#cologne-pyrotechnics

#cologne-pyrotechnics

In 2019, scientists found that balloons eaten by seabirds are more likely to kill them than other kinds of plastic yet they do not seem to have been earmarked in the same way as, for example, plastic straws.

The evening, spearheaded by directors Sam Bardouil and Till Fellrath alongside patrons Monique Burger and Christine Würfel-Strauss, arrived at a fraught moment for Berlin, whose cultural scene faces funding cuts of roughly €130 million.

Felix Wienand was playing for Rot-Weiss Essen against Waldhof Mannheim in the German third division when the firecracker exploded "in his immediate vicinity" after being thrown from an area of the stands containing Mannheim fans, Essen said.

FC Bayern II have been docked a point and fined €26k by the Bavarian Football Association (BFV) for repeatedly setting off pyrotechnics. According to the BFV, FCB II fans violated the rules for the tenth time this season during the match against Wacker Burghausen at the beginning of December by 'repeatedly setting off pyrotechnic devices, thereby also posing an acute danger to players on the pitch'

Long known for its Carnival atmosphere, the RheinEnergieStadion was in real party mood after Ragnar Ache put the hosts ahead on the half-hour mark. But Bayern were in no mood for that, as Luis Díaz and Harry Kane flipped the game on its head in the space of seven minutes. Kane and Michael Olise then added gloss to the scoreline in the second half. Looking back now, that defeat was the start of a change for Köln.

In Berlin, hospitals and clinics and working nonstop to treat a surge of patients with injuries from falling on icy pavements. Surgeons have been working through the night to cope with the influx, with many patients suffering broken bones, concussions and even near-paralysis from falls according to reporting in the Berliner Zeitung. Meanwhile, on Thursday night alone, police in Hanover and the surrounding region recorded 37 traffic accidents due to slippery roads, though thankfully only one person was slightly injured.

Plastic is everywhere. Inside the human body, in the depths of the ocean and the far reaches of the Arctic. Now a new study warns that, unless the world changes course, plastic could more than double its damage to human health within the next two decades. The culprit is not plastic litter in the environment or microplastics, but the emissions released across plastic's entire life cycle from fossil fuel extraction and manufacturing to transport, recycling and disposal.

But at the end of this month, there's a brand new festival arriving to inject some colour into the financial district. 'Vibrance' will light up Roman ruins, medieval churches and secret gardens across the Square Mile on Thursday January 29 and Friday January 30 from 5.30pm until 8.30pm. Created by Guildhall Production Studio, it brings together more than a dozen artworks and live performances by emerging artists from Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

Whether it's called Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day or Mardi Gras, many countries choose to celebrate the last day before Lent by indulging in something sweet or fatty. In the UK and parts of the US, this usually means a big plate of pancakes in the morning. In Denmark there are special buns known as Fastelavnsbolle, Whether you celebrate it for religious reasons, or just because of a love of pancakes, it can be a real treat during these winter days.

If you're in Germany long enough you'll discover another common rule that has serious reverence for Sunday, legally speaking. It's called "Sonntag Ist Ruhetag," or Sunday is rest day. If you factor in the German national love for regulations and bureaucracy, it's easy to see how peaceful downtime has become a matter of law. At first, it felt like a little quirk to get used to, but the more I experienced it the more it revealed about my inner mindset.

Flights are grounded at Cologne-Bonn airport on Friday morning due to a security incident that may be connected to a technical failure. According to police, the security area of the airport has been evacuated. No further details have been released. A statement on the airport's website said: "Due to police action, flight operations are currently suspended. Passengers are kindly requested to pay attention to the information provided in the terminal. We will keep you informed."