Singapore, January 1: Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul were among the latest cities around the world to ring in the New Year.
Beijing staged a spectacular lightshow and drums were played as crowds welcomed the Year of the Fire Horse.
The turn of the year was marked more soberly in Hong Kong. People counted down to the turn of the year as the traditional fireworks display over Victoria Harbour was cancelled following a deadly fire in November in which 161 people were killed.
Singaporeans also enjoyed a fireworks display at Marina Bay, with the skyline glowing beyond. Meanwhile, Japan and South Korea staged traditional bell-ringing ceremonies, with dancers in Seoul welcoming in 2026.
In Thailand, the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok was at the centre of the city's celebrations at midnight (1700 GMT).
Earlier, Sydney marked 2026 with a massive fireworks display around the iconic Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, just two weeks after the deadly shootings on Bondi beach.
The words "Peace" and "Unity" and a hannukiah - a nine-candle menorah used for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah - were illuminated on the Harbour Bridge, which was bathed in white light, during a minute's silence that paused the partying at exactly 11 pm.
Thousands held candles and other lights in their hands.
Celebrations on the famous Bondi beach were cancelled following the attack on a Jewish Hanukkah gathering there, which killed 15 people.
The firework display in Sydney dazzled for more than 12 minutes as cascades of light flowed from the Harbour Bridge, and colourful flames and fireworks lit up the sky around the Sydney Opera House.The around 7,300 inhabitants of Kiritimati atoll in the South Pacific were the first to welcome the New Year at midnight, which for them fell at 1000 GMT.
The atoll with 320 square kilometres of land area and lagoons, belongs to the island republic of Kiribati, which has several time zones and stretches across the equator in the middle of the South Pacific.
Just 15 minutes later, the Chatham Islands, which belong to New Zealand, were next to ring in the New Year.
The islands, with a population of just over 700, are located about 800 kilometres east of New Zealand and have their own time zone. At 1100 GMT, New Zealand and the island nations of Samoa and Tonga also popped the bubbly.
In New Zealand, the landmarks of the largest city, Auckland, were the focus of elaborate light shows and fireworks displays - most notably the 328-metre Sky Tower, the tallest tower in the southern hemisphere. Light shows and music also marked the occasion in the capital Wellington.
American Samoa, located just 220 kilometres east of Samoa on the other side of the International Date Line, will be the last inhabited place on Earth to welcome the New Year.
Source: Qatar Tribune
