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Germany's perennial debate over safety has flared up once again as fireworks sales resume ahead of New Year. Meanwhile, a spate of black ice has caused numerous accidents across the country. Follow our updates. Fireworks back on sale in Germany as calls resume for a a general ban for the public Black ice has led to dozens of accidents on the country's roads Unemployed people in Germany now face record-low chances of finding a job The head of Germany's Catholic bishops hits out at rising nationalism Property prices in Germany have risen consistently over the past year Below is a roundup of the main headlines from Germany during the Christmas and New Year week: Weak economy keeps pressure on Germany's top companies Germany's largest listed companies are still feeling the strain of the weak economy, with profits falling sharply despite slightly higher revenues. An analysis by consultancy EY (Ernst & Young) shows that operating profit at the 100 highest-revenue companies dropped 15% year on year to €102 billion (about $120 billion) in the first nine months. More than half of the companies earned less than a year earlier, marking the third consecutive decline in profits. EY said the negative trend has become entrenched, even as turnover offered a rare glimmer of relief. EY partner Jan Brorhilker said 2025 had been "another crisis year" for Germany's economy. Weak growth, geopolitical tensions, US trade policy, and rising competition from Chinese firms were weighing on investment decisions, he said, hitting export-oriented industrial groups particularly hard. The difficult environment is also showing up in employment figures. Between January and September, the combined workforces of the top 100 shrank by about 17,500 jobs, a decline of 0.4% to roughly 4.24 million employees worldwide. Fireworks back on sale ahead of New Year The sale of rockets and firecrackers for the New Year period has begun again — for a limited time only. Pyrotechnics for New Year's Eve may be sold for a few days only at the end of December, with sales this year beginning from the moment shops opened on Monday. Online retailers are allowed to deliver pre-ordered fireworks to customers' homes during the last three working days of the year. The sales are not universally popular, with an unusual coalition of medical experts, police officers, environmental and animal rights activists calling for a general ban. After a New Year's Eve marked by deaths and injuries last time around, 270,000 Germans signed an online petition calling for a nationwide ban on private fireworks. Despite this, the Association of the Pyrotechnics Industry (VPI) expects 10 to 15% more goods to be available in stores compared with last year. In 2024, the industry reported sales of €197 million (up from €180 million in 2023) and hopes to increase this figure slightly. The firecracker industry has said it sees growing demand for "visually impressive display fireworks, especially compound fireworks and firework batteries." These products now account for more than 50% of total industry revenue. Continuing our coverage! Welcome back to our coverage. It's been a quiet few days as the "turn of the year" (or "jahreswechsel" in German) usually is. We'll continue to bring you the latest news from Germany in this blog as they happen. Black ice causes dozens of accidents across Germany Black ice created hazardous road conditions across Germany overnight, leading to numerous traffic accidents. By early Sunday, police in the eastern state of Saxony had recorded 32 accidents, with further incidents reported nationwide. The icy conditions also strained medical facilities. In Berlin, hospital emergency departments were overcapacity due to an increase in patients with fractures caused by icy conditions, according to newspaper Tagesspiegel. The German Weather Service said slippery conditions were expected to continue until mid-morning, with freezing drizzle possible in central regions, before warmer temperatures melted the ice. Several serious crashes were reported in Saxony and Hesse, including vehicle rollovers and collisions caused by loss of control on icy roads. Police also reported many accidents on Friday night and Saturday, particularly in northern Germany. Continuing our coverage! Welcome back to our coverage of all things Germany. Bonn is wrapped in mist this Sunday morning, and as tradition goes, it’s a "ruhetag", a day for slowing down and taking it easy. That doesn’t mean the news stops, though. If something happens, you’ll find it right here. We're pausing the blog We'll be back again on Sunday morning with the latest news in Germany. German Medical Association calls for ban on private fireworks The head of Germany's central medical professional body has called for an urgent ban on private firework displays ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations. "No one has anything against organized fireworks displays in central locations, but illegal fireworks must be banned," Klaus Reinhardt, president of the German Medical Association, told the RND media group in comments published Saturday. Reinhardt said a ban had "nothing to do with a culture of prohibition," but instead reflected "the maturity of a society that understands when to refrain from something dangerous." Public