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World welcomes the New Year with fireworks and prayers

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Fireworks explode around the London Eye and Big Ben to mark the arrival of 2024 (Aljazeera)

Sydney and Auckland were the first major world cities to welcome the arrival of 2024.

Over a million revellers celebrated the New Year on Sunday night amid stunning fireworks displays, illuminating the skies over Australia’s Sydney Harbour and New Zealand’s tallest structure, the Sky Tower in Auckland.

Light rain that had persisted throughout the day in Auckland had cleared by midnight, and the countdown commenced against an illuminated digital display near the top of the 328-metre (1,076-foot) communications and observation tower.

Sydney
Fireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House and on the Harbour Bridge as part of New Year’s Eve celebrations in Sydney, Australia (Aljazeera)

As the clock struck midnight in Australia’s largest city, Sydney, a 12-minute fireworks display erupted around the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  More than one million people watched from the shore and boats in the harbour.

The small Pacific island nations of Tonga, Samoa and Kiribati had ushered in the New Year an hour earlier.

In Japan, temple bells rang out across the nation as people gathered at shrines and temples to welcome in the New Year.  At the Tsukiji Temple in Tokyo, visitors were given free hot milk and corn soup as they stood in line to strike a big bell, and a pipe-organ concert was held before a majestic altar.

China celebrated the new calendar year relatively modestly, with fireworks banned in most major cities over safety and pollution concerns.  During his New Year address, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the country would focus on building momentum for economic recovery in 2024 and pledged China would “surely be reunified” with Taiwan.

In Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, an air of enthusiasm prevailed as revellers congregated for a fireworks display at the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper. The celebration extended to concerts and various events held across the city.

New Years celebrations
People celebrate the New Year, in Taipei, Taiwan, January 1, 2024 (Aljazeera)

In India, thousands of revellers from the financial hub of Mumbai flocked to a bustling promenade to watch the sunset over the Arabian Sea.  Meanwhile, in New Delhi, fireworks raised apprehensions about the capital, which suffers from poor air quality, being shrouded in a toxic haze on the first morning of the new year.

In London, more than 100,000 revellers gathered along the banks of the River Thames to watch the city’s annual fireworks display. The 12-minute show lit up the London Eye and Big Ben. Tens of thousands also turned out for the fireworks in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital.

End of a tense year

The New Year celebrations came against the backdrop of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has heightened tensions in some cities around the world, including Sydney, where more police than ever were deployed to oversee the fireworks displays.

The waterfront has been the scene of heated pro-Palestinian protests after the sails of the Sydney Opera House were illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag after October 7.

Some 90,000 police and security officers were deployed around France, including along the Champs-Elysees in Paris, where large crowds took in a multidimensional light show projected onto the Arc de Triomphe showcasing the history of Paris and the sports that will feature in the 2024 Olympics.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis reflected on 2023 as a year defined by the hardships of war. In his customary Sunday blessing from a window overlooking St Peter’s Square, he extended prayers for various populations, including “the tormented Ukrainian people and the Palestinian and Israeli populations, the Sudanese people, and many others”.

In Pakistan, the government has banned all New Year’s Eve celebrations as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians. In an overnight televised message, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar urged Pakistanis to “show solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza” by beginning the new year with simplicity.

The Palestinians in Gaza say they have little hope that 2024 will bring much relief after nearly three months of Israel’s “genocidal” military campaign that has killed nearly 22,000 people.

The Arc de Triomphe illuminated in blue and gold during a New Year's Eve light show
Thousands gathered in Paris which will host the Olympics in 2024 (Aljazeera)

In Rafah on Gaza’s border with Egypt, which has become the biggest focal point for Palestinians fleeing other parts of the enclave, people were more preoccupied on Sunday with trying to find shelter, food and water than with thinking about the New Year.

“In 2024 I wish to go back to the wreckage of my home, pitch a tent and live there,” said Abu Abdullah al-Agha, a middle- aged Palestinian man whose house in Khan Younis was destroyed and who lost a young niece and nephew in an Israeli air strike.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on his countrymen to not to lose sight of the future of their homeland amid the ongoing war in the country.  “We Ukrainians know better than anyone that a better tomorrow does not come by itself because we defend each of our tomorrows with our own hands,” he said in his video address on Sunday, in which his wife Olena also appeared alongside him.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, facing an election in March, made only passing reference in his New Year address on Sunday to his war in Ukraine, hailing his soldiers as heroes but mostly emphasising unity and shared determination.

A woman wearing 2024 glasses bathed in pink light
A woman in Kuala Lumpur marks the arrival of the New Year. Although there were no official fireworks many people gathered in the city centre to celebrate (Aljazeera)

End-of-year celebrations in Russia, which usually involve fireworks and a concert on Moscow’s Red Square, were cancelled, as they were last year.  After shelling in the centre of the Russian border city of Belgorod Saturday killed 24 people, some local authorities across Russia also cancelled their usual firework displays, including in the far eastern city of Vladivostok.

(Aljazeera)



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Major highway partly collapses as Australian floods worsen

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"Record" rainfall is set to continue across the state's north [BBC]

Sections of a major Australian highway have been washed away, as flooding in Queensland worsens.

The torrential rainfall in the state’s north has claimed one life so far and forced thousands to flee their homes,  with communities in Townsville, Ingham, and Cardwell among the hardest hit.

“Record” downpours are set to continue, authorities say, with parts of the region already experiencing more than 1.3m (4.2ft) of rain since Saturday, causing dams and rivers to overflow.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who was briefed about the response efforts on Monday – said that the disaster had bought out “the best of Australians”.

