Around the world, 2026 has begun to arrive. 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'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. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand's North Island on Wednesday due to dismal weather forecasts.

Australia's east coast welcomed 2026 just two hours later, but in Sydney, the country's largest city, celebrations were held under the pall of Australia's worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. Two gunmen targeted a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15 people in what authorities have labeled an ISIS-inspired, antisemitic terror attack.

Officials had said that more than 2,500 officers would be on hand to patrol the area around Sydney's iconic harbor, the epicenter of New Year's Eve celebrations. Many were to openly carry automatic rifles, a sight rarely seen in Sydney.

Thousands thronged to the waterfront to watch a fireworks show centered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

An hour before midnight, the massacre victims were commemorated with one minute of silence, while images of a menorah were projected onto the bridge's pylons. The crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia's Jewish community by shining their phone lights across the harbor.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns had urged Sydney residents not to stay away due to fear, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds at New Year's Eve festivities as a victory.

"We can't be in a situation where this horrible, criminal, terrorist event changes the way we live in our beautiful city," Minns told reporters on Wednesday. "We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime and say that we're not going to be cowered by this kind of terrorism."

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, will not ring in 2026 with its usual fanfare, choosing instead subdued celebrations with a calm and reflective program centered on prayers for victims, city Gov. Pramono Anung said last week. 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 was instead hosting 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.

Many parts of Asia welcome the new year by observing age-old traditions.

Temple bells rang across Japan, and some people climbed mountains to see the year's first sunrise. Others were eating noodles in a traditional wish for long life because of the noodle's shape. In South Korea's capital, Seoul, a bell tolling was held at the Bosingak Pavilion.

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."

Palestinians in Gaza said they hope the new year brings a definitive end to the war between Israel and Hamas that has battered the enclave for two years, as negotiators push for progress into the ceasefire's challenging second phase.

"We hope that it will be a good year for our people in Palestine," said Faraj Rasheed, noting that thousands continue to live in harsh conditions in tent camps.

In Greece and Cyprus, officials were turning down the volume, replacing 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 Italy, Pope Leo XIV gave his final general audience of the year in St. Peter's Square. He quoted the late Pope Francis, led the congregation in a traditional prayer, and looked back upon the events of 2025. 

Across the United States, preparations are well underway for celebrations in cities and towns across the country — including in New Orleans, where a New Year's Day terror attack one year ago killed 14 people. A National Guard deployment authorized by President Trump began on Tuesday, as part of a heavy security presence for New Year's celebrations in the "Big Easy."

Police in New York City will have additional anti-terrorism measures at the Times Square ball drop, with mobile screening teams. It is not in response to a specific threat, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

After the ball drops it will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue, to mark the country's upcoming 250th birthday.