Various countries around the world got out the fireworks to celebrate the New Year.
Europe and Africa joined the new years party with fireworks, followed by North and South America, Parts of Asia and the Middle East, while Pakistan fell quiet in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
However, Celebrations were muted in parts of the world due to a string of ongoing conflicts.
Pope Francis led a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday, emphasizing peace and the importance of mothers and women in the church and society as well as in securing a more peaceful world.
The UN General Assembly also named January 1 International Day of Peace in 1981 by unanimous resolution.
The US President, Joe Biden said in an interview ahead of the ball drop that he hoped celebrants realized “we’re in a better position than any country in the world to lead the world.”
In London, Mayor Sadiq Khan posted a short video clip of the celebrations on his X, stressing that London was sending a message of unity, love & hope to the world.
President of France, Emmanuel Macron called for unity in his New Year’s Eve message.
“We will have to make the choice of a stronger, more sovereign Europe in the light of the legacy of Jacques Delors,” he said.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on his fellow countrymen to shape the new year according to their own ideas and never loose sight of the future of their homeland.
“The new year will be exactly what we want it to be and how we will shape it,” he said.
Also, back home in Nigeria, President Tinubu said in a New Year message on Monday, that his administration has prioritised economic aspirations and the material well-being of the poor.
He said that the year 2024 would also witness a boost in food availability and production of petroleum products with the various initiatives set in the last seven months of the administration.
“Having laid the groundwork of our economic recovery plans within the last seven months of 2023, we are now poised to accelerate the pace of our service delivery across sectors.’’ He said.