concerns about violent incidents involving fireworks, unintentional injuries and animal welfare are growing in Germany after New Year's Eve celebrations in cities such as Berlin and Munich turned into scenes of chaos. Fireworks can only be sold legally from December 29 to December 31 in Germany. Supporters of a ban include the GdP police union, which has warned that officers and other first responders are often targeted with fireworks during celebrations. Reinhardt noted that fireworks often lead to serious injuries, including blast trauma, eye injuries and burns. Opponents of a ban insist that emergency rooms are full on New Year's Eve because of alcohol consumption, not fireworks. They argue that home fireworks are a key part of the festivities. "We have a tradition of celebrating New Year's Eve this way," Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, a member of the conservative CDU party, told the Funke media group. Serious car accidents recorded across Germany because of icy roads Roadways in Germany were slippery on Saturday morning because of freezing temperatures and black ice, especially in the north and east of the country. Early in the morning, there was an accident on the icy Autobahn 1 in the northwestern state of Lower Saxony. According to police reports, five people sustained minor injuries. The police said a total of seven vehicles collided near Wildeshausen in the Oldenburg district. A mother and her child were involved in a rollover accident in the district of Cloppenburg in Lower Saxony when their car skidded off a slippery road around a bend in the morning, according to a police spokeswoman. The 22-year-old woman was treated in hospital for minor injuries. The eight-month-old baby was unharmed. According to preliminary police reports, approximately 120 traffic accidents have been recorded in the eastern state of Brandenburg since Friday evening. Nineteen people were injured. In almost all cases, cars slid out of control on icy conditions. In addition, no buses were running in Potsdam, just outside Berlin, in the morning due to freezing temperatures. "Due to weather conditions, bus service in the Potsdam city area is currently suspended," Potsdam's public utility company said. Meanwhile, in the eastern half of the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, there were more than a dozen accidents during the night because of icy conditions on roadways. Police say man who attempted scissor attack shot dead Police officers shot dead a 33-year-old man at a hospital in Giessen, north of the financial capital Frankfurt, authorities said. Hospital staff called the police saying a patient had threatened them with scissors, with police describing the man as being in psychological distress, the Hesse State Criminal Police Office (LKA) said in a statement. Investigators said the man had attacked officers with the scissors, prompting them to open fire. The man later succumbed to his wounds. US sanctions put German anti‑hate group on alert HateAid, a Germany-based non-profit that helps victims of online harassment, is reviewing whether recent US sanctions might disrupt its financial operations. The Trump administration issued entry bans on Wednesday, targeting both of HateAid’s managing directors, former EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton and two additional European civil society advocates. Washington accused them of contributing to censorship on US-based online platforms. The decision has been denounced by Berlin and Brussels. Although the organization holds no US bank accounts, co‑director Josephine Ballon told the dpa news agency that it is unclear whether the curbs could extend to credit card services or online platforms operated by US firms. Ballon confirmed that US authorities have already revoked her ESTA travel authorization, which had been valid until April, effectively barring her from entering the country. Her co‑director, Anna‑Lena von Hodenberg, currently does not hold a US visa. HateAid provides legal and psychological assistance to individuals facing digital abuse, including threats, insults and discrimination. German wine sector faces historic crisis despite top harvest Germany's wine industry is sliding deeper into trouble, even as growers praise the quality of the 2025 vintage. A market report by the German Farmers' Association said the harvest was exceptional in quality but described the economic situation as historically dire. The report said bulk wine prices of 40 to 60 cents per liter were far below production costs of about €1.20 ($1,42). Farmers' Association President Joachim Rukwied said the industry was facing its worst crisis in decades and warned that large areas of vineyards could be lost as a result. Domestic market share for German wine has fallen to 41%, the report said. Exports have also suffered, with US tariffs hitting Germany’s most important foreign market. Harvest volumes were unusually low. The 2025 wine harvest totaled 7.3 million hectoliters, 16% below the 10-year average and the smallest crop since 2010. Major regions such as Rheinhessen, the Palatinate, Baden, and Wuerttemberg saw declines of up to 20% compared with last year, while areas including the Mosel, Saxony, and Saale-Unstrut rebounded after frost damage in 2024. All 13 German wine regions reported very high grape