Wars cast a shadow on 2024

NEW Year's Day arrived to cheers from tens of thousands of beaming people in Times Square who were showered with confetti and hugs after watching the descent of the lighted ball marking the birth of 2024 with hope for some, even as the world's ongoing conflicts subdued celebrations and raised security concerns across the globe.

The march of midnight from time zone to time zone brought the new year first to places like Australia, where more than 1 million people watched a pyrotechnic display centered around Sydney's famous Opera House and harbor bridge — a number of spectators equivalent to 1 in 5 of the city's residents. It would be another 16 hours before New York reached 2024.

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