Germany today (Fri 30 Oct): Non-EU parcels cost €2 more from 1 November, Lagarde to leave the ECB early in February, President Steinmeier meets Xi in Beijing, Bayern v Dortmund top-of-the-table clash on Saturday

Good morning! Here's your German news for Friday, 30 October. From this Sunday, 1 November, shopping from outside the EU gets a little pricier, and Deutsche Bahn's family ticket is here to stay. Add the latest on euro interest rates and the weekend's big football match, and you're set for the weekend.

1. [Politics] President Steinmeier meets Xi Jinping in Beijing

• Friday 30 Oct, Great Hall of the People — President Frank-Walter Steinmeier holds talks with Premier Li Qiang, then Xi Jinping welcomes him with military honours, talks and a state banquet
• First state visit in eight years — no German president had made a state visit to China since 2018. The trip began on 26 Oct in Hefei and Huangshan; he flies back to Berlin on Saturday
• Fair trade is the main theme — in a speech at Peking University on Thursday he urged China to trade fairly with the EU. Last year China's trade surplus with Germany was almost €90 billion
• "Trade disputes can be solved" — as evidence he pointed to the recent deal limiting Chinese hybrid-car exports to the EU. China is Germany's largest trading partner
• What it means for you — trade with China is tied to jobs in Germany's car and machinery industries. Keep this background in mind when EU–China trade makes the news

Source: bundespraesident.de · Yahoo (dpa) · finanzen.net (dpa-AFX) · zdfheute.de

2. [Economy] Lagarde to leave the ECB early in February 2027 — rates on hold

• Announced on 29 Oct — the European Central Bank said Christine Lagarde will step down as president on 7 February 2027. Her eight-year term began in November 2019 and would have run until late October 2027
• No official reason — German media link the timing to the French presidential election in April 2027. In September she had said she might leave "a few months" early
• Names in the frame — Klaas Knot (former head of the Dutch central bank), Pablo Hernández de Cos (head of the BIS) and Bundesbank president Joachim Nagel
• Rates unchanged the same day — the deposit rate stays at 2.50%. Energy prices are pushing inflation up, but higher costs could also slow the economy
• What it means for you — after two hikes this year, loan and mortgage rates stay high. Savings rates are likely to stay around today's level for now

Raised by 0.25 points in June and September, held in October

Source: zdfheute.de · tagesspiegel.de (dpa) · deutsche-wirtschafts-nachrichten.de · srf.ch

3. [Society] New from 1 November: a fee on non-EU parcels and a permanent DB family ticket

• €2 more on non-EU parcels — from 1 November, goods up to €150 ordered from outside the EU carry a new €2 handling fee, on top of the €3 flat customs charge in place since 1 July
• Per product category, not per parcel — according to the federal government, the fee is charged per customs tariff position, so a parcel with several kinds of goods can cost more
• DB family ticket now permanent — up to five people travel IC/ICE 2nd class for €99.99 return or €59.99 one way, seat reservations included: one adult with up to four children, or two adults with up to three. You don't have to be related
• Metal industry warning strikes possible from Sunday — the peace obligation for about 3.7 million workers ends on 31 Oct. IG Metall wants 5% more pay over 12 months
• What it means for you — check your Temu or Shein basket before Sunday. And the Deutschlandticket rises to €66.80 in January, so watch for the renewal notice from your provider

Source: bundesregierung.de · techbook.de · t-online.de · tagesspiegel.de (dpa) · igmetall.de

4. [Culture] Elke Sommer, the Berlin actress who made it in Hollywood, has died at 85

• Died on Wednesday night, 28 Oct — at her home in the USA, a week before what would have been her 86th birthday on 5 November
• A Golden Globe as a newcomer — she won it in 1964 for "The Prize" (Der Preis), opposite Paul Newman
• Best known for "A Shot in the Dark" — the 1964 comedy with Peter Sellers (in German: Ein Schuss im Dunkeln). Her last film was Dani Levy's "Das Leben ist zu lang" (2010)
• A Berliner on the world stage — one of very few German actresses of her generation with a Hollywood career; she was also a singer and painter
• Good to know — her name comes up whenever people talk about German actors in Hollywood, and today's German papers are full of looks back at her long career

Source: t-online.de · Yahoo (dpa)

