VW plans electric van family from 2028

HANNOVER - Following the ID Buzz electric van, Volkswagen plans to convert its entire van fleet to electric from 2028. The large Crafter van will kick things off in 2028, announced VW Commercial Vehicles boss Carsten Intra in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur. The other models would then come gradually: "We are planning a synchronized model change, not all at once, but neatly staggered in a reasonable rhythm." Ultimately, a complete e-vehicle family is to be created under the project name "Space".

Plant closures at Michelin - trade union fights for jobs

FRANKFURT - Following the announcement of plant closures and the loss of more than 1500 jobs, the French tire manufacturer Michelin is threatened with compulsory redundancies. The trade union IG BCE wants to save as many jobs as possible. They are working on alternative concepts for the affected sites in Karlsruhe, Trier and Homburg and are considering how to increase productivity there, Matthias Hille, head of the IG BCE district in Mainz, told the German Press Agency. "We want to present ideas to the Group in the middle or end of January." Talks are also being held with politicians.

ROUNDUP: BVB bulwark holds for 74 minutes: Boniface saves Leverkusen's streak

LEVERKUSEN - When Dortmund coach Edin Terzic was still talking at length to referee Daniel Siebert, his counterpart Xabi Alonso had already come to terms with the draw in the top match. Undefeated league leaders Bayer Leverkusen were unable to find a way past Borussia's defensive bulwark for a long time, but in the end managed to salvage a 1:1 (0:1) thanks to Victor Boniface. The goalscorer equalized in the 79th minute and saved the Werkself from their first defeat in their 20th game of the season.

Kehl on possible BVB transfers: 'Focus is on the summer'

LEVERKUSEN - Runners-up Borussia Dortmund are not expected to launch a transfer offensive during the winter break. "The focus is actually on the summer, although we will wait and see how things develop over the next few weeks," said sporting director Sebastian Kehl on the sidelines of the Bundesliga top match against Bayer Leverkusen on DAZN. A large part of the transfer proceeds from the sale of Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid had already been reinvested. Kehl referred to the signing of international striker Niclas Füllkrug on the last day of the transfer window.

TV ratings: ZDF crime thriller ahead of Silbereisen's Advent show

BERLIN - A crime thriller and contemplation were among the most popular television programs on Saturday at prime time. ZDF was ahead in the ratings with the Berlin crime series "Ein starkes Team": 6.16 million tuned in (24.2 percent). It was followed by the classic "Das Adventsfest der 100 000 Lichter". Schlager star Florian Silbereisen traditionally rings in the Advent season with the ARD show. This year's guests included Maite Kelly, Mireille Mathieu - and the Nuremberg Christ Child. This was watched by 5.03 million people on television (21.5 percent).

Major landlords call for reform of tenancy law

BERLIN - According to two of the most important landlords in Germany, German tenancy law needs to be reformed. The current legal regulations have negative consequences for the rental market and new construction, complained the head of the Dax group Vonovia, Rolf Buch, and the CEO of the largest municipal landlord Saga from Hamburg, Thomas Krebs, in the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" (Saturday).

Verdi negotiates for more vacation and extra pay for couriers in NRW

DÜSSELDORF - The trade union Verdi wants to fight for more vacation and higher night and overtime bonuses in the collective bargaining for employees in freight forwarding and courier services that begins on Wednesday. "After two years of high inflation, there is barely enough money for everyday life. Urgent relaxation is falling by the wayside because vacations are becoming a luxury. This urgently needs to change," said Verdi negotiator Thomas Großstück on Sunday. The shortage of skilled workers could only be solved in the long term with real improvements in working conditions.

ECE boss: consequences of the Signa crisis remain manageable

HAMBURG/BERLIN - The head of the Hamburg-based real estate group and shopping center operator ECE, Alexander Otto, does not see any serious effects of the Signa crisis for his industry. "The mood in the industry is already very bad, and it certainly won't get any better as a result of Signa's problems," Otto told Wirtschaftswoche. But the real estate sector is very fragmented. "Even Signa does not have a particularly high market share. I therefore assume that the consequences will remain manageable," said Otto.

Retail association: Christmas business is slowly picking up speed

BERLIN - According to the retail association HDE, Christmas business is gradually picking up speed. After only 15 percent of retailers had been satisfied with the Christmas business so far in November and December, a third of retailers rated the sales trend as positive in the week before the first Advent. This is the result of a trend survey of around 350 companies, the German Retail Association (HDE) announced in Berlin on Sunday.

Every second DB long-distance train is late - worst result for eight years

BERLIN - Deutsche Bahn (DB) is more unpunctual in long-distance transportation than it has been for eight years. Last month, every second long-distance train operated by the state-owned company was late. In November, only 52 percent of ICE and IC trains reached their destination on time, a DB spokesperson told the newspaper "Bild am Sonntag".

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Further news

-Consumers and companies face higher electricity prices

-Indonesia: Volcano erupts - kilometer-high ash cloud

-COP28: Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iraq reject fossil fuel phase-out

-Nato Secretary-General criticizes self-interest fixation in arms policy

-ROUNDUP: Silent Christmas markets: When music becomes too expensive

-COP28: USA tightens rules on methane - Over 150 countries join pact

-165-meter cooling tower of an RWE coal-fired power plant in Voerde blown up

-Train: Travelers should also postpone non-essential journeys on Monday

-COP28: Around 20 countries want to triple energy from nuclear power for the climate

-Hospital association: Up to 80 clinic insolvencies in 2024

-ROUNDUP: Rail traffic in Bavaria further restricted after snow chaos

-Kai Wegner thinks maglev train in Spandau would be 'wonderful'

-COP28/ Report: Climate summit president considers fossil fuel phase-out unnecessary

-Poor experiences: Insured see shortcomings in healthcare system

-Nato data for Nord Stream 2? Mining authority responds to accusations

-Surveys: Costs are the main argument against skiing

-Brandenburg calls on federal government to give in on Germany ticket

-SPD wants solution to road traffic law reform

-Mining accident in Zambia - 30 deaths feared

-Offshore wind power industry urges reform of offshore wind law

-COP28: Scholz calls for more speed in the expansion of renewable energies

-Patient advocates criticize bottlenecks in on-call service

-Gigabit cell phone network on rails - 5G project tests better radio

-More than 27,300 forced evictions

-Slovak transporters block Ukraine border crossing°

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ROUNDUP: You can read a summary in the company overview. There are several reports on this topic on the dpa-AFX news service.

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