Revelers around the globe are bidding farewell to a decade that will be remembered for the rise of social media, the Arab Spring, the #MeToo movement and, of course, President Donald Trump. In Auckland, half a ton of fireworks burst from the Sky Tower above the city center. On March 15, a lone gunman identified killed 51 people and wounded dozens at two mosques in the South Island city of Christchurch. In December, an eruption of volcanic White Island off the east coast of the North Island killed at least 19 tourists and tour guides. ___KIRIBATIThe Pacific island nation of Kiribati was one of the first countries to welcome the new decade.

Source: Manila Times December 31, 2019 13:18 UTC