or why? because no one should have to flee. make up your own mind. d. w. made for mines. ah, ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, the world rings in the new year. from the beaches of rio de janeiro to sydney harbour bridge. millions gathered a usher in 2023 after 2 years of pandemic restrictions. also on the show,

croatia changes as currency to the euro and joins europe's passport pre. shank an area. the 2 milestones come exactly a decade after the balkan nation joined. the european will go live to her correspondents in sacrament. ah, i'm nick spicer, happy new year, and welcome to the program. a wave of new year celebration has swept the globe. the party has been in full swing as cities around the world returned to full scale festivities following 2 years of pandemic restrictions from sidney's iconic harbor bridge to times square in new york to rio de janeiro, copa cabana beach. the world's 8000000000 inhabitants. welcome to 2023. with a bang while there was no official fireworks display in the german

capital berlin, it didn't stop the city's residence from turning the night sky into a festive spectacle. mindy egyptian capital cairo people were treated to a fireworks display on the nile revelers and paris gathered on michelle's l. a. z. many had hopes for a better 12 months ahead of them is not my 2023. i hope it will be a yay! full of surprises, full of happiness, full of success, and a lot of good things. happy new year. i'd be one bed by piece everywhere. people must stop fighting lights and music filled the streets of karachi and pakistan. people. they're wishing for a brighter future after a year of widespread hardship. nothing that will be done. we must kill the

seeds of hatred. montague and so the seeds of love on him well as the new year began operating on, we should renew our pledge to be to love each other more. but the job i got about me, britain's capital london lit up in the colors of ukraine. and paid tribute to the late queen elizabeth the 2nd was greater understanding as the world said good bye to another memorable year. croatia has dropped his currency the kuna to adopt the common european currency, the euro. the balkan nation becomes the 20th member of the euro zone. croatia had to meet strict economic conditions to join european commission, president ursula fonder line travel as i gripped to mark the occasion. croatia also

became the 27th member of the passport free shingles zone, which allows more than 400000000 people to move freely through its borders. and let's cross over to stephen beardsley from d w. business who joins us live from quail as capital sag. stephen, what's the reaction been so far? i think that's right, as a historic gave your info basically becomes the 20th country to join the euro zone and only the 2nd country from the former yugoslavia mission of excitement and apprehension. here you can see i'm sitting in front of them here, the central bank with a gun never projections going on. and so right now it's really about pulling out those euro's right now, but the country has been many months now, putting it into banks and businesses happen gathering them now. next 14 days are via period, which there's a transition time. customers will be okay with the old currency to clean up or the new one, the, with the euro,

of course they will receive euros in change. it's still a little bit different here. the money is shiny and the math is a little bit difficult. i talked to one waitress and said she would actually keep up any more and start giving back, who knows and change because of the exchange was difficult. now i mentioned apprehension that is here, that with the price is being as high as they are. the exchange rate is not going to be in peoples neighbor here that people are going to round up and the things are going to get more expensive. there's also a bit of nostalgia here. remember, this was the, the currency of probation independence from 1091. so that is no small thing. and steven, how significant is this switch to, to the euro for croatia and its actual economy? yes, quite meaningful. if you look at, you mentioned the shang in milestone does the 2 big milestones that are happening today. both have broad remedy ramifications for their economy. the hope is that by reducing the friction on businesses and certainly sectors,

especially the 3rd sector, which is the most important branch here, information that will help increase business for this nation. so it is no small thing. talked to the central bank governor here who said that it also is afforded for borrowing cost by hitching their wagon essentially to a more larger, more stable point that they are, their risk premiums essentially for borrowing go down. and that is also a benefit in croatia. so there's a lot of hope that this will bring in for us in a lot more business and a lot more possible to lease on the political level of, for those who made this decision. one probably do here quite often here is that it was really a decision. it was left out of the people's hands. politicians made it, but obviously there isn't excited about what's going on nonetheless. okay, so a lot of excitement, but you mentioned grumbling. what is the nature of the grumbling? who are these critics? what are they saying? well, in addition to those who say that the decision itself was left out of their hands, we know that some critics say that economically doesn't make sense for

a small country like probation. this is a country that is in many ways. here's a lot of other european nations quite well that levels. we look at road growth, turning, especially after the pandemic of when you look at wages, it's actually one of the lowest. this is a small economy for 1000000 people. and of course, this country no longer has been sold its currency. instead, it cannot, i should say, cannot divide. the currency got strength in an artificially economic kinds of top. instead, it's one of 20 nations that has to work together to make a decision in frankfurt of european central when you're in mostly going to follow the big the, germany's in the francis and have more economic clout and croatia if it needs to make an adjustment, won't really have that power, the central bank governor assured me again saying look, this is not a big issue. we are ultimately joining a more stable point here. so i guess is right now on the 1st day, there's a lot more excitement, but there are a lot of question going ahead. okay,

