heute 19 Uhr: Stille Nacht Bethlehem; Köln: Warnung vor Anschlagsplänen; Kirchen: Aufruf zu Frieden.

heute 19 Uhr: Stille Nacht Bethlehem; Köln: Warnung vor Anschlagsplänen; Kirchen: Aufruf zu Frieden.

The nightly news with Jana Pareigis. Welcome and thanks for joining us on Christmas Eve. Here’s a look at tonight’s topics. Silent night in Bethlehem. The war in the Middle East has largely kept the usual Christmas tourists away. Tension in Cologne. Increased security precautions are in place following warnings of a possible attack.

And, a recipe against loneliness. An innkeeper in Baden-Württemberg is providing a free Christmas dinner to bring people together. At Christmas, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. According to the Bible, he was born in Bethlehem. However, the war in the Middle East has changed things for this city in the West Bank.

Christmas Eve in Bethlehem usually means festive processions, loud music and colourful lights. But this year, things are a bit different. There are no decorations, no lights and no crowds of tourists. Henriette de Maizière reports on a quiet Christmas in Bethlehem. The city, which is typically packed

With tens of thousands of people from all over the world at Christmas, is almost empty because of the war in Gaza. No festivities, no Christmas tree and few tourists. The war is omnipresent here in Bethlehem. It feels a bit weird to be here. You can’t not be aware of everything that’s happening.

During the traditional procession, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa of Bethlehem was accompanied by scouts holding signs that read: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” His message today? We have to stop this. We must overcome the hostilities and turn over a new leaf. Violence only generates more violence. And the Christmas message must be peace.

In solidarity with their countrymen in the Gaza Strip, the Christians of Bethlehem presented a massive Palestinian flag. This year, we’re praying for a ceasefire. We pray that Jesus will be born again in the hearts of all people. We are sad because of the Gaza war.

My wish for next year is that there will be no war and that people will live in peace. This year’s nativity scene in the central square poignantly depicts Mary and Joseph amid the rubble of a house that has been struck by a rocket. It is indeed a silent night in Bethlehem,

On this holy night in the midst of war. Henriette de Maizère, the war continued in full force today. Yes, even today, the fighting continued unabated with casualties on both sides. The fronts in this war seem to be very entrenched, and peace is therefore not in sight at the moment.

Behind me, Holy Mass is being celebrated tonight in the Church of the Nativity. They’re hoping to send a message of peace throughout the world and are hopeful that it will resonate within the region, too. Thank you, Henriette de Maizière. Warnings were issued today for possible Islamist terrorist attacks in Cologne, Vienna and Madrid.

Christmas services at the Cologne Cathedral will take place with increased security precautions. Federal Minister of the Interior Faeser told the Funke Media Group today, “We take the threat of Islamist terrorism very seriously.” However, she emphasised that, “We all love our Christmas traditions and will not be intimidated.” Thomas Münten reports.

Long queues formed outside of the Cologne Cathedral on Christmas Eve. Anyone hoping to partake in Christmas services will have to undergo police inspection. By and large, however, visitors seemed to understand the measures. I think these security precautions will make sure that everything goes smoothly tonight. We’re very protected.

There are plenty of police here. We can count on them to keep us safe. I’ve never seen so many police in front of the Cathedral. I hope that it’s enough to deter people. If you don’t believe in God, you can just stay away. The police said that there were

“serious indications” of an imminent terrorist attack last night. After conducting searches with sniffer dogs, the police sealed off the Cathedral overnight. The tip-off was actually regarding New Year’s Eve. But this is a cathedral, it’s a major symbol of Christian faith. We have a tense security situation in Germany and Europe.

With all this in mind, we decided to take action in advance of New Year’s, knowing that so many people would be gathered here today. Threats were also made against the St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna and a church in Madrid. Four men were arrested in Austria,

Three of whom identified as belonging to the Islamic State. According to unconfirmed reports, another person was arrested in Saarland. Intensive security checks are now being carried out at many churches throughout Europe. In his Christmas address, Federal President Steinmeier warned Germans not to turn their backs on democracy.

Some people are sceptical about the state and politics and are worried about the future. Steinmeier said that, when the going gets rough in a democracy, courage and cooperation are better advisors than anger and contempt, and that we can only move forward together. You can read the speech in full in the ZDFheute app.

The Federal President’s speech will also be broadcast tomorrow following the news at 7:00 PM. Christian churches in Germany are also calling for cohesion and confidence. The Fourth Sunday in Advent and Christmas Eve coincide this year. They mark the beginning of the Christmas festivities. Church representatives today emphasised the importance of the Christmas spirit

In the midst of wars and crises. Andrea Mäuser reports. Hamburg’s St Michael’s Church, known to locals as the “Michel”, already saw droves of worshippers by midday. Many were looking to reflect in a place of peace. There is a sense of peace here, and that is simply wonderful.

