Global New Year's Eve Celebrations Usher in 2024 Amid Ongoing Conflicts

Fireworks light up skies worldwide, while wars in Gaza and Ukraine cast a somber tone on the festivities.

New Year's Eve celebrations spanned across 39 time zones with major cities around the world marking the arrival of 2024 with fireworks and light shows.
In New York City, thousands gathered in Times Square to watch the iconic ball drop, while heightened security measures were in place due to near-daily protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war.
In France, 90,000 police and security officers were deployed for the New Year's Eve celebrations, which included a light show projected onto the Arc de Triomphe.
China celebrated relatively quietly due to safety and pollution concerns, while President Xi Jinping pledged in his New Year address that China would 'surely be reunified' with Taiwan.
Ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine cast a shadow over the celebrations, with Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killing at least 35 people and Russia's military actions in Ukraine causing local authorities to cancel firework displays.