SYDNEY — Crowds around the globe have gathered to ring in the new year with fireworks and street festivals often amid heightened security.

Traditional celebrations were overshadowed by grief at least in some communities. Hong Kong adjusted its plans in honor of 161 people who recently died in a high-rise apartment fire, while public events in Sydney, Australia, paid tribute to the 15 people killed in a terror attack at Bondi Beach on December 14.

Countries in the South Pacific were first to ring in the new year, as midnight struck in New Zealand a full 18 hours before the ball was scheduled to drop in New York City's Times Square.

In Auckland, New Zealanders welcomed 2026 with a fireworks display launched from the country's tallest structure, Sky Tower, in a celebration that drew thousands despite rain. The five-minute pyrotechnic display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the 787-foot tower.

Australia's east coast welcomed 2026 just two hours later.

Sydney has welcomed the New Year with a message of peace following the Bondi Beach mass shooting, as huge crowds gathered to watch the city's annual fireworks display.

The words peace and unity were projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as thousands of heavily armed police officers patrolled the as part of heightened security measures.

New South Wales (NSW) Police said more than 2,500 officers were on duty across the city, and some officers were authorised to carry high-grade weapons.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up by a white light to symbolise peace, and a Jewish menorah was projected on to the pylons of the bridge to show solidarity with the Jewish community.

Official New Year's Eve parties were paused at 23:00 local time (12:00 GMT) for a minute's silence to commemorate the victims of the attack.

Sydney's celebration kicked off a chain of events, from Dubai, to London and New York.

In Dubai, thousands of revelers queued for up to nine hours for a spectacular fireworks and laser display at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. After a build-up featuring jet skis and floating pianos on an adjacent lake, a 10-minute burst of pyrotechnics and LED effects lit up the needle-shaped, 2,717-foot tower.

In Brazil, revelers packed the iconic Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for concerts and a 12-minute fireworks show. On Dec. 30, the Brazilian city received the title of the world's largest New Year's Eve celebration from the Guinness World Records, a recognition of its famous massive festivity with live music shows by the sea.

In New York City, thousands of people packed Times Square for the famous ball drop. The party began early with musical performances from the likes of Ciara, Little Big Town, Diana Ross and others.

After midnight, the ball will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue to mark the United States' upcoming 250th birthday.

A few hours before midnight arrived in Europe, Pope Leo XIV gave his final general audience of 2025 in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. He quoted the late Pope Francis, led the congregation in a traditional prayer, and looked back upon the events of 2025.

In Paris, a New Year's Eve concert was cancelled because officials feared "unpredictable crowd movements" on the Champs-Elysées, which had been "deemed to not be sized" appropriately for the event. The new year is being celebrated with fireworks and a video projection on the Arc de Triomphe.

Increased security and traffic measures, including the mobilization of 10,000 police officers, have been implemented in the French capital.

London is hosting a ticketed fireworks event in the middle of the city, but Primrose Hill, a popular viewpoint, will be inaccessible, the Metropolitan Police Department said.

In Rome, a crowd gathered to celebrate with sparklers outside the Colosseum.

Berlin residents and tourists marked the end of 2025 by taking selfies and making snowmen in front of the German capital's cathedral and the iconic Brandenburg Gate. The Berlin TV Tower was nearly invisible amid the falling snowflakes and fog.

In Barcelona, Spain, residents were entertained with a drone display "2026" in the night sky during the city's New Year celebration.

In Ukraine, Odesa residents held a traditional celebration called Malanka, featuring traditional costumes, folklore characters, songs, dances, theatrical performances and other rituals meant to bring prosperity in the new year.

In his end-of-the-year address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is close to a peace deal with Russia, but cautioned that the most important issues were still unsolved and that any agreement should not reward Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin used his traditional New Year's address to reaffirm his belief in Russia's eventual success in its invasion of Ukraine. He praised Russian troops as heroes, "fighting for your native land, truth and justice."

"We believe in you and our victory," Putin said, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.

In Greece and Cyprus, officials turned down the volume, replacing some traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics, light shows and drone displays in capital cities. Officials said the change is intended to make celebrations more welcoming for children and pets, particularly animals sensitive to loud noise.

In Indonesia, one of Australia's nearest neighbors, cities scaled back New Year's Eve festivities as a gesture of solidarity with communities devastated by catastrophic floods and landslides that struck parts of Sumatra island a month ago, claiming more than 1,100 lives.

The capital, Jakarta, chose to reduce the usual fanfare, opting instead for subdued celebrations with a calm and reflective program centered on prayers for victims, city Gov. Pramono Anung said last week. But a large crowd still gathered to welcome 2026.

Concerts and fireworks on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali have been canceled and replaced with a cultural arts event featuring 65 groups performing traditional dances.

Hong Kong, too, was to ring in 2026 without the usual spectacular and colorful explosions in the sky over its iconic Victoria Harbor, after a massive fire tore through an apartment complex in November and killed at least 161 people.

The city's tourism board instead hosted a music show featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other singers in Central, a business district. The facades of eight landmarks were to turn into giant countdown clocks presenting a three-minute light show at midnight.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a New Year's Eve address broadcast by state media, hailed his country's technological progress in areas such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors while renewing threats against Taiwan, which it claims as part of its sovereign territory.

"We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship," he said.

"The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable," Xi said, as his country's military announced the conclusion of large-scale military drills around Taiwan that were condemned by the democratically governed island's leadership as "highly provocative and reckless."

In South Korea's capital, Seoul, a bell tolling was held at the Bosingak Pavilion and fireworks lit up the sky. — Agencies