Stuttgart – October 29, 2026 -- Buying an investment property in your hometown feels safe, but familiarity does not show whether a location will pay off over the long term, says Mark Stühler, managing director of Einfach Immo GmbH.
Munich – October 29, 2026 -- Home buyers in the euro area should not expect cheaper or pricier mortgages right away: the European Central Bank (ECB) held its key interest rate at 2.5 percent, and ten-year building loan rates recently stood at around 4.4 percent.
Mortgage rates follow capital markets, not the ECB directly
Building loan rates track long-term capital market rates more closely than the ECB's key rate. Expected central bank moves can therefore already be priced into loan terms before the ECB announces a decision.
Munich/Vienna – October 29, 2026 -- Shoppers in Germany and Austria can now ask an AI chatbot where to find nearby supermarket deals and whether a price is actually good. The feature, called "Frag den Guru" ("Ask the Guru"), is built into the free marktguru app for Android and iOS.
Chatbot opens with one tap and accepts text, voice or photos
A blue marktguru icon at the bottom right of the app opens the chat. Users can type a request or speak it. They can also upload a photo of their fridge contents or a handwritten shopping list to start the conversation.
Munich/Leipzig – October 29, 2026 -- The 32nd José Carreras Gala airs live from Leipzig on Wednesday, December 16, at 8:15 p.m. on MDR, HR and SWR, with a parallel livestream in the ARD Mediathek. It is the first time three ARD broadcasters have carried the charity event together.
Munich – October 29, 2026 -- World Savings Day on October 30 is a good moment for parents to talk with their children about wishes, spending and savings goals, and Germany's SOS-Kinderdorf-Stiftung has five practical tips for doing it.
Munich – October 28, 2026 -- Diesel now averages 2.289 euros per liter across Germany, more than 20 cents above Super E10 at 2.084 euros, according to current figures from motoring club ADAC.
Petrol gets cheaper while diesel climbs
Compared with the previous week, Super E10 fell by 2.6 cents per liter. Diesel rose by 3.4 cents over the same period. Petrol had already become cheaper the week before, despite rising oil prices.
Munich – October 28, 2026 -- From October 28, McDonald's Germany is bringing back the 1955® Burger, the McFarmer and a set of five collectible song radios under the campaign "Endlich wieder bei Mecces."
Five radios play hits from the 2000s and 2010s
The small radios were once an occasional Happy Meal® toy, and each played a single song. The new set features hits by Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, Cro and Justin Bieber.
Munich – October 28, 2026 -- Paulaner Cola Zero goes on sale across Germany in January 2027, giving shoppers a sugar-free version of the brewer's cola in supermarkets, beverage retailers and restaurants.
Zero variants already take about 36 percent of German cola sales
The Paulaner Brauerei Gruppe is adding the new drink to its classic Paulaner Cola. That cola launched in spring 2026 and, within a few months, became the number 2 seller in the German cola can market.
Munich – October 28, 2026 -- German broadcaster RTLZWEI is turning October 30 and 31 into a Halloween event, with four episodes of "#CoupleChallenge - Halloween Edition" each night from 8:15 p.m. The episodes are already streaming on RTL+.
Six couples compete for up to 66,600 euros in a spooky camp
The spin-off sends six couples to a dark camp in Saxony. They face Halloween-themed challenges, scare moments and strange curses. Mistakes or unfinished tasks reduce the prize pool, which tops out at 66,600 euros.
Munich – October 28, 2026 -- Patients facing a serious diagnosis can now check 1,768 recommended specialist clinics across 57 medical fields and conditions, from ophthalmology to dentistry, in the new FOCUS-Gesundheit "Klinikliste 2027". The recommendations are available in the print issue and online through the FOCUS-Gesundheit clinic search.
