World
Euronews staff tell us how New Year is celebrated in their countries
From Spain’s grape-eating tradition to Italy’s lucky red underwear, Euronews staff share how they like to see the new year in.
Every European country has its own way of ringing in the new year, with traditions that overlap and diverge across borders.
If you have ever wondered how each nation celebrates New Year’s Eve, Euronews staff has got you covered. Here are their tales of how the moment is marked in their home countries.
Portugal: Inês Trindade Pereira
We spend New Year’s Eve with either family or friends, celebrating and partying with loved ones. We also wear blue underwear, as it’s supposed to bring good luck for the new year.
At midnight, we eat one raisin for each of the clock’s 12 strikes and wish for nice things like health and happiness. We also drink champagne and make a toast, and then watch the fireworks as the new year begins.
Then we go to our balconies and bang pots and pans really loudly. The noise is supposed to make the bad energies stay behind in the last year.
Ireland: Meabh McMahon
Irish people often celebrate New Year’s Eve by gathering with friends and family to enjoy a night of food, drink, and good company. The atmosphere is lively, with bars, restaurants, and clubs filled to capacity as people come together to ring in the new year.
While some may choose to go out and party, others prefer to stay in for a more relaxed celebration to avoid expensive nights out and long queues.
Those who stay at home often indulge in a massive feast, complete with delicious food, drinks, and a carefully curated playlist, creating a cosy and enjoyable evening.
In addition to the food and festivities, one of the key traditions in Ireland is watching the fireworks display and the countdown on national TV.
As the clock strikes midnight, people across the country sing “Auld Lang Syne” to mark the transition into the new year.
France: Romane Armangau
In France, we call New Year’s Eve “Le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre”, and we mark it with a festive and luxurious dinner.
It’s a time for big meals and lots of socialising. We usually celebrate among friends and gather to enjoy gourmet foods like foie gras, oysters and seafood, and champagne flows throughout the evening.
At midnight, we celebrate with a toast of champagne, exchanging wishes for a happy new year with the traditional phrases “Bonne Année” or “Meilleurs Vœux”.
While large cities may have fireworks and public events, many people celebrate quietly at home with loved ones. In Paris, there is a huge fireworks show at the Eiffel Tower. It’s also common to kiss friends and family on the cheek as part of the celebration.
Hungary: Sándor Zsíros
In Hungary, 31 December is an occasion for festivities, parties, and gatherings.
At midnight, everyone listens to the national anthem on television, standing with a glass of champagne in hand until the end, when we clink glasses and wish each other a happy new year.
Then, after the president makes a televised speech, we watch the beautiful fireworks ring in the new year.
For New Year’s Eve, traditional dishes include salty cakes, roasted pig, lentil soup, and sausage.
On 1 January, we eat lentils to bring money and luck. The one thing we’re not supposed to eat is chicken, which is said to “scratch the good luck”.
Italy: Alice Carnevali
It’s customary for Italians to enjoy lentils and cotechino, a hearty pork sausage, at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
This tradition dates back to ancient Rome, where people would carry a scarsella — a leather pouch filled with lentils — tied to their belts, symbolising the hope that the beans would magically turn into coins.
The shape of the lentils, round and coin-like, is the inspiration behind the tradition. Additionally, Italians also wear red underwear to attract good fortune in the year ahead.
Spain: Leticia Batista-Cabanas
In Spain, we call the last night of the year “Nochevieja,” which literally means old night. In our tradition, we eat 12 grapes at midnight, one at each strike of the clock.
This little ritual, a century-old tradition, is supposed to bring good luck for the next year. Spaniards specifically hoping to find love in the coming year should eat the grapes while crouching under the dining room table. In my experience, this is not an infallible technique.
We also wear red underwear for that extra bit of luck. After midnight, we hug and kiss our loved ones, then watch the fireworks and party until the morning.
The next day, it’s traditional to eat lentils, which are supposed to bring abundance and prosperity.
Greece and Cyprus: Orestes Georgiou
In Cyprus and Greece, a coin is placed inside a traditional New Year’s cake called vasilopita, which is infused with orange and mastic. The cake is baked on 31 December then cut on New Year’s Day, with everyone receiving a piece by order of eldest to youngest.
The person whose slice has the coin is considered to be blessed with luck for the year, and is expected to keep hold of the coin and not spend it.
Another tradition observed across Greece involves hanging a pomegranate, a symbol of prosperity and good fortune, on the front door of each home.
At midnight on New Year’s Eve, the lights are turned off, and the pomegranate is smashed against the door. This signifies a blessing for the family home, with the year ahead said to be full of health and happiness.
Germany: Johanna Urbancik
In Germany, New Year’s Eve — or Silvester — is all about fireworks. It’s an old tradition to scare away evil spirits. Everyone fires New Year’s Eve rockets into the air — a gold mine for manufacturers. There are rockets available for €10, but you can easily spend more than €100.
