saxony-Anhalt are carrying out what the regional public broadcaster MDR called a 'speed camera marathon', setting up radar traps on notorious stretches of road across the state. Radars such as the one that caught the Porsche driver are mounted on mobile 'enforcement trailers'. Police have recorded hundreds of violations only this week, MDR reported. Regional police used the extraordinary case of the Porsche driver to issue an appeal to motorists. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion 'Geschwindigkeitsüberschreitungen, or exceeding the speed limit, 'endangers not only the driver himself but also all those on the roads', the force said in a statement. 'Respect the speed rules, that way you'll be on your way safely and avoid high fines, penalty points and driving bans.' Advocates of nationwide speed limits have long cited safety and climate concerns to make their case. The debate has failed to produce any real momentum towards new legislation though, as driving clubs and the auto lobby call the freedom of the autobahn a cherished right and part of Germany's cultural heritage.
The Guardian
30-07-2025
- The Guardian
Victims of German Christmas market attack ‘retraumatised' after receiving letters from suspect
The suspect in a deadly car ramming at a packed German Christmas market has written to victims of the rampage in letters sent to their homes with agitated appeals for 'forgiveness', triggering outrage from recipients. A spokesperson for the prosecutor's office in the state of Saxony-Anhalt confirmed that at least five people injured in the December attack in Magdeburg that killed six people, including a six-year-old child, had received correspondence this month from the Saudi doctor Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, who is in pretrial detention in Berlin. The Magdeburger Volksstimme newspaper first reported on the handwritten letters, including their chilling signoff with the formal 'Mit freundlichen Grüßen' (with friendly greetings). 'At first we couldn't believe it,' the newspaper quoted one of the recipients as saying, adding that the letter had triggered horrible memories of the night of the attack. 'We were shocked when we returned from holiday and found the letter in our box,' another addressee told the regional broadcaster MDR. 'How can a murderer get the addresses of the survivors?' A counsellor treating the victims told MDR: 'None of those affected with whom I'm in contact is interested in an apology.' According to local media reports, Abdulmohsen, 50, asked the recipients for 'forgiveness' and wished for their recovery, but also included 'confused' rants about fellow Saudi asylum seekers similar to complaints he had posted on social media before the car rampage. He requested visits or responses by letter from the victims or their representatives, adding that they should include in any mail to him a self-addressed stamped envelope. More than 300 people were hurt, some of them severely, in the car ramming at the festive market on a central square on 20 December. Abdulmohsen was arrested at the scene of the attack, in which a rented SUV ploughed at high speed through the crowd. Abdulmohsen, a consultant psychiatrist, is being held on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm. It was not immediately clear how he acquired the names and addresses of the victims. Media reports speculated that they may have been included in prosecution files from the investigation made available to defence lawyers. 'We need to check whether the letters could have been held back,' said the regional MP Kerstin Godenrath, who is leading the state parliamentary inquiry into the attack, arguing that the correspondence amounted to a 'retraumatising' of the victims. The national victims' assistance organisation Weißer Ring criticised the authorities' approach, with its managing director, Bianca Biwer, telling the news outlet Der Spiegel that it showed 'no sympathy for the victims'. Biwer described the letters as a violation by arriving at their homes. 'It puts the victims at the mercy of the perpetrator,' she said, noting that many criminal suspects hoped through such contact to reduce their sentences by demonstrating regret. Spiegel said the prosecutor's office had been monitoring Abdulmohsen's mail but that it had wanted the addressees to be able to decide for themselves whether to read the letters, which it said were enclosed in a separate sealed envelope with an advisory about its content. However a prosecutor's office spokesperson said it had since changed its policy and that if Abdulmohsen intended to send further correspondence 'we will hold back these letters and inform victims (by telephone) that he has written'. If the addressees did not want to receive the letters, their wishes would be respected. The German government's ombudsman for victims' rights, Roland Weber, said the law should be changed to restrict the sharing of such contact information, telling the news agency DPA that the current policy 'completely disregards protection of victims'. Abdulmohsen had in repeated online posts before the attack voiced strongly anti-Islam views, anger at German authorities and support for far-right conspiracy theory narratives on the 'Islamisation' of Europe. The attack two months before Germany's general election fuelled an already bitter debate on immigration and security with the far-right AfD party gaining in support.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Billion-euro chip factory planned for eastern Germany
A new factory is planned near the eastern German city of Magdeburg for the production of microchips for European industry. The aim of the project is to build up European production capacities and reduce dependence on foreign countries, according to Germany's Ferroelectric Memory Company (FMC). "We want to strengthen European technological sovereignty and resilience in system-critical memory chips," said Managing Director Thomas Rückes on Friday. The next step is to sign a letter of intent with the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Saxony-Anhalt's Minister for Economic Affairs Sven Schulze told dpa that the project is worth around €1 billion ($1.6 billion). US chip manufacturer Intel announced last year that it was putting its plan to build a major chip factory in Magdeburg on hold. However Schulze said that "Intel is not off the table," and that other companies are expected to settle in a large high-tech park planned near Magdeburg. While Intel has purchased an area of 400 hectares, the FMC project covers around 100 hectares. Together with the company, talks are now planned with the federal government and the EU for possible financing. Ferroelectric Memory Company was founded in 2016 and emerged from the Technical University of Dresden. The company says it has developed memory cells that consume extremely little power, thereby reducing the energy requirements of AI data centres. FMC is backed by Bosch, Air Liquide, Merck and other international investors. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oetker to acquire local baking peer Kathi
German food manufacturer Oetker Group has struck a deal to acquire local baking mixes and flours producer Kathi. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 1951, family-owned Kathi has a production facility in Halle, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. It employs 90 people. Explaining the rationale behind the acquisition, Oetker told Just Food Kathi had a strong presence in eastern Germany and the deal would help the company expand further into the region. Kathi sells more than 50 baking products, with its range including mixes for sponge cake, fruit cake and muffins, as well as ready-to-bake pizza dough. It also produces a line of ready-to-eat pastries and frozen cakes. Following the transaction, Kathi will continue to be managed under the same leadership, with MD Marco Thiele leading the business. "In light of the ongoing difficult economic conditions and a challenging market environment, we are very pleased to have found a strong partner with whom we can set up our family business in a future-proof and innovative way. We look forward to working together under the umbrella of the Oetker Group," Thiele said. "Kathi's business will not change, we will continue to be a reliable, high performing, and innovative partner for our customers and our consumers." Carl Oetker, a member of the group management of the Oetker Group, said: "It will be a pleasure for us to welcome Kathi as a member of our group. As a family-run company, Kathi aligns perfectly with the values, goals and strategy of the family-owned company Oetker." In March, the Oetker group of family-owned businesses is undergoing a management reshuffle, which will effectively see the appointment of new heads of the food and beverages divisions. The changes revolved around Dr Albert Christmann, who stepped down as the 'general partner' of Dr August Oetker KG and from the group management team of the Oetker Group in May. Carl Oetker, the great-great-grandson of the Germany-based company's founder Dr August Oetker, replaced Christmann as executive board chair. Dr August Oetker KG is the holding company of the Oetker Group, which includes three business divisions: food; beer and non-alcoholic beverages; and hotels and 'other interests'. In turn, the key part of the food division revolves around Dr August Oetker Nahrungsmittel, which includes the frozen pizza brand of the same name and a range of home baking products, as well as the Chicago Town pizza brand. The food division also includes the Coppenrath & Wiese confectionery unit, which produces frozen cakes and pies mainly for the German market. "Oetker to acquire local baking peer Kathi" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
