With almost 100,000 police officers and strict rules, the French interior ministry wanted to prevent riots. Nevertheless, many cars were destroyed - albeit with a downward trend. All information in the news blog.
Billions of people rang in the new year last night – again under corona conditions. In Germany there were some incidents, a person died from a firecracker. Read more about it here. All current developments can be found here in the news blog.
Hundreds of cars burn in France
Rioters set hundreds of cars on fire in France on New Year's Eve. Compared to previous years, however, the violence around the turn of the year had decreased - also against security forces, said France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on Saturday. 874 cars were said to have burned out - almost 450 fewer than at the turn of the year 2019/2020. 441 people were provisionally arrested. In Strasbourg, where there had been particularly violent riots on New Year's Eve two years ago, cars were also on fire again. At least two police officers were slightly injured when attackers shot at them with firecrackers.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, at the turn of the year more than 95,000 police officers and gendarmes were monitoring compliance with the corona rules that had been imposed due to the rapidly increasing number of infections and the spread of the omicron variant of the virus. In Paris and in large parts of the country, alcohol was banned on the streets. The sale of fireworks was banned almost nationwide before New Year's Eve. In the capital and many departments, bars and restaurants had to close at 2 a.m. on January 1st. In many cities in France, including Paris, people have to wear masks outside all the time.
Pane smashed in Lauterbach's office - state security determined
The constituency office in Cologne of Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) was damaged on New Year's Eve. Read more about it here.
Dusseldorf: Police officer dies in action on New Year's Eve
In the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital of Düsseldorf, a police officer collapsed and died during an operation. Read more about it here.
13 cars burned in Berlin
After 13 car fires on New Year's Eve in Berlin, the police are investigating suspected arson. According to the police, the cases occurred in the Spandau, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Mitte, Reinickendorf and Neukölln districts. The first case was noticed by passers-by in Spandau in the Falkenhagener Feld district on Friday evening around 7.40 p.m., the authority said on Saturday.
Shortly before midnight a van burned in Schöneberg. Nearby, firefighters came across another car that smelled of accelerant. From 2.00 a.m. the fire brigade was then called at short intervals to the further fires. Around 7.20 a.m., according to the police in Rudow, she extinguished the last car fire on New Year's morning.
Twelve injured in explosion in south-east Berlin
At a private New Year's Eve party in East Berlin, twelve people were injured when illegal fireworks exploded. Eleven of them were taken to clinics for treatment, the fire department said on New Year's morning. The police later said they were injured, some of them seriously. All were injured in the legs, said a spokeswoman on Saturday.
According to the fire department, the youngest injured is an eleven-year-old boy, the other injured are adolescents and adults up to the age of 51. According to initial findings, "several units of a self-made fireworks display" should be ignited on the ground shortly after midnight at the celebration in the Friedrichshagen district. The police state protection took over the investigation, it said.
The fire brigade was alerted at around 0.10 a.m. and according to their own statements with 40 emergency services on site. 20 party guests were examined by an emergency doctor.
Man dies after apartment fire in Augsburg
After an apartment fire on the night of New Year's Day, a man died in Augsburg. The 67-year-old was initially seriously injured in the fire and was taken out of the apartment by the fire brigade. The apartment then caught fire, the fire brigade said on Saturday. The man was taken to a special clinic, where he died, according to police. 15 other people from the apartment building were taken to safety, but were later able to return to their apartments. It was initially unclear what caused the fire, and the police began investigating.
Gas explosion at New Year's Eve party - 18-year-old seriously injured
An 18-year-old was seriously injured in a gas explosion at a New Year's Eve party in Melle in the Osnabrück district. Ten people celebrated in a family home and wanted to end the party early on Saturday morning, the police said in the morning. An 18-year-old man wanted to extinguish a gas-powered fireplace in an extension of the house. The gas bottle exploded when it was turned on.
The man fell into the pool as a result of the explosion and suffered burns. He was taken to a hospital. The remaining nine people were slightly injured. The explosion caused a small fire that was quickly extinguished by the fire brigade. According to the police, the damage was around 50,000 euros. It is not yet clear why the gas bottle exploded.
