Los Angeles – September 12, 2026 -- King's Hawaiian has launched Soft Swirl Cinnamon Bites, a new snack now available at major grocery retailers nationwide alongside its existing Soft Pretzel Bites.

To promote the launch, the bakery brand teamed up with Taylor Hanson of the band Hanson to record "MMMBites," a reworked version of the group's 1997 hit "MMMBop," timed ahead of the song's 30th anniversary. The collaboration anchors a new ad campaign called "Mmmoments."

The campaign features humorous ads showing Bites fixing bad days

The first spot, titled "Mmmondays," debuted on September 7 and shows Taylor Hanson sharing King's Hawaiian Bites during everyday annoyances -- like a rough Monday morning or a cramped airplane middle seat -- before breaking into the "MMMBites" chorus.

Lozen – September 12, 2026 -- Bulgarian supplier Victoria Nuts Ltd. has recalled its "Deluxe Strawberries in White Chocolate, 120g" product after an in-house inspection found the pesticide chlorpyrifos exceeding legal limits.

The recall covers two specific batches sold nationwide at Lidl in Germany.

Affected products carry the best-before date of April 16, 2027, and batch codes 12 L160426-1 and 13 L160426-1. No other Victoria Nuts Ltd. products sold at Lidl, and no other items under the Deluxe brand, are affected.

Customers can return the product to any Lidl store for a full refund.

Lidl confirmed that reimbursement will be issued even without a receipt. Consumers who purchased the affected batches are advised not to eat the product and to bring it back to a store.

New York – September 12, 2026 -- During NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis and NBA player Mo Bamba sat down for a conversation linking basketball, jewelry and the value of natural diamonds.

Davis says jewelry reflects personal identity, not shortcuts

"What you choose to wear is a representation of your personality, your brand," said Davis, who has spent years designing custom jewelry and sourcing natural diamonds himself. "Champions aren't made in labs."

Both players tie basketball excellence to time and repetition

"It's hard to value things that haven't gone through the process," Davis said. "If you're not trying to get to excellence, you're never going to get there. There's never a perfect basketball player. We're always striving, and we're not cutting corners."

Mainz – September 12, 2026 -- German public broadcaster ZDF has confirmed a series of last-minute schedule swaps affecting its documentary lineup over the coming weeks, replacing several previously announced titles with different films at the same air times.

Terra X episodes get bumped for other documentaries

On Thursday, September 24, the 7:45 a.m. slot will air "Raubbau auf den Philippinen" (USA, 2024) instead of the planned "Terra X Harald Lesch: Der Wald - Wunderwelt im Wandel," with the rest of the day's schedule continuing as originally planned from 8:15 a.m.

On Friday, September 25, "Terra X: Albrecht Dürer - Superstar" (Germany, 2019) will replace "Terra X: Gustave Eiffel: Der Mann, der den Eiffelturm erfand" at 2:45 a.m., with programming resuming as scheduled from 3:45 a.m.

Bonn – September 12, 2026 -- A precast concrete garage can shield cars, e-bikes and tools from break-ins, storm damage and summer heat, according to the Fachvereinigung Betonfertiggaragen e.V. (Association for Precast Concrete Garages). The group notes that nearly half of all burglary attempts fail, and that resistance time is the key factor deterring intruders.

Doors and gates should meet resistance class RC 2

Police recommend doors and windows meet at least resistance class RC 2 under DIN EN 1627, while garage doors should be tested and classified under DIN/TS 18194. "RC-2 elements are tested with simple tools in a standardized procedure and must withstand at least three minutes of resistance. It is important that the entire element is installed correctly," says Matthäus Moser of the association.

Munich – September 12, 2026 -- The ADAC is adding plug-in balcony solar systems to its product lineup through a new partnership with kleines kraftwerk, a solar company based in Achim, Lower Saxony. ADAC members now receive a price discount of at least ten percent on the complete solar kits, which are designed for balconies, terraces, garages, and carports.

The offering targets households that want to generate their own solar power but cannot or do not want to install a traditional rooftop photovoltaic system.

Hamburg – September 12, 2026 -- German supermarket chain EDEKA has launched a campaign called "Survival of the Frischest" to challenge the common belief that frozen fruit and vegetables are less fresh or healthy than fresh produce.

A five-meter T-Rex made of broccoli appears at Potsdamer Platz

From September 10 to 13, EDEKA installed a roughly five-meter-long, three-meter-high sculpture depicting a prehistoric creature encased in ice at Das Center (formerly Sony Center) in Berlin. The centerpiece is a T-Rex shaped from broccoli, meant to illustrate how shock-freezing preserves produce. Visitors can also sample smoothies made from various frozen fruits and vegetables at an EDEKA food truck on site.

Munich – September 12, 2026 -- "Love Island VIP" kicks off its new season on September 23, airing every Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. on RTLZWEI, with episodes available a week earlier on RTL+.

Known reality stars now share the villa with total newcomers

For the first time, the Greek villa mixes established reality personalities with previously unknown singles looking for love on camera. Host Sylvie Meis says the format promises a new dynamic, as viewers watch how experienced reality stars react to first-time daters -- and vice versa.

Hoofddorp – September 12, 2026 -- Smart home company EZVIZ has expanded its lineup of AI-powered entry devices, showcasing video doorbells, video intercoms and door openers at IFA in Hall 1.2, aimed at European households of varying sizes and home types.

The EP8 Ultra doorbell adds an AI-driven screen for facial recognition

Launched just before IFA, the EP8 Ultra video doorbell features a built-in AI display designed for tight entryways such as apartment hallways. Unlike dual-lens doorbells that separately detect visitors and packages, the EP8 Ultra combines an interactive screen with AI characters for emotional engagement and facial recognition technology to optimize power consumption.

Hoofddorp – September 12, 2026 -- EZVIZ has unveiled an expanded lineup of smart entry devices at IFA in Hall 1.2, including AI-powered video doorbells, video doorphones, and gate openers built for European homes of varying sizes and layouts.

The EP8 Ultra doorbell adds an AI screen for face recognition

The EP8 Ultra video doorbell, which launched just before IFA, upgrades on dual-lens technology that lets users see both visitors and packages at the door. It now includes a built-in interactive screen featuring AI characters and on-device AI recognition of familiar faces, designed to save energy while making entrances feel more personal. Jasmine Zhu, Product Manager of EZVIZ Europe, said the device targets specific entrance types like apartment hallways.