quality. The association said wines from the 2025 vintage were aromatic, concentrated, and elegant, with small berries and strict selection boosting quality but reducing volumes. Nearly two-thirds of German wine is sold through supermarkets. Donations fall in Germany as fewer people give Donations to the Red Cross in Germany have fallen sharply this year, with other aid groups also reporting a noticeable drop in giving. The German Red Cross (DRK) said donations in 2025 were down by about €10 million, according to a report by the Rheinische Post. DRK President Hermann Gröhe said the decline had direct consequences for people in need. The organization expects to end the year with just under €40 million in donations, down from about €49 million in 2024, a drop of roughly 18%. Figures from the German Donations Council point in the same direction. In the first nine months of the year, people donated around €2.8 billion, about 14% less than in the same period last year. The council said fewer people donated overall, but those who did gave more. The average donation rose to a record €41 per gift, €3 more than in 2024. "Those who donate are doing so more consciously and more generously, which is a strong signal in difficult times," said Ulrich Pohl, chairman of the German Donations Council. He cited inflation, high living costs, and rising care expenses as reasons many households are cutting back, along with fatigue caused by multiple global crises. Judge group warns states are easing path for organized crime Germany's states have been making it easier for organized crime to operate by underinvesting in prosecution, according to the German Judges Association. The group's federal managing director, Sven Rebehn, told Germany's Funke Media Group that state governments were leaving billions of euros uncollected because they focused too narrowly on limiting personnel costs. Rebehn said every additional euro spent on investigators targeting financial and economic crime would pay for itself many times over. He estimated the volume of money laundering in Germany at around €100 billion (about $118 billion) a year. Organized crime benefits from chronic shortages, he said, pointing to a nationwide lack of about 2,000 prosecutors and a backlog of roughly one million open cases. Complex investigations often stall or end in plea deals because authorities lack staff and resources, Rebehn added. He said drug gangs, human traffickers, and financial criminals face weak resistance because law enforcement agencies are understaffed and poorly equipped. Women's football tops German television ratings again Germany's women footballers have once again delivered the biggest live television audiences of the sports year, finishing first and second in the annual ratings. An average of 14.573 million viewers watched the women's European Championship semi-final against Spain on July 23 on ARD, despite the defeat, giving the match a 57% market share and the top spot of 2025. Second place went to the national women's team's dramatic semifinal win over France. That match drew 10.919 million viewers on ZDF, with a 51.7% market share, confirming the women’s team as the strongest TV draw of the year, as they were in 2022 and 2023. The men's national team followed in third place. An average of 10.26 million viewers watched the Nations League semifinal loss to Portugal on ZDF, for a 43.8% share. "Women's football has made the breakthrough," said ARD sports coordinator Axel Balkausky. The women also topped the charts in 2022 and 2023 but the men are still far ahead when they play at big tournaments. The most-watched broadcast of 2024 was the men's Euro semifinal loss to Spain, which attracted 27.154 million viewers on ARD and a market share of 80.9%. Germany's job market stalls as hiring falls to record low The chances of unemployed people in Germany finding a job have reached a record low, according to the head of the Federal Employment Agency, Andrea Nahles. "We have an indicator that shows how high the probability is for unemployed people to find a job again. The value is usually around seven, but it is now at 5.7 — lower than ever before," Nahles said The labor market has been "like a plank for months," she told the news portal , with "no momentum coming in." With regard to the planned reform of unemployment welfare benefits, which would in future reintroduce the so-called placement priority for unemployed people, Nahles criticized the proposal. "From my point of view, this rule can really become problematic if attention is not paid to the qualification profile of each individual unemployed person" she said. The welfare benefits debate must "not ignore the labor market," Nahles demanded. In mid-December, the cabinet decided to replace unemployment benefits after only three years with a new basic income system that stipulates harsher rules and strict sanctions. According to Nahles, well-qualified workers still have the best chances on the labor market, although in her view no group of employees is any longer safe from losing their jobs. Prospects are currently poor for people entering the job market. "We have placed as few young people into apprenticeships as at any time in the past 25 years," Nahles said, referring to 2025. She advised new job entrants not to fixate on a single career choice or job location.