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New Year’s Day Around the World, who got to 2024 first?

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Dana Malcolm

Staff writer

 

January 1, 2024 – As we welcomed the year 2024 on Monday January 1, some fireworks went off before others, as they do every year, but what determines who celebrates the new year first?

The short answer is time zones and the International Date Line.

United Kingdom

The Date Line is the internationally accepted boundary between one day and the next and sits halfway around the world from the Prime Meridian.  Generally, if a map was spread flat, with the IDL in the middle; to the west of the Date Line would be eastern countries like Russia, New Zealand, and Japan.  To the right, are Western countries including the Americas and some parts of Europe and Africa.  However, one would find there are even some of the easternmost countries that lie just to the right of the line, like American Samoa.  It means despite sitting right next to each other Kiribati and American Samoa are generally the very first and very last countries respectively to experience the new year.

The IDL is not legally binding, and countries can make requests to be on either side.  In fact, Kiribati used to be bisected by the line, with some of its islands celebrating the new year first,  and others much later.  Following a request to include all of its islands on the western side of the line the country officially became the first to celebrate New Year’s each year.

There are 38 time zones.  Each time zone celebrates New Year’s Day in a staggered motion.  Time Zones are listed below with some of the countries that fall into each, and the corresponding TCI time when they hit the 12 am mark.

UTC+14:00 including Kiribati at 5 a.m. Sunday

UTC+13:45 including sections New Zealand at 5:15 a.m. Sunday

UTC+13:00 including Tonga at 6 AM on Sunday

UTC+12:00 including Fiji at 7 AM Sunday

UTC+11:00 including the Solomon Islands at 8 AM Sunday

UTC+10:30 including Australia at 8:30 AM Sunday

UTC+10:00 including Papua New Guinea at 9 AM Sunday

UTC+09:30 including at 9:30 Northern Australia AM Sunday

UTC+09:00 including at  Japan, Korea (N&S), and Russia 10 AM Sunday

UTC+08:45 including Western Australia at 10:15 AM Sunday

UTC+08:00 including China at 11 AM Sunday

UTC+07:00 including Thailand at 12 p.m. Sunday

UTC+06:30 including  Mynmar at 12:30 p.m Sunday

UTC+06:00 including Bangladesh at 1 PM Sunday

UTC+05:45 including Nepal  at 1:15 PM Sunday

UTC+05:30 including India at 1:30 PM Sunday

UTC+05:00 including The Maldives at 2 PM Sunday

UTC+04:30 including Afghanistan at 2:30 PM Sunday

UTC+04:00 including the UAE at 3 PM Sunday

UTC+03:30 including Iran at 3:30 PM Sunday

UTC+03:00 including Kenya  at  4 PM Sunday

UTC+02:00 including South Africa and Greece  at 5 PM Sunday

UTC+01:00 including Germany Frances and Denmark at  6 PM Sunday

UTC+00:00 including The UK, Ghana, and Ireland at  7 PM Sunday

UTC−01:00 including The Cabo Verde Islands at 8 PM Sunday

UTC−02:00 including Brazil at 9 PM Sunday

UTC−03:00 including Argentina and Chile at 10 PM Sunday

UTC−03:30 including parts of Canada at 10:30 PM, Sunday

UTC−04:00 including Barbados, and The Dominican Republic  at 11 PM Sunday

UTC−05:00 including The Turks and Caicos, The United States, The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Cayman at 12 AM Monday

UTC−06:00 including Belize at 1 AM Monday

UTC−07:00 including parts of Mexico at 3 AM Monday

UTC−08:00 including the Pitcairn Islands at 3 AM Monday

UTC−09:00 including Alaska at  4 AM Monday

UTC−09:30 including French Polynesia at 5 AM Monday

UTC−10:00 including Hawaii at 5:30 AM Monday

UTC−11:00 including American Samoa at 6 AM Monday

UTC−12:00 including uninhabited islands at 6 AM Monday

Huge celebrations were held in almost every location.

Kiribati has become a niche tourist destination for those who want to ring in the new year first.

Fireworks and drone shows populated the globe, going off one after the other with sometimes as little as fifteen minutes in between time zones.

Exciting and by now, we are all well into the Year 2024!

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Bahamas News

Royal Bahamas Police Force – ARRAIGNMENT NOTICE

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The Bahamas, August 27, 2026 – The Royal Bahamas Police Force wishes to inform members of the public that several individuals are scheduled to appear before the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 27th August 2026, at 12:00 noon.

