New Year celebrations start
December 31, 2014
More than a million people watched a massive fireworks display in the Australian city of Sydney on Wednesday in one of the first major celebrations as countries gradually began hailing the advent of a new year in 2015.
The celebration in Sydney, which took place against the spectacular backdrop of the famous Harbour Bridge and Opera House, took place just two weeks after a hostage drama in the city center in which two hostages died along with the Iranian-born gunman.
The fireworks display went ahead without incident, however, despite warnings from Prime Minister Tony Abbott after the siege that a terrorist attack was "likely" at the current level of "terrorist chatter."
Earlier, New Zealand also rang in the new year with a huge fireworks display launched from Auckland's landmark Sky Tower structure.
Muted festivities
Further west, celebration plans in Indonesia have been muted following the loss of AirAsia Flight 8501 and a deadly landslide in Central Java. In Surabaya, where the plane departed on its ill-fated journey, a candlelight vigil was being held in the hours leading up to midnight.
Elsewhere in Asia, however, festivities were to be more exuberant.
In Hong Kong, hundreds of thousands of people crowded the city's promenades to watch an eight-minute pyrotechnic display over its harbor after months of pro-democracy protests.
In China's capital the theme was Beijing's bid to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics, with performances by Olympic medalists and star pianist Lang Lang in sub-zero weather.
Dubai was to put on a fireworks display and lights show at the world's tallest tower, Burj Khalifa.
In Europe, Parisians will be treated to a visual spectacle projected onto the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees a quarter of an hour before the new year gets under way.
Brandenburg Gate concert
The German capital, Berlin, will join in the festivities with a huge open air concert in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Among those performing was to be "Baywatch" star David Hasselhoff, who famously sang 25 years ago at the same location after the Berlin Wall came down.
Among the things to be celebrated in Europe in 2015 is Lithuania joining the eurozone as its 19th member. Another Baltic state, Latvia, will be taking over the rotating presidency of the European Union.
One of the last midnight celebrations will be on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, where more than 2 million people are expected to watch a huge fireworks show opening celebrations for the 450th anniversary of the founding of the city.
'Cheers' 16 times - theoretically
The crew on board that International Space Station (ISS) were scheduled to pass through 16 time zones, while others celebrated on Earth, giving them the unique opportunity to mark the passage from one year into the next 16 times.
The crew of three Russians, two Americans and an Italian made their first New Year's flyover some 400 kilometers above the International Date Line over New Zealand.
To celebrate, only juice is allowed. Alcohol is banned on board.
tj/ipj (AFP, AP, dpa)