5. [Arts] Munich's "Theatre of the Year" gets a trio from Basel in 2028

• Backed by the culture committee on 29 Oct — Anja Dirks, Antú Romero Nunes and Jörg Pohl are to lead the Münchner Kammerspiele together from September 2028. The three currently run the drama department of Theater Basel
• Succeeding Barbara Mundel — she has led the theatre since 2020/21 and leaves after the 2027/28 season. The first contract covers five seasons
• Not final yet — Munich's full city council votes on 25 November
• What kind of theatre? — the Kammerspiele were named "Theater des Jahres" in 2026. The new team wants a theatre that is "analogue, sensory, physical"
• What it means for you — German theatres pick their directors years ahead. If you want to see the Kammerspiele as they are now, there are two seasons left

Source: t-online.de (München) · schwaebische.de · nachtkritik.de

6. [Entertainment] Tokio Hotel's arena tour reaches Germany on Sunday in Hamburg

• Started in London on 28 Oct — the European arena tour opened at the OVO Arena Wembley; tonight (30 Oct) it's Paris
• First German show: 1 Nov, Hamburg — at the Barclays Arena
• German dates — Frankfurt 5 Nov, Berlin 7 Nov, Nuremberg 8 Nov, Leipzig 13 Nov, Munich 16 Nov, Düsseldorf 19 Nov
• "Then we're 15 again" — Bill Kaulitz told ZDF that touring makes him feel 15 again
• What it means for you — the band became world-famous with German-language songs in the 2000s. Early hits like "Durch den Monsun" have clear lyrics — good listening practice

Source: zdfheute.de · eventim.de · musicheadquarter.de

7. [Sports] Saturday 18:30: Klassiker between level-on-points leaders Bayern and Dortmund

• Sat 31 Oct, 18:30, Allianz Arena, Munich — the big game of matchday 8. Bayern and Dortmund have the same points; Bayern lead only on goal difference. Both are still unbeaten
• The 115th meeting — according to the Bundesliga's official site, it's only the second time they meet as first and second on equal points
• No head coach on Bayern's bench — Vincent Kompany can return after the November international break at the earliest
• Tennis: Zverev world No. 1 from Monday — he beat Tallon Griekspoor 6–4, 7–5 in the Vienna round of 16 on 29 Oct to secure the top spot, the second German man at No. 1 after Boris Becker (1991)
• What it means for you — on Saturday evening many Kneipen show the match. If you want a seat in a sports bar, go early

Source: bundesliga.com · anstosszeiten.de · t-online.de · tagesspiegel.de (dpa) · sportschau.de

Weather

City	Sat 31 Oct	Sun 1 Nov	Mon 2 Nov
Berlin	🌥️ 12° / 7° cloudy, a little sun	⛅ 9° / 5° partly sunny	☁️ 8° / 4° mostly overcast
Hamburg	☁️ 11° / 9° mostly overcast	☁️ 11° / 9° overcast	🌦️ 12° / 8° light rain at times
Munich	☁️ 9° / 1° mostly cloudy	🌦️ 8° / 2° a little sun, light rain at times	☁️ 6° / 2° mostly overcast
Cologne	⛅ 13° / 5° partly sunny	☁️ 13° / 7° mostly cloudy	🌦️ 11° / 6° cloudy, light rain at times
Frankfurt	⛅ 13° / 3° partly sunny	☁️ 11° / 4° mostly cloudy	🌦️ 9° / 0° partly sunny, isolated light rain

Tip: Saturday is the driest day — plan your walk or shopping then. Take an umbrella on Monday in Hamburg, Cologne and Frankfurt. Nights in Munich and Frankfurt drop to 0–2 °C, so be ready to scrape the car windows in the morning. On 31 Oct (Reformation Day, 9 states incl. Brandenburg) and 1 Nov (All Saints', 5 states incl. Bavaria and NRW) shops are closed in those states. (Forecast: wetter.com)

German from today's news

Word	Meaning	Example from the news
der Staatsbesuch	state visit	Steinmeier beendet am Samstag seinen Staatsbesuch in China.
der Rücktritt	resignation, stepping down	Lagarde kündigt ihren Rücktritt für Februar 2027 an.
der Leitzins	key interest rate	Die EZB lässt den Leitzins unverändert.
die Bearbeitungsgebühr	handling fee	Ab November gibt es eine Bearbeitungsgebühr für Pakete.
der Warnstreik	warning strike	Ab Sonntag sind Warnstreiks möglich.
die Weltrangliste	world ranking	Zverev steht an der Spitze der Weltrangliste.

Got an online basket waiting? Today's the day to check it. Have a lovely weekend — Schönes Wochenende! 🇩🇪