World debut in 2025 – DW – 12/31/2024

Dozens of flights were canceled due to heavy snowfall in Japan’s northern region as millions of families returned home to spend New Year’s Eve with loved ones.

More than 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) of snow has fallen in some areas of Hokkaido, the northernmost island, since Monday.

Japan Airlines said it canceled 42 flights by noon, affecting 6,398 passengers, all to or from Hokkaido.

Japan’s other airline, ANA, also canceled 14 flights due to bad weather in the north.

Firefighters in Germany are preparing for a busy New Year’s Eve due to private use of fireworks.

Karl-Heinz Banse, chairman of the German Fire Brigades Association, told dpa news agency that the use of fireworks would increase workload, but he rejected calls for a nationwide ban on private fireworks.

“I’m on the side of those who say fireworks should only be used where it’s not dangerous,” Bankes said.

Bankse highlighted the dangers posed by improper use of fireworks, including people firing rockets with their own hands or using fireworks imported from countries with less stringent safety standards, which can result in serious injuries.

In Berlin, fireworks are allowed on New Year’s Eve only from 6:00 pm local time until 07:00 am the next morning.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Germans to vote in upcoming snap elections in February as immigration and the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) remain high on the country’s agenda.

“I appeal to you today: Please go to vote,” Scholz said in his traditional New Year’s Eve address.

Scholz also called for solidarity and solidarity in society following the attack on a Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg.

“How could a mad criminal inflict so much pain?” Scholz said.

The German chancellor also spoke about foreign influence on elections after billionaire Elon Musk, owner of social media network

Germany’s future “will not be decided by the owners of social media channels,” Scholz said.

Cities around the world are preparing for New Year’s Eve with celebrations highlighting local cultures and traditions.

New Zealand is set to welcome 2025, about two hours ahead of New York City, 18 hours earlier. In Auckland, the country’s largest city, thousands of people are expected to join the festivities or climb the city’s volcanic peaks to watch the fireworks.

Two hours later, Australia will see the start of 2025. More than a million people are expected to descend on Sydney Harbor for the traditional fireworks display, with pop star Robbie Williams at the helm.

In South Korea, celebrations were reduced or canceled due to the country’s national mourning period following the Jeju Air plane crash that killed 179 people.

London, Rio de Janeiro and New York will all kick off 2025 with city-wide celebrations.

ftm/sms (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)