As Brits count down the hours until midnight, New Year’s Eve celebrations are in full swing in some parts of the world.
Christmas Island in Kiribati, an island nation in Oceania, is one of the first inhabited places in the world to welcome the year 2024.
The country is followed by the Chatham Islands in New Zealand, as well as Tokelau, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati’s Phoenix Islands and parts of Antarctica.
Auckland is the first major city to welcome the New Year with a fireworks display on the tallest building, Sky Tower.
New Zealand welcomes 2024 with fireworks in Auckland Celebrations also begin in Australia when the clock strikes midnight. Tons of explosives were detonated in a riveting 12-minute scene centered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
More than a million people, equivalent to one in five Sydney residents, watched the spectacle from the shore and from boats in the harbour.
German tourist Janna Thomas, who had been patiently queuing since 7:30 a. m, said: “It’s crazy. ” “It’s not easy to find a good seat but the view is amazing. Despite the cheers, the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as tensions in many parts of the world, are affecting this year’s New Year celebrations in many ways.
Many cities have implemented additional security measures, and some localities have even canceled New Year’s Eve events altogether. More police officers than ever have been deployed across Sydney.
The riverbank was the scene of violent pro-Palestinian protests after the sails of the Sydney Opera House were lit up in the colors of the Israeli flag during a Hamas attack on 7 October. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, a Muslim-majority country, the government banned all events to show solidarity with the Palestinians.
In a nightly televised message, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar called on his country to “show solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza” by starting the new year on a positive note. Simple Gazans have little hope that 2024 will bring them much relief after Israel’s 12 weeks of war to eliminate Hamas.
In Rafah, on the Gaza-Egypt border, which has become the main focus for Palestinians fleeing other parts of the enclave, people on Sunday were more preoccupied with finding shelter, food and drinking water rather than thinking about the new year.
“In 2024, I want to return to the ruins of my house, pitch a tent,” said Abu Abdullah al-Agha, a middle-aged Palestinian whose house in Khan Younis was destroyed and who lost a young niece there and live there”. nephew during an Israeli air strike.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark used her annual New Year’s address on Sunday to make the shock announcement that she will abdicate the throne on January 14 after a 52-year reign and be replaced by her eldest son, crown prince Fredrik.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the decision in a press release paying tribute to the 83-year-old monarch, expressing “heartfelt thanks to Her Majesty for her lifetime of service. ” and her tireless efforts for the Kingdom.
” Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned only briefly on Sunday in his New Year’s address his war in Ukraine, praising his soldiers as heroes but mainly emphasizing solidarity and common determination.
North Korea pledged to launch three new spy satellites, build military drones and boost its nuclear arsenal by 2024, as leader Kim Jong Un said US policy made war inevitable, the official media said on Sunday.
During Sunday prayer at the Vatican, Pope Francis said: “I wish everyone a peaceful end of the year and don’t forget to pray for me. “