People also do something called “bleigießen” to predict the future. It’s lead casting, where we place a little spoonful of lead over a flame. Once it’s liquid, you tip it into a bowl of water, and the shape it takes predicts your future. However, it’s illegal now.
Another classic tradition is to watch a British comedy sketch from 1963 called Dinner for One on TV. There’s also a superstition not to hang up laundry.
Poland: Berenika Sorokowska
In Poland, New Year’s Eve, or “Sylwester”, is celebrated with parties, music, dancing, and fireworks. We gather with friends and family to ring in the new year, often celebrating until midnight.
When the clock strikes 12, fireworks light up the sky, marking the start of the new year with hope and joy. On New Year’s Day, families often relax and enjoy a quiet day together.
Some Poles also take part in making resolutions for the year ahead, focusing on self-improvement. The day is about reflection and celebrating the fresh start that the new year brings.
We also bake something called faworki, traditional Polish pastries also known as “angel wings.” They are thin, crispy strips of dough that are twisted into shapes and deep-fried until golden and crunchy.
After frying, they are dusted with powdered sugar. Faworki are light, airy, and have a delicate texture, making them a popular treat during festive seasons.
World
Minneapolis on edge after fatal shooting of woman by ICE officer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis was on edge Thursday following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer taking part in the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown, with the governor calling for people to remain calm and schools canceling classes and activities as a safety precaution.
State and local officials demanded ICE leave the state after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good was shot in the head. But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said agents are not going anywhere.
The Department of Homeland Security has deployed more than 2,000 officers to the area in what it says is its largest immigration enforcement operation ever. Noem said more than 1,500 people have been arrested.
Macklin Good’s killing Wednesday morning in a residential neighborhood south of downtown was recorded on video by witnesses, and by the evening hundreds of people came out for a vigil to mourn her and urge the public to resist immigration enforcement. Some then chanted as they marched through the city, but there was no violence.
“I would love for ICE to leave our city and for more community members to come to see it happens,” said Sander Kolodziej, a painter who came to the vigil to support the community.
The videos of the shooting show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The Honda Pilot begins to pull forward, and a different ICE officer standing in front of it pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.
It is not clear from the videos if the vehicle makes contact with the officer, and there is no indication of whether the woman had interactions with ICE agents earlier. After the shooting the SUV speeds into two cars parked on a curb before crashing to a stop.
In another recording made afterward, a woman who identifies Macklin Good as her spouse is seen crying near the vehicle. The woman, who is not identified, says the couple recently arrived in Minnesota and they had a child.
Noem called the incident an “act of domestic terrorism” against ICE officers, saying the driver “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him.”
President Donald Trump made similar accusations on social media and defended ICE’s work.
Noem alleged that the woman was part of a “mob of agitators” and said the officer followed his training. She said the FBI would investigate.
But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called Noem’s version of events “garbage.”
“They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense,” Frey said. “Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bullshit.”
He also criticized the federal deployment and said the agents should leave.
The shooting marked a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major cities under the Trump administration. Wednesday’s is at least the fifth death linked to the crackdowns.
The Twin Cities have been on edge since DHS announced the operation’s launch Tuesday, at least partly tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.
A crowd of protesters gathered at the scene after the shooting to vent their anger at local and federal officers.
In a scene that hearkened back to crackdowns in Los Angeles and Chicago, people chanted “ICE out of Minnesota” and blew whistles that have become ubiquitous during the operations.
Gov. Tim Walz said he was prepared to deploy the National Guard if necessary. He expressed outrage over the shooting but called on people to keep protests peaceful.
“They want a show,” Walz said. “We can’t give it to them.”
There were calls on social media to prosecute the officer who shot Macklin Good.
Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said state authorities would investigate the shooting with federal authorities.
___
Dell’Orto reported from St. Paul, Minnesota. Associated Press reporters Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Ed White in Detroit, Valerie Gonzalez in Brownsville, Texas, Mark Vancleave in Las Vegas, Michael Biesecker In Washington, Jim Mustian in New York and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.
World
‘Irregular’ armed guards aboard Russian shadow tankers alarm Nordic-Baltic governments
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The seizure of a Russian-linked oil tanker in the North Atlantic has highlighted “worry” among NATO and Nordic-Baltic governments over dark fleet vessels and the type of crews onboard, according to a maritime intelligence analyst.
U.S. military and Coast Guard personnel boarded the Marinera between Iceland and the U.K. Wednesday as it operated under deceptive shipping practices, including flying a false flag and violating sanctions.
According to Reuters, Russian authorities demanded the humane treatment and repatriation of the crew members.
Windward maritime intelligence analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann claimed the Marinera’s ownership had just been transferred to Burevestmarin LLC, a Russian company.
TREASURY TARGETS OIL TRADERS, TANKERS ACCUSED OF HELPING MADURO EVADE U.S. SANCTIONS
U.S. forces seized the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker in the North Atlantic Sea Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, according to the U.S. military. (US European Command)
“We do not know the status of these sailors and seafarers, who are Russian nationals,” Wiese Bockmann told Fox News Digital. “That lack of clarity is common with dark fleet tankers.
