Neustadt an der Weinstraße – September 11, 2026 -- Employees who skip a free company car and drive their own vehicle for business trips can lose the right to deduct those travel costs from their taxes, Germany's Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof, BFH) has ruled.

An employee tried to deduct nearly 3,800 euros in private car expenses

The case centered on a worker who had access to a company car that he and his wife were also permitted to use privately. Despite this, he took his own car for three business trips and claimed roughly 3,800 euros in travel costs as work-related expenses on his tax return.

The local tax office rejected the claim, but the man sued and won at the Lower Saxony Finance Court. The tax office then appealed, sending the dispute to the BFH for a final decision.

New York – September 11, 2026 -- Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit that administers the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, marked 988 Day on September 8 alongside the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, urging anyone struggling to call, text, or chat 988 for support.

This year's campaign, themed "988 Reasons: Your reason is reason enough," stresses that people don't need to be in an active crisis to reach out. Whether someone is overwhelmed, supporting a loved one, or just needs to talk, the Lifeline is positioned as available for any level of need.

The Lifeline has routed nearly 30 million contacts since 2022

Since transitioning to the three-digit 988 number in July 2022, the service has connected people with trained crisis counselors nearly 30 million times through calls, texts, and online chats nationwide.

Siloam Springs, Ark. – September 11, 2026 -- Author Spencer Patterson has released a new children's picture book, "The Good Pliosaur," that uses a prehistoric underwater rescue to teach young readers about compassion and overcoming prejudice.

Illustrated by Sam Calden, the story is set in an ocean world where long-necked plesiosaurs and short-necked pliosaurs have distrusted each other for generations, despite no longer being at war. The narrative follows Brett, a plesiosaur who believes his species is superior to pliosaurs.

An attack leaves the story's hero trapped and injured

While traveling to bake cookies for his mother, Brett is attacked by deep-sea bandits who steal his pearls and pin him beneath a heavy rock. Two fellow plesiosaurs pass by and refuse to help, each citing an excuse to leave him behind.

Singapore – September 11, 2026 -- Trip.Gourmet, the food and dining brand of Trip.com Group, has released its 2027 Fine Dining List, recognising 744 restaurants across 105 cities and 40 countries and regions to mark the brand's tenth anniversary. The list was unveiled in partnership with Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, gathering restaurant partners, culinary experts and media for the launch.

The rankings split restaurants into three tiers: 60 Black Diamond, the top distinction, 160 Diamond and 524 Platinum. This year adds 34 new destinations across Europe, North America, Oceania, Asia, South America and Africa, growing the list from a single-market ranking a decade ago into an index now spanning 66 countries and regions and 462 destinations overall.

London – September 11, 2026 -- Johnnie Walker has released a limited-edition design of its Black Label Scotch whisky, created in collaboration with GRAMMY-winning singer Sabrina Carpenter.

The bottle draws its look from Carpenter's album "Man's Best Friend"

The design features a custom "Sabrina blue" color variant and playful dog-paw motifs inspired by the record. It blends Johnnie Walker Black Label's classic style with Carpenter's personal aesthetic, marking the latest step in an ongoing partnership between the whisky brand and the singer.

Carpenter said she enjoys giving her fans small surprises and saw the bottle as a way to bring the world of "Man's Best Friend" to life beyond music. She called putting her own stamp on an iconic object like the Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle a fun challenge.

Arlington – September 11, 2026 -- Six Flags Entertainment Corporation has acquired ArieForce One, the acclaimed steel roller coaster that closed at Fun Spot America Atlanta in August, and will reinstall it at one of its parks during the 2028-2029 seasons.

The coaster built a cult following in just three years

ArieForce One opened March 31, 2023, in Fayetteville, Georgia, and closed August 2, 2026. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, it stood 154 feet tall, dropped 146 feet, reached 64 mph and ran roughly 3,400 feet of track with four inversions over about two minutes. Its signature elements included the world's largest zero-gravity stall, a Raven Truss Dive and an outward-banked airtime hill.

Berlin – September 11, 2026 -- Hisense is showing off a new lineup of AI-connected home appliances at IFA 2026, letting visitors ask a fridge what to cook and have an oven, wine cabinet and dishwasher carry out the rest of the process automatically.

The AI Companion Suite links appliances from meal planning to cleanup

The system, powered by Hisense's ConnectLife platform, starts with the AI Companion Refrigerator, which scans stored ingredients and suggests recipes based on personal preferences. Once a dish is chosen, the AI Companion Oven can begin automatic cooking while the AI Companion Wine Cabinet suggests a pairing and keeps it at proper storage temperature. Afterward, the AI Companion Dishwasher checks how dirty the dishes are and adjusts its cleaning cycle accordingly.

Mainz – September 11, 2026 -- Constant background noise from white noise machines, audiobooks and headphones may be overwhelming children's hearing, according to Eberhard Schmidt, a certified hearing acoustician and president of Germany's Bundesinnung der Hörakustiker (biha).

Schmidt, who also specializes in pediatric hearing care, says ears are always "on" and cannot simply switch off. The real risk comes from a combination of high volume, close proximity to sound sources, and nonstop exposure -- not from sound itself.

Hearing develops before birth, around the fifth month of pregnancy

Unborn babies can perceive sound starting around the fifth month of pregnancy, Schmidt explains. While amniotic fluid and tissue reduce volume, loud repeated noise -- such as at concerts or noisy workplaces -- can still reach the fetus and should be limited during pregnancy.

Berlin – September 11, 2026 -- Diabetes can silently damage the eyes years before patients notice any change in their vision, yet new data show barely half of people with type 2 diabetes get the recommended eye exam. To close that gap, German health insurer mkk - meine krankenkasse now offers its members a free eye screening from Skleo Health at participating opticians and drugstores.

About seven million adults in Germany live with known or undiagnosed diabetes, according to the Robert Koch Institute. One serious complication is diabetic retinopathy, damage to the tiny blood vessels in the retina caused by diabetes duration, high blood sugar, and hypertension. Retinal changes can develop long before someone experiences blurred vision or other symptoms.

Berlin – September 11, 2026 -- Home cooks can stop waiting until the end of cooking to salt dried legumes -- new guidance confirms salt can go into the water from the very start without affecting how soft beans become.

Soaking dried legumes takes eight to twelve hours, not constant attention

Whole dried fava beans, field peas, soybeans and sweet lupins need roughly eight to twelve hours of soaking before cooking. The practical approach is to set them in water overnight and continue preparation the next day. Soaking causes the seeds to swell, which shortens the later cooking time. Peeled fava beans and peeled field peas can skip this step entirely, since removing the seed coat allows them to be cooked directly -- packaging instructions specify the exact method for each product.