“I’ve seen Australians helping one another in their time of need,” he wrote on X, adding that the “threat from floodwaters” would persist in affected areas for days.

Efforts to get rescue teams to some of the worst-hit towns and cities have been hampered due to the collapse of parts of the Bruce Highway – a major piece of infrastructure connecting Brisbane to the state’s regional centres which is longer than the road between London and Warsaw.

The Queensland Trucking Association told the ABC that the damage – which caused a bridge to cave in – could add an extra 700km (434 miles) to key driving routes, slowing down the delivery of critical supplies.

Queensland’s Premier David Crisafulli offered his condolences to the “tight-knit” town of Ingham – where a 63-year-old woman died in a rescue attempt after a State Emergency Service (SES) dinghy capsized on Sunday.

“We are deeply sorry for their loss,” he told reporters, adding that he would travel to north Queensland later Monday.

He also urged all residents located in the so-called “black-zone” of the floods – which includes six Townsville suburbs – to not return home, due to the ongoing threat posed by the nearby Ross River.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said the area received six months of rainfall in three days, while the Townsville Local Disaster Management Group warned that 2,000 homes could be inundated, some up to the second floor, as water levels rise.

The persistent deluge – which is gradually easing according to weather reports – has swollen waterways throughout the region. Major flood warnings remain in place for communities along the Hebert, Ross, Bohle, Horton, and Upper Burdekin rivers.

Emergency responders have continued working around the clock, with the SES receiving 480 calls for help overnight Sunday into Monday and performing 11 swift water rescues. Widespread power outages continue to be reported though, making it impossible for some communities to call for assistance.

SES Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy urged people to stay vigilant and check on their neighbours wherever possible. He added that some 400 people were now being housed in evacuation centres across Townsville, Ingham, and Cardwell.

Located in the tropics, north Queensland is vulnerable to destructive cyclones, storms, and flooding.

But climate scientists have warned that warmer oceans and a hotter planet are creating the conditions for more intense and frequent extreme rainfall events.

Meteorologists say the current floods could be the worst to hit the region in more than 60 years.

[BBC]
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Santorini to shut schools as tremors rattle island

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(Pic BBC)
Schools on the Greek island of Santorini have been told to close on Monday following an increase in seismic activity in recent days.

Authorities have also advised against “large gatherings in enclosed spaces” across the island – a popular tourist destination known for its whitewashed buildings and blue domed churches.

Tremors measuring up to 4.6 magnitude  have been recorded over the last couple of days – with quakes of 4.3 and 3.9 magnitude reported nearby on Sunday morning.

Santorini is on what is known as the Hellenic Volcanic Arc but the last major eruption was in 1950. Greek authorities have said that the recent movements are not related to volcanic activity and have started to subside.

The tremors recorded by geologists are considered minor or light, but authorities have recommended a number of preventative measures in addition to the school closure including to avoiding the ports of Ammoudi and Fira.

Big cruise ships often anchor near the Old Port of Fira, with passengers being brought to shore on smaller boats.

One of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, around 1600BC, formed the island as it stands today.

(BBC)

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India’s budget gives tax relief to middle class to boost spending, growth

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India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman holds up a folder with the Government of India's logo as she leaves her office to present the annual budget in parliament, in New Delhi, India [Aljazeera]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has unveiled an annual budget focused on appealing to the country’s middle class and spurring economic growth by boosting agriculture and manufacturing.

Announcing the annual budget in parliament on Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said people earning up to 1.28 million Indian rupees ($14,800) per year will not have to pay any taxes, raising the threshold from 700,000 rupees.

The government also lowered tax rates for people earning above the new threshold, as the world’s fifth-largest economy aims to boost domestic demand amid uncertainty over the global economic outlook due to potential new tariff barriers.

“The new structure will reduce taxes on middle class and leave more money in their hands, boosting household consumption, savings and investment,” Sitharaman said.

The move will result in an annual 1 trillion Indian rupee ($11.6bn) hit to Treasury revenues, the Reuters news agency reported.

The world’s most populous country is expected to post its slowest growth in four years next year amid frail urban demand and weak private investment, while stubbornly high food inflation has dented disposable incomes, the agency said.

Measures to assist the poor, youth, farmers and women were also included in the budget for 2025-26, Sitharaman said.

Per capita income is about $2,700 for India’s population of 1.4 billion, with about one-third considered middle class.

The tax cut is “likely to spur consumer demand and savings by the middle class that has faced challenges from elevated inflation and lower income growth”, Sakshi Gupta, economist at HDFC Bank, told Reuters.

To balance the revenue lost, the government has budgeted a modest increase in capital spending this year, which will rise to 11.21 trillion rupees in 2025-26 compared with a lowered 10.18 trillion in the current year.

Modi, in his third term as the country’s prime minister, has faced pressure to appeal to the country’s middle class and generate more jobs to help sustain growth.

The government will also boost productivity across the agriculture sector by launching a nationwide program to push high-yielding crops, focusing on the cultivation of pulses and cotton production.

Sitharaman said the programme will target at least 17 million farmers and raise the limit for subsidised credit offered to them from $3,460 to $5,767.

The government also plans to formally register India’s gig workers and ease their access to healthcare. Sitharaman said the government will issue them identity cards and help them access welfare initiatives.

India’s gig economy could employ more than 23 million people by 2030, according to estimates by government think tank, NITI Aayog.

Sitharaman also announced a new fund for startups and said the government will provide more money to promote innovation in partnership with the private sector.

She also announced the Nuclear Energy Mission to drive India’s transition towards clean energy, with a goal of developing at least 100GW of nuclear power by 2047.

[Aljazeera]

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