with apologies to our viewers for the audio problems. and thanks to stephen beardsley from d w business and say grab the leaders of both russia and ukraine have vowed to push for victory in the war that has now lasted nearly a year. moscow has stepped up, is bombardment of keys and other cities firing at least 20 cruise missiles. russian missiles over ukraine. on the last day of the year. several waves of attacks hit key infrastructure with debris also falling on a residential area. will not of a shock from the blast through me and my husband against the wall, we fell on the floor in the corridor. then we heard the glass in the window shatter, and then there was explosion after explosion. the attack on the ukrainian capital lusted almost 3 hours in the center of cave. a russian missile hit in front of a hotel. what particularly shocked people here was the timing of the attack that

whichever, or they leased on this holiday, the day the whole world celebrates. we were hoping for a miracle. instead, you're sitting in the corridor and you don't know at all if you'll be alive to morrow. even this managed you severely this after this event, when i'm hired as a 6th, the drying with all the might do spa, new years for us. but the conduit, tristan, we will prevail, and when was death and destruction, it is a bitter end of the year for the people of keith. while the world celebrated the new year, of course, many residents in key were in bomb shelters, t w's emanuel. shes told me how they coped well, it was please change, especially those past 3 days, as i mentioned because we spent, we bill here leaving and key of we spent so much time under ground just, you know, hearing explosions outside sometimes here in the city center at which it was

chattering, was a windows or a shattering as well. so it's very scary and we've had in the report this woman saying she was hoping for a miracle. you know, yesterday people in the morning it was a beautiful morning, a sunday morning, the last day of, of a very hard year. people were looking forward to celebrate. instead, there were stuck on the ground. they were hearing explosions, above, above, above them. they leave in fear, of course, their resilience, but there's fear there as well. and there's a sense of dread, because they don't know when this all will end. and the president president vote, and there's a lensky may, does president do a new year's address? tell us more about that and, and how it was received, if you don't mind well at this address was very particular i was talking about is earlier with a ukrainian friend. so told me all the people that i know he watched this address. there wouldn't necessarily do that every year, but the series,

so particular in this year really also serve, allowed him, is the lensky gaining, you know, at the trust of every ukrainian, many people here didn't vote for him as a president, but then he really revealed himself as the countries leader on february 24th and ukrainians at the moment, really rally around her him and his speech was very much centered on ukrainians themselves on, on a dare you know, they're solidarity on the fact that they had to stand together to face the terrible are these terrible war, duddies unfolded, unfolding against them. so at this address was very much followed, very much appreciated as well. and very emotional. okay, as well. one can well imagine the w and manual shots reporting force from the ukrainian capital. thanks so much for look at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. at least 9 people have been killed in a stampede during new year celebrations in uganda's capital kampala,

the crush happened in a shopping mall as people went outside to watch a fireworks display. a 10 year old boy is among the dead. to the medical crowds are gathering in brazil's capital for the na duration of president elect, louisiana lou that the silver the left. this politician won his 3rd term in office in october beating former president j or the bull scenario by less than 2 percent. botero has left the country and has yet to recognize louis victory. pope francis has led the vatican's traditional new year mass a day after the death of his predecessor. francis took a break from his prepared address to honor former pope benedict as tributes come in from around the world. benedict died at the age of $95.00. his health was poor for the past few years and he was not often seen in public ben stone announcing that a formidable benedict and many are being de respects

that though he was appropriate, will go down in history for an enormously significant fact which was his resignation. that had not happened for 600 years, and it was a gesture of great freedom, great audacity in great courage, religiously displeased him for being the 1st to meet the victims of fiction. if you, within the catholic church or he was elected, he was in charge of the doctrinal section b. c, which had responsibility for issues to do with the sexual abuse increased. so he personally was responsible for the layer size issue over $400.00 around the world sexual abuse scandal. what's a divisive issue? benedict post, repeatedly criticized for not doing enough. i don't remember him as a religiously develop was me was did no trip within the morton weren't. it's a physical issue. she was surely

a very strong thinker. i love to law the positions she took on abortion eve and homosexuality. so they're really of a different age. i think his dogma, if he wasn't living in the same world. but for many people in germany, book benedict was a source of fright. he was germany's 1st pontiff in almost 500 years. the does she put it in this morning down the house, where benedict with born has been opened and a book of condolences is on display on notice that i am of course concerned unsaddled. but you have to say, he already wrote in february after 10 years as prob ameritas, that he is now ready in prayer and devotion. he said he is ready to go before his judge. so it is a good idea for and that he is ready for the last earthly and journey. it's the addition big book. benedict body will be displayed in st. peter's bethaly guy john

for 3 teeth, followed by his funeral on thursday. and that's the news for now. coming up next is a documentary about a bolling victim from afghanistan. and don't forget, there is more on our breaking use up and on social media. the handle for instagram and twitter is at d. w. news. i'm next pfizer in berlin from me in the entire news team. thanks for watching. ah, what secrets my behind these walls discover new adventures in 360 degrees and explore fascinating world heritage sites.