“The Marinera did have its ownership transferred to a newly formed Russian company, with the registered owner, ship manager and commercial manager being Burevestmarin LLC.”
She also suggested NATO and the Nordic-Baltic 8+ group of governments have been “worried” about sanctioned oil tankers with unauthorized personnel onboard, including “armed guards.”
WORLD’S BIGGEST OIL RESERVE HOLDER FACES US CHOKEHOLD AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELA’S SHADOW TANKER FLEET
U.S. forces seized the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker in the North Atlantic Sea Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, according to the U.S. military. (US European Command)
“Increasingly, and I know the Nordic Baltic 8+ governments are worried about the fact that you are having unauthorized people also on board, also known as armed guards,” Wiese Bockmann said. “But it is highly irregular.
“Armed guards are rarely seen and typically used on ships that are transiting the Gulf of Aden or the Red Sea and are therefore assessed as at risk from attack by Houthis or pirates,” she added.
After the seizure, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected Russian demands for special treatment of the Marinera’s crew during her regular briefing Wednesday.
“This was a Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel that had transported sanctioned oil,” Leavitt said.
“The vessel was deemed stateless after flying a false flag, and it had a judicial seizure order. And that’s why the crew will be subject to prosecution.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was “closely following” the situation, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
US COAST GUARD PURSUES THIRD ‘DARK FLEET’ OIL TANKER AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELAN SANCTIONS EVASION NETWORK
A crude oil tanker waits its turn to be loaded with crude oil at Lake Maracaibo in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela, May 9, 2025. (Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images)
Wiese Bockmann noted that dark fleet crews are often multinational, typically involving a Russian master with Chinese, Indian or Filipino crew members.
“There is a blurring of commercial and military shipping around the dark fleet,” she said. “What we’re seeing now is something that has really only emerged in the last six or seven months.”
European authorities have also begun holding crews accountable, particularly when captains are “facilitating dangerous deceptive shipping practices, such as spoofing and going dark,” she explained.
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“The EU recently sanctioned the captain of a tanker who refused orders from the Estonian navy (Jaguar) to be stopped for inspection last May. And the French charged a captain over his refusal to comply with orders and failure to justify a flag’s nationality after authorities intercepted a dark fleet tanker in the Atlantic last October,” Wiese Bockmann added.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, a second vessel, the M. Sophia, was also boarded in international waters near the Caribbean while en route to Venezuela.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
World
Saudi-led coalition says STC’s al-Zubaidi fled to UAE via Somaliland
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
Secessionist leader took a boat to Berbera and then boarded a plane that flew to Abu Dhabi via Mogadishu, coalition says.
Published On 8 Jan 2026
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen has announced that the leader of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) has fled to the United Arab Emirates via Somaliland after skipping planned peace talks in Riyadh.
In a statement on Thursday, the coalition said Aidarous al-Zubaidi “escaped in the dead of night” on Wednesday on board a vessel that departed Aden in Yemen for the port of Berbera in Somaliland.
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Al-Zubaidi then boarded a plane along with UAE officers and flew to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. “The plane turned off its identification systems over the Gulf of Oman, then turned it back on 10 minutes prior to arrival at Al Reef military airport in Abu Dhabi,” the statement said.
There was no immediate comment from the STC or the UAE.
If confirmed, the move could deepen the feud between Saudi Arabia and the UAE that came to light after the Abu Dhabi-backed STC launched an offensive against the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government troops in December.
The STC – which initially supported Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthi rebels in northern Yemen – is seeking an independent state in southern Yemen. It seized the provinces of Hadramout and Mahra, which border Saudi Arabia, in a campaign that Riyadh described as a red line for its national security.
The Saudi-led coalition responded with air strikes on the Yemeni port of Mukalla on December 30, targeting what it called a UAE-linked weapons shipment, and backed a call by Yemen’s internationally recognised government for Emirati forces to withdraw from the country.
For its part, Abu Dhabi denied that the shipment contained weapons and expressed a commitment to ensure Riyadh’s security. On the same day, it announced an end to what it called its “counterterrorism mission” in Yemen.
Yemeni government troops, backed by Saudi Arabian air attacks, went on to reclaim Hadramout and Mahra, and the STC said on Saturday that it would attend peace talks hosted by Saudi Arabia.
But the coalition said al-Zubaidi was not on board the Yemeni Air flight that took the STC delegation to Riyadh on Wednesday.
It launched strikes on al-Zubaidi’s forces in Yemen’s Dhale governorate, while Yemeni government’s ground forces moved on the STC controlled Aden and seized the presidential palace in the city.
The head of the internationally recognised government’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, has meanwhile announced that al-Zubaidi has been removed from the council for “committing high treason”.
Al-Alimi said he has asked the country’s attorney general to launch an investigation against al-Zubaidi and take legal action.
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