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ACROSS the globe, cities lit up in celebration.
In Paris, a countdown to midnight was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe, while snowy Moscow rang in the year with festive gatherings. In Japan, temple bells tolled as some ascended mountains to witness the first sunrise of 2026.
Dubai’s waterways glittered with jet skis performing acrobatics in a spectacular light show.
In Rio de Janeiro, over four kilometres of Copacabana Beach were thronged by revellers enjoying concerts and a twelve-minute fireworks display, undeterred by high tides that rocked barges carrying pyrotechnics.
AP reported on Thursday that other locations observed a more subdued approach. Hong Kong limited its festivities following a devastating apartment fire in November that claimed 161 lives.
In Australia, the celebrations in Sydney were closely monitored by police, many openly armed with rapid-fire rifles, marking a first for the event, after a recent mass shooting at Bondi Beach killed 15.
An hour before midnight, crowds paused for a minute of silence in memory of the victims and were invited to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns encouraged residents to participate despite the tragedy, stating: “We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime.”
In other regions, recent disasters tempered the festivities. Indonesia scaled back New Year’s events in response to floods and landslides in Sumatra last month that claimed over 1,100 lives, replacing fireworks with traditional dances in Bali. Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour remained dark, with light displays and countdown projections instead of fireworks. In Gaza, Palestinians expressed hope for peace, with Mirvat Abed Al-Aal, displaced from Rafah, saying: “The war humiliated us.”
Across Europe, celebrations were both jubilant and reflective. Pope Leo XIV closed out the year with a plea for Rome to welcome foreigners and the vulnerable, while fireworks illuminated landmarks from the Colosseum to the London Eye.
Parisian tourists and locals flocked to the Champs-Élysées, with Taissiya Girda, a 27-year-old from Kazakhstan, hoping for a peaceful year ahead: “I would like to see happy people around me, no war anywhere. Russia, Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, I want everybody to be happy and in peace.”
In Scotland, First Minister John Swinney encouraged people to embrace small acts of kindness, inspired by the national poet Robert Burns’ “Auld Lang Syne.” Greece and Cyprus replaced traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics, aiming to make celebrations more inclusive for children and pets.
New York City implemented additional security measures for the Times Square ball drop, including “mobile screening teams,” though NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed there was no specific threat.
Following the countdown, the ball will rise again in red, white, and blue to mark the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary, coinciding with Zohran Mamdani’s swearing-in as mayor in a private ceremony at a historic subway station. - January 1, 2026