Gas fireplace explodes in Lower Saxony
When a gas fireplace exploded in Melle, Lower Saxony, ten people were injured, some of them critically. The fireplace in a pool house probably exploded early on Saturday morning when a 28-year-old wanted to switch off the device, the Osnabrück police said. This caused the pool house to catch fire.
The 28-year-old suffered life-threatening burn injuries and was taken to a special clinic by helicopter. The nine others present, all of a similar age, were also injured, some seriously.
The police put the damage to the pool house at at least 50,000 euros. The adjoining house was largely undamaged. The cause of the explosion is now being determined.
Firecracker explodes in hand
A man was seriously injured by a firecracker on New Year's Eve in Zell unter Aichelberg in the Göppingen district. The 31-year-old was holding the firecracker when it exploded, a spokeswoman for the police in Baden-Württemberg announced on Saturday. The man was taken to a hospital.
14-year-old killed in Halle – driver flees
In Halle, a 14-year-old was hit by a car on New Year's Eve and was fatally injured. The boy was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries a little later, police said on Saturday morning. According to the information, the driver of the accident car committed an escape. How exactly the accident could have happened is still unclear. In addition, for reasons of investigation tactics, they do not want to provide any further information on the course of the accident, according to a police spokeswoman.
Only small corona protests on New Year's Eve in Thuringia
On New Year's Eve there were some smaller unannounced gatherings and so-called walks in Thuringia. Around 70 people were in Nordhausen, 110 in Vacha and 50 in Rudolstadt, the police said on Saturday morning. In Eisenach, after a Facebook call, several small groups went to an unannounced meeting in the direction of the market. When the police arrived, they broke up. The meetings were therefore peaceful. The initiators were charged with violating the Assembly Act.
Parked car catches fire on New Year's Eve
On New Year's Eve, a parked car caught fire in Nordhausen. Previously, people lighting fireworks had been seen near the scene of the fire on Hardenbergstrasse, the police said. It is currently being determined whether there is a connection to the fire. The fire brigade extinguished the flames, which also damaged two other parked vehicles. The property damage is estimated at 25,000 euros.
Fireworks ignited near the memorial of the Buchenwald Memorial
A couple from Sömmerda set off a battery of fireworks near the bell tower of the Buchenwald Memorial on New Year's Eve. As the police announced, the two stated that they acted in complete ignorance. According to the police, there was no evidence of a political motivation for the crime. The police issued a place reference until New Year's morning.
23-year-old killed by firecrackers in Austria
A 23-year-old man was fatally injured in a fireworks explosion in Austria on New Year's Eve. A 21-year-old was also seriously injured, as the APA news agency reported on Saturday. The men had therefore met with other people on a meadow in the municipality of Klausen-Leopoldsdorf southwest of Vienna to celebrate New Year's Eve. They detonated so-called ball bombs. When one of the bombs did not detonate immediately, four of the group approached the firework, which then exploded. A 19-year-old and another man were also slightly injured, according to the police.
Celebrating eat hash biscuits - emergency services have to come
At a family New Year's Eve celebration in Saxony-Anhalt, eating hash biscuits led to nausea and stomach pains. The four revelers in Weißenfels had called the emergency services before midnight, the police said on Saturday morning. Apparently they didn't like the cookies. They were treated by paramedics on site. The baker, one of the celebrants, was charged with violating the Narcotics Act.
Pedestrian dies after accident with ambulance
A man was run over by an ambulance in Meppen in the Emsland district on New Year's Eve and then died. The car was on an emergency trip, said a police spokesman. The driver was on the road with blue lights and a siren. Suddenly there was a pedestrian in the street. The driver of the car was unable to react in time and caught the man. He died at the scene of the accident.
12-year-old picks up father and drives him home in the car
A 12-year-old drove his drunk father home on New Year's Eve. According to the police, the man called home around 8 p.m. on Friday and asked to be picked up because he had been drinking alcohol. According to the police, his 12-year-old son took that very literally and quickly grabbed the keys in Halle and got behind the wheel to pick up dad. A witness who saw the duo in the car had called the police. Luckily, they found them at home unharmed.
