Here’s your quick update on what’s happening around the city on Friday, January 02 - from urgent alerts to stories in the subreddit. Today we went through 180 sources so you don't have to.

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🧨 Berlin Police Arrest 400 During New Year's Chaos

Berlin police arrested nearly 430 individuals during New Year's Eve celebrations. Officials described it as relatively controlled despite isolated rioting. While 25,000 people gathered peacefully at the Brandenburg Gate, officers in districts like Neukölln and Kreuzberg faced targeted attacks with pyrotechnics that injured 35 service personnel. (DIE ZEIT)

To curb potential disorder, the capital deployed a massive contingent of 3,200 police officers and 1,600 firefighters, tripling standard numbers. Security forces confiscated 220,000 fireworks before the holiday, including 109,000 illegal devices, preventing what authorities described as hundreds of thousands of dangerous explosions across the city. (Tagesspiegel)

Hospitals faced immense pressure, with Berlin's UKB treating 42 people for serious wounds, including catastrophic injuries to hands and eyes. Nationwide, five men died due to exploding fireworks, while medics compared the severe trauma from illicit devices to "war wounds" usually seen in combat zones. (The Mirror)

Interior Senator Iris Spranger argues this ongoing violence necessitates a "state opening clause" in federal law to allow for local firework bans. Police unions support these stricter measures, noting that despite the seizures, officers still faced targeted attacks with rockets and improvised explosives throughout the night. (rbb24)

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⚡ Quick Hits

🇩🇪 What will change in the tech world in 2026: Repair rules, e-ID card | EU rules will push longer-lasting gadgets, with spare parts available for seven years and security updates for five. EU states must offer a digital ID wallet by December 2026. New AI labels will become mandatory.

🇩🇪 Climate protection - The price of CO2 is rising - what this means for consumers | Germany’s carbon price for fuels rises to 55 to 65 euros per ton in 2026. Experts expect small 2026 hikes, but warn it could reach 200 euros by 2028.

🇩🇪 The new rail timetable for 2026 - what's changing for Berlin | ICE trains between Berlin and Hamburg will run again from May after track upgrades. Travel time will drop below two hours. DB also adds direct trains to Copenhagen and more Baltic Sea services.

🇩🇪 Berlin's interior senator in favor of expanding firework ban zones | Spranger wants federal legal changes so Berlin can expand fireworks-free zones and create supervised “pyro-permit zones.” Wegner instead targets illegal explosives and stricter gun rules. Police collected about three million signatures for a nationwide ban.

🇩🇪 Germany needs a new start-up era! | Germany still leads in research, but it ranks only 12th for innovation results. The article blames bureaucracy, risk aversion, and weak scale-up funding. It warns that start-ups will keep moving abroad without EU-wide reforms.

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📅 Events Today

🎟️ One to One: John & Yoko | January 02 | 18:00 - 20:03 | A documentary traces John Lennon and Yoko Ono's pivotal 18 months and their benefit performance. It offers rare behind-the-scenes footage and intimate insights.

🎟️ Kreuzberg Song Slam | January 02 | 20:00 - 22:00 | 5.00 € to 15.00 € | Six singer-songwriters compete with original songs for the audience's vote. The night promises raw performances and good energy.

🎟️ I Can't Stop Dancing: Indie, Pop & Karaoke Party | January 02 | 22:00 - 22:00 | 10.00€ | Dance to a mix of current indie and pop hits.

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💬 What Berliners Are Talking About

🗣️ Built a compliment-based dating app for Berlin. Looking for early testers. | Berlin-only compliment-first dating app sparks curiosity, Hinge comparisons, skeptical testers.

🗣️ Suche Silvester 2026 ohne Feuerwerk | Suggestions: remote nature reserves, coastal islands, or small villages for quiet New Year's.

🗣️ How was your new year experience? Everyone survived the fireworks? And Happy new year to everyone! | Neighbors shared mixed New Year fireworks tales—some relieved, others faced damage and scared pets.

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📊 Chart of the Day

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🏰 Word of the Day: Luftschloss | Literal: Air castle | Meaning: A pipe dream; an unrealistic idea. | Example: Seine Pläne, Millionär zu werden, ohne zu arbeiten, sind ein reines Luftschloss. (His plans to become a millionaire without working are a pure air castle.)

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👋 That's a wrap! Thank you for reading.

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