Rutte: second turn of the year in corona time is ‘difficult’
Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD) has spread his year-end message on social media. “This year has again demanded a lot from many people and, unfortunately, we are not there yet,” he writes. “It’s hard that for the second year in a row we can’t be together as we would like on New Year’s Eve.”
World leaders mainly speak about the pandemic in New Year’s message
Friday’s year-end speeches, in which leaders address their countries, had a clear theme: the corona pandemic. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz – all three called on their compatriots to fight the corona virus by 2022.
- Johnson addressed the British in a positive tone video message on Twitter. In the UK, people have “more jobs than before the pandemic started,” he said. “This country has the fastest growing economy in the G7.” The prime minister commends his compatriots for their willingness to vaccinate. Of the more than 67 million Britons, about 71 percent are fully vaccinated. “It is thanks to this huge national effort that we can still celebrate tonight,” Johnson said. The Prime Minister proposes to UK citizens who have not yet received vaccinations to get the shot as a good resolution in the new year. “That’s easier than losing weight.”
- Also the German Chancellor Scholz In his speech, he called on Germans to work together against the pandemic. “Let’s try everything together, really everything, to finally beat the corona virus in the new year,” said Scholz. The text of his speech had already been released a day earlier. Scholz asks for “respect” and understanding for the corona measures and asks opponents to stop using violence during demonstrations.
- Putin spoke to the Russians through a nearly seven-minute television speech, which will air a little before midnight (in every time zone in Russia). The country has faced “colossal challenges” this year, he said. “The insidious disease has claimed tens of thousands of lives. I would like to express my heartfelt support for those who have lost their loved ones.” Restoring the health of its citizens is the priority, Putin said. “That would make Russia stronger again.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s New Year’s Speech. Photo Clemens Bilan/EPA
2022 ushered in with fireworks in Australia and Hong Kong
Boy of twelve died in explosion by ‘hammer’ in Haaksbergen
A 12-year-old boy died on Friday in an explosion by a so-called hammer blower in Haaksbergen, Twente. Another 11-year-old boy was taken to hospital with serious injuries. An adult man from Haaksbergen has been arrested on suspicion of culpable homicide, reports the Police in a press release. He would have operated the hammer. The two children had nothing to do with the cause of the incident, police said. They were bystanders.
A blow hammer is a device that launches a hammer at explosive powder, such as magnesium powder. The explosion can cause a loud bang. What exactly led to the boy’s death is still unknown. That is currently being investigated by detectives.
Clappers are used “for example with New Year’s Eve” because of the sound, a police spokeswoman explains to NRC. Local residents heard a loud bang just before noon on Friday. The object is not illegal and does not fall under the fireworks legislation.
The police confirm that the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service Defense (EOD) has been called to the scene of the incident. “We asked because we want to investigate something that may be explosive,” said the spokeswoman. Police would not say whether that material has anything to do with the incident. Due to protocol, the fire brigade and ambulance personnel were also called.
POL_Overijssel Police Overijssel A 12-year-old boy died after the incident. Another boy has been taken to hospital. The children had nothing to do with the incident. We have arrested one person and are fully engaged in the investigation. ^JH
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Emergency services at the scene of the accident. Photo ANP
Two children seriously injured in possible fireworks incident in Haaksbergen
Two children were seriously injured on Friday in a suspected fireworks incident in Haaksbergen in Twente. The police confirm NRC that it is a ‘very serious’ accident in which two young people were injured. Officers provided first aid at the scene of the incident, and a trauma helicopter and several ambulances arrived on the scene.
According to bystanders, it is a fireworks incident, report local media. Police cannot confirm that yet. “We have scaled up with investigations because of the seriousness of the situation. They will investigate the cause of the accident,” said the police spokeswoman. The police also do not want to say anything about the age of the children or the seriousness of their injuries, “because we first want to make sure that the family has been informed”.
Local residents heard a loud bang just before noon, reported Tubantia. The incident is said to have taken place in the front yard of a home on Albert Cuyplaan.
Oliebollen and carbide shooting, this is how the Netherlands is preparing for the New Year
2022 has officially started, Christmas Island is ringing in the new year
2022 has officially started. The island of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, among others, was the first to usher in the new year at eleven o’clock in the morning (Dutch time). New Zealand will follow at noon, while the Netherlands will have to wait another twelve hours from that moment on for the countdown.
A schedule according to Dutch time:
- 12.00 – New Zealand
- 14.00 hours – Most of Australia (including Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra)
- 16.00 hours – Japan, South Korea, North Korea
- 5 p.m. – China, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong
- 6 p.m. – Thailand, Cambodia, much of Indonesia
- 19:00 – Bangladesh
- 7:15 pm – Nepal
- 7.30 pm – India and Sri Lanka
- 8 pm – Pakistan, the Maldives and much of Kazakhstan
- 8.30 pm – Afghanistan
- 21.00 o’clock – United Arab Emirates, Armenia, Oman
- 9.30 p.m. – Iran
- 10 p.m. – Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, many African countries, Belarus and the largest Russian cities
- 11 p.m. – Greece, Romania, South Africa
- 00:00 o’clock – The Netherlands, together with Germany, France, Italy, Algeria, Spain, Hungary, Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries
- 1 a.m. – The United Kingdom, Iceland, Portugal and Ghana
- 4 a.m. – A large part of Brazil, Argentina and Suriname
Enforcement of corona rules and fireworks ban not the highest priority
For many households, the turn of the year promises to be a modest celebration. The lockdown stands in the way of a visit to the catering industry or a party, there is an urgent advice for a maximum of four guests per day and no fireworks may be set off. But aid workers such as the police and boas are preparing for a turbulent evening and night. The police have already announced that the enforcement of the corona measures and the fireworks ban not the highest priority has.
The safety of first responders is paramount, according to the police, followed by that of civilians. Richard Gerrits, chairman of the BOA ACP trade union, has Friday on Radio 1 said that his people will only act when it is really necessary. Both the police and boas are struggling with staff shortages.
After the riots of November 19, Rotterdam is bracing itself for possible “the worst scenario”, according to Arjen Littooij, the director of the Rotterdam-Rijnmond security region. About 550 rescuers are ready to turn out. Armored fire trucks are also deployed and stab-resistant vests are in ambulances. Other regions do not expect any special disturbances.
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An armored fire truck from the Fire Brigade’s Quick Response Team. Photo Marco de Swart/ANP
Welcome to this blog
In this blog keeps NRC the developments around the turn of the year 2021/2022. Worldwide, the start of the new year is taking place in a modified form due to the corona pandemic. In our own country, there is again a ban on lighting consumer fireworks and there are no fireworks shows, countdown moments and bonfires.
And not only in the Netherlands will the party be soberly celebrated for fear of the Omikron variant. For example, London has put an end to the traditional celebration in Trafalgar Square, the fireworks show at the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin is celebrated without an audience and the festivities in Times Square in New York only welcome a quarter of the normal number of visitors.
The island states of Samoa and Kiribati are the first places to usher in 2022 at 11 a.m. Dutch time, followed by the New Zealand cities of Auckland and Wellington at noon and Australia’s Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne at 2 a.m. noon (Dutch time).
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Also read: Maybe we’ve already had the last New Year’s Eve with fireworks
#ushered #fireworks #Australia #Hong #Kong