New Year around the world: fireworks, fires, protests, nuclear weapons

PETALING JAYA (Jan 1): The world rang in the new year with the usual fireworks, with some countries battling wildfires, or being rocked by protests.

In New Zealand, where 2020 dawned first, there were fireworks and parties.

In Australia, though fireworks rang in the new year over Sydney harbour, four million hectares across four states have been destroyed by fire, and over 200 fires raged across the southeastern states of New South Wales and Victoria. Reuters reported that government officials called for Australian military support and assistance from US and Canadian fire crews. Two people died overnight, the authorities confirmed, taking the total deaths in wildfires since the beginning of October to 11.

“This is absolutely one of the worst fire seasons we've seen,” Shane Fitzsimmons, commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service, was quoted as saying.

In Hong Kong, New Year's Eve fireworks were cancelled, according to Reuters, amidst rallies by the people against erosion of democracy. 

India also saw protests ring in the new year, due to a citizenship law that protesters deem discriminatory to Muslims and against the country's secular constitution.

Protests are planned in the capital New Delhi, which is currently experiencing its second coldest winter in more than a century, the financial capital of Mumbai and other cities.

In Japan, in accordance with tradition, people took turns striking Buddhist temple bells.

European capitals featured massive fireworks displays that drew large crowds to the Big Ben in London, the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Parthenon in Athens and the Kremlin in Moscow.

In North Korea, reported Reuters, leader Kim Jong-un announced today that North Korea would keep developing nuclear programmes along with a “new strategic weapon” in the near future, following a missed deadline by the United States to restart denuclearisation talks.