Leipzig – September 07, 2026 -- Zoo Leipzig has opened Feuerland, a new coastal and marine habitat that recreates the Pacific coast of South America, giving visitors underwater views of seals and Humboldt penguins. The attraction officially opened on September 1, 2026.

New York – September 07, 2026 -- Emmy-winning conservationist Jeff Corwin returns to national television with "Jeff Corwin's Southern Wild," premiering Saturday, October 3, on ABC stations nationwide as part of the Weekend Adventure educational programming block, with air times varying by local market.

The series, produced by Hearst Media Production Group in partnership with Lees-McRae College, was filmed across North Carolina, following Corwin from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic coast.

Düsseldorf – September 07, 2026 -- German energy provider Grünwelt Energie is urging households to unplug idle electronics before long trips, a move it says cuts both power bills and storm-related damage risk.

Standby devices still drain power even when switched off

Televisions, game consoles, computers and charging stations for large appliances continue to draw electricity in standby mode. Grünwelt Energie recommends disconnecting these fully before departure, which also protects the equipment from surge damage caused by summer thunderstorms.

Cologne – September 04, 2026 -- Moving into a first apartment or shared flat this autumn means learning to separate household waste correctly, according to the German initiative "Mülltrennung wirkt." On average, 30 percent of what ends up in yellow bins and yellow bags across Germany doesn't belong there, the group says.

BEIJING – September 03, 2026 -- Chinese electric and hybrid vehicles are pulling ahead of established rivals across Europe, Southeast Asia and South America, with buyers increasingly choosing brands like BYD over legacy automakers.

Speyer – September 03, 2026 -- A Mercedes EQA electric vehicle caught fire and burned out completely while charging in a parking lot in Speyer, Germany, on August 16, 2026, according to a report by regional newspaper RHEINPFALZ and confirmed by law firm Dr. Stoll & Sauer. No injuries were reported, but firefighters had to cool the high-voltage battery for an extended period. It is the first publicly documented EQA fire in Germany, and it lands amid mounting legal and regulatory pressure on Mercedes over battery fire risks in its EQA and EQB models.

Bamberg, Germany -- September 01, 2026 -- HomeLink, the home-swap travel network marking its 75th year, is letting new members try the platform free for three months while more than doubling its cancellation guarantee fund from 2,000 to 5,000 euros. The organization connects 60,000 members across 70 countries who trade homes instead of booking hotels, and families can save up to 4,000 euros on accommodation depending on destination and length of stay. The changes apply to HomeLink Deutschland, the German nonprofit branch of the network founded in 1953.

XUZHOU, China -- September 01, 2026 -- XCMG has rolled the first main unit of what it calls the world's largest ring crane off its production line, a 14,000-ton lifting machine built jointly with Sinopec Heavy Lifting & Transportation Co., Ltd. The announcement came out of Xuzhou, China, on August 28, 2026, and the companies described it as a breakthrough for heavy-lift technology used in power plant construction. Once fully assembled, the crane is expected to set new capacity records for the industry.

Xuzhou, China -- August 30, 2026 -- Chinese heavy equipment maker XCMG rolled out the first main unit of what it calls the world's largest ring crane, a machine built to lift up to 14,000 tons once fully assembled. The crane was developed with Sinopec Heavy Lifting & Transportation Co., Ltd. and is aimed at construction sites for nuclear plants, offshore wind farms, and conventional power stations that need to move enormous prefabricated components in single lifts rather than piece by piece.