Skip next section Australia celebrates big with fireworksDecember 31, 2023
Australia celebrates big with fireworksAustralia’s largest city, Sydney, which proclaims itself the “New Year’s capital of the world,” has taken its moment in the spotlight, with its traditional firework display above the Harbour Bridge.
The bridge stood in relative darkness during the countdown, before giving way to a dazzling display of bright colors after the stroke of midnight.
The show, involving some 8 metric tons of fireworks, was witnessed by tens of thousands of people gathered at vantage points along the waterfront.
The renowned display is one of the most complex in the world, costing about 7 million Australian dollars (€4.3 million, $4.8 million). City authorities say it is watched annually by around 425 million people worldwide.
An earlier firework display, for families, also took place at the Harbour Bridge.
Many revelers have been camping to bag the best vantage points since Sunday morning.
The Sydney fireworks marked the change of year for the states of New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria, with Australia split across several time zones.
The French overseas territory of New Caledonia celebrated at the same time, as did several regions of eastern Russia.
South Australia, and a small part of New South Wales, see in the New Year half an hour after Sydney.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ajrISkip next section Parts of US, Australia, France and Russia usher in 2024December 31, 2023
Parts of US, Australia, France and Russia usher in 2024Various island domains of the United States, France, and Australia have welcomed in the New Year, as have two far easterly mainland regions of Russia.
Australia’s Norfolk Island, France’s Wallis and Futuna and the US Wake Island all in ring the changes one hour ahead of Australia and one behind New Zealand. So, too, to the Chukotka and Kamchatka regions of Russia, on the opposite side of the International Date Line to Alaska.
Kiribati’s Gilbert Islands, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu are also already in 2024.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ajqSSkip next section New Zealand and Samoa light up skiesDecember 31, 2023
New Zealand and Samoa light up skiesIn New Zealand, fireworks have lit up Auckland’s Sky Tower, along with a laser light and animation show synchronized with other landmarks such as the city’s Harbour Bridge.
The display began with a digitized countdown projected onto the base of the tower before some 500 kilograms of pyrotechnics were launched from the structure.
There were also fireworks at an innercity lagoon in the capital, Wellington.
Meanwhile, in the island nation of Samoa, there were two separate fireworks displays planned — one in the capital Apia, and the other on the largest island Savai’i.
New Zealand pyrotechnic experts were called in to ensure the fireworks were fired simultaneously from both islands at the stroke of midnight.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ajqQSkip next section Chatham Islands celebrate aloneDecember 31, 2023
Chatham Islands celebrate aloneNew Zealand’s Chatham Islands have celebrated the New Year, just 15 minutes after parts of Kiribati.
The islands are a little unusual in having standardized their time to 12 hours and 45 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC) back in 1868.
Although New Zealand’s Standard Time Act of 1945 established the country’s time 12 hours behind GMT/UTC, the Chatham Islands informally set their clocks 45 minutes ahead of the mainland.
New Zealand’s parliament formalized the difference with an amendment to the Standard Time Act in 1956.
The islands are about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of New Zealand’s South Island and are home to some 700 people.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ajljSkip next section First in line — Kiribati’s Line IslandsDecember 31, 2023
First in line — Kiribati’s Line IslandsKiribati’s Line Islands are the first part of the globe to welcome in 2024, although no major events were planned on the main island of Kiritimati.
Line Islanders tend to celebrate the change of year with roast pig and crayfish and other traditional foods, washed down with the popular beverage of coconut sap.
The islands weren’t always the first part of the world to see in the New Year.
A change of time zone for the Line Islands took effect on December 31, 1994. The adjustment effectively moved the International Date Line more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to the east within Kiribati.
That brought all of the archipelago nation — which has three time zones — into the Asian side of the Date Line, despite parts of the Line Islands being further east than Hawaii.
The move was made to eliminate the confusion caused by Kiribati straddling the Date Line and the islands being constantly split across two different days.
While the Line Islands share the same time of day as Honolulu, the date there is one day ahead.
Sinking islands: Kiribati faces up to climate changeTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/4ajlYSkip next section Berlin police prepare for possible troubleDecember 31, 2023
Berlin police prepare for possible troublePolice in Berlin are planning a major deployment at the turn of the year, fearing outbreaks of violence like those at the end of 2022.
Extra officers are being drafted in against the backdrop of last New Year’s Eve when there were attacks on police officers, firefighters and paramedics in some Berlin neighborhoods. In some cases, the assailants used firecrackers and other fireworks.
The war in Gaza has already created a tense atmosphere in the German capital.
Police also announced on Saturday that a pro-Palestinian rally scheduled for New Year’s Eve in Berlin’s Neukölln district would not take place.
The decision was taken over fears the demonstration might take over the event, leading to possible violence.
German authorities to tighten security on New Year’s EveTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/4ajl1Skip next section Bans on celebrations over conflict in GazaDecember 31, 2023
Bans on celebrations over conflict in GazaPakistan has banned New Year’s Eve celebrations in what the government said was a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, urging people to instead “observe simplicity.”
Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said the situation in the Gaza Strip meant the government had “completely banned all kinds of events regarding the New Year celebrations.”
New Year’s Eve celebrations in Pakistan are usually marked in a boisterous way, with fireworks and aerial gunfire.
Meanwhile, Sharjah, an emirate of the United Arab Emirates, has banned New Year’s Eve fireworks.
In a Facebook post, Sharjah police said the ban was “a sincere expression of solidarity and humanitarian cooperation with our siblings in the Gaza Strip.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4ajl2Skip next section Despite global woes, Germany’s Scholz voices optimismDecember 31, 2023
Despite global woes, Germany’s Scholz voices optimismIn his New Year’s message, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged the tough global landscape but expressed confidence that “Germany will get through it.”
“So much suffering; so much bloodshed. Our world has become a more unsettled and harsher place. It’s changing at an almost breathtaking speed,” Scholz said, according to the text of his speech released by his office ahead of the broadcast on New Year’s Eve.
The German leader, however, struck an optimistic note and highlighted the obstacles the country successfully overcame in 2023, both domestically and internationally.
“Our strength resides in our readiness to compromise — in the efforts we put in for one another,” Scholz asserted.
rc/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
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