Throngs of revellers braved the second-coldest New Year’s Eve on record to usher in 2018 with a burst of confetti and fireworks in Times Square as the glittering crystal ball dropped.
In Scotland the forecast of strong wind did not end up affecting Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations as the gales of up to 80mph confined themselves to other parts of the country.
In Paris, throngs of locals and tourists headed to the Champs-Élysées to attend a fireworks show at the Arc de Triomphe. France’s New Year’s Eve celebrations were placed under high security.
Germans also rang in the new year under tight security from police mindful of widespread sexual abuse of women in Cologne two years ago and of a terrorist attack on a Christmas market in 2016.
In Indonesia, hundreds of couples celebrated the new year by getting married in Jakarta in a free mass wedding. The communal event, attended by 437 couples, was staged by authorities to ease residents’ struggles with bureaucracy.
In Dubai the 828-metre Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, once again served as the focal point of the new year celebrations in the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, India welcomed the new year with midnight celebrations at popular landmarks, temples, mosques, gurdwaras and churches.
In the Australian city of Sydney, more than an estimated one million people gathered to watch a spectacular fireworks display in the harbour.
In Singapore, people huddled under umbrellas to watch fireworks light up Marina Bay. Planned outdoor dance workouts and yoga reportedly had to be cancelled, but some still braved the weather to see in the new year.
In Japan, people celebrated the arrival of the Year of the Dog, eating New Year’s food such as noodles, shrimp and sweet black beans and praying for peace and good fortune.
In South Korea, thousands of people were expected to fill the streets near Seoul’s city hall for a traditional bell-tolling ceremony to usher in the new year.
> Shiuly Akter