Gas bottle explodes at New Year's Eve party: several injured
When a gas bottle exploded during a New Year's Eve celebration in Melle (Osnabrück district), several people were injured, one of them critically. On New Year's Eve, the gas bottle exploded in the extension of a single-family house where the people were staying, for reasons that are still unclear. A fire broke out in the extension, but did not spread to the family home. The police were initially unable to say exactly how many people were injured. The seriously injured was a man whose skin surface was burned to 70 percent. A spokeswoman said early on Saturday morning that he was being treated in a hospital in Osnabrück.
One dead in Hennef - attacks on the police in several cities
Police officers were attacked in several cities on New Year's Eve. A man was killed by firecrackers in the town of Hennef near Bonn. Read more about it here.
Welcome to 2022!
Dear reader,
2021 has not been an easy year for many of us. The editors of t-online accompanied you through the eventful months, informed you about corona outbreaks and new laws, about the election campaign and the change of government, about major sporting events and the most important celebrity news. We hope that we were not only able to give you a clear view of the news jungle, but also some exhilarating rays of hope. Now we wish you a happy 2022! Stay healthy.
We look forward to welcoming you again in the new year.
Your t-online editorial team
Fireworks over Berlin (archive image): Here's to a brighter 2022! (Source: Zhang Fan/imago images)
Millions celebrate the New Year in Moscow with fireworks
Millions of people in Moscow - Europe's largest city - celebrated the New Year with fireworks in several places at sub-zero temperatures. Thousands gathered in Red Square alone, where the Kremlin clock chimed twelve to herald the year 2022. The Russian capital traditionally organizes fireworks in several places, best viewed from the skyscraper district of Moskva City or from Sparrow Hills. There are no major restrictions due to the corona pandemic at the New Year celebrations.
In Moscow, for example, the 2G rule applies in the world-famous Bolshoi Theater. There and in other theaters of the capital, the ballet "Nutcracker" was shown on New Year's Eve. The performances are often sold out months in advance.
After that, the Russians retired to open gifts, eat and celebrate - including caviar, sparkling wine and Russian salads. New Year's Eve and New Year are days of gifts in Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on January 7th. Restaurants and nightclubs are open as usual - as are the many ice rinks. After New Year's Eve, the New Year holidays begin in Russia. The first working day is January 11th.
Lauterbach sends self-deprecating New Year's greetings
Shortly before the turn of the year, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) tweeted New Year's greetings - combined with a self-ironic corona warning. He posted a web find – a photo of himself peering through a festively decorated window into the interior. Underneath the lettering: "Don't overdo it. I see you. Greetings, your Karl." Lauterbach wrote about the photo: "It's not entirely wrong." He wishes you a nice last evening in 2021 and asks for caution.
Macron: Leave the pandemic behind us in 2022
In his New Year's Eve speech, French President Emmanuel Macron sworn his compatriots to further hardship in the corona pandemic, but at the same time struck an optimistic note. "The coming weeks will be difficult, we all know that," said Macron in the speech broadcast on Friday evening. "The virus is circulating and will circulate even more."
Many activities of daily life would be canceled again because of the omicron variant of the corona virus, and economic cuts would again come to various industries. "But unlike at the same time last year, when the restrictions were much tighter, we now have the weapon of vaccination," Macron said. He is "decidedly optimistic" about the future. 2022 could be the year of the end of the pandemic, "I want to believe that with you". He appealed again to the unvaccinated in the country to get vaccinated after all.
The head of state said that the year 2022 will also be decisive for France in other respects, also because of the upcoming presidential elections in the country. Once again, Macron has not made a clear commitment to running for another term as president. In France, however, this is only a matter of time.
Emmanuel Macron: In his New Year's speech, the French President gave his compatriots hope for an end to the pandemic. (Source: Christian Hartmann / Reuters)
Pope spontaneously refrains from leading New Year's Eve Mass
At short notice, Pope Francis decided not to lead the solemn service on New Year's Eve in St. Peter's Basilica. The 85-year-old head of the Catholic Church attended the mass and preached the sermon. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re took over the direction of the Thanksgiving Vespers with the traditional hymn of praise "Te Deum".
