New Year's Eve celebrations kick off as 2026 arrives Down Under

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On the different broadside of the world, 2026 has already arrived. Countries successful the South Pacific are archetypal to ringing successful the caller year, and midnight struck successful New Zealand a afloat 18 hours earlier the shot was scheduled to driblet successful New York's Times Square.

In Auckland, New Zealanders welcomed 2026 with a fireworks show launched from the country's tallest structure, Sky Tower, successful a solemnisation that drew thousands contempt rain.

The five-minute pyrotechnic show progressive 3,500 fireworks launched from assorted floors of the 787-foot tower. Smaller assemblage events were canceled crossed New Zealand's North Island connected Wednesday owed to dismal upwind forecasts.

Australia's eastbound seashore welcomed 2026 conscionable 2 hours later, but successful Sydney, the country's largest city, celebrations were held nether the pall of Australia's worst wide shooting successful astir 30 years. Two gunmen targeted a Hannukah solemnisation astatine Bondi Beach connected Dec. 14, sidesplitting 15 radical successful what authorities person labeled an ISIS-inspired, antisemitic panic attack.

Officials had said that much than 2,500 officers would beryllium connected manus to patrol the country astir Sydney's iconic harbor, the epicenter of New Year's Eve celebrations. Many were to openly transportation automatic rifles, a show seldom seen successful Sydney.

Thousands thronged to the waterfront to ticker a fireworks amusement centered connected the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

An hr earlier midnight, the massacre victims were commemorated with 1 infinitesimal of silence, portion images of a menorah were projected onto the bridge's pylons. The assemblage was invited to amusement solidarity with Australia's Jewish assemblage by shining their telephone torches crossed the harbor.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns had urged Sydney residents not to enactment distant owed to fear, saying extremists would construe smaller crowds astatine New Year's Eve festivities arsenic a victory.

"We can't beryllium successful a concern wherever this horrible, criminal, violent lawsuit changes the mode we unrecorded successful our beauteous city," Minns told reporters connected Wednesday. "We person to amusement defiance successful the look of this unspeakable transgression and accidental that we're not going to beryllium cowered by this benignant of terrorism."

In Indonesia, 1 of Australia's nearest neighbors, cities scaled backmost New Year's Eve festivities arsenic a motion of solidarity with communities devastated by catastrophic floods and landslides that struck parts of Sumatra land a period ago, claiming much than 1,100 lives.

The capital, Jakarta, volition not ringing successful 2026 with its accustomed fanfare, choosing alternatively subdued celebrations with a calm and reflective programme centered connected prayers for victims, metropolis Gov. Pramono Anung said past week. Concerts and fireworks connected Indonesia's tourer land of Bali person been canceled and replaced with a taste arts lawsuit featuring 65 groups performing accepted dances.

Hong Kong, too, was to ringing successful 2026 without the accustomed spectacular and colorful explosions successful the entity implicit its iconic Victoria Harbor, aft a monolithic fire tore done an flat analyzable successful November and killed astatine slightest 161 people.

The city's tourism committee was alternatively hosting a euphony amusement featuring brushed stone duo Air Supply and different singers successful Central, a concern district. The facades of 8 landmarks were to crook into elephantine countdown clocks presenting a three-minute airy amusement astatine midnight.

Many parts of Asia invited the caller twelvemonth by observing age-old traditions.

In Japan, crowds volition stitchery astatine a Buddhist temple successful Tokyo for a doorbell striking astatine midnight. In the South Korean superior Seoul, a doorbell tolling and countdown ceremonial volition beryllium held astatine the Bosingak Pavilion.

Chinese President Xi Jinping successful a New Year's Eve code broadcast by authorities media hailed his country's technological advancement successful areas specified arsenic artificial quality and semiconductors portion renewing threats against Taiwan, which it claims arsenic portion of its sovereign territory.

"We Chinese connected some sides of the Taiwan Strait stock a enslaved of humor and kinship," helium said.

"The reunification of our motherland, a inclination of the times, is unstoppable," Xi said, arsenic his country's subject announced the decision of large-scale subject drills astir Taiwan that were condemned by the democratically governed island's enactment arsenic "highly provocative and reckless."

While overmuch of the United States apt remained asleep, preparations were good underway for celebrations successful large cities and towns crossed the state — including successful New Orleans, wherever a New Year's Day panic attack 1 twelvemonth agone near 14 radical dead.

A National Guard deployment authorized by President Trump began connected Tuesday, arsenic portion of a dense information beingness for New Year's celebrations successful the "Big Easy" a twelvemonth aft the onslaught targeted revelers successful the aboriginal hours of Jan. 1, 2025, connected Bourbon Street.