Automotive Sales & EV Shift: Mercedes-Benz says Q2 passenger-car sales fell 8% to 417,800 worldwide, while EV deliveries jumped 51% to 52,900, with Europe up 87% and Germany nearly doubling—though China slid 30% amid competition and cautious demand. Consumer Tech & Payments: Flix and Klarna expand their partnership across 21 Flix markets, adding Germany and other EU countries, so travelers can pay in full, in interest-free installments, or via longer-term financing—without FX fees. Food Retail Deal: Sonae Sierra and Germany’s Hahn Gruppe complete a fund acquisition of nine Mercadona supermarkets in Spain (about 15,000 sqm total), leased long-term to Mercadona, as investor demand for stable grocery assets stays strong. Industry Events: ITHEC 2026 (Oct 28–29 in Bremen) opens registration with a full program on thermoplastic composites, from EV battery applications to aerospace and energy storage. Manufacturing Materials: Walter E.C. Pritzkow Spezialkeramik orders 600 ceramic panels plus 1,600 laser-cut parts using OCMC, highlighting “large volume” scale-up and a near-doubling business. Privacy & Hiring: EU regulators warn that automated hiring tools may already breach GDPR rules, with focus on Article 22’s ban on solely automated hiring decisions. Energy & Markets: Oil spikes after Trump says the Iran ceasefire is “over,” pushing stocks down and raising inflation worries—an indirect hit to consumer confidence and spending.