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni announced after the mass that Francis only wanted to preach the sermon but leave the leadership of the celebration to Cardinal Re. The exact reasons for the change, which apparently took place at very short notice, remained unclear: just a few minutes before the start of the celebration, Francis' chair was moved to another place in St. Peter's Basilica, a little to the side of the altar. From there, the Pope observed Vespers mostly sitting down.
In his homily, for which the pontiff went to the pulpit in front of the altar, Francis called on the faithful to show more solidarity and charity in the pandemic. After everyone felt like they were in the same boat in the first phase of the Corona period, many later lived according to the motto: "Save yourself, who can".
Pope Francis: He attended the New Year's Eve Mass, but did not lead it. (Source: Andrew Medichini / AP / dpa)
Drugged driver caught without a license
The police caught a driver who was driving to a New Year's Eve party without a license and under drugs. The officers checked the 26-year-old on Friday afternoon at the Wonnegau-Ost rest area on the A61, the police said. Accordingly, the driver initially gave false personal details to cover up that he did not have a driver's license. In addition, a drug test carried out on him reacted to cocaine and cannabis.
The officers secured the vehicle key and took a blood sample. Among other things, the 26-year-old now faces a preliminary investigation into violation of the Narcotics Act.
12-year-old dies in New Year's banging in the Netherlands
A 12-year-old boy has been killed in a New Year's banging in the Netherlands. Another boy has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after the incident in Haaksbergen near the German border. Read more about it here.
Giffey: No firecracker zones against "war-like conditions" even beyond the pandemic
From the point of view of Berlin's Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey, no-gun zones make a significant contribution to the protection of emergency services. "We also have to talk about pacifying certain areas of the city beyond the corona pandemic by not allowing gunfire there," said the SPD politician on Friday. In the past there have been "war-like conditions" in some places.
According to Berlin's head of government, the ban on the sale of fireworks and no-gun zones had an effect last year. Compared to previous New Year's Eve, a third fewer missions were recorded. Giffey expected things to be quieter this year as well. According to Interior Senator Spranger, there are around 900 patrol officers and 1,600 additional officers on duty.
Franziska Giffey: The SPD politician has been the governing mayor of Berlin since December 21. (Source: Bernd Elmenthaler / imago images)
13 million Chinese are celebrating in lockdown from the rest of the country
Unlike last time, the new year in China started again with a number of restrictions due to the corona pandemic. Several cities canceled fireworks and major celebrations, including Beijing, Nanjing and also Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus and Covid-19 first broke out in late 2019.
Due to the highest number of infections in the country for more than 21 months, the northwestern provincial capital Xian is currently completely sealed off, and all 13 million residents are practically not allowed to leave their homes. Although the number of infections is very low by international comparison, at 166 per day, the Chinese government is pursuing a strict zero-Covid policy.
New Year's Eve is not a particularly important holiday for the Chinese. According to their traditional lunar calendar, the new year begins in February. Only then is there a great wave of travel, in which hundreds of millions move through the country to visit their families. In 2022, however, significant travel restrictions are expected due to the tense corona situation.
View of Xian: There are strict corona restrictions in the city. (Source: agefotostock/imago images)
Oil prices fall on New Year's Eve
Oil prices fell on New Year's Eve. On Friday, a barrel (159 liters) of North Sea Brent cost $78.66. That was 87 cents less than the day before. The price of a barrel of the American West Texas Intermediate (WTI) variety fell by 97 cents to $76.01.
So far in 2021 as a whole, oil prices have increased significantly. It amounts to the strongest rise since 2009. At the beginning of the year, the Brent price was just over $50. The prices were supported by the vaccinations against the corona virus. This allowed travel restrictions to be lifted. This supported demand for crude oil. In addition, the oil cartel Opec+ has only hesitantly expanded its production.
The market lacked clear impetus before the turn of the year. The dominant topic remains the uncertainty about the effects of the omicron variant of the corona virus. The rapid spread of the variant suggests falling oil prices, while the apparently lower burden of the disease suggests rising prices.
