In Berlin, the mayor declared a “night of repression” if necessary. In some places it is already 2024. In Cologne there are arrests after a terror alert. And the Queen of Denmark surprises everyone in the evening.
Germany goes into New Year's Eve nervously. Berlin's ruling mayor, Kai Wegner, announced tough measures against the riots on Sunday evening. “Tonight, if it is necessary, is a night of repression, where the rule of law will try to assert itself,” the CDU politician said as he visited a police station in Berlin-Neukölln. A year ago New Year's Eve saw riots and attacks on police and rescue workers across the country, with Berlin particularly affected.
In many places, New Year's celebrations are overshadowed by the upheaval surrounding the wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine. In many major cities around the world, security measures have been tightened due to concerns about attacks. Three more suspects were arrested on Sunday after a terror alert for Cologne Cathedral.
In Denmark there was a completely different big surprise: Queen Margrethe (83) announced in her New Year's speech that she would abdicate in favor of her son Frederik (55) on her 52nd birthday in mid-January. the throne
Australia, China, South Korea already have 2024
In many parts of the world, 2024 started a few hours before midnight in Germany. In Sydney, the world-famous backdrop of the Harbor Bridge and Opera House lit up the sky at 2pm CET. In the German evening it was already 2024 in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, China, India and Dubai.
More suspects in custody after Cologne terror alert
In Cologne, the police chief told a press conference that the alleged attack was carried out by car. Tajik, who was detained on Christmas Eve, was part of a larger network. North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) said around 1,000 police officers were stationed around the cathedral on New Year's Eve and were doing all they could to ensure the safety of celebrants. The police received a tip-off about a planned Islamist attack on Cologne Cathedral on New Year's Eve. Cardinal Rainer Maria Volki celebrated New Year's Eve mass on Sunday evening with heavy police security.
Flood-hit New Year's Eve
For many people in the floodplains, this time the New Year's Eve really fell. Daniela Behrens, the interior minister of the hard-hit state of Lower Saxony, has called for caution in the use of fireworks at New Year's celebrations due to the tense flood situation. The SPD politician in Verdun said the fire brigades and rescue operations are busy enough.
Berlin is under a “state of emergency on New Year's Day”.
The police and fire brigade in Berlin were prepared with a large contingent. According to Police Chief Barbara Slovic, it was one of the largest operations in the capital in recent decades.
Private fireworks are especially dangerous. A 40-year-old man lost his arm while firing a signal rocket in the Kaulsdorf district, Berlin police said. Immediately after ignition, the rocket exploded in his hand. During the search, additional pyrotechnics were found and seized from him. The first attacks on emergency services and passers-by have already been reported in Berlin.
The already ever-unsettled New Year in Berlin was further exacerbated by the Gaza war following a terrorist attack by Islamist Hamas on Israel. There have been repeated protests over the past few weeks and months.
Fearing crime, Berlin police banned a planned New Year's Eve pro-Palestinian demonstration in Neukölln. According to police, two parallel counter-rallys planned in support of Israel were canceled by the organizers. Another pro-Palestinian demonstration moved from Neukölln to Kreuzberg on New Year's Eve with a heavy police presence.
Police have identified several hotspot areas, including northern New Zealand. There were also zones where fireworks were banned, for example at Alexanderplatz. Private fireworks are also prohibited at Brandenburg Gate. The traditional New Year's celebration took place there again, broadcast live by ZDF. For the first time since the corona virus, fireworks were scheduled to be burst at midnight.
Worldwide only on 1st January in the New Year at 1pm
In total, it takes 26 hours for the entire world to usher in the New Year. American Samoa, 220 kilometers east of Samoa on the other side of the International Date Line, will be the last country – twelve hours after Germany. At 1:00 PM CET on January 1st, only two uninhabited islands will follow.
− dpa
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