World greets 2025 after sweltering year of turmoil

WELLINGTON

Cities around the world rang in the New Year with celebrations after a year roiled by ongoing conflict and political instability .

Countries in the South Pacific Ocean were the first to welcome 2025, with midnight in New Zealand striking 18 hours before the ball dropped in Times Square in New York.

In New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, thousands thronged the downtown or climbed the city’s ring of volcanic peaks for a fireworks vantage point, and a light display recognizing Auckland's Indigenous tribes.

Two hours later in Australia, more than 1 million people were at Sydney Harbor for the traditional fireworks, with British pop star Robbie Williams leading a singalong.

Much of Japan was shut down for the nation’s biggest holiday, as temples and homes underwent a thorough cleaning, including swatting floor mats called “tatami” with big sticks.

The upcoming Year of the Snake in the Asian zodiac is heralded as one of rebirth, alluding to the reptile’s shedding skin. Stores in Japan, which observes the zodiac cycle from Jan. 1, have been selling tiny figures of smiling snakes and other snake-themed products. Other places in Asia will start marking the Year of the Snake later, with the Lunar New Year.

In South Korea, celebrations were cut back or canceled as the country observes a period of national mourning following the Dec. 29 crash of a Jeju Air flight at Muan that killed 179 people .

Chinese state media covered an exchange of New Year’s greetings between leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a reminder of growing closeness between two leaders who face tensions with the west.

Xi told Putin that their countries will “always move forward hand in hand,” the official Xinhua News Agency said yesterday.

Rome’s traditional New Year’s Eve festivities had an additional draw: The start of Pope Francis’ Holy Year, the once every quarter-century celebration projected to bring some 32 million pilgrims to the Eternal City in 2025.

Paris caped a momentous 2024 with its traditional festive countdown and fireworks extravaganza on the famed Champs-Elysées .

The Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games hosted in the French capital from July to September transformed the city into a site of joy, fraternity and astonishing sporting achievements.

London rang in the New Year with a pyrotechnic display along the River Thames and a parade through the city center today will feature 10,000 performers.
With a storm bringing bitter weather to other parts of the United Kingdom, however, festivities in Edinburgh, Scotland, including the Hogmanay Street party, garden concert and castle pyrotechnics show, were canceled.

Rio de Janeiro threw Brazil’s main New Year’s Eve bash on Copacabana Beach, with 10 ferries offshore bearing 12 straight minutes of fireworks. Thousands of tourists in six cruise ships will witnessed the show up close.