In the New Year's speech, Putin recalls tens of thousands of corona deaths
In his New Year's speech, Russia's President Vladimir Putin commemorated the many corona deaths and encouraged the people in his country. "This insidious disease has claimed tens of thousands of lives," Putin said, referring to the high death toll of around 1,000 victims every day in Russia. "I would like to express my sincere condolences to everyone who has lost relatives and loved ones." At the same time, in the speech broadcast on state television on Friday, Putin paid tribute to those who "rescue and care for the sick".
The official Russian corona statistics show more than 300,000 deaths. The vaccination rate is therefore 61.8 percent, which corresponds to 74.5 million fully vaccinated people. "We faced colossal challenges, but we learned to live in these harsh conditions and to cope with difficult tasks," Putin said.
The country overcame many difficulties in the past year. "We represented our national interests, the security of the country and the citizens, hard and consistently," said the Kremlin chief. "Of course there are many unresolved problems, but we have come through this year with dignity." The most important task is to improve people's living standards, because this "makes Russia even stronger".
Vladimir Putin (archive photo): "We represented our national interests hard and consistently." (Source: Mikhail Metzel/Pool Sputnik Kremlin/AP/dpa)
Sydney welcomes the new year with amazing fireworks
Sydney kicked off 2022 with six tons of colorful fireworks in front of the imposing backdrop of the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. Unlike last year, tens of thousands of spectators were allowed to watch the spectacle live this time, despite the sharp increase in the number of corona cases in the region. However, all participants had to buy a ticket for one of around 30 viewpoints.
Citizens without reservations or vaccinations should not come to the city center if possible, the organizers had advised. The world-famous fireworks were broadcast live on the Internet and by TV channel ABC. Last year, the center of Sydney was completely closed to spectators.
Before the pandemic, the impressive spectacle had attracted more than a million people every year. However, the state of New South Wales, in which Sydney is located, is currently the region in the country worst affected by Corona because of the spread of the omicron variant: On Friday, the authorities there reported more than 21,000 new infections – more than ever before.
Spectacular drone footage: Many visitors came to the New Year celebrations in Sydney Harbor again this year. (Source: Reuters)Heat record for New Year's Eve in Great Britain
There was a heat record in Great Britain on New Year's Eve. In Coningsby, Lincolnshire, England, a temperature of 15.3 degrees was measured, the weather agency announced on Twitter on Friday. "That means it's the warmest New Year's Eve on record in the UK." The previous record was at Colwyn Bay in Wales, where a temperature of 14.8 degrees was measured on New Year's Eve 2011.
Like almost everywhere else in the world, New Year's Eve and New Year's are under the influence of Corona this year in Great Britain. The traditional fireworks display in central London, which normally attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators, has been canceled for the second year in a row.
Xi pledges Chinese to long-term goals for New Year
In his New Year's speech, China's President Xi Jinping swore the people to the long-term goals of the communist country. "We must always keep a long-term perspective in mind, be aware of potential risks, maintain our strategic direction and determination," Xi said in a televised speech.
On the Taiwan issue, he said people on both sides of the straits yearn to complete the reunification of the motherland. Contrary to previous New Year addresses, Xi did not address China's economic performance. China aims to become a world leader by 2049, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.
South Seas is already celebrating the New Year
In the South Pacific, 2022 has already begun: The inhabitants of the islands of Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati were the first in the world to welcome the new year at 11 a.m. German time. Unlike last year, when public fireworks were canceled due to the corona pandemic, firecrackers were allowed to be fired into the sky again in Samoa. According to the tourism authority, the island state had five pyrotechnics experts flown in from New Zealand to install the fireworks.
Meanwhile, in the Tonga archipelago, the forces of nature did not rest on New Year's Eve either: the authorities have been warning people against approaching the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano since Christmas. The fire mountain, which last erupted in 2014, is active again and spewing ash and gas into the air.
Söder wishes the Twitter community "Happy New Year"
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder posted a photo with his dog on Twitter. He writes that a walk in nature between days is "wonderful with my Molly. Happy New Year everyone today!"
Fire on New Year's Eve morning: 21 people brought to safety
There was a fire in an apartment building in Weißwasser (district of Görlitz) on New Year's Eve morning. 21 people had to be brought out of the house in the early hours of Friday, according to the police nobody was injured. The apartment where the fire started is uninhabitable. The remaining residents were able to return to their four walls after the extinguishing work was completed. The criminal police will deal with the case and take over the further investigations into the cause of the fire, it said. The extent of the damage was initially unclear.
