Hannover
- 4d ago
Volkswagen approves restructuring plan to cut 100,000 jobs and phase out vehicle output at four German plants
The German automaker will eliminate approximately 100,000 positions globally and end car assembly across four domestic factories by 2034, reallocating vehicle lines to Central European plants.
- Aug 25
Germany blames Russia for Leipzig airport drone plot and closes consulate as Moscow retaliates
Berlin has shuttered a Russian consulate and cultural center following an attempted August drone sabotage at Leipzig/Halle Airport, prompting Moscow to order the closure of three Goethe-Institut branches.
- Aug 23
Volkswagen agrees to 100,000 job cuts and plant reviews under 2030 restructuring plan
The supervisory board approved a turnaround plan targeting a 9% operating margin by 2030, putting four German factories under review and halving the company model range by 2035.
- Aug 23
Lower Saxony premier Olaf Lies urges EU tariffs on Chinese hybrid cars
Lower Saxony Minister-President Olaf Lies has written to European and German leaders seeking import duties on Chinese plug-in hybrids, warning of a 70% export increase and market distortion.
- Aug 5
Drones over German military base housing Patriot systems after explosive drone found at Leipzig airport
Two drones were spotted over a Bundeswehr base in Mechernich that repairs Patriot air defense systems, days after a drone carrying explosives was found at Leipzig airport near a Ukrainian cargo plane.
- Jul 30
Lower Saxony election committees bar at least four AfD candidates over constitutional loyalty doubts
At least four AfD candidates have been barred from running in Lower Saxony's 13 September local elections after election committees questioned their loyalty to the constitution, while several others were approved. The decisions, made under a state regulation allowing committees to consult the domestic intelligence agency, have sparked a legal debate over the boundaries of candidate vetting.
- Jul 24
Volkswagen profit drops 32.9% in Q2 as China sales collapse; group cuts full-year revenue forecast and plans up to 50,000 more job cuts
Net income fell to €1.54 billion in the second quarter, down from €2.29 billion a year earlier, while deliveries in China tumbled more than a third to 424,300 vehicles.
- Jul 24
Lower Saxony asking rents jump 24.7% in five years as social housing stock shrinks by 40,000
Asking rents in the German state hit a record €9.69/m² in 2025, while nearly 40,000 social housing units have been lost since 2015, government data shows.
- Jun 26
Volkswagen plans 100,000 job cuts and closure of four German plants in deepest overhaul in its 89-year history
Europe's largest carmaker weighs a radical restructuring that would double earlier cut targets, break a union pact, and shrink production capacity to 9 million vehicles a year.
- May 31
Niedersachsen's Cities Take Diverging Paths on Gravel Garden Enforcement: From Persuasion to Penalties
A new survey reveals a patchwork of enforcement strategies across Lower Saxony, with cities like Wolfsburg and Braunschweig conducting systematic checks while others rely on voluntary compliance.
