Berlin
Five people died in fireworks-related accidents on New Year's Eve in Germany. In Berlin, 330 people were detained, 13 police officers were injured, and attacks on law enforcement were reported in other cities.
A large-scale water supply failure occurred in central Berlin a few hours before the New Year. The cause is unknown, the water pressure dropped to a critical level, and the upper floors of the buildings were completely left without water.
Near the Rewe supermarket in the Charlottenburg district, a man with a mental disorder attacked passersby with a knife. Two people were seriously injured and the attacker was detained.
A Ukrainian citizen born in 1972 was injured at a Christmas market in Magdeburg. The woman is in serious condition in a German clinic, and consuls are providing the necessary assistance.
Five people are killed and more than 200 injured after a car plows into a crowd in Magdeburg. The suspect is a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, a critic of Islam who has lived in Germany since 2006.
The German chancellor has reiterated his intention to continue dialog with the russian president. The Estonian prime minister believes that only military support for Ukraine will force russia to start negotiations.
Steinmeier plans to dissolve the German parliament on December 27 after the failed vote of confidence in Scholz. New federal elections are to be held on February 23, 2024.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has signed a contract with Rheinmetall for the supply of 155-mm artillery shell charging modules. The delivery of tens of thousands of charges is scheduled for January 2025.
In Berlin, four young people aged 16-19 were detained for attacking Social Democratic Party activists and injuring two police officers. The incident occurred during a demonstration where right-wing and left-wing activists clashed.
The Berlin Declaration is signed in Germany, confirming that peace talks are impossible without Ukraine and its European partners. The document provides for increased military and financial support for Ukraine and its Euro-Atlantic integration.
London is considering a case of espionage by a group of agents who worked for Russian intelligence through an ex-Wirecard manager. Two of the five suspects have already pleaded guilty.
Novaya Pochta has launched the Project" Play for Ukraine " with Ambassador Elina Svitolina to unite Ukrainians. Participants share their personal victory stories and receive a limited edition ball signed by the tennis player.
Oleg Vinnik announced a concert in Warsaw on December 21, causing a mixed reaction in the network. The singer, who left for Germany after the war, promises to perform his favorite hits and new songs.
The premiere of the film "a look at Ukraine" about young Ukrainians with HIV, produced by Richard Gere, took place in Bonn. The film tells the stories of participants of the Teenergizer project and highlights the problems of HIV-infected people in war conditions.
The head of the BND, Bruno Kahl, said that Russia is preparing for war with the West by the end of the decade. According to him, Russia can carry out a limited military operation against NATO countries to undermine the alliance.
Kiev received an inclusive double-decker bus for excursions from Berlin. The transport will be used for social excursions and rehabilitation projects for the military and their families.
The defense ministers of Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and the UK met in Berlin to discuss military assistance to Ukraine. They emphasized the importance of coordination and efficient use of defense budgets.
In Ukraine, about 70% of appeals to the court regarding domestic violence result in a restraining order. However, a third of victims are forced to apply repeatedly due to the lack of effectiveness of protective measures.
Olaf Scholz will be nominated as the SPD candidate for chancellor in the early elections in 2025. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius withdrew from the election in favor of Scholz.
Ursula Haverbeck, who was convicted several times for Holocaust denial, has died. She was a leading candidate of the Right party and received numerous sentences for her statements.
The British band Jamiroquai has announced The Heels of Steel Tour with 14 concerts in Europe. The tour will start on November 6, 2025 in Barcelona and end on December 12 in Birmingham.
A massive march of the Russian opposition took place in Berlin with demands to stop the war and remove Putin. Between 1,500 and 7,000 people took part in the protest, including Ukrainians.
An exhibition of Western components used by Russia in its weapons against Ukraine was held in Berlin. The exhibition showed that Russia imported chips worth $4 billion despite the sanctions.
The city of Brovary has become a member of the Milan Food Policy Pact along with 230 other cities around the world. The agreement provides for the exchange of experience in developing food systems and improving access to healthy food.
A fossilized ecosystem with prints of amphibians, reptiles, and plants has been discovered in the Orobier Valtellinese Park. The find contains traces of five different species of animals that lived in the Permian period.
Robert Habeck was unable to return from Portugal due to an engine failure on the government's Airbus 350-900. This is not the first case of technical problems with German government aircraft.
The Berlin-Warsaw high-speed rail link is scheduled to be launched by 2030, and its extension to Kyiv by 2040. The European Commissioner will present a plan to connect the EU capitals by high-speed rail.
An explosion occurred at the TÜPRAŞ plant in Izmit during a routine training exercise, shattering windows in neighboring houses. The fire that broke out after the explosion was quickly brought under control, and no one was injured.
During a meeting with Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Mark Rutte called on Germany to increase defense spending to more than 2% of GDP. Germany plans to allocate about EUR 90.6 billion for defense this year.
Germany's left-wing populist party is demanding that the mainstream parties stop arming Ukraine in exchange for help in governing the eastern states. This is causing tensions in the federal coalition and could undermine the pro-Ukrainian consensus.