Storms across northern Europe and an unresolved row over electricity costs lead today’s digest, alongside a plan for simpler, cheaper housing and good news for Munich commuters. We also cover heat pump waiting times, airport protests and how universities are handling AI.
Storms cut power and ground flights across northern Europe
Storms hit northern Europe on Sunday, cutting power to more than 150,000 homes and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights. The storms also knocked out phone networks. If you are travelling in the coming days, check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
Source: The Local Germany
Coalition wants cheaper electricity but cannot agree on the bill
The federal government agrees that businesses and households should pay less for electricity, but it is still unclear how that relief would be funded. On ARD’s political programme “Bericht aus Berlin”, the CDU and SPD made very different proposals in the debate over the Stromsteuer (electricity tax). For households watching their energy bills, it means lower costs are not yet settled.
Source: tagesschau
A simpler building standard to speed up housing
Germany needs more affordable homes, and a new “Gebäudetyp E” is meant to help, with the E standing for “einfach”, meaning simple. The ARD-Hauptstadtstudio, the broadcaster’s Berlin bureau, has obtained the draft law, which aims to make building faster and cheaper. For anyone struggling to find a flat, the plan is one of the government’s tools for adding supply.
Source: tagesschau
Munich’s Dachauer Straße underpass reopens in December
In Munich, the railway underpass on Dachauer Straße in Moosach is due to reopen in the second week of December, after roughly two years of building work. Deutsche Bahn and the city have invested 13 million euros in rebuilding it. Residents who have put up with the long closure can expect their usual routes back before Christmas.
Source: tz
Heat pumps are now the norm, and installers are booked up
Heat pumps have become the new standard for heating, particularly in new buildings, even after the government’s reversal on the Heizungsgesetz (heating law). The boom means customers often wait months to have one installed. If you are planning a renovation or a new build, allow for that delay.
Source: hessenschau
Deportation protest draws 600 to Leipzig/Halle Airport
In Leipzig, 600 people protested at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Saturday, 24 October, under the slogan “Gemeinsam gegen den Abschiebewahn” (“Together against the deportation frenzy”). Groups held protests at the airports in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Köln and München on the same day, with more demonstrations in cities including Bielefeld and Hannover. Several thousand people took part nationwide.
Source: Leipziger Internet Zeitung
Universities rethink exams as AI enters the lecture hall
AI can write term papers, revise texts and put together practice exams, so universities face the question of where study help ends and cheating begins. Barbara Wagner of the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung, a forum on digital change in higher education, explains how universities are adapting and which types of exam are becoming more important again. International students should check their university’s rules on AI before handing in work.
Source: rbb24
Germany Today is a curated digest: we summarise and link, the reporting belongs to the publications named. Something wrong or missing? Tell us.
Sources
- rbb24: KI im Studium: "Der Faktor Mensch rückt ins Zentrum", accessed 26 October 2026
- tz: Dauer-Baustelle der Bahn wird nach rund zwei Jahren fertig – Münchner atmen auf, accessed 26 October 2026
- Leipziger Internet Zeitung: Bundesweit gegen den „Abschiebewahn“: 600 protestierten am Samstag am Flughafen Leipzig/Halle, accessed 26 October 2026
- hessenschau: Die Wärmepumpe setzt sich durch – oft monatelange Wartezeit, accessed 26 October 2026
- tagesschau: Stromsteuer-Debatte: Union und SPD weiter weit auseinander, accessed 26 October 2026
- The Local Germany: Storms batter Europe hitting power supplies, flights and phones, accessed 26 October 2026
- tagesschau: Neuer Gebäudetyp E: Schnelles und günstiges Bauen per Gesetz, accessed 26 October 2026 (archived copy)
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