Australia and Japan happily kicked off new year celebrations on the other side of the world Sunday morning — even as the war in Gaza led to several governments banning celebrations.
More than 1 million revelers were treated to a 12-minute fireworks display near the Sydney Harbor Bridge, some watching from boats floating in the Australian city’s harbour.
“It was absolutely crazy,” said German tourist Janna Thomas after waiting all day for the spectacle. “It’s not so easy to find a good seat, but the view is amazing.”
In Auckland, crowds gather around a brightly lit 1,000ft tower to count down to 2024, setting the stage for the day-long celebrations to come as 2024 arrives around the world.
Japan rings in the new year with the ringing of temple bells at Tokyo’s Tsukiji Temple, with celebrants treated to hot milk and corn soup as they line up to ring the bells.
Sydney’s New Year’s celebration is a world first when 2024 arrives in the Australian capital. AP
More celebrations will follow throughout the day as the year comes around the world — culminating in the Big Apple’s annual Times Square celebration.
Nevertheless, the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip casts a long shadow over the usually festive arrival of the new year.
Pakistan banned the celebrations there in “a show of solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza,” Prime Minister Anwar-up-Haq Kakar announced.
Kakar said during a televised speech that Pakistanis were instead urged to “observe moderation” and that the government had “completely banned all kinds of events regarding the New Year celebrations.”
A similar ban was announced in Sharjah, one of the United Arab Emirates, as “a sincere expression of solidarity and humanitarian cooperation with our brothers and sisters in the Gaza Strip,” authorities there said.
Over 1 million people gather for the fireworks display over the Sydney Harbor Bridge. AP
Celebrations are expected elsewhere in the region, though – including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, reports The New Arab.
The October 7 surprise attack on Israel by Palestinian Hamas terrorists prompted violent Israeli counterattacks in the Gaza Strip — and pro-Palestinian protests around the world.
The rally has prompted governments to increase police presence at New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world — including in the five boroughs of New York City.
Mayor Eric Adams said there were no specific threats targeting the city’s Times Square festival but security would be enhanced with a “buffer zone” creating a police perimeter around revelers.
Fireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House and on the Harbor Bridge on New Year’s Eve in Sydney. AP
French officials said 90,000 police would be stationed there, with 6,000 concentrated in Paris, where an estimated 1.5 million people are expected to bring in the New Year.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said there was a “very high terrorist threat.”
German police are also expected to be out in force, with around 4,500 on duty to quell any potential unrest – a year after riots marred the start of 2023 in Berlin.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
