World Rings In 2026 With Spectacular New Year Celebrations

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Melbourne- Drummers pounded in the New Year and a stampede of computer-generated horses was shown over part of the Great Wall as China and the rest of the World marked the start of 2026.

Temple bells rang across Japan, and some climbed mountains to see the year's first sunrise in the Year of the Horse, which according to the Asian zodiac is believed to herald energy and transformation. But Hong Kong held subdued celebrations following a recent fire that killed 161 people at an apartment complex.

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Sydney saluted the new year with joy and defiance, as the famous Harbor Bridge crackled with fireworks less than three weeks after Australia's worst mass shooting in almost 30 years.

South Pacific countries were the first to bid farewell to 2025. New Zealand's capital, Auckland, held a fireworks display 18 hours before the ball drop in New York's Times Square.

A heavy police presence monitored the thousands watching the fireworks show in Sydney. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the event, after two gunmen targeted a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec 14, killing 15 and wounding 40.

An hour before midnight, the victims of the massacre were commemorated with a minute of silence, and the crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia's Jewish community.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns had urged Sydney residents not to stay away from the festivities due to fear, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds as a victory:“We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime.”

Cities around Indonesia scaled back festivities in solidarity with communities devastated by floods and landslides in parts of Sumatra island a month ago, claiming more than 1,100 lives. Concerts and fireworks on the tourist island of Bali were replaced with a cultural event featuring traditional dances.

Hong Kong rang in 2026 without the usual fireworks over Victoria Harbor after the massive fire in November. Facades of landmarks instead were turned into countdown clocks that presented a light show at midnight.

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In Japan, where fireworks aren't a traditional part of festivities, temple bells rang across the country. Celebrants lined up at Shinto shrines.

In Seoul, the South Korean capital, Mayor Oh Se-hoon and others rang the old Bosingak bell 33 times at midnight.

In the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands have been displaced by more than two years of war, Palestinians said they hope the new year brings a definitive end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

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