New Year's speech by Berlin's Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey
Berlin's Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey has assured that the new red-green-red Senate will do everything possible to protect the health of Berliners and to fight the corona pandemic. "The new year 2022 will be associated with major challenges," said the SPD politician in her New Year's speech. Read more about it here.
Franziska Giffey (SPD), Governing Mayor of Berlin, speaks. Photo: Jörg Carstensen/dpa
This is what Berliners wish for in the new year
Residents of the capital spoke to t-online about what moves them and what they want from next year. Read more about it here.
Authorities: Monitor New Year's rules and punish violations
Fire brigades, police authorities, rescue workers and security services in cities and communities want to be particularly vigilant on New Year's Eve in view of the Corona rules. The measures in North Rhine-Westphalia are to be strictly monitored at the turn of the year and possible violations are to be punished with fines. As in 2020/2021, it will not be a normal turn of the year due to the corona pandemic. Prohibitions and restrictions apply.
Even vaccinated and recovered people are currently not allowed to meet with more than ten people - whether inside or outside. According to the country's current Corona Protection Ordinance, non-vaccinated people are allowed to meet a maximum of two people from another household. In addition, public dance events are prohibited, clubs and discotheques remain closed. A ban on the sale of fireworks and pyrotechnics applies nationwide, as was the case a year ago.
This is the weather on New Year's Eve
According to the German Weather Service, it will be unusually mild on New Year's Eve with seven to twelve degrees. It stays dry almost everywhere. Only in the north-east and south should it be a little colder.
Scaled-down celebrations
Many big parties and fireworks have been canceled around the world, for example in London and Paris. Elsewhere, celebrations have been severely scaled back, including events in Madrid and Rio.
This time there will be no large fireworks at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and no party with hundreds of thousands. From there, however, ZDF broadcasts a show with Bonnie Tyler and Marianne Rosenberg, among others.
Sydney reports exploding corona numbers
In Sydney, the giant fireworks will again take place with spectators, but if you want to experience the spectacle live against the backdrop of the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House, you have to buy a ticket for one of around 30 viewpoints. In addition, the Australian state of New South Wales has just recorded more new corona infections than ever before.
In Dubai ist am höchsten Gebäude der Welt, dem 828 Meter hohen Burdsch Chalifa, wieder ein spektakuläres Feuerwerk samt Licht- und Lasershow geplant.
Kaum Einschränkungen in Moskau
Auch in Russlands Hauptstadt Moskau gibt es kaum Einschränkungen, auch wenn dort –anders als in den Emiraten – die Impfquote gering ist. Unter anderem ist am Roten Platz ein großes Feuerwerk geplant.
In New York soll die traditionelle Silvesterparty am Times Square wieder mit Zuschauern stattfinden – allerdings müssen alle Besucher gegen Covid-19 geimpft sein. Die Feier soll wie jedes Jahr live in Fernsehen und Internet übertragen werden – unter anderem mit dem Ball Drop, der Herabsenkung eines leuchtenden Kristallballs, und Auftritten von Stars wie Rapper LL Cool J.
So schützen Sie Ihre Haustiere an Silvester
Zu Silvester 2022 dürfen keine Böller und Raketen verkauft werden. Doch das entspannt viele Tierfreunde rund um den Jahreswechsel kaum, denn es ist nicht auszuschließen, dass noch Restbestände gezündet werden. Außerdem lassen sich Feuerwerkskörper online oder jenseits deutscher Grenzen besorgen. Doch das Getöse ist ein großes Problem für das Gehör von Tieren, warnen Tierschützer. Read more about it here.
Das wünschen sich die Bremerinnen und Bremer für das neue Jahr
Irgendwie gut gelaunt und irgendwie doch auch gebremst und etwas zermürbt, so könnte man die Stimmung der Bremerinnen und Bremer zum Ende des Jahres hin beschreiben. Eines ist auch sehr deutlich: Das Thema Gesundheit ist ganz zentral und steht auf der Wunschliste für das kommende Jahr ganz weit oben. Read more about it here.