The individuals and charges are as follows:

An 18-year-old female is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:

Three (3) counts of Murder
Three (3) counts of Attempted Murder
Three (3) counts of Possession of a Firearm with Intent to Endanger Life
Three (3) counts of Possession of an Unlicensed Firearm
Two (2) counts of Possession of Ammunition
Armed Robbery
Abetment to Armed Robbery
Stealing
Receiving

The charges stem from three separate shooting incidents and an armed robbery that occurred on Friday, 21st August 2026, and Saturday, 22nd August 2026.

The first shooting occurred in the area of Soldier Road and Baillou Hill Road, resulting in the death of a 51-year-old male.

The second shooting occurred in the area of Joe Farrington Road, resulting in the death of a 52-year-old male.

The third shooting occurred in the area of Gladstone Road, resulting in the death of a 36-year-old male.

The armed robbery occurred at a business establishment in the area of Carmichael Road and Baillou Hill Road.

A 21-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on one charge of:

  • Murder

The charge stems from a shooting incident that occurred on Tuesday, 21st July 2026, in the area of Samson Street, Nassau Village, which resulted in the death of a 28-year-old male.

A 32-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:

  • Murder
  • Attempted Murder

These charges stem from a shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday, 24th December 2025, in the area of Graham Drive, Yellow Elder, which resulted in the death of a 25-year-old male.

 

RBPF, PACD

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Saunders Tells Caribbean Media: Be Seen, Be Heard – But What About TCI

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by Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

PROVIDENCIALES, TCI — In a country where government press conferences are virtually non-existent, ministers are often difficult for journalists to access and regular broadcast television news has disappeared, TCI Innovation, Technology and Energy Minister E. Jay Saunders has challenged Caribbean media to become “impossible to ignore.”

Speaking at the Caribbean Broadcasting Union gathering, Saunders argued that the Caribbean does not have a relevance problem but a “discoverability and positioning problem.”

Discoverability is precisely the issue in Saunders’ home country. Even Government’s own attempts at video news broadcasting have struggled against the realities of consistently producing a daily, weekly or even monthly newscast.

The difficulties confronting TCI media extend well beyond algorithms: limited advertising revenue, underfunding, shortages of trained professionals and insufficient human capacity leave newsrooms struggling for both staff and stamina.

Then there is the reality of operating in one of the region’s smallest societies. Politicians, journalists, advertisers, businesses and the subjects of stories often exist within the same tight economic and social circles. A controversial report that might create a ripple elsewhere can produce a tsunami in TCI, intensifying concerns among journalists about commercial and professional victimisation.

Saunders believes AI can help.

He urged Caribbean media to use the technology to transform one original story into television, radio, web, podcast, social and translated content without multiplying newsroom workload.

He also wants regional journalism structured so AI systems can find, understand and trust Caribbean sources, moving media beyond traditional SEO into Answer Engine Optimisation.

His ultimate message was emphatic: “Use AI not to make Caribbean media more artificial — but to make Caribbean voices more visible.”

For Turks and Caicos media, however, becoming visible may require more than technology. It requires an environment in which journalism can survive.

That last sentence is where I think we land the plane. It acknowledges that EJ actually has some us

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Bahamas News

Bahama Brass Band Invitation Sparks Heritage Debate Ahead of TCI Constitutional Holiday

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Turks and Caicos, August 20, 2026 – The planned participation of the Bahama Brass Band in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ inaugural Constitutional Holiday celebrations on August 30 has sparked public debate over culture, heritage and the historical contributions of Turks and Caicos Islanders abroad.

Organizers defended the invitation, saying the band’s inclusion is intended to highlight the deep historical ties between the two countries and honor Turks and Caicos men who helped establish and develop the institution in Grand Bahama.

According to the organizers, the Bahama Brass Band began in 1955 in Pine Ridge, Freeport, with Turks and Caicos Islanders, including the late Deacon Reuben Hall Sr. of Middle Caicos and Jenkins Williams and Mervin Hendfield of North Caicos, among those who helped build its foundation. The band eventually grew to more than 50 men.

The organizers also pointed to the participation of Turks and Caicos men in The Bahamas’ Independence celebrations on July 10, 1973, arguing that their contributions became part of Bahamian history while maintaining strong connections to their homeland.

Supporters say bringing the band home represents an opportunity to honor those pioneers, showcase their regional influence and expose younger generations to an important part of Turks and Caicos history.

However, concerns raised publicly described the invitation as potentially disrespectful to local culture and heritage. Organizers acknowledged those concerns, apologizing to anyone who felt overlooked or offended, while maintaining that no disrespect was intended.

The committee said the event should ultimately unite rather than divide, presenting the band’s history as evidence of the reach and resilience of Turks and Caicos heritage.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bahamas Brass Band

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