It’s a moment to pause and reflect and to strip ourselves of earthly desires. It’s a place to just be grateful for what you have, to centre yourself and take time to think of friends and family. However, there are many who don’t have the support of friends and family. At a church-run homeless shelter,

Bishop Fehrs took the time to celebrate Christmas with some of these people. She expressed her hopes for all people: I want things to be more peaceful. I also hope that people recognise and embrace the solidarity that we so desperately need right now. We need to give each other more grace and warmth.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway in Limburg Cathedral for tomorrow’s broadcast of the Catholic Christmas service. Bishop Bätzing is sending his Christmas greetings to the faithful from the private chapel of the bishop’s house. It is a dark time, so we need a message of hope. And Christmas is the holiday of hope.

Jesus and God are on our side. God does not abandon us. That is my innermost and greatest conviction. Hopes, wishes and desires are part of the package on Christmas. And in this difficult year, that is perhaps more true than ever. Not everyone can or wants to celebrate Christmas with their family.

As a result, many people are alone on Christmas Even. But that doesn’t have to be the case. In many places, Christmas parties are hosted by social groups or municipal institutions to help stave off loneliness. Or, as Victoria Kunzmann reports, an innkeeper from Stuttgart. Frank Fischer celebrates Christmas Eve at the Demi restaurant.

Although he lives alone, he celebrates Christmas in good company here. I’m single. But I still want to experience things and have adventures. In the Stuttgart district of Weilimdorf, older and more lonely people without much money to spare are invited to dine at this restaurant on Christmas.

I think it’s very good that they do something like this for poor people. A few years ago, I joined Dimitri up at Bergholzofen. It was absolutely wonderful. We sat and talked for hours. Everyone was so kind, and we had such great conversations. And the food was delicious! It brings tears to my eyes.

This warmth and this comfort is what Christmas is all about. Not everyone gets to spend Christmas with their family. According to a recent survey, 10% of Germans are afraid of being lonely during the holidays. More and more young people are also affected. Loneliness is often an indicator of where our society stands.

The more we deal with the issue of loneliness, the harder it is for us as a society to stick together when we can no longer reach individual people. The innkeeper, Dimitrios Evangelopoulos, wants to reach everyone, especially those in need. It’s also nice to give something back.

We weren’t always rich and we didn’t always have enough. That’s why it’s nice to help provide people with some warmth around the holidays. Nobody has to be alone on Christmas. The war in Ukraine doesn’t stop for the holidays, either. Over the weekend, at least four people died in Russian attacks on Kherson

And nine were injured. Aide workers visited troops in the east of the country. Near the frontlines, between Kramatorsk and Kostyantynivka, they came bearing food and small gifts. For many soldiers, it’s a much-needed break from their daily routine. Alica Jung reports. Les Yakimchuk drove nearly 700 kilometres here from Kyiv.

His car was loaded with first aid kits and gifts for the soldiers fighting in eastern Ukraine. Spending time with them is even more important than being with my family in Kyiv. I can go back to my family and be with them as often as I want. But they can’t do that.

In addition to bringing the necessities, volunteers cooked kutya, a traditional Christmas meal. They also brought along letters written by children across Ukraine. Dear soldier, thank you for defending our country. They have been fighting here for almost two years. They’re happy to know that people are thinking of them.

When a child writes to you, they sound like an adult. I read it, and I feel like a child. It’s incredibly touching. Especially when it comes from younger children. They feel like everyone is moving on with their lives. Who can understand what they have seen here? People walk down the street, just laughing,

But people are dying out there. For the men here, Christmas is just another day of war. Stormy gusts and days of rain have made for uncomfortable weather in Germany. Many places are at risk of flooding. This is partially due to thawing temperatures. Vedat Acikgöz reports. This small stream has become a raging torrent.

Here in Sachsenburg near Chemnitz, water is spilling over the banks. The ground is soaked through and can no longer absorb any more rain. Lower Saxony faces a similar predicament. The Innerste and Leine Rivers are overflowing after days of heavy rainfall, creating a lot of work for emergency services.

Hundreds of sandbags are being used to prevent the water from penetrating further into residential areas. We’re going to set up protective walls at various points throughout the city. If necessary, we’ll continue to take measures like pumping out the water. We’ll just have to see how things unfold.

In the Bavarian region of Upper Franconia, some houses are under water. In some districts, the Main has already surpassed warning level three. Authorities are therefore issuing flood warnings for some areas. If the water levels continue to rise like this, things will get a little dicey around here.

We’ll have to keep a careful eye on things. In Thuringia, the cellars of some houses have already been flooded. For many, Christmas will be marked by flooding and the situation is likely to remain tense. The German Weather Service has issued warnings for heavy ongoing rain

In the Central Uplands of Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as heavy thawing in the Ore Mountains. Here’s the forecast for tomorrow: Prolonged periods of sunshine in the north and far to the south. Elsewhere, there will be intermittent rain. In the west, this rain will be particularly fierce.

Strong westerly winds on the Baltic Sea and gale-force winds of 7 to 14 degrees in the mountains. It will continue to be volatile, windy and mild in the coming days. You can see the latest news here at around 11:15 PM. Have a nice evening.

English Subtitles
Today’s topics: Silent night in Bethlehem; Warnings of terror attacks in Cologne; Churches call for peace